Nationwide round-up

October 8, 2019 | 8:01 pm

‘Explosive’ evidence to be presented at Senate hearing on jail system

THE COMMITTEE on Justice and Human Rights will be presenting new evidence and witnesses in Wednesday’s continuing hearing on anomalies in the state penitentiary system, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said.

Mr. Sotto said on Monday evening that he signed over five subpoenas for the investigation, which he described as “explosive.”

“Something explosive, palagay ko (I think) new evidence, baka (maybe) one or two new witnesses,” Mr. Sotto told reporters in a briefing at the Manila Hotel, Tuesday.

He noted this will further uncover truth on the alleged corruption within the New Bilibid Prison as well as the operation of rogue cops.

These issues surfaced during the committee’s probe on the implementation of the good conduct time allowance.

In its last two hearings, the panel looked into the involvement of Philippine National Police Chief Oscar D. Albayalde in the alleged 2013 reselling of drugs seized during a police buy-bust operation.

This was in relation to statements of former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Benjamin B. Magalong, now Baguio City mayor, on an alleged cover up.

Mr. Magalong recounted that in Nov. 29, 2013 thirteen Pampanga cops seized more or less 200 kilograms (kgs) of drugs, but declared only 38 kgs.

Investigations, initiated by Mr. Magalong, led to a dismissal order issued against the 13 cops.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron N. Aquino said Mr. Albayalde had asked him to halt implementation of the order when he was central Luzon regional director.

“The best way for the chief PNP to show that he does not have anything to do with that is to complete the proposal of dismissal at tsaka (and to) i-file ang necessary cases,” Mr. Sotto also said. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Amendments to Human Security Act seen passing Senate by November

THE PROPOSED amendments to the Human Security Act to strengthen the government’s efforts in counter-terrorism is seen hurdling the Senate by November, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said on Tuesday.

“Right now we are on the verge of passing the anti-terrorist act,” Mr. Sotto told reporters in a briefing at the Manila Hotel.

“We might be able to pass it in the first week of November. At the latest, second week of November, just before we start deliberation of the budget.”

Congress is currently on an Oct. 5–Nov. 3 break.

He was referring to Senate Bill No. 1083, or the “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2019,” which is now pending second reading approval in the chamber.

The Senator has been pushing for the measure since the 17^th Congress, where it only went as far as hurdling the Senate committees on public order and dangerous drugs, and justice and human rights.

The counterpart measure, meanwhile, remains pending at the committee level in the House of Representatives.

The measure proposes the following acts as punishable by life imprisonment: any person traveling to a state for the purpose of planning or participating in terrorist acts; organizing travel of individuals with the same purpose; or any person residing abroad who comes to the Philippines to participate in terror acts. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Over 4M new voters register

OVER FOUR million new voters registered this year, higher than the 2.6 million expected by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Based on data released Tuesday, Comelec said 4,097,003 voter applications were processed during the registration period from Aug. 1 to Sept. 30.

Of the total, 1,014,607 were voters aged 15 to 17 years old for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), and the rest were regular applicants aged 18 and above.

This is beyond the target noted by who said around 2.6 million Filipinos are expected to register for 2019, with mostly first time young voters making up the majority.

“A turnout this high far exceeds the projected number of new registered voters for the year 2020. This is true for the 16 regions in the country. For regular applicants, the nationwide average is 152% more than what was statistically expected,” Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez said.

The next scheduled elections will be for the baranggay and SK elections on May 22 next year, although there is a pending proposal in Congress for a postponement.

“Once a bill postponing the polls is signed into law by the President, we will announce a new period of voter registration,” Mr. Jimenez said. — Gillian M. Cortez

Nation at a Glance — (10/09/19)

October 8, 2019 | 8:00 pm

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

UAAP: Red Warriors out to make it three wins in a row

October 8, 2019 | 6:48 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE University of the East Red Warriors are out to sustain their fighting form of late when they take on the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball action today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Opened their campaign in the ongoing University Athletic Association of the Philippines season with three straight losses, the Warriors (3-5) have picked things up since, winning three of five games, including their last two, something they hope to extend in their 12:30 p.m. matchup with UST.

UE recently defeated the Adamson Soaring Falcons, 80-74, in a game that saw it raise its game in the second half to outlast its opponent.

Foreign player Alex Diakhite and one-and-done Rey Suerte formed a potent 1-2 punch for the Warriors in the victory.

Diakhite unloaded a career-high 29 points to go along with 13 rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.

Suerte, meanwhile, tallied 26 points, seven boards, and three assists for his team, which incidentally tied Adamson (3-5) at sixth place in the race with the victory.

“We got lucky today. We got breaks and the players refused to lose. We know that Adamson has a good team with a legendary coach. We beat them with effort,” said UE active consultant Lawrence Chongson after the game as he talked about their performance.

Looking to halt UE’s surge are the Tigers who have slowed down after a fiery start to their campaign.

UST has lost back to back, the most recent at the hands of the defending champions Ateneo Blue Eagles, 66-52, on Oct. 5.

The Tigers were kept at bay by the Eagles throughout the contest, a contrast from their first encounter in the opening round where they made the reigning champions sweat and on their toes from start to finish.

Rookie Mark Nonoy top-scored for UST with 18 points but after him no other Tiger scored in double digits, including leading most valuable player candidate Soulemane Chabi Yo, who was held to just six points on two-of-11 shooting.

Also playing today are the Far Eastern University Tamaraws (4-4) against the National University Bulldogs (1-7) at 10:30 a.m. and Ateneo (8-0) versus Adamson at 4 p.m.

20-20 GUY BALTAZAR IS POW
Meanwhile, De La Salle University big man Justine Baltazar was hands down voted as the UAAP player of the week after dropping the first 20-20 game in the league in more than a decade.

The veteran Baltazar had 25 points and 25 rebounds in their dominant win over NU on Oct. 6.

The last player to achieve such feat was Jervy Cruz of UST who had 28 points and 20 rebounds in August 2008.

In winning the weekly award handed out by media covering the league, Baltazar topped Ken Tuffin of FEU, UE’s Diakhite and Thirdy Ravena of Ateneo.

PBA: Rain or Shine, Phoenix Pulse tussle to break slide

October 8, 2019 | 6:48 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

STRUGGLING teams Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters seek to break their respective two-game slides in the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup when they meet today at 7 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Lost back-to-back matches entering the contest, the Elasto Painters (1-3) and Fuel Masters (1-4) look to wiggle out of their funk and sharpen themselves up with victories as the elimination round of the season-ending PBA tournament nears the halfway point.

Rain or Shine narrowly fell to the defending champions Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok, 69-68, in its last game on Oct. 4.

Replacement import Kayle Locke struggled with foul trouble in his PBA debut and was limited to just 13 points, on five-of-15 shooting, and nine rebounds.

But despite that, the Elasto Painters competed and positioned themselves to win in a low-scoring affair but just could not go over the hump in the end.

Rookie Javee Mocon led Rain or Shine with 14 points and eight rebounds with Beau Belga adding nine points.

“We just did not get our rhythm. Our import is new and he was still adjusting. Hopefully after this game he has a better feel of the PBA and play better,” said Rain or Shine coach Caloy Garcia of their new import who replaced Joel Wright, and what did it for them in their loss to Magnolia.

Phoenix Pulse, for its part, never really got it going in their loss to the Meralco Bolts, 111-94, last time around.

Import Eugene Phelps had a monster game of 31 points and 24 rebounds but after him no other Fuel Master had an impactful game, making it hard to keep in step with the Bolts, who were just unrelenting when they found their groove.

Making matters worse for the Fuel Masters was they saw coach Louie Alas not finish the game after being tossed out from it in the second quarter after incurring back-to-back technicals. It marked the second time in three matches that the Phoenix coach was ejected from the game.

“We’re still in the race. If we get a win on Wednesday (against Rain or Shine) we’re back on track. We just have to focus on what we can control and play our best,” said Mr. Alas as they turn their attention to their matchup against the Elasto Painters.

Meanwhile, playing in the curtain-raiser at 4:30 p.m. are the league-leading TNT KaTropa (4-0) against the sliding Northport Batang Pier (1-3).

The KaTropa have been unstoppable so far on the lead of do-it-all import KJ McDaniels, who has been solid for 34.8 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, 4.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.

Also delivering for TNT are Jayson Castro (19.3 ppg, 7.3 apg and 2 spg), Roger Pogoy (20.8 ppg), Troy Rosario (18.3 ppg) and Don Trollano (15.3 ppg).

Northport, on the other hand, has slid considerably, losing three straight after opening the tournament with a victory.

Import Mychal Ammons is leading the Batang Pier with 21.8 points, 15.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game with rookie Robert Bolick providing 16 points and 6.8 assists and Mo Tautuaa 12 points and 10 boards.

Heavyweight Brandon Vera has a big challenge in Aung La N Sang — analyst

October 8, 2019 | 6:48 pm

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

ONE Championship world heavyweight champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera makes his return to action on Oct. 13 at “ONE: Century” in Tokyo, Japan, and he is going to face a challenge he has not seen before in Asia’s largest combat sports promotion, said a fight analyst.

To take on light heavyweight champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang in the headlining fight for part two of the two-pronged Century event, ONE Championship’s landmark centenary show since 2011, Mr. Vera (16-7-1) said he chose to battle the Myanmar champion to fulfil a dream of becoming a double champion in a sport he has been doing professionally for two decades now and has taken him to different places and settings.

While Mr. Vera has made a strong claim for such a quest in his five years in ONE, local fight analyst Nissi Icasiano said he will have his work cut out for him against Aung La (25-10-1), the concurrent ONE middleweight champion.

“Brandon Vera definitely faces a huge challenge in Aung La. This will be the first time that he will have to fight a quality opponent since he joined the company in 2014. He will be tested. This will not be a walk in the park. Almost all of his opponents [previously] weren’t at par with his skill set nor at least touched his resume. It’s going to be interesting how he adjusts from cutting weight at 42 years old,” said Mr. Icasiano in an interview as he touched on what Mr. Vera faces in his upcoming fight.

“Aung La N Sang is a fighter with training partners from UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and Bellator. He gets to train with some of the best light heavyweights and middleweights in America so we can say he has quality,” he added.

Mr. Vera, who last fought in November last year here in Manila, said he would turn to his experience to get past the challenge that Aung La, 34, presents, picking up holes in the latter’s arsenal to take advantage of, a tack that Mr. Icasiano views as a “double-edged sword.”

“Experience is a double-edged sword for me. To me, it’s all about the quality of opponents that you’ve faced. Vera is yet to fight a quality foe from 2014 to 2019. That is five years, so we really can’t tell if he’s still high caliber because he’s yet to be tested. Another factor is the fact that Vera is yet to make it out of the first round. Five years is half a decade, a lot of things could’ve changed during those five years,” the analyst said.

“Vera only has a height advantage in every criteria. He only has size. When it comes to chin, Aung La has chin. In my opinion, the real favorite in this fight is Aung La N Sang, not Brandon Vera,” Mr. Icasiano added.

Mr. Icasiano was quick to say though that he is not counting out Mr. Vera outright versus Aung La N Sang but the Filipino-American fighter should bring his A-game come fight night lest he find himself stopped by the Burmese Python.

ONE: Century will be carried live locally by both ESPN5 and Cignal, and ABS-CBN Sports and iWant Sports.

Part one of the event, headlined by the women’s atomweight title clash of champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee of Singapore and strawweight champ “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan begins at 8 a.m. with part two, bannered by the Aung La-Vera title clash, starts at 4 p.m.

Blazers stop telling skid with win over EAC Generals

October 8, 2019 | 6:47 pm

THE College of Saint Benilde Blazers put an end on to their telling skid in National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 95 on Tuesday with a 62-56 victory over the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals in league action at the FilOil Flying V Centre in San Juan City.

Losers of their last six games previously, the Blazers (7-8) gave their slowly flickering Final Four hopes fresh life with the victory while sending the Generals (3-13) to their 13^th defeat in 16 matches.

Yankie Haruna led the way for CSB in the win with 16 points, followed by Justin Gutang with 12.

Edward Dixon finished with seven for the Blazers, who, as of this writing, was at joint fifth place with the Mapua Cardinals (7-8), a game and a half behind the fourth-running San Sebastian Stags (8-6).

For EAC it was JP Maguliano who led with 12 points, followed by JC Luciano and Marwin Taywan with 11 points each.

The two teams had it tight in the opening two quarters with EAC getting the number of CSB, taking the first and second frames, 14-13 and 32-31, respectively.

In the third quarter, the Generals continued to hold control before the Blazers made a strong finish to speed to a 52-44 advantage heading into the final canto.

The teams struggled to get their offense going in the payoff period but the Generals made a last-ditch effort to rally back.

They fell short, however, as the Blazers did just enough to hold on and book the skid-stopping victory.

CSB next plays on Oct. 15 against the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers while EAC faces off with the Arellano Chiefs on Oct. 11. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

Gymnast Yulo second Filipino to qualify for Tokyo Olympics

October 8, 2019 | 6:47 pm

Gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo will compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after qualifying via the 49^th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, on Tuesday. — *PSC-POC MEDIA GROUP*

THE Philippines has a second qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in male gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo.

Competed at the 49^th FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, on Tuesday (Manila time), Mr. Yulo, 19, was among the gymnasts who made the cut for the quadrennial sporting spectacle.

He finished 18^th in the all-around performances and earned a spot in the finals later this week but is already assured of a berth in the Summer Games happening from July 24 to Aug. 9 next year.

Mr. Yulo garnered 82.164 points with Russians Nikita Nagornyy (87.333) and Artur Dalaloyan (86.531) taking the top two and Chinese Ruoteng Xiao (85.831) taking third.

The Filipino had his best outing in floor exercise where wound up at seventh place with a score of 14.633 points.

By qualifying, Mr. Yulo joins pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena as the only Filipinos so far who will see action in the Tokyo Games. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

NLDS: Cardinals, Nationals force Game 5

October 8, 2019 | 6:46 pm

LOS ANGELES — Yadier Molina’s 10^th-inning sacrifice fly lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Monday and sent their National League Division Series (NLDS) to a decisive fifth game.

The series will conclude Wednesday in Atlanta, with the winner advancing to meet the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Washington Nationals in the NL Championship Series.

Molina tied the game 4-4 with his eighth-inning RBI single, then decided it in the 10^th by driving home Kolten Wong from third base with his fly ball to left field.

Miles Mikolas (1-0), the eighth Cardinals pitcher, pitched one scoreless inning for the victory. Julio Teheran (0-1), the seventh Braves pitcher, took the loss by allowing one run in two-thirds of an inning.

NATIONALS 6, DODGERS 1
Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run homer, Anthony Rendon drove in three runs, and Washington Nationals pulled away for a win over visiting Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NL Division Series.

Washington evened the best-of-five series at 2-2 and forced a decisive Game 5 on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Both teams have won one game at home and one game on the road.

Max Scherzer (1-0) stymied the Dodgers over seven quality innings on short rest. He gave up one run on four hits while walking three and striking out seven. Dodgers reliever Julio Urias (0-1) gave up three runs on three hits while recording only two outs.

RAYS 10, ASTROS 3
Charlie Morton overcame an early home run by Jose Altuve to pitch five effective innings, and Kevin Kiermaier gave Tampa Bay Rays the lead for good with a three-run homer, helping them stay alive in the American League Division Series with a win over Houston Astros in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Rays narrowed the Astros’ lead in the best-of-five series to 2-1, with Game 4 also scheduled for the Rays’ home field on Tuesday.

Coming off a win at Oakland in the AL wild-card game last Wednesday, Morton served up a homer to Altuve on his eighth pitch Monday.

Morton didn’t give up another run, and he yielded three hits and two walks while striking out nine. Ji-Man Choi, Brandon Lowe and Willy Adames hit solo homers for Tampa Bay, which pounded Astros starter Zack Greinke for six runs in 3 2/3 innings. — Reuters

Unbeaten 49ers crush Browns

October 8, 2019 | 6:46 pm

SANTA CLARA, CA — Matt Breida set the tone with a long run as part of his 114-yard night, and the San Francisco 49ers dominated the visiting Cleveland Browns in a 31-3 victory Monday in Santa Clara, California.

Teammate Tevin Coleman added 97 yards on the ground. San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo completed 20 of 29 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

The 49ers (4-0), the only unbeaten team in the NFC, held Cleveland to 180 total yards. San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa recorded two sacks.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 100 yards, completing just 8 of 22 throws for the Browns (2-3), who committed four turnovers. For Mayfield, a second-year pro, it marked his first career start without a passing touchdown. He was intercepted twice.

Breida ripped off an 83-yard touchdown run on the 49ers’ first offensive snap on the first of his 11 carries. He also scored on a 5-yard pass from Garoppolo later in the first quarter.

San Francisco rushed for 185 first-half yards, so it didn’t matter that Garoppolo had thrown for only 46 yards.

Mayfield was intercepted and lost a fumble in the first 11 1/2 minutes before he completed a pass.

The 49ers failed to convert after the second of those turnovers when Robbie Gould’s 47-yard field-goal attempt drifted wide right.

Cleveland broke through early in the second quarter, with a 10-play drive resulting in Austin Seibert’s 30-yard field goal.

Mayfield had 80 passing yards in the first half. — Reuters

Coming along

October 8, 2019 | 6:45 pm

In the first two conferences of the ongoing season of the Philippine Basketball Association the NLEX Road Warriors had it rough, failing to advance to the playoffs and unable to win more than four games each time.

The Road Warriors, however, are coming along in the currently running Governors’ Cup and actually making a strong case as a team to contend with in the season-ending PBA tournament.

As of this writing, NLEX is sporting a 4-1 record which could have easily been 5-0 if not for a narrow 98-94 loss to the San Miguel Beermen in Dubai last week.

The record it has right now tied its total wins in the Philippine Cup (4-7) and surpassed what it had in the Commissioners’ Cup (3-8).

No doubt about it, what is doing it for the Road Warriors this time around is that it is now a “fully functioning” team able to put up a sustained fight.

In the previous two conferences they did compete and left everything on the floor but for one reason or another simply could not keep it up for much of the time and go over the hump.

Having coach Yeng Guiao and erstwhile missing player Kiefer Ravena back has certainly done wonders for the team.

With Coach Yeng around full time after doing double duty with Gilas Pilipinas previously, the Road Warriors are moving with better direction.

Not that the NLEX deputies did a horrible job while Coach Yeng was away, but with the head coach back in harness and steering the team, it obviously has a firmer grip of what it has in its arsenal and what it wants to get from each and everyone in the roster — enhanced by that incendiary Guiao style of coaching.

And it is hard to argue with the result so far.

Ravena, out for some 18 months because of the suspension slapped on him by FIBA for testing positive for a prohibited substance found during the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers which was blamed on a pre-workout drink he took, has been a boon to NLEX in his return, further shoring up its backcourt.

To date, Ravena has been all-around for the Road Warriors in the Governors’ Cup with numbers of 18.6 points, 9.4 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest. Player of the conference-worthy? You bet!

His steady stellar play has worked well with those of backcourt mates Philip Paniamogan (11.6 ppg), Kenneth Ighalo (9.6 ppg), Jericho Cruz (8.6 ppg) and Larry Fonacier (6.2 ppg).

Complementing well the play of their backcourt are the frontliners led by import Olu Ashaolu.

The returning NLEX reinforcement has fitted well in the system of Coach Yeng.

While not as flashy and explosive as the other imports in tow, Ashaolu is a workhorse who provides what the team needs and in some cases at the most opportune of times at that.

He is averaging 22.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and three assists per game but his impact definitely goes beyond those numbers. Having him come early to train with the team has also gone a long way.

JR Quiñahan (11.4 ppg) and Poy Erram (11 ppg and 2 bpg) have also been delivering accordingly for the team with upside still there, particularly the latter who is making his way back from an arm injury suffered in their tournament opener against the Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters.

Collectively the Road Warriors, too, are determined to shed that underachieving ways they have had of late, something that should serve them well not only in the ongoing tournament but beyond as well.

At the current rate things are going, NLEX should be there in the mix come the playoffs with the potential to go deeper.

A sea-change alright in the Governors’ Cup for the Road Warriors; something I am sure their supporters are basking in.

Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld reporter covering the Sports beat.

msmurillo@bworldonline.com

No Redskins savior

October 8, 2019 | 6:45 pm

Nope, the Redskins didn’t fire coach Jay Gruden due to an inability to speed up the growth process of rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins. For all the obvious expectations that come with being drafted 15^th overall, he continues to be a raw commodity that figures to be spoiled if rushed to produce. And forget about the bullishness of the front office in regard to his potential; Daniel Snyder may be the reason he was plucked from Ohio State after just 14 starts, but even the franchise owner knows the value of patience. No doubt, it’s also preached because of the way he performed well below par in relief last week.

To argue that Haskins stunk up MetLife Stadium would be an understatement. He came in with the Redskins two touchdowns behind midway through the second quarter, and then proceeded to craft what looked to be a good series with two good passes and a nifty scramble under pressure. Unfortunately, he couldn’t finish the job; considering that he had three opportunities to do so from the one-yard line, winding up with a field goal was disappointing at best. And, once the adrenaline wore off, his inexperience showed; everything went downhill from then on.

Haskins would finish the game with a poor nine-of-17 line, including three interceptions, for 107 yards all told. He was also sacked twice en route to posting an abhorrent 26.1 quarterback rating in the 24-3 loss to the Giants. He simply lacks the wherewithal to perform under the klieg lights, and if there’s anything Gruden was guilty of in regard to his progress, it was, in fact, rushing him to the field. The good news is that the Redskins are prepared to go the long route with him, their evident win-now predilections notwithstanding. Interim coach Bill Callahan has even gone on record to note that he could be inactive on game days.

Meanwhile, Haskins is doing all he must do to justify the Redskins’ faith in him. He goes through separate workouts before and after team meetings, not to mention breaks down footage of relevant action with coaches and by himself. As to when his efforts will finally lead to a start is anybody’s guess. “He still has a ways to go,” Callahan acknowledged. “His development is very, very important. There is a very good plan in place for that to happen.” That said, he’s only part of the solution. The rest is up to the very front office that drafted him, and that has seen more than its fair share of futility. He’s no savior, even at his best.

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

An Ode to Banaue

October 8, 2019 | 2:29 pm

Look through the lens of the late master photographer, John K. Chua

They say a picture is worth a thousand words – a captured moment can evoke feelings and a photo of a well-loved place can bring back treasured memories. From September 29 to December 1, find a chance to see the beauty of Banaue in a different light, through the magic eye of renowned photographer, John K. Chua in “Falling in Love with Banaue and Beyond,” a photo exhibition at the FoGuang Yuan Manila Art Gallery.

From breathtaking photos of the Banaue Rice Terraces to moving portraits of the locals, the exhibit features moving pictures of family and community living, rituals, as well as ethnic games taken by the photographer from 1970 to 2015.

The late John K. Chua was one of most respected photographers in the country known for his technical expertise and taking on challenging photo shoots. For more than four decades, he has worked with different clients, shot a variety of subjects, and cemented his place as a top-notch architectural, commercial, and advertising photographer. An adopted son of Banaue, Chua devoted his life to documenting Ifugao culture and teaching photography to kids battling cancer as well as to children with autism.

The award-winning advertising photographer was also an advocate for people with disabilities. He organized Photography with a Difference, among many other initiatives, and taught photography to the visually impaired through the Photography Beyond Sight program.

Falling in Love with Banaue and Beyond is organized by the FoGuang Shan Mabuhay Temple in partnership with the FoGuang Yuan Manila Art Gallery. The exhibit will open on September 29, Sunday (by invitation only) at 2:00PM and will run until December 1, 2019. The FoGuang Yuan Manila Art Gallery is located at 656 P. Ocampo Street, Malate Manila and is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00AM to 5:00PM.