On the bring of a trade war?

My column in Mindanao Daily.

I asked this question already several times in my previous columns. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Fact is, the European Union fears divisions as China woos Eastern European nations.

As the world prepares to tackle trade tensions and tit-for-tat tariffs, the summit between leaders of China and Central and Eastern European nations offers a chance for Beijing to present itself as a free trade champion.

Yes, China's Li Keqiang pushes trade with Eastern Europe amid EU concerns. The Chinese premier is meeting with leaders from Central and Eastern European countries at a summit in Sofia as he aims to boost Beijing's trade interests in the region. But let's face it:  Li cannot afford to offend the European Union.
   
The Chinese Prime  seeks to expand business and trade ties with Central and Eastern European countries at a summit in the Bulgarian capital yesterday. But Li must reassure the European Union that Beijing is not trying to divide the 28-nation European bloc.

Li's participation in the seventh "16+1" summit coincides with an escalating trade row with the United States. Last Friday, the US and China slapped tariffs on $34 billion (€29 billion) worth of the other's imports.

China also threatened it could launch "the biggest trade war in history." Well, is the world really at the brink or are well all already in the middle of all mess?

China, which seeks the EU's support in its trade battles with US President Donald Trump, has thus been careful in its dealing with Central and Eastern European nations.

"The 16+1 cooperation is by no means a geopolitical platform. Some say such cooperation may separate the EU, but this is not true," Li told a joint press conference on last Friday with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.

"We hope that through our cooperation, we will improve the development of all countries involved and help them better integrate into the European integration process," said Li, who will visit Germany after the summit.

The 16+1 summit brings together China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC), including 11 EU member states.

Besides China, the 16 countries that participate in the summit include EU members Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, as well as non-EU states Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

Ever since its launch in 2012, the format has been viewed by Western critics as an instrument for Beijing to divide and undermine the EU by dangling the CEE states closer trade and investment opportunities with China.

But analysts say that in Sofia, the Chinese premier will try to avoid issues that might irk western capitals and the European Commission in Brussels. Let's hope and pray for it.

"I think that Premier Li Keqiang will adopt a low profile on the issues that might infringe on community affairs of the EU this time around," Francois Godement, director of Asia and China program at the European Council of Foreign Relations, told Reuters news agency.

Despite the substantial rise in Chinese investment in CEE nations in recent years, the region accounts for less than 10 percent of total Chinese money inflows into Europe. Most Chinese investment still goes to Western European countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy.

The EU and the United States, meanwhile, account for around 90 percent of investment flows to the CEE region, highlighting their far greater importance to the region.

Interesting is to know more about the question if  China is  on course with 'Made in China 2025' amid trade row with US? China –really a free trade champion?

With Trump adopting protectionist trade and economic policies, China is increasingly positioning itself as a proponent of free trade.

Li said on Saturday that Beijing will stay on the path of economic reform, and would be more flexible about allowing foreign products to enter its domestic market.

"For foreign products which meet Chinese consumer needs, we will open the door wider to them to come into the Chinese market," he told the 16+1 summit participants. "We will lower overall import tariffs to the Chinese market," adding that his country would uphold free trade agreements.

Again: regarding this topic, my today's column can only end up with 'TO BE CONTINUED'!

Super Typhoon to enter the Philippines

Super typhoon to enter Philippines on Monday

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Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) 

MANILA, Philippines — Heavy rains are expected in many parts of Luzon including Metro Manila this weekend due to the southwest monsoon, which will be enhanced by Typhoon Maria located east of Central Luzon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned yesterday.

As of yesterday, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center has categorized Maria as a super typhoon.

Maria is forecast to enter the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday and will be given the local name Gardo.

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PAGASA senior weather specialist Samuel Duran said Maria is expected to gain more strength as it hovers over the sea.

“We’re not discounting the possibility that (Maria) will become a super typhoon,” he said.

PAGASA considers a cyclone with maximum sustained winds of more than 220 kph as a super typhoon.

As of 3 p.m. yesterday, the center of Maria was spotted at 2,060 kilometers east of Central Luzon, packing winds of 185 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 225 kph. It was forecast to move north northwest at 15 kph.

Based on PAGASA’s latest forecast, Maria is unlikely to hit any part of the country.

Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/07/07/1831266/super-typhoon-enter-philippines-monday#GrVLrrdj5hF0pA2p.99

No more hunger ...

... pangs hampering schooling

New Philippine law institutionalizes feeding program for schoolchildren

Image Credit: REUTERS

File photo: Students participate in morning exercises during the first day of class at Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo city, metro Manila, Philippines.

Published: 14:58 July 4, 2018

Gilbert P. Felongco, Correspondent

 

Manila: President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law mandating the government to provide free meals to students as well as provide health-based programme to improve and maintain their well-being.

Duterte signed the National School Feeding Programme (Republic Act 11037) to address the problem of undernutrition among Filipino children, particularly those in daycare centres, kindergarten, and elementary level.

Although past administrations, particularly during former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s leadership, had the so-called Supplemental Feeding Programme, what makes the current school nourishment scheme different is that it provides a mechanism to make the scheme sustainable.

“This new law will institutionalise a national feeding programme for undernourished Filipino children in public schools,” the presidential palace said.

Under the new law, the government shall provide supplemental feeding to public school children in daycare centres and kindergartens to up to sixth graders, a milk-feeding programme, a micronutrient feeding programme, health examinations, vaccinations, and deworming among others.

To sustain the program, the government is mandated to allot a space in the schools where the school and students can plant vegetables.

Experts have noted that the lack of nutrition results in students with poor aptitude aside from laggard overall health and well-being.

Senator Bam Aquino, the principal sponsor of the measure in the Senate, said the new law likewise aims to provide additional livelihood to local farmers.

He said dairy farmers would supply the needed supplies, such as milk for the feeding programme.

“Aside from responding to the problem on malnutrition, our farmers stand to benefit from this programme through the milk they would sell to the schools,” he said.

Representative Raul del Mar, 1st District, Cebu City, a principal author of the measure that came into law, said the National School Feeding Programme is expected to benefit millions of public school children as they would be provided with free breakfast among others.

“Children going to school with practically no breakfast from home cannot be expected to absorb their lessons in school while suffering from hunger pangs,” Del Mar said.

He said that there had been efforts in the past to provide public school pupils with free meals to entice them to go to school and for their parents to allow them to get education, but these programmes were largely unsustainable because of lack of funds.

Under the National School Feeding Programme law, the school feeding scheme will be institutionalised with the government annually allotting budget for the project.

“It is state policy to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full recognition on the nature of childhood and its special needs,” the new law states.

According to Del Mar, a large segment of pupils in public schools come from poor families. Those that are very poor often suffer from undernourishment and malnourishments. This affects their capacity to attain and maintain academic performance.

“House Bill 5269 declares it is the state policy to promote the rights of children to survival, development and special protection with full recognition on the nature of childhood and its special needs,” the measure notes.

To make somebody smile

HAVE MY SAY
By KLAUS DORING

My column in MINDANAO DAILY

WHEN did you make somebody smile lastly, my dear reader? Maybe you think that this is hardly the time to do so right now. Understandable, if we consider today's global and national situation.

Honestly, it seems we have no more time and no reason for laughter if we look around. That can wait until tomorrow or better until the day after tomorrow. Anticipation is better... .

Our enemies laugh up their sleeves, and most of the time we miss to recognize the fortune still smiling at us. But hold on: he who laughs last laughs longest. Remember?

American neurologist Henri Rubenstein says, laughter lowers high blood pressure while aiding digestion and fostering sleep. Well, give me even a simple smile and believe in what experts say: "Good humor can help the gravely or terminally ill to hear their ordeal".

Of course, if we look around us these days, we might really don't roar with laughter or split our sides laughing. Or even more then this! Have you heard about the incident at the Danish Imperial Theatre in Copenhagen/Denmark sometime during the 1980's, when a spectator dropped dead of heart attack while watching the movie "A Fish Called Wanda" starring John Cheese of my favorite Great Britain's Monty Python Comedy Team? Sure, a heart attack is indeed not funny, and honestly, I still love to watch this movie on Youtube.

Well, even if we think we don't have reasons to laugh,we should try to express mirth spontaneously, and we should try to be merry or gay. We still have reasons to start with the softest form of audible laughter - the vocalized smile. This is what I learned and experienced from the first moment on while travelling in Asia since 1978, and being an expat living in the Philippines since 1999 for good. Keep smiling - even you are overloaded with huge problems.

Experts also say good humor works because it helps people feel easier in mind. The French psychotherapist Sylvie Tenenbaum stressed, that, in her patients, laughter often signals the dawning of a wholesome awakening to reality. Gallow humor might be dubious in the eyes of others. But try to sing out loud, try to cry, but try to laugh!

As a devote Christian, I love reading the bible. Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 say: "There is a time for everything ... a time to be born and a time to die ,,, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh!"

And, very important - Psalms always help. The cries from the heart - the songs for sorrow as well as joy. For every emotion and mood, you can find a psalm to match.

They wrestle with the deepest sorrow. Their voice is refreshingly spontaneous.

Miss Universe out, Miss Intercontinental in

Manila to host pageant in 2019

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By: Jan Milo Severo (philstar.com) 

MANILA, Philippines — Since many Filipinos love beauty pageants, many were dismayed after Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat announced that Miss Universe 2018 will not be held at the Philippines.

But a report from Missosology will surely brighten pageant-loving people in the country as the website recently announce that the 47th Miss Intercontinental will be held in the country on January 2019.

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“IT'S OFFICIAL! The 47th Miss Intercontinental beauty pageant will be held in the beautiful Philippines on January 2019. The competition is sponsored by a team from Japan,” the website wrote.

“Veronica Salas Vallejo of Mexico will be crowning her succesor in Manila. More details to be revealed soon only here on Missosology,” it added.

The Philippines came so close to winning the said pageant twice, first, when Christi McGarry won as first runner-up in 2015, and when Katarina Rodriguez won as 1st runner-up last year in Egypt.

Filipino-Australian and education advocate Karen Gallman will try to win the country’s first Miss Intercontinental title on the 47th edition of the pageant, in front of her countrymen.

Established in Aruba in 1973, Miss Intercontinental is considered as among the world’s major beauty contests in which one representative from each continent is chosen to be on the top five, which will later on compete for the grand title.

Emma - The Musical ...

...combines local Filipino talent with Second World War tale of love and struggle

Local production by Edmonton Filipino community tells poignant story

LIANE FAULDER

Updated: June 25, 2018

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Quick, think of a love story set during the Second World War. Casablanca, right? Or maybe The English Patient?

Actually, the story of note is Emma The Musical — a romantic tale set against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during the Second World War. If the musical’s local composer Erica Cawagas has anything to say about it, the show, debuting July 7 at the Myer Horowitz Theatre, will soon be on stages from here to the Philippines and back, and on the lips of every fan who can’t resist a heartfelt tune set to a series of body-busting dance moves.

Cawagas, who partnered to create Emma with TV producer and writer Chie Floresca, knows the story will sell within Edmonton’s substantial Filipino community. But she’s hoping non-Filipinos will come, too.

“It’s a musical about the Second World War and the first thing you think about is Germany, the U.S. and Pearl Harbour,” says Cawagas, 25, who was born in the Philippines but moved to Edmonton when she was two. “But there are a lot of things that happened to the Philippines during Second World War. We had a big effect on the war, and it had a big effect on us. These are stories that should be told.”

Jeannine Naboye, left, and Gerald Penaco, background left, Raphael Tolentino and Maicah Macatangay in a scene from Emma the Musical. LARRY WONG /POSTMEDIA NETWORK

Cawagas was raised around music. Her mother is a piano and guitar teacher and Cawagas was drawn to perform at a young age, becoming a member of a Journey cover band when she attended Harry Ainlay High School.

After graduating from MacEwan University with a diploma in musical composition in 2014, the award-winning musician was unsure how to apply her artistic talents. At the time, her family in the Philippines was getting set to celebrate her great grandmother Emma’s 95th birthday, and so Cawagas and her aunt, Chie Floresca, decided to write a musical tribute in her honour.

The musical tells the story of an endearing young school teacher, Emma, who must make difficult choices about life while the war rages around her. It is set in a rural town near Baguio City, Philippines, on the cusp of the Japanese occupation of 1942,

Sadly, great grandmother Emma died before the show could be realized, but the dream was launched. Cawagas moved to the Philippines, where her aunt lives, for a year to get the show up and running, but couldn’t get funding to launch it there. So she came back to Edmonton, where her pitch met with success.

“My artistic family is here in Edmonton and I have a great team here,” says Cawagas.

Funded in part through a grant by the Edmonton Arts Council, as well as the Filipino-Canadian Saranay Association of Alberta, the musical features a singing and dancing cast of 22.

“It’s a big production and everyone has given as much time as they can to this,” says Cawagas.

Max’s Restaurant, a restaurant chain from the Philippines with an Edmonton outlet, has provided support, as well as Loriz Bakery, and the Four Points Hotel.

All the cast members are local talents and the Filipino community performing arts leader, Ida Beltran-Lucila, founder of the Philippine Arts Council, directs the production. Choreography is by JoJo Lucila, who has taught and choreographed with the Edmonton Festival Ballet, at Victoria School of the Arts, and the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers.

“First of all, it’s an original Filipino musical, in English, and based on the true story of the great grandmother, so it’s personal,” says Beltran-Lucila of the production’s appeal. “This story is about love of country, love of family, and hope.

“It’s not full of gory details, we just touch on the war, but it’s a story set within that historical framework. It is also a love story within a tragedy. Just like Titanic.”

Ideally, the producers hope to take the musical across Canada, and eventually to Manilla. Emma The Musical is designed to be portable.

“The set, everything is collapsible, and could fit in the baggage part of a bus,” says Beltran-Lucila, a ballet dancer by training and the former executive director with the national ballet company of the Philippines. “We just want it to have a life beyond July 7.”

Roused to anger?

My column in

Mindanao Daily

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HAVE MY SAY
By KLAUS DORING

ANGER. A day rarely goes by without us feeling angry. It is not necessary to cite examples. Sometimes, it's just a minor reason like we hate the fly at the wall. Sometimes anger has important reasons.

Anger seems to become main part in our daily life. That's why it is really important to talk (again?) about this phenomenon. As I said, anger is one of the most basic emotions. Everyone can really get angry. If someone told you, he won't get angry, better don't believe him.

Anger is a terrible feeling of being against something or someone. It can be my neighbor, because he is still (!) burning poisonous plastic and rubber garbage. Many of us get angry observing some politicians during those days worldwide.

Anger is a hostile emotion that sets people against one and another, or even against themselves. By its nature, anger involves opposition, hostility, hatred and dislike. Anger, however, is simpler to define that to identify. Emotions of antagonism can take a wider variety of faces. Expressions of anger range from the overt, in-your-face brand of open hostility to the cold indifference of a silent individual.

Anger at the workplace is becoming very common nowadays.

One of my good friends works as stewardess. Imagine yourself 35,000 feet up, pushing a trolley down a narrow aisle surrounded by restless passengers. A toddler is blocking your path, his parents not immediately visible. A passenger is irritated that he can no longer pay cash for an in-flight meal, another is demanding to be allowed past to use the toilet. And your job is to meet all of their needs with the same show of friendly willingness. For a cabin crew member, this is when emotional labor kicks in at work.

A term first coined by sociologist Arlie Hochschild, it’s the work we do to regulate our emotions to create “a publicly visible facial and bodily display within the workplace”.

At times, anger can be felt like an inner fire. It hits you in the gut. You see red and feel hot and maybe sweaty. Your stomach gives you problems, our blood pressure rises, and breathing rate increases. Not only neighbors or politicians are the reason of anger. The silent withdrawal and lack of understanding and innumerable shortcomings of a partner or in the family are often an indication that one is angrily punishing the other for not doing things his or her way.

Back to the workplace: unhelpful attitudes such as ‘I’m not good enough’ may lead to thinking patterns in the workplace such as ‘No-one else is working as hard as I seem to be’ or ‘I must do a perfect job’, and can initiate and maintain high levels of workplace anxiety.

When research into emotional labor first began, it focused on the service industry with the underlying presumption that the more client or customer interaction you had, the more emotional labor was needed.

However, more recently psychologists have expanded their focus to other professions and found burnout can relate more closely to how employees manage their emotions during interactions, rather than the volume of interactions themselves. Perhaps just only today you turned to a colleague to convey interest in what they said, or had to work hard not to rise to criticism. It may have been that biting your lip rather than expressing feeling hurt was particularly demanding of your inner resource.

But in some cases maintaining the façade can become too much, and the toll is cumulative.

In another friend's last position, the “customer was king”. She was working in a shopping mall. Many times, she got a tirade of abuse from several customers. “When I explained what happened to my senior, I was told I must have said or done something to warrant this response… I was then told I should go and apologize.” Yes, that's how it is!

As I stated earlier: Minor things could become the start of anger. Over the years, handling the stress caused by suppressing one's emotions became much harder. Small things seemed huge, we easily dreaded going to work and anxiety escalated.

Across the globe, employees in many professions are expected to embrace a work culture that requires the outward display of particular emotions – these can including ambition, aggression and a hunger for success.

The way we handle emotional labor can be categorized in two ways – surface acting and deep acting.

A few years ago, the New York Times wrote a “lengthy piece about the “Amazon Way”, describing very specific and exacting behaviour the retail company required of its employees and the effects, both positive and negative, that this had on some of them. While some appeared to thrive in the environment, others struggled with constant pressure to show the correct corporate face.

“How we cope with high levels of emotional labour likely has its origins in childhood experience, which shapes the attitudes we develop about ourselves, others and the world,” says clinical and occupational psychologist Lucy Leonard.

“Unhelpful attitudes such as ‘I’m not good enough’ may lead to thinking patterns in the workplace such as ‘No-one else is working as hard as I seem to be’ or ‘I must do a perfect job”, and can initiate and maintain high levels of workplace anxiety,” says Leonard.

Workers are often expected to provide good service to people expressing anger or anxiety – and may have to do this while feeling frustrated, worried or offended themselves.

Take the example of a particularly tough phone call. If you are surface acting you respond to the caller by altering your outward expression, saying the appropriate things, listening while keeping your actual feelings entirely intact. With deep acting you make a deliberate effort to change your real feelings to tap in to what the person is saying – you may not agree with the manner of it but appreciate the aim.

Both could be thought of as just being polite but the latter approach – trying to emotionally connect with another person’s point of view – is associated with a lower risk of burnout. Good thing: many offices over the last decade have created recreational or rest spaces in a bid to mitigate employee stress.

When things get tough, you might be very lucky talking to colleagues to unload. “It’s the saying it out loud that allows me to test and validate my own reaction. I can then go back to the person concerned,” one of my former office mates in Germany explained many years ago.

Those who report regularly having to display emotions at work that conflict with their own feelings are more likely to experience emotional exhaustion

Remaining true to your feelings appears to be key – numerous studies show those who report regularly having to display emotions at work that conflict with their own feelings are more likely to experience emotional exhaustion.

Of course, everybody needs to be professional at work and handling difficult clients and colleagues is often just part of the job. But what’s clear is that putting yourself in their shoes and trying to understand their position is ultimately of greater benefit to your own well-being than voicing sentiments that, deep down, you don’t believe.

Where it is possible, workers should be truly empathetic, be aware of the impact the interaction is having on them and try to communicate in an authentic way. Easy to say, yes, I know. But let's give a try!

Thrilled watching Lea on Broadway

Thrilled watching Lea on Broadway

FUNFARE - Ricky Lo (The Philippine Star) - June 23, 2018 - 12:00am

Curtain-raiser:

• Reigning Miss Universe-Philippines Catriona Gray (photo)…

• On the Philippines not hosting the 2018 Miss Universe pageant: I’m not really particular about where the pageant will be held. I know that wherever in the world it will be, I will feel the presence of the Filipino supporters and they will make it a celebration nonetheless.

• On former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach’s comment (in yesterday’s STAR story) that it’s a nice experience to compete abroad: Pia would know, having competed abroad and having passed on her crown here in the Philippines, so she has first-hand experienced both. Again, wherever it will be, will be. I’m just excited to represent the Philippines on the international stage.

*  *  *

STAR columnist Anthony Suntay (center) with business partner Ernest Estrella and friend Anilyn Pitao before the show…

“Oh my!!! Thanks to our fans for all the island love!!!”

With that, Lea Salonga received the Best Featured Actress in a Musical honors from the 16th Theater Fans’ Choice Awards for her performance as Erzulie in the Broadway musical Once On This Island. Her co-star, Alex Newell, won Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

The musical bagged more awards: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design, Best Orchestrations, Best Scenic Design, Best Sound Design of a Musical and Best Musical Ensemble.

“I want to congratulate Lea for adding another feather to her already well-decorated cap,” said STAR columnist Anthony Suntay. “My friends and I were lucky to have caught the musical at the Circle in the Square Theater in New York three weeks before the Fans’ Choice Awards.”

Barely two weeks ago, Once On This Island won Best Revival of a Musical at the 72nd Tony Awards.

The trip was actually unplanned, according to Anthony who was in Toronto for a worldwide conference for his work with UMAC Forwarders Express with his business partner Ernest Estrella.

“Ernest suggested we make a quick trip to New York,” Anthony related in his letter to Funfare, “and it gave me an opportunity to see some friends and to visit the office of Major League Soccer. I also watched a game between the New York City FC and Colorado Rapids at the historic Yankee Stadium at the Bronx.”

But the highlight of their New York side trip was, yes, watching Lea on Broadway.

…and after the show with Hailey Kilgore (who plays Ti Moune in Once On This Island).

“We were very lucky that Ernest’s good friend Anilyn Pitao was able to secure tickets because the matinee show was sold out,” continued Anthony. “So together with my son, Kael, we all trooped to the quaint theater where notable celebrities like Mathew Broderick and Al Pacino had previously performed.”

Once On This Island is a story of a peasant girl, Ti Moune, who uses love to bring together people of different social classes, intertwined with her love affair with Daniel, from the upper class of society. Lea plays Erzulie, the goddess of love, who guides and supports Ti Moune in her quest.

“I was amazed at how Lea mesmerized the crowd with her presence, and captivated all of us with her singing,” gasped Anthony. “I have watched Lea since she was a young performer in locally-produced musicals and so it’s no surprise that she was brilliant. I was actually starting to think that I was just being biased since I have been a fan of Lea since forever, but listening to all the other members of the audience discuss her performance after the show really made me beam with pride.

“They were mentioning that despite the many talented actors and actresses in the show, Lea was the one who truly stood out. That wasn’t necessarily disrespectful to the other members of the cast; it’s just that Lea was truly in a class of her own.”

After the show, dozens of theater-goers eagerly waited to meet the cast, and they were looking forward to meeting Lea, but they were disappointed that she didn’t come out because she apparently rushed home to be with her daughter Nicole.

“Well,” added Anthony, “all I can say is that if you happen to be in New York, rush to the Circle on the Square and watch Lea in Once On This Island before the musical closes maybe end of this month. And, yes, I’m biased but I don’t think anyone can enthrall the Broadway fans as well as Lea does!”

(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)