Twilight rises again, this time as a concert tour

May 7, 2019 | 12:02 am

LOS ANGELES — Twilight is coming back from the dead with a live concert that will tour the world.

Movie studio Lionsgate on Thursday announced that the vampire book and movie romance that had millions of hearts swooning is being adapted for an international live to film event.

The Twilight in Concert tour will feature a full orchestra performing the original movie score timed to a screening of the first of the five Twilight films.

The Twilight movie franchise, based on the best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer, tells the story of American teenager Bella Swan who falls in love with mysterious Edward Cullen, who is a vampire.

The five movies, released between 2008-2012, took some $3.3 billion at the global box office and launched the careers of actors Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. Meyer’s four novels have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide.

Lionsgate said in a statement that it hoped the concert tour would “continue to expand the world of Twilight and introduce it to legions of new fans around the world.”

The tour will begin in Brazil in August and be followed by stops in Australia and Britain.

Concerts based on movies and television shows have become a popular way of extending entertainment franchises, with television series Game of Thrones and movie The Hunger Games, Star Wars and Harry Potter all finding large global audiences. — Reuters

Rythmic standout

May 7, 2019 | 12:01 am

Persona Dancing:
Endless Night Collection
Sony PlayStation 4

IT HAS been 16 years since Atlus thought to release Revelations: Persona on the Sony PlayStation. Expectations were modest then, with the title taking on many of the features of the Megami Tensei franchise from which it drew inspiration. Regardless of outlook, however, it wound up being a sleeper hit, in the process building an extremely loyal fan base and jump-starting a series with immense crossover appeal. For all its humble beginnings, it spawned an intellectual property giant. Boasting of memorable characters, killer soundtracks, and storylines that transcend genres, it now carries a name synonymous to great gaming — a veritable seal of quality that ensures unparalleled entertainment value.

To be fair, Atlus hasn’t simply been banking on name recall to deliver outstanding sales figures with every Persona release. Certainly, all the eggs hatched by its trusty goose have been, well, golden in characteristics and, thusly, deserving of critical and commercial recognition. Such is likewise the case with Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection, which carries with it a PlayStation 4 port of PS Vita smash Persona 4: Dancing All Night and the all-new Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Simply put, they’re rhythm games presented in ways and profiles unique to the series.

Picking up from where Persona 4 Golden left off, Persona 4: Dancing All Night has the Investigation Team reuniting to help member Rise Kujikawa regain her footing in show business. En route to the scheduled performance at the Love Meets Bonds Festival, however, the intrepid cast finds its interest piqued by more than just dancing lessons. The entire Kanamin Kitchen — likewise slated to make an appearance in the event — has disappeared, evidently transported to an alternate dimension.

To save Kanami Mashita and company, the team will have to face Shadows and a mysterious figure who holds the puppet strings via battles at the Midnight Stage. In Persona 4: Dancing All Night, these set-tos involve dance-offs, underscoring its rhythm-game interface. As in the ubiquitous Project Diva series, gamers are required to keep track of notes traveling over predetermined areas by pressing the right buttons at the right times and in the right sequences. A conscious contrivance to fit the unique gameplay in Story Mode? Perhaps. Considering the dark themes and its serious underpinnings, a complete commitment to role-playing elements can be argued as superior.

Nonetheless, there can be no denying the pull of Persona 4: Dancing All Night through the three difficulty settings and the Free Dance option on tap. It works because of the smoothness of the controls and the catchiness of the music tracks. And, precisely because of the depth of the narrative and the richness of its characters, it stands as one of the best offerings in the rhythm genre, bar none. Parenthetically, the remaster is head and shoulders better than the Vita version; on the PS4 Pro, colors stand out and sounds are crisp, enhancing the emotional resonance while navigating through familiar tunes.

In contrast, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight provide no overarching storylines. Instead, their progression is founded on more lighthearted premises. The narrative moves along via social links offering specific information on protagonists and triggered by additional character unlocks. Objectives are completed in the Velvet Room, where members of both the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad and the Phantom Thieves dream of facing off.

Meanwhile, the gameplay of Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight is identical to that of Persona 4: Dancing All Night. Only in the character rosters, song lists, and background presentations do they differ. Needless to say, dance animations are extremely fluid, if not quite jibing with the chords. Difficulty is likewise three-tiered, with reasonable jumps to provide a fair challenge. At no time do the titles feel like they’re presenting Sisyphean hurdles to artificially inflate replay value.

Under the circumstances, prevailing biases will likely inform the preferences of gamers who go through Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection. True, Persona 4: Dancing All Night has a built-in advantage for being first mover, as well as for retaining a more substantive story. On the other hand, Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight offer technically advanced graphics and sound mixes. In short, each title has pros and cons, and usage figures to be determined by personal partiality to specific characters and soundtracks.

In sum, Atlus manages to justify Persona Dancing: Endless Night Collection’s $100 price tag by leveraging on its intellectual property’s rich history. Even in a hitherto-unfamiliar genre, it succeeds in banking on the Persona franchise’s biggest come-ons. As far as rhythm games go, its offering doesn’t exactly break the mold. But because it lays claim to a distinctively fleshed-out look and feel, it winds up standing out all the same.

THE GOOD:

• A heady collection of games featuring characters from three Persona series

• Smooth interface, with nary any input lags

• Memorable track lists

• Difficulty levels present fair challenges

THE BAD:

• Remixes are a mixed bag

• Narratives of two of the three titles on offer lack depth

• Visuals don’t always reflect gameplay progress

RATING: 8.5/10

Singapore may allow virtual banks

May 7, 2019 | 12:01 am

SINGAPORE could follow Hong Kong in handing out virtual banking licenses, according to the head of the largest local lender, in a move that would create another source of competition for the city state’s established banks.

“I see no reason why it would not,” DBS Group Holdings Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Piyush Gupta said in an interview with Bloomberg Television, when asked whether the Singapore authorities might issue similar licenses to Hong Kong. But he downplayed the likely impact on Singapore’s existing banks, which are already competing with international giants like Citigroup Inc. as well as financial technology start-ups.

Provided incumbent lenders have been upgrading their digital capabilities, any virtual banking newcomers shouldn’t be considered a threat, Gupta said. “To my mind, that’s just basically giving a few more banking licenses,” he added.

Among the firms to receive virtual licenses in Hong Kong, three have partnered with financial institutions such as Standard Chartered Plc, BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd. and ZhongAn Online P&C Insurance Co. Fintech firm WeLab Holdings Ltd. has also received a Hong Kong banking license. The new entrants are targeting a market dominated by HSBC Holdings Plc, which has a leading share of the local market for retail and corporate lending, mortgages and credit cards.

Virtual banks typically have lower operational costs than traditional lenders that rely on brick-and-mortar branch networks. Last month, Gupta told DBS’s annual shareholder meeting that a new digital bank could generate $100 of income from a cost base a little above $30.

LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
In the interview, Gupta said he’d only see a problem in Singapore if virtual banks are allowed to operate on more lenient terms than the incumbents, for example in terms of the capital they are required to hold. “The real challenge is if the regulators create an unlevel playing field, and let the new bank licensees come in and do banking on different terms,” he said. But he said most regulators “don’t seem to be inclined” to do that.

Singapore’s banking landscape is dominated by the three local lenders — DBS, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. and United Overseas Bank Ltd. — though foreign firms such as HSBC and Citigroup also have branch networks.

Virtual licenses are “a broader banking policy that has to be studied carefully,” Singapore’s Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, who sits on the MAS board, said in a parliamentary speech in January. “The real question is whether there are benefits for Singapore to increase the number of banks in Singapore by admitting primarily digital start-up banks,” Ong added.

Gupta said DBS’s training programs have been successful in minimizing job losses as technology disrupts the finance industry, and reduces the number of staff needed in branches. Some 1,200 employees have been retrained and about 900 have moved to new roles, he said.

Even for people in their 60s and 70s “if you know how to use FaceTime and you can Skype and you order an Uber or a Grab, if you can make the change in your personal life, there’s no reason to believe that you can’t be reskilled and retrained in your professional life,” Gupta said. — Bloomberg

Concepcion earnings up 14%

May 7, 2019 | 12:01 am

EARNINGS of Concepcion Industrial Corp. (CIC) went up by 14% in the first quarter, on the back of easing inflation figures and a more stable foreign exchange environment.

In a statement issued Monday, the listed appliances manufacturer said profit after tax and minority interest climbed to P187 million during the period. This came on the back of a seven percent increase in net sales to P3.3 billion.

“The first three months of 2019 has shown signs of a more stable outlook with steady commodity prices, less volatile FX (foreign exchange) and a more controlled inflation scenario,” CIC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Raul Joseph A. Concepcion said in a statement.

CIC’s first-quarter results mark an improvement from its performance in 2018, which saw net income drop by five percent to P1.4 billion. The company attributed the slowdown to rising costs as a result of higher commodity prices, fluctuating foreign exchange rates, and unfavorable weather especially in the third quarter.

“Highlights of our Q1 topline performance include strong sell-in offerings to counter the relatively slower consumer market as well as a stronger pipeline and order intake in the commercial segment,” Mr. Concepcion added.

The company said it will continue to look at expanding its product and services that will offer relevant and innovative solutions to Filipino families and businesses.

One of CIC’s most recent acquisitions is tech start-up Teko Solutions, Inc., which provides real-time access to professionals who can provide service and repairs for home appliances through a proprietary platform.

“Our key focus areas for this year include expanding our product and services not just through technology but better customer experience and reach as well as enabling our organization to pursue more synergies and innovation,” Mr. Concepcion said.

Incorporated in 1997, CIC is the company behind air-conditioners and refrigerators under the Carrier, Toshiba, Condura, and Kelvinator brands. — Arra B. Francia

Luxurious living spaces at Botanika

May 7, 2019 | 12:01 am

THE BOTANIKA Nature Residences offers “a life of utmost privacy, exclusivity, and ease in a lush vertical setting.”

Located within Filinvest City in Alabang, Botanika’s first tower is ready for occupancy, offers 101 units with spaces similar to the layout of single detached units.

Residents of the garden-inspired condominium can enjoy amenities such as a tiered children’s pool and lap pools amid lush greenery and an outdoor play area. Indoor facilities include a library and business center. Members also have direct access to the exclusive Palms Country Club.

How PSEi member stocks performed — May 6, 2019

May 7, 2019 | 12:00 am

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Monday, May 6, 2019.

Price pressures soften for low-income households in March (2019)

May 7, 2019 | 12:00 am

Man claiming to be ‘Bikoy’ video uploader surfaces

May 6, 2019 | 10:50 pm

A MAN claiming to be “Bikoy” surfaced on Monday at the country’s mandatory bar organization, to claim that controversial identity behind the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” (The Real Narcolist) videos linking members of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s family to illegal drugs.

In a press conference at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) main office in Pasig, Peter Joemel Advincula identified himself as the “Bikoy” behind the said videos which have prompted Mr. Duterte’s ire and subsequently led to an investigation and pursuit of the video perpetrators by the Department of Justice.

Mr. Advincula said he went to the IBP to seek legal assistance against the drug syndicate in which he tagged presidential son Paolo Z. Duterte, senatorial candidate and special assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” T. Go, and the younger Mr. Duterte’s brother-in-law, Manases Carpio. Mr. Advincula also identified as part of the drug network a “Quadrangle Group” from the Bicol region.

“Nagdesisyon akong lumabas dahil una — merong banta sa aking buhay. Ikalawa — dahil sa tawag ng konsensya. Nakikita ko ang pagwasak ng pamilya na dulot ng droga, na kung saan naging bahagi ako sa pagkakalat nito nuong miyembro pa ako ng sindikato,” Mr. Advincula said, quoting a prepared statement at the IBP press conference that was video-streamed by CNN Philippines and Rappler.com, among others.

(I have come out because, first — there’s a threat to my life. Second — because of my conscience. I have seen the destruction of families because of drugs, and I took part in its proliferation as a member of the syndicate).

Mr. Advincula denied being affiliated with the Liberal Party-led senatorial slate Otso Diretso, with journalists tagged by Mr. Duterte as plotting his ouster, nor with Rodel Jayme, the video sharer presented by the DoJ last Thursday and who was charged on Monday afternoon with inciting to sedition.

Mr. Advincula recalled in his statement his employment with a marketing company in Bicol that he claimed was involved in the drug trade and through which he knew Mr. Go and the younger Mr. Duterte.

“Bahagi po ng gawain ng aming team ay ang pag-scan ng mga codes na nakaukit sa tattoo ng mga senior members ng sindikato tulad nila Paolo Duterte at Bong Go,” he said.

(Part of our work is to scan codes embedded in the tattoos of the senior members of the syndicate like Paolo Duterte at Bong Go).

“Ilang bases din na ako mismo ang nag-scan ng code sa tattoo ni Bong Go, kaya tinitiyak ko po sa inyo na may dragon tattoo siya pati na rin si Paolo Duterte.”

(I myself have scanned the tattoo codes of Bong Go a number of times, which is why I can tell you that he has a dragon tattoo and so does Paolo Duterte).

In a press conference while stumping in Calamba, Laguna, on Monday afternoon, Mr. Go. as he did last month, again bared his back to the media, to show he had no tattoo. ‘Hinahamon ko na lang po ang mga Pilipino. Kung naniniwala po kayo kay Bikoy at sa mga akusasyon n’ya sa pamilyang Duterte at sa akin, iboto n’yo po ang Ocho Diretso, sina Bam Aquino at sila (Magdalo Party-List Rep. and senatorial candidate Gary) Alejano,” Mr. Go also said.

(I challenge the Filipino [voters]. If you believe bikoy and his accusations against the Duterte family and against me, vote Ocho Diretso, the likes of Bam Aquino and Alejano).

In his statement, Mr. Alejano said: “I urge the government to swiftly conduct a thorough investigation on Bikoy’s surfacing because the entirety of this issue merits serious attention from everyone. War on drugs has been the central policy of the administration and it has already claimed thousands of lives. The suggestion to investigate is also in line with Senator Lacson’s response that the Senate will not initiate an inquiry if Bikoy will not identify himself.”

“In the same manner, those who were named in the Bikoy series should be investigated. My challenge for them remains the same: sign bank waivers to prove themselves. Similarly, Mr. Paolo Duterte must also show his back while Mr. Bong Go should undergo a thorough examination under the supervision of tattoo experts and dermatologists.”

For their part, Senate leaders said they will consider investigating Mr. Advincula’s claims. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas, with Charmaine A. Tadalan

Nationwide round-up

May 6, 2019 | 10:41 pm

Comelec: Broken seals of ballot boxes ‘accidental’

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) assured the public on Monday that the broken seals on some boxes containing ballots for the May 13 elections delivered last Friday were accidental.

“I asked the Shipping Committee to take a look at the images and by the end of the day, they were able to come up with a conclusion that the tear was accidental. The most telling thing there is the torn edges were uneven and was not consistent with the deliberate breaking of the seal,” Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez told reporters in a briefing.

A picture of a torn paper seal on ballot boxes delivered to the Pasig City treasurer’s office was shared and became viral online last week.

Mr. Jimenez also explained that checking for possible tampering with ballots should be undertaken with the whole package and a broken paper seal is not automatically indicative of fraud.

“In order to check the integrity of the entire shipment, you don’t just look whether or not if the exterior sticker is intact, but you check if whether the packaging of the cargo is intact,” he said, adding that the ballot boxes in Pasig were still perfectly sealed with shrink-wrap.

Other seals found in the ballot boxes were also untouched.

The Comelec spokesperson also noted that the vehicle used to transport the ballots was a wing van, which means the cargo is expected to be not perfectly stable while in transit.

PENS
On another issue, Mr. Jimenez said replacement marking pens to be used for voting have been tested, passed the requirements, and already shipped out.

Some voting precincts have previously reported receiving defective markers.

“We don’t see any more problems with the marking pens because the new pens have been tested and they come up with our requirements… (defective) pens are in the custody of the election officer and will be pulled out completely afterwards. We started shipping more than a million replacements,” he said.

An average of 12 marking pens will be available for each clustered precinct.
— Gillian M. Cortez

DoTr-TESDA Tsuper Iskolar program open to ‘as many as willing’ to join — Tugade

THE GOVERNMENT’S “Tsuper Iskolar” program, a skills-training scholarship for jeepney drivers and their dependents who will be affected by the transportation modernization project nationwide, is aiming to accommodate as many interested applicants as possible, according to Transport Secretary Arthur P. Tugade. The program is being implemented by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in partnership with the Department of Transportation (DoTr). “There no cap (to the number)… as many as there are who are willing to participate in the program. TESDA and DoTr are not closing their doors,” said Mr. Tugade during Friday’s launch of the program in Davao City. The launch was attended by the first batch of more than 700 beneficiaries, which included jeepney drivers and operators, indigenous people, and rebel returnees. The trainings being offered include auto mechanics, accounting and bookkeeping, and other business management skills, among others. An initial budget of P350 million for this year has been downloaded to TESDA. — Maya M. Padillo

Oil prices break uptrend this week

May 6, 2019 | 10:40 pm

OIL COMPANIES are rolling back the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene this week after four straight weeks of price increases the previous month. In their advisories on Monday, oil firms said they were cutting the price of gasoline by P0.90 per liter (/L), while reducing the cost of diesel and kerosene both by P0.80/L. Most of the companies that sent their advisories will implement the cut at 6:00 a.m. today. Ahead of them, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc. announced on Friday that it would reduce the per liter price of gasoline and diesel by P1.00 and P0.80, respectively, by noon on Saturday. Last week, oil companies raised the prices of gasoline, diesel and kerosene by P0.75, P0.90 and P0.80, respectively. — Victor V. Saulon

Moises Padilla town placed under Comelec control

May 6, 2019 | 10:40 pm

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) has placed the municipality of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental under its control due to “political violence,” citing the recent killing of two town councilors seeking reelection. “These events show that they fall squarely under the parameter…for an area to be declared under Comelec control. This is urgent and necessary,” said Comelec Spokesperson James B. Jimenez. Councilor Michael Garcia and his uncle, former ABC Party-list president Mark Garcia, were shot dead inside their vehicle after coming from a campaign sortie last April 25. Another councilor, Jolomar Hilario, was gunned down by alleged New People’s Army rebels on March 30. The Philippine National Police has confirmed that the police recommended the measure, which was approved in a resolution by the Comelec en banc. Other areas under Comelec control include Daraga City in Albay and Cotabato City. Under Comelec control, the election body takes immediate supervision over all national and local officials and employees required by law to perform duties and/or to comply with certain prohibitions relative to the conduct of the elections — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras, with a report from Gillian M. Cortez

DoH reminds on health risks as Iloilo City hits highest heat index in 9 years

May 6, 2019 | 10:40 pm

ILOILO CITY recorded its highest heat index since 2010 at 48°C last May 2, the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) reported based on its local weather monitoring station. Heat index, as defined by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), indicates the human discomfort level with the “apparent” temperature that the body feels. CDRRMO operations and warning officer Darwin Joemil G. Papa said the 48°C level lasted for about 25 minutes starting as 2:26 p.m. Meanwhile, the Department of Health-Western Visayas (DOH-6) cautioned the public of the health risks arising from the high temperature. DOH-6 Infectious and Emerging Disease Cluster head Elvie P. Villalobos said, “Common diseases that can be experienced because of extreme heat are sunburn, heat stroke, and diarrhea,” as well as skin infections. “The construction workers are high risk especially on heat stroke, that is why they need to drink 3 to 4 liters of water and maintain healthy diet,” he said. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo