BusinessMirror April 23, 2015

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MRT 3 rehab gets initial funding

BERLIN OFFERS ITS OWN PLEASURES You will make a way

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Thursday, April 23, 2015

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NOTHING can really prepare visitors for Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

THE rotunda of Berlin’s Museum of Communication in January 2015.

THE Reichstag renovation, completed in 1999 by the architect Norman Foster, is exhilarating in January 2015 in Berlin.

S    D M The Fresno Bee

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ERLIN—I’m standing in front of the Reichstag, the imposing Neo-Baroque building now once again home to Germany’s reunified parliament. In a wide-angle photo commemorating the moment, I’m the only one in the frame.

At the famed Pergamon Museum on Berlin’s culturepacked Museum Island, I walk right in. No line.

Wandering among the exposed rebar and stretches of intact concrete that make up the Berlin Wall Memorial, the crowds are so thin I can easily imagine an earlier time when this repressive barrier cast a desolate shadow of gloom.

Traveling to Europe in early January has its advantages. And it’s never too early to start planning for next year. Sure, my partner and I could have opted for a warm beach somewhere.

But I love to visit places off-season. You take a risk with the weather, of course. On this trip I could have been slushing through snow or braving Chicago-style wind chill. But temps remained mostly in the 30s and 40s for our 11-day journey to Berlin, Prague and Vienna, all conveniently spaced out about a five-hour train ride from one another.

Besides, I used to live in Alaska. I much prefer the cold to sticky summer temperatures that can reduce hordes of tourists into steamy soup. When you travel to a city such as Berlin in the winter, you’re going to want to spend a lot of time indoors anyway. The city’s cultural arts season—so much opera, classical music, theater!— reaches its zenith.

On this first visit to the city, I’m quickly enchanted by the combination of brazen newness and solid, dependable German efficiency. (Not so much the sausages.) The adolescent growing pains of reunification, which brought together the western and eastern parts of the city in 1989, seem mostly behind it, at least from a cultural and architectural standpoint.

My hotel, the Westin Grand Berlin, located in the former East Berlin, sits just off the famed Unter den Linden. The major east-west thoroughfare was featured prominently in historic newsreels as goose-stepping Nazis marched through the Brandenburg Gate to salute Adolf Hitler.

Now the boulevard plays host to high-end shopping.

The wounds of the Third Reich and Cold War are still one of the stories of Berlin, of course, and will remain that way for a long time to come. But this is a city that, through its museums, monuments and cultural offerings, squarely faces its past—at least from a tourist’s point of view. Here are four vignettes:

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n THE REICHSTAG WHEN Berlin fell at the end of World War II, advancing soldiers from the Soviet Union reached the historic Reichstag building first. German soldiers defended it.

You can still see the bullet holes.

Decades later, when the building was being gutted and restored, workers uncovered graffiti left by Soviet soldiers on the stately stone walls. As is usual in Germany, intense debate followed. Should it be wiped clean? Or preserved as a historical marker?

History won out. Today, as you walk through a hall just off the legislative chamber, the graffiti dominates the view: a sudden sliver of razor-sharp conflict amid an otherwise tranquil and cerebral setting. Chancellor Angela Merkel—whom Germans love to call “the most powerful woman in the world”—has a ceremonial office in this hall, and the graffiti marches right up to her door.

It’s remarkable for a nation to include the scrawls of occupying soldiers in its seat of government. The German relationship to the war is complicated, and I can’t begin to mine its complexities in a visit of less than a week, but this one gesture of defiant memory really had an impact on me. The Reichstag renovation, completed in 1999 by the architect Norman Foster, is exhilarating. Transparency is the theme. The doors to the legislative chamber are glass. The visitors gallery is positioned over the legislators. And the triumph: a soaring glass dome that allows people to look far below into the chamber below. I love the symbolism: the people above, able to look down upon the lawmakers below. Democracy needs light to survive. n ‘DEMOKRATIE’ FOR years I’d wanted to see Michael Frayn’s play Democracy which ran on London’s West End and Democracy, Broadway starting in 2002. It’s the story of the charismatic German politician Willy Brandt, who rose to become chancellor, and the East German spy Gunter Guillaume, who managed to infiltrate Brandt’s office and become his secretary.

Now I got to see it in Germany—and in German, no less (with English supertitles). The production of Demokratie, which opened in 2012 at the Deutches Theater, was controversial in its own right: Frayn was angry that his play was turned into a quasimusical, with Brandt a sort of Mick Jagger-inspired rock star. I could understand his objections, but I relished the abstract scenic design, the Brechtian alienation and the German versions of songs by the Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, and Simon and Garfunkel. Was the production chaotic and overblown? Yes, but it also convincingly riffed on a less palatable facet of democracy: It’s messy.

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TAMBLYN FACES HER OWN DEMONS Pages BusinessMirror

D4 Thursday, April 23, 2015

www.businessmirror.com.ph

Amber Tamblyn faces her own demons writing poetry in ‘Dark Sparkler’ B A K Los Angeles Times

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RITTANY MURPHY was found unconscious in her shower, sick with pneumonia, four different drugs in her system. The actress’ death in 2009 was sudden and mysterious and ugly, but posthumous magazine covers showed her looking glamorous, her struggles hidden.

The story gnawed at Amber Tamblyn.

T She’d never met Murphy but felt an odd kinship to her. So she sat down at her kitchen table in Venice and wrote a poem about the late star.

“The Country says good things/about the body,” it read. “They print the best photos/the least bones, the most peach.”

So began T Tamblyn’s poetic exploration into the muddy waters of fame, objectification and mortality. She began researching the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of other actresses— Sharon T Tate, Marilyn Monroe, Dana Plato—and writing about each one. The result is Dark Sparkler (Harper Perennial: 128 pp.), her third book of poetry.

Tamblyn—known for her roles in the T Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies, as well as television’s Joan of Arcadia and Two and a Half Men—has been writing poetry since she was little, when her dad, Russ (he played the leader of the Jets in the film version of West Side Story Story) started bringing home artists he’d met in T Topanga Canyon.

“Writing was the antithesis of acting, because it was something physical that I made—that I was solely responsible for—that I could give to other people,” says Tamblyn, 31, sitting in the living room of T the apartment she shares with her husband, the actor David Cross. There is a picture of them at the Magic Castle on the bookshelf,

next to dozens of volumes of Shakespeare and a copy of Touch Me: The Poems of Suzanne Somers.

Tamblyn sips tea she’d brewed, nestled T on her couch underneath a poster of The Last Movie. Her godfather was Dennis Hopper, and she’s always been surrounded by acting. But when she began working on Dark Sparkler Sparkler, she started questioning her true feelings about the profession. She’d started acting as a child, appearing on General Hospital from age 11 to 17.

“The stuff I was writing was very close to home because I was exploring my own sense of who I was,” T Tamblyn says. “I was debating: Did I want to go to college? Did I want to act anymore? Did I even have a choice in the matter?”

She saw herself in the actresses she was writing about and for a spell began experimenting with some of the same “coping mechanisms” they did too.

“It was like, ‘Seconal? What are these drugs that people would take?’ I got my hands on everything I possibly could,” she says. But it left her feeling numb. She couldn’t write anymore. She wrote haunting e-mails to her friend, the poet Mindy Nettifee, some of which appear in the epilogue of Dark Sparkler Sparkler.

“I think I could very possibly be heading toward a full-scale breakdown in the next few months,” she wrote to Nettifee in January 2009. “Can I just go the way of Brittany Murphy and say [forget] it, do drugs until I drop and call it a day?”

“We would have these long, disturbing phone calls about the work and where her head was, and it became clear to me that this was a mental health situation,” Nettifee recalled by phone. “But I never once believed that what she was expressing was an actual, concrete wish to die. I definitely felt like she was on a precarious edge, but I felt like what she needed in that moment

was to be told that it was OK.” Both Nettifee and T Tamblyn’s husband supported her, she says: “They understood that I was hitting the sweet spot of my own darkness.

I was finding out what the real conversation was that I was trying to have—which was not really to research other actresses but to research myself.”

Still, Tamblyn’s loved ones eventually

urged her to take time off from the book.

So in 2011 she stopped working on Dark Sparkler and ceased acting. She’d been through a rough period. Her dad had just been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Her longtime agent dropped her. She’d even bombed at a big audition for August: Osage County, forgetting her lines and then hyperventilating in the elevator

afterward. Fixating on death wasn’t making anything better.

“It was the hardest thing I ever did in my life,” she said of the break. “But ultimately, the book led to a shedding of skin. It was a death; Age 11 to 25 was dying, and I needed to let that part of me go.” T Talking about all of this hasn’t been easy. About a month after the meeting in Venice, she e-mailed from her apartment in New Y York saying how rough her book tour had been.

“So many people asking me, ‘Did you want to die? Did you think about suicide?’” she wrote. “... “...Y Yeah. This book is just the gift Yeah. that keeps on giving [me grief].”

Though she lays herself bare in the pages of Dark Sparkler, those closest to Tamblyn say she rarely talks about her T struggles so intimately in daily life.

“She’s not someone you meet at a cocktail party who immediately tells you her deepest, darkest secrets,” says America Ferrera, Tamblyn’s T Sisterhood co-star. “Which is why this is special.

Like, ‘I’m going to pull back this little part of my facade and show this thing I might be terrified of people seeing and put it out there because I think somebody will relate to it.’” Along with Ferrera, Tamblyn T is working with Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel on the script for a third Sisterhood film, which they will executive produce.

She’s also set to appear on three episodes of Inside Amy Schumer this season and is editing her directorial debut—an adaptation of Janet Fitch’s novel Paint It Black. But after finishing Dark Sparkler, Black she’s not sure that acting is where her heart is anymore.

“I think the days of me being an auditioning, sad person who is like, ‘I know I’m really talented, but I don’t know how to put that to use’—that’s over,” she said.

“That’s sad, and that’s scary, giving your power over to somebody else.” n

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BERLIN’S Hauptbahnhof, or central train station in January 2015.

For about $30 I got to sit off to the side of the orchestra with a direct view of the 87-year-old Blomstedt on the podium. When he first walked out, he moved slowly, but once he picked up the baton, Blomstedt’s face lit up, as if the sun had just come out from behind a cloud. He seemed 30 years younger, and his nimble conducting inspired musicians and audience alike. I’ve always known that music can transform, but I’d never seen it so clearly. It felt as if Bruckner’s big music filled not only the hall but the audience. n HOLOCAUST MUSEUM I’VE been to the Holocaust museum in Washington, D.C., but nothing can really prepare you for the experience of visiting the one in Berlin. Officially known as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a visit is a somber experience.

Arch. Peter Eisenman designed the complex on a sloping field with 2,711 concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern.

Those slabs, or “stelae,” continue into the ceiling design of the museum, which is underground.

The personal stories are the ones that hit hardest. The one that sticks with me: the mother who upon arrival at a concentration camp urged her nearly 12-year-old son and mother to join her younger son in the “children’s group” because she thought they’d be excused from work detail. (Instead they were sent to their deaths.)

The architecture and carefully designed displays in the end left me not just with a sense of despair, however, but also hope. By naming and preserving

horrific acts, yet also pressing the themes of reconciliation and forgiveness, perhaps we can reduce the chance of similar atrocities happening again.

Wandering through the maze of slabs up top, the effect is chilling.

You often get a quick glimpse of Y people crossing in front of you, but by the time you get to that spot and look to the right or left down the row for them, chances are they’ve already taken another turn. They are there; they are gone. Y You can lose someone in a flash.

PLAN EARLY IT can pay off to plan a European vacation many months in advance, even if you plan to go in the offseason. Some tips for Berlin: n Using frequent flier miles can significantly cut down on your overall trip budget. Book far in advance to get the most convenient itineraries. n Book opera, concert and theater tickets in advance.

Unlike museums and other U tourist attractions, locals flock to such cultural offerings. A good place to start is with the Berlin Philharmonic (www.berlinerphilharmoniker.de/en). Most travel books I’ve consulted recommend booking at least a couple of months ahead to hear the orchestra.

To reserve a guided nT tour of the Reichstag, go to the government’s Bundestag (parliament) web site at www. bundestag.de/htdocs(underscore)e/ bundestag. n Don’t worry about buying the very useful Berlin City Pass (www.berlinpass.com) beforehand.

You can buy at the airport or train Y station upon arrival. n

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EVERYBODY HAPPY Sports

BOXERS Adonis Stevenson (left) and Larry Holmes (right) stand with Mauricio Sulaiman, president of the World Boxing Council, during the media presentation of the “Cinturon Esmeralda,” or Emerald Belt, in Mexico City on Tuesday. The title belt will be awarded to the winner of the world championship superfight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on May 3. AP

BusinessMirror

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| THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

KENNY BAYLESS will be the third man on the ring.

EVERYBODY HAPPY The judges for the superfight will be Dave Moretti of Las Vegas, Burt Clements of Reno and Glenn Feldman of Connecticut, and the referee will be Kenny Bayless, who’s handled seven Manny Pacquiao bouts and five of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s.

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Los Angeles Times

HE Nevada State Athletic Commission on Tuesday assigned three veteran judges and a referee familiar with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao to work their bout on May 2 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The judges will be Dave Moretti of Las Vegas, Burt Clements of Reno and Glenn Feldman of Connecticut, and the referee will be Kenny Bayless, who’s handled seven Pacquiao bouts and five of Mayweather’s.

“We will only select officials with a proven track record of high-profile fights, with me evaluating a litany of statistical data to ensure these judges have been successful in high-impact fights,” Nevada Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett said.

Clements, 62, of Reno, has worked only one Pacquiao fight, and his mistake cost the Filipino a 2004 split-decision triumph over Juan Manuel Marquez in the first of their four fights.

Pacquiao knocked down Marquez three times in the first round, and should have earned a 10-6 score. Clements admitted afterward that he didn’t realize he could score a round more lopsided than 10-7. That extra point resulted in his 113-113 scorecard that forced a draw.

Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum praised the assignments of the officials.

“Moretti and Clements are tremendous judges, honorable guys; and Glenn Feldman is terrific, has a very good reputation. These are extraordinarily good officials from the standpoint of competency.”

Leonard Ellerbe of Mayweather Promotions said: “I can’t believe it, but this is one thing Bob Arum and I do agree on: We’re very pleased with the selection of the officials. I have no doubt the officials will be very fair in judging the fight and the referee will undoubtedly do a masterful job.”

Bayless worked Mayweather’s October 11, 1996, pro debut in Las Vegas, and he refereed the fighter’s most recent bout, a unanimous decision over Marcos Maidana last September.

Bayless’s seven assignments with Pacquiao date to 2006, and he most

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recently handled Pacquiao’s unanimous-decision triumph over Timothy Bradley last year.

“Kenny Bayless is the best referee in the world,” Arum said.

Moretti, 70, of Las Vegas, is considered, perhaps, the top boxing judge in the world. He’s worked nine of Mayweather’s last 14 fights, and has worked six of Pacquiao’s bouts.

Moretti turned in 116-112 scores (eight rounds to four) in favor of Mayweather in a trio of fights: against Zab Judah in 2006, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2013 and in Mayweather’s competitive first fight against Argentina’s Marcos Maidana last year.

Moretti had scored Pacquiao comfortably ahead before his stoppages of Oscar de la Hoya and Miguel Cotto in 2008 and 2009, respectively. In Pacquiao’s third fight against Marquez, in which punch statistics gave the Mexican fighter an edge, Moretti scored the bout 115-113 for Pacquiao.

Clements has been assigned to three Mayweather bouts, awarding him a dominant 120-107 score in 2009 against Marquez and the widest edge among the three judges, 117-111, in the first Mayweather-Maidana fight.

Arum dismissed the Pacquiao-Marquez miscue by Clements. “Here’s how honorable the guy is: He admitted the mistake that night,” Arum said.

Feldman, who founded the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, has worked only one fight featuring Mayweather or Pacquiao, and that one ended in the third round, a Mayweather technical knockout win in 1998.

Wizards take 2-0 lead over Raptors T ORONTO—Washington, Cleveland and Houston all earned 2-0 leads in their National Basketball Association (NBA) first-round playoff series with victories on Tuesday, continuing the previous day’s pattern.

All five of the series that have played two games now stand at 2-0, with the Wizards, Cavaliers and Rockets joining Monday’s winners Chicago and Golden State with the early two-game buffer in the bestof-seven series.

Washington’s 117-106 victory at Toronto owed most to John Wall, who had 26 points and 17 assists, and Bradley Beal, who scored 28 points.

Marcin Gortat scored 16 points, Otto Porter had 15 and Paul Pierce added 10 for the Wizards, who return home to host Game Three on Friday.

Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Sixth Man Award winner Lou Williams scored 20 points for the Raptors, who have lost four straight playoff games over the past two seasons.

Washington lost 15 of its final 19 road games in the regular season, but rediscovered its best away from home in times for the playoffs. Dating back to last year, the Wizards have won seven of eight away from home in the postseason.

DeMar DeRozan scored 20 points, Patrick Patterson had 15 and Amir Johnson added 10 for Toronto, which has won just one playoff series in six previous postseason appearances.

Cleveland shook off a persistent Boston to win, 99-91, at home, with LeBron James leading the way with 30 points and Kyrie Irving contributing 26.

James scored 15 points in the fourth quarter, moved past Hall-of-Famer Jerry West on the career playoff scoring list and made sure the Cavs didn’t slip up at home. He and Irving combined for all of Cleveland’s 24 points in the final period.

Timofey Mozgov added 16 points and Tristan Thompson had 11 rebounds for Cleveland.

Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points for the Celtics, whose bench outscored Cleveland’s 51-7 but did not get anywhere near enough from the starting five.

Game Three is on Thursday in Boston.

Houston also pulled away in the last quarter to beat Texas rival Dallas, 111-99.

Dwight Howard, who scored 28 points, and James Harden, who added 24, dominated early in the final period to steer the Rockets to victory.

The Mavericks scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to take a three-

point lead. But with Harden on the bench, Houston scored the next 11 points, powered by three alley-oop passes from Smith to Howard, to take a 92-84 lead with about eight minutes left.

Smith finished with 15 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Monta Ellis had 24 points for Dallas, which hosts Game Three on Friday.

WASHINGTON’S John Wall heads for the »basket against Toronto’s Amir Johnson. AP

A WARM-UP ACT B G L Newsday

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HERE was a time when no sporting event on the planet was bigger than the heavyweight championship of the world. But linear heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, who holds five belts of different stripes, is facing undefeated No. 1 contender Bryant Jennings on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, and it almost feels as if the bout is little more than a warm-up act for the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight that figures to be the richest in history on May 2 in Las Vegas.

“I’m thankful it’s not the undercard,” Klitschko joked.

“I think it’s an advantage to have two big events close to each other. I think HBO will have more viewers than the other fight, but the financial side will be completely different.”

Pay-per-view sales for Mayweather-Pacquiao might top 3 million and possibly approach 4 million, but the cost of watching Klitschko-Jennings on HBO doesn’t compare to the pay-per-view price of close to $100, and while the Garden is scaled from $100 to $1,000 at ringside, that doesn’t compare to $7,500 ringside at the MGM Grand Garden, where the cheapest seat is $1,500.

“I won’t make it to Vegas, but I will watch it,” Klitschko said. “A hundred bucks! It’s a lot of money. I heard you can’t even buy a ticket. Wow.” That was a reference to the fact no MayweatherPacquiao tickets have been offered to the public yet.

While a sellout is expected on Saturday at MSG, tickets still are available for a chance to see Jennings (19-0, 10 KOs) against Klitschko (63-3, 53 KOs), whose last loss was 11 years ago and who has made 18 straight defenses while reigning for nearly 10 years atop the division.

Jennings warned boxing fans not to take for granted the chance to witness heavyweight history.

“They’re going to wish they were there, wish they were a part of it, wish they were able to witness it,” Jennings said.

It’s unusual for the heavyweight champion to have a hard time taking the spotlight from a pair of welterweights. In his own case, Klitschko has made a point of not comparing himself to the greats, calling it “offensive,” and he scoffed at Mayweather’s recent comment that he is the best boxer of all-time even over Muhammad Ali. “I heard this comment from Mayweather that he’s greater than Ali,” said Klitschko, noting that Ali even paid respect to Sugar Ray Robinson as “the greatest” at the time of his death. “I think people call the king the king, not the king you know, saying, ‘I’m the king.’“ Still, Klitschko said Mayweather’s unbeaten record over 19 years as a pro commands respect.

“Maybe his fights are not as impressive as Pacquiao’s, but they’re effective,” Klitschko said.

“He is the best-paid athlete in the world. From a boxing standpoint, I think the slight advantage is on Mayweather’s side because of his size and capability.

I’m going to put it 51-49 for Mayweather.”

As for his own fight, Klitschko said, “I’m confident I’m going to win this fight. How the ending is going to be, I cannot promise you. Let’s see the way on Saturday night.”

SPORTS

The package covers the upgrade of the conveyance system, the procurement of overhead catenary system, the procurement of rail-grinding machine and the replacement of the signaling system.

“The rehabilitation of the MRT 3 has been a long time coming, especially in the wake of past challenges faced by MRT commuters. But the release of funds to rehabilitate the MRT 3 will go a long way in improving not only the capacity of the mass-

transit system but the overall user experience,” Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said on Wednesday.

The amount is chargeable against the P22.47-billion supplemental appropriations last year.

“With the rehabilitation of the MRT 3 in the offing, we can now offer not only better transport services to the public but also alleviate their concerns over safety and security. This, in turn, may help ease the S “ ,” A

NEWOILFORECAST: PRICE CRASH TO PRICE SHOCKS

In the off-season, Berlin offers its own pleasures n BERLIN PHILHARMONIC LESS jarring, but just as inspirational, was a brassy performance of Bruckner’s monumental “Symphony No. 8”, with a spry Herbert Blomstedt conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, considered one of the best orchestras in the world.

The bright yellow building, built in the early 1960s, is asymmetrical and features staggered, vineyardstyle seating in its pentagon-shaped main concert hall. Irregular rows of seats and balconies surround the entire stage. With the outstanding acoustics, the Bruckner piece sounded truly immersive.

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UNDING for the partial rehabilitation of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3—amounting to P1.207 billion—has been released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Wednesday.

AMBER TAMBLYN FACES HER OWN DEMONS WRITING POETRY IN ‘DARK SPARKLER’ »D4

IN THE OFF-SEASON, BERLIN OFFERS ITS OWN PLEASURES A VIEW looking down from the glass dome atop the renovated Reichstag building in Berlin.

P.  |     | 7 DAYS A WEEK

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DBM RELEASES P1.207B TO KICKSTART THE RAIL SYSTEM’S UPGRADE, CAPACITY EXPANSION

INSIDE

EAR God, we may not see how everything will work out, but we trust You. We are misled where is the true way. but we know You will make a way. We have faith at the very moment You are touching our hearts, opening doors, giving us the right breaks and opportunities. But things look dark and hopeless at times. May we strive to seek You every moment we have doubts in our faith, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

S “C,” A

BusinessMirror

THREETIME ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDEE

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HINA may be at odds with several Southeast Asian nations over territorial claims in the South China Sea, yet, when it comes tonews@businessmirror.com.ph economic policy, what’s good for China is also good for its neighbors.

Here’s how China’s intensifying efforts to stimulate Asia’s No. 1 economy could help Southeast Asian exports, currencies and tourism.

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A

S the oil patch grows accustomed to a new world of $50-to-$60 crude, it’s now looking ahead to a different, but equally daunting, sort of cliff.

Oil companies are warning there will be a price to pay—a much higher price—for all the cost cutting being done today to cope with the collapse in the crude market. Big projects intended to start pumping oil and natural gas five to 10 years from now are being canceled or put on hold, as the price crash forced $114 billion in spending cuts on the industry.

Energy giants, from Exxon Mobil Corp. to Royal Dutch Shell, say they’re taking a much more cautious approach to approving projects that cost billions and take years to complete. That’s setting the table for a future oil-price shock, when

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 44.2900

a growing world population drives higher demand, said oil executives and financiers at the IHS CeraWeek Energy Conference in Houston.

“What we decide today will have an effect on the future,” Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of Total SA, said on Tuesday during the event.

Postponing spending on megaprojects that usually deliver significant quantities of oil or gas “will have an impact. This could affect supply in three or four years.”

Demand has already begun to show signs of strength. The Parisbased International Energy Agency last week raised its forecast for 2015 demand, projecting that the world will consume 94.7 million barrels a day of crude in the fourth quarter, a potential increase of almost 1 million barrels over the same period in 2014. Bloomberg News

NAVAL EXERCISE US troops take their positions

during a combined assault exercise at a beach facing one of the contested islands off the South China Sea, known as the Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, on Tuesday at the Naval Education and Training Command in San Antonio, Zambales, northwest of Manila. More than 10,000 troops from both the US and Philippine militaries are taking part in the annual military drill that focuses on regional security, terrorism, disaster preparedness and interoperability of both countries. AP/BULLIT MARQUEZ

Manila to claim billing as center of modern gastronomy in Asean B M. S F. A

Special to the BM

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BOUT 1,100 delegates from 16 different countries and up to 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the Madrid Fusión Manila (MFM), the first international gastronomy event in the Philippines to be held at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, from April 24 to 26.

The event is one of the highlights of the Visit Philippines Year 2015 (VPY 2015), a worldwide campaign by the Department of Tourism

JIMENEZ: “Madrid Fusión Manila is the entry point to establish the Philippines, specifically Manila, as the center of modern gastronomy in Southeast Asia.”

(DOT) to bring more focus to the Philippines as a fun destination for travelers.

In an interview with Tourism

Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., he said: “Being the world’s most accomplished modern gastronomy conference, Madrid Fusión Manila is the entry point to establish the Philippines, specifically Manila, as the center of modern gastronomy in Southeast Asia. This is also the first-ever Madrid Fusión to be held outside of Spain.

“The Philippines then becomes part of a circuit where, hopefully, Filipino chefs will win their own Michelin stars. When people talk about modern cuisine and the best C  A

n JAPAN 0.3702 n UK 66.1073 n HK 5.7148 n CHINA 7.1417 n SINGAPORE 32.7904 n AUSTRALIA 34.3280 n EU 47.5497 n SAUDI ARABIA 11.8110 Source: BSP (22 April 2015)

A2

News

BusinessMirror

Thursday, April 23, 2015

China. . .

Continued from A1

1. Exporting nations China was the largest single trading partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2013, according to the latest data available. Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam stand out as the three economies with the highest direct trade exposure to China, while that of the Philippines and Indonesia is more marginal, said Glenn Maguire, a Singapore-based economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. “We continue to focus on the likelihood of China stimulus aligning with a return of the US consumer, a potent combination for the open trading economies of Southeast Asia that should see exports and production inflect upward in the second half of the year,” he said. Resource providers Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia would benefit from stronger Chinese demand, according to Wai Ho Leong, a Singapore-based economist at Barclays Plc.

2. Tourism boost

While commodity prices will likely remain under pressure due to increased supply in many sectors and “the only gradual rebound in housing construction in China,” improving confidence in the mainland and stronger growth should boost Chinese tourism, according to Frederic Neumann, cohead of Asian economics research in Hong Kong at HSBC Holdings Plc. “This has become a boom sector in Asia, with mainland tourists increasingly heading to Thailand, Malaysia and elsewhere,” he said.

Bloomberg News

Manila to claim billing as center of modern gastronomy in Asean. . .

Continued from A1

restaurants, people will think of Manila precisely because they want to have a serious meal. The Philippines eventually becomes part of the food trip in Asia,” he added. With a number of international calendar events lined up for VPY 2015, the Philippines hopes to attract 8.2 million foreign visitors this year.

Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) COO Domingo Ramon Enerio III also said the event, the first of its kind in Asia, “promotes image of the Philippines as culinary venue in Asia. Spain is considered the leader in molecular gastronomy and in teaching our chefs these techniques, we would be associated in promoting of cuisine of the future.” TPB is the marketing arm of the DOT. One of the major features of the MFM is the International Gastronomy Congress, where guest chefs from Spain, the Philippines and Asia, will talk about progressive gastronomy, technological innovation, and revolutionary techniques.

Chef J. Gamboa, restaurateur and executive chef of Cirkulo told the BusinessMirror: “By exposing our local chefs and food and beverage professionals to the latest professional culinary and service techniques of the visiting chefs, we can expect them to level up. Hopefully in time, our culinary, service and sanitation standards will improve across the board.”

Many professional cooks and culinary workers from the Philippines have, in fact, made their way up the ladder in a number of American and European restaurants, and work on international cruise ships.

He agreed with the observation of many foreign food writers and bloggers that the Philippine cuisine is the next big thing in the culinary world. “It’s coming. Just notice how many more Filipino

restaurants there are now compared to 10 years ago. And more and more professional chefs are cooking Filipino, even regional Filipino dishes.” Gamboa, whose family also owns Milky Way restaurant, is one of the main speakers at the Congress, and will speak on “Nose-to-tail eating in the Filipino-Spanish Menu” on April 26.

MFM participants will be particularly eager for the presentations of Michelin-starred chefs from Spain like Andoni Luis Aduriz (Mugaritz); Elena Arzak (Arzak); Quique Dacosta (Quique Dacosta Restaurante); Ramón Freixa (Ramón Freixa Madrid); Francis Paniego (Echaurren); Paco Roncero (La Terraza del Casino); Mario Sandoval (Coque); and Paco Torreblanca (Torreblanca Bombonerias y Pastelerias).

Other speakers are from the Philippines—Fernando Aracama (Aracama); Margarita Forés (Grace Park); JChele Gonzalez (Gallery Vask); Pepe Lopez (Rambla); Rob Pengson (The Goose Station); Bruce Ricketts (Mecha Uma); Myrna Dizon Segismundo (New Manila); Claude Tayag (Bale Dutung); Juan Carlos de Terry (Terry’s); and from Asia - André Chiang (Restaurant André); and a Michelin-star Chef Alvin Leung (Bo Innovation).

Enerio said MFM was marketed primarily in Australia, India, China and the Asean, “and to a certain extent, we invited the long-haul markets of North America and Europe. But our main target audience was the short-haul market.”

He disclosed that other countries have asked Madrid Fusión organizers to host similar events but it was only the Philippines were they have agreed to do it so far, “because we have an emotional and cultural relationship with them [Philippines and Spain].”

Aside from the Congress, there is

a trade exhibit showcasing Spanish and Filipino premium food and beverage products, and a Flavors of the Philippines Festival. The latter is a simultaneous exhibit, culinary presentation, and cultural events celebrating Philippine and Spanish food to be held in Metro Manila restaurants and malls, and in key provinces, such as Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Clark and Angeles in Pampanga, and Zamboanga.

The TPB said about 180 booths, 20 of which are under the Spanish Pavilion, will be set up for the event.

While the DOT and TPB declined to reveal the total budget allocated to stage the international event, Enerio said funds raised from the tickets will be collected by the TPB to defray some of the expenses incurred in the event. “We are not making a profit from this event.

What we are spending from the DOT and TPB budget is an investment to promote the Philippines to the world.”

Ticket prices to MFM range from P11,000 to P20,000 depending on the number of events the buyer wants to attend. The TPB dislosed about P25 million in cash and kind have been raised from corporate sponsors.

MFM is a joint partnership between the DOT and TPB, with Madrid Fusión organizers Foro de Debate and Arum Estrategias de Internacionalización.

The event also commemorates over 300 years in historical ties between the Philippines and Spain, such that a memorandum of agreement between both countries for the staging of MFM was signed between Jimenez and Spain’s Secretary of State for Trade and President of ICEX (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) Jaime García-Legaz, during President Aquino’s visit to Spain last year.

news@businessmirror.com.ph

MRT 3. . .

Continued from A1

traffic situation in the Metro as motorists can now take the public transport system instead of using their vehicles to drive to their destinations,” Abad said.

The projects are part of the larger P9.7-billion multiyear venture aimed at overhauling the line. The complete makeover is expected to be done within the term of President Aquino. It also wants to buy out the corporate owner for P54 billion.

But several private groups are proposing a different scheme to modernize the train system, which has been under fire for years now for its mediocre services. The group of businessman Robert John L. Sobrepeña is proposing to do a “quick fix” solution to make the train system safe for public transport.

Together with foreign firms Sumitomo Corp. of Japan and Globalvia Infrastructuras of Spain, Metro Global Holdings Inc. is proposing to “fix” the ailing system through a $150-million investment that involves the procurement of a total of 96 new train cars and the rehabilitation of the existing 73 coaches, increasing its capacity by fourfold to 1.2 million daily passengers.

Under the proposal, a single point of responsibility will be implemented, meaning the rehabilitation and the maintenance of the line will be handled by a single company.

Separately, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) is proposing to shoulder the upgrade costs of the train system and release the government from the bondage of paying billions of pesos in equity rental payments.

The group of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, which earlier entered into a partnership agreement with the corporate owner of the MRT, intends to spend $524 million to overhaul the line.

The venture would effectively expand the capacity of the railway system by adding more coaches to each train, allowing it to carry more cars at faster intervals. The multimillion-dollar expansion plan would double the capacity of the line to 700,000 passengers a day from the current 350,000 passengers daily.

It was submitted in 2011, but the transportation agency’s chief back then rejected the proposal.

On the other hand, German firms Schunk Bahn-und Industrietechnik GmbH and HEAG Mobilo GmbH are seeking to place the whole train system under a massive transformation program to augment its capacity and to provide a safe and comfortable travel to commuters from the northern and southern corridors of Metro Manila. The P4.64-billion proposal, submitted in February with Filipino partner Comm Builders and Technology Phils.

Corp. (CB&T), calls for the complete overhaul of the 73 light-rail vehicles of the MRT, the replacement of the rails, the upgrading of the line’s ancillary system, the upgrade of the track circuit and signaling systems, the modernization of the conveyance system and a three-year maintenance contract. With Estrella Torres

news@businessmirror.com.ph

The Nation BusinessMirror

Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo • Thursday, April 23, 2015 A3

Comelec told: Prepare for manual voting

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By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

OLLOWING the Supreme Court (SC) decision junking the P268.8-million Smartmatic-Commission on Elections (Comelec) deal, several lawmakers on Wednesday said the poll body should prepare for manual voting and counting at the precinct level.

Lakas Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte, chairman of the House independent minority bloc, said that Congress should prepare for any eventuality after this SC decision.

“We consult our colleagues here in Congress to discuss the possibility of partial automation by passing a law on it. I support manual counting and automatic transmittal of election results,” said Romualdez, adding, “Some will say it is premature at this stage, but there is nothing wrong to take all options possible to ensure that next year’s elections will push through as scheduled.

At the same time, the Comelec should continue on its mandate to take corrective measures on the nullified contract.”

Senior Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna, meanwhile, urged the Comelec to altogether discard the use of Smarmatic-Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines automated system as it violated the democratic tenet of secret voting and public counting and yields sovereign control of the electoral process to Smartmatic.

“The Comelec must now heed the proposals to ensure transparent, participatory and verifiable election process by earnestly preparing for and conducting manual voting and counting at the precinct level and automating transmission and canvassing of encoded election returns,” he said.

On Tuesday, the SC nullifies the P268.8-million contract for the repair and upgrade of the more than 82,000 PCOS machines for the 2016 elections.

The SC’s ruling granted the consolidated petitions filed by the Automated Elections System and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines against the Comelec-Smartmatic deal as contained in Comelec Resolution 9922 and the Extended Warranty Contract Program 1.

The Court said the petition was granted after the Comelec “failed to justify its resort to direct contracting.”

Moreover, Colmenares said the outdated PCOS system has “safeguards” and it is not advisable to use since the upcoming presidential election. He opined that “since we cannot allow a postponement of election, the Comelec can still salvage the problem it has caused by automating the canvassing of votes while allowing for manual voting in the precinct level.”

Also, Deputy Majority Leader Sherwin Tugna said the Congress has the time and space to pass a law to amend the Automated Election law.

“However, it is the duty of the Constitutional body in charge of elections [Comelec] to find a way that the 2016 elections is automated. There is time for the Comelec, even in the light of the declaration of nullity of the SC about the Smartmatic-Comelec agreement,” he said.

Meanwhile, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. dismissed the calls from some lawmakers on the proposed return to manual voting.

“Manual is out of the question but there is barely enough

‘DFA, not Armed Forces, should do the talking on WPS issue’

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By Recto Mercene

EN. Francis Escudero on Wednesday said that any pronouncement by the country related to the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) issue should coursed through the Department of Foreign Affairs and not through the military.

“The mere fact na unipormadong [Armed Forces] chief of staff ang nagsasalita at tumatalakay ng isyu, pinapakita at pinapalabas na ano, military issue ba ito?”

Escudero said.

“I think it remains a diplomatic issue, I think it remains a foreign relations issue, I think it remains to be a foreign affairs issue,” he added. “At dapat manatili iyon doon dahil ang desisyon at track ng Pilipinas ay diplomasya ang gamitin, legal challenge ang gamitin, at community of nations.”

Escudero was referring to a news conference conducted by the the Armed Forces chief of staff, Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, on Monday, where he showed photographs of China’s ongoing land reclamations on the West Philippine Sea. “We have compelling reasons to raise our voice to tell the whole world the adverse effects of China’s aggressiveness that has created tensions not only among the countries who have overlapping claims in the area, but also among the countries around the world who are using the international sea lanes in the WPS for trade and commerce,” he said.

He said the military believes that China’s massive reclamation activities will cause tension among claimant countries not only because it could deter freedom of navigation but also due to its possible military purposes. Catapang said the construction works at the WPS “clearly violated the Asean [Association of Southeast Asian Nations]-China Declaration of Conduct (DOC).

Under the DOC that was crafted in 2002 the signatories agreed to resolve the territorial dispute peacefully and exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes.

Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte renewed his call for the involvement of world powers, especially the US, in resolving the Philippines dispute with China in the WPS. “China should not be allowed to use its military and economic might to bully smaller countries like the Philippines,” Duterte declared in previous statements on the issue.

time for another solution,” Belmonte said, adding, “the Comelec should find a way. Even partial manual is no good.”

Meawhile, Malacañang expressed certainty that the 2016 elections will push through even as it deferred to the Comelec to decide whether the voting process will be done through the scandal-tainted PCOS machines or go back to manual voting.

Palace Spokesman Edwin Lacierda affirmed Malacañang’s commitment to help ensure the presidential elections next year will push through, as mandated by the Constitution.

“Again, far be it from us to comment on what the Comelec should be doing.

All we can say [is] to state the general principles that elections in 2016 should happen and Comelec as a body mandated

by the Constitution should ensure that elections push through,” he said.

Lacierda added that as to “the technical concerns” on whether to stick with the questioned PCOS system or return to manual voting, “we will leave it with Comelec to make sure how to operationalize the 2016 elections in the light of the Supreme Court decision.”

He added: “We would defer to the

Comelec. As you know, they are constitutionally mandated by our Charter to ensure that elections—as mentioned in the Constitution, push through. And so we would defer to them.”

Moreover, he said, “people are expecting to exercise their right of suffrage this coming 2016, so we will defer to the Comelec to ensure that elections for 2016 will push through.” With Butch Fernandez

Economy

A4 Thursday, April 23, 2015 • Editors: Vittorio V. Vitug and Max V. de Leon

BusinessMirror

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Neda to govt, firms: Adopt EEWIN in infra projects

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By Cai U. Ordinario

HE National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) is urging more government agencies and private institutions to adopt eco-efficient water infrastructure (EEWIN) to save costs and increase productivity without harming the environment.

The Neda said some public and private institutions that have adopted the EEWIN include the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) and the Department of Science and Technology—Region 7 (DOST-7) The list also includes the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), city government of Muntinlupa, SM Malls and Ayala Land Inc. “When applied to infrastructure development, eco-efficiency means being able to do more with less cost and with lower negative effect on the environment,” Neda Deputy Director General for Investment Programming Rolando G. Tungpalan said.

The Neda said the EEWIN aims to optimize resources and investments, reduce overal life-cycle costs and expand the functionality of a project, without compromising its intended objectives.

The country has adopted the ecologically and economically efficient concept in the development of water infrastructure as an overarching strategy toward the pursuit of water security and combat climate change.

“We see the mainstreaming of eco-efficient water infra-

structure (EEWIN) as a strategy to help enhance our country’s competitiveness by helping increase the efficiency and productivity of our growth sectors,” Tungpalan said.

In February 2013 the Neda Board—Committee on Infrastructure (Infracom) directed all water-related agencies to mainstream EEWIN in their proposed/identified activities, programs and projects.

The Infracom also tasked the Neda to disseminate EEWIN key principles and standards for reference of concerned agencies. With this, the Neda developed appropriate information, education and communication (IEC) materials on EEWIN. These IEC materials were created to provide implementing agencies, local government units and other stakeholders with model EEWIN technologies/innovations that can be replicated or adopted in designing their own activities, programs and projects.

EEWIN was presented during the March 18 Symposium on Water Security Toward Sustainable Development, an activity spearheaded by the National Water Resources Board as part of the World Water Week 2015 celebration.

Food festival at Eastwood City A group of teenage shoppers and tourists browse over the regional food items and delicacies on display and sale at the Eastwood City Food Festival over the weekend. The festival also features fiesta games, native dances and cultural performances. Alysa Salen

SC voids Tañon Strait oil-exploration contract

By Joel R. San Juan

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HE Supreme Court (SC) has unanimously declared unconstitutional the contract signed between the government and an oil-exploration firm allowing the exploration, development and exploitation of petroleum resources within Tañon strait situated between the islands of Negros and Cebu.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo de-Castro, the Court held that, while the government is allowed to enter into a Service Contract (SC) under the 1987 Constitution, Service Contract 46 signed on December 21, 2004, by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. Ltd. (Japex) for oil exploration and exploration and drilling in a 2,850-kilometer area offshore of Tañon Strait failed to comply with the safeguards under Section 2, Article XII, of the Constitution.

The provision requires that the service contract to be authorized by a general law, signed by the President and reported to Congress.

“The Court noted that, while there is a general law on exploration, Presidential Decree [PD] 87, which remains in effect, SC-46 was entered into in 2004 only between the Department of Energy and Japex and was signed only by the then secretary of energy and not by the President,” the SC ruled.

“The Court also noted that SC-46 was never submitted to Congress. For these reasons, SC-46 violated the Constitution and is unconstitutional,” it added.

Aside from violating the Constitution, the Court noted that SC-46 also violated existing laws, such as Republic Act (RA) 7586, or the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas) Act of 1992 since Tañon Strait is, by virtue of Proclamation 2146, is an environmentally critical area.

Being such, the Court said any activity outside the scope of its management plan may only be implemented pursuant to an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) secured after undergoing an envi-

briefs

u.k.’s newtown fund seeks collaboration opportunities for health projects in phl

The British Embassy is calling all researchers and scientists to submit proposals to the Newton Fund that will meet the health needs of vulnerable communities in the Philippines.

Two opportunities have opened for health research collaborations between the Philippines and the UK through the Newton Fund. The first is a £2-million, or P132.6-billion, allocation for research on infectious diseases, which has been identified as a priority by the partners Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) and the UK Medical Research Council.

The second call, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, amounts to a combined £10 million, or P663 million, for five countries in Southeast Asia, to fund research studies that contribute to increasing the health and medical research capacity in the Philippines, while also providing the opportunity to work with researchers in the UK, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.

“We are focusing on infectious diseases research due to mutual interests, strengths and opportunities in this area. Infectious diseases, such as dengue and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, are continuing burden in the country, especially for vulnerable populations, with limited access to adequate health care. Philippine research efforts to find effective solutions could be complemented by working with the best institutions in infectious disease research,” DOST PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime Montoya said.

ronmental impact assessment (EIA) to determine the effects of such activity on its ecological system.

“These were not complied with under SC-46; for this reason, the Court also considered tthat SC-46 violated the Nipas Act,” the Court ruled.

Since Tañon Strait is a Nipas area, its exploration and utilization may only be allowed only through a law passed by Congress.

The case stemmed from the consolidated petitions filed by Gloria Estenzo Ramos and Rose Liza Eisma-Osorio, Central Visayan Fisherfolk Development Center and Resident Marine Mammals of Protected Seascape, Tañon Strait. The petitioners said they filed the petition due to imminent threat to its resident marine mammals, such as toothed whales, dolphins and porpoises.

The petitioners further claimed that the area was declared as a “protected seascape” on May 27, 1998, by then-President Fidel V. Ramos, a scuba-diving enthusiast, with the signing of PD 1234.

As a result, the Tañon Strait is now covered by the Nipas Act. However, on December 21, 2004, the DOE signed SC-46 with Japex for oil exploration and drilling in a 2,850-km area offshore of Tañon Strait.

In May and June 2005, the DOE conducted a seismic survey over the exploration area. According to the petitioners, no environmental impact assessment survey was done prior to the seismic survey.

After the conduct of the seismic survey, a study was made on its effects.

According to the petitioners, based on the study, it was found out that there was a reduced fish catch caused by destruction of 136 “payao” or artificial reefs.

In addition, the study also found out that there was fish kill in the area.

Despite these, the petitioners said, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on March 6, granted Japex an environmental clearance certificate without conducting public consultations.

ALBAY’S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM BENEFITS 77,137 YOUTH LEGAZPI CITY—The Albay Higher Education Contribution Scheme (Ahecs), a novel study-now-paylater scholarship program, has now benefited 77,137 beneficiaries. Due to its success, its original goal to produce one college graduate for every Albayano family has now been expanded to include another technical-vocational and one entrepreneur graduate per family.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, who pioneered Ahecs in 2007 as among his administration program platforms, said many Ahecs graduates are already gainfully employed locally or abroad, and many are now entrepreneurs.

Ahecs initially had an enrollment of 34,000 students.

In the last six years the number has already reached 77,137, with the beneficiaries given the “free hand to choose their fields of study.”

Ahecs has partnered with some 53 colleges and universities across Albay. At the Mariners’ Polytechnic Institute, the most popular school for seafarers in Southern Luzon, its beneficiarygraduates from 2009 to 2015 now number 3,247.

The total scholarship investments for them stand at P16,235,000.

Speaking at a graduation ceremonies in March at the Southern Luzon Technological College Foundation Inc., Salceda said he was surprised when almost all the parents stood up to thank him. It turned out that about 80 percent of the graduating class were Ahecs scholars. The governor said his message during the commencement rites has become “one of my most memorable graduation speeches.” PNA

Economy BusinessMirror

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Natural-gas output from Jan to April reached 20,233 MMcf–DOE report

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By Lenie Lectura

HE country’s natural-gas output as of April this year amounted to 20,233 million standard cubic feet (MMcf), with most of it used to boost the country’s power generation.

In a posting on its web site, the Department of Energy (DOE) said 19,321 MMcf of the country’s gas production went to power-generation use, while the industrial sector took up 344 cubic feet. The figures are from January to April this year.

The Malampaya natural-gas facility supplies gas to three power plants with a total capacity of 2,700 megawatts (MW), providing about half of Luzon’s power needs. These power plants are the 1,000-MW Santa Rita, 500-MW San Lorenzo, and 1,200-MW Ilijan.

In the same data, the DOE said gas output in 2014 reached 130,351 MMcf, up from 116,973 MMcf a year earlier.

The current Philippine gas industrydevelopment initiative is anchored on the Camago-Malampaya deposit, which is estimated to support the operation of 3,000 MW of gas-fired power plants for over 20 years with its 2.5-trillion cubic feet (Tcf) to 3.2 Tcf maximum recoverable reserves.

Recently, the Malampaya facility went on a 30-day maintenance shutdown to give way for the platform installation aimed at maintaining the fuel supply to the three power plants.

The DOE had said gas-fired power plants require additional gas discoveries or importation of liquefied petroleum gas (LNG). Conversion of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to a 1,500-MW gas-fired plant has been offered on the expectation of more recoverable gas reserves to be delienated shortly.

Assurance of gas supply for the Philippines, including those for non-power uses, are, however optimistically provided by the LNG option and the Trans-Asean Gas Pipeline Project.

Gold production expected to bounce back with new small-scale mining guideline

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he country’s gold output is expected to go up with the establishment of more Minahang Bayan under a new guideline that will regulate small-scale mining activities.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Leo Jasareno said Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2015-3, which revises the implementing rules and regulation of Republic Act (RA) 7076 or the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991, will allow the government to improve regulation of small-scale mining, which include selling their gold to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Large-scale mining operates under RA 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

According to Jasareno, the new guideline for small-scale mining limits activities to extraction of minerals mainly gold, within a declared Minahang Bayan and centralizes processing in a minerals processing zone within a Minahang Bayan.

This way, the government will be able to better monitor gold production by small-scale miners.

Small-scale miners have been suspected of selling their gold produce to the black market to avoid paying taxes to the government, which resulted to the steep drop in the annual Bangko Sentral ng

JASARENO: “With the new guideline on small-scale mining, we hope that smallscale miners will start selling to the BSP again. Once we establish a Minahang Bayan, we will ask the BSP to put up a gold-

Pilipinas (BSP) gold purchases over the past four years.

Small-scale mining contributes around 70 percent to the country’s total gold output. In 2010 the country’s total gold output reached 40,847 kilograms. This dropped to only 18,423 kg in 2014, with only 633 kg coming from small-scale mining or 3.43 percent.

“With the new guideline on small-scale mining, we hope that small-scale miners will start selling to the BSP again. Once we establish a Minahang Bayan, we will ask the BSP to put up a gold-buying station,” Jasareno added.

The BSP purchases gold from

New PCSO chairman

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board of directors welcomed on Tuesday the agency’s newly appointed chairman, Erineo S. Maliksi (third from left), after receiving his appointment paper from PCSO Vice Chairman and General Manager lawyer Jose Ferdinand M. Rojas II (second from left) at the agency’s head office in Mandaluyong City. With them are (from left) PCSO Directors Florencio G. Noel, Betty B. Nantes, Mabel V. Mamba and Francisco G. Joaquin III. JOSEPH MUEGO

Cabinet execs, PCGG officials face graft raps over Payanig property sale

By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

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riminal charges were filed on Thursday before the Office of the Ombudsman against Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and several Cabinet officials for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in connection with the ongoing sale of the Payanig property in Pasig.

Named respondents in the case filed by Blemp Commercial of the Philippines Inc. owner Richard Singson, nephew of former Ilocos Gov. Chavit Singson, are PCGG chairman Andres Bautista, and Commissioners Ma. Regina Teresa Chan-Gonzaga and Vicente Gengos Jr. Also included to the charge sheet are Cabinet officials and members of Privatization Council namely, Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, Finance Undersecretary and Bureau of Customs Commissioner John Phillip P. Sevilla, Finance Undersecretaries Jeremias Paul Jr. and Jose Emmanuel Reverente, Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, National Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon, Finance Chief of Staff Ma. Lourdes Recente, Finance As-

sistant Secretary Ma. Teresa Habitan, and Privatization and Management Office chief officer Karen Singson.

The complainant said that the Payanig property in Pasig is owned by Blemp company and was not included on the ill-gotten wealth list of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. The complainant also said that “the law provides that they are only allowed to sequestrate properties of Marcos cronies.”

“In pursuance with the assigned task, respondents conspiring and confederating together and mutually helping one another, with manifest, partiality, evident bad faith, and gross inexcusable negligence, unlawfully and feloniously caused the publication in various newspapers circulated nationwide, the ‘invitation to bid,’” Singson said in his complaint He added that, "the concerted acts of the respondents are patently illegal and criminal, because they have no legal personality or authority to sell the property lawfully owned by complainant Blemp Commercial.”

Earlier this week, the Privatization Council gave the PCGG the go signal to put the 18.5-hectare Payanig property on the auction bloc at a minimum price of P16.45 billion.

small-scale miners in accordance with the small-scale mining law and from other sources. The BSP only has five existing buying stations in Quezon City, Baguio City, Davao City, Zamboanga City and Naga City.

There are only three declared Minahang Bayan in the country. These are in Buenavista, Quezon; Dinagat; and Agusan del Norte.

According to Jasareno, 12 Minahang Bayan petitions, mostly in Mindanao, are currently being processed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Under the new guideline, the establishment of Minahang Bayan in areas covered by large-scale mining applications that have been denied and with pending appeal is allowed.

There are more than 200,000 small-scale miners operating in the country, most of which operate outside government regulations.

Even existing small-scale mining operations approved by local government units will have to petition the DENR to declare a Minahang Bayan to operate legally, Jasareno said.

He added that the drop in gold output, as measured by the gold purchases of the BSP, started in the last quarter of 2011, after the Bureau of Internal Revenue started to enforce the 2-percent excise tax and 5-percent creditable withholding tax, prompting the government to create the Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force in 2012 to enforce mining laws.

Thursday, April 23, 2015 A5

briefs binay flies to indonesia in last-ditch effort to save veloso from firing squad

Vice President Jejomar C. Binay left Manila for Jakarta on Wednesday morning to embark on a last-minute appeal with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to spare the life of suspected Filipina drug courier Mary Jane Veloso.

Binay boarded a Philippine Airlines flight to Jakarta, PR 539, with five of his staff.

Binay, while in Jakarta, will also meet with different heads of state in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Bandung Conference to be held in Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia.

In an interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport dignitaries lounge, Binay told newsmen that he hopes he will have a chance for a private meeting with Widodo. He said he will seek a last-ditch appeal to request for the commutation of the death penalty to life imprisonment for the convicted drug convict.

The 30-year-old Veloso was caught with 2.6 kilograms of heroin stashed in her luggage while traveling via Adi Sutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2010. After a long trial, she was sentence to die by firing squad. Recto Mercene

indian bpm firm hikes employees in cebu to 1,000 CEBU CITY—Indian businessprocess management (BPM) firm Tech Mahindra has expanded its operations in Cebu by adding 500 seats in its new office in the eBlock 3 of Cebu IT Park in Cebu City.

Sujit Baksi, chief executive officer of Tech Mahindra’s Business Services Group, said the additional capacity will increase the firm’s strong presence in the Philippines.

The company now has at least 3,000 employees in four sites in Manila and Cebu.

Baksi said Cebu’s head count could reach up to 1,000 employees by year-end, taking into account the additional manpower they will need during peak seasons.

Baksi said the expansion signifies the firm’s confidence in the country’s healthy economy and its ability to produce highly qualified workers.

“The Philippine operation has grown the fastest in the last two years compared to other overseas sites,” he said.

“We are happy so far with the four years of operations here,” he said. PNA

subic maritime conference opens on friday SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Some 500 delegates are expected to attend the Second Subic Bay Maritime Conference and Exhibit set to be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center here on Friday.

With the theme “Subic Bay: Your Gateway to Central and Northern Luzon,” the conference is organized by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), in cooperation with the Subic Bay International Terminal Corp.

(SBITC), with an aim to promote Subic as a major port in the region.

SBMA Chairman Roberto Garcia said the maritime conference will provide delegates comprehensive updates on the free port’s “exciting prospects as a booming logistics hub and investments destination in Asia.”

He said Subic Freeport, with its strategic location complemented by enhanced port facilities and infrastructure, “is now wellpositioned to become the logistics hub north of Metro Manila.”

He pointed out that the Port of Subic handled more than 77,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last year, which meant a 105-percent increase from the 37,400 TEUs processed in 2013. PNA

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Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

More accounts may require more banks

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concern about the economic development of the Philippines is that the average Filipino is financially illiterate, being unsophisticated about products like insurance and investments.

One of the statistics that is pointed at to support this claim is the large number of Filipinos who do not have bank accounts. Television station CNN Philippines, a sister company of the BusinessMirror, recently reported that about 70 percent did not have bank accounts of their own or maintained one with someone else, according to a study by the World Bank.

Yet, data from the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) show that bank deposits in the banking system grew 12 percent from 2013. All account types—savings, time deposits, demand and foreign currency—showed double-digit growth rates.

The question is, if the amount of money being put in banks is growing at a fast rate, why are the number of actual accounts so low? The answer may be found at the end of the PDIC report: “The increase in deposits may be attributed to the expansion of branch network across all bank types.”

The financial-literacy advocates tend to start with the assumption that many Filipinos may not understand what that building with the big “Bank” sign out-front is all about. But, in examining the data about the number of banks, for far too many Filipinos, there may not be a building near where they live that says “Bank.”

The PDIC reports, “as of end-2014, total banking offices stood at 10,041, an increase of 9.3 percent from 2013. Rural banks had the fastest expansion rate of 18.2 percent.”

Based on a population of 100 million, there is one bank for every 9,960 people, including children. For simplicity, we will use total population numbers.

A bank office serving about 10,000 people is not a burden for the bank to deliver full services, including investments and insurance product availability. But the bank-branch distribution throughout the country gives a completely different picture.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), there is one bank for every 3,275 people, about a third of the national average. However, in the Eastern Visayas region, that number jumps to 22,050. In other words, there are almost seven times as many banks per capita in the NCR as in the Eastern Visayas.

Here is the breakdown for how many people must be served by one bank for other regions: Bicol region, 14,264; Davao, 11,284; Ilocos region, 10,431; and Central Luzon, 6,814.

There are certainly other factors in the low number of Filipino bank accounts, such as low wealth while living hand to mouth, and low-population density in the provinces that reduces the number of commercial areas.

However, when you combine the factors of a low number of physical banks per capita with a low-population density of 190 people per square kilometer as in the Eastern Visayas, it is more understandable why there are so few personal bank accounts.

The road beyond PSE 8,000 John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

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ELL into the 20th century, miners—particularly coal miners—carried cages with canaries down into the mines. Birds are unique in that they are continuously inhaling at a much faster rate than humans. Their fast metabolism makes them almost immediately vulnerable to airborne poisons.

The miners knew that, if the birds suddenly keeled over, they had to exit the mine or face certain death. The phrase “canary in a coal mine” has come to express an advanced warning of some danger.

While I am optimistic about the future of the Philippines, I did write on March 24 that the coming months could bring some difficult times.

That column spoke specifically to oil prices. I still believe that the “bubblers,” “hyperinflationists” and the members of the “Church of the Financial Armageddon” have it wrong.

However, I have also written that this coming end of the third quarter is going to see some unpleasant events.

The 2012-and-2013 Cyprus banking crisis was the first “canary” to drop dead. The details of the cause are not as important as the result when depositors in “guaranteed” bank accounts saw half of their funds stolen

by the government to save the banks.

Through 2013 and early 2014, Greece was given new credit lines, and all was good. The crisis was obviously over, as the interest rate on the Greek government 10-year bond fell from 40 percent to 6 percent.

But now, that interest rate has more than doubled to 14 percent and the Greek government is fighting for its financial life.

The Greek government recently raided pension funds to raise money. They “borrowed” the money, but when they intend to pay it back is unknown. Last week the central government now requires that all local government units immediately remit to Athens all money that they collect. So if a Greek citizen pays €10 for a marriage license, those funds go directly to the national government treasury. The Greek canary is coughing badly.

Before the end of the year, we

are going to see, if not the actual, at least the beginning of sovereign debt defaults from countries that cannot print their own money or devalue their own currency. This will create a downturn in the global economy not seen since 2008 and 2009. Currently, there has been issued $2 trillion of European government debt at a negative interest rate.

Sovereign debt default and negative interest rates will cause a massive capital flight out of Europe and first into the United States. The US cannot afford to absorb that cash, as it will create asset-price bubbles, particularly in the stock market.

That is why I see the strong possibility that some US rates may also go negative. But that capital flow carries toxic fumes that will kill some other canaries.

Initially, there will be a rally in stock markets in Europe and the US that may last for some time, until capital finds another home to move to with less risk.

The local stock market is already showing some early warning signs, not so much about the Philippines but about the potential troubles, in general, that lie ahead. Filipino investors, unlike their counterparts in the West, are more globally smart with an understanding of currency exchange rates and the like. A weakness in local share prices will be externally driven, and not by domestic problems.

The Western mind, unlike in Asia, cannot conceive of cycles, in

general, and, when they do, firmly believe that these cycles can be controlled. The US state of California is in a drought. It is part of a long cycle.

When the Spanish first settled the area, it was during the middle of a 50-year drought. Most of central California was a desert. But, we are told, the current condition is because of man-made global warming, not a natural cycle, and we can break nature’s patterns simply by buying an electric car.

Cycles have applied to economies throughout history, and trying to break them only causes more misery. A short-term economic-cycle uptrend that started in June 2011 will peak and turn down in the thirdquarter 2015, until it bottoms out one year later.

The West will try to fight this cycle and will lose. It will not be financial Armageddon, except for those that keep their money in Western banks and real estate.

Prepare to travel on a bumpy road for the next months. Then be prepared for “surprising” strength in the Philippines—and Southeast Asia— while the West scrambles to protect its wealth amid dead canaries.

E-mail me at mangun@gmail.com.

Visit my web site at www.mangunonmarkets.com. Follow me on Twitter @mangunonmarkets. PSE stock-market information and technical analysis tools provided by the COL Financial Group Inc.

So many species leave us, before we even know them

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By Michael Dobie | Newsday/TNS

IS name is Sudan. He’s 42 years old and lives in Kenya, protected 24/7 by armed guards.

Sudan is a northern white rhinoceros, the last known male of his kind in the world. Think about that. The last.

He lives with two females at a conservatory. A tiny handful of female northern white rhinos—perhaps five—live elsewhere in captivity.

That’s it.

Which means the survival of this subspecies is up to Sudan. Who is old. With a low sperm count. And, perhaps, too weak to mount a female.

Sudan is the forlorn face of a crisis largely of our own making—the crisis of extinction.

Earth is experiencing a mass extinction of animals and plants, the worst since the dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago, the Center for Biological Diversity says. True, extinction is a natural phenomenon— one to five species disappear naturally per year. But scientists estimate we’re now losing dozens of species

every day, many we know nothing about. The reasons are familiar, often interrelated and all about us humans. We cut down forests and plow prairies. We overharvest fish and mine the ocean floor. We pollute and produce devastating climate change. And we hunt.

Poaching decimated many species of rhinos, and elephants, too.

The northern white rhino’s horn is prized in Asia for its supposed medicinal properties, despite research debunking virtually all of those claims. Sudan’s horn has been removed for his protection.

What the pace of extinction says about us is disturbing. So many of our species don’t seem alarmed about our scary ability to eliminate other species. We muster protest

for nature’s icons, like elephants or apes. But we shrug when an insect or plant vanishes. We’re humans, it’s our world, get out of the way. The arrogance is appalling.

Sometimes, the effects of our actions are plain to see. Take the wolves of Yellowstone National Park, hunted and poisoned to extermination in the park by 1926. Without wolves, Yellowstone’s elk population boomed, with disastrous effects. Elk are voracious grazers. The decline of vegetation led to the disappearance of songbirds and beavers. Without the ponds created by beaver dams, otters, muskrats and moose declined.

So did mice, voles and pronghorn fawns, prey for the coyote that blossomed without the wolves. When the wolves were reintroduced in 1995, the damage was reversed.

Nature establishes balances we should respect. Extermination throws that out of whack. Already, scientists worry about the variety of life in Africa’s savanna grasslands, maintained, in part, by rhino feasting.

Just as troubling is when we don’t

know what we’re losing. Literally, do... not...know.

Plants, for example, are a huge source of medicinal drugs for everything from malaria to pain.

Rain-forest plants offer hope in the fight against cancer. Edible species become dietary supplements. The nonreflective eyes of moths are inspiring designs for more efficient solar panels. Dirt from a grassy field in Maine harbored an antibiotic that killed the staph infection MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and drug-resistant tuberculosis in tests on mice.

Why do we snicker when environmentalists worry about developments that threaten endangered species like the tiger salamander or snail darter? Our ecosystems are complex. One extinction can lead to another. How much do you really want to kiss good-bye? It’s an amazing world out there. We don’t even know how amazing it is yet. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?

It’s worse when you don’t even know what’s gone.

Opinion BusinessMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph

My life for my flock China should let a hundred defaults bloom

Msgr. Sabino A. Vengco Jr.

William Pesek

BLOOMBERG VIEW

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HIS week, Kaisa, a former poster child of China’s booming real-estate market, made history by becoming the first Chinese developer to renege on dollar loans. The immediate causes of Kaisa’s default are clear enough: plunging property values left it with excessive debt.

But it’s still too early to know what Kaisa’s failure will mean for China. Chinese President Xi Jinping must decide whether he is more interested in stoking short-term growth, or curbing the excesses that imperil the country’s future.

On the one hand, Xi’s government claims “market forces” will play a “decisive” role as it shifts to a growth model more reliant on domestic demand than exports and investment. Even Deng Xiaoping, China’s first Communist leader to embrace free markets, never went so far in his rhetoric. And Xi’s handling of major economic players like Kaisa and state-owned powertransformer manufacturer Baoding Tianwei Group, which defaulted this week on an onshore bond, has signaled his seriousness.

But for all of Xi’s talk about market forces, he has also allowed the state to get even more deeply involved in the economy. Many observers see this week’s move by the People’s Bank of China to cut bank reserve requirements by 1 percentage point as a sign that the government’s top priority is to prop up gross domestic product. That’s on top of the help that local governments recently received in refinancing debt, which essentially amounted to a stealth bailout from Beijing.

It’s understandable that Xi would want to mitigate the turbulence and potential embarrassments associated with allowing China’s credit bubble to burst.

China is attempting a macroeconomic shift unprecedented in size and scale, at a time when all of its missteps will be chronicled by the international media. But China can’t build a healthy economy unless it develops the stomach for letting companies and banks fail. Last week Standard & Poor’s expressed concerns about the faltering profitability of Chinese companies and warned “more defaults cannot be ruled out.” But it’s still unclear whether Beijing will allow these failures to occur.

The defaults and bankruptcies to come could be on a far larger scale than we’ve seen this week. Kaisa’s default on a $52-million loan is peanuts in the context of a Chinese

economy where credit has exploded by $20 trillion since the 2008 global financial crisis. But Kaisa’s situation underscores one of the biggest problems hampering Beijing: a lack of transparency throughout the economy. It was only in February that Kaisa admitted to having more than $10 billion in debt, far more than it had previously claimed. It’s hard for policy-makers to respond to the risks in an economy when they don’t know where the cracks lie and how big they are.

Ideally, Beijing would match progrowth policies with steps to empower market forces to police a shadowy financial system. But the government and central bank have instead been cooperating in swapping currency reserves for stakes in state-owned banks. The goal of that policy seems to be to boost lending, despite the obvious dangers of creating new asset bubbles.

“The authorities are conflicted,” economist George Magnus of UBS told Bloomberg News. “They want to tame credit and reform the economy but their actions suggest that they are unwilling to preside over a period of slow growth and difficult reform.”

If anyone understands the perils of letting companies fail, it’s Henry Paulson. It was on his watch as US Treasury secretary in 2008 that Washington opted to help Bear Stearns and let Lehman Brothers fail, to disastrous effect. But, in his new book Dealing with China, Paulson argues that America’s economic reckoning offers a timely window into Beijing’s. “If the government is to discourage bad behavior on the part of market participants counting on a government bailout,” Paulson writes, “it is crucial to decide clearly and decisively which institutions are systemically important and need to be supported and which creditors and investors should share in the losses.”

He’s right. Unless China combines stimulus with measures to punish bad behavior, today’s stimulus will only set the stage for tomorrow’s multitrillion-dollar crises.

Kaisa’s reckoning is a chance to get the mix right. Xi shouldn’t let the opportunity pass him by.

Alálaong Bagá

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IVINE mercy endures forever: the stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone (Psalm 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28 and 29). Jesus proclaims himself as the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep, and for this the Father loves him (John 10:11-18).

His kindness endures forever In a song of thanksgiving, the psalmist leads by calling all to praise God for His everlasting loving kindness (hesed) to those who are in a covenant relationship with Him. “The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:17). The chorus response to the words of thanksgiving: Yes, “it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man or even in princes.” Our experience on this teaches us to be wise, in addition to God’s own warning to us: “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a barren bush in the desert.... Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5-7).

Like the psalmist, we thank the Lord, who has been our savior and helper. We have all experienced

the fidelity of God to His covenant promises, and based on this personal knowledge each one should praise and trust God. It is truly better to trust God than human judgment alone which is so unreliable, as is seen in the case of the stone rejected by the builders but made wonderfully

by God into a vital cornerstone. As the Lord has promised: “I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone as a sure foundation; he who puts his faith in it shall not be shaken” (Isaiah 26:16). Quoted

by Jesus Himself (Mark 12:10), this divine plan was fulfilled in Him who is our salvation (Acts 4:11-12). He, Jesus, and all others who come in the name of the Lord, trusting in the Lord, are blessed, for they have all, like the psalmist, known the kindness of the Lord that endures forever.

The shepherd who knows his own

In the gospel Jesus identified

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Himself in a self-proclamation: “I am the good shepherd.” The opening words “I am” (ego eimi in Greek) indicate that this is a divine disclosure (as in Exodus 3:14). A good shepherd is a noble, conscientious shepherd who is committed to the welfare of his sheep, willing to protect his flock even at personal risk. He is not like those shepherds condemned by the prophets (e.g., Ezekiel 34) who neglected and even took advantage of their flocks, leaders and rulers who cared nothing for the people but only for themselves.

Jesus is protective of His flock and is willing to lay down His life for His sheep, unlike a hireling who only does shepherding for money and when danger comes abandons the sheep to the wolves.

If he has on him “the smell of his sheep” because he really cares for them and knows them as his own, Jesus’s shepherding is also uniquely universal. He also cares and is also willing to die for His other sheep who are not yet included in His flock.

They will also recognize His voice and will follow Him, so that eventually they will all be brought into His flock and “there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

The command from the Father

The good shepherd is to be fully appreciated in the context of his intimacy with God. Jesus knows His sheep “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” To know

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another is not a mere acquaintanceship but connotes in the Hebrew mind an intimate relationship.

Based on His mutual intimacy with God who is His Father, Jesus claims He has also a mutual, intimate relationship with His flock that entails His readiness to lay down His own life for His sheep. His death is referred to four times in the text; it is the measure of his love.

The vicarious death of Jesus, laying down voluntarily His life for the sake of others, is capped by the reference to His taking it up again in His resurrection. He lays down His life on his own; no one takes it from Him. And He has the power as well to take up His life again. God loves Jesus precisely because He willingly lays down His life and takes it up again.

It is the Father’s command to His Son to save humankind by His death and resurrection; the Son is lovingly obeying His Father by laying down His life and taking it up again for the sake of the sheep entrusted to Him. Alálaong bagá, divine mercy endures forever. In the Good Shepherd we give thanks for the Savior who comes in the name of the Lord and who lays down His life for us. We praise the love of the Father for us in and through the Son. Join me in meditating on the Word of God every Sunday, 5 to 6 a.m. on DWIZ 882, or by audio-streaming on www.dwiz882.com.

Word ‘zero-rated’ required to be imprinted on VAT invoices/ORs supporting VAT zero-rated transactions Atty. Ayesha Hania Guiling-Matanog

Tax Law for Business

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axpayers engaged in the sale of goods or services which are subject to value-added tax (VAT) at zero percent are not liable to output taxes on said sales. Nonetheless, they incur input taxes passed on by their suppliers. If there are no other sales subject to output taxes, the input taxes remain unutilized. These may remain in the taxpayer’s returns until they are utilized in the future. Also, one of the options available to the taxpayer is to recover the same in the form refund.

However, recovery of input taxes through refund is not an easy process.

First and foremost, a taxpayer must be able to substantiate the fact that it sales are really VAT “zero-rated.” And there are specific requirements to be indicated in the sales invoices or official receipts for the sales to qualify as zero-rated.

Recently in G.R 185115, February 18, 2015, the Supreme Court (SC) was again faced with the issue of whether the word zero-rated should be printed in VAT invoices or official receipts in order that a

claim for refund of unutilized input taxes may prosper. It may be recalled that Section 113 (B)(2)(C) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 expressly requires that the term zero-rated sale shall be written or printed prominently on the VAT invoice or official receipt if the sale is subject to zero-percent VAT. In a case involving an entity engaged in the production and sale of electricity, the Court of Tax Appeals found that taxpayer failed to substantiate its claim for refund and to strictly follow the invoicing requirements

as set in Section 113 (B) (2) (C) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 and the implementing regulations which require the imprinting of the term zerorated. However, a dissenting opinion was entered into opining that the word zero-rated need not be imprinted on the face of the receipt or invoice. The opinion mentioned that the absence of the word zero-rated does not affect the admissibility and competence of the receipt or invoice as evidence to support the claim for refund. Thus, when the case was elevated to the SC, the issue of whether failure to print the word zero-rated on VAT invoices/official receipts is fatal to claim for refund was raised.

In resolving the issue, the SC emphasized that this matter had already been settled by the High Court in a number of cases. The High Court held that the invoicing requirements set forth in the law are intended for the efficient enforcement of the Tax Code. The Court also said that the provision on invoicing requirements is reasonable and is in accord with the efficient collection of VAT from the covered sales of goods and services.

Finally, the High Court stressed that it is fatal in claims for refund or credit of input VAT on zero-rated sales if there was failure to write or print prominently the term zero-rated on the VAT invoice

or official receipts. The Court even emphasized that the same rule applies even if the claims were made prior to the effectivity of Republic Act 9337.

The invoice or official receipt required to be issued for sales of goods or services is not just a matter of form. It also affects the substance and nature of the transactions. This is especially true with respect to zero-rated sales or receipts where its zero-rated character may not be acceptable if not properly labeled or described as zero-rated with the imprinting of the word zero-rated. Taxpayers, therefore, are obliged to comply with the mandatory information required to be indicated in the invoices and receipts.

The author is a junior associate of DuBaladad and Associates Law Offices (BDB Law), a member firm of World Tax Services (WTS) Alliance.

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal or financial advice on any specific matter.

Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported therefore by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at ayesha.matanog@bdblaw. com.ph or call 403-2001 local 170.

Realizing unfinished business of MDGs: A call for greater action and investment for malaria

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By Dr. Fatoumata Nafo Traoré | Inter Press Service

NITED NATIONS—Later this week, communities around the world will commemorate World Malaria Day for the last time in the context of the global development priorities set in 2000.

Aspiring for a world free from hunger, poverty and disease, the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were endorsed by the largest gathering of world leaders in history.

Most of those world leaders have since moved on, but the goals they determined galvanised the planet to work together toward a better future for humanity and spawned health and development partnerships which continue to this day.

These unique alliances have evolved over time to meet the changing environment, and, in the case of malaria control and elimination, succeeded exponentially where other development efforts have stalled.

Since 2000 and the dawn of the new millennium, over 4 million lives

have been saved by mass distribution of insecticide treated nets, insecticide spraying of interiors, improved malaria treatments and rapid, on the spot, diagnosis of malaria. Over the past 15 years, malaria mortality has decreased by 47 percent worldwide and by 55 percent in Africa alone.

In fact, 64 countries have achieved the malaria-specific MDG—to have halted and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria by 2015. This means less newborn, infant and maternal deaths, fewer days missed at school and work, more productive communities, stronger health systems and more vibrant economies.

But these gains are fragile and their impact unevenly distributed.

As we shift gears—from the MDGs to the broader Sustainable Develop-

ment Goals—we must not forget the unfinished business of the MDGs, the unmet targets—the populations still at risk and the continuing unnecessary deaths, suffering and loss of livelihood caused by malaria.

The Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) has come a long way in the last 15 years—but we still have some distance to go.

Universal coverage with insecticide treated nets, effective treatments, rapid diagnostics and indoor spraying has not yet been achieved.

Too often, migrant workers, mobile communities and other remote populations do not yet receive adequate malaria services.

In Africa today, 10,000 women and between 75,000 and 200,000 infants are estimated to die annually, with many millions suffering worldwide, as a result of malaria infection during pregnancy. It is unacceptable that the most vulnerable in our society remain the least protected.

Greater investment in future generations, in the protection of mothers and their unborn babies from

malaria, is a moral imperative. We can and must do better.

In this critical transition year, the RBM Partnership will launch its second generation global malaria action plan called “Action and Investment to defeat Malaria [AIM] 2016-2030: for a Malaria-Free World.”

It makes the global case for eliminating the scourge of malaria over the next 15 years and avoiding the resurgence of the disease, with its associated crippling economic cost and devastating suffering and death.

The AIM calls for heightened investment within the new Sustainable Development framework and emphasises a people-centred approach, which leaves no one behind. It also shows clearly how engaging all sectors of society will boost global efforts and generate the much-needed human and financial resources to win the race against malaria.

With the drug and insecticide resistance eroding effective tools, malaria control and elimination efforts will need smart invest-

ments and increased international and domestic spending as endemic countries move from low- to middleincome status and shift their sights to ambitious elimination targets.

An investment in malaria control and elimination is an investment in the future, and it’s undoubtedly one of the best buys in global health.

The tools are cost-effective and the return on investment high. If we can eliminate the disease in subSaharan Africa alone by 2030, the world stands to gain an estimated $270 billion.

If we are to make malaria history we will need new tools—innovations that will help us realise our ambition toward a malaria-free world, particularly those that can accelerate elimination in the near future and tackle the challenges we face today, like drug and insecticide resistance.

We will also need transformative technologies—effective vaccines and rapid malaria tests that can be used in remote areas and can detect cases that have no visible symptoms.

Going forward, the malaria fight

will need new focus: strengthening country ownership, empowering communities, enhancing data quality for decision making, engaging multiple sectors outside health and exploring ways to do things better at all levels, with maximum value for money.

The RBM Partnership will be ready to adapt strategies and approaches, amplify political will and country readiness, so that together we can win the race against malaria.

Humanity’s quest for a sustainable, more equitable and healthier global society cannot succeed without systematic, effective, long-term malaria control and elimination measures in endemic countries.

Winning the fight against malaria means that families, communities, and countries will thrive as never before.

By working together we can put an end to this needless suffering and strengthen the potential of individuals, communities and countries to achieve our ultimate goal—a world free from malaria.