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Trump scuttles talks with Kim Raps Nokor for hostility, ‘trail of broken promises’

SUMMIT CANCELED. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (right) appear poles apart after the former abruptly canceled the scheduled June 12 summit in Singapore. But North Korea says it is still willing to talk ‘at any time in any form’ after the summit cancellation, with Trump blaming the North’s ‘open hostility’ for the cancellation, another phrase for what Washington called Pyongyang’s ‘trail of broken promises.’ AFP

NITED States President Donald Trump informed Kim Jong-un late Thursday (Friday in Manila) he is canceling their nuclear summit next month in Singapore, blaming “anger” and “hostility” from the North Korean regime for the collapse of the historic event. Trump and Kim had been due to hold high-stakes talks on June 12 aimed at ridding the reclusive state of nuclear weapons, but the meeting was recently thrown into doubt as both sides raised the prospect of scrapping the discussions and traded threats. But several hours later, North Korea said it is willing to talk to the United States “at any time,” prompting China to urge both sides to show restraint as a pall of uncertainty settled over the turbulent Korean Peninsula once more. Next page

Sotto: Set death penalty only for big drug trade

Doctors uncover MJ’s ‘tilt’ illusion CORE or stomach strength, shoes with special heels, and a peg on the floor. That’s how the late Michael Jackson performed his 45-degree, leaning, gravity-defying “Smooth Criminal” dance move, according to three neurosurgeons in a study published in a science journal this week.

By Macon Ramos Araneta VOL. XXXII • NO. 100 • 3 SECTIONS 18 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY,, MAY 26, 2018 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

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MICHAEL JACKSON

Great countries do not need strongmen. They need strong institutions. —Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales, speaking to lawyers at an Integrated Bar of the Philippines forum

Sereno asks SC for more time to rebut order MAKING NOISE. Some students from the left-leaning League of Filipino Students stage a protest Friday against the effects of Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion in Divisoria, Manila, a chaser to militants’ call for higher wages than tax reform. Norman Cruz

Senate panel pushes for fuel excise tax suspension

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vito Barcelo THE Senate committee on public services on Friday urged the government to suspend excise taxes on fuel as allowed by law, even as the public continues to reel from rapidly rising commodity prices. Senator Grace Poe, who heads the panel, said she would ask her colleagues

CONCHITA CARPIO-MORALES

Joma belittles Rody’s threat as comedy yarn JOSE Maria Sison on Friday shrugged off President Rodrigo Duterte’s threat to kill him, saying it would be best for them to continue “preparing for the resumption of formal talks and make substantial progress as soon as possible.” “PRRD [Duterte] has repeated so many times the threat to kill me that sometimes I surmise that the expression ‘kill’ has actually become a term of endearment, as in some American comedies,” Sison, the chief political consultant of the communist National Democratic Front of the Philippines, said in a statement posted on the NDFP website. Next page

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III said Friday that a bill seeking the reimposition of the death penalty could get the 13 votes or more that it needs if capital punishment is limited to high-level drug trafficking. In an interview on the ANC news channel, Sotto said he would vote for such a bill, and was even willing to help Senator Manny Paquiao, who is the principal author, to sponsor it. “I’d rather not use the words ‘actively push;’ but I’d allow it to be debated on the floor,” he told ANC’s “Headstart.” Legislation to restore the death penalty, a campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte, has not prospered under Sotto’s predecessor, Senator Aquilino Pimentel III. Sotto said arguments that the death penalty is anti-poor or will not deter crime were “correct,” except for highlevel drug trafficking. Next page

to support the initial recommendation of the committee, after conducting a public hearing in Iloilo City on the effects of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law. This developed as the Department of Finance is proposing to Congress in the next few weeks to raise excise taxes on the so-called “sin products” despite their impact on inﬂation.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez told reporters raising taxes on cigarettes and alcoholic drinks would make the people think ﬁrst before they buy or consume these products. Raising excise taxes on sin products was not based on the idea of raising revenues that could be derived from them, but to “discourage the consumption of Next page

By Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz OUSTED chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Friday asked the Supreme Court to give her more time to explain why she should not be sanctioned for violating the sub judice rule and for casting aspersions on members of the bench at the height of debates on the quo warranto case against her. Sereno’s spokesperson, Josalee Deinla, said Sereno has already ﬁled a motion for extension asking Supreme Court to give her 15 days more, or until June 9, to respond to Next page the show cause order.

CoA flags DoJ over P92-m bank accounts By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Audit has called the attention of the Department of Justice for undocumented payroll and unauthorized accounts worth P92 million under the administration of then Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. According to an audit report, the Justice department was liable for having unreconciled payments, undocumented payroll, and even dormant and unauthorized accounts. The unauthorized account included an P8 million trust fund from the AMAN Futures pyramid scam, while the department’s payroll was not supported by documents with four March 1, 2018 vouchers, the last month of Aguirre in ofﬁce. VITALIANO AGUIRRE

The vouchers “were not supported with payroll registers,” CoA said. “We rejoined that the accounting division submit the supporting documents for the four unsupported journal entry voucher [JEVs] and to expedite their verification of the transactions,” it added. The state auditors flagged DoJ for its four vouchers with P33-million unrecorded payments of wages to employees on a job order status, and the allowances of officials and employees. They expressed disappointment over the DoJ’s failure to reconcile the P32 million with the four vouchers as the finance teams of the Justice department Next page

WELCOME MARCH. The Philippine Navy Band plays a marching tune to welcome the arrival of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Asagiri-class destroyer Setogiri docked at South harbor Friday. The warship, skippered by Capt. Susumi Moriyama, commander of the Escort division Tokeshi Tonegawa, is here for a goodwill visit. Norman Cruz

News

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Don‘t deal with Duterte family, President warns By Vito Barcelo PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday repeated his warning to all government officials not to make deals or even discuss projects with any member of the “First Family” or any of his relatives or face being fired from their posts. “You do not use it in a democratic country. Do not use First Family,” Duterte said during the inauguration of the Davao Bridge. “There is no such thing as a first family. All Filipinos are first family. And it is in utter bad taste to use it.” Duterte also announced he would fire another government official because of graft and corruption. Duterte will be visiting South Korea on June 3 to 5 to meet with Korean President Moon Jae-In to discuss ways of enhancing bilateral trade. Malacañang said this would be Duterte’s first visit to South Korea as President. He had also visited South Korea twice as mayor of Davao City. In his speech, Duterte said Transportation Assistant Secretary Mark Tolentino was fired for dealing with his sister. “You have never heard me say Malacañang Palace. I just say my office. See me at my office. Go to my office,” he said. Duterte had repeatedly said government officials should not talk to him or his relatives to lobby for government projects. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said the firing of Tolentino should serve as a warning to other government officials. “I told you before, you don’t know me, do not talk to anybody especially my family, my wife, my daughter, my sons or any relatives of mine,” Duterte said.

DoJ strips Napoles gov’t protection T By Rey E. Requejo

HE Justice department on Friday informed suspected pork-barrel-scam architect Janet Lim-Napoles of the termination of her provisional coverage under the Witness Protection Program. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he had issued a letter to Napoles “giving notice of the termination of her provisional coverage under the Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program effective 25 May 2018.” Napoles’ coverage will end today, May 26, three months after since she was admitted to the program on Feb. 27.

Napoles was provisionally admitted to the WPP during the time of Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II after she issued an affidavit implicating more names in the multi-billion peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. Guevarra said Napoles had requested that she be admitted to the WPP due to the

threats to her life. She also sought her transfer from Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig to a secure housing facility of the WPP. That prompted Napoles to file urgent motions before the Sandiganbayan seeking the transfer of custody to the Justice department’s WPP, but the anti-graft court where she is facing trial for plunder and graft charges denied her motion. “The main purpose for which Ms. Napoles had sought admission into the WPSBP has become moot and academic,” Guevarra said. “As there has been no further claim of threats to her personal security inside Camp Bagong Diwa, [we] found no reason to extend further Ms. Napoles’ provisional

Guevarra to BI: Comment on nun Fox‘s petition within 10 days ’Boracay needs over JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Friday directed the Bureau of Immigration to comment on the petition filed by Australian missionary Sister Patricia Fox seeking a reversal of the April ruling downgrading her Missionary Visa to a Temporary Tourist Visa. Guevarra gave the bureau 10 days to submit its comment, while Sister Fox has five days to submit a reply to the comment. Both deadlines are non-extendible, he said. The Department of Justice also clarified that the 30-day deadline by the BI for Fox to leave the country was not May 25 but June 18. Guevarra explains that the running of the 30day period given by the BI stopped when Sister Fox filed her motion for reconsideration before the BI on the fifth day of the 30-day period. “Upon the denial of the said Motion for Reconsideration, petitioner had a remaining period of 25 days from May 24, 2018, the date when she was served a copy of the Order denying her motion for reconsideration or until June 18, 2018 within

which to leave the country,” Guevarra said in his order released hours after Fox filed her petition for review. The Aussie nun had asked the DoJ to overturn the BI decision downgrading her Missionary visa to a Temporary Visitor’s Visa and ordering her to leave the country within 30 days. In a 24-page petition for review, Fox through lawyer Katherine Panguban sought for a reversal of the immigration ruling, saying she was denied her right to due process and the agency violated its own rules when she was not given a copy of the petition for the cancellation of her visa or given the opportunity to respond to the allegations against her. Fox lamented that the supposed basis for the cancellation of her visa was “purely speculative.” Panguban cited, for example, the photograph where Fox was holding a placard stating “Free all political prisoners” did not indicate the source, place and context which it was taken

which is required by the rules on evidence. “Technically, the statements contained in such report are mere allegations of wrong doing and cannot be made a basis for the said cancellation and downgrading,” Fox said in her petition. The petition also cited the Supreme Court case Domingo v. Scheer as they pointed out that even foreign nationals sojourning in the Philippines enjoys the right to freedom of expression and to peaceably assemble. “When the Petitioner joins rallies and fact finding missions and similar activities, she is not violating the law. She is merely exercising her right, and she can do so whether the same is part of her missionary work or not, since such right is guaranteed and protected by the Constitution. She is afforded,” the petition stated. The camp of Fox also argued that the definition of “missionary” and “apostolate” cited by the BI Intelligence was narrow. Rey E. Requejo

The decision blindsided treaty ally South Korea, which until now had brokered a remarkable detente between Washington and Pyongyang. South Korean President Moon Jae-in called the move “shocking and very regrettable” but his government vowed to push ahead with improving ties with the North. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the parties to keep talking, as did host Singapore, while Russia’s President Vladimir Putin held out hope that dialogue would resume and the talks would eventually take place. The White House later said that a North Korean failure to keep its word had led US President Donald Trump to call off his summit with Kim Jong-un next month. “There has been a trail of broken promises that gave the United States pause,” said a senior White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity to Agence France-Presse. Trump’s letter came a day after North Korea attacked US Vice President Mike Pence as “ignorant and stupid.” “Sadly, based on the tremendous anger and open hostility displayed in your most recent statement, I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting,” Trump wrote in a letter to Kim released by the White House. “Therefore, please let this letter serve to represent that the Singapore summit, for the good of both parties, but to the detriment of the world, will not take place.” Trump also brandished the threat of America’s nuclear might in his letter, writing: “You talk about your nuclear capabilities, but ours are so massive and powerful that I pray to God

they will never have to be used.” The US leader’s letter appeared to leave the door open to a future meeting with Kim, however, stressing that he had been “very much looking forward to being there.” “We greatly appreciate your time, patience, and effort with respect to our recent negotiations and discussions” relative to the summit, he told Kim. “I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only that dialogue that matters,” Trump said. “If you change your mind having to do with this most important summit, please do not hesitate to call me or write. “The world, and North Korea in particular, has lost a great opportunity for lasting peace and great prosperity and wealth. This missed opportunity is a truly sad moment in history.” The decision came as North Korea said it had “completely” dismantled its nuclear test site, in a carefully choreographed move portrayed by the isolated regime as a goodwill gesture ahead of the Singapore summit. China, Pyongyang’s sole major ally, urged the two foes to “show goodwill” as regional powers braced for the possible diplomatic fallout. “Stay patient, show goodwill, move in the same direction and continue to stay committed to promoting the denuclearization of the peninsula,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular press conference. So far, Pyongyang’s reaction to the sudden U-turn has been conciliatory. First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan called Trump’s decision “unexpected” and “regrettable.” But he left the door open for talks, saying officials were willing “to sit face-to-face at any time.” However, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe backed the US president’s move. “I respect President Trump’s decision and support it,” Abe told reporters during

a trip to Russia. Politically, Trump had invested heavily in the success of the planned summit. But as the date drew nearer, the gulf in expectations between the two sides became apparent. Washington has made it clear it wants to see the “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization” of the North. But Pyongyang has vowed it will never give up its nuclear deterrent until it feels safe from what it terms US aggression. A senior White House official said Pyongyang had demonstrated a “profound lack of good faith” in the runup to the summit—including standing up the White House’s deputy chief of staff, who had travelled to Singapore for preparatory talks. The White House viewed North Korea’s objection to the latest US-South Korean joint military exercise—and its recent cancellation of a meeting with the South Koreans—as a breach of its commitments leading up to the summit. It also was unhappy about the North’s failure to allow international observers to verify the dismantling of its Punggye-ri test site, the staging ground for all six of its nuclear tests which was buried inside a mountain near the border with China. But the North’s Kim Kye Gwan countered that their angry statements were “just a backlash in response to harsh words from the US side that has been pushing for a unilateral denuclearization.” Both Pence and Trump’s hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton had raised the spectre of Libyan leader Moamer Khadafi, who gave up atomic weapons only to die years later at the hands of US-backed rebels. Experts warned that cancelling the meeting could have knock-on effects, especially among allies already rattled by Trump’s unpredictability.

“In a contest of who can be the most erratic leader, President Trump beats Kim Jong Un hands-down,” Joel Wit, founder of the respected 38 North website which monitors North Korea, wrote on Twitter. “His unsteady hand has left everyone scratching their heads, including our ROK [South Korean] allies.” But others said Trump’s willingness to walk away could extract further concessions from Pyongyang. “North Korea will have to propose more detailed plans for denuclearisation if it wants to talk in the future,” Go Myonghyun, an analyst at Asan Institute of Policy Studies, told AFP. Then, barely hours after the dust had settled at the Punggye-ri nuclear facility, Trump announced the summit was dead in a personal letter to Kim. “The timing of this letter is... highly questionable,” said Abraham M Denmark, director of the Asia Program at the Wilson Center. “Coming just a few hours after NK demolished its nuclear test site, it guarantees that the US takes the blame for undermining diplomacy. NK comes out looking like the reasonable one.” Such an overt display of levelheadedness leaves US demands for continued pressure on North Korea looking hollow, said Denmark— especially for one key regional player. “China is likely to more openly back North Korea. Sanctions enforcement will soften, and I expect high-level contacts will continue,” he said. And where Beijing had, until a few months ago, appeared almost ready to cast its troublesome younger brother to the wind, that looks a lot less likely now. “If US returns to talk of [attacking North Korea], expect Beijing to be more explicit in its willingness to intervene.” AFP

Sotto:... From A1

Senate... From A1

“High level trafficking, they’re in jail and they still operate and they can do everything they want because of money...There is no drug lord who is poor so they can avail of all the best lawyers if they want,” he said. In a forum Thursday, Sotto said there was no need to impose death penalty on a driver caught with three sticks of marijuana or a driver if the truck he was driving yielded a ton of shabu. “You will enforce the death penalty on the driver when he was just hethe driver and not the operator? He wasn’t the head of the organization,” said Sotto, who is the author of the Comprehensive Drug Law. Sotto said he was amenable to reviving discussions on a death penalty bill, but only if it were limited to high-level drug crimes. Drug traffickers, he said, could still do damage because they operate even when they are detained.

these products,” Dominguez said. (See full story on Page B1) Meanwhile, workers under the Partido Manggagawa demanded that the government grant all workers a wage increase even in the absence of wage petitions due to the supervening event of rising prices for basic commodities and fuel. The party said there was an immediate need to raise the minimum wage for all workers because of the continuing rise in prices for basic needs and oil products, following a similar demand from the Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Thursday. During the hearing, senators were told that pump prices in Panay have already increased 30 percent or at least P10 for diesel and gasoline since December last year. The region already registered price increases for rice (P5 per kilo), pork (P15 per kilo) and fish (P20 per kilo).

Farmers also have to fork out an additional P2,600 a month and a worker has to spend P3,640 more after the passage of the TRAIN Law, the Senate panel was told. Consumer groups in Panay say the TRAIN Law and increasing fuel costs have driven up commodity prices. Since the law’s implementation in January this year, the average price increase has been P8.07 per liter for gasoline, P8.95 for diesel and P9.15 per liter of kerosene. Calls for fuel excise tax suspension snowballed as consumer prices rose 4.5 percent in April compared to a year ago, setting its fastest pace in over five years. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, however, said he would leave it to economic experts to decide on the suspension of the excise tax—even as other senators called for its immediate implementation. “I leave the timing to economic experts,” Sotto said. “I’m not an economist.” But Senator JV Ejercito said suspending the excise tax on fuel would serve the interests of consumers and the public. “I urge government to implement the

TRAIN Law provision that provides for the suspension of fuel excise tax.. when the average Dubai crude oil price based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) for three months prior to the scheduled increase of the month reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel,” Ejercito said. Inflation has reached 4.5 percent in April and the price of crude oil is nearing $80 per barrel as prices of gasoline have shot up by more than P8 since January 2018. Ejercito said that while he understands the need of government to increase revenues, it must give priority to protecting the public, which is bearing the brunt of high prices, which are eroding any advantage in lower income taxes. Ejercito said it is precisely the protection of the public, especially the poor that led the Senate to approve a version of the TRAIN Law that has a lower excise taxes at P1.75 and a safeguard that suspends the excise taxes when inflation breaches 4 percent. However, he said this safeguard was taken out in the bicameral conference committee version.

Sereno... From A1

nationwide campaign, conducting speeches and accepting interviews, discussing the merits of the case and making comments thereon to vilify the members of the Congress, cast aspersions on the impartiality of the members of the Court, degrade the faith of the people to the judiciary, and falsely impute ill-motives against the government that it is orchestrating the charges against her,” the Court said, in a decision penned by Associate Justice Noel Tijam. “It is well-nigh unthinkable for respondent to profess deprivation of due process when she herself chose to litigate her case before the media,” the tribunal said. The SC said Sereno’s behavior of “disdain and contempt” towards some justices whom she dubbed as ‘Biased 5’ originally, and later, ‘Biased 6,’ “can no longer be tolerated.

“Such actions, indeed, resulted in the obfuscation of the issues on hand, camouflaging the charges against her with assaults to judicial independence, and falsely conditioning the public’s mind that this is a fight for democracy. Once and for all, it should be stated that this is not a fight for democracy nor for judicial independence. This is an undertaking of the Court’s duty, as it is called for by the Republic, to judicially determine and settle the uncertainty in the qualification, or otherwise, of respondent to sit on the highest position in the judiciary,” the Court said. Voting 8-6, the high court granted the quo warranto petition seeking to nullify Sereno’s appointment as chief justice in 2012 for failing to submit her SALNs before the Judicial and Bar Council, which set the requirement for applicants.

Trump... From A1

In its May 11 ruling, the Court ousted Sereno as top magistrate for violating the Constitution by failing to file the required Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and ordered her to show cause why she should not be sanctioned for speaking in public about her case when it was ongoing as well as for casting aspersions on members of the Court. “When this petition for quo warranto was filed, respondent (Sereno) continuously refused to recognize this Court’s (SC’s) jurisdiction. Instead of participating in the process and answering the charges against her truthfully to assist in the expeditious resolution of the matter, respondent opted to proceed to a

coverage under the WPP.” Napoles’ affidavit reportedly identified a former Cabinet secretary and more senators involved in the pork-barrel scam. But the Justice department did not release her affidavit due to confidentiality under the WPP law. Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David earlier said his client was open to becoming a state witness in the new PDAF cases being investigated by the Justice department. But Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales opposed to the idea, saying Napoles was “one of the principal alleged malefactors” in the scam and was therefore not qualified to become a state witness.

CoA... From A1 have yet to reconcile P568,564. Apart from this, DoJ maintained three bank accounts with the Land Bank of the Philippines without authority for the AMAN Futures pyramid scam trust fund, “Yolanda” claims, victims compensation fund and witness protection program fund. “We recommended that management transfer or deposit in full to the national treasury the amount of P65,685,647.45 representing bank account balances not authorized to be deposited with authorized government depositary bank,” the report read. The Justice department’s finance teams

6 months to rehab‘

THE cleanup and rehabilitation of Aklan’s Boracay Island could go beyond its sixmonth closure period, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said Friday. In a radio interview, Cimatu said the government need more time to rehabilitate the world-famous island after discovering 43 illegal pipes on the island’s beachfront, a swimming spot for many tourists. “I was expecting there was no pipe in that area,” he said. Commercial establishments had put up the pipes without a permit from the local government, Cimatu said, adding they violated the 25 meters plus 5 meters no-build zone from the shoreline. At least 100 Armed Forces members have been tasked to remove the illegal pipes and assist the Boracay inter-agency task force to be able to meet the reopening of the island. President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the closure of Boracay Island starting April 26 to give way to its rehabilitation for six months. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno earlier said the cleanup was seen to be extended beyond six months or until next year due to long-term projects, such as the relocation of several informal settlers. According to Cimatu, the waters at the beachfront were found to have a high level of coliform, based on the findings of a technical team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau. Rio N. Araja

Doctors... From A1 Fans of the late singer and dancer, who passed away in 2009, have been wondering how “The King of Pop” managed to tilt forward in the 1987 music video seemingly without anything to hold him up, a Sky News article published online noted Thursday. However, the surgeons said in a “Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine” article published May 22 that Jackson designed a special shoe with a triangular slot in the heel that hooked onto a metallic peg that came up from the stage floor at the right moment. Nishant Yagnick, a longtime Jackson fan from the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, led the research. Yagnick and his fellow Indian scientists noted that Jackson did have very good core strength. “Several MJ fans, including the authors, have tried to copy this move and failed, often injuring themselves in their endeavors,” they wrote.

Joma... From A1 “It seems to me that in using strong words, he is eager to resume the peace negotiations rather than to block them.” Sison made his statement even as the military on Friday condemned the killing of a town councilor in Cagayan that the communist New People’s Army claimed responsibility over. Zaldy Millare, 58, was in his wielding shop in Labben village in Allacapan town when he was shot and killed by two men on a motorcycle around 5:30 pm on Thursday. “The Northern Luzon Command, together with the leadership of the province of Cagayan headed by Governor Manuel Mamba, strongly condemns this terroristic act done by the CPP-NPA,” said Lt. Col. Isagani Nato. Sison said he had “reason to be optimistic on the basis of the hard and productive work that the negotiating panels had already done in the form of back-channel consultations, consensus building and bilateral drafting, unless the Duterte regime was once more backtracking.” Francisco Tuyay

said P3.9 million of the total amount, or those covering Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and United Nations Education Fund accounts were already deposited with the national treasury, and that the Aman Futures would also be turned over. On the other hand, the funds for the victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” were “still being used to pay for the claims of employees who requested for reconsideration to increase their claim.” DoJ was again flagged because of its “practice” of parking unspent money in one of its payroll accounts. State auditors noted an “undocumented transfer” of P621.6 million, but DoJ claimed the fund transfer were for its unspent balances of the allotments.

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Solon slams Grab’s petition to reimpose P2/min. charge By Maricel V. Cruz A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Friday urged the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to reject outright the petition of Grab Philippines to reimpose its ‘illegal’ P2per-minute charge on patrons. Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles made the statement after the transport network company petitioned Friday at the LTFRB to reimpose the much-maligned charge, claiming the agency’s earlier suspension of it was “an infringement of the equal protection clause guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution.” In its petition, it stated that “it is most respectfully prayed that the order dated April 19, 2018 rendered by the Honorable Board directing the petitioner to suspend the imposition of P2 per minute charge be set aside as it is contrary to law and applicable jurisprudence,” Grab said. Grab said so because the suspension of the travel time charge has purportedly given “unwarranted beneﬁts, advantage and preference” to other TNCs. Last April 19, the LTFRB ordered Grab to stop charging passengers a travel time fee of P2 per minute as it board investigates Nograles claims. Grab added that suspending the perminute fare infringes upon the equal protection clause guaranteed by the Constitution. It also claimed that almost all of the newly accredited transport network companies impose per minute charges, citing a table outlining the fare mechanisms of new ride-sharing ﬁrms. It said that even taxis are allowed to impose per minute charges.

PNP says Ozamiz’s Ricardo Parojinog to join De Lima, Revilla in Crame OZAMIZ City Councilor Ricardo ‘Ardot’ Parojinog will soon join stellar company at the Custodial Center in Camp Crame. This after the Philippine National Police on Friday said it would likely detain Parojinog where high-profile personalities such as Senator Leila de Lima and former Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez, daughter of slain Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., are currently detained. Parojinog is set to arrive from Taiwan where he was arrested. “Hindi pa sigurado kung kailan siya makakarating dito sa bansa dahil may proseso pa ang deportation. Base kasi sa report meron siyang naviolate na immigration law doon sa Taiwan, so maaaring magkaroon pa siya ng investigation doon at kung kinakailangan makulong din siya roon ikukulong siguro,” said PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said. “Pero kung halimbawa siya naman ay maiuuwi kaagad dito sa Pilipinas, temporarily puwede natin siyang i-accommodate sa Camp Crame. Pero dapat kasi maibalik sa court of origin ’yung warrants na in-issue laban sa kanya,” he added. Bulalacao said the PNP considers Parojinog as a high-profile suspect because he is included in the list of government officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

RAMADAN FAIR. Visitors flock to Ramadan Fair on Thursday, May 24, 2018 inside the ARMM Compound in Cotabato City. The trade fair forms part of the Pakaradjaan 2018: The ARMM’s 29th Anniversary Celebration and is expected to run until June 15, which is projected to be the end of the month of Ramadan. The trade fair also hosts businesses of some residents displaced by last year’s siege in Marawi City. The regional government has given them subsidies to help in their recovery. Omar Mangorsi

Gov’t ‘bias’ for Chinese firms in Marawi rehab hit A By Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

N OPPOSITION lawmaker on Friday assailed the government’s bias in favor of Chinese companies in the projects involving the rehabilitation of Marawi City.

Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano found out the alleged government bias in favor of Chinese companies during a brieﬁng for congressmen conducted by the House committee on Muslim Affairs last May 23. The TFBM selected the Bagong Marawi Consortium to lead the rehabilitation programs and efforts in Marawi City after it submitted an unsolicited proposal. The BMC is composed of ﬁve Chinese and three Filipino companies, Alejano said. “Majority of the companies included in the BMC are Chinese. Two are even stateowned enterprises which mean that state funds of China would be used,” Alejano said, referring to China State and China Geo Engineering Corp. “Worries on the degree of control that China would have on these projects could not be dismissed especially since

the Filipino companies included have no history of contracting big government projects. How can we make sure that the projects will remain Filipino-led and the interests of the Maranaos in particular, will be respected and given prime consideration in the rehabilitation projects given this configuration?” he asked. Alejano also said that during the briefing, the TFBM could not provide the records and details of the preferred firms to join the BCM and it is not clear yet how the winning contractors will recover their billions of pesos investments. Similarly, the party-list lawmaker questioned the business record of the Chinese companies. “The two Chinese state firms were involved in corruption and fraud scandals. In fact, they were once blacklisted by the World Bank and DPWH itself. Though

already lifted from the list, China State Engineering continued to get involved in corruption scandals in other countries,” Alejano said. “Given this record, should it not have caused alarm for TFBM to select the BMC? How can we assure that the Marawi rehabilitation would not be marred by corruption cases in the future with such kind of participating ﬁrms?” he said. Alejano also criticized the lack of detailed planning on the Marawi rehabilitation a year after the siege “They have a timeline and grand proposals being presented to the public, but they have not even mapped out where these constructions will be built. Worse, they have not yet consolidated the number of displaced and affected Maranaos. How can we move forward if there is no starting point yet?,” Alejano said. He also questioned the procurement rules being observed in the Marawi rehabilitation. The TFBM said that the National Housing Authority does not need to comply with the provisions of RA 9184 for the procurement related to the Marawi rehabilitation and would instead follow the Executive Order 49 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Incidence of 8 types of crimes down in metro—NCRPO By Joel E. Zurbano OFFICIAL incidents for eight crimes in the National Capital Region for the week has decreased year-on-year, the Philippine National Police’s National Capital Region Police Ofﬁce reported Friday. In a statement, NCRPO Director Camilo Cascolan said the average weekly crime rate under the eight focused crimes in Metro Manila has declined based on data monitoring recorded on May 14-20, compared to the same dates last year. The offenses under the statistics are murder, homicide, physical injuries, rape, robbery, theft, car theft, and motorcycle theft. The May 14-20 period is the lowest average weekly crime rate since the start of the Duterte administration.

Based on the Weekly Average Crime Trend monitoring conducted by the NCRPO Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, the Weekly Average Crime Rate of the eight focus crimes has decreased by 29.29 percent from 329 last year to 231 recorded incidents this year. The NCRPO said the week year-onyear has seen murder and homicide decrease from 34 to 33 incidents, physical injury decline from 85 to 38 incidents, rape lower from 21 to 15, robbery down from 63 to 41, theft decrease from 103 to 95, car theft reduce from four to one, and motorcycle theft decrease from 19 to nine incidents. “The NCRPO will continue its efforts in fulﬁlling our commitment to the Chief PNP, PDG Oscar D. Albayalde and to everyone, in making Metro Manila a safer place,” Cascolan said.

Albayalde earlier said an oversight committee will continue to regularly check on the progress of local commanders throughout the country to make sure they are reaching the organization’s target goals. As this developed, the Southern Police District on Friday warned the people against members of “Ipit Gang” who victimize public transport passengers, particularly students, in Metro Manila as the opening of classes draws near. Police described the Ipit Gang as a group of pickpockets whose modus is posing as commuters inside passenger buses, jeeps and trains. These gang members squeezed-in, operate in groups of three or four, shove or push a prospective victim to distract his or her, while their accomplice picks gadgets and wallets inside the vehicles. With PNA

Argosino, Robles plead ‘not guilty’ By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER Immigration deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles on Friday pled “not guilty” to the charges ﬁled against them by the Ombudsman. The two are facing graft, direct bribery, violation of Presidential Decree 46 in connection with the P50-million bribery scandal at the Bureau of Immigration. Earlier, Argosino and Robles each posted P60,000 bail at the anti-graft court’s Sixth Division. The bail is for one count each of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, direct bribery, and violation of Presidential Decree 46 which punishes public ofﬁcials for receiving gifts from private individuals. Argosino and Robles also face the non-bailable offense of plunder. But the Sandiganbayan has yet to establish probable cause in holding them for trial and issue their respective arrest warrants.

Retired police ofﬁcer Wally Sombero is their co-accused in the plunder case. He has sought the dismissal of the case, saying there is no “main plunderer” on the charge of the Ombudsman prosecutors. Chinese casino mogul Jack Lam, meanwhile, faces one count of violation of PD 46. The Ombudsman charged Argosino, Robles, and Sombero with the non-bailable offense of plunder; and one count each of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, direct bribery, and violation of Presidential Decree 46. Investigations from Ombudsman revealed that Argosino and Robles have acquired ill-gotten wealth worth P50 million when they conspired with Sombero, then-president of Asian Gaming Service Provider Association Inc., in exchange for assistance in the release of 1,316 illegal Chinese workers at Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark, Pampanga owned by Lam.

AWOL COPS. Calabarzon Police Provincial Office Regional Director CSupt. Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar presents to the media Absent Without Leave police officers PO2 Benjo Villanueva and PO1 Ivan Henrick Ramos who were reportedly caught during a buy-bust operation in Antipolo City. The police confiscated two 9mm cal. pistol with 30 pcs. amunitions and a sachet of illegal drugs from the suspects. Manny Palmero

9 PCG execs suspended for fund mess NINE ofﬁcials of the Philippine Coast Guard have been placed under a six-month preventive suspension without pay for misuse of P27 million for the procurement of supplies without a bidding. Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales ordered the suspension of newly promoted Rear Admiral Athelo Ybañez and Commodore Teotimo Borja Jr. over their alleged misuse of P27 million worth of public funds. Also ordered suspended were Commodore Joselito dela Cruz; Commanders Romeo Salvador Liwanag Jr. and Christine Pauline Diciano; Captains Julius Caesar Lim, Juancho Avila Maraño and Tito Alvin Andal, and Lt. Commander Fatima Aleli Angeles. At least 12 retired PCG ofﬁcials, including former chiefs William Melad and Rodolfo Isorena, were also implicated in the investigation. Rio N. Araja

Pope names new bishop in Bayombong POPE Francis has appointed a new bishop of Bayombong in Nueva Vizcaya, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines announced on Friday. Most Rev. Jose Elmer Mangalinao, who is currently the Auxiliary Bishop of LingayenDagupan, will take over the role from Bishop Ramon Villena who retired in 2016. A bishop for just almost two years, he will be third to head the 36-year-old diocese with more than half a million Catholics in 20 parishes. Mangalinao grew up in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Cabanatuan in 1985. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

72-year-old Heart of Mary in Santacruzan LIGAYA Buquiran, vice president of the Elderly Ministry of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Brookside Hills, Cainta, Rizal, is among 50 holding Marian titles in today’s Santacruzan festival during a procession in the middle-income subdivision of the parish. The 72-year-old grandmother, also active in the BHSCA chorale group, will be marching with 49 others, including the Reyna Elena, at 7 tonight in the subdivision streets— her title an allusion to the Virgin Mary, usually found in the Litany of Loreto. The procession will be led by the parish priest, Fr. Jaime Padilla, and leaders of the different ministries and councils including the Elderly Ministry led by Willie Imperial of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur. The Santacruzan, a ritual procession on the last day of the “Flores de Mayo,” honors the ﬁnding of the “true cross” by Helena of Constantinople, known as Reyna Elena, comes 13 days to the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Opinion

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

#BabaeAko, lalaban ako

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

in full contravention of national laws and international treaties on women to which the country is a signatory of. Remember how members of the House of Representatives tried to destroy Senator Leila de Lima’s reputation by pubPRESIDENT Duterte’s archaic notions licly humiliating her using her former about women again surfaced in re- relationship and alleging the existence sponse to the online campaign against of a sex video? These same legislators sexism and misogyny #BabaeAko. In were however quick to defend their characteristic Duterte fashion, he said own extramarital affairs saying that that women cannot stand threats and it is but normal for men to have such? intimidation which makes them unfit This kind of double standard has no place in a modern society. for some jobs. Those in the Palace are feeling the From the campaign period up to now, women have been at the receiving end strong backlash caused by Duterte’s of Duterte’s misogynistic remarks and most recent attack on women. Presiactions. From kissing and grabbing dential Assistant Bong Go, in a statement tried to women supportportray Duterte ers during the as a champion for campaign; to pubwomen’s rights by licly catcalling a virtue of local orwoman reporter; Addressing sexism dinances passed to his ‘dapat in Davao City nauna si mayor’ is anything but trivial. during his time remark about the It cannot be a joking as mayor. Go conrape of a foreign matter. veniently missed missionary; to the fact that havcalling women ing good policies public officials on women and name; to crackgender in Davao ing ‘rape jokes;’ to shaming women for their appear- is also credited to the work done by ance, age, or even smell; to inappropri- women’s groups there, and there are ate remarks about Vice President Leni many. Go also fails to comprehend that Robredo’s knees; to outright boasting Duterte is no longer a mayor. He is the about his many ‘wives;’ to 42 virgins to president of an entire country. He not boost tourism; to his infamous ‘shoot only must act accordingly, his constituwomen fighters in the vagina’ state- ency is the entire Philippine population and therefore, must protect every citiment to our armed forces. There have been too many incidents zen’s rights. Presidential Spokesperson Harry when the highest official of the land disrespected and demeaned women. Roque justifies Duterte’s remarks as There is no question that President “play on words” and made out of frusDuterte does not care about women’s tration because of his critics especially human rights and regards women as those coming from the Chief Justice inferior to men. The problem is he is they ousted from office, Maria Lourdes head of this government tasked to pro- Sereno. Roque is mistaken if he thinks tect the rights and welfare of the coun- that the presidential pronouncements try’s more than 106-million population are justifiable. He can “play on words” half of which are women. As chief as much as he wants but he cannot treat executive, he is responsible for the im- human rights as trivial. Frustration plementation of laws that promote and also cannot be an acceptable reason protect women’s rights, yet he leads in because as president, Duterte should learn to act and speak as one. He must directly assaulting these rights. No wonder, those around him do the cease to be the thug mayor from Davao. same. They disregard human rights Turn to A5

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO

Misogyny

HE Oxford Dictionary is plain, clear and unequivocal. Misogyny is the dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women. President Rodrigo Duterte has been called a misogynist. Is he? And how will such thinking affect the way he runs this country?

His latest pronouncement at an event in Davao City on Thursday does not come as a surprise. “I believe in women, the competence and capability. But not all in life. It should be the case. It’s not appropriate when you cannot stand threats and intimidation,” he said. The provocative statement easily caught fire on social media. Many assailed the Presi-

dent again for his apparent low regard of women. This comes soon after he said he did not want another woman as Ombudsman, and after tagging the former chief justice, ousted by the Supreme Court on quo warranto petition, an enemy. Since he took power in mid2016, Mr. Duterte has also sent a female senator to jail and fired his vice president from her Cabinet post. And who can forget his statement about wanting to be the first in line to rape an Autralian missionary? Or his words to soldiers telling them they can rape the women at the height of martial law? Some will argue that the President is a product of his own time, background and upbringing, and that he was voted into office the way he was. It is unrealistic then to expect him to change this late in the day. Some will say he does not re-

ally mean what he says, because look—did he not pass ordinances protecting women when he was still a local executive? Perhaps, too, the President interprets reactions to his inflammatory words as being threatened and intimidated, when the only alternative is to just be quiet and accept the status quo, which is unacceptable to many. Whether he deserves the label or not, the reality is that Mr. Duterte will be our leader for four more years. He was democratically elected and there is nothing we can do about it. We will reap the benefits of his good decisions while also suffering his habits, prejudices and the consequences of his unenlightened moves. Being a woman in this administration is a challenge, but it does not mean the only two recourses are total submission or total rejection. Every day we hope that the President overcomes his biases and thinks progressively.

One family, four countries—the dispossession of the Rohingya By Aidan Jones and Redwan Ahmed IT TAKES a few moments to sift through the years of chaos and dislocation before Rohingya refugee Robi Alam settles on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, August 2012, as the last time he saw his seven brothers together in Myanmar. “We were still a family then under one roof, in one country,” the 16-year-old says, from his current home—a bamboo shack in a Bangladesh refugee camp. By then Myanmar had already lurched into a dark new phase of an old conflict between their Muslim Rohingya minority and the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine. Violence unravelled after the alleged rape and murder of a Buddhist woman by Rohingya men; neighbor turned on neighbor as villages across Rakhine state were set ablaze. Still, where they could, Rohingya families celebrated Eid, the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Robi recalls being carried on his older siblings’ shoulders as they went doorto-door through the village of Yae Twin Kyun in Maungdaw district gorging on snacks. Nearly six years on, the eight brothers are now split across four countries: Bangladesh, India, the United States and Myanmar. One is in a Myanmar jail, another has vanished on the treacherous trafficking route south—a painful family history that traces the key events in the dispossession of the Rohingya in Myanmar, and their dispersal overseas. When the brothers were last united, in 2012, there were around 1.2 million Rohingya living in Rakhine state. Now fewer than a third remain. Myanmar, which denies the Rohingya citizenship, drove most of the minority out in October 2016 and August 2017 in army-led crackdowns that the United Nations has said may amount to “ethnic cleansing.” Separated from their four older brothers, the younger siblings—Robi, Jaber, 18, Hashim, 17, and Faiz, 12—are starting new lives as refugees. For now, home remains a 10-meter (30 foot) hut covered by a UN-branded tarpaulin in the Kutupalong camp, which

the brothers share with 15 other relatives including their mother. “We can’t work here, it’s a place we know nothing about,” says Robi. “But how do we go back to Myanmar again?” Mohammad Rashid The first of the brothers to flee Rakhine was Mohammad Rashid. It was early 2013, and by then conditions described as “apartheid-like” by Amnesty International were biting hard, with Rohingya locked out from hospitals, schools and their own farms. Worn down by the asphyxiating security controls, Rashid crossed the Naf River into Bangladesh, paying a broker 30,000 Taka ($355) to take him to Malaysia, where menial jobs await Rohingya. Robi shows a photo on his mobile phone of the 25-year-old on the day of his departure—staring confidently back, an arm slung around a cousin. “We haven’t heard from him since.” Rashid disappeared as a transnational trafficking network was at its peak, spinning a fortune carrying a desperate human cargo of Rohingya and Bangladeshi economic migrants south by sea. They docked in Thailand, where gangs —including a powerful southern army general—corralled the migrants overland to Malaysia. That escape route collapsed in May 2015, when shallow graves of migrants were found pitting the hills along the Thai-Malaysia border. Authorities closed in on the traffickers, who abandoned migrant boats in the Andaman Sea, leaving starving and dehydrated passengers to drift south, hoping for rescue by Thai, Malaysian and Indonesian authorities. No one knows exactly how many died in the migrant camps or at sea. Abdur Rashid His older brother had disappeared, but Abdur Rashid chose the same escape route. “I tried to stop him, I begged him,” his mother Khadija Begum says. “But he is stubborn. He said ‘I will swim to Malaysia if I can’t get a boat’ and so he went.” His months-long odyssey, which began around early 2014, eventually led to resettlement in the United States, via Turn to A5

In Moroccan desert, meteorite hunters seek to strike it rich By Hamza Mekouar THEY roam Morocco’s southern desert, braving the searing heat to scour the undulating sands for bounty fallen from the sky. These celestial treasure hunters are searching for meteorites to sell on a burgeoning international market. Equipped with a “very strong” magnet and magnifying glass, retired physical education teacher Mohamed Bouzgarine says that discoveries “can be more valuable than gold.” The price “depends on the rock’s rarity, its shape and its condition,” the 59-yearold adds, sporting a dark blue tracksuit, lighter blue scarf and sunglasses.

“Rocks coming from Mars are very expensive, sometimes as much as 10,000 dirhams [around $1,000, 900 euros] per gram,” he says. Bouzgarine stops in front of a hollow, hoping it could be a crater formed “very long ago” by extraterrestrial matter. “It’s a first sign,” he says, ready to get down to work, in the township of M’Hamid el Ghizlane. For four years now, he’s been sifting rocks in the sand, inspecting them for telltale signs of burn incurred during fiery journeys through the atmosphere. And while he is yet to strike it lucky, the success of some of his hundreds of peers provides the stamina to plod on.

Rich hunting grounds Likewise Abderrahmane, a 48-year-old paramedic who is spending his vacation searching for meteorites. Others “have made a lot of money... one meteorite hunter found and sold 600 grams for 7,500 dirhams (660 euros, $780) per gram,” Abderrahmane says, dressed in a blue safari suit. “From the 2000s, all the nomads started to look for rocks,” he says. A few foreign specialists are also drawn to the quest for extraterrestrial fragments in the desert landscapes of Erfoud, Tata and Zagora. These parts of southern Morocco are Turn to A5

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Opinion Defeating the trolls PROFESSORS Jonathan Corpus Ong, associate professor of communication at University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Jason Cabañes, lecturer in international communication at the University of Leeds, released last February 2018 an interesting and excellent report entitled Architects of Networked Disinformation: Behind the Scenes of Troll Accounts and Fake News Production in the Philippines (Ong and Cabanes, 2018). The findings of the report were based on a 12-month research project that involved in-depth interviews with disinformation architects and online observation of the fake accounts they operated. In my Ramon C. Reyes memorial lecture, I quoted liberally from the Ong-Cabañes report to suggest ways we can defeat trolls and fake news that has poisoned our political discourse. As articulated in its executive summary, the Ong-Cabañes report outlines the motivations and strategies of people it labels “the architects of networked disinformation”—“a professionalized hierarchy of political operators who maintain day jobs as advertising and public relations executives, computer programmers and political administrative staff.” The report “explains how strategists set campaign objectives based on input from their political clients, then delegate political marketing responsibility to a team of digital influencers and fake account operators. These operators infiltrate online communities, artificially trend hashtags to hijack mainstream media attention, and disseminate disinformation to silence enemies and seed revisionist history narratives.” Corpus and Cabañes point out an important fact: While it is people like Mocha Uson that many are upset with, because they are seen to incite political divisiveness and harass journalists, “the real chief architects of disinformation are hiding in plain sight—wearing respectable faces as leaders in their industry while sidestepping accountability.” Are we helpless before this architects of disinformation? Ong and Cabañes do not think so. After consulting with some of us who

#BabaeAko,... From A4

Duterte himself, in the past have told people to “not take his words seriously and focus on more important things.” As expected, Duterte and his apologists try to defend their boss by rationalizing his words and actions as jokes and trivialities. What these men do not understand is, addressing sexism is anything but trivial. It cannot be a joking matter. To begin with, ours is already a patriarchal society. We do not need a president to further reinforce this. What we need is a leader who promotes equality, equity, and justice. The women’s movements in the Philippines have achieved some advancement in relation with women’s rights but there is a lot more to do. We are also aware that many men now understand what we fight for and have become our allies in advancing a society that recognizes the equal worth of its citizens. We do not need a president who destroys women’s gains. I know how difficult it is to fight for women’s rights. More than 30 years of my life have been used for the struggle for women’s empowerment in relationships, family, law, and other social institutions. We are out against a sexist culture that has

One... From A4

detention in Thai immigration facilities. “I wasn’t scared. It was pre-destined,” the 23-year-old told AFP from Colorado, where he is now learning English and working in a cake factory. “After 10 days at sea we were near Thailand... we came to shore in smaller boats, 50-60 people on each, but when we landed Thai police, military and even journalists were there,” he said. Thailand does not accept refugees and so, after several months in immigration detention, the UNHCR secured the US move— but resettlement is open to only a tiny number of Rohingya refugees. He moved in 2017 and, when he can, sends money to his brothers 8,000 miles away in the world’s biggest refugee camp. Abul Kashim Violence and repression have hit the Rohingya in waves since the late 1970s. In 1982 Myanmar’s ruling junta stripped the Muslim minority of citizenship, stirring up hatred towards the group and casting them as “Bengali” infiltrators to the Buddhist-majority country. As such, life in Rakhine has always been hard, says Jaber, the oldest of the four brothers in the Kutupalong camp. “But after the violence started in 2012, the “Moghs” [a pejorative word for ethnic Rakhine] gradually took everything.” Rohingya who strayed from their villages were frequently lynched or beaten, he says

work on this from the media or policy point of view, they suggest policydriven solutions to industry, government and civil stakeholders and calls for new collective interventions to the systematic production of disinformation. These recommendations include self-regulation measures in the digital influencer industry and legal reforms for campaign finance transparency. Indeed, as I have suggested to Senator Grace Poe in the hearings on fake news, Congress does have options with respect to the platforms that allow fake news and hate language to proliferate. In Germany, it has been reported that laws will be passed imposing heavy fines on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms for failure to take out fake or hate content within specified timeframes. Laws are not even necessary for this as consumer demand might be enough.

It’s time for all of us to look at ourselves and how ugly we have made our society.

sometimes necessarily hurts people and causes conflict. But I am with Pope Francis here. One must always speak truth to power but there is still a difference between cruel and kind, unfair and fair, and inciting and enlightening. I go for the latter option with these pairs. Pope Francis continues: “The best antidotes to falsehoods are not strategies, but people: people who are not greedy but ready to listen, people who make the effort to engage in sincere dialogue so that the truth can emerge; people who are attracted by goodness and take responsibility for how they use language. If responsibility is the answer to the spread of fake news, then a weighty responsibility rests on the shoulders of those whose job is to provide information, namely, journalists, the protectors of news. In today’s world, theirs is, in every sense, not just a job; it is a mission. Amid feeding frenzies and the mad rush for a scoop, they must remember that the heart of information is not the speed with which it is reported or its audience impact, but persons. Informing others means forming others; it means being in touch with people’s lives. That is why ensuring the accuracy of sources and protecting communication are real means of promoting goodness, generating trust, and opening the way to communion and peace.” As I have written in this column before, it’s time for all of us to look at ourselves and how ugly we have made our society. For sure, it did not start under the Duterte government but this disregard of the truth for political gain has intensified. If we do not like how we have become, it is because we have detached ethics from politics. It is because we have allowed politics to determine the truth for us, how we see things is reduced to our political views, and as long as our aspirations for the country are noble, we sacrifice the truth and disregard ethical norms. That’s a formula for tragedy. In my last column on my 2018 Ramon C. Reyes Memorial Lecture, I will propose that the categorical imperative to do the right thing the right way in all circumstances is the only way forward if we are to recover the moral bearings of our country and veer away from the political and ethical anomie that plagues us now.

Pope Francis suggests ways on how we can defend ourselves. He expounds on, among others, the role of journalists: “The most radical antidote to the virus of falsehood is purification by the truth.. To discern the truth, we need to discern everything that encourages communion and promotes goodness from whatever instead tends to isolate, divide, and oppose...An impeccable argument can indeed rest on undeniable facts, but if it is used to hurt another and to discredit that person in the eyes of others, however correct it may appear, it is not truthful. We can recognize the truth of statements from their fruits: whether they provoke quarrels, foment division, encourage resignation; or, on the other hand, they promote informed and mature reflection leading to constructive dialogue and fruitful results.” (Pope Francis, 2018) I find this exhortation by Pope Francis intriguing. Some journalists I know Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: towill object to this, believing that truth nylavs been there for centuries. We go against norms, beliefs, and values that discriminate based on sex and gender. Mindsets are difficult to change. Slowly, we are achieving change, one person, one family, one law, one institution at a time. In the course of our work, many women activists have been called names, criticized harshly and unjustly, faced and continue to face threats and intimidation. Some of us, including myself, have even been sued by a very powerful politician in the course of our advocacy for laws that protect women from abuse and violence. Yet, we continue to struggle. Other women, especially those in fields previously dominated by men, have their own struggle. They face threats and intimidation simply because they are women in what others still consider as men’s domains. Even ordinary women face threats of abuse and violence of many forms in relationships, in the family, on the streets, at schools and workplaces. But women go on. We do not stop because we are women, equal to anyone else. We are breaking boxes and shattering ceilings. Many women have proven their capabilities to be equal, some even better, than men in their chosen fields. Thus, Duterte’s assertion that women cannot handle threats and intimidation is untrue

and demeaning of women’s capacities. I think that Duterte and his minions may, in reality, be sacred of strong, smart, and capable women who are critical of this administration. Look at what these macho men did to Senator Leila de Lima. They put her in jail where she still remains using trumped up charges with convicted criminals as witnesses. They also ousted former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno with the help of Duterte’s allies in the Supreme Court using a questionable quo warranto petition filed by Duterte’s Solicitor General. Vice President Leni Robredo is also under attack with the electoral protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Other women critics like Maria Ressa and Pia Ranada of Rappler are not spared from harassment. Add to these are Duterte’s attacks against his critics in general. It seems that Duterte and his men cannot stand strong women because they know that these women can do better than them given the same opportunities they, as men, have. Such misogyny must stop and it is the women and their male allies who will continuously struggle so these public servants know better than to violate women and their rights. #BabaeAko at lalaban ako.

—allegations backed up by rights monitors. One of the brothers, Abul Kashim, now 19, suffered a beating while fishing with friends. A teenager at the time, he was jolted into leaving by the brutality of the attack, first for Bangladesh, then overland to join an uncle in India. For now, he has a made a decent life—he is married and works as a mason in Haryana state. But India has threatened to deport 40,000 of the minority. “I miss my family,” he told AFP, saying each phone call leaves a yearning to travel to Bangladesh. “But I can’t. I don’t have any travel documents.” Hamid Hussein On Oct. 9, 2016, Rakhine again went up in flames as a nascent Rohingya militant group—known now as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army—raided border posts. The army response was swift and unforgiving. Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven into Bangladesh, fleeing murders, rapes and mass arrests. The crackdown visited more tragedy on Robi Alam’s family. Their 60-year-old father Nagu Miah was arrested and, the family alleges, beaten to death in police custody. Confined to their homes with food running scarce, the oldest brother Hamid Hussein, 28, defied a strict curfew and went fishing after his children complained of eat-

ing rice every day. He was arrested by soldiers and taken to Buthidaung jail. Soon after, soldiers swarmed their village, ordering Rohingya residents to sit hands on their heads in a field as they ransacked homes. “Then they started to burn our homes, they raped some women and pushed them inside burning homes,” says 17-year-old Mohammad Hashim, from Kutupalong camp. “We could not stay any longer.” Over the next six weeks the extended family crept over to Bangladesh. In August 2017, another 700,000 others began to join them after an even more ferocious army crackdown. With their land taken and security still parlous, Robi and his family have little expectation of returning to Rakhine. Instead they are preparing for long-term life as refugees. And in their freshly trimmed haircuts, football shirts and fixation with mobile phones, there are even flickers of teenage normality in the most abnormal of circumstances. But the fragmentation of their family is never far away. Through the smudged memories of life in Rakhine, the youngest brother Abul Faiz recalls flecks of freedom—playing football or fishing—as a child in Rakhine. “My older brothers would hug me, give me money for the shop,” the watchful youngster adds in a near-whisper. “I miss them.” AFP

bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Our misunderstood position in the South China Sea BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN THERE are factors affecting our understanding of our claim in the South China Sea. This has deeply divided us such that the US has been using this to create a wedge between this country and China. This stems from our lack of understanding of our own history and of the subsequent conventions redefining international law. Unfortunately, the Liberal Party and the opposition have been exploiting this to ingratiate themselves with the US and instigate an anti-Chinese sentiment. The first factor is on our understanding of the historical document known to us as the Treaty of Paris signed on Dec. 10, 1898. The Philippine archipelago was sold by Spain to the US for $20 million. Maybe Spain purposely did not include the Paracel and Spratly islands because they do not form part of the Philippine archipelago or that those islets have yet to be effectively occupied to assert sovereignty over the area. This misunderstanding was reinforced when our historians purposely ignored the degrees indicating the latitude and longitude that form the Philippine archipelago which would later constitute the forThe issue mal boundaries of the first republic divided us. in Asia. The grant of Philippine independence by the US on July 4, 1946 constitutes the same boundaries demarcated by Spain that was handed to us when the US finally granted us our “independence.” It is worth noting that the US did not alter the boundaries by adding, say, new islands or territories, subsequent to its US occupation of the Philippines. Although not directly connected to our definition of national boundary, conflict among states somehow altered boundaries of which the defeated states were ordered to return by the Allied powers the territories they occupied and annexed during the war. The Treaty of San Francisco signed on September 8, 1951 mandated Japan to renounce all rights and claims to the Spratley and Paracel islands. Even if the San Francisco Treaty has no reference to our claim in the South China Sea, the treaty nonetheless acknowledged China as having the sovereign right over those islands. The only thing that is unclear is whether the Treaty has reference to the People’s Republic of China or to Taiwan which today, both remain politically at odds. The second factor is our misunderstanding of the role of the US. Most Filipinos do not understand whether the presence of the US military bases here is purely pursuant to its hegemonistic interest as a world power or pursuant to our existing alliance with that country. Even on that issue, there are questions whether their involvement is not due to our claim in the South China Sea, or that the Philippines is a victim of aggression to which US Congress would still have to approve the US involvement considering that our alliance is merely based on an executive agreement and not a treaty similar to Nato, where an attack would mean an automatic retaliation from other member-states. Even if the US has manifested several times that its naval presence in the South China Sea is to assure compliance to the freedom of navigation, which is of general application for free passage. However, that gives no assurance that the US would come to our assistance in the event of conflict with China over

In Moroccan... From A4

r ich hunting grounds, as the wind uncovers meteorites and their black hue is easy to spot against the near-white sand. “At least half the scientific publications on the subject are made on the basis of meteorites collected in Morocco,” geochemist Hasnaa Chennaoui Aoudjehane tells AFP. Desert zones are “favorable to the accumulation of meteorites, there is no vegetation... [and] ... the risk of alteration is low,” adds Aoudjehane, who teaches at Casablanca’s Hassan II university. For scientists, these rocks harbour valuable information about the formation of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago, as well as the planets and their internal composition. One in every five meteorites is valuable. Demand from scientists and specialist brokers has raised prices and inspired meteorite hunters. Unlike other countries, where the state stakes a claim, there is no legal framework governing discoveries in Morocco, so it’s a case of “finders keepers.” While several meteor showers have occurred in Morocco in recent years, a bonanza known as the “black beauty” was the most lucrative. ‘Like playing the lottery’ In 2011, fragments of this Martian landing fell in southern Morocco’s Tata region,

those disputed islands. There is much skepticism whether the US would assist the Philippines if the latter is attacked or invaded by other countries. What is disheartening is the earlier pronouncement made by Hilary Clinton when she was the US Secretary of State, that the US would not take sides over our claim in the South China Sea. Interpreted otherwise, the presence of US forces in our territory and its routine naval patrol in the South China Sea has nothing to do with the military agreements we entered into with that country but is solely intended to secure their own interest veiled in keeping open the freedom of navigation. Maybe US naval presence is intended to pre-empt possible attack by China because of the heightening tension which the US itself created by the sale of weapons, aircrafts, lately a submarine, and by President Trump’s signing of the Taiwan Travel Act on top of the looming trade war with China. China strongly protested to the signing of the Taiwan Travel Act as a violation of the One-China principle signed during Nixon’s visit to China in 1972. Looking back, it appears that the Philippines is the one facilitating to heighten the tension to validate and justify US sale of its costly weapons to substitute to its increasing trade deficit. China’s reclamation of about 290,000 has deeply square kilometers in seven of those islands and the building of facilities, installation of radar and communication facilities, construction of a deep port for the berthing of ships, runways, installation of defensive missiles and anti-aircraft batteries and ultra sensitive jamming device for intruding aircrafts and vessels are rights that can be carried out by sovereign states over its own territory. They can never be interpreted as a threat or much more, would constitute an act of aggression The third factor is the provision of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea with regard to our claim to the Scarborough Shoal or locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Panatag Shoal or Huangyan Dao to the Chinese. The basis of our claim is the result of a new demarcation made by Unclos called “exclusive economic zone.” This boundary stretches up to 200 kilometers from the coastal baseline of the adjacent state, and the Panatag Shoal is located 124 miles off Zambales province. Nonetheless, the Panatag Shoal is located outside the boundary demarcated in the Treaty of Paris. The problem began when China ratified the Unclos, and the Philippines now interpreted Panatag Shoal as belonging to the Philippines. We hold no historical record except to assert that our fishermen have traditionally been fishing in the area because the shoal is the spawning ground for variety of fish due to its rich corrals and marine nutrients found in the area. The Aquino government avoided accepting the truth that the ECC merely bestows upon the state the right to fish or explore and to exploit some minerals but does not vest upon that state sovereign ownership over the area. China’s accession to the Unclos cannot be interpreted as a waiver of its sovereign right nor can it be prevented by adjoining states to fish or explore and exploit mineral resources found in the area. This explains why China has relaxed its stranglehold of the shoal after President Duterte sought to peacefully resolve the naval standoff created by the Aquino administration for which the US Navy merely looked at the tense situation like a bystander. rpkapunan@gmail.com setting in motion a scramble that saw seven kilograms of fragments recovered. The haul fetched prices of between $500 and $1,000 per gram. Back on the desert plains, it can be frustrating work, requiring a lot of patience. Twenty days into his “holiday”, paramedic Abderrahmane has been “searching for fragments” without finding anything of note, he says. But he remains undeterred. “It is a question of luck—it’s like playing the lottery,” he smiles. And he knows how he will handle a major find. “The sale is made discreetly—it is necessary to get the vendor’s confidence,” he says. Transactions are also made online, in specialist forums and even on classified advertising sites. The most valuable finds are sold at auction in Paris or New York. “What one finds in the (local) souks are just odds and ends,” says Abderrahmane. And there’s not much money to be made at the bottom end of the meteorite sales chain. Slimane, an old man with a white beard and blue turban, sits under a tent in a souk in M’hamid, surrounded by coloured fabrics, outdated jewels and old coins. He dips into a leather satchel, retrieving some rocks accumulated over the years. But they’re “not worth much,” he confesses. AFP

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SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018 Standard TODAY mst.daydesk@gmail.com Manila

Du30: Rush ‘Build, Build projects’

Diocese joins call to address Catanduanes power gap

By Vito Barcelo

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has urged concerned government agencies to rush the construction of ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects to generate millions of jobs and to beneﬁt the people. In his speech during the inauguration of the Davao River Bridge, Duterte said implementing various infrastructure projects would help address the country’s unemployment. “As we set ourselves to the task of building our nation, I invite everyone to become agents of hope and catalysts for progress,” he said. “Your participation will be crucial in effecting meaningful and lasting changes for our countrymen. So let us all work together to realize our dream of a more peaceful, orderly and prosperous Philippines,” he added. The ‘Build, Build, Build’ program was designed to make up for the inadequacies in the country’s state of infrastructure. The President said the Davao River Bridge widening project was expected to ease trafﬁc congestion in the city and improve movement of goods and services. “The inauguration of the new and improved Davao River Bridge symbolizes this administration’s commitment to usher in an era of rapid infrastructure development,” Duterte said. “Aside from this bridge being

widened from four to six lanes, it is now made of much better and more durable materials as well as equipped with various installations and markers for the safety and convenience of both vehicular and pedestrian traffic,” he added. With the new bridge, Duterte said travel time along the Davao City Diversion Road would be greatly reduced, “thereby contributing to substantial savings for motorists and providing more convenience to the traveling public.” He added it would also improve the movement of much needed goods and services, which would help in bringing prices down and encourage greater economic activity. He acknowledged the efforts of Department of Public Works and Highways and other stakeholders in ensuring the completion of the project. “Your contributions will greatly benefit the people of Davao City and its surrounding areas,” Duterte said. “The successful implementation of this project gives me confidence that we can achieve even greater feats in the years ahead,” he added.

Invitation to Bid The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects, invites contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to bid for the hereunder contracts: Contract ID Contract Name Approved Budget for the Contract Source of Fund Location Scope of Work

NRP-AGN-01-18 Repair of RC Wharf and Replacement of Fendering System at TMO Masao P 25,123,549.00 PPA Corporate Funds for the Year 2018 (Repair Funds) Masao Port, Brgy. Lumbocan, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte Mobilization/demobilization; 1. Provide Environmental Safety and Health Program (CHSP) in the execution of the project; 2. Demolition/disposal of affected RC Deck slab, beam, pilecap, curtainwall, endwall & curbs/debris; 3. Piling Works; 4. Supply and install Formworks at RC Deck, curtain walls, endwall, pilecaps, beams, slabs, and curbs; 5. Supply and install RSB at RC Deck, curtain walls, endwall, pilecaps, beams, slabs, and curbs; 6. Supply and place of 3500 psi concrete at RC Deck, curtain walls, endwall, pilecaps, beams, slabs, and curbs; 7. Supply and installation of hot-dipped steel gratings; 8. Supply and undertake painting works at concrete curb, moorings, and numbering of mooring and fendering fixtures; 9. Removal of Damaged Rubber Dock Fenders and chipping of affected concrete; 10.Supply and deliver Rubber Dock Fenders, 500mmx 2000mm, V Type; 11.Construction of reinforced concrete bed/backing for RDF, 1.0 x 2.3m x 0.20m thick; and 12. Installation of rubber dock fenders, 500mm x 2000mm, V Type. 90 Calendar Days

Contract Duration Required PCAB Classification/Registration Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering: Medium A Cost of Bid Document (P25,000.00), exclusive of 12% VAT.

Bidders should have completed, within the last three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a single largest completed contract (SLCC) similar to the Project to be bid and having a value of at least 50% of the approved budget for the contract to be bid, adjusted to current prices using the PSA consumer price indices and supported with corresponding certificate of completion/acceptance from project owner/agency. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criteria as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

HIT AND DRAGGED. Emergency response team and first responders attend to motor rider Jerson San Luis, 34, after he was hit and dragged Friday by a 10-wheeler truck while traversing San Marcelino street in Manila.The truck driver, identified as Ediel Flores, is now in police custody while the victim was rushed to the Manila Doctors Hospital for treatment. Norman Cruz

Pag-IBIG hits loans ratio of 90% PAG-IBIG Fund reached a 90.12percent performing loans ratio in 2017, the agency’s highest ever in its 37-year history, it said in a statement Friday. This feat was sustained in the ﬁrst quarter of 2018 in which it recorded a 90.4-percent PLR. The high PLR shows that nine out of 10 of Pag-IBIG Fund’s housing borrowers regularly paid their monthly home loan amortizations, reinforcing the agency’s sustainability. Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and Pag-IBIG Fund Chairperson Eduardo del Rosario said: “PLR is one of the barometers of PagIBIG Fund’s sustainability. “If our home loan borrowers regularly pay their monthly amortizations, our liquidity improves and we can plow the funds back to our housing portfolio so that more members, especially those with low income, can avail [them-

INVITATION TO BID BOARDANDLODGING FOR THE REGIONAL TRAINING OF TRAINERS (RTO) ON THE RESULTS-BASED PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (RPMS) MANUAL FOR TEACHERS & SCHOOL HEADS OF REGION IV-A 1.

10:30 AM 9:00 AM

Opening & Examination of Bids

9:30 AM

Date Venue May 22, 2018 – PPA, PMO Agusan Admin June 10, 2018 Building, Port Area, Butuan City PPA, PMO Agusan Admin May 30, 2018 Building, Port Area, Butuan City PPA, PMO Agusan June 11, 2018 Building, Port Area, ButuanAdmin City PMO Agusan Admin June 11, 2018 PPA, Building, Port Area, Butuan City

The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan Bids and Award Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on May 30, 2017 (Wednesday) at the PPA, PMO Agusan Administration Bldg., Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City, at the time and place specified in the above schedule which shall be open to all interested bidders.

For further information, please refer to:

The DepED Region IV-A CALABARZON will hold a Pre-Bid Conference2 on May 30, 2018 at 10:00 am. to be held at the Director’s Office Conference Room, which shall be open to prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before June 13, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in lTB Clause 18. Bid opening shall be on June 13, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. at the Director’s Office Conference Room. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

MS. SHEERYL B. PEDEGLORIO General Services Officer A Head, BAC Secretariat-Engineering Projects PPA, PMO-Agusan Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City 8600 Tel. Nos. (085) 342-6451/342-5352 Fax No. (085) 815-4434 Email Address: pmo_nasipit@yahoo.com

(MS-MAY 26, 2018)

(SGD.) JUANCHO I. TALILI Division Manager A, Port Services Division BAC Chairperson, Engineering Projects

Interested bidders may obtain further information from DepED Region IV-A CALABARZON (BAC Secretariat) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hour at 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

Bidders must submit their bids on or before the date, time and at the place specified in the above schedule. Late bid/s will not be accepted. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the forms stated in the Bidding Documents. Bids higher than the ABC shall automatically be disqualified at the bid opening. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. Similarly, the PPA Port Management Office of Agusan assumes no obligation, whatsoever, to compensate or indemnify any bidder of any expenses or loss that said bidder(s) may incur in its participation in the pre-bidding and bidding process nor does it guarantee that an award will be made.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.

Note: (For lot procurement, the maximum fee for the Bidding Documents for each lot shall be based on its ABC, in accordance with the Guidelines issued by the GPPB; provided that the total fees for the Bidding Documents of all lots shall not exceed the maximum fee prescribed in the Guidelines for the sum of the ABC of all lots.).

Schedule

Deadline of Submission and Receipt of Bids

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on May 25, 2018 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of One Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (Php1,500.00) only.

The schedule of procurement activities is as follows:

Pre-Bid Conference

The DepED Region IV-A CALABARZON now invites bids for the Procurement of Board & Lodging for the Regional training of Trainers (RTO) on the ResultsBased Performance Management System (RPMS) Manual for teachers & School Heads of Region IV -A Delivery of the Services is expected for the Contract duration. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders. Interested bidders shall bid on a per Cluster basis.

(i)

This Office is not electronically-ready to handle documents thus submission of bids / proposals electronically is not allowed.

Time Period of Availability/ Issuance of 9:00 AM Bidding Documents 5:00 PM

The DepED Region IV-A CALABARZON, through the 2018 BHROD fund OSEC4A-18-3095 intends to apply the sum of One Million Three Hundred Twenty Eight Thousand Pesos Only (Php1,328,000,00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of Board & Lodging for the Regional Training of Teachers (RTO) on the ResultsBased Performance Management System (RPMS) Manual for Teachers and School Heads of Region IV-A Bids received in excess of the ABC per Lot shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Lot I - 166 pax x 2,000,00 x 4 days –Php1,328,000,00 – ABC Contract duration ----June 19 to 22, 2018

A complete set of Bidding Documents will be available to interested Bidders from the address below upon payment of the specified non-refundable Cost of Bid Documents, exclusive of 12% VAT.

Procurement Activities

2017, including collections from the sale of Real and Other Properties Acquired—an increase of 9 percent from the amount collected in 2016. This amount is also 13 percent above the collection target for 2017 and the highest in the history of Pag-IBIG Fund, it said in its statement. “We will intensify our collection strategies in the coming years so that more will beneﬁt, in turn, from our housing program,” added Deputy CEO for Home Lending Operations Cluster Marilene Acosta. To increase collections and improve its PLR, Pag-IBIG Fund outsourced its collection services by accrediting collection agencies starting 2013 and tele-collection companies beginning 2014. Of late, Pag-IBIG Fund has also partnered with EC Pay, Cashpinas, and Globe GCash for offbranch payments of housing loan and membership savings starting July 2, 2018, it added.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2 Karangalan Village, Cainta. Rizal

Bidding is restricted to duly licensed Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations or cooperatives duly organized under the law of the Philippines and of which at least 75% of the interest or of the outstanding capital stock belongs to citizens of the Philippines. Interested bidders are required to submit to the BAC Secretariat of PPA, PMO Agusan a Letter of Intent together with the set of machine copies with original for presentation and authentication before the issuance of Bid Documents of the following: a) Valid PCAB License/Classification; b) Certificate of Completion/Acceptance of owner of the Single Largest Completed Contract within the last three (3) years similar to the project to be bid; and c) Certification of non-inclusion in the Consolidated Blacklisting Report issued by the GPPB.

selves] of home loan. “This supports President Rodrigo Duterte’s social protection agenda. It also aligns with the main objective of BALAI Filipino [Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable, and Inclusive Filipino Communities] program—to provide decent shelter for every Filipino family.” Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Acmad Rizaldy P. Moti said: “The high PLR, and conversely low non-performing loans ratio or NPLR, allows PagIBIG Fund to maintain low housing loan interest rates. “We appreciate our memberborrowers for being conscientious in meeting their Pag-IBIG obligations. Our PLR went up by 15 percent in five years, from 75 percent in 2012 to 90.12 percent in 2017, thereby significantly improving our collections through the years.” Pag-IBIG Fund generated P51.6 billion in housing collections in

THE Diocese of Virac has joined in the call of the provincial board and the Sangguniang Bayan of Virac on the National Electriﬁcation Administration to resolve the power interruptions in the province. In a letter dated May 23, 2018 to NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong, Bishop Manolo delos Santos pointed out the persistent inaction of the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative Inc. to address “the clamor of its members-consumers for all the unreasonable and continuous power outages, and electric supply troubles in the province.” The bishop added this issue had been brought to the attention of Ficelco by the different private and government entities, but the cooperative continued to refuse to provide solutions to all the power interruption issues. Last May 22, residents of Catanduanes ﬂocked to the Ficelco headquarters in Marinawa, Bato, and demanded that Alexander Ang Hung, Ficelco’s board of directors president, immediately resign for his alleged failure to act on the issues. Parts of the clamor of the residents are for Ficelco to immediately turn over the 3.6 MW Marinawa Power Plant to National Power Corp. and to install the 6.6MW generator sets of the Sunwest Water Electric Company Inc. to address the frequent power interruptions in the province. Delos Santos asked NEA to take measures and ensure the protection of the welfare of the Catandunganons. Members-consumers of Ficelcoare also enraged that from 2011 to 2016, they were charged P48 million for the Foregone Energy Fee of the Catanduanes Power Generation Inc. when its lease contract for the Marinawa Daihatsu Diesel Power Plant was terminated by the NPC; and P25 million for the fuel storage it used to generate power which was not delivered and hence never used by the people.

The DepED Region IV-A CALABARZON reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to: Ann Geralyn T Pelias DepED Region IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal 6477487 & 6474914 www.depedcalabarzonph (SGD) ANN GERALYN T. PELIAS BAC Vice Chairman

Mav be deleted ill case the ABC is less than One Million Pesos (PhP1,000,000.00) where the Procuring Entity may not hold a Pre-Bid Conference. (MS-MAY 26, 2018)

TOLLWAYS ROAD MAP. Aiming to address the influx of vacationers and weekenders driving to and from travel destinations, SMC Tollways launched in early May its motorist assistance program—RoadMAP. Six Petron service stations in SMC-operated tollways—TPLEX, SLEX, and STAR—have set up RoadMAP stations to provide free mechanic services and vehicle checkups, medical assistance and travel information. In photo: (from left) SMC Tollways Operations head, Alec Cruz; chief finance officer of Somco, MATES, and STAR, Melvin B. Nazareno; SMC Infrastructure Corporate communications head, Marlene N. Ochoa; Toll Regulatory Board executive director, engineer Abraham Sales; president and CEO of Somco, MATES, and STAR, Manuel M. Bonoan; Toll Regulatory Board Road Safety consultant, Bert Suansing; and Petron Local Station marketing manager, Bong Paguia.

500,000 members attend 3-day Bible conventions ABOUT half a million Jehovah’s Witnesses and interested ones in the country will attend 154 threeday Bible conventions in various cities and towns in June, July and August this year, the congregation said in a statement Friday. The ﬁrst will be held on June 1 to 3 at the Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Novaliches, Quezon City. Twelve more will follow weekly in the same venue for these Christians living in and around Metro Manila with some 5,000 expected to attend each week. There are 141 more regional conventions scheduled nationwide with the last 14 on August 24-26. According to Danilo Calso, media services coordinator of the Witnesses, these conventions in the Philippines will be held simultaneously with those in the United States. “Actually, close to 15-million Witnesses and interested ones in 240 countries will be attending these assemblies featuring

the same Bible-based program,” Calso said. Overall theme of this year’s Bible seminars is, “Be Courageous!” The theme focuses on how one can have courage today in the face of hardships resulting from widespread addiction and criminality, terrorism and violence and graft and corruption, Calso said. “Bible teachings and principles will be highlighted to show how one can cultivate qualities that promote courage and endurance, at the same time keep faith and hope” Calso pointed out. On Friday, the program will begin with the keynote address titled, “Jehovah—The Source of True Courage,” recalling how God strengthened Joshua when about to lead the Israelites in their dangerous journey to the Promised Land. The day’s theme on Saturday is based on Philippians 1: 14: “Showing all the more courage to speak the words of God fearlessly.”

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Sports PPS holds Bacolod, Ormoc net tourneys ACTION in the Palawan PawnshopPalawan Express Pera Padala age group tennis circuit shifts to Ormoc and Bacolod with over 200 entries taking part in each leg of the event at the Ormoc Midtown Tennis Club and Centercourt and Panaad Tennis Courts in Leyte and Bacolod, respectively. Cedrix Bravo, Arhly Abah, Andrei Lago and Joshua Torres banner the boys’ 18-and-under cast while siblings Bless and Hazel Coderos lead the chase in the girls’ premier division of the Group 2 tournament sponsored Palawan Pawnshop ad presented by Dunlop. Bravo, Lago and Torres are also vying in the 16-U play that also drew Rick Laguna while the Coderos sisters will face the likes of Mia Gemida and Corazon Lambonao in the 16-U side of the week-long tournament hosted and sponsored by Mayor Richard Gomez. Over in Bacolod, Reynan Mahusay, Troy Llamas, Karl Baran and Prince Dimate are tipped to slug it out in the boys’ 18-U section while Avril Suace and Kiana De Asis headline the girls’ cast of the tournament hosted and sponsored by Mayor Bing Leonardia. Suace and De Asis are also expected to dispute the 16-U title while Hope Gavituya and Jufe Ann Cocoy head the 14-U cast and Khenz Justiani, Pete Rodriguez, Fern Po and Andre Estember are tipped to slug it out in the boys’ side of the tournament backed by Asiatraders Corp. and sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines, made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. “This is going to be another busy week for these young players, whom we want to develop into becoming future members of the national pool through our year-long, nationwide circuit,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro. For details, call PPS Sports Program Development director and event organizer Bobby Mangunay at 0915-4046464.

High Flyers eye lead vs Perlas Games today

10 a.m. – PLDT vs Army 2 p.m. – PetroGazz vs Iriga-Navy 4 p.m. – BanKo-Perlas vs PayMaya

PAYMAYA hopes to cash in on its fine form and pounce on a skidding BanKoPerlas side as it shoots for the solo lead in the Premier Volleyball League Season 2 Reinforced Conference at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan today (Saturday). The High Flyers currently share the top spot with the Creamline Cool Smashers and the surging BaliPure Water Defenders but are expected to seize control midway through the single round elims of the season-opening conference organized by Sports Vision. Ranged against a team which lost all its next four games after a stunning win over Creamline, PayMaya is brimming with confident as it heads to its 4 p.m. clash with BanKo-Perlas. Iriga-Navy, meanwhile, tries to check its two-game skid as it faces a resurgent PetroGazz at 2 p.m. of another explosive weekend twinbill in the tournament backed by Mikasa and Asics. The Lady Oragons turned in an impressive opening game win over the Water Defenders but fell in ambush to the High Flyers and Pocari-Air Force Lady Warriors to drop to sixth while the Angels snapped their three-game skid with a five-set win over BanKo-Perlas. Imports Tess Rountree and Shelby Sullivan are again expected to lead PayMaya’s charge along with local aces Aiko Urdas, Jerilli Malabanan and ace setter Jasmine Nabor while BanKo-Perlas has been drawing solid games from reinforcements Jutarat Montripila and Lakia Bright, who however couldn’t get the needed support from their locals.

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Sumcad charges back with 69 O

RLAN Sumcad recovered from a horrid second round stint with a three-under 69 yesterday, banking on a near-impeccable long game and bucking tough pin placements to force a tie with Jobim Carlos in the P3 million ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters heading to another thriller of a ﬁnish at the Villamor Golf Club. Sumcad, who dropped off a lead share in the first round with an atrocious 76 Thursday, came through with back-to-back birdies from No. 16 to cap a 33-36 card and wrest control at four-under 212, which Carlos later matched with a closing birdie for a 74. But Jerson Balasabas and Joenard Rates stayed right behind at 213 despite going over par after a 74 and a 75, respectively, while Nilo Salahog and Gerald Rosales assembled identical 214s after a 70 and 73, respectively, pointing to another wild, wooly finish the way it was in the revival of the fabled event sponsored by ICTSI last year. Clyde Mondilla came back from four down in the final round and nipped Tony Lascuña, Jhonnel Ababa and American Nicholas Paez to win here last year with a scrambling finish again expected in the

last 18 holes of the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. “I really had a good read of the greens where the pins were placed on tough spots and that helped me a lot,” said Sumcad, back in the hunt for a breakthrough win in a long pro career. “Also my approach shots were on target the whole day.” After missing the green on the first hole for bogey, the power-hitting Summit Point pro strung up three straight birdies, including a chip-in from 10 yards on No. 3. He dropped another shot on the fifth but birdied Nos. 7 and 8 from close range to make the turn at 33. He actually reeled back with bogeys on Nos. 12 and 15 but regained his bearing and came up with two late birdies. “But I need to stay focused tomorrow

(today) to gain a shot at my first title,” said Sumcad. Carlos is also aiming for a first title in a young pro career although the former national champion has won the National pro-am recently in a victory that boosted his confidence coming into this blue-ribbon event. “I am hitting well actually but I didn’t the needed breaks in some holes,” said Carlos, who failed to sustain his run of under par cards (67-71) with a bogeymarred 37-37 in tough condition. But the duo will also have to check on four other players in front of them, including two chasing their maiden wins and the two others out to end a long title spell in the circuit backed by BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT. Balasabas hit just one birdie against a bogey and a double bogey, while the unheralded Salahog shot the second of only seven under par cards in the day spiked by three birdies against a bogey. Rates and Rosales are also aiming to nail their first win since Orlan Sumcad points to his line of putt on No. 14 winning in Baguio and Wack Wack.

Petron XCS, Generika seek semis berths

Bicolano triathletes and members of Team TRI-Factor pose upon arrival at Camsur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur.

Stellar field all primed up for TRI-Factor series MULTI-SPORT newbies, enthusiasts and veteran triathletes set out for a new challenge as they showcase their skills in swimming, biking and running in the TRIFactor Asian Championship Series firing off today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday) at the Camsur Watersports Complex in Camarines Sur. A big number of athletes, including a slew of rising and top triathletes in the region, are vying in the four-leg mass participation series composed of individual swim, bike and run events and a finale triathlon and staged to promote an active and healthy lifestyle, particularly among the youth. The TRI-Factor has grown from organizing multi-sport events in Singapore to creating the premier short-

course championship series across the Asian region with CamSur hosting the third leg of the Asian Series and it comes at a time when local triathlon is enjoying tremendous boom with topnotch events held regularly across the country the last few years. For details, visit www.trifactorph.com. Spicing up this weekend’s event is the participation of a number of celebrities, including noted triathlon campaigners Gerald Anderson, Ms EarthAir 2016 Michelle Gomez and Rep. Pia Cayetano. Anderson will vie in the sprint and fellow Team De Rossa mainstays. Gomez will also do the sprint in her triathlon debut while Cayetano will join the standard triathlon.

The event, held in conjunction with the Kaogma Festival celebrations, also features a “Race to Give” project where TRI-Factor racers will get to award school supply kits to every indigenous child right after they finish the race as part of TRI-Factor’s Corporate Social Responsibility. Meanwhile, the host province, led by Gov. Migs Villafuerte, will welcome all the local and foreign participants today with the race kit collection set from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday). Other activities on tap in the first day are the Community Aqua Fun Event from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the TRI-Factor freshmen distance triathlon from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the TRIFactor kids distance triathlon from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The awards ceremony will from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

REIGNING champion Petron XCS and powerhouse Generika-Ayala A are out to book a semifinal duel when they tangle with separate foes in the quarterfinals of the Philippine Superliga Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup today at Sands By the Bay in Mall of Asia. Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons of Petron XCS will clash with the tandem of Jonah Sabete and Bianca Lizares of Sta. Lucia Realty B at 3 p.m., while Fiola Ceballos and Patty Orendain of Generika-Ayala A lock horns with Jeziela and Nieza Viray of Foton at 4:30 p.m. Also shooting for semifinal slots in the prestigious summer spectacle bankrolled by PLDT, Sunsilk, Isuzu, Senoh, Mikasa, Maynilad, Petron, SM Malls, Generika Drugstore and UCPB Gen with ESPN5 and Hyper as broadcast partners are Michelle Morente and Fritz Gallenero of F2 Logistics, who will face Mylene Paat and Rap Aguilar of Cignal A at 11 a.m., and Dhannylaine Demontano and Jackie Estoquia of Sta. Lucia Realty A, who will tangle with Cherry Vivas and Janine Navarro of Cignal B, at 10 a.m. In the men’s play, Sands By the Bay battles Smart at 8 a.m., while Cignal clashes with Foton at 9 a.m. in a bid to book a slot to the finals on Sunday. But all eyes will be on Petron and Generika-Ayala A. After a thrilling opening-day battle, the Blaze Spikers and the Lifesavers are tipped to clash anew in the semifinals after landing on the same bracket in Pool A. Rondina, who had some difficulties launching her attacks in their first two matches, appeared to have already regained the deadly form she showed when she represented the country in the Southeast Asian Beach Volleyball Championship last year and the FIVB World Tour earlier this month.

Del Monte reclaims WGAP crown DEL Monte turned an expected final round shootout with Manila Southwoods-Masters into a victory walk as it dished out its best game—a 194 to reclaim the WGAP Luzvimin golf crown via a 21-point win at Taal Splendido Golf Club in Laurel, Batangas yesterday. Just four points ahead of last year’s champions after grabbing the lead with a 187 Thursday, the Del Monte ladies saved their best for last as Martina Miñoza and Pamela Mariano carded identical 49 Molave points and Sofia Abarcas and Leslie Icoy scored similar 48 points that underscored the team’s solid scoring. With a 194, Del Monte finished with a 556 aggregate as the 2016 champions at Rancho Palos Verdes beat SouthwoodsMasters, which pooled a second 177 in three days for a 535, by 21 points for the coveted Diamond division trophy. Yong Mi Kim shot 47 points while Christine Naidoo added a 44 and Loralie Roberto, who scored an ace in the second round on No. 15, and Claire Ong chipped in 43 points apiece for the Carmona-based squad. Tagaytay placed third with a 521 after a 178

while Villamor-1 shot a 167 for fourth at 499 followed by Pueblo de Oro (131-461), Camp John Hay (151-450) and Palos Verdes (153-404) in the annual event organized by the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines. Valley Golf, Camp Aguinaldo and Baguio shared the spotlight by ruling the Emerald, Ruby and Pearl divisions, respectively, in the three-day event sponsored by WGAP, Champion Infinity, San Miguel Corp., Metro Pacific, Eva Air and Alveo Land. Valley’s Mariel Tee (55-157), Abarcas (48-135) and Jennilyn Floro of Alabang-2 (32-88) took the individual crowns in Class A, B and C, respectively. Valley, led by Tee’s 55 points, Belinda del Rosario’s 43, Cielo Fregil’s 41 and Joy Sevilla’s 39 points, also put in its best card of 178 to snare the Emerald crown at 487, edging erstwhile leader Negros Occidental, which closed out with a 160 and lost by two with a 485. Southwoods-Legends finished third at 474 after a 156 while Forest Hills-Nicklaus shot a 157 for a 465 for fourth followed by Manila Golf (153-442) and Alabang-1 (150-440).

VOLLEY CHAMPS. Manila city administrator Atty. Ericson Alcovendaz and Manila Sports Council Chairman and PBA great Philip Cezar receive the championship trophy from MMDA sports director and Metro Manila Sports Fest overall coordinator Bonnie Tan in the presence of members of the Manila All Stars, who ruled the MMSF U16 volleyball tournament recently.

Responders, Magis gun for 3rd wins

PNP Chief Police Director General Oscar Albayalde in action during the game against the AFP Cavaliers at UNTV Cup Off Season Executive Face-Off

FRESH from their second straight wins, the PNP Responders and the Judiciary Magis duel at 3:30 p.m. in the second game of a triple header in the UNTV Cup Off Season Executive Face-Off on Sunday at the Pasig City Sports Center. Both teams are determined to maintain their lead as they gun for their third straight wins. The Responders are expected to focus their defense on Magis’ big men Romulo Paras Jr. and Ian Ramoso. “Our offense starts with our good defensive plays,” said PNP Responders’ coach Alfred Suarez. The Judiciary senior cagers, meanwhile, will still use the same formula they used in

Games on Sunday

(Pasig City Sports Center) 2 p.m. - GSIS vs DOJ 3:30 p.m. - PNP vs Judiciary 5 p.m. - Senate vs AFP

routing reigning champion AFP Cavaliers last weekend. “The PNP is physically conditioned so they are quick. I always tell my players to be ready and be tough. We will work more on matching their endurance and agility,” said Judiciary coach Warren Ybañez. The PNP Responders, Judiciary Magis and the Senate Sentinels are tied at the top with 2-0 records.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

A8MAYSATURDAY, 26, 2018

Sports

2 female boxers shine for CDO; Cebu overall champ

Riera U. Mallari, Editor; Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph; sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

By Peter Atencio

Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets defies the defense put up by Quinn Cook of the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter of Game Five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. AFP

PLDT, Smart join forces with NBA League Pass By Peter Paul Duran WE know you’re excited with how action in the NBA is going to shape up in the coming days. Blink once and you’ll definitely miss a highlight reel from the exciting conference finals series unraveling in the West and the East. With the new partnership inked by NBA Leage Pass and PLDT and Smart, an in-your-face basketball experience is in the offing for Filipinos as live and on-demand NBA games is made more available to 62 million subscribers. Their new multiyear partnership will make available select offerings of NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service. This will provide fans with access to live and on-demand NBA games online and via mobile devices. The NBA League Pass offerings include Day Pass (P50), which enables users to watch live games for a 24-hour period. “Filipinos have an unparalleled love for basketball, which is why the game has been at the center of our advocacy for sports excellence all over the country,” said PLDT and Smart Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Business Market Development Oscar A. Reyes, Jr. To add, PLDT and Smart will also serve as official partners of NBA 3X Philippines presented by AXA, a 3-on-3 tournament featuring men’s and women’s teams and authentic NBA entertainment, showcasing their products and services at the event. “Through our groundbreaking partnership with NBA, we look forward to empowering Filipinos with digital experiences that enrich their lifestyle whether at home or on-thego,” he added. The new offerings can be accessed online and through iOS and Android phones and tablets while PLDT Home will provide users the option to add the selected NBA League Pass offering into their monthly broadband subscription.

Houston nears finals; Paul’s status doubtful L

OS ANGELES—Star guard Chris Paul departed Houston’s Western Conference finals game five win over Golden State in the final minute Thursday and his status for game six was unclear. Paul played a pivotal role in the Rockets 98-94 triumph, scoring 18 of his 20 points in the second half. But after missing a shot in the lane with 51.7 seconds remaining, he hit the court and came up clutching the back of his right thigh. At first unwilling to depart, he finally limped off after a chat with Rockets athletic trainer Keith Jones during a timeout with 22.4 seconds to play. “We’ll see,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said when asked about Paul’s status for Saturday’s game six, when the Rockets can clinch a berth in the NBA Finals. “He’ll be evaluated tomorrow, but obviously you saw him limp off, and he’s a tough guy,” D’Antoni said. “They’ll do

whatever they can do. If he’s there, great. If he isn’t, we have enough guys. ... We’ll be all right.” Paul, the league’s Rookie of the Year in the 2005-06 season and a nine-time All-Star, is playing in the conference finals for the first time. The 33-year-old, who starred for the Los Angeles Clippers before arriving in Houston in a trade last June, missed 24 games this season with a variety of injuries. “His spirits aren’t great,” D’Antoni admitted. “He wanted to be out there, and for sure he’s worried and all that. That’s normal.” Warriors star Draymond Green said uncertainty over Paul’s status wouldn’t change Golden State’s preparation for

their must-win game six. “That’s not our focus,” Green said. “We’ve got to prepare like he’s going to play. He’s a great player, right in the middle of everything they do.” The Rockets, who led the league with 65 regular-season wins, took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals and with one more victory can deny the Warriors a fourth straight trip to the championship series. “For us nothing changes,” Rockets star James Harden said of Houston’s mindset on the brink of the club’s first trip to the Finals since winning back-toback titles in 1994 and 1995. “We just take it game by game, position by position, try to compete our butts off and give ourselves the best chance.” Golden State, whose streak of 16 straight home playoff wins was halted by the Rockets on Tuesday, will try to fend off elimination when they host game six on Saturday. AFP

CEBU City—Two female fighters from Cagayan de Oro City came through with convincing wins to earn gold medals in the women’s division of the 2018 Philippine National Games yesterday at the Cebu Coliseum here. Their impressive showings came as host Cebu City ended the five-day meet by formally taking the no. 1 spot in the overall medal race with 38 golds, 54 silvers and 58 bronzes. Eighteen-year-old Elaide Pamisa followed his uncle’s advise to the letter as she and Jima Baja dominated the women’s light-flyweight and flyweight classes, respectively. Pamisa, an 11th grade student from Upper Carmen, engaged Leyte’s Myra Nacario in a furious exchange of blows and came out on top to win on points, 4-1. Baja, a member of the national team now based in Baguio City, handed Cagayan de Oro a second gold, after defied Leyte bet Judy Ann Orbeta’s long reach for a 5-0 shutout. For Pamisa, she exacted sweet revenge on her loss to Nacario, who beat her in their last encounter in the recent Batang Pinoy. On the other hand, Baja outfought her taller rival, by sticking close with her body punches. “Sakto lang ang preparation nila. Kung kukunin, kailangan distansiyahan. Kung bitaw ng jab ang kalaban, bitaw sila ng tatlo,” said CDO coach Elmer Pamisa. Cebu City earned most of its gold medals in athletics, with unheralded Ronette Ayuda, a graduating student in Bachelor of Science in Education major in Physical Education at the University of San Carlos, topping the senior women’s high jump. Cebu was also led by Prince Joey Lee from Toledo City, who took the men’s 10,000-meter run honors, along with Riza Jane Valiente, a gold medalist in the girls’ 400-meter hurdles, and Seth Pilapil in the junior boys’ 200-meter run. Baguio City placed second (34-3240), while Mandaluyong City ranked third (23-13-18). General Santos City (16-22-27) and Zamboanga (14-6-13) rounded out the Top 5. Cebu City took a gold in karatedo when James de los Santos, who is seeking a a medal in the 18th Asian Games, displayed his sharp form and technique when he dominated the men’s senior individual kata for his sixth straight medal in the meet. Baguio City got support from Kareel Meer Hongitan, while promising Andrea Robles lifted Muntinlupa City by posting upsets in the archery competition. The 18-year-old Hongitan prevailed over 2017 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Nicole Marie Tagle of Dumaguete City in the recurve open women’s category 72 arrows, 628-617.

Belga tops Obstacle Challenge By Jeric Lopez

Rain or Shine’s Beau Belga displays his trophy and replica of winner’s check after winning the PBA All-Stars’ Obstacle Challenge at the Batangas City Sports Center. He is joined here by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, CIGNAL’s Sienna Olaso and SMB governor Robert Non.

MAGNOLIA is one of the hottest teams in the 2018 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup and it hopes it can keep the fire burning even with a new import. With prolific import Vernon Macklin now gone to seek greener pastures, the Hotshots are now looking to depend on incoming new reinforcement Curtis Kelly. After a week of searching for Macklin’s replacement, Magnolia decided to tap the 6’10” Kelly, who was a 2011 NBA Draft aspirant. The product of Kansas State last played for Israel and is expected to arrive this Monday to immediately join his team in practice. He will make his debut on June 2 when his streaking new team faces league-leader Rain or Shine.

After losing its opening assignment, the Hotshots, with much help from Macklin, were able to gain steam right away and rack up three in a row to hike their record to 3-1 and put themselves near the top. Macklin decided to take a guaranteed contract in China, orphaning Magnolia in the process. Meanwhile, Beau Belga ruled the big men edition of the Obstacle Challenge, edging JP Erram and Gabby Espinas in the Finals of the 2018 PBA All-Star Week Friday here at Batangas City Sports Center. The Rain or Shine center clocked in a time of 21.7 seconds as he made a flawless run in the championship round. “Kumbaga, na-challenge ako kasi defenfing champion ang teammate ko,” Belga said, referring to fellow Elasto Painter Maverick Ahanmisi who ruled the competition last year.

Tanduay volley at Cantada Center IT will be a busy and exDasmariñas will be brought citing weekend schedule for in for the tournament for the Under-18 volleyball players exposure. both in beach and indoor The event is generously supcompetition. ported by young tycoon Lucio The Tanduay Athletics “Bong” Tan, Jr. and PVF ChairPVF Volleyball Championman, Mikey Arroyo. ships will be played this Teams from Balanga Volweekend with Under-18 leyball Club, Grace Christian players from Metro Manila College of Q.C., University and out of town schools and of the Cordilleras of Baguio, clubs in both boys and girls Holy Family Academy of Andivisions. geles, Harrell Integrated of Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr. The festive experience Bacoor, National University, will once again be felt at the Cantada RTU, UST Angelicum, Hope Integrated, Sports Center in Taguig City, with all-day GMA Lady Knights, DepEd schools complimentary food and drinks available from Tramo, Pasay City, Pasay North, to all players, officials and guests. Pasay South and Fabella in Mandaluyong There are no entry fees. are seeing action in the two-day event. Out of town officials from as far as DuMedals and gift certificates await the maguete, Balanga, Balayan, Lingayen and winners.

TRAINING IN THE RAIN.

Manny Pacquiao trains in the pouring rain Friday in preparation for his title clash with WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse on July 15 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Training alongside Pacquiao is Chinese ace Lu Bin, who is also vying for a title shot in the “Fight of Champions” undercard. Sonny Espiritu

IN BRIEF

Business

Meralco eyes power distribution in Clark

MANILA Electric Co. conﬁrmed its interest to bid for the selection of a joint venture partner to develop power distribution in the New Clark City of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority. “Yes, we are (interested). Meralco will be the entity (to bid),” Meralco senior vice president and head of customer retail services Al Panlilio, Meralco is the country’s biggest electricity retailer with over 6.2 million customers in its franchise area. Meralco and Angeles Electric Corp. own Clark Electric Distribution Corp., the sole electric distribution company in the Clark Special Economic Zone. BCDA has started the tender process for the selection of joint venture partners to build and maintain power and water distribution in New Clark City, which is envisioned to be Asia’s premier economic hub. Alena Mae S. Flores

Harbor Star tapped to supply two barges

HARBOR Star Shipping Services Inc. secured a P118-million contract from Cebu Link Joint Venture to provide two specialized barges. The barges will be used for the construction of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway. CLJV is a joint venture of Spainbased Acciona Construccion S. A. and Philippine-based First Balfour Inc. and D.M. Consunji Inc. The joint venture is the main contractor for the 8.5-kilometer bridge that will connect Cebu City to the municipality of Cordova in the island of Mactan. CCLEX is an 8.5-kilometer toll road that will connect mainland Cebu from the Cebu South Coastal Road to Mactan Circumferential Road in Barangay Pilipog, Cordova. Darwin G. Amojelar

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018

Toyota eyes PH as Asian auto hub TAP’s expansion into AT production. Aisin Seiki president Yasumori Ihada said the new shareholder arrangement OYOTA Motor would benefit both Aisin and TAP. “We believe that this arrangement Philippines Corp. will bring two positive development in and partner Aisin the areas of MT and AT. First, we know Seiki Co. Ltd. of Japan are TAP has highly capable people available but unfortunately the capacity utilizagrooming the Philippines tion is not too high. Our idea is to move to be the next hub for MT production from Japan or Thailand automatic transmission to TAP. This will increase capacity utiliproduction in Southeast zation without any investment and will improve competitiveness,” he said. Asia through Toyota He said the move would also enable Aisin Philippines Inc., Aisin to generate extra sales from the formerly Toyota Autoparts bundling of volume. “This is the first major benefit TAP is Philippines Inc. Aisin Seiki recently increased its going to get. Second is on AT. Aisin is ownership of TAP to 61 percent from looking for somebody to help us with 34 percent, infusing P1.2 billion to fund AT production. This time we decided to

By Othel V. Campos

do the part here. This is going to be winwin for both Aisin and TAP. For Aisin, we can get the necessary AT parts and even if MT parts go down in the future, they will be able to prepare for that by doing the AT part here (Philippines),” Ihada said. TAP remains the export base for MT apart from Thailand and will become the export base of AT parts as well. The Philippine subsidiary is producing 250,000 units of MT while the Thailand unit is manufacturing 350,000 units. TAP capacity will be maximized once Aisin Seiki decides to consolidate production from both plants to TAP. TAP is poised to produce about 400,000 units of AT units from the TAP facility in Sta. Rosa Laguna for export to Southeast Asia and other destinations that Aisin Seiki will identify.

Aisin Seiki clariﬁed it would not produce any other parts apart from MT and AT in its Philippine hub. “Right now, we would like to concentrate on these two areas. Safe to say we don’t plan on anything to do other than that,” the company said. Following the organizational change, TAP expects more efﬁcient production, as a subsidiary of Aisin, leveraging its expertise and knowledge. Toyota and Aisin will further strengthen their collaboration through the optimization of the power train production system and new product development. The Aisin Group as a whole plans to improve its competitiveness in the power train business. Aisin Group is a global supplier of automotive components with over 200 companies operating within the group.

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Ban gko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, May 25, 2018

Rice, weak peso also raised inflation in April

THE Department of Finance said the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law that took effect in January this year was not the only reason for the faster inﬂation of 4.5 percent in April. Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said in a statement Friday a spike in rice prices because of alleged lack of supply, a weak peso, rising oil prices abroad, better tax compliance of local cigarettes and the growing consumer demand accounted for the bulk of the 4.5-percent inﬂation in April. Julito G. Rada

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

PHILAM LIFE AWARDS. Philam Life, the country’s premier life insurer, proves its industry leadership after its financial advisers are recognized at the recently-concluded Asia Trusted Life Agents & Advisers Awards. Joining Lifetime Achievement Awardee Antonia Lucrecia Nicdao (third from right) are (from left) AIA regional Chief executive Jacky Chan, AIA chief executive officer of group agency distribution Joe Cheng, Philam Life CEO Aibee Cantos, Philam Life chief agency officer Eric Nicdao and AIA special project agency director Regina Hui.

DoF backs further hike in sin taxes By Julito G. Rada THE Department of Finance will propose to Congress a further increase in the excise taxes of the so-called sin products despite their impact on the inﬂation rate, Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Friday. “This will be submitted in the next few weeks. You’ll know what it is...just give us a couple of weeks’ time. Both the House and the Senate,” Dominguez told reporters. Dominguez said raising the taxes on cigarettes and alcohol would make people think ﬁrst before buying or consuming these products. “First of all when you talk of sin taxes, the idea there is to raise the tax... so that less people will consume it. That’s really the purpose. It is not a necessity, cigarettes are not a necessity, and neither is alcohol,” he said. “So we know to some extent they are detrimental to health and by making it less affordable, we hope people will consume it less and therefore less health problems and be more productive in life. So the idea is really to raise the price...,” Dominguez said.

He added raising the excise taxes was not based on the idea of increasing the revenues but to “discourage the consumption of these products.” Dominguez also said nicotine was the “worst drug for addition.” “It is very difficult to break that nicotine habit,” he said. Earlier, Dominguez said in a briefing the government would push through with its plan of further increasing the excise taxes on tobacco despite the impact on inflation. Dominguez said receiving a negative feedback would not mean the government was going to stop increasing the sin taxes. The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law took effect in January 2018 after it was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in December last year. The law cut personal income taxes but raised the excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, fuel and automobiles. Dominguez said the Department of Finance would support the proposal of Sen. Manny Pacquiao to raise further the taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.

Exchange okays D.M. Wenceslao IPO By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange approved the P17.8-billion initial public offering of real estate developer and construction company D.M. Wenceslao & Associates Inc. Documents ﬁled with the SEC showed DM Wencesalo would offer 679.2 million common shares for P22.90 apiece to raise P15.5 billion in proceeds. The company set aside an overallotment of 101.876 million shares that could increase the total proceeds to P17.88 billion. D.M. Wenceslao plans to sell at least 70 percent or 475.27 million shares to foreign investors and 30 percent equivalent to 203.9 million shares to local investors. The company plans to use net proceeds from the IPO to expand its real estate development portfolio through a mix of commercial and residential projects within its 204-hectare Aseana City. D.M. Wenceslao tentatively set the offering period on June 18 to 22 and listing date on June 29.

The company tapped BPI Capital and Maybank as the joint global coordinators and book runners of the IPO. Sources said D.M. Wenceslao was on the road conducting pre-marketing activities that attracted interest from international investors. D.M. Wenceslao is conducting the IPO amid the current outflow of foreign investments in the local capital markets. PSE market statistics show foreign investors were net sellers by P48.3 billion from the start of the year up to May 18. D.M. Wenceslao first filed an IPO application with the SEC in 2015. The company at that time was looking to raise as much as P21.7 billion from the sale of 429 million shares for P44 apiece. The construction firm decided to defer the maiden share offering because of volatile market conditions. D.M. Wenceslao reported a net income of P1.56 billion in 2017, up 30 percent from P1.2 billion in 2016 and revenues of P3 billion from P2.1 billion a year ago.

Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

52.5330

Japan

Yen

0.009154

0.4809

Pound

1.338300

70.3049

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127426

6.6941

Switzerland

Franc

1.008675

52.9887

Canada

Dollar

0.776277

40.7802

Singapore

Dollar

0.746826

39.2330

Australia

Dollar

0.757400

39.7885

Bahrain

Dinar

2.649709

139.1972

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

14.0077

Brunei

Dollar

0.744048

39.0871

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000071

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.031221

1.6401

UAE

Dirham

0.272272

14.3033

Euro

1.172000

61.5687

Korea

Won

0.000925

0.0486

China

Yuan

0.156814

8.2379

India

Rupee

0.014635

0.7688

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.251319

13.2025

New Zealand

Dollar

0.692100

36.3581

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033410

1.7551

Source: PDS Bridge

Business

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market closes flat in quiet trading T HE stock market closed nearly ﬂat Friday in thin trading as investors continued to consolidate their holdings.

The Philippine Stock Exchange slipped 5.02 points, or 0.1 percent, to 7,647.51 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Gainers edged losers, 95 to 92, with 56 issues unchanged. Now Corp., which is bidding to become the third major telecommunications firm in the Philippines, lost 5.6 percent to P10.74 on profit-taking, while Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, water and electricity distribution, power generation and hospitals, fell 1.4 percent to P4.77. Security Bank Corp., the sixth-biggest lender in terms of assets, dropped 4 percent to P192, while Bank of the Philip-

pine Islands, the third-largest lender, declined 2 percent to P97. The Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday reduced again the reserve requirement ratio of banks by one percentage point to 18 percent from 19 percent to free up more liquidity into the market. The move is expected to weaken the peso further against the US dollar. Asian markets, meanwhile, mostly fell on Friday as Donald Trump shocked the world by pulling out of next month’s historic summit with Kim Jong Un, though analysts said the losses were tempered by hopes the talks can be rekindled. Traders had already been nervous in recent days after the US president warned he could pull out of the June 12 meeting with the North Korean leader, while also voicing his displeasure at a deal to avert a trade war with China and threaten tariffs on car imports.

The news Thursday took many by surprise―including North and South Korean ofﬁcials –and fueled concerns about the future of a rapprochement that has had many hoping for peace on the divided peninsula. In a letter released by the White House, Trump told Kim he was canceling the summit because of North Korea’s “anger” and “hostility.” The message came after a key aide to Kim hit out at comments from Vice President Mike Pence, saying they were “ignorant and stupid” and warning the talks could be cancelled. However, Trump’s letter added that the talks could still go ahead “at a later date”. For its part, Pyongyang said the decision “unexpected” and “regrettable” but added: “We again state to the US our willingness to sit face-to-face at any time in any form to resolve the problem”.

“It looks like we are back to ﬁre and fury as the modus operandi for the White House again after President Trump (threatened) a new 25 percent car import tariff and canceled the summit with North Korea,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader. “Not only was the summit cancelled but it was back to threatening the DPRK with a military response.” Wall Street ended lower, while Asian trading was muted. Tokyo ended slightly higher, while Hong Kong slipped 0.5 percent and Shanghai shed 0.4 percent. Sydney and Singapore each fell 0.1 percent while Seoul was 0.2 percent lower. Kuala Lumpur also fell but Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were in positive territory. While warning the issue remained fragile, analysts said there was still hope the meeting will go ahead. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, MAY 25, 2018

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 58.95 101,780 97 1,964,090 2.99 20,000 129.8 1,153,240 1.51 178,000 33.95 157,800 7 200 16.7 5,100 14.72 828,300 3.75 20,000 0.62 103,000 1.58 23,000 0.53 1,173,000 82 2,869,100 1.05 977,000 12.78 66,700 20.1 500 51.95 1,810 204 770 110 240 86.7 130 38 299,800 192 391,490 89 45,320

5,994,072.50 190,606,391.50 57,100 149,294,375 261,810 5,353,450 1,400 85,072 12,269,124 74,840 64,170 36,700 623,400 235,011,981.50 1,024,360 849,150 10,050 93,146.50 157,080 25,536 11,264 11,333,955 76,183,953 4,040,649

4,364,225.50 -49,273,229 1,181,830 176,450 1,595 -8,638,506 -8,060 -38,549,263.50 -396,610 5,220 -8,785,380.00 -8,176,674 -906,059

37.75 14.38 0.58 1.25 19.78 0.226 114.6 3.03 16.66 248 47.55 23.5 56 65 1.95 4.95 9.8 10.76 15.88 11.6 7.16 5.19 1.76 14.84 63 18.8 8.8 15.64 2.14 279.8 5.03 3.41 16.78 26.8 12.32 22.05 333 0.185 6.55 2.36 4.18 9.22 5.8 7.9 1.4 12.4 50.2 6.2 4.7 2.45 3.59 1.76 12.5 68.2 5.43 0.133 0.98 133.9 2.8 0.79

INDUSTRIAL 38.3 595,900 14.58 628,900 0.59 568,000 1.25 52,000 20.35 63,100 0.228 640,000 114.6 250 3.03 800,000 16.86 133,800 248 110 49.95 428,100 23.9 15,900 56 1,680 65 320 1.96 79,000 5.03 54,200 9.8 21,700 10.8 1,031,000 15.94 475,400 11.8 18,900 7.18 190,200 5.28 2,788,400 1.76 5,000 14.9 469,400 63.85 109,620 19.2 28,400 8.9 16,100 16.1 2,575,800 2.19 458,000 281.2 486,670 5.09 71,200 3.41 3,000 17.68 600 26.95 1,949,000 12.78 290,900 22.6 4,875,000 335 609,290 0.185 400,000 6.6 1,800 2.36 11,659,000 4.22 123,000 9.43 482,400 5.96 287,000 7.96 700 1.41 321,000 12.62 59,700 50.5 260,080 6.2 100 4.7 18,000 2.52 1,691,000 3.79 182,000 1.78 180,000 12.9 1,978,900 68.9 120,790 5.48 224,500 0.136 880,000 0.98 10,000 135.7 1,132,020 3.15 23,650,000 0.81 2,050,000

22,708,195 9,148,664 330,640 65,000 1,256,193 147,210 28,670 2,431,480 2,261,336 27,280 21,436,780.50 376,225 94,800 20,800 156,020 268,303 214,182 11,135,766 7,576,950 221,886 1,363,552 14,551,718 8,800 6,982,082 7,019,078 537,830 142,990 40,862,058 994,420 136,750,040 358,685 10,230 10,518 52,392,800 3,697,736 109,726,455 203,627,876 74,180 11,805 27,649,550 517,160 4,486,326 1,704,441 5,552 449,430 751,574 13,105,569 620 84,600 4,403,450 686,870 317,520 25,548,392 8,317,231.50 1,230,083 117,570 9,800 153,580,182 71,666,560 1,644,280

-3,243,270 2,164,270 -12,820 79,880 -249,970 1,572,556 500 -5,600 -7,507,376 1,133,732 -24,448 -182,372 1,998,725 -169,904 492,311 -99,680 -9,765,084 -54,750 -57,964,928 -701,555 -2,530,828 52,780,670 80,919,358 -22,320 -797,330 -1,390,506 114,046 -1,590 96,600 -200,420 -5,738,397 -84,600 -1,434,262 -119,525 1,632 11,534,340 -46,130 2,460

0.25 65 13.22 0.93 6.35 0.7 0.71 948 1,401 6.36 10.86 7.65 1,016 7.17 60.3 0.63 4.32 21.35 0.6 4.86 0.039 1.13 3.19 2.95 144.3 2.55 867 0.8 1.62 520 264.6 0.215 0.199

0.228 63.05 13 0.89 6.25 0.68 0.69 927 1,401 6.3 10.44 7.5 989 6.58 58 0.59 4.25 21 0.57 4.76 0.037 1.09 3.18 2.9 141.3 2.55 854 0.79 1.56 500 256.4 0.209 0.199

HOLDING FIRMS 0.228 7,530,000 65 318,480 13.1 2,888,100 0.9 182,000 6.25 20,500 0.7 5,862,000 0.69 1,225,000 935 328,430 1,401 5 6.34 3,226,500 10.78 13,945,700 7.64 31,500 995.5 45,770 6.58 2,900 60.3 1,725,290 0.63 548,000 4.3 570,000 21.35 1,735,600 0.6 492,000 4.77 22,173,000 0.039 4,200,000 1.1 207,000 3.19 443,000 2.9 19,000 144.3 190,520 2.55 75,000 867 253,810 0.79 151,000 1.57 587,000 520 150 264.6 16,280 0.215 2,260,000 0.199 410,000

1,774,320 20,627,800.50 37,832,932 165,110 128,405 4,022,400 862,130 306,461,345 7,005 20,463,755 149,865,778 239,375 45,554,515 20,468 103,151,803.50 327,480 2,439,370 36,680,285 286,490 106,200,400 162,800 228,190 1,410,530 55,450 27,319,275 191,250 218,175,545 120,300 926,380 76,610 4,266,012 475,010 81,590

-78,730 441,684 -2,175,260 -62,100 -10,425,095 1,301,302 -6,933,684 2,653,325 4,506,223.50 -1,756,040 -7,166,935 -19,910,260.00 60,660 -2,222,050 -74,372,325 -120,300 -198,880 -

7.4 1.03 13.9 2.02 0.82 42 3.48 4.88 6.1 6 0.45 1.09 0.99 0.227 0.42 30.75 0.65 1.58 1.29

7.24 1.01 13.36 2.02 0.79 41 3.46 4.78 5.95 6 0.435 1.05 0.97 0.222 0.42 30.5 0.62 1.56 1.26

13,428,014 3,405,170 25,630 4,040 2,377,160 184,467,455 343,870 1,005,610 244,444 600 8,225,600 59,910 17,500 2,519,920 12,600 3,761,300 572,420 28,497,590 587,580

-2,532,213 -171,110 2,430 -138,969,755 -194,510 -145,180 -4,552,300 103,500 24,480 -20,671,620 -2,580

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK CITYSTATE BANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK

58.85 98 2.81 129 1.45 34.2 7 16.8 14.9 3.77 0.63 1.59 0.54 82.7 1.07 12.06 20.1 51.3 204 105.2 86.7 37.8 198.5 89

58.95 98 2.99 130.2 1.54 34.2 7 16.8 15 3.77 0.63 1.6 0.54 83 1.07 12.78 20.1 51.95 204 110 86.7 38 199.7 89.5

58 96.4 2.81 127.5 1.45 33.7 7 16.52 14.72 3.58 0.62 1.58 0.53 81.25 1.03 12.06 20.1 51.3 204 105.2 86.6 37.55 192 89

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP RFM CORP ROXAS AND CO ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VULCAN INDL

38.3 14.6 0.58 1.25 20.7 0.233 114.7 3.06 16.98 248 50.4 23.75 56.9 65 1.95 5 9.8 10.8 15.96 11.8 7.18 5.28 1.76 14.9 64.15 19.2 8.8 15.94 2.14 285 5.12 3.41 16.78 26.85 12.48 22.2 334 0.186 6.55 2.36 4.2 9.28 5.93 7.9 1.4 12.62 50.5 6.2 4.7 2.6 3.6 1.8 12.6 69.3 5.47 0.134 0.98 136 2.87 0.82

38.3 14.62 0.59 1.25 20.9 0.233 114.7 3.07 16.98 248 50.7 23.95 56.9 65 2 5.03 9.98 10.92 15.98 11.8 7.2 5.28 1.76 15.28 64.15 19.2 8.9 16.18 2.19 285 5.12 3.41 17.68 27.1 12.86 22.75 335 0.19 6.6 2.4 4.22 9.43 5.99 7.96 1.41 12.62 50.5 6.2 4.7 2.74 3.8 1.8 13.28 69.3 5.49 0.136 0.98 136 3.15 0.82

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP BHI HLDG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION REPUBLIC GLASS SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.25 64.45 13.22 0.93 6.35 0.69 0.71 948 1,401 6.3 10.66 7.5 1,003 7.11 58.5 0.59 4.3 21.05 0.59 4.84 0.037 1.13 3.19 2.9 143.5 2.55 860 0.8 1.6 500 260 0.215 0.199

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CEBU PROP A CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE

7.4 1.03 13.36 2.02 0.82 42 3.48 4.81 5.95 6 0.45 1.09 0.98 0.225 0.42 30.6 0.63 1.58 1.27

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS VISTA LAND

1.1 4.82 0.68 0.44 0.52 2.6 29.2 19.9 1.99 3.31 38.2 1.07 9.1 6.29

1.11 4.82 0.7 0.44 0.52 2.8 29.2 20.3 2.03 3.33 38.25 1.13 9.37 6.5

1.07 4.71 0.67 0.42 0.5 2.58 29.2 19.76 1.99 3.28 37.8 1.07 9.1 6.29

1.1 4.71 0.69 0.425 0.52 2.6 29.2 20.3 1.99 3.31 38 1.12 9.34 6.5

1,598,000 5,128,000 81,176,000 1,380,000 6,569,000 6,647,000 200 547,500 107,000 14,000 12,255,400 4,752,000 104,700 4,226,300

1,746,680 24,244,910 55,988,820 583,800 3,332,270 17,605,120 5,840 10,999,806 213,640 46,350 465,479,970 5,232,540 961,310 27,193,226

-10,824,280 -762,770 -105,000 -2,530,000 -1,013,210 2,106,642.00 67,860 225,334,110 -37,625 4,982,941

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN BRIA HARBOR STAR INTL CONTAINER IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA BULLETIN MANILA JOCKEY MELCO RESORTS METRO RETAIL NOW CORP PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRANSPACIFIC BR TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

15.5 27 1.38 0.445 0.047 11.86 0.056 88.6 7.26 7.36 2.11 21 1,590 5.61 300.6 3.64 83.2 13.02 7.56 0.115 1.41 3.69 15.04 4.41 1.04 26.9 0.53 4.1 6.13 3 11.36 9.35 2.9 131 5.75 1,421 1.03 0.375 46.95 87 7.5 2.17 1.15 0.44 4.81 0.83 11.04

15.9 27 1.38 0.465 0.047 11.9 0.056 88.7 7.59 7.84 2.11 21.5 1,600 5.63 306 4.11 84.8 13.3 8.2 0.115 1.41 3.75 15.74 4.42 1.05 27.05 0.53 4.11 6.2 3.03 11.36 9.79 2.9 131 5.87 1,422 1.04 0.375 47.7 87.15 7.6 2.2 1.23 0.485 4.82 0.84 11.34

15.2 26.65 1.38 0.445 0.044 11.74 0.054 86.8 7.26 7.36 2.11 18.1 1,526 5.58 299 3.64 83 13.02 7.56 0.115 1.36 3.54 15.04 4.33 1.04 26.75 0.53 4.1 5.84 2.99 10.52 9.35 2.85 130 5.61 1,375 1.02 0.375 46.85 86 7.22 2.15 1.15 0.435 4.75 0.81 11

SERVICES 15.5 26.7 1.38 0.45 0.046 11.8 0.054 87.2 7.5 7.84 2.11 19.9 1,533 5.63 306 4.06 83.2 13.3 8.2 0.115 1.36 3.6 15.74 4.35 1.05 26.8 0.53 4.11 5.91 3 10.74 9.79 2.85 130 5.8 1,380 1.02 0.375 47.7 87.15 7.22 2.17 1.2 0.485 4.75 0.82 11.3

30,400 56,100 1,000 1,520,000 4,600,000 9,668,400 17,120,000 70,270 1,264,700 600 1,000 219,500 48,185 293,900 9,330 2,908,000 1,093,140 2,300 200 20,000 20,000 92,000 3,600 988,000 94,000 537,000 1,000 14,000 4,618,700 168,000 33,860,900 300 47,000 1,100 264,200 99,490 4,963,000 210,000 397,100 185,800 16,400 227,000 1,036,000 85,870,000 9,748,000 1,819,000 1,370,000

467,744 1,504,310 1,380 677,950 206,300 114,365,588 926,080 6,185,735 9,458,646 4,464 2,110 4,362,828 73,908,705 1,648,500 2,827,796 11,578,720 90,987,775.50 30,000 1,576 2,300 27,450 340,470 56,454 4,310,710 98,160 14,446,485 530 57,500 27,701,289 503,520 369,488,568 2,893 135,360 143,094 1,508,776 138,608,345 5,077,160 78,750 18,731,745 16,086,610 121,174 493,610 1,232,260 39,986,100 46,432,130 1,493,260 15,423,034

3,056 18,000 -46,511,318 -29,160 -4,332,167.50 -2,038,882 179,540 -41,220,625 -8,970 614,000 -3,476,574.50 -7,050 93,150 6,785,485 3,965,909 -53,940 -2,998,500 14,307 -22,395 -10,862,700 -209,250 -746,975 -12,271,327 -171,950 -241,500 89,500 -39,271,540 -3,008,796.00

69,400 2,484,990 434,740 1,818 11,060 923,940 9,150 1,950,650 131,730 17,720 21,040 101,100 78,000 5,700 9,799,530 187,400 80,640 88,080 78,200 76,700 62,000 1,192,542 20,043,192 59,571,390

15,800 -318,790 -33,280 -28,960 -21,040.00 -1,465,620 16,900 211,507 -604,364 -39,749,200

NAME

PROPERTY 7.25 1.02 13.9 2.02 0.8 41.3 3.48 4.88 6.1 6 0.44 1.09 0.99 0.227 0.42 30.55 0.62 1.57 1.26

1,841,900 3,356,000 1,900 2,000 2,970,000 4,470,700 99,000 207,000 41,000 100 18,780,000 55,000 18,000 11,210,000 30,000 123,000 909,000 18,084,000 465,000

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING ATOK BENGUET A CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A MANILA MINING B MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO OMICO CORP ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A PHILODRILL PHINMA PETRO PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING

0.0027 1.58 4.14 18.18 1.58 1.65 0.305 2.39 0.186 0.138 0.141 0.0084 0.0052 1.44 4.75 1.18 0.52 0.86 0.013 0.012 2 5.17 11.68 28.55

0.0029 1.6 4.15 18.18 1.58 1.69 0.305 2.39 0.186 0.138 0.141 0.0085 0.0052 1.44 4.85 1.18 0.53 0.88 0.013 0.013 2 5.17 12.36 28.6

0.0027 1.58 4.14 18.18 1.58 1.65 0.305 2.36 0.18 0.136 0.14 0.0084 0.0052 1.42 4.73 1.05 0.52 0.86 0.012 0.012 2 5.1 11.5 27.9

MINING & OIL 0.0029 25,000,000 1.6 1,562,000 4.14 105,000 18.18 100 1.58 7,000 1.66 553,000 0.305 30,000 2.39 820,000 0.18 730,000 0.136 130,000 0.14 150,000 0.0085 12,000,000 0.0052 15,000,000 1.42 4,000 4.85 2,029,000 1.1 172,000 0.53 155,000 0.87 101,000 0.013 6,500,000 0.013 6,200,000 2 31,000 5.11 233,100 12.2 1,703,300 28 2,116,000

ABS HLDG PDR DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF PCOR PREF 2A PNX PREF 3A SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

25.65 101 108 504.5 5.45 988 100 1.07 1,022 103 980 77.1 79.9 76 77 77

25.8 101 108 504.5 5.46 990 100.3 1.07 1,022 103 980 77.1 79.95 76 77 77

25.6 101 107.1 504.5 5.45 983 97 1.07 1,022 103 975 77.1 79.5 76 77 77

PREFERRED 25.6 193,200 101 50,900 107.1 1,990 504.5 1,920 5.46 20,100 990 5,090 97.7 40,500 1.07 8,000 1,022 3,470 103 750 975 5,000 77.1 30 79.5 25,040 76 11,470 77 7,500 77 4,000

4,972,045 5,140,900 214,911 968,640 109,546 5,017,420 3,973,405 8,560 3,546,340 77,250 4,880,000 2,313 1,994,823 871,720 577,500 308,000

-38,490 -4,918,420 48,750 -

LR WARRANT

2.55

2.65

2.55

WARRANTS 2.6 209,000

538,660

ITALPINAS XURPAS

5 3.18

5 3.2

4.91 3.13

4.95 3.16

4,021,551 5,138,310

-111,356 -266,410

FIRST METRO ETF

117.7

117.9

117.5

2,533,577

152,949.60 2,040

USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.2 1.02

10.26 1.02

TRADING SUMMARY

FINANCIAL

10,382,627

INDUSTRIAL

67,225,413

HOLDING FIRMS

71,778,585

PROPERTY

189,794,606

SERVICES

186,313,846

MINING & OIL

76,796,383

GRAND TOTAL

604,761,121

10.2 1.02

SME

814,700 1,632,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 117.5 21,550 DDS 10.26 1.02

14,910 2,000

VALUE 1,882.51 (down) 11.54 693,484,733.25 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,974.36 (up) 79.33 1,146,927,486.82 HOLDING FIRMS 7,506.16 (up) 31.84 1,142,530,950.71 PROPERTY 3,820.46 (down) 17.67 1,512.16 (down) 6.75 976,279,841.315 SERVICES MINING & OIL 9,744.15 (up) 33.82 1,028,471,370.865 PSEI 7,647.51 (down) 5.02 97,447,594.8455 All Shares Index 4,654.67 (up) 7.32 5,096,840,274.42 Gainers: 95; Losers: 92; Unchanged: 56; Total: 243

PSE approves RCBC’s P15-b rights offering By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange approved the P15-billion stock rights offering of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. of the Yuchengco Group. The PSE said it approved the listing of up to 540 million additional RCBC shares under the rights offering to all stockholders of record as of June 14. RCBC expects to raise gross proceeds of up to P15 billion, which it will use to support the increase in the capital stock to P28 billion from P16 billion and to comply with the minimum capital thresholds required by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The offering is also expected to support the growth in the risk assets of the bank over the next three years. The offering price, to be set on June 7, will be based on the 10-day volume weighted average price of RCBC subject to a discount. The offering period is scheduled from June 25 to 29, with the tentative listing date on Aug. 3. The bank tapped Credit Suisse Ltd and UBS as global coordinators and international underwriters of the offering. The Yuchengco Group of Companies and Cathay Life Insurance Co Ltd., the two largest shareholders of the bank, earlier committed to subscribe to their proportionate share of of the stock rights. “The bank believes it is well positioned to capitalize on the economic growth of the Philippines, which the bank expects to be conducive to further the loan expansion across the industry segments and consumer spending,” the bank said. RCBC said it would focus on consumer, SMEs, the middle market and micro ﬁnance sectors in a bid to ensure sustainable loan growth. It also intends to invest in technology to improve customer experience, broader investor base and increase operational efﬁciency. RCBC is the third bank to conduct a rights offering this year. Early this year, Bank of the Philippine Islands of the Ayala Group raised P50 billion while Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. of tycoon George Ty generated P60 billion from their respective rights offering.

UnionBank says Q1 profit is sustainable By Julito G Rada UNION Bank of the Philippines, the country’s ninth-largest lender in terms of assets and controlled by the Aboitiz Group, is optimistic of sustaining this year the double-digit growth in net income posted in the first quarter this year. UnionBank president Edwin Bautista said at the sidelines of the annual stockholders’ meeting in Pasig City on Friday the recent move of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to cut again the reserve requirement to 18 percent from 19 percent on Thursday was a positive thing. “I think the growth in the first quarter (of 33 percent in net income) could be sustained this year,” Bautista said. “I think the economy is robust and the banks can grow out of it,” Bautista said. UnionBank earlier announced a plan to raise an additional capital of P10 billion through a stock rights offering. Union Bank officials said a one-tranche SRO would be conducted in July 2018. Net income jumped 33 percent to P2.9 billion in the first quarter from P2.2 billion a year ago, backed by sustained growth in its core businesses. Net revenue rose 21.5 percent to P6.9 billion. The strong earnings resulted in an annualized return on equity and return on assets of 15.9 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively. The bank sustained double-digit growth in terms of customer businesses. Total loans rose 15.9 percent to P293.1 billion year-on-year, with consumer loans accounting for 34 percent of total loan portfolio. Total assets climbed 17.3 percent year-on-year to P608.4 billion. Deposits reached P439.6 billion with CASA accounting for more than one-third of total deposits. Asset growth was also supported by the successful $500-million medium term notes issuance in November last year. “Given our positive earnings performance in the first quarter, we are confident that we can attain our fullyear target. We recognized gains from our investment portfolio following the adoption of the new PFRS 9 accounting standards,” UnionBank treasurer and chief financial officer Jose Emmanuel Hilado said in a statement.

World IN BRIEF Taiwan scrambles jets to track China drill TAIPEI—Taiwan on Friday scrambled fighter jets to shadow Chinese bombers conducting a drill around the island, just hours after Beijing welcomed Burkina Faso’s move to sever diplomatic ties with Taipei. Taiwan’s defenSe ministry said it had dispatched fighter jets to monitor two Chinese H-6 bombers that were flying over the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan and the Miyako Strait, near Japan’s Okinawa Island. “We are fully monitoring the situation and taking efficient responsive measures to ensure defenSe security,” it said in a statement. The scrambling comes a day after Burkina Faso became the second of Taiwan’s dwindling number of formal allies to jump ship to Beijing in a month. China has increased diplomatic and military pressure on the selfruled island, which it views as a wayward province to be reunified by force if necessary. Relations have deteriorated between Beijing and Taipei since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power two years ago as her government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of “one China”. Tsai’s tenure has already seen the loss of three allies to China, with the Dominican Republic, Panama, and Sao Tome and Principe all switching allegiance since 2016. Although it was not immediately clear if Burkina Faso and China would establish diplomatic relations, Beijing has welcomed the move by the west African state. AFP

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

$28.6m seized on Najib properties K UALA LUMPUR―Malaysian police said Friday they seized over 400 handbags and cash amounting to almost $30 million in raids on luxury apartments as they probed corruption allegations swirling around ousted leader Najib Razak. The money and a vast trove of handbags, as well as watches and jewelry, were found in two condominiums in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 12 locations, including the ex-leader’s home, were searched by police last week as part of an investigation into the scandal surrounding a sovereign wealth fund. After more than six decades in power, Najib’s coalition was defeated by a reformist alliance headed by his former mentor Mahathir Mohamad in the May 9 election. Public disgust at the allegations of cor-

ruption linked to Najib was a major factor in the upset, with the ex-leader, his family and cronies accused of looting the state fund 1MDB. There had been much speculation about what the seized goods consisted of and how much they were worth after ﬁve trucks were reportedly brought in to help move the stash. Giving an update, the police’s head of commercial crime Amar Singh said: “From the money found, there were 26 currencies, the total amount as of yesterday is 114 million (ringgit) ($28.6 million).” The money was found in 35 bags at

one apartment while another 37 bags at the same location contained watches and jewelry, he told a press conference. A total of 284 boxes containing designer handbags were found in that condominium. Police also seized about 150 handbags from another apartment in the same complex where Najib’s daughter was staying. Many of the handbags were believed to be Hermes Birkins-a favorite of Najib’s luxury-loving, widely despised wife Rosmah Mansor―and Singh said pictures of the bags would be sent to Hermes in Paris to get an estimate of their value. The seizure of the luxury goods further increased public scorn for Rosmah, long reviled by Malaysians for her perceived haughty demeanor and reported vast collection of designer bags, clothing and jewelry. Her love of overseas shopping trips, as middle class Malaysians struggled with rising living costs, added to a sense of spreading, deeply-entrenched rot in the

Weinstein set to surrender to NY authorities

Nationwide truckers’ strike paralyzes Brazil BRASILIA—The Brazilian government and transport unions struck a deal late Thursday to halt for 15 days a nationwide truckers’ strike that has caused severe shortages of fuel and food in some areas. The union heads “commit to suspending the strike movement for 15 days, when a new meeting with the government will be held,” announced President Michel Temer’s chief of staff Eliseu Padilha, on the night of the fourth straight day of road blockades that threatened to paralyze the vast South American country. After seven hours of negotiations, the government pledged to abolish at least one tax on diesel and implement subsidies to maintain a temporary 10 percent fuel price reduction announced Wednesday by state oil company Petrobras. Truckers had attempted to put a stranglehold on the movement of goods in Brazil to protest fuel price hikes—blocking main roads in 26 of the 27 states in the large country, which has only limited rail services. Earlier on Thursday, airports and gas stations were running out of fuel, food prices were spiraling and agricultural exports were hit. The increases are the result of a politically sensitive decision made in late 2016 to allow the Petrobras oil giant autonomy over its pricing, as well as a rise in world prices in recent weeks. But the determination of the truckers caught center-right President Michel Temer’s government flat-footed, five months ahead of presidential elections. AFP

Iran’s nuclear deal signatories to meet VIENNA—The signatories of the Iran nuclear deal meet with the Islamic republic in Vienna on Friday in a bid to save the agreement two weeks after Washington’s dramatic withdrawal. For the first time since the deal came into force in 2015, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany will gather—at Iran’s request—without the United States, which pulled out on May 8. US President Donald Trump has long trashed the deal with Iran—concluded under his predecessor Barack Obama—saying it did not do enough to curtail Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. He also said it did not go far enough in restricting Iran’s ballistic missile program, or its intervention in regional conflicts from Yemen to Iraq and Syria. Since the US’s pull out, the other signatories have since embarked on a diplomatic marathon to try to keep the agreement afloat. According to a report seen by AFP Thursday, an International Atomic Energy Agency report shows Iran is still abiding by the deal’s key restrictions on its nuclear facilities in return for relief from damaging economic sanctions. AFP

country’s long-ruling elite. Najib’s defeated party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO, meanwhile insisted the seized cash was party funds, which the ousted leader had intended to return to the party. “Political funding is allowed under our laws,” said a party statement. “As such, UMNO seeks to recover these funds and requests the police to release these funds and return them to the party after completion of all due process and investigations by the relevant authorities.” Najib’s fall from grace has been swift and hard. He has been barred from leaving the country and has been questioned by antigraft investigators over claims 1MDB money ended up in his bank accounts, and looks likely to be charged. Najib and the fund deny any wrongdoing. AFP

AT THE SUMMIT. In this photo taken on May 17, 2018, mountaineers and sherpas look from the top of Mount Everest in Nepal. AFP

France charges two ex-spies with passing secrets PARIS―Two former French spies, one of whom was reportedly posted in Beijing, have been charged with passing intelligence to a “foreign power”, a disclosure that has rocked the country’s intelligence services. Defense Minister Florence Parly, who oversees the country’s General Directorate for External Security (DGSE), said Friday that she was not in a position to identify the country that recruited the agents, who were discovered and indicted in December. “Two French agents in our service and probably one of the spouses of these agents are accused of serious acts likely to be considered acts of treason, on suspicions of delivering information to a foreign power,” Parly told CNews television. “I can’t say much else,” she added. “France has partners but we live in a dangerous world, and unfortunately these

types of things can happen.” French media reports, citing sources close to the inquiry, said China is suspected. Parly said the agents were “quite likely” still in service at the time but investigators were still determining how long they had been passing along intelligence. She also declined to specify the nature of compromised information, nor to reveal if the two agents were working together. A judicial source told AFP late Thursday that two of the three suspects are being prosecuted for “delivering to a foreign power information that undermines the fundamental interests of the nation” and “compromising the secrecy of national defense”. “One of them has also been charged for direct incitement to the crime of treason,” the source added.

The third person―believed to be the wife―has been indicted for “concealment of treasonable crimes” and placed under judicial control, meaning they are subject to certain constraints pending trial, according to the same source. The armed forces ministry said: “These acts of extreme gravity have been detected by this service, which has brought these facts to its knowledge to the Paris prosecutor.” The revelations came just a few weeks after US authorities said they had indicted a former Central Intelligence Agency operative on charges of spying for China, following his arrest in January. France’s domestic intelligence service, the General Directorate for Internal Security, ﬁrst discovered the suspected double agents, before alerting the defense ministry, which began its own investigations. AFP

NEW YORK―Fallen Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was expected to turn himself in to New York police on Friday to face sex crime charges, nearly eight months after his career imploded in a blaze of assault accusations and triggered the global #MeToo movement. US media reported that the former power broker―once the toast of Hollywood, with his films winning scores of Oscars―had been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. The New York Post said he would surrender to police, where he would likely have his mugshot and fingerprints taken, before being taken to a Manhattan court, where experts predicted he would plead not guilty. Weinstein will put up $1 million in cash and will agree to wear a monitoring device, according to the New York Times. His travel will be restricted and he will surrender his passport. The Manhattan district attorney’s office and New York police have investigated Weinstein for months, coming under growing pressure from the Time’s Up movement to bring the disgraced producer to justice. Any court appearance on Friday would mark the first criminal charges filed against the twice-married, shamed former studio boss. CNN, citing an unnamed source, reported Thursday evening that Weinstein would be charged with raping a woman and forcing another to perform oral sex on him. The New York Times and New York Daily News had earlier reported the charges against Weinstein would relate to at least one accuser, Lucia Evans, who said he forced her into oral sex in 2004. Ben Brafman, Weinstein’s powerful defense attorney, declined to comment Thursday. Neither the district attorney’s office nor the police department immediately responded to requests to comment. Police have, however, previously confirmed an active Weinstein investigation regarding Evans, who was an aspiring actress at the time. New York police have also confirmed a credible rape allegation against Weinstein after “Boardwalk Empire” actress Paz de la Huerta accused him of raping her twice at her New York apartment in late 2010.AFP

Foreign interference in Australia ‘unprecedented,’ says spy chief SYDNEY―Australia’s spy chief has issued a new warning that foreign interference and espionage in the country had reached “unprecedented” levels that could cause “catastrophic harm” to Canberra’s interests. Duncan Lewis, head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, did not single out any speciﬁc country but his remarks coincided with a sharp escalation of concerns over Chinese interference in domestic politics. Lewis, in remarks in parliament late Thursday, said the “current scale of foreign intelligence activity ... is unprecedented”. He said foreign actors were targeting privileged and classiﬁed information on Australia’s alliances, partnerships and positions on diplomatic, economic and military issues. Information on energy, mineral resources and science and technology innovations was also of interest, he added. “Espionage, interference, sabotage and

malicious insider activities can inflict catastrophic harm on our country’s interests,” Lewis told a parliamentary hearing in Canberra. “It undermines potentially our sovereignty, our security and our prosperity... The grim reality is there are more foreign intelligence officers today than during the Cold War, and they have more ways of attacking us.” Lewis backed efforts by the government to pass wide-ranging reforms to strengthen and modernize laws when investigating and prosecuting alleged political meddling. Under the proposed laws, a transparency scheme would also require people to declare which foreign actors they are working for. Lewis’ remarks follow allegations raised by senior politician Andrew Hastie on Tuesday that a billionaire ChineseAustralian businessman, a major political donor, had been identified by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation as a coconspirator in a plot to bribe a top UN official. AFP

CULTURAL FESTIVAL. The sails of Sydney’s Opera House are illuminated with lights at the start of the Vivid Sydney festival in Sydney on May 25, 2018. Vivid Sydney is an outdoor cultural festival featuring light installations and projections with the annual event this year running from May 25 to June 16. AFP

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018

Point Blue is on point,

with microstudio concept

Launches second young professionals ‘living space’ in MM

ONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY, Taguig—-Point Blue, Inc., an up and coming builder of integrated microstudio ‘living spaces’ in the Philippines, recently launched Ricarte BGC, a sixstory building that offers 100 units for rent within walking distance of Bonifacio Global City, and a 10-minute ride to the Makati Central Business District.

JR Yujuico, CEO of Point Blue, Inc., said his development,located along General Ricarte Street in the South Cembo district of Makati City, meets the growing demand of young professionals looking for affordable living spaces near their workplace, without sacriﬁcing privacy, style and convenience. “Developments like these target mostly young professionals making, say, P50k per month…people who tend to spend 20 of their income in rental costs,” Yujuico told the Manila Standard. He acknowledged that the spectrum of his clients tend to get a wider with students, professionals and even some transient tourists thrown in, who grab short-term leases (usually six months to a year) on his microstudio units. “We screen our prospective tenants strictly to ensure we get the right mix, or balance of clients,” he pointed out. “We were overwhelmed and encouraged by the positive response of the market to our ﬁrst building, Bonifacio Point, that is why we are ramping up construction of our other projects within the vicinity of the Makati and Taguig CBD’s,” he said. “The same design, accessibility, high-speed internet connection and excellent service await residents of Ricarte BGC.” For P10,500 to P12,800 all-in rental

“THE BUILDING WITH MANY WINDOWS.” Local tricycle drivers immediately know where a ride is going from Point Blue’s ubiquitous design. Microstudio builder Yujuico poses in front of one of his “brownstone’ inspired developments.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME. A furnished Point Blue unit.

per month residents get a microstudio unit that is fully-furnished with a 6-inch mattress, blinds, underbed and hanging storage, cabinet, airconditioner, microwave oven, kitchenette with sink, chair and table, toilet, bidet shower with heater, and access to high-speed internet connection, similar to those used by BPO companies to minimize downtime. All microstudios are adequately ventilated and include soundprooﬁng to give residents peace and privacy. Rental prices are dependent on the ﬂoor location and the size of the unit which are around 11 sqm. “For our projects, we usually roll out a P40 to P50 million capex,” Yujuico said. “But we’re able to break even pretty quickly just with 30 percent occupancy.” The young entrepreneur said he was inspired to embark on microstudio living spaces when he was a student in New York, and lived in small brownstone apartments in the city which were affordable to transients like him. “I believed my business model would work

here in the Philippines what with more people entering the workforce, the rapid urbanization and booming population growth in the country. Meanwhile, everybody is downsizing in terms of living accommodations—no more than 300 square meters,” he explained. How does he keep costs down, and manageable? “Property management is done in-house to ensure service excellence,” he said. “Residents will also feel very safe living in Ricarte BGC with the biometric door access and 32 high-deﬁnition surveillance cameras keeping a watchful eye on all common areas,” he added. Looking forward, Yujuico plans to build three more developments in the city, while monitoring the local real estate scene closely. “Our biggest concern is land prices. For now, P30K per square meters is ideal for us to plan construction. But i look forward to the challenge of negotiating unexpected movements in the business, and planning accordingly,” he told the Manila Standard.

GRAND SLAM. SM Keppel Land won in eight categories at the recent 6th PropertyGuru Philippines property awards. It bagged the most wins for any developer this year, including best universal design development, best retail development, best office development, best mixed use development, best landscape architectural design, best retail architectural design, best office architectural design and best green development for the revamped Podium complex in Ortigas Centre. The Podium project is jointly developed by Keppel Land and BDO. A DESIRE NAMED HOME! Real estate website Lamudi Philippines is holding the second installment of the its highly successful affordable housing fair at the Glorietta Activity Center on June 30 and July 1. The event will bring together some of the biggest real estate names in the country under one roof. “There is a great demand for affordable residential properties, which is why we are excited now for the second year of the affordable housing fair series,” said Lamudi CEO and managing director Bhavna Suresh Chathambeth. Several low-cost residential options will be presented by the most prominent property brands brands in the country. These include Ayala Land, Filinvest, Data Land, and Profriends, among others. Investors who are in the market for foreclosures, will have the chance to purchase their dream home during the event’s property auctions. The fair will host a number of speakers who will give buying, selling, and investment tips. Talks covering everything from investing to applying for a home loan will be hosted by real estate brokers and government representatives.

CHINESE CONNECTION. The Ascott Limited (Ascott), is stepping up the expansion of its Citadines brand in China through a joint venture with one of China’s leading hotel operators Huazhu Hotels Group (Huazhu) and Huazhu’s subsidiary and an apartment rental firm, CJIA Apartments Group (CJIA). The joint venture will focus on growing Citadines in the first-tier Chinese cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen for the initial years. Ascott Limited secured its first property in the Pudong district of Shanghai, which will come under the Citadines brand and enjoys easy access to the city’s financial district. “The joint venture will fast-track Ascott’s growth in China and accelerate the boost in recurring fee income given the shorter timeframe to open a new property,” said Kevin Goh, Ascott’s chief executive officer. The joint venture with Huazhu and CJIA comes hot on the heels of Ascott’s recent partnership with specialty township developer Riverside Group to launch serviced residences in Zhejiang, Chongqing and future riverside themed towns in other key Chinese cities.

CEBU ‘GREEN’ MOVER AND SHAKER.

ArthaLand Corporation—through Cebu Lavana Land, its joint venture with Hong Kong investment firm ARCH Capital Management—recently bagged the Best Office Development (Cebu) plum at the 6th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards 2018, for its Cebu Exchange project, along with several high commendations for Best BPO Development and Best Office Architectural Design. Cebu Exchange is ArthaLand’s first office condominium and its first development outside of Metro Manila. It is registered with the Philippine Green Building Council and is on track for a BERDE (Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence) certification. “The recognitions will serve as an additional catalyst to establish Cebu as a hub for green and sustainable buildings,” said Leo Po, executive vice president and treasurer of ArthaLand (Inset). Being a multi-awarded green certified developer, ArthaLand os ostensibly intent on delivering a legacy of experiential fulfilment by being focused, approachable, and creative through leadership in sustainability.

TELECOMS-BUILDER TIE-UP. Digital services provider PLDT recently partnered with real estate developer Daiichi Properties to power the fixed and wireless telecommunications infrastructure of the latter’s high-rise buildings. PLDT equipped Daiichi’s buildings with the high-speed network connectivity of fiber, which also feature high resolution video capabilities, as well as other telecommunications services. “We take pride in partnering with Daiichi Properties to provide the latest communications infrastructure for all its building projects in the country,” said PLDT AVP and head of building industry consultancy services Ronaldo David R. Mendoza. “As a long-time strategic partner, PLDT has provided our buildings with reliable fiber optic technology, ensuring enhanced and efficient connectivity for our tenants,” said Daiichi Properties senior vice president Charmaine Uy. Among the high-rise projects of Daiichi Properties is the World Plaza at Bonifacio Global City (BGC). It also developed One Global Place, One World Place, and the newest, The Finance Center, a 42-storey office tower, all located in BGC.

Life

Bernadette Lunas, Issue Editor manilastandardlife@gmail.com @manilastandardlife

travel and leisure

@mstandardLIFE saturday, may 26, 2018

Explore

the world’s must-see cities BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS. The spectacular Grand Palace in Bangkok, which serves as the home of the Thai King, is one of the many tourist spots in Thailand.

HE world has no shortage of stunning sights and delightful destinations. No matter where on the planet you are, there’s at least one place that offers plenty to discover and enjoy—may it be food or sites or people. For those looking at visiting Thailand, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Krabi boast rare wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and pristine beaches—perfect for nature lovers and sun chasers. Meanwhile, urbanites drawn to a city’s hustle and bustle will ap-

preciate Bangkok better with its wide array of food and shopping adventures that any traveler shouldn’t miss out on. Another must-see destinations in Asia is Vietnam’s Hanoi and Saigon, and Cambodia’s Phnom Penh, which are overflowing with landmarks that history enthusiasts and tourists

alike will surely find fascinating and Instagram-worthy. Also nearby are another backpackers’ favorites: Yangon in Myanmar and Vientiane in Laos. Featuring some of the world’s best vineyards and cultural hubs, one can discover the wonders of Australia through different cities such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. Meanwhile, Auckland in New Zealand is a mix of urbanscapes and quiet rural areas that suits various tastes— go to the city one day and to the coun-

tryside the next. Eager to discover the diverse and vibrant cultures of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the uAE? Head to cities like Bangalore, Kolata, Colombo, Dhaka, Hyderabad, Kathmandu, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, and Dubai where travelers will be met by a plethora of adventure options in every aspect, from dining to shopping to outdoor excursions. European cities are timeless beauties, for those exploring the continent for the first time, Brussels, Frankfurt, London,

Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, Rome, Zurich, Copenhagen, oslo, Stockholm, and Vienna offer varied attractions, from sumptuous food to world-famous destinations. Now, are you itching to list down the cities you want to see” Lucky for MasterCard cardholders, ticking off these destinations off their bucket lists is easier as the global payments company offers special rates on both business class and economy tickets for travel dates until Dec. 15. Booking period ends May 31.

SOX should be next

Paragliding in Sarangani province attracts adventure seekers all throughout the year

mercury rising By BoB zozoBrado

You probably are wondering what the first three letters in the title of today’s column mean. It’s the “nickname” derived from the components of our country’s Region 12, SoCCSKSARGEN. This administrative region in southcentral Mindanao is composed of four provinces and two cities (South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Cotabato Province, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City). The region also includes the cities of Kidapawan, Koronadal, and Tacurong. I have already featured the region here in my column a few years ago. However, the recent “Treasures of SoX Travel and Trade Expo” in Makati, spearheaded by Region 12 tourism director Maria Rica Bueno, led me to discover more of its “high-octane adventures” and “slices Turn to C2

Enjoy the serene attractions in Vietnam, mingle with kangaroos in Australia, revel in the stunning architecture of India, and walk on the cobblestone streets of Sweden.

The field of giant sunflowers in Mariano’s Agri-Tourism Park in Tupi, South Cotabato

Editor’s note: Mr. Zozobrado’s information on the Blue Zones, which appeared in his column, Mercury Rising, last Saturday, was obtained from Wikipedia which cited Dan Buettner’s findings published in his book, Blue Zones. More interesting information may be obtained from bluezones.com.

Life

saturday, may 26, 2018 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Private businesses

lead sustainable tourism in Bohol By Estrella Torres

KEY dimension of sustainable tourism, according to the United Nations World tourism Organization, is respect to socio cultural authenticity of the host communities as well as conservation of cultural heritage and traditional values. Bohol lives up to the values of sustainable tourism amid the challenges of pushing massive infrastructure developments with the opening of Panglao airport. Most of the new hotels and resorts opening up in the Visayan province make sure they live up to the principles of sustainability. Bohol’s attractions revolve around Filipino traditions, cultural practices, and native products made from indigenous materials.

With many destinations across Bohol’s 75 islets and 1,109 barangays— from numerous waterfalls to caves to 1,776 chocolate hills—the Bluewater Panglao Resort is fast transcending from a mere takeoff point and luxury accommodation facility to a tourism attraction itself. Just 54 rooms and six venues for various functions in a sprawling 6.2-hectare (62,000-sqm) property make more than enough space for a well-landscaped

Bluewater Panglao’s two-bedroom villa

Each room at Bluewater Panglao has a cantilevered bed and other amenities

A bridge runs across the pool linking the two premier deluxe buildings (Photo from Bluewater Panglao’s Facebook)

paradise between heaven and the deep blue sea, but all in the context and character of a true-blue Filipino. Electric carts take guests around the verdant landscape featuring indigenous plants along the footpaths and walkways leading to the accommodation and leisure facilities, restaurant, events venues, activity areas, and the 70-meter-wide beachfront. the accommodation facilities feature 46 large premier deluxe rooms, four family lofts, three one-bedroom villas and one two-bedroom villa with a dipping pool. the premier deluxe rooms alone are big at 42.22 square meters, or a total of 64 square meters including the veranda and its patch of green. the rooms are more than big enough for all the amenities that include a large flat wall tV, mini bar, a king size bed or two queen size beds, and shower and bath with a tub and walk-in closet. Even if teeming with modernity, the facilities are of a Filipino-inspired architecture inside and out, with the steel roof topped by more than six inches of cogon grass that requires regular replacement every five years. the cogon grass makes the structures not only very Filipino, but also well insulated from heat and sound. Even heavy rains cannot be heard inside. Between the two rows of two-story premier deluxe buildings nestles an almost 1,000-square meter swimming pool with a poolside bar that uniquely offers adobo and sisig pizzas. A bridge runs across the pool to link the facades of the two buildings and provide access to an island-like central platform for sunbathing. A roofed and curtained open structure on an elevated ground nearby is where guests can indulge in a relaxing massage. Another pool of 520 square meters, intended for day tours, is situated near the 120-pax capacity restaurant and coffeeshop that serves buffet breakfast and a la carte meals. Leading its bestsellers is the adobo rice in bamboo with fried pork and lechon toppings. the restaurant overlooks the beach, which is best for kayaking and snorkeling as it is just 300 meters away from a marine sanctuary. Buoys mark the perimeter of the sanctuary where the beach comes to a sudden steep drop, making a majestic coral wall out of the underwater cliff and attracting divers and marine videographers from around the world. the resort is also a favorite destination for beach weddings and many other social and corporate activities held in any of its six function rooms and activity areas—the Kawayanan hall with 200-pax table-setting capacity, Baybayon 300 pax, hardin 30, Panaman 30, Managat hall 80, and Mamsa meeting room 30—all distinguished by the topnotch services of Bluewater’s well-trained personnel. As of full-year 2017, the Bluewater Panglao Resort has drawn visitors from various parts of the Philippines, China, Korea, taiwan, United States, and Europe, according to vice president for sales and marketing Margie Munsayac. “the resort opened in 2011, endured the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in 2013 and its economic effects, and now lives on to become one of Bohol’s top resorts,” said Munsayac.

7 reasons

to go on ‘staycation’ You can use your time while on staycation to turn off your phone and just enjoy some quiet with a book and a hot cup of cocoa.

With countless deadlines, meetings, events, and other tasks one has to tackle these days, regular unwinding is now a necessity for those looking to recharge. however, many remain unconvinced with the concept of going on a staycation, let alone a vacation. For those who need more convincing, here are seven reasons why you need to schedule a well-deserved break and go on a staycation.

With no commitments on your mind, it’ll be easier to sleep in and enjoy the warmth of those fluffy sheets. A revitalizing sleep will also help bring out the best version of you.

Enjoy ‘me time’

Get a new perspective

More snooze time

You’ll get to do whatever you Discover new food joints, explore want without anyone bothering you, new places in your neighborhood. at least for a day or two. Sometimes it’s nice to be a tourist in your own city.

No chores

Since you’ll be staying in a hotel Plan that well-deserved time off or resort with a cleaning service, and enjoy the best staycation deals you don’t have to worry about mak- at hotel Sales & Marketing Assoing too much mess. ciation international’s first Great Room Sale at Glorietta 3 Activity Never leave the bed Center on May 30 to 31. Discounts if your idea of a rejuvenating va- up to 70 percent, plus room categocation is a day when you never walk ry upgrade are available when you more than 20 steps away from bed, book at these hotels and resorts: Asthen a hotel staycation is perfect for cott Residence, Astoria hotels and you. have breakfast—and lunch Resorts, Azalea hotels and Resiand dinner—in bed; or, if your hotel dences, Bayleaf hotels, BE Resorts, offers the service, have a massage Best Western hotel (La Corona right in the comfort of your room. Manila and Oxford Suites), Bluewater Resorts, Citadines Apart’hotel, Catch up on your favorite Conrad hotels, Dusit thani Maseries nila, Golden Phoenix hotel Manila, Binge on your favorite series hotel 101, island Cove, Las Casas since most hotels and resorts have Filipinas, Manila Marriott hotel, speedy internet connections. No Manila Ocean Park, Pearl Farm one’s gonna judge you even if you Beach Resort, Phinma Microtel hoend up watching three seasons. tels inc., Roxaco-Vanguard hotel, SEDA hotels, Siglo Suites, SheriA chance to unplug dan Beach Resort, Somerset SerWe’ve all, at one point or another, viced Residence, and Resorts World been a slave to our phones and social Manila. media accounts.

square meters of a five-hectare land. it has four minarets towering at a height of 43 meters, and the mosque can accommodate 1,200 worshippers at any given time. For those itching for adventure, there is world-class Paragliding at the SAFi Ranch in Maasim, Sarangani province, which will make you “fly” and enjoy the breathtaking view of Sarangani Bay and General Santos City. this extreme

the all-important briefing. the wild ride downstream goes over rocks and white From C1 water, but there’s nothing to be afraid of as the guide will be with you on the tube at all times. of unspoiled natural paradise,” certainly For tranquility and a “slice of heavdeserving another column feature. en,” there is Lake Sebu in South CotaSo, what else is there to see and do bato, an important watershed that irriin SOX? A whole lot more! Mariano’s gates the province and Sultan Kudarat. Blooming Agri-tourism Park in tupi, this is where the colorful t’boli tribe South Cotabato has a whole field of comes from. the tribe has claimed the giant sunflowers as far as your eyes lake and its surroundings as its ancan see. Another attraction for cestral domain. the Department nature lovers is the Baras Bird of tourism promotes Lake Sebu as Sanctuary in tacurong City. it is one of the prime eco-tourism desYOUR weekend CHUCkLe home to approximately 20,000 tinations in the country. bird species, including herons, Why do some shops in the US have signs But, of course, adventure-seekegrets, glossy ibis, and others “Guide Dogs Only?” Dogs can’t read and their ers have added an exciting dimenthat are believed to have origiowners are blind. sion to the otherwise serene destinated in Japan. nation. the zipline that goes over the majestic 800-feet Paniki Lake Sebu’s seven waterfalls is the Falls in Kidapawan is another “sight for sore eyes.” its crystal clear sport can be done 300 days of the year highest in Asia. “Flying” over 180 mewater is further enhanced by the rich and the site ensures a smooth take-off, ters high, the adrenaline-pumping ride flora and fauna surrounding it. the pleasant wind conditions, and a perfect will zoom you over the various falls, and is guaranteed to give you the ridearea where the falls is, used to be a flat landing spot. And for those who go for the “rough of-a-lifetime. colony of bats, thus the name, but i could go on and on and on about the when visitors increased, the winged and tumble” kind of adventure, there is White Water tubing along the 1.6-kilo- many other exciting attractions in Remammals moved away. the Sultan hassanal Bolkiah meter Pangi River in Maitum, Sarangani. gion 12, but i’ll give you the chance to Mosque, more popularly known as the For only P150, you will be provided with a discover the others on your own. One Grand Mosque, is the largest mosque in life vest, a helmet, a river guide, and your thing i know for sure, SOX will be my the country. Designed by internation- ultimate gear—the inflated interior tube next leisure destination. ally acclaimed Filipino architect Felino of a big tire. to start, you walk or ride a For feedback, I’m at Palafox at a cost of US$45 million, the horse upstream, then the guide will set bobzozobrado@gmail.com. magnificent structure occupies 5,000 you down on a narrow part of the river for

sOX...

Go on a well-deserved break at Sheridan Beach Resort in Palawan

If your idea of vacation is a day when you never walk more than 20 steps away from bed, then a hotel staycation is perfect for you.

Entertainment

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018

nickie.standard@gmail.com

DZRH appoints new VP-Station manager DEO Macalma, the iconic broadcaster popularly known for his Espesyal na Balita over DZRH, has been appointed Vice President and Station Manager of the country’s oldest surviving radio network. Macalma, also known as “Lakay” to listeners has been with DZRH since 1980, fresh from his journalism course at the Lyceum of the Philippines. He made his mark as a field reporter during the 1986 EDSA Revolution, primarily chasing tanks as instructed by then news director Rey Langit. Through the years, he evolved into a radio commentator, tackling current issues with his inimitable comic flair. But it was with his light-hearted guessing game in Espesyal na Balita that Macalma and his bubuwits gained legendary status, with first-hand reports on clandestine activities of showbiz celebrities and political figures coming from roomboys, waiters, security guards, and hospital personnel, with his tipster crew later expanding to include senators, congressmen, generals, and cabinet members themselves. It was through the

Deo Macalma, DZRH Vice President and Station Manager

titillating satire, aired to a public with a penchant for gossip, that Macalma helped the general populace become mobilized and socially aware —a style now replicated by rival stations. Since the death of DZRH top honcho Joe Taruc, Macalma has ﬁlled a void no other radioman could possibly do so, valiantly steering the news and public affairs team amid the oft-turbulent seas of radio broadcasting. His appointment as VP and Station Manager is certainly well-deserved.

‘The Predator‘ new trailer reveals return of upgraded deadliest hunters Alfie Allen, Keegan Key, Thomas Jane, Augusto Aguilera, Boyd Holbrook, and Trevante Rhodes in the reinvented franchise of 'The Predator.'

IRST trailer for 20th Century Fox’s The Predator, where a young boy unknowingly opens a path towards Earth for the most dangerous of hunters in the universe has ﬁnally been unveiled.

Helmed by blockbuster ﬁlmmaker Shane Black (Iron Man 3), The Predator is an action-packed and intensely high-octane movie that will open in Philippine cinemas on Sept. 12. The Predator trails the return of the most dangerous of creatures in the universe that continuously upgrade themselves genetically using DNA from other species making them supreme and unequal killing machines. When Rory (played by Jacob Tremblay, The Room and Wonder), activates a mysterious alien device that paves way for the predators’ return, his father and an unlikely band of crazy ex-soldiers

form an alliance to ﬁght a common unbeatable enemy to save the human race from extinction. The movie features an impressive cast that includes Olivia Munn (from X-Men: Apocalypse, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Ocean’s 8), Boyd Holbrook (Logan, Narcos), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Keegan Michael Key (Why Him?), Thomas Jane (The Punisher), Jake Busey (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight) and Alﬁe Allen (Game of Thrones). Gear up for the upcoming, no-holds-barred action extravaganza when The Predator opens in Philippine cinemas nationwide. Follow 20th Century Fox (PH) on Facebook and 20thcenturyfoxph on Instagram and YouTube. For trailer links: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztuoos9A4Vw (YouTube); and https://www.facebook. com/20thcenturyfoxphilippines/videos/10160376015145582/ (Facebook).

A fun run for cause Prince Harry and Meghan Markle delight audience across the globe with their first public kiss as royal couple.

Simply Red... From C4

We all know that before Meghan Markle became the ﬁancée of UK’s Prince Harry, she was an actor and she was in the popular series Suits. If you want to see her as Rachel Zane in the series, watch Suits (Season 1) which is airing now on Blue Ant Entertainment TV. You’ll never see her onscreen again as an actor, so watch this now. She quit acting for good to be a member of the British royal family. See why Prince Harry fell in love with her. *** I wonder why many Filipinos, and sometimes that include myself, can’t help but criticize what they see on TV. During the coverage of the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Saturday last week, I saw a lot of negative posts on FB about the wedding. Some were bashing the bride’s gown (by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy), the lengthy (14 minutes) sermon of the the Most Reverend Michael Curry, presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church (the American member church of the Anglican Communion). Its unexpected length caused the service to overrun by eight minutes. But, I posted on FB “ Can’t we just be

spectators and not critics?” After all, we couldn’t alter what was going on or even tell the Prince and Meghan to change what was in the programme. As one friend always said before, “Let it be na lang. Di ba.” If that was your wedding, then you could do something not like what you saw on TV, maybe even better, but please make sure it’s better or the joke will be on you. I’d like to commend CNN’s team of anchors, correspondents and contributors that covered the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – Anderson Cooper, Alisyn Camerota and Don Lemon along with CNN’s Royal correspondent Max Foster, CNNI anchor Richard Quest, senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward and fashion expert Joe Zee. Also the CNN Royal commentators Victoria Arbiter and Kate Williams, culture commentator Bonnie Greer, CNN contributor and author Sally Bedell Smith, Prince Harry biographer Angela Levin and Boston University dean and Megan Markle’s former theater professor at Northwestern University, Dr. Harvey Young. Reporting throughout the day from various locations and events around Windsor, were CNN reporters Kate Bennett, Jason Carroll, Bianca Nobilo, Isa Soares and Nick Watt. That was how a news channel covers a Royal Wedding and that’s how anchors and commentators behave by not trivializing the event.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, May 26, 2018

ACROSS 1 Luncheonette list 5 Spock portrayer 10 Mesh 14 Tentative project 15 Spud source 16 Where Japan is 17 Do a personnel job 18 Road shoulders 19 Mickey’s creator 20 Tightrope walker 22 Calls to mind 24 Drum sound 25 Calcutta nanny 26 Hold dear 28 Sprat 32 Dried fruit 33 Rather 34 Bad prefix 35 Tedious 36 Food-processor setting 37 Play in the kiddie pool 38 Kimono fastener 39 Gets better 40 Get going 41 Gently 43 Not pickled 44 An astringent 45 Egg layers 46 Pottery frag-

ments 49 Excuse 52 Russell or Vonnegut 53 Not sensible 55 Put down carpet 57 Dot on the ocean 58 “The Moon Is Blue” star 59 Dublin’s land 60 Wearing boots 61 Clearing 62 Tucked in DOWN 1 Speed meas. 2 Essay byline 3 DEA operative 4 Dead accurate 5 Snack 6 Perfect 7 Shopping plaza 8 Resistance unit 9 El Capitan locale 10 You bet! in Bonn 11 Meryl, in “Out of Africa” 12 Ill humor 13 Refreshments 21 Move like lava 23 Vessel used to display cut flowers 25 Ram, in astrol-

ogy 26 Unmanned spacecraft 27 Minor quarrel (hyph.) 28 Big and strong 29 Film projection 30 Rock bottom 31 Hidden valley 32 Author’s need 33 Second thought 36 Reading 37 Internet locales 39 Had the ownership of 40 Big bell sound

42 Flitted about 43 Self-possessed 45 Made sharp 46 Snowshoes alternative 47 Sudden silence 48 Singer — Guthrie 49 Type of bean 50 Conceited 51 Tan shade 54 Nothing at all 56 Unit of weight for nails

WHY do I like artistas? Let me count the ways. It starts with the superficial, if her face can launch a thousand ships, that is a factor. If he has a well-built physique and not your ordinary handsome, and can give you doses of kilig and heat, he will have my support, definitely. But when someone supports a worthy cause and it is done not for publicity sake, this artista will have my respect and devotion, forever. One fine actress, who we get to watch every afternoon in Araw, Gabi is a perfect example of a showbiz personality giving her time, efforts and love for the greater good. Ara Mina and her well-meaning friends will embark on “Tara Na Sa Arena 2018” tomorrow at the Philippine Sports Arena, in Bocaue, Bulacan. Clad in all black number, Dolce and Gabbana top and denims, Ara explains the reason for the fun run, “It is for the benefit of Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines. My youngest sister, Mina Princess Klenk, we fondly call her Batching, has Down syndrome.” Mina carries on, “She is my lucky charm. Let me share this recollection, when she was not born yet, pumila talaga ako sa audition para sa Ang TV. Grabe ang pila, ang haba, sobrang init. I fainted while ‘in the line.’ ‘Pag gising ko na lang, kaharap ko na si Sir Johnny Manahan and he was asking me if I am okay. Sadly, hindi ako nakapasa. When Batching was born, that was the time I auditioned for That’s Entertainment, and nakapasa ako and nagtuloy-tuloy ang aking showbiz career. Since dumating siya sa buhay namin, ang swerte ko sa karera, tuloy-tuloy.” Apart from her celebrity friends who will run with her, a bazaar and concert are some of the adds on participants should look forward to. Ace runner and coach Rio dela Cruz, a

ARIAS ALWIN IGNACIO partner and supporter of the fun run says, “I think this is the ﬁrst time that there will be a fun run happening in the North. Maganda ang takbuhan dito sa Philippine Arena. For this one, there will be a 500 meter, 3km., 5km and 10km running course.” Ara shares, ‘‘May kids with down syndrome rin who will participate in the 500 meter event. We are starting the run at 5:00 p.m. para tamang-tama lang yung kondisyon to run. Ang health

and wellness of the people with Down syndrome ang highlighted dito eh. We want to show every one that they are active, disciplined, friendly and sporty.” The dramatic actress has been a staunch supporter of the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines, she relates, “Dati, nag-concert ako, sila ang naging beneﬁciary. Every year, since the concert that happened twelve years ago, lagi ko silang sinusoportahan. Ngayon nga lang ulit na may ganito, and I do hope marami ang sumama at maki-takbo with us especially the families who have kids like Batching.” For those who are interested, they may still register on www.runrio.com or visit the following sites: Toby›s Sports, Hazelberry Cafe and Philippine Arena.

Ara Mina and her sister Batching lead a fun run at the Philippine Arena Complex for the benefit of Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018

Entertainment By Nickie Wang

Anne Curtis in a scene from the latest Viva Films offering, 'Sid & Aya: Not A Love Story.'

DINGDONG, ANNE in

‘Sid & Aya (Not A Love Story)’ W E D N E S D AY was Camp Sawi that was next week, fans of followed soon after by the romantic dramas critically acclaimed Meet on the big screen Me in St. Gallen directed should be happy Sid & Aya. Already, many ISAH V. RED to know that Sid of those who enjoyed & Aya (Not A Love her first two features are Story) will open waiting for the movie to in theaters nationwide. This is a Viva open in theaters. Films project with Dingdong Dantes Based on the trailer of the movie, and Anne Curtis. Dantes and Curtis have very strong The two were in the teen-oriented chemistry as a pair on screen. They TGIS many years ago, and this project have sizzling scenes together (with the excited both of them to no end. permission from both real-life partners, Why is the tagline of the film “Not A I suppose). Love Story”? Some of the most important scenes in According to Sid, the character the movie were shot in Japan. Dantes plays in the film, “Hindi naman The cast has been on a tour to lahat ng may ‘I love you’ ay love story promote the film. Today they will be na, eh.” in Gateway Cineplex in Cubao at 4:00 Sid is an insomniac who meets a p.m. and at 6:00 p.m. they will motor mysterious woman named Aya. He asks to Ayala Malls Feliz. Tomorrow, they her to spend time with him as he battles will be at SM City Bicutan (4:00 p.m.) those long sleepless and empty nights. and SM City Sta. Rosa (6:00 p.m.). On Anne Curtis plays Aya who says that Monday, the movie will be premiered at her pairing with Dingdong after a long Trinoma at 7:30 p.m. with a red carpet time made her discover a lot of things prior to the screening. about his former co-star in TGIS. Dantes On June 7, Filipinos in the Middle also felt the same way when they were East can also watch the films, while shooting the movie. “Ang laki na ng those in the US it will be screened the ipinagbago ni Anne,” he exclaimed. day after. Pinoys in Rome and Hong Irene Villamor whose first foray Kong should watch out for the release into full length film directing for Viva dates in those cities. Continued on C3

Kapuso stars reap honors at the 49th Box-Office Entertainment Awards SEVERAL GMA personalities and programs were recognized at the 49th Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation (GMMSF) Box-Ofﬁce Entertainment Awards held last Sunday at Resorts World Manila. Kapuso Primetime King and Queen Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera were two of the night’s biggest winners as Dingdong brought home the coveted Film Actor of the Year award while Marian received the Female TV Host of the Year award. Asia’s Songbird Regine VelasquezAlcasid bagged the Female Concert Performer of the Year award while Pambansang Bae Alden Richards went home with the Male Recording Artist of the Year award. Seasoned actor Gabby Concepcion won the TV Actor of the Year award for his performance in the hit Afternoon Prime drama series Ika-6 Na Utos. Eat Bulaga!

FEW days after the victory party of her latest hit movie with Paolo Ballesteros, My 2 Mommies, multihyphenate actress Solenn Heussaff made a public appearance to talk about vanity, or by the way she put it, “not being vane at all.’’ Although it’s quite hard believe, coming out so glammed up all the time, Solenn just prefers to be simple, at least when she’s not in front of the camera. This trait is probably what sets Solenn from a bevy of good-looking celebrities we see on television and the big screen At the recent Watsons Philippines #HairGoals event, the 32-year-old star maintained that just like everybody else, she’s not that dolled up all the time. “My hair looks healthy now but it doesn’t always look like this, it looks dry sometimes. Trust me,” adding that she doesn’t like spending too much time styling her hair that’s why she likes Vitress light spray that’s easy to apply giving her hair extra shine even after curling it. “I’m going to post a photo of me on Instagram to show you guys how I look like in the morning,” she told the crowd. (We actually checked out her IG and a few days later she posted a photo of her au naturel sipping a chocolate drink, probably a paid advertisement for a different brand.) During the event she gave tips on how to maintain a gorgeously vibrant and healthy hair— from what color to use and what product to apply to keep the volume and shine. She talked about what makes Kolours hair product appropriate to Asian hair especially for Filipinas who love

host Vic Sotto took home the Comedy Actor of the Year award while child star Baste Granfon received the Most Popular Male Child Performer award. Sought-after Kapuso actor Ruru Madrid brought home the Most Promising Actor of the Year Award. In the News & Public Affairs category, GMA Network’s top-rating Sunday program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho received the Most Popular TV Program award. In addition, receiving special awards were Janno Gibbs (Bert Marcelo Lifetime Achievement Award); drama anthology Maynila (Longest Running Daytime Drama/Drama Anthology & Highest Rating Morning Primetime Drama of All Time); and Maynila’s host Cong. Lito Atienza (Outstanding Public S e r v i c e Award).

COLOR YOUR HAIR DAY. Solenn Heussaff at the

Watsons Philippines #HairGoals event, a campaign that encourages Filipinas to experiment on the hair color that makes them feel beautiful.

Restaurateur named Mister National Universe-Philippines By Eton Concepcion

Showbiz couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera grace the 49th Guillermo Mendoza Box Office Awards held at Resorts World Manila on May 20.

giving their locks some extra shades. With everyone at the venue nodding their heads and passersby stopping for a while to checked out who was talking in the event cordoned off at the Mall of Asia main atrium, Solenn carried on promoting Kolours (which will soon launch a hair coloring inspired by her own hair color) and Vitress (which she herself designed and co-created) and asking people to visit the booth located a few meters away from the platform where she was standing. “I’m going to give you some free service,” she smiled stretching her arm to the booth’s direction. #HairGoals is campaign which showcases Watsons wide selection of hair care products from color, styling and treatments. And today, shoppers can get 50 percent off on participating Hair Color products in line with “Color Your Hair Day.” If you’re a SMAC member, your P500 single-receipt purchase of any participating products allows you to earn 1 E-rafﬂe entry that gives you the chance to win up to 100,000 bonus points. You can also conveniently shop from the comforts of your home via http://www.watsons.com.ph.

KENLEY Filarca, a.k.a. Keny Ong, a 27-yearold banker and owner of a chain of restaurants in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, was handpicked as Philippine representative to the Mister National Universe 2018 hapenning in Thailand from June 13 to 19. The Ilocano-Chinoy businessman, was officially proclaimed the first Mister National Universe Philippines by the Kings of K Events Productions (KKEP), local franchise holder of the Mister National Universe international pageant, headed by its managing editor Ferdinand Abejon. Reigning Mr. National Universe Pankaj Alhlawat of India and 2nd runner-up Seageme Mekardkard of Thailand attended the sashing and crowning of Filarca. “We are proud to select Kenley as our first representative in Mister National Universe 2018. His participation will be a good showcase of determination amidst adversity. We hope that he will give inspiration to the other international delegates in the competition,” Abejon said. “I am very thankful for this opportunity. It gives me a platform to share my advocacy not only in the Philippines but to foreign countries as well,” said Filarca, an Anti-Bullying cam-

paign supporter having experienced being bullied as a youngster. With a passion for cooking, Filarca put up the Kusina de Kenyong bar & restaurant to get additional income from his earnings as a banker. Kusina de Kenyong, which holds the record for the “biggest and smallest burger in the Philippines,” also serves longganisa, bagnet and other Ilocano dishes. The Mister National Universe Pageant is owned by HOT Hua Hin Co. Ltd., publisher of the Thai luxury lifestyle magazine HOT Magazine, from which editor, Tanya Siri Vijitsomphong, came the idea of creating the new male pageant. Vijitsomphong’s motto “Where pageantry and luxury meet” for the 2018 Mister National Universe reﬂects the expanding tourism around the world and provides a platform for the countries’ delegates to showcase what makes their homeland, culture and history worth visiting and experiencing for.

Appointed Mister National Universe Philippines Kenley Filarca will represent the country at the international pageant happening in Thailand next month.