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SEPTEMBER 2019

Revisit your skin care routine…page 12

Good first half…page 2

Hado fight!Story on page 6

Another ABS-CBN milestone…page 5

New techno sport

Farewell, GL.Stories on pp. 2, 9

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Biz News

By Carla Paras-Sison

JANUARY TO JUNE 2019 FINANCIAL RESULTS (UNAUDITED, CONSOLIDATED)

ABS-CBNFirst GenFPHLopez HoldingsRoCk

TOTAL REVENUES Net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company

2018

P18.936B$962.575MP58.674B* P58.674B*P8.040B*

2019

P20.802B$1.109B

P67.913BP67.913BP6.927B

% change

+10 +15 +16 +16 -14

2018

P849.882M $84.861M*P3.877B*P2.094B*P1.018B*

2019

P1.552B$165.748M

P6.754B P4.181BP1.278B

% change

+83 +95 +74 +100 +25

Lopez Holdings attributable net income at P4.181B

The listed companies associated with the Lopez Group reported favorable earnings for the first half of 2019, driven by better recurring earnings of First Gen Corporation under the FPH Group, and a recovery in ABS-

CBN Corporation revenues led by its Media Networks and Studio Entertainment Group. Rockwell Land Corpora-tion restated its 2018 financial statements to reflect the adop-tion of new financial reporting

standards for the comparative periods. Changes were mainly on recognition of cost of real estate and selling and market-ing expenses. Such restatement affected all holding companies consolidating Rockwell. (CPS)

LOPEZ Holdings Corporation reported P4.181 billion in net in-come attributable to equity hold-ers of the parent for the first six months of 2019. This is 99.7% higher than the P2.094 billion in net income attributable to equity holders of the parent reported in the first six months of 2018. The steady performance of the en-ergy group under associate First

Philippine Holdings Corpora-tion (FPH) as well as the strong recovery of investee ABS-CBN Corporation accounted for the results. Unaudited consolidated rev-enues increased by 16% year-on-year to P67.913 billion from P58.674 billion. During the period, FPH post-ed a 76% increase in net income

attributable to equity holders of the parent, and recurring net in-come was 35% better as electrici-ty sales grew by 20%. ABS-CBN reported a 98% increase in net income as advertising revenues increased by 18%. As of June 30, 2019, Lopez Holdings owned 51% of FPH and 56% economic interest in ABS-CBN.Good first half

*as restated

Promos & offersFor SKY subscriber, ‘GoT’ ends with unforgettable experienceA lucky SKY subscriber, Efren Ringor Jr. (left), got to experience Westeros after winning HBO’s “Game of Thrones” Flyaway Promo to Northern Ireland. For Ringor, it was a truly epic treat to visit Winterfell, Causeway Coastal Route, Cairncastle and Dark Hedges, also called the “Kingsroad.” With bonus treats like experiencing behind-the-scenes visual videos, trying on ac-tual costumes and even giving a couple of archery bows a go, it was absolutely a trip to remember. Relive the phenomenon that is “Game of Thrones” on HBO GO, available to SKY subscribers. Visit mysky.com.ph/hbogo for more information.

First Gen recurring earnings up by 36% FIRST Gen Corporation re-ported recurring attributable net income of the parent of $156 million (P8.2 billion) in the first semester of 2019. This was a 36% or $41 million (P2.3 billion) jump from its $115 million (P5.9 billion) in earn-ings from the same period in 2018. Energy Development Cor-poration (EDC) delivered recurring earnings from its geothermal, wind and so-lar platform of $49 million (P2.6 billion) in the first half of 2019, better by $16 million (P0.9 billion) in comparison to $33 million (P1.7 billion) in 2018. First Gen’s natural gas-fired power plants delivered increased recurring earnings. While the two older plants—the 1,000-megawatt (MW) Santa Rita and the 500- MW San Lorenzo—benefited from lower operating expenses, the two newer gas plants—the 420-MW San Gabriel and the 97-MW Avion—gener-ated higher electricity sales from their respective custom-

ers. From a recurring attribut-able net income of the parent of $88 million (P4.6 billion) in the first semester of 2018, the gas platform generated $105 million (P5.5 billion) for the same period in 2019 which was an increase of 19%. The hydro platform likewise came in higher by $8 million (P0.4 billion) at $13 million (P0.7 billion) for the period as it gained from higher sales to the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) and ancillary services. First Gen’s net income at-tributable to equity holders in the first semester of 2019 was $166 million (P8.7 billion). This was $81 million (P4.3 bil-lion) or 95% better than the earnings in the first semester of 2018 of $85 million (P4.4 billion) due to the higher elec-tricity sales of its natural gas, geothermal and hydro plat-forms, foreign exchange gains and benefits from deferred in-come taxes. First Gen’s consolidated rev-enues from the sale of electric-ity increased by $146 million

ABS-CBN holds on to double-digit leadFILIPINO households are still turning to ABS-CBN for news and TV programs as the network continued to hold on to its average audience share of 45% in August, 14 points higher than GMA’s 31%, ac-cording to data from Kantar Media. “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” (35.8%) maintained its win-ning streak for almost four years now as the most watched show nationwide. Similarly, “The Voice Kids” (35.5%) was

the top pick of Filipinos among weekend shows. “The General’s Daughter’s” (30.9%) high-octane episodes kept viewers entertained, while weekend shows “Hiwaga ng Kambat” (30.6%) and “Maa-laala Mo Kaya” (30.2%) proved Filipinos’ love for values-laden programs. Rounding out the top 10 list of most watched shows nation-wide are “TV Patrol” (28.1%), “Home Sweetie Home: Extra Sweet” (24.2%), “Kadenang

Ginto” (22.7%) and “The Killer Bride” (22.5%), which broke into the top 10 less than a month since it premiered. Meanwhile, ABS-CBN won all time blocks in August, asserting its dominance in prime time where it recorded 48% versus GMA’s 31%, in the afternoon block with 47% compared to GMA’s 33%, in the noontime block with 46% versus GMA’s 32% and in the morning block with 39% in contrast to GMA’s 29%.

The Kapamilya network also emerged triumphant again in Metro Manila as it registered 41%, 16 points higher than GMA’s 25%. In Mega Manila, ABS-CBN registered 36% while GMA got 31%. In Total Luzon, ABS-CBN earned 41% versus GMA’s 34%. It also won in Total Vi-sayas with 55%, beating GMA’s 24%, as well as in Total Mind-anao with 52% against GMA’s 28%.

iWant is first Filipino streaming platform to commit to code upholding user interestsIWANT is the first Filipino streaming service to sign the ASEAN Subscription Video-on-Demand Industry Content Code, joining other platforms in the region such as Netflix, HOOQ, iflix, Malaysia’s ton-ton, Astro and dimsum, and Thailand’s DOONEE. By signing the Content Code, iWant reinforces its commitment to keeping its content authentic, free from hate speech, hate crimes, por-nography and other forms of inappropriate content. “We are honored and

thrilled to unite with other dis-tinguished streaming platforms in the region in this pledge to create and produce socially re-sponsible content, which has always been the top priority of iWant as the Philippines’ first local streaming platform,” said iWant head Elaine Uy-Casipit. “Aside from providing high-quality entertainment that res-onates with Filipinos, we want to make sure that our users are able to access and watch video content that matches the view-ing preferences of every mem-ber of the family.”

The Content Code, devel-oped in 2017 and officially released in June 2018, is a self-regulatory framework that aims to ensure the commitment of online streaming services in the ASEAN region to uphold the interests of their users by pro-viding content that does not infringe copyright and does not promote pornography, violence, terrorism and hate crimes. It also aims to protect minors from accessing age-inappropri-ate and sensitive content, em-powers users to choose video content that suits their needs,

interests, passions and values, and serves to distinguish legiti-mate services from pirate sites. Louis Boswell, CEO of Asia Video Industry Association, the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific, said: “We are delighted to welcome another online curated content (OCC) provider signing up to the code…. We are glad to see the momentum of adoption across the region and look forward to seeing more companies join us in this commitment.”

ABS-CBN seals partnership with Ad Foundation

ABS-CBN seals its partnership with the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines for the upcoming Araw Values Awards

ABS-CBN has sealed once more its partnership with the Adver-tising Foundation of the Phil-ippines for the upcoming 11th Araw Values Awards, which will be held in November at ABS-CBN’s Dolphy Theater and will have a telecast in December. The Ad Foundation executive committee and the 11th Araw Values Awards organizing com-

First Balfour industrial projects division business development manager Joram San Luis (center) with LRMC chief finance officer Marco Duay and supply chain management head Arnel Lagman

First Balfour is LRMC’s top contractor of the yearBy Dolly Pasia-Ramos

FIRST Balfour has been named one of the top con-tractors of Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) in its recent Vendor Excellence Awards 2019. Held in Pasay City, LRMC’s very first Vendors’ Night was held to recognize top perform-ing contractors and suppliers in four different categories—ma-jor infrastructure contracts, minor infrastructure contracts, services, and spare parts and goods. The lone recipient under the major infrastructure contracts category, First Balfour was given the award in recogni-tion of its commendable per-formance on the P980-million LRT Line 1 structural reha-bilitation project. Awarded in 2017, the two-year undertak-ing included the restoration and repair of faulty concrete and structural defects along the river bridges spanning one of the busiest railways in Metro Manila. First Balfour also worked on the detailed design, installation and con-struction of parapets (the low protective walls along the edge of the railway) with noise-at-tenuating panels. First Balfour has had vari-ous projects for LRT Line 1. In 2005, the company did the power supply and electri-cal works for the train line’s capacity expansion project. It also completed the design-

and-build contract of the LRT Line 1 North Extension project through a joint venture with DMCI in 2008.

LRMC is a consortium of Ayala Corporation, Metro Pa-cific Investments Corporation and the Macquarie Group.

mittee also presented a joint res-olution and special declaration honoring the late ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. chairman Gina Lopez for her staunch efforts in protecting and preserving the environment. She will be given a posthumous Tanglaw ng Araw ng Kalikasan award at the upcoming Araw Values Awards.

ABS-CBN chairman emeri-tus Eugenio Lopez III, chair-man Mark Lopez, president and CEO Carlo L. Katigbak, chief operating officer of broadcast Cory Vidanes, Group chief fi-nance officer Ron Valdueza and head of integrated sales August Benitez, as well as representatives from the Ad Foundation, led the signing of the partnership.

The Araw Values Adver-tising Awards aims to recog-nize advertising campaigns that uphold Filipino values based on the Ad Foundation’s cornerstone values such as love of God, commitment to truth, honesty and integrity, and respect for national cus-toms and traditions, among others.

GINA Lopez (GL), chair-man of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. (ALKFI), passed away on August 19. She was 65. Born Regina Paz La’O Lo-pez, GL was the second child and eldest daughter of the late ABS-CBN chairman emeri-tus Eugenio Lopez Jr. and Conchita Taylor nee La’O. In a statement, ABS-CBN described GL as “a fervent advocate of children’s rights and protection, a passion-ate proponent of sustainable livelihood among the under-privileged, and an unswerving champion for environment preservation.” ALKFI called GL “a champion for the environ-ment, child protection, and the disadvantaged. She exem-plified a life of service to hu-manity with a deep desire to improve people’s lives, rallied for social justice, and sought to bring hope and change to poor communities.” GL studied at Assump-tion College in Manila and enrolled at Newton College of the Sacred Heart in Mas-sachusetts for college. She soon departed Massachusetts to become a missionary with Ananda Marga, working among the poor in India, Af-rica and Portugal. She returned to the Phil-ippines after two decades abroad, eventually taking the reins at the then fledgling ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI), now ALKFI.

Farewell to a warrior

It was at AFI where, over the next decade, GL em-barked on the massive and of-ten groundbreaking projects in childcare, education, live-lihood, microfinance and the environment that cemented her reputation as a CSR jug-gernaut. These include AFI’s first flagship program E-Me-dia, Bantay Bata 163, Bantay Kalikasan, and the La Mesa Watershed rehabilitation, among others. These programs, as well as her newer undertakings in the 2000s, are all thriving, if not bywords in CSR, today. After a brief stint as sec-retary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, where she made headlines for ordering the closure or suspension of 28 mines, GL set up her last foundation, Investments in Loving Organizations for Village Economies Founda-tion, in 2018.

SKY Fiber launches PH’s first all-in box, new plans

(P8.5 billion), or 15% to $1,109 million (P58.1 billion), com-pared to $963 million (P49.6 billion) in the first semester of 2018. The natural gas portfo-lio accounted for $692 million (P36.2 billion), or 62% of First Gen’s total consolidated rev-enues. EDC’s geothermal, wind and solar revenues accounted for $374 million (P19.6 billion), or 34% of total consolidated reve-nues. From $315 million (P16.2 billion) in the first six months of 2018, EDC’s revenues im-proved by $59 million (P3.4 billion). First Gen Hydro Power Corporation delivered better revenues by $10 million (P0.5 billion), or 43% higher to $33 million (P1.7 billion). “First Gen’s focus on clean, low-carbon and renewable en-ergy continues to pay off as our first semester results overtake last year’s. For the remainder of the year, we expect all the platforms to continue to de-liver stable earnings,” First Gen president and COO Giles Puno said.

SKY has launched its new Su-per Speed Plans, a set of fiber-fast home internet subscription plans that are the most afford-able in the market and offers the most value for money. Subscribers of the Super Speed Plans can choose to bundle them with the new SKY Fiber All-In Box. The first of its kind in the country, this device combines the pow-er of a WiFi-enabled modem, digital terrestrial TV and cable

TV modem for total enter-tainment. SKY Fiber’s Super Speed Plans start with its most af-fordable unlimited fiber inter-net offer, the Plan 5mbps that is available at P999/month. The new Plan 25mbps is its best value plan priced at P1,499/month while its Plans 50 at P1,999/month, 75 mbps at P2,499/month and 150mbps at P3,499 have been made more competitive and now cost up

to P900/month less than its ri-vals. Families who also want cable TV can choose bundles for as low as P1,599/month with 15mbps speeds while those who want seamless connection in their two- or three-story houses can avail of Home WiFi plans that are far more affordable for as low as P1,999/month for Plan 30mbps that is bundled with free WiFi Mesh that elimi-

nates WiFi dead zones in large spaces. Meanwhile, the SKY Fiber All-In Box frees users from the hassles of maintaining three different devices for their broadband, cable TV and digi-tal terrestrial TV services. It al-lows Filipino families to enjoy unlimited, fiber-fast internet speeds of up to 200 mbps and watch television and online shows. The All-In Box also offers a

full range of other convenienc-es. Subscribers can choose to avail of the new All-In Box with SKY Fiber’s unlimited and affordable Super Speed Plans 5mbps to 150mbps. SKY Fiber’s All-In Box is available for a special introduc-tory installation fee of P1,499 initially in Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao and General Santos.

� Lopezlink September 2019 Lopezlink September 2019 �

ABS-CBN bagged seven awards at the 17th Philippine Quill Awards for its communi-cation campaigns and projects that centered on public service, customer experience and em-ployee engagement.

“Tawag ng Tanghalan” from “It’s Showtime” was cited for its exceptional run since its re-vival, transforming from being a segment in the country’s top-rating noontime variety show into a multimedia business that

manages its own pool of tal-ents. “Halalan 2019 Ikaw Na Ba: The DZMM Senatorial Candidates’ Interview,” mean-

couch potato treats Biz Excellence

Himig Handog top 12 ready to win big and win heartsMASTERPIECES reflecting Fili-pinos’ struggle and hope when it comes to love comprise the Himig Handog 2019 Top 12 entries vying to win the Best Song recognition in the country’s biggest songwrit-ing competition. From almost 4,000 entries, the finalists are down to 12, now pro-duced and brought to life by this year’s interpreters. Daniel Padilla and Moira dela Torre come back in this year’s com-petition and collaborate in Dan Martel Simon Tañedo’s “Mabagal.” Janella Salvador also returns to join the roster of interpreters and sings “Nung Tayo Pa” of Rex Tor-remoro and Elmar Jann Bolaño. Former “Idol Philippines” contestant Alekzandra Nicolle Quitalig joins with her composi-tion “Alaala,” while Davao-based singer-songwriter Eamarie Gilayo likewise interprets her own song, “Ikaw at Linggo.”

Another former “Idol Philip-pines” contender, Vanya Castor, is interpreting “Paano Ba” penned by Richanne Charms Jacinto. Mean-while, “Isa Pang Ikaw” composed by Joseph Ponce is performed by former “X Factor Australia” con-testant Justin Vasquez. TJ Monterde interprets “Pan-andalian” composed by Jerome Arcangel and Cee Jay del Rosario, while Alex Gonzaga sings Michael Angelo Aplacador’s composition titled “Please Lang.” Former “X Factor Philippines” contender Joan Da interprets her song with LJ Manzano entitled “Sasabihin Ko,” while singer-song-writer Davey Langit comes back in the competition as an interpreter of “Simula ng Dulo,” which he cowrote with Therese Marie Vil-larante. I Belong To The Zoo sings Fer-dinand Aragon’s song “Ingat,” while “Tawag ng Tanghalan” champion

Turn to page 11

By Kane Choa

Janine Berdin gives her rendition of “Sa ‘Yong Mundo” composed by Noah Zuñiga. This year’s grand winner will take home P1 million, while the second, third, fourth and fifth placers will get P500,000, P200,000, P150,000 and P100,000, respectively. Watch

the grand finals of Himig Handog 2019 live on “ASAP Natin ‘To” on October 13. The #HimigHandog2019 songs can be streamed on digital mu-sic stores worldwide and are also available on Star Music’s YouTube channel.(K.Choa)

Lou, Andre get new ‘task’ as MYX VJs Lou Yanong and Andre Brouillette take on the challenge of presenting the coolest music videos as the MYX celebrity VJs for Septem-ber. Moira dela Torre is the September “MYX Headliner,” while The Vow-els They Orbit positions itself in “MYX Spotlight.” MYX viewers can also look forward to new shows “MYX Most Viewed” hosted by VJ Edward Barber and “Pinoy MYX Breakout.” Witness “LouDre” bring out the kilig on “Pinoy MYX” on Sept. 8-14, “Mellow MYX” on Sept. 15-21 and “My MYX” on Sept. 22-28. Watch “MYX Most Viewed” Sundays at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. and “Pinoy MYX Breakout” on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 p.m.

“PAMILYA Ko,” ABS-CBN’s new-est prime time series, will touch the hearts of viewers as it tackles the is-sues that modern Filipino families face—from infidelity and tragedy to sibling rivalry—and the forces that bind them together—forgive-ness, acceptance and love. Follow the story of Chico ( JM de Guzman), his parents Fernan ( Joey Marquez) and Luzviminda (Sylvia Sanchez), and the rest of the Mabunga siblings—Beri (Kiko Estrada), Apol (Kid Yambao), Persi ( Jairus Aquino), Peachy (Maris Ra-cal), Lemon (Kira Balinger), Cher-ry (Mutya Orquia) and Pongky (Raikko Mateo)—as they navigate the complex issues that arise even among the most loving families. Chico may be the responsible and dependable firstborn, but an old family tragedy forced his par-

‘Pamilya Ko’ to teach values of love, forgiveness and acceptance

ents to send him to live with his grandparents. Still, Chico makes an effort to build a connection with his parents and siblings. Through all the pain, Chico has his

best friend Betty (Arci Muñoz) by his side. Also part of the powerhouse cast of “Pamilya Ko” are Irma Ad-lawan and Alyssa Muhlach. It is

under the direction of Raymund Ocampo. Don’t miss “Pamilya Ko” on ABS-CBN, airing weekdays start-ing September 9.

Compound Interest By Dan Lopez Layug

My experience of Smart & Sustainable Cities in ASEAN

I represented the Philippines at a leadership program on Smart & Sustainable Cities that brought me to Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam. Smart & Sustainable Cities are not just about new tech-nologies. It is more about creat-ing mechanisms to understand community needs and using insights for planners and de-velopers to be able to develop long-term resilient urban areas. Learning from peers The Australia-ASEAN Emerging Leaders Program or A2ELP is a three-month fellowship for one impact en-trepreneur from each ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) nation. The fellowship trains leaders in skills to engage a range of stakeholders and de-velop scalable and sustainable business models in ASEAN. The program is fully funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I met inspiring entrepreneurs with interesting life stories and start-ups ranging from waste plastic-to-petroleum facilities in Thailand, urban food trans-parency in Myanmar, informa-tion technology that makes In-donesia more navigable for the visually impaired, sustainable events planning in Singapore, spatial mapping so people can track safe urban routes in Aus-tralia, green infrastructure in Cambodia, impact accelerators in Laos, and more.Learning from experts Singapore, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh are three of the most Smart & Sustainable Cities in ASEAN. The program gave us direct access to experts and best prac-tices in the field. Through ca-pacity-building workshops and panel discussions, we learned from Singapore Smart Cities Network, 100 Resilient Cities Foundation, Indonesia Green

Building Council and Vietnam Department of Planning and Architecture at the Saigon In-novation Hub, among others. The three cities are sup-porting the pioneering entre-preneurial spirit of its citizens. They have partnered with im-pact start-ups to be able to con-nect the city’s master planners with the needs of citizens. One particular start-up in Jakarta was a transparency plat-form wherein citizens could take photos of damaged roads or infrastructure. This data would then be analyzed and used by the local government to allocate resources to solving the most pressing problems. Their experience has shown them that bottom-up approaches (vs. top-down planning) signifi-cantly enhance market adoption. This has allowed administrators to be innovation driven with a fast and agile feedback loop that considers the preferences of ev-eryday residents.Learning from diplomats The A2ELP’s objective is to promote cooperation among ASEAN countries and Aus-tralia. I had the rare chance to discuss resiliency planning with Australian Ambassador to Singapore Kate Duff, Aus-tralian Ambassador to ASEAN Jane Duke, Australian Consul General Julianne Cowley and ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan.

I had the opportunity to share about how my impact start-up, PeoplePods Philippines, seeks to provide female industrial workers more than just decent facilities, but also an environment where they can live with dignity. I learned that each country is different in terms of how work-ers housing can be provided in a dignified manner. A multitude of factors in each country must be considered to ensure co-living addresses the needs of workers at the base of the pyramid. Study-ing best-in-class accommoda-tions around ASEAN was truly a game-changing experience. DanLopezLayug,CFA,foundedPeoplePodswhichprovidesdignifiedandaffordabledormsforminimumwage workers of Batangas indus-trialparks.PeoplePodswaslistedinthetop“SocialEnterprisestowatchforinAsiain2018”byDBSBank(Singapore). The start-up won 1stPlaceatthe35thINSEADVentureCompetition(France)andthe2017Kellogg Real Estate Competition(USA). For inquiries, contact usthroughwww.peoplepods.co. Layugholdsaprofessionaldi-ploma in Building & PropertyManagementfromtheCollegeofSaintBenilde.HegraduatedfromGeorgetownUniversitywithun-dergraduate degrees in Financeand Chinese Studies and fromanINSEADMBAwherehewasrecognized as exemplifying theschool ’s vision of using “BusinessasaForceforGood.”

By Kane Choa

ABS-CBN nets seven trophies in Quill Awards

The ABS-CBN teams’ seven awards yielded a ‘Company of the Year’ nomination for the Kapamilya network

Acel is back in the game with ‘Pitik Bulag’FORMER band vocalist Acel is back with a heartwarming track entitled “Pitik Bulag.” “Pitik Bulag” bears a catchy, fun tune that showcases the versatility of Acel’s voice. It is based on the traditional Filipino game where one player closes his eyes and guesses the number of fingers that the other player is flashing. Acel is one of the growing num-ber of artists under DNA Music, a record label of ABS-CBN Music

that targets to nurture the musical gift of rock and alternative artists and support the local bands indus-try. Acel has been performing since the late 1990s. In 2007, she sang “One Love,” the theme song of the Korean drama “Spring Waltz” which aired on ABS-CBN. The following year, she released her first solo album, “Silver Lining.” The Kapamilya singer also gave Rico Blanco’s hit “Your

Universe” a new spin, which then went on to become the theme song of the Black Sheep film “Between Maybes.” In July, she performed at the “One Paradise Puno ng Musika” event held at La Mesa Ecopark. Get in the game with Acel and listen to her song “Pitik Bulag” on digital streaming services and watch the official music video on DNA Music’s YouTube channel. (K.Choa)

ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan welcomes the impact entrepreneurs from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei to the ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta

The Himig Handog 2019 composers and performers

Australian Ambassador to Singapore Kate Duff, Philippine Consul General to Singapore Adrian Bernie Candolada and Dan Layug at the ambassador’s residence

In this 2018 photo, ABS-CBN executives Richard Reynante, Carlo L. Katigbak, Mark Lopez, Cory Vidanes and Ging Reyes receive ABS-CBN’s Diamond Creator Award (10 million subs) from YouTube’s Pablo Mendoza

ABS-CBN hits 20M subs on YouTubeCOMING from its record-breaking milestone last year of being the first YouTube channel in the Philippines to surpass 10 million subscribers, ABS-CBN has hit a new high by doubling it to 20 million subs in just a year and continues to rack up views and subscribers on its dif-ferent channels on the video-sharing website. The ABS-CBN Entertain-ment YouTube channel, which received the Diamond Cre-ator Award from YouTube for reaching 10 million subscrib-ers in 2018, is now the second most subscribed channel in Southeast Asia after Thai TV network Workpoint. Aside from being the most subscribed YouTube channel locally, it also now ranks in the Top 50 Most Viewed YouTube Channels worldwide in terms of watch hours. “Twenty million subscrib-ers, to us, means that we have become a part of the everyday lives of our Kapamilyas, whether they watch our content on TV or online,” said Elaine Uy-Ca-

sipit, head of ABS-CBN digital media division. “…We hope to reach more milestones together so that we can better fulfill our mission of always being in the service of the Filipino.” As of August 30, the channel already has 21.2 million sub-scribers. Forty-three other ABS-CBN YouTube channels raked in more Gold and Silver YouTube Cre-ator Awards, which are given to channels that have gained one million subscribers and 100,000 subscribers, respectively. Aside from ABS-CBN En-tertainment, ABS-CBN man-ages the country’s fifth most subscribed channel, ABS-CBN News, which has 6.9 million subscribers and recently passed four billion views. ABS-CBN’s top channels include Star Music (3.6 million subscribers), “Pinoy Big Broth-er” (3.2 million), Star Cinema (2 million), “Pilipinas Got Tal-ent” (1.7 million), “The Voice Kids Philippines” (1.7 million), “Idol Philippines” (1.4 million) and The Gold Squad (1 mil-

lion), which have earned the Gold YouTube Creator Award. Kapamilya talent-reality, game and variety shows that have col-lected Silver YouTube Creator Awards for having exceeded 100,000 subscribers include “The Voice of the Philippines,” “Little Big Shots,” “Your Face Sounds Familiar,” “The Voice Teens,” “I Can See Your Voice,” “World of Dance Philippines,” “Minute to Win It” and “It’s Showtime.” ABS-CBN channels that offer news, music, movies and shows as well as updates on Kapamilya personalities, such as ABS-CBN News Channel, ABS-CBN Sports, Cinema One, Jeepney TV, Metro.Style, MOR 101.9 For Life!, MYX Philippines, The Filipino Channel, One Music PH, TNT Versions, Star Magic, Adober Studios and iWant are also in the Silver rank. Channels such as Alex Gon-zaga (Music), Daniel Padilla (Music), Momshie Karla Estra-da, Morissette and Vice Ganda, which are managed by ABS-CBN, have earned Silver You-Tube Creator Awards as well.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASIALINK

‘Pamilya Ko’s’ Mabunga family includes Fernan and Luzviminda and their kids Chico, Beri, Apol, Persi, Peachy, Lemon, Cherry and Pongky

Docu on Gina Lopez on iWant, YouTubeNetizens can now watch “Genuine Love,” the documentary on the life of service of former en-vironment secretary Gina Lopez (GL) on the ABS-CBN News YouTube channel and on iWant. The piece first aired on ABS-CBN on August 25, six days after she passed away. Aside from photos from her youth, news footage and excerpts from her speeches and interviews, it also showed parts of GL’s last TV interview, which showed her still full of life, hope and love despite her health challenges. Watch the ABS-CBN DocuCentral documentary “Genuine Love” on iwant.ph, the iWant app, skyo-ndemand.com.ph or on the ABS-CBN News You-Tube channel.

‘Dayaw’ brings back ‘bearers of culture’ Filipino heritage is alive and well through the ef-forts of our “bearers of culture,” individuals who have made it their mission to teach indigenous dance, song or chant, and skills for the future gener-ations to inherit. On the seventh season of “Dayaw” on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) starting on September 19, Rep. Loren Legarda once again shares the stories of these unsung heroes who pro-tect our national identity by preserving our tradi-tions. Catch “Dayaw” every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. starting September 19 on ANC, on abs-cbnnews.com/live and the channel’s official Facebook page (@ANCalerts).

� Lopezlink September 2019 Lopezlink September 2019 �

WHAT do you get when you combine augmented

reality (AR) with an an-cient game that used to be played with actual rocks? Dodgeball meets AR in Hado Player vs. Player (PvP)

or simply Hado, the newest sport in town brought in by ABS-CBN Themed Experi-ences and the ABS-CBN S+A channel. Instead of rocks, the

modern-day dodgeball has lev-eled up with AR energy balls and shields. Hado, which means vibra-tion or “wave motion,” is a

brand of AR games from Japa-nese game developer Meleap Inc. Another Meleap game, Hado Monster Battle, was earlier introduced to Filipinos

HADO...from page 1

�01�ABS-CBN Themed Experi-ences hooks up with Me-leap Inc., a Japanese game developer, during a theme

park conference in Orlando, Florida�01�Construction of ABS-CBN Studio Experience (Studio

XP) starts at TriNoma Mall�018Meleap’s Hado Monster Battle becomes one of the very first attractions at Studio XP when

it soft-opens in July�019In July, Filipinos are introduced to Hado Player vs. Player dur-ing the opening ceremonies of

National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Season 95 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena In August, the ABS-CBN

Sports + Action program “Hado Pilipinas” starts airing the NCAA Hado tourna-ments

Milestones

Clockwise from top: (l-r) Themed Experiences finance head Cat Lopez, head Cookie Bartolome, ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo L. Katigbak, Meleap Inc. CEO Hiroshi Fukuda, COO Yukiharu Tomita and executive officer Lim Sing Kent; The Themed Experiences, Meleap and the Hado Pilipinas teams show off their Hado moves; Players from Emilio Aguinaldo College set the game attributes on their sidearms; At Arellano University, students monitor the action; Mapua University’s team is ready; Migs Gomez and Roxanne Montealegre serve as ‘Hado Pilipinas’ resident analysts alongside Martin Javier; Team LAYF talks about their Hado experience with ‘Hado Pilipinas’ hosts Denice Dinsay and Vince Velasco

The “Hado Pilipinas” show, hosted by Vince Velasco and Denice Dinsay, airs on ABS-CBN S+A every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. with replays during the week and streaming on iWant. “The immediate goal is to send the first team to the Hado World Cup in Tokyo at the end of the year, where up for grabs is a ¥2 million prize,” says Mark Coloma, who leads Themed Experiences’ Rides and Attrac-tions group. Themed Experiences has also put together a group of young Kapamilya talents that helps spread the word about Hado and demonstrates how to play the sport at various venues around Metro Manila. Jairus Aquino, Jeremy Gli-noga, Arabella del Rosario, Ai-yana Perlas, Samm Alvero and Kimson Tan, AKA the Hado Squad, were chosen to be Hado ambassadors based on how well they adapted to and understood the techno sport, reveals Barto-lome. “They’re very intelligent and athletic,” she adds.Playing the game Hado is played on a 6-me-ter by 10-meter space, roughly the size of a badminton court. Participants can play one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three, or even mix it up in a one-on-three and other player combinations. The two teams start by pre-paring their weapons on their half of the court: energy balls which are used for attacking the opponents’ life cells, and shields

for protecting or covering their own life cells. The players get to custom-ize the size and speed of the energy balls, the reloading speed, and the strength of the shield according to their team’s attack/defend strategy. Raising their sidearms charges the energy balls, while lowering them fills the power bar that will allow them to put up shields. A head-mounted display (HMD) allows the players to see the balls being thrown at them as well as the position of the opponents’ shields. Each player has four life cells. A team scores a point when it successfully destroys these four cells, which are equivalent to one life. The objective is to knock out more opponents within 80 seconds. “It seems short, but when we played it the first time, we were all lying down after,” Coloma says. Spectators or viewers watching on TV can follow the action on a giant screen where they can see the players exchange a barrage of color-coded energy balls and shields as they dive, duck and zip around the court. Hado is realistic enough that players have been known to trip or fall as they evade the energy balls, with one partici-pant even breaking a post when he fell over. Coloma describes the techno sport as something that takes “a minute to learn, a life-time to master.”

“Everybody who’s tried it enjoyed it, unless they didn’t understand it at the start. But when they played it a second time and they get it, they ask: ‘When are you coming back?’ or ‘Where are you setting this up?’” For now, aside from the NCAA schools, Hado will ini-tially be available in ABS-CBN, where a Hado Camp is slated to rise in the next few weeks, said Themed Experiences head Bar-tolome. She explains: “Basically, it’s a court that we set up so that players can come in and rent it just the way you would rent a badminton court. A game is only 80 seconds but putting on the gear eats up some time.” Aside from putting on the HMD and sidearm devices, players will also need to talk strategy with their teammates. “We don’t want them to play without really understanding the game. We also want to give them value for money,” Coloma adds. Bartolome says Hado Camps in other locations are in the pipeline so more Kapamilya can enjoy the benefits of the new techno sport, including possibly in Studio Experience. The team is also continuously working to improve the game’s interface and tech capability. “Our vision is to make Hado known as a fun, physical activ-ity that the whole family can engage in. And when the tech-nology progresses, this game is going to get so much better,” Bartolome promises.

By Carla Paras-Sison

MARK Coloma, head of Rides and Attractions at ABS-CBN Themed Experi-ences Inc., has been putting in 15-hour days, particularly before, during and soon after the launch of “Hado Pilipinas” last month (August 2019). The program is designed to introduce the augmented real-ity techno sport Hado Player versus Player (Hado PvP) to the Philippines. “I love working with our team members. I personally see to the ingress, setup and egress of Hado PvP equip-ment, which is quite a chal-lenge as we have been touring schools. We’ve had to fit the content of 90 square meters of space into two passenger vans so we can mobilize quickly and efficiently. We’ve had to design the whole process with all the ideals of ABS-CBN in mind, including increasing en-gagement and lowering cost,” says Coloma, a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of the Philippines. He also believes that if team members see him doing the work with them, they’d never be bit by the lazy bug and would be more than will-ing to match his industry and enthusiasm. Happy customers “Our biggest measure in offering live experi-ences is when we see customers walk out of an attraction happy and animatedly talking about the experience among themselves. When we see that, it doesn’t matter if we’re tired and lack sleep. Hap-py and engaged customers make it all worth our time,” Coloma says.

Coloma and his team are mustering the Lopez Value of a pioneering entrepreneurial spirit to introduce Hado Pili-pinas, a partnership with Me-leap Inc. of Japan, to Filipinos. The challenge is to get more people to try out the augmented reality game that involves competition between teams of three or fewer. “We have found that people who have tried the game have that desire to repeat play. So it is a matter of making it known and available to more people,” he says.Sheer thrill The school tour involv-ing the 10 members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the Philippines is a way to get students and athletes to try out the sheer thrill of 80 seconds of play, and for Hado PvP to get rec-ognized as a legitimate team sport requiring skill, strategy and technique. Since August 25, “Hado Pilipinas” has been airing on Channel 23 S+A, with the intention to send the first Philippine team to the Hado World Cup in Tokyo, Japan to be held in December. The

weekly broadcast of “Hado Pilipinas” is another way to get more people interested in the game. Episodes are also available on iWant under the category “Techno Sports.” To get a feel of the Hado technology, there is the Hado Monster Battle attraction at ABS-CBN Studio Experience in TriNoma Mall, Quezon City. It doesn’t pit players against each other like the Hado PvP model (you play against virtual enemies), but it uses the same head-mounted displays used in the Hado PvP game. Hado Camp Also scheduled to open in a few weeks is Hado Camp, a facility at the ground floor of the ELJ Building in the ABS-CBN compound where walk-in guests can finally get to experience Hado PvP. Coloma, who has an exten-sive background in manufac-turing, joined ABS-CBN four years ago. “As someone who came from outside, I want to tell my fellow employees how lucky we are to be working for a company that values each con-tribution and looks out for the best in each of us. “I have seen what it’s like to work outside (ABS-CBN), and there are employers who don’t increase salaries, those who can’t even pay minimum wage and those who don’t have space even for motorcycle parking. In a previous employ-ment, I even had to set up a savings and loan association because I didn’t want my fel-low employees to be borrowing at ‘5-6’ (usury rates). It’s rough outside. It’s good to count our blessings and to not take any-

thing for granted,” he says.

as one of the first attractions in ABS-CBN Studio Experience (Studio XP) in Quezon City. Aside from the Philippines, Hado is also in China, Sin-gapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Spain, Russia, the United Kingdom and the US. “This techno sport combines physical and digital play in a game that various teams, groups of friends, even families can play and enjoy,” said Cookie Bartolome. “It’s a sport every Filipino can play.” Themed Experiences and ABS-CBN S+A teamed up with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to unveil Hado during the opening ceremonies of the latter’s 95th season in July. Since then, the Hado Pili-pinas team has held clinics/try-outs at all the NCAA schools not only to introduce the sport, but also to discover the first Filipino fight team via a series of interschool and intraschool tournaments. The search is chronicled in a weekly TV program on ABS-CBN S+A, “Hado Pilipinas,” which will follow the Hado Pilipinas NCAA Cup 2019 winner as it tries to attack and defend its way to the techno sport’s biggest stage.

Front row: Themed Experiences head Cookie Bartolome (4th from left) with Migs Gomez, Roxanne Montealeagre, Meleap’s Yukiharu Tomita, Hiroshi Fukuda and Lim Sing Kent; Back row: Samm Alvero, Aiyana Perlas, Vince Velasco, Denice Dinsay, Arabella del Rosario, Jeremy Glinoga, Jairus Aquino and Kimson Tan

Mark Coloma: Leading by example

Meet the team

8 Lopezlink September 2019 Lopezlink September 2019 9

day through the now institu-tionalized Sagip Kapamilya.‘I love you all!’ Whenever GL would go fundraising before the heads of the biggest corporations in the Philippines, she never came out empty-handed; she always managed to solicit funds from them. It was difficult to refuse her. She would come well pre-pared with statistics to back her up and emotional videos to melt their hearts and make them bring out their check-books.

Like I said, GL did not do things small, nor did she receive donations in small amounts. It was usually in the millions, and this was because these business-men could see her sincerity, ac-countability and transparency. Sure, she may have “fought” with one or two of them due to her antimining position, but it was indeed hard to refuse to support her when she started her inspiring speech with no prepared notes as she would rather speak from her heart.

Corporate Sustainability Museum/Values

PHOTO BY AZRAEL GONZALES

KCh celebrates 20 years with new shows

‘I love you all!,’ which she often blurted out with her trademark enthusiasm, might well be the reason for GL’s lifework

KNOWLEDGE Channel (KCh) celebrates its 20th year of enriching education with new programs that feature some of the country’s stars sharing their love for learning. Enchong Dee returns for the new season of “Agricoolture” (starting this October, every Fri-day and Saturday, 4:30 p.m.), the KCh and Land Bank-produced

learning series for high school students that shows different ag-ricultural activities and how they can be turned into businesses. Maymay Entrata joins Khalil Ramos for the fourth run of “Puno ng Buhay” (starting this October, every Monday and Sun-day, 3:30 p.m.), a learning series designed for Grades 4 and 5 that talks about Philippine forests.

Turn to page 11

“Wikaharian” (every Mon-day and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.) is hosted by Michelle Agas and a cast of puppets. The show teaches children the basics of reading, writing and oracy. “Knowledge on the Go!” hosted by Marlo Mortel (every day, 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.) also returns to test the students’ knowledge on general topics. Other new offerings include “Wow,” KCh’s travel program for Araling Panlipunan; “Sci-ence Says,” a science experi-ment program hosted by KCh resident scientist Reina Reyes; “Art Smart”; and “Kwentoons.” The college documen-tary competition also returns with “Class Project Year 3” in partnership with ABS-CBN and Philippine Association of Communication Educators. The new programs can be accessed online via www.knowledgechannel.org, through portable media libraries and on-air via KCh.

FPIP, locators launch ‘Packs to School’ programFIRST Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP), in partnership with FPIP locators, launched “Packs to School,” a school supplies donation project for the benefit of underprivileged students in Tanauan, Batangas. During the initial run, both FPIP and locator employees provided school supplies to stu-dents of Pagaspas Elementary School in Tanauan City. The project was recognized during the turnover of supplies during the FPIP town hall meeting at SanTomas Suites, with FPIP president Giles Puno and barangay chairman Romy Micosa gracing the event. During the turnover ceremony, all Grade 6 enrollees of Pagaspas Elementary School were given the school supplies personally funded by FPIP employees. Micosa extended his thanks to FPIP and First Industrial Township for choosing Pagas-

pas Elementary School as the main project beneficiary. The Packs to School park-wide project was participated in by the following FPIP loca-tor-partners: Kinpo Electronics Philippines Inc., Sonion Phil-ippines Inc., Taiwan Fructose (Philippines) Inc., Yamaichi Seiko Philippines Inc., Nippon Micrometal Corp. Philippines, Eaton Industries Philippines, UAM Philippines Inc., SHI Manufacturing & Services (Phils.) Inc., NBC (Philippines)

Car Technology Corp., El Sol Electronics Device Philippines Inc., Arkray Industry Inc. and Citizen Machinery Philippines Inc. Since its launch led by FPIP’s Marco Amurao, the Packs to School project has quickly gained traction, with a total of 687 Grade 6 pupils from 12 public elementary schools in Tanauan City and Sto. Tomas benefiting during the initial year of implementa-tion.

Students of Pagaspas Elementary School send a message of thanks to their benefactors

By Michael Ramos

Seeds of Hope By Dulce Festin-Baybay

Ongoings

GL: ‘I believe I can fly’

Philippine film and theater be-fore the crossfire of the Second World War and beyond the rubble of devastated Manila. How were stories told through dynamic figures, the lifting of legs and voices? Join the Lopez Museum and Library for September’s “HIGHLIGHTS,” a lecture series done in partnership with the Ateneo Art Gallery.‘LVN Studios and the State of Post-War Cinema’ with Nick Deocampo It was in the rubble of post-

war Manila where big produc-tion houses such as LVN Films began to restore their place in society as the foremost source of entertainment. The cultural shift brought about by the war was palpable in the films they pro-duced—alongside the usual fare, they began to create movies that encapsulated different aspects of the experience of the Japanese occupation. Catch Nick Deocampo in “LVN Studios and the State of Post-War Cinema” as he rewinds to the studio houses of the ‘50s,

(“Immoral, godless man”!), with others applauding the harken-ing of Amorsolo-esque canvases made flesh (Oh, the lure of un-blemished, polished beauty!). For its September programs, the Lopez Museum and Library explores the terrain of the art of

By Yna Musico

SHHH, the show’s starting. Suddenly movement, out-side the canvas, twisting, lifting, strumming. Coiffed hair reflect-ing the studio lights and the style of the times. Upon seeing differ-ent interpretations of film and theater, critics would call it lewd

Curtains up glossy in their black and white film stills and pioneers of the chemical formula of creating love teams. The lecture will be held on Sept. 28, 2 p.m.-4 p.m., at the Basement Auditorium, Ateneo Law School, Rockwell Drive.Upcoming ‘HIGHLIGHTS’ Do you know our art? Pre-pare to rediscover Philippine art forms as the Lopez Museum and Library teams up with the Ateneo Art Gallery for “HIGH-LIGHTS,” a lecture series de-signed to bridge the narratives of traditional and contemporary art forms in the Philippine context. Utilizing the collections of the two institutions, this lecture se-ries aims to revisit various genres of Philippine art.

‘HIGHLIGHTS’ SCHEDULESept. 7, Saturday: “Bod-abil: From Stage to Screen” with Dr. Nick TiongsonSept. 28, Saturday: “Post-War Cinema” with Nick DeocampoOct. 13, Sunday: “Experi-mental Cinema” with Nick Deocampo Oct. 26, Saturday: “David Medalla” with Adam Nankervis

For inquiries and to reg-ister, email programs@lopez-museum.org.ph or call Yna at 631-2417.

ABS-CBN Ball to grant scholarships to underprivileged childrenFOR ABS-CBN, celebrating 65 years of being in the service of the Filipino means remaining committed to help those in need. That is why when it brings back the ABS-CBN Ball on Septem-ber 14 at Shangri-La The Fort, it will continue what it started last year—to bring hope to un-derprivileged children, this time through the Bantay Bata 163 Bantay Edukasyon program. The ball will give the stars and other attendees the chance to provide children the tool to reach their dreams. With the program, the chil-dren’s basic needs to help them have a normal education—from complete tuition assistance to meal and transportation allow-

ances, school supplies and other fees—will be covered. This year’s ABS-CBN Ball essentially continues what it started last year, which helped successfully reopen the Bantay Bata Children’s Village and gave a group of underprivileged children a new home. The ball will also honor the late ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. and Bantay Bata 163 founder Gina Lopez or GL, who passed away on August 19. Under GL, Bantay Bata 163 rescued thou-sands of children from physical and sexual abuse and eventually provided what she considered her greatest achievement for the program—Children’s Village in

Norzagaray, Bulacan. Last year’s ABS-CBN Ball gathered a total of P5 mil-lion, which was used for the construction and rehabilitation of the structures of the village, CCTV training for social work-ers, and the installation of a call and paging system, library and multimedia room.

IT has been weeks since Gina Lopez (GL) has left us, and still there is that ache in the hearts of those whose lives she has touched. The overwhelm-ing outpouring of grief when she passed away after bravely facing the last challenge in her life will be hard to forget. One can only look back at the many impactful seeds that she planted and helped grow. These were truly seeds of hope driven by the love and passion of a woman who was like a star that brightened the darkness of society, a woman who truly believed that she can “fly and spread her wings,” a woman of faith, a woman of substance, a woman of action—the values taught her by her alma mater, Assumption College. By now, the many heart-warming and inspiring articles about GL in print, broadcast and social media have revealed that her life was indeed one of authenticity (not hiding her flaws and frankness) and, most important, genuine love.‘Genuine Love’ The latter is also the title of the documentary about her life and accomplishments that aired on ABS-CBN on August 25, the day after she was laid to rest. “Genuine Love” said it all—how she left her family to join Ananda Marga, how she lived for many years among the poorest of the poor in Africa, how she was found by her father there and one of the first things she asked for was a refrigerator, how she came back home and yes, how, after GL joined ABS-CBN Foundation

Inc. (AFI, now ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Founda-tion Inc. or ALKFI), the world of NGOs in the Philippines was never the same again. One of GL’s favorite songs was R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly” originally released in 1996. The song’s message of dream-ing and achieving impossible things by spreading one’s wings in the name of love must have really driven GL to do things in a focused and passionate man-ner. And her projects indeed showed how she walked her talk. As one of those who headed ALKFI’s public relations and communications department during the first decade of the foundation, I saw how she chal-lenged each and every one of us, her executives and her staff, to “fly” with her in achieving the goals of Bantay Bata, Bantay Kalikasan, E-Media and her volunteers for disaster relief and rehabilitation which was the start of Sagip Kapamilya.Always doing things big GL did not do things in a small manner. She did it big time. For example, when she embarked on the Clean Air Act campaign, she asked us to gather not one million signa-tures, not two, but 10! How she went about it is something hard to believe. She gathered all her friends, her networks especially in the academe and religious organizations and, of course, her media resources including the thousands of employees of the Lopez Group of companies, to sign up and help spread the word. Sure enough, 10 million

signatures were delivered to the legislators and, after a few months, the Clean Air Act was passed. Flagship project There is of course Bantay Bata, then the flagship project of ALKFI. After watching a “TV Patrol” report of a child being abused, GL was horrified and could not just let it go. She saw the urgency of the state of abused children and the Bantay Bata 163 hotline was set up; immediate rescue was imple-mented and televised to raise awareness about preventing child abuse. The rest is history. After more than two de-cades, and with the help of ded-icated social workers, BB163 is still around and being sustained by many who believe in loving and protecting the child. One thing with GL, she was not hesitant in carrying and embracing rescued children, no matter the state they are in. One of the famous cases of child rescue was the case of young Jessie, whose grandmother and guardian imprisoned him for years in a cage like a dog. The rescue was recorded and one can see GL picking up and embracing Jessie from his filthy and smelly cage. Jessie was one of the people seen on television expressing his thanks to GL during her wake at Studio 10 at the ABS-CBN compound. Under Bantay Kalikasan, the La Mesa Ecopark project was another one whose reha-bilitation seemed impossible. La Mesa is not just a small park, but hectares of then de-nuded forest. There were many

challenges and obstacles in the beginning but this prompted GL to be more aggressive in protecting the area that helps in providing clean water to the more than 12 million people in Metro Manila. Big-time impact She was able to get the country’s leading corpo-rations that believed in her environmental causes to help her. Today, La Mesa remains one of GL’s sustainable projects. For the past years, GL’s favorite projects were in the field of ecotourism. The residents/beneficia-ries affected by the proj-ects are forever grateful to her, not only for provid-ing them with clean and green surroundings, but also livelihoods to better their families’ lives. Her big-time impact on the environment is such that in one state of the nation address of the Presi-dent a few years back when she was still Department of Envi-ronment and Natural Resources secretary, she was mentioned not just once, but several times in his speech. And how she showed her support and appreciation for her first group of volunteers who would be among the first to arrive at disaster-stricken ar-eas with relief goods will be re-membered for a long time. Then known as AFI Volunteers, they would stay at their makeshift relief center practically 24/7, a practice that continues to this

Quake-stricken school gets a gift

A school in Pampanga recently received a Gift of Knowledge package which included a brand-new television set and SKYdirect satellite dish. The aftermath of the 6.1-magnitude earthquake that rocked Pampanga in April left several institutions near the epicenter distressed and in need of support. One of them, Nabuclod Elementary School in Floridablanca, Pampanga, is a learning community attended by around 500 Aeta learners.

According to school prin-cipal Jocelyn Atun, four of the school’s buildings were severely damaged; one was beyond re-pair and can no longer be used. “Yung walls lumobo, yung flooring nabitak,” she said. Temporary learning spaces had to be set up in the school gym until their new building was ready. True to their mission of be-ing in the service of the Filipino, SKY and Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc., along with

“TV Patrol,” helped Nabuclod by bringing a food truck that served hot meals and items from generous sponsors, and deliver-ing and installing SKYdirect and a television set so the school-children and teachers can easily watch Knowledge Channel. SKYdirect, now in over one million homes nationwide, brings SKY’s superior brand of cable entertainment options to more areas beyond the urban centers via direct-to-home television technology.

Sky Cable chief operations officer March Ventosa and KCFI president Rina Lopez- Bautista pose for a photo with teachers and students of Nabuclod Elementary School

LGFI grants Zambo school’s wishLOPEZ Group Foundation Inc. (LGFI) granted the wish of Dumalogdog Elemen-tary School in Zamboanga del Norte to be able to watch Knowledge Channel (KCh) via the installation of SKYdirect and a portable media library. Knowledge Channel Foun-dation Inc. (KCFI), in a turnover ceremony on July 19, delivered the Gift of Knowledge package from LGFI which included an LCD TV, a SKYdirect satel-lite dish and a portable media library with more than 1,000 KCh videos, e-modules and

games to the school. Doris Nuval, KCFI ac-cess, schools and community engagement head, personally delivered the package on behalf of the foundation. She was wel-comed by the teachers, students and principal Albert Hisoler who wrote to LGFI requesting KCh resources for their school. Thanks to the generosity of LGFI, the school can now watch KCh videos on-air and offline, anytime. Grade 6 master teacher Rosita Macadaya shared her eagerness to use the new edu-

cational materials. “GagamitinkopoangKnowl-edge Channel sapamamagitanngpag-integrate nito sa iba’t ibangsubjects especially sa English, science, math and social studies. Kasi especially ngayonsa Grade 6 walapokaming textbooks. Kayaang Knowledge Channel ayma-halaga talaga bilang reference,” she said. More public schools in the country can benefit from learn-ing with media and technology. To be a sponsor of Knowledge TV, email liberty.reyes@knowl-edgechannel.org. (M.Ramos)

Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. president Rina Lopez-Bautista (center) and director for Operations Edric Calma with new and returning KCh hosts Maymay Entrata, Enchong Dee and Michelle Agas

10 Lopezlink September 2019 Lopezlink September 2019 11

She would always tell us that Filipinos are a visual people and the best way to convince them was to show images of what is happening with regard to the

environment and children. She would even end her speech and presentation with “I love you all!” no matter who her audi-ence was.Extraordinary There are just too many an-ecdotes regarding the colorful

and driven personality of this extraordinary lady whose love for family, clan, her foundations and country will be embedded in the hearts of those who knew her. Now that GL has indeed “flown,” we will always re-member her for the seeds of

hope that she has given to so many of her countrymen. As the Carmelite and Spanish mystic priest St. John of the Cross said: “At the sun-set of our lives we will only be judged on one thing: how much have we loved.”

GL...from page 9

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Lifelong Wellness

By Charizze Henson

‘Reader’s Digest’ names Asian Eye as PH’s most trusted eye center

Sports & Wellness calendar

ASIAN Eye Institute clinched its seventh “Reader’s Digest” Trusted Brand Gold Award in the eye center category. As the sole winner in the cate-gory, the award speaks of the trust that the public and its patient base have bestowed upon Asian Eye in almost 18 years of bringing high-quality eye care to the country. With 13 clinics in strategic loca-tions, Asian Eye is the largest am-bulatory eye and research institute in the Philippines. Asian Eye is one of the 32 brands that were recognized by “Reader’s Digest Asia” for their trustworthiness and credibility, quality, value, understanding of customer needs, innovation and social responsibility. “Choosing an eye care provid-er is an important decision,” says Asian Eye chief operating officer Alwin Sta. Rosa. “That is why we are truly honored to be the only eye center to receive the ‘Read-er’s Digest’ Trusted Brand Gold Award. With their trust, we are able to do a thorough checkup and provide appropriate treat-ment or management options and, therefore, help them have a lifetime of good, healthy vi-sion. We are also able to educate them, their family members and peers about proper eye care.” He adds: “This inspires us even more to grow further and reach out to more Filipinos by ex-panding the skills of our doctors, looking for innovative products and services to offer, and open-ing more clinic locations in and outside Metro Manila.” To strengthen patients’ trust, Asian Eye highly values feed-back. Sta. Rosa shares: “We lis-ten and learn from our patients through various channels and use these to improve our servic-

Interactive

Solution, tips and computer program

available at www.sudoku.com

Very Easy Easy Medium Hard

Answer to AUGUST 2019 puzzle

Maglaro tayo ng Sudoku, ang bagong libangan ng bayan! Ayusin lamang ang mga numero simula 1 hanggang 9 para ang bawat nu-mero ay minsan lang magagamit sa bawat row, column at kahon.

Sudoku Eats By Jannine Sy

ABS-CBN...from page 5

WTT returns to FPIP for 13th anniversaryWALK the Talk (WTT), a legacy project of Lopez Group chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez, marked its 13th an-niversary at First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP) in Sto. Tomas, Batangas on August 31. The morning’s program started with an emotional tribute to Gina Lopez (GL), chairman of ABS-CBN Ling-kod Kapamilya Foundation Inc., who passed away on Au-gust 19. FPIP president Giles Puno and First Balfour president An-thony L. Fernandez welcomed the participants to the walk, which was sponsored by their respective companies. In addition to the customary warm-up and safety briefing, the milestone WTT featured a tree-planting activity and raffles where minor and major prizes were given away. The WTT’s most dedicated company and individual participants over the past season were also feted by the WTT team. The inaugural WTT was held at the Meralco compound in 2006 and featured talks from GL, Creative Programs Inc. president Ernie Lopez and Lo-pez Group HR Council head Cedie Lopez-Vargas, among others. The WTT is organized by the HR Council and Lopez Lifelong Wellness.

MONDAY has a reputation of being everyone’s least favorite day of the week. But it isn’t all that bad. Think of it as an op-portunity to reset, get back on track or start a new habit that could literally make the world a better place, like, say, Meatless Monday. What is Meatless Monday? It’s basically substituting your usual meat-filled meal with a vegetarian dish at least once a week. How will it make you feel better about the start of the week? Well, being a part-time vegetarian has its perks. Find out how meat-free dishes can turn Mondays into “Mon-yays” for you and the environment.

Go Geisha Salad Bowl from Salad StopR3 Level, Power Plant Mall Why it’s good for you: The Go Geisha salad is packed with romaine lettuce, red and white cabbage, firm tofu, as-paragus, carrots, soba noodles, snow peas, edamame, cucum-ber, sweet corn, sesame seeds, Japanese miso dressing—and it comes in wrap form, too. Nutrition experts say that committing to a vegetarian diet gives you your fix of fiber, vita-

mins and nutrients. Stocking up on veggies often results in lower cholesterol, lower body fat, low-er blood pressure and lower risk of heart disease. Whyit’sgood for the environ-ment: Going meatless at least once a week helps save water. It takes around 39 gallons of wa-ter to produce a pound of veg-etables, while it takes approxi-mately 1,800 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef.

Vegan Buddha Bowl from The Wholesome Table R2 Level, Power Plant Mall Whyit’sgoodforyou: It’s made with organic brown rice, mixed vegetables, vegan Thai red co-

conut curry sauce, microgreens, homemade peanut brittle, lime and peanuts. Replacing a serv-ing of red meat with this fill-ing bowl helps decrease your chances of getting diabetes in the long run. Whyit’sgood for the environ-ment: Raising livestock and poultry for meat uses up a lot of resources, which is why reduc-ing meat consumption helps reduce your carbon footprint. Going vegetarian or vegan at least once a week helps contain

Meatless dishes that turn Mondays into ‘Mon-yays’

es and processes. This enabled us to offer products and services that are not only responsive but of high quality. This is a continuing journey and some-thing that we did not achieve overnight. In fact, Asian Eye recently addressed the increased demand for convenience by launching a clinic at the San-tolan Town Plaza in San Juan City and adjusting its Rockwell clinic schedule.” Patients from San Juan and nearby areas no longer have to endure the terrible traffic to get an eye checkup at other Asian Eye clinics as Asian Eye Santolan Town Plaza provides comprehensive eye exams, a full scope of diagnostic testing, and optical products and services. It also offers Zeiss lenses that are customized to suit specific vi-sion needs as well as PhotoFu-sion lenses that darken and fade back to clear lenses faster than previously released Zeiss pho-tochromic lenses. Meanwhile, Asian Eye’s Rockwell clinic is now open on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, with complimentary parking. This means that all Asian Eye

Chief strategy officer Dr. Patricia Dimanlig-Manuel and marketing head Audrey Trinidad receive the award on behalf of Asian Eye

Asian Eye, which won its seventh ‘Reader’s Digest’ Trusted Brand Gold Award, was the sole winner in the eye center category

the production of greenhouse gases that accelerate climate change.

Baked Tofu Walnut Burger from Corner Tree Cafe R3 Level, Power Plant Mall Why it’s good for you: Beans, nuts, soy and other vegetables can give you all the protein you need in a day. Plus, cutting back on red and processed meat keeps your kidneys healthy. Whyit’sgoodfortheenviron-

ment: Swapping your quarter-pound beef burger for a veg-gie alternative means saving enough water to fill 10 bathtubs or enough energy to power your smartphone for half a year! More than just an Instagram hashtag to accompany your plant-based food posts, Meat-less Monday is a movement that inspires you to make more mindful decisions that will positively impact not just your health, but the earth’s too!

while, was honored for help-ing Filipinos get to know the platforms and stands of senate aspirants ahead of the polls, and gave candidates a chance to answer issues via DZMM platforms on radio, TV and online. “DZMM Kapamilya Day” won for bringing the station closer to its audience by stag-ing the programs live in the barangays. Similarly, “DZMM: Good Trip” was recognized for giv-ing back to public transport vehicle drivers. ABS-CBN TVplus brought honor to the organization as well for its entry “Transform-ing The Suburb Kapamilya Experience,” which details how ABS-CBN’s digital ter-restrial television service suc-cessfully penetrated the sub-urban area to enhance the TV viewing of the populace. “ABS-CBN’s Unilever Sto-ry: That Partnership That Pays Off ” took home an award for

harnessing the power of ABS-CBN’s extensive content and storytelling expertise, backing them up with research and analytics, and using it for a partnership with Unilever—the Unilever Story Studio or USS. This brought in millions worth of revenues and solidi-fied the company’s reputation as a digital content leader that stays true to its commitment to be in the service of the Fili-pino. Capping this year’s win-ners from ABS-CBN is the internal competition “Tawag ng Tanghalan sa e-Frequen-cy.” With seven awards, ABS-CBN was also nominated for “Company of the Year,” which is given to the organization that received the most awards for the year. The Philippine Quill Awards is presented by the International Association of Business Communicators Philippines to honor excellent communications programs and tools by companies and agencies in the country.

Vegan Buddha Bowl

Baked Tofu Walnut Burger

SEPTEMBER15: Air Run, 3K/5K/10K/21K (CCP Com-plex, Pasay), 2am. Fee: P650-P1,050. Register at Garmin (SM North EDSA, Megamall, MOA; Glorietta; Uptown Mall; ATC)22: Citi Vertical Run, 22F/39F/59F (Shangri-La at the Fort, BGC), 10am. Fee: P1,200-P6,000. Register at manilaverticalrun.com29: Run for Unity, 3K/5K/10K (CCP Complex, Pasay), 4am. Fee: P600-P1,000. Register at tinyurl.com/Register-Run4Unity2019

clinics are open seven days a week to serve more Filipino families. “We want to make getting eye checkups easy for our pa-tients and we know that week-ends are when they are avail-able. It is now so easy to get a checkup done and then watch a movie or enjoy Sunday lunch at the mall with your family,” says Sta. Rosa. With its win and these new developments, Asian Eye con-tinues its efforts to improve pa-tient satisfaction in its clinics.

PHOTOS BY GERBS DE CASTRO

FPIP president Giles PunoFirst Balfour president Anthony Fernandez

Having a stretch

Participants carry the banner announcing the WTT program’s milestone

The contingent from host company First Balfour

Planting trees is a WTT tradition at FPIP

FPIP’s Jun Lizardo and First Balfour’s Caloy Salonga

1� Lopezlink September 2019

Editorial Advisory Board Mike Lopez / Boo Chanco Executive Editor Carla Paras-Sison

Contributing Editors Yiessa Borbon (Lopez Holdings) Hazel Velasco (FPH) Estela de la Paz (First Gen) Arlene Torres (SKYcable)Kane Choa (ABS-CBN) Vienn Tionglico (Rockwell) Justin Convento (Metro Group) Dulce Baybay (LGFI)Noella Fonbuena (CPI) Jei-Jei Gertes (Third Gen Holdings) Dimpy Jazmines (SKYcable) Frances Ariola (EDC)Kamae Bulaquiña (EDC) Circulation Kelly de la PazEditorial and Layout Mousetrap Publishing

Available online at www.Lopezlink.ph

LopezLink is published by Lopez Holdings Corp. PR Group 16/F North Tower, Rockwell Business Center - SheridanSheridan St. corner United St.Mandaluyong CityTel. 878-0000 ext. 2463

THE ABS-CBN STORE FINDS

Feel like a superstar in Star Magic shirts from The ABS-CBN Store! These are available for P395 each from The ABS-CBN Store, with branches at the ground floor of ELJ Building, Glori-etta 2, and ABS-CBN Studio Experience in TriNoma. The shirts are also available online at www.abs-cbnstore.com. (PiadeLeon)

Star’s magic

THE ROCKWELLIST GUIDE By Jannine Sy

WITH all the skin care products and routines constantly being fed to us, it’s hard to tell where to begin—and, let’s be real, when to stop trying new stuff. We decided to consult a dermatologist in hopes of getting some clarity. We entered the clinic half expecting to leave with a list of dermatologist-recommended products to add to our shopping list, but after an enlightening chat with Dr. Mary Ann Amon of Derma 360, we learned that it takes more than a slew of beauty products and a multi-step routine to achieve the complexion of our dreams. In fact, most of us probably skip the crucial first step to building a personal skin care routine: “It’s best to see a dermatologist before starting your own skin care regimen,” says Amon, who has 20 years of professional experience. These days, all things beauty and skin care have entered the mainstream. However, freestyling and experi-menting isn’t always the best for your skin. Amon notes: “Young people these days have access to beauty bloggers and influencers who inspire them to build their own skin care regimen. I think consulting a dermatologist first will help them avoid being misled by all the information they consume.” On the opposite end of the spectrum are “late bloomers” or those who start taking skin care seriously once signs of aging start to show. “The older generation, generally speaking, isn’t as savvy and most of them are shy about taking care of their skin for fear of being called vain,” Amon shares. Before they reach for the most raved-about antiaging miracle product, she suggests they consult a professional. “It’s never too early or too late to go see a dermatologist,” she adds. “At Derma 360, we recommend the proper skin care regi-men that’s customized for you. More than just assessing your skin’s

Collated by Justin Convento and Noella Fonbuenafrom ABS-CBN Publishing this SeptemberWhat’s new

Shirley Wong shares insider’s view of Louis Vuitton“Metro Society” presents its big September Fashion Issue! A few months back, editor in chief Raul Manzano met our cover girl, Shirley Vy-Wong; with the Louis Vuitton Philippines team, they jetted off for an extraordi-nary VIP experience in Paris and Prague with Shirley’s husband Kevin. Read more about this dynamic young couple in the story by Leah Puyat as Raul also writes about the VIP experience from an editor’s point of view. Take style cues from the designer/muse duos of Patty Ang and Maggie Wilson, Sofie Borromeo and Rianna Puno, Maureen Disini and Marga Nograles, Hannah Kong and Cristalle Belo, Sari Lazaro and Alex Guerrero, Rosanna Ocampo and Fatima Rabago, Vania Ro-moff and Alex Suarez, and Paloma Urquijo-Zobel and Anna Buquid. Meet the heroes of philanthropy in a feature on the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Mid-Autumn Ball, which celebrates the founda-tion’s 30 years of being in service of the Filipino. Also, learn about Sheila Romero’s commendable work with IWantToShare Foundation. Glance through the preview of next season’s biggest fashion looks highlighted by Gucci, Givenchy, Van Laack, Escada, Bottega Veneta, Thom Browne, Versus Versace, MM6 Maison Margiela, Opening Cer-emony, Celine, Valentino, Off-White and Loewe. Go backstage with MAC Cosmetics as the fashion-forward brand runs down the most iconic beauty looks and trends of AW/19. Then, drive around the metro in the Range Rover Evoque with Angelo Puyat, and get your tan on with Cabanna Living and Alba Manila. ( JustinAlexandraConvento)

‘Su Punto De Vista’ “Su Punto De Vista” (“In His Point of View”) is a side story to the No. 1 best-selling fiction novel “I Love You Since 1892.” It offers a differ-ent, poetic perspective of the historical tale that has a whopping 85 million reads on Wattpad.

‘La Na Bye’ “La Na Bye” is a compilation of Kakai Bautista’s po-etry, anecdotes and quotes about love and heartbreak. She talks about how she deals with breakups, “ghost-ing” and an unrequited love in her poems and quotes.

‘Pera ni Mister, Pera ni Misis’ “Pera ni Mister, Pera ni Misis” is a financial guide for married and young couples. Chinkee and Nove Tan encourage readers to openly discuss money, one of the root causes of conflicts among couples. Get the newest issues of your favorite magazines at

leadingbookstoresandmagazinestandsnationwide.Todownload,usersonAndroiddevicesmustdownloadtheZinioappfromtheAndroidMarket.TheappisalsoavailablethroughtheiPadAppStore.PCandMacuserscanaccessZinioatzinio.com.YoumayalsosubscribetoyourfavoriteABS-CBNPublishingmagazinesorpurchasecurrentandbackissuesbyloggingontohttp://store.abs-cbn.com/categories/Magazines/Current-Issues/.

The crucial step your skin care routine is probably missing

condition, we learn about your diet, your lifestyle, et cetera. Our approach is holistic and very professional.” Derma 360 was established in 2008 by a group of internation-ally trained and accredited dermatologists. Their services range from basic and premium facials to laser treatments for facial skin rejuvenation, acne scar removal and even body contouring. What sets them apart, according to Amon, is: “Our recommen-dations are highly customized and we really assess your specific con-cerns. We don’t believe in hard sell and we’re not the type of clinic that recommends products or treatments you don’t really need.” But for those who aren’t quite ready to take the leap into con-sulting a professional, Amon shares her skin care philosophy: “Keep it basic, keep it clean, keep it simple.” And if you’re looking to streamline your skin care products, she says: “Stick to the basics: cleanse, tone, moisturize and put on sun-block every day.” Derma360islocatedatJoyaLoftsandTowers,RockwellCenter