BusinessMirror October 20, 2015

BusinessMirror

THREETIME ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDEE 2006, 2010, 2012

U.N. MEDIA AWARD 2008

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SAINT LA SALLE’S MEDITATION AND LOUIE M. LACSON

Word&Life Publications • teacherlouie1965@yahoo.com

Editor: Gerard S. Ramos • lifestylebusinessmirror@gmail.com

Life

FAST CHAT WITH ELIJAH WOOD »D2

BusinessMirror

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

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8 easy Halloween decorating ideas

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B C H Tribune News Service

ALLOWEEN is a favorite holiday for many. It is one of the few holidays in which the focus is on the fun as opposed to the pressure of gift-giving or what some may view as the stress of holiday entertaining. While you are looking for ways to decorate your home in a festive way this holiday season, why not also look for ways to extend some of your décor all year-round? Here are some of my top Design Recipes for transitioning Halloween décor into your home, while also enjoying some of the colors and festive décor beyond the holiday. 1. Gold and orange. These are two colors often

associated with fall. And while black and orange are two colors prominent in Halloween décor, bringing orange and yellow into your home during Halloween is a great nontrendy way to celebrate the season. 2. Trick or treat. Many people often think of ghosts and goblins at Halloween, but this is the perfect time of the year to bring wonderful tasty scents into the home. Homemade candles in fragrances such as pumpkin and spice not only help set the mood and smell great, but can be used year-round. 3. Colored light bags. Pumpkin carving is typically messy and can be difficult with precise shapes and designs. Why not light up the night with colored bags instead? One way to achieve this is to take traditional solarpowered stake lights and pierce the bottom of a colored

paper bag. The result is safe and colorful. 4. Frame a card. While greeting cards are seldom associated with Halloween, these colorful cards make for great instant artwork to adorn a table for entertaining or a trick or treat table at the front door. Just frame and you’re ready to go! 5. White pumpkins. These are not as common as their orange counterparts but look beautiful adorning a Halloween table. Spray-paint some black for a ghoulish mix. 6. Chalkboard placemats. Now is the time to get creative with your table setting and décor. Little chalkboards are easy to find at most craft stores and can double as placemats. Add spooky elements like netting and write a message in chalk to both surprise and scare your guests.

7. Create easy centerpieces. Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, but the small ones work especially well as centerpieces. Either place several in clusters on your table or spray-paint white pumpkins in different, festive colors. If you are feeling extra creative, add glitter, string or buttons. 8. Go custom. Often a hit at birthday parties and events, these days it is super easy to create your own custom wrappers to serve as the candy for trick or treaters or your guests. Looking for a home idea? You can always use transfer paper for toss pillows, pillow cases or napkins with your own custom design.

LIFE ARGEE HUBILLA

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MOY ORTIZ

CHAT WITH ELIJAH WOOD D2

Show BusinessMirror

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

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Fast chat with Elijah Wood B J V. A Newsday

But we can talk about Vin Diesel. Did he seem imposing when you first met? Not at all. His size is one thing, but in terms of his vibe, he’s extremely friendly and warm. I think he’s kind of a softy at heart. What’s interesting is that this film blends action and fantasy...and he’s a huge fantasy nerd. He grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons. So it’s interesting to know the character he’s playing in this movie was somewhat evocative of...a deeper passion of his.

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LIJAH WOOD, everyone’s favorite hobbit from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has returned to the fantasy genre, but this time his costume doesn’t require pointy ears or hairy feet—it’s his neck, with the priest’s collar, that catches your eye. Wood plays Dolan 37, a cleric from a mysterious order in The Last Witch Hunter, a new action fantasy film starring Vin Diesel. Diesel, shifting gears from his Fast and Furious franchise, plays an immortal chap who keeps witches in check, assisted by a series of holy “Dolans” who create new identities for him and, in general, try to keep up. Wood, when not bringing to life J.R.R. Tolkien’s Frodo, is known for smart, tender performances in films as varied as the animated Happy Feet and indies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He’ll be seen next year with Nicolas Cage as crooked cops in the crime drama The Trust.

Did you ever geek out on Dungeons & Dragons? It passed me by. For some reason I never hung out with kids who played it. Did Diesel teach you any fast moves? Did you maybe get out for a drive and learn to do doughnuts? No. (A A big laugh.) No...we didn’t. Aww, man, that was your big opportunity. It kind of was. I missed it. But that car he drives in this film is pretty awesome. Must be in his contract—‘awesome car required. required.’ Yeah. The thing about my character—it’s his first day on the job, and he’s got big shoes to fill, and the

I want to ask you about the twist at the end of this film. But, alas, we can’t really talk about that. No, we can’t. (He chuckles.)

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POPULATION GROWTH THREATENS PHL RICE SELFSUFFICIENCY GOAL

n Cathy Hobbs, based in New York City, is an Emmy Award-winning television host and a nationally known interior design and home staging expert.

ARCH. Jason Buensalido taking a moment in his designed space

ARCH. Jason Buensalido taking a moment in his designed space

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PHL taking small steps toward TPP membership ANILA is aiming to complete technical consultations with all 12 members of the TransPacific Partnership (TPP) by next year to make sure the Philippines will remain at the doorstep of the USled trade bloc once it starts accepting new members.

HALLOWEEN DECORATING EAR God, our unending petitions are flooding You almost every day. We ask for solutions to our problems. We ask for practically all our basic needs. We storm heaven for our desires to happen instantly. But did we ever pause and see “the miracles of providence are daily occurrences and they cease only when we lose our faith?” Help us see You in everything we do, think and say. May Your grace be part of our daily system in life. Amen.

Thursday 2014 Vol. No. 40 Vol. 11 No. 12 Tuesday,18, October 20,102015

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INSIDE

Daily occurrences

A broader look at today’s business

primary goal is giving Vin a new identity. Vin plays an 800-year-old man. You can’t have the same identity for 800 years or people’ll get suspicious. So here I am, talking about how he needs to keep a low profile and we turn the corner, I see the car—and it’s obviously an attentiongrabber. I think I say something like, ““At least it’s not red.” Yes, the car, very Vin Diesel. But I’m curious, is there something about him we wouldn’t expect? Hmmm...good question. (He pauses.) He’s a family man—had his kids on set a lot. That’s important to him. He loves to sing, loves music. But his fans probably know that about him. He’s interesting— I’ve never met anyone quite like him. We just went to Comic Con here in the city yesterday and did a panel. It’s an extraordinary thing to watch, as people freak out for him. He’s an action hero, a massive movie star in the classic sense of the word. A crowd freaking out...a massive film franchise...you certainly know what that’s like. Yeah, like with the Tolkien films, knowing you’re a part of this larger mythology. That’s a special thing. And wild to be a part of. It’s tough to live up to those expectations. n

“The Philippines has indicated very clearly that we would like to join the TPP and would want to start discussions for our entry once it opens its doors to new members. Even before the TPP was concluded, the Philippine government had already undertaken technical consultations with six of the 12 TPP countries, and the talks will continue,” Trade Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. said. The Philippines had previously

conducted technical discussions with Malaysia, the US, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and Canada. It will soon initiate the same with Japan, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam and Vietnam. Cristobal said these technical consultations would be carried out next year. The technical consultations, he said, are meant to get an idea of the commitments that the expansive and highly secretive deal would C  A

CCP fest highlights intertextuality in events PERFORMATURA Festival, the three-day event organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), features 10 pocket events for various contemporary art forms in addition to the indigenous and traditional art events. The combination of the contemporary and the traditional is based on intertextuality. Herminio S. Beltran, CCP Intertextual Unit chief, explains, “The festival celebrates how previous and current texts and text-makers [the artists] then and now relate socially in space and time.” He adds that the festival aims to access relationships with and between the page and the stage, and tradition and innovation. Multiawarded writer Vim Nadera is the festival director, while CCP Intertextual Unit officer and dramaturg Giselle G. Garcia is the deputy festival director.

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Today’s Horoscope

By Eugenia Last

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: John Krasinski, 36; Snoop Dogg, 44; Viggo Mortensen, 57; Tom Petty, 65. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Share your ideas and work alongside others in order to reach your goals. Your ability to find solutions and help a cause you believe in will lead to interesting opportunities and a change in the way you move forward in your personal life. A move or altering your lifestyle will benefit you mentally and financially. Your numbers are 2, 8, 13, 21, 33, 37, 42.

Nadera and Garcia led the programming of the pocket events. The CCP Café or Coffee & Conversation with a National Artist headlines these events where audience members could ask any (light) question to the three National Artists for Literature. TV personality Lourd de Veyra moderates the CCP Café with FF. Sionil Jose (November 6), University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Mass Communication Dean Roland Tolentino emcees the event with Bienvenido Lumbera T (November 7), and renowned author Krip Yuson hosts the event with Cirilo FF. Bautista (November 8). The CCP Café will be held at the Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino, the third floor hallway of the center. T The hallway was named after T Tolentino, National Artist for the Visual Arts, whose numerous works include the

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Protect your position and your reputation. Don’t let anyone bully you or cause you to make an impulsive move that isn’t to your benefit. Use your intelligence to gain ground and outsmart anyone who gets in your way. HH

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Express the way you feel by taking action and following through with your plans. Take a day trip or converse with someone who has information that will help you make positive adjustments to the way you live. Romance is highlighted. HHHHH

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Don’t overdo it. Leave yourself enough time to take care of your responsibilities. You will face opposition if you are too whimsical or don’t take action. Exercise discipline, and you will overcome adversity and indulgence. HHH

Oblation at the UP Diliman campus. The Park Poetry Series also underscores contemporary performances with Joey Ayala, Jess Santiago, Fando & Lis, ventriloquist Ony Carcamo, Joel Malabanan and Lourd de Veyra for Park Poetry I: Music and Movement (November 6). T Tondo Rappers, the Ilustrado rap group (with Batas), Syke, Speech Choir 121, and a Crissotan (the Kapampangan version of Balagtasan) performance comprise the lineup for Park Poetry II: Ensembles & Notions of Rhythm (November 7). Gemino Abad, Neil Garcia, Becky Añonuevo, Krip Yuson, and Diwa de Leon form the block for Park Poetry III: Gathering a Community of Poets (November 8). The Park Poetry Series will be held at the CCP Promenade from 7 pm onward.

A sculptural work of National Artist for the Visual Arts Napoleon V. Abueva, titled Magkasintahan sa Buhay at Sayaw is in the CCP Promenade. Sayaw, The T Tanghalang Huseng Batute will be the venue for the Lecture Demo series. The Mindanao State UniversityIligan Institute of T Technology echnology will present Suga SugaT Tula, a contemporary Mindanao poetry, from 9 am to 12 noon on November 7. Huseng Batute is the pseudonym of Filipino poet Jose Corazon de Jesus, more popularly known to have penned the lyrics to the song “Bayan Ko.” On November 8 the venue will feature performances of the Daloy Dance Company, Arianna Pozzuoli, Romancing Venus, the UP Los Baños Choir, Myra Beltran, and Anthony Brown. For information, contact 832-1125 locals 1706 and 1707.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Search for the positives and ignore anyone focusing on negativity. It’s up to you to choose a path that offers opportunity. Don’t rely on someone else to make you happy. It’s doing what’s right for you that will lead to selfsatisfaction. HHH

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Check out the job market to see if something interests you. Even if you are happy with your current position, you will either gain a sense of comfort in staying where you are or see the possibilities of making a move. HHH

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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Talk to your peers and see if anyone can contribute to a project you are undertaking. Appeal to the emotional side of those sharing your values, and you will drum up support and position yourself as a forerunner. HHHH

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Go over what you’ve done in the past and the ideas you still want to pursue, and map out your plans to follow through. Your ideas are good, and with a couple of alterations, you will receive great satisfaction and encouragement. HHH

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Taking care of other people’s business will put you in a strong position. Your generosity and concern will be questioned by some and admired by others. Don’t waffle when you should be showing your leadership ability. Romance is favored. HHHH

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Let your imagination wander and you will release some of the pent-up energy you are harboring. Look for solutions to the problems you are experiencing with friends, relatives or neighbors. Share your thoughts and you will feel free to move forward. HHHHH

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Refuse to let anyone take advantage of you. Don’t share your personal secrets or prematurely divulge a plan you want to develop. Keeping the peace is your forte, but look out for bullies and be prepared to weather the storm. HH

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t let the changes that others make concern you. Go about your business and protect your possessions and assets. There are opportunities to make substantial gains if you apply practical applications to unusual situations. Romance will enhance your life. HHH

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SHOW

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep a low profile. Do your best to use your intelligence to make your point instead of taking action without proper authority or approval. Don’t make life overly difficult. Focus on making personal improvements. HHH

BIRTHDAY BABY: You are powerful, engaging and determined. You are an insightful mediator.

‘a’ few phrases BY CARL CRANBY

D2

The Universal Crossword/Edited by Timothy E. Parker

MURPHY ON A ROLL C1

DTI expects double-digit growth in exports to EU

Sports

| TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015 mirror_sports@yahoo.com.ph sports@businessmirror.com.ph Editor: Jun Lomibao

BusinessMirror

LUCKY CHARM S

HANGHAI—Novak Djokovic wore a red shirt in his matches at the Shanghai Masters this week to connect with his Chinese fans and perhaps give himself a little boost. “I know it’s a lucky national color, so it’s my lucky charm,” he said. With the way he dominated, he didn’t need any luck. Djokovic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, 6-2, 6-4, to capture the ninth title of his impressive season in Shanghai on Sunday, a week after he triumphed at the China Open in Beijing for the sixth time in six appearances. He didn’t drop a set at either tournament, only once being pushed to a tiebreaker, and extended his winning streak to 17 straight matches dating back to his championship run at the US Open. “This has been the best two weeks of my life, my career,” the topranked Serb said. “Energy-wise, I was great. I didn’t get tired. I always had plenty of intensity, concentration, a high-performance level from the first match in Beijing to today’s match.” Tsonga came into the match leading the tournament with 64 aces, but Djokovic returned so effectively that he broke the Frenchman three times and held him to zero aces in the opening set. Tsonga played more aggressively in the second set, but still had to fight off five break points until Djokovic was finally able to convert on his sixth when the Frenchman double-faulted while serving at 4-all. Djokovic then served out the match. “Today, there is nothing to say. He’s playing a lot better than everybody,” Tsonga said. “You have to be in your best shape to beat him anyway, and everybody knows that it’s not easy to play your best tennis every match.” Djokovic has traditionally played well during the Asian swing following the US Open when other players are either nursing injuries or tired after a long season. In terms of the quality of his tennis in China this year, though, the Serb said he’s never felt as confident. “I mean, only one set where I got a tiebreak in two weeks is quite incredible,” he said. “So I’m very, very pleased with the way I’ve played.” Having a lot of fan support certainly helps. His Chinese supporters packed the stadium on Sunday with Serbia flags, and as Djokovic noted earlier this week, some have even given themselves Serbian names and are learning his country’s national anthem. Djokovic thanked them for their support by writing a different Chinese character on the courtside television camera after each match (“love” and “fortune” are two of his favorites) and trying some Mandarin in his victory speech. “I need to work on my phrases more because I’ve been saying the same thing for too many years,” he said with a laugh. But it’s not just China where he has been winning this year—it’s just about everywhere. Among his accomplishments, with the Paris Masters and Association of Tennis Professionals Finals in London still left to play: n Djokovic became one of three men to play in all four Grand Slam finals in a single season in the Open era, joining Roger Federer and Rod Laver. (Laver, coincidentally, was in the stands to watch Djokovic’s win on Sunday.) n With wins in Beijing and Shanghai, he surpassed $16 million in prize money, the highest ever by a player in a single season. n He has also reached 13 consecutive finals dating back to January, second only to Federer’s 17 straight finals in 2005-2006. And there’s every reason Djokovic could finish the season undefeated—he hasn’t lost in Paris or London since 2012. “I’m not thinking about being unbeaten ‘till the rest of the year,” he said. “But, yes, that’s an option. It’s a possibility.” As good as this year has been, he has more goals to achieve next year, chiefly among them capturing his first French Open and Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro. He just hopes he’ll continue to have the motivation and stamina to keep it up. “I don’t want to get carried away by success,” Djokovic said, “because I want to be playing on this level for many more years to come.” AP

MURPHY DANIEL MURPHY homers again, while rookie Noah Syndergaard (inset) outpitches his illustrious rival in Game Two on Sunday. AP

ON A ROLL Daniel Murphy, hero of these playoffs for the New York Mets, enhanced his résumé once again on a cold Sunday night with a homer off the mighty Jake Arrieta. The long ball, a two-run shot, set the tone early at Citi Field, where the Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-1, to take a two-gamesto-none lead in the National League Championship Series.

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B J K

The Philadelphia Inquirer

EW YORK—The list of pitchers Daniel Murphy has tagged for home runs this postseason is similar to the National League (NL) Cy Young ballots submitted two weeks ago. Murphy, hero of these playoffs for the New York Mets, enhanced his résumé once again on a cold Sunday night with a homer off the mighty Jake Arrieta. The long ball, a two-run shot, set the tone early at Citi Field, where the Mets beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-1, to take a two-games-to-none lead in the National League Championship Series. The series shifts to Chicago and Wrigley Field for the next three games. Jacob deGrom, the Mets’ starter for Games One and Five of the NL division series, will start opposite the Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks in Game Three on Tuesday. Steven Matz and Chicago’s Jason Hammel await for Game Four. On consecutive nights, the Mets defeated Jon Lester, Chicago’s $155-million left-hander, and Arrieta, whose inconceivable 0.75 ERA after the all-star break was the best in major-league history. Murphy was a key reason. The 30-year-old second baseman enters Game Three with a homer in four consecutive playoff games and a franchise-record five for the postseason. “He’s about as locked in as I’ve seen a hitter, and he’s carried that out now for...seven games,” Mets teammate David Wright said. “That’s quite a feat, especially in the playoffs against this pitching.” Murphy, a soon-to-be free agent who set a career high with just 14 home runs in the regular season, tied Mike Piazza for the Mets franchise record for career postseason homers in seven games. Four of them came against the three best pitchers in baseball this season: Clayton Kershaw (twice), Zack Greinke and Arrieta. The other came off Lester, a three-time all-star who has twice finished among the top 4 in Cy Young Award voting. “I definitely am seeing the ball well right now,” Murphy said, perhaps the understatement of the night. Murphy’s latest heroics gave the Mets a 3-0 first-inning lead. Curtis Granderson opened the frame with a single before the slumping Wright drove him in with a double. Murphy quickly fell behind Arrieta, no balls and two strikes, before watching a fastball miss for a ball. He then lofted

a curveball that was down in the strike zone, tucking it just inside the right-field foul pole. When Murphy stepped to the plate in the third inning with Granderson on second base, the Cubs intentionally walked the postseason’s hottest home-run hitter. Granderson, who had stolen second, swiped third and scored on Yoenis Cespedes’s infield single. The next 16 Mets batters were retired until Murphy—who else?— lined a two-out single in the eighth. “The ambush early got us,” Cubs Manager Joe Maddon said. It was Arrieta’s second straight outing in which he surrendered four earned runs, the same number he allowed over his previous 13 starts spanning 97 1/3 innings, including his dominant complete-game shutout in the wild-card game. The 29-year-old right-hander and Cy Young candidate lasted only five innings on Sunday, his quickest exit since June 16. Noah Syndergaard, the Mets’ starter, lasted only two-thirds of an inning longer than Arrieta but was dominant for all but one of his frames. The hard-throwing rookie righthander allowed only one run on three hits, the last a run-scoring double by Kris Bryant. Syndergaard recorded nine strikeouts, three against Kyle Schwarber, and walked only one. Granderson, his right fielder, provided an assist by robbing Chris Coghlan of a home run with an impressive catch in the second. Jon Niese, Addison Reed and Tyler Clippard bridged the gap to Jeurys Familia, the Mets’ reliable workhorse closer, who converted his fourth save of the playoffs. With deGrom, Matz and Matt Harvey in line to pitch the next three games in Chicago, if necessary, the Mets find themselves in a more than favorable position. “We pretty much haven’t hid the fact that we think we have pretty good pitching,” Mets Manager Terry Collins said. “They’re young, they’re inexperienced, they don’t have the credentials that Kershaw and Greinke and Lester and Arrieta have, but they’re going to be good pitchers.... We think we can stack up with anybody.”

SPORTS NOVAK DJOKOVIC caps successful China swing with Shanghai title. AP

A YOUNG boy eats from a pot of rice in the urban-poor community of San Roque in Quezon City. ENRIQUE SORIANO/BLOOMBERG NEWS B M G P C1 SENEN M. PERLADA, director of the Export Marketing Bureau of the Department of Trade and Industry, at the BM Coffee Club forum held at the BUSINESSMIRROR offices in Makati City on Monday. NONIE REYES

T BusinessMirror MEDIA PARTNER

HE European Union (EU) is picking up the slack in demand for Philippine-made products from the country’s other major markets, as exports to European countries are projected to grow by at least 10 percent this year. Senen M. Perlada, director of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) Export Marketing Bureau (EMB), attributed this to the inclusion of the Philippines in the Euro-

PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 45.9750

pean Union Generalized System of Preferences Plus (EU-GSP+) scheme. “This year we’re confident that we may see a double-digit growth of exports to the EU. It’s one of the major markets that are experiencing growth, aside from the US and Canada. The other major markets are down,” Perlada told reporters and editors of the BM during the BM Coffee Club forum.

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Second of three parts

HE level of rice self-sufficiency in the Philippines has gone up to 96 percent last year, from 82 percent in 2010. The government wants to prop up the rice self-sufficiency level, but El Niño is making it more difficult to do this. Because of the drought caused by El Niño, the Philippines was forced to buy its rice requirements for 2016 this year. Last month the National Food Authority (NFA) purchased 750,000 metric tons (MT) of rice via a tender. The volume includes the 500,000 MT of imported rice needed by the Philippines for next year. More than El Niño, experts said the Philippine government will have to find ways to achieve its self-sufficiency target in the next five years in light of the country’s growing population.

Dr. Suthad Setboonsarng, member of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Board of Trustees, said in his presentation before the Asean Rice Future Forum in Vietnam that the 10.6 million increase in the country’s population in five years could force the Philippines to import more rice. With this in mind, the Aquino administration rolled out its Food Staple Sufficiency Program (FSSP) in 2010. The program called for huge budgets to fund strategies for increasing the country’s food supply. While FSSP interventions helped boost Philippine rice output, IRRI Global Rice Science Partnership Director Bas Bouman said the government could still do a better job to improve the country’s rice sector. For one, he said, the government should give incentives to farmers who use best management C  A

C  A

n JAPAN 0.3849 n UK 70.9762 n HK 5.9327 n CHINA 7.2368 n SINGAPORE 33.2261 n AUSTRALIA 33.3999 n EU 52.1862 n SAUDI ARABIA 12.2626

Source: BSP (19 October 2015)

A2 Tuesday, October 20, 2015

BMReports BusinessMirror

Population growth threatens Phl rice self-sufficiency goal Continued from A1

practices in farming. Technology adoption is one. The average yield of rice in the Philippines has reached almost 4 MT per hectare, while the average yield of hybrid varieties can reach up to 10 MT per hectare. However, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that of the 4.74 million total rice harvest area recorded in 2014, only 240,000 hectares are planted with hybrid-rice varieties. Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Executive Director Calixto M. Protacio said in an earlier interview that the Philippines currently has a 15-percent adoption rate when it comes to hybrid rice. This is higher than the 4-percent adoption rate recorded five years ago. “I think there’s a huge growth in just using best management practices, so get these practices out to farmers. Do [Filipino] farmers have enough incentives to adopt good management practices?” Bouman said at the sidelines of the Asean Rice Future Forum held recently in Vietnam. Bouman said investing in high technologies, especially for smallholder farmers— which make up the majority of the country’s rice sector—entails a lot of risks, especially since most farmers in the Philippines own only about 1 hectare of land. This means there is a need to consolidate landholdings, whether by ownership, rental or cooperatives, he said. Protacio, meanwhile, said the local rice sector need to gain economies of scale so farmers can become more productive and competitive.

“We found that to be able to become a millionaire, a farmer has to have at least 20 hectares of land,” Protacio said. Dr. Santiago R. Obien, senior technical adviser of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) National Rice Program, said the country needs fewer farmers. In economically advanced countries, Obien said only about 3 percent of the total population are into farming. Bouman agreed, adding that urbanization and, consequently, labor shortage in farming should not be a cause for concern, but should be viewed as an opportunity to consolidate land. According to Irri, the population of the Philippines in urban areas would increase to 46.3 percent in 2030 from 44.4 percent this year. “I think we need to get farmers out of farming and it’s happening anyway. Young people don’t want to do farming. Not on a 1 or 2 hectares. But that’s no reason for panic. That’s good. Help them get out of farming. Train them, help them get better jobs. The smaller number of people left behind in farming can get them a decent income out of it. Once that happens, then young people will get interested in farming,” he said. The local sugar sector has consolidated farmlands via the block-farming scheme. Under the program rolled out by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) in 2012, farms planted with sugarcane were consolidated into larger areas while still preserving the individual ownership of the land. Block farming is the consolidation of the management of small farms of less than 5 hectares into a bigger but contiguous unit of at least 30 hectares for purposes

of improving farm productivity, according to the SRA. “It [block farming in the sugar industry] should not be a surprise. Rice is much more a political commodity in the Philippines, as well as sugar. But I think the real scrutiny is how do we see a future rice farm,” Bouman said. “If we paint a picture of how sustainable rice farming will look like, I think we should be thinking about at least 10 to 20 hectares. Could it be ownership? Yes. Could it be tenant arrangements? Yes. Paint a picture of how we see a vibrant farm community and how we get there. I think creating a 1to 2-hectare farm is not gonna do the trick,” he added. In addition, Bouman said the value chain of rice in the Philippines should overcome its weaknesses. He said the value chain of the country’s rice sector is very segmented, especially the rice millers, since there are no large millers in the Philippines. Unlike Thailand and Vietnam, which have invested a lot in roads and accessibility, he said the Philippines still has constraints in infrastructure, which hinders farmers from easily reaching their market. He said infrastructure can contribute to a stronger value chain. “It already starts there, it’s difficult to connect farms to a well-established value chain immediately next to them. So thinking with the value-chain concept, it is probably not only enough to target farmers, we need to target the whole value chain, as well. What are the weaknesses there? And how do we overcome it?” Bouman said. To be continued

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Aliens, boxers, movie stars add color to polls Continued from A8

judge who has said she eats death threats for breakfast. Santiago declared she has beaten stage 4 lung cancer and is ready to make her third bid for the presidency. Santiago made a name for herself as a young trial judge during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos when she allowed student activists protesting against the late dictator to post bail. In a sign of the shifting sands of Philippine politics she said she would offer Marcos’s son, Senator Ferdinand“Bongbong” Marcos, the spot as her running mate.

Why elections matter

The new president will seek to expand on Aquino’s success in curbing corruption, boosting growth and trimming the budget deficit. Once Asia’s “sick man,” the Philippines earned World Bank commendation as the continent’s “rising tiger” in 2013. The nation of 108 million has posted 6.6-percent average annual growth since 2012, its best pace since the 1970s. Aquino has shrunk the deficit to the equivalent of 0.6 percent of GDP. In March 2013, Fitch Ratings elevated Philippine debt to investment grade for the first time ever.

The Philippines has some of the world’s longest ballot papers

A new president and vice president are chosen every six years, while 18,000 local officials across the country are elected every three years. In 2010 the ballot for each district was 2-feet long to accommodate more than 300 names for national and local posts. This year there are 130 presidential aspirants, 19 for vice president and 172 for 12 Senate seats in the May 2016 elections. These numbers aren’t unusual for the Philippines. In 2010 99 people filed their candidacies for president and nine were allowed to contest the race by the country’s election commission. Of the candidates who filed to run this year, several said divine powers drove them into politics, while a man named Allan Carreon

claimed to have backing from an alien.

Filipino political dynasties leave the US in the dust

As many as 70 percent of Philippine legislators have links to politically connected families compared with about 6 percent in the US and 10 percent in Argentina, according to a 2012 study by authors, including Ronald Mendoza, an economics professor at the Asian Institute of Management. Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino is a cousin of current President Aquino. Roxas, who is seeking the top job, is grandson of former President Manuel Roxas. Vice President Binay heads a dynasty that has controlled Makati City, the Philippines’s main business district, for almost three decades. His daughter, Abigail, is currently in congress and is running to become mayor of Makati. The post was held by her brother Jejomar “Junjun” Binay, who was dismissed earlier this month and barred from holding public office by the country’s ombudsman. His lawyer said he will appeal the decision. Imelda Marcos, widow of deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is a representative, her daughter Imee is a governor and both are seeking reelection. Marcos’s son Bongbong will likely run for VP with Santiago, with an eye on the top post in 2022.

Film stars, sports stars, stars everywhere

Dozens of celebrities, including boxer Manny Pacquiao, bring limelight to the campaign trail and are following in the foot steps of film star Joseph Estrada, who landed the nation’s starring role in 1998. His buddy Fernando Poe Jr., who was also an actor, made a bid for the presidency in 2004 and lost to Arroyo. He died a few months later. Now his adopted daughter, Grace is front-runner for presidency, according to polls, while several TV and movie personalities are making a run for the Senate. Bloomberg News

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NDRRMC reports fewer Lando deaths than execs in storm-hit areas

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OCAL disaster-mitigation officials on Monday reported that initially, the death toll from Typhoon Lando was 17. However, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council placed that fatality count at two with five injured. Observers said that NDRRMC Executive Director Alexander Pama may be avoiding the fate of Chief Supt. Elmer Soria, who was sacked when his estimate of Typhoon Yolanda fatalities did not tally that of President Aquino. Yolanda struck the central Philippines in 2013 “officially” killing some 6,000 people but local officials and residents of Yolanda hit areas said the fatality count was more because only corpses who were identified were counted. Soria was the police commander in the Eastern Visayas when Yolanda struck. Fourteen of the fatalities were passengers of a motorized banca that was on its way to Iloilo City, when it sank just minutes after it left the port in Guimaras on Sunday afternoon due to the bad weather and strong waves. Pama said he could not report casualties beyond with what is “officially validated,” although the reports came from NDRRMC local and regional offices. The NDRRMC’s casualties were from Quezon City and Zambales. With its powerful winds and strong rains, Lando battered provinces in Northern and Central Luzon, swamping agricultural lands, toppling trees and electric posts and inundating several towns and cities, forcing many affected residents to seek shelter atop their houses’ rooftops. Some of the families were still on top of their houses on Sunday night waiting to be plucked out because of the massive flooding brought by a combination of swelled river basins and seawater. The strong winds also blew, collapsed and damaged hundreds

of houses. Residents and the governors of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora appealed for relief assistance from the national government. In Aurora, soldiers had difficulties in reaching the towns of Dilasag, Dinalungan and Casiguran, where Lando made its landfall early Sunday. The three towns were earlier reported as having been isolated because of flooding and landslides, apart from power and telecommunication lines that have been cut.

Search, rescue, aid

A COMBINATION of search, rescue, aid distribution and rehabilitation efforts were implemented in Northern and Central Luzon on Monday, as hundreds of residents remained trapped on their rooftops owing to severe flooding while others sifted through their collapsed dwellings as they try to rebuild them. The affected families, some of whom have not taken food or water since Sunday, appealed for help from the national government as Pama expressed his frustration over the situation, noting that the government had not been remiss in issuing warnings for individuals in low lying areas to seek safer grounds even before the typhoon would hit land. Provincial officials anticipated massive devastation in Aurora, citing the results of their initial assessments, which have barely covered about 40 percent of the affected areas as of Sunday. The whole province of Aurora was supposedly isolated as highways leading to the province were cut by flooding, landslides and toppled power lines.

Red Cross to the rescue

water search and rescue teams from the Philippine Red Cross rescued 78 people in Nueva Ecija in its ongoing rescue operation in the province owing to flooding caused by rains spawned by Lando. Rene Acosta

SC asked to junk plunder raps against former President Arroyo By Perfecto T. Raymundo Philippines News Agency

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ORMER President and now Lakas-Kampi-CMD Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to dismiss the plunder case filed against her and several others before the Sandiganbayan for approving the release of more than P365 million in Confidential-Intelligence Funds (CIF) of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) during her tenure as Chief Executive. In a 115-page petition for certiorari dated October 15, 2015, through her lawyer former Solicitor General Estelito Mendoza, Arroyo asked the Court to expedite the proceedings and to set the case for oral arguments. She also asked the SC to suspend further proceedings of the case before the Sandiganbayan, through a temporary restraining order (TRO), particularly a hearing to receive the evidence of the accused by way of defense. Arroyo’s petition was filed several days after the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Human Rights ruled that the detention of the former president is arbitrary under each and all of the three categories of arbitrariness. “Mrs. Arroyo was denied bail on grounds that are not compatible with international law; she did not benefit from the presumption in favor of bail; she was denied bail exclusively on the basis of the alleged strength of evidence against her; measures alternative to pretrial detention were not considered and there were undue delays in considering her bail position in the proceedings against her as a whole,” the UN ruling said. “Accordingly, the UN recommended the reconsideration of Mrs. Arroyo’s

application for bail in accordance with the relevant international humanrights standards,” it added. In her petition, Arroyo asked the SC “to render judgment annulling, reversing and setting aside the resolutions of April 6, 2015 and September 10, 2015 denying petitioner’s Demurrer to Evidence dated August 27, 2014, for having been issued with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of, or in excess of jurisdiction.” In lieu of this, she also asked the SC to dismiss the criminal case against her and acquit her of the offense charged. Besides Arroyo, also charged with plunder by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan were former PCSO General Manager and Vice Chairman Rosario Uriarte; Directors Manuel Morato, Jose Taruc, Raymundo Roquero and Maria Fatima Valdes; Budget and Accounts Manager Benigno Aguas; Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Reynaldo Villar; and former COA CIF Fraud Audit Unit Head Nilda Plaras. The complaint alleged that they conspired and confederated with one another to unlawfully amass, accumulate and acquire ill-gotten wealth [the said amount], through any or a series of criminal acts. However, all of the accused who were indicted before the Sandiganbayan had already been granted bail for their temporary liberty except Arroyo. Because of this, Arroyo also sought equal justice under law. “The Sandiganbayan resolutions denying petitioner Arroyo’s Demurrer to Evidence, as shown heretofore, in creating a new criminal offense without authority of the Constitution and the law, and applying the newly created criminal offense ex post facto to petitioner Arroyo, on their face do not render ‘Equal Justice Under Law,’” the petition said.

Editor: Dionisio L. Pelayo • Tuesday, October 20, 2015 A3

National Police prepares list of election hot spots

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By Rene Acosta

HE National Police is reviewing the list of areas declared as election hot spots in past elections in preparation for the May 2016 electoral exercise, as it noted that the political situation in some provinces and even cities has already improved. Director General Ricardo Marquez, National Police chief, said the new list of election hot spots “should be out by next month” as the police high command is still in the process of revising the old list based on the assessment being conducted on the ground by local commanders. Marquez said the results of the assessment will mostly be influenced by the recommendations of the ground commander and would no longer be solely dictated at the general headquarters level as in previous years. “In 2013 we made a little error

MARQUEZ: “In 2013 we made a little error because we based the assessment on historical data, only to find out later in the ground that the political rivalry we expected is already absent.”

because we based the assessment on historical data, only to find out later in the ground that the political rivalry we expected is already

absent,” he said. “In many areas, for example, Ilocos Sur, 18 mayors are running unopposed. So how could there be intense partisan rivalry? So we have to get it directly from the ground. We cannot get it from Camp Crame [National Police General Headquarters],” he added. In San Juan City—where the Zamoras are running against their long-time political ally, the Estradas—Marquez said everyone, including private groups and election watchdogs, should be consulted before the city is included on the list of election hot spots. “We will partner with other agencies for us to have a better assessment. It should be a product of deliberate effort. It could not be that because some group is going to oppose a family that’s been there for so long, it follows that violence would erupt,” Marquez said. “It would be unfair to the leaders there, to the people of that community, if you brand them an election hot spot just because [two former allies are slugging it out against each other] so we go

through the same process of validating,” he added. Marquez said rivalry does not necessarily result in something violent. In considering if an area should be considered as election hot spot, Marquez said they would look at the existence of private armed groups, presence of loose firearms and intense political rivalry, as well as history of violence in previous elections. In Mindanao, Marquez said the National Police would have to coordinate and discuss the issue of election hot spots with the military since there are areas where the latter directly operates. Marquez said that his leadership’s aim for next year’s elections is to reduce the violence that happened in 2010 and 2013 elections. “We have to further reduce election-related incidents. The direction today is adopt a wholeof-government approach. There are many actors in this election. We want to put everyone onboard, the Commission on Elections, the Armed Forces, the poll watchdogs and other sectors,” he said.

Lawmaker seeks debates on marijuana bill

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SENIOR member of the House of Representatives has appealed to the leadership of the chamber to give the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis bill a chance to be debated on by the House in plenary session during the remaining session days of the 16th Congress. Nationalist People’s Coalition Rep. Rodito Albano III of Isabela, principal sponsor of the bill, hopes that Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. would keep an open mind on his proposal. “Let us give this bill a chance, at least to be debated on in Congress. This bill, if passed into law, will help many Filipinos, especially patients who are terminally ill and suffering excruciating pain,” Albano said. He added that the House Committee on Health has created a technical working group (TWG) to draft a final version of the measure that would be subject for plenary debates and approval. The TWG is expected to consolidate all inputs from the authors, resource persons from the medical profession and government agencies and concerned non-governmental organizations, he said. Albano also reiterated that the bill does not and will not promote the use of marijuana for recreational purposes. “The bill’s main intent is to help terminally ill patients and with debilitating disease or medical condition for pain management considerations,” Albano said. House Bill 4477, which was coauthored by 69 House lawmakers, seeks to legalize the use of medical cannabis as an alternative treatment to help qualified patients suffering from chronic or debilitating disease, severe and chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures or severe and persistent muscle spasms. Filed in May 2014, the bill has generated a lively debate between those who believe on the therapeutic and palliative effects of cannabis and those who argue that there is a lack of scientific evidence, likelihood of abuse and danger of proliferation. The bill proposes to establish a Medical Cannabis Regulatory Authority under the Department of Health. Under the measure, a Medical Cannabis Compassionate Center under the Medical Cannabis Regulatory Authority, will be licensed to “acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, sell, supply and dispense cannabis, paraphernalia or related supplies and educational materials to registered qualifying patients.” Qualified patients will be authorized to avail themselves of medical marijuana only through the center. Under the measure, the Medical Cannabis Safety Compliance Facility will also be established to“conductscientificandmedicalresearchonmedical use of cannabis” and provide testing services for its potency, among others. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

Economy

A4 Tuesday, October 20, 2015 • Editors: Vittorio V. Vitug and Max V. de Leon

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DBM to natl agencies, depts: Boost 2015 budget spending

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ith more than P200 billion in unspent budget, Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad on Monday urged government agencies and departments to boost spending in the next four months of fiscal year 2015. Revealing that P208.3 billion of the national budget remains unreleased by end-August this year, the budget chief said the allocation for hiring new teachers has not been released since the Department of Education

(DepEd) has yet to file requests to cover the requirements of DepEd teacher positions. The programmed allocations for local government units and government- owned and -controlled corporations have not been released,

as well, since these are subject to program-implementation plans and funding requests. Abad said the administration relies on the disbursement improvement measures, such a s GA A-a s -relea se - doc u ment regime and full-time delivery units in all agencies to boost budget spending. “The measures that have improved spending performance in 2015 will have had more time to take root in the bureaucracy next year. This is important, because the government will be prepared for the expected acceleration of public spending before the elections in May,” he said. Abad added that disbursements from January to August also grew

to P1.44 trillion, which is 11.4 percent higher than the P1.3-trillion figure recorded over the same period in 2014. Growth in spending was due to increases in maintenance and infrastructure spending of 26.6 percent and 21.5 percent, respectively. “The last three months have seen an average growth rate of 20 percent, a stark improvement over the 6.7-percent average growth we tracked from January to May,” Abad said. Among agencies with high spending include the departments of Public Works and Highways and National Defense, after these departments improved their utilization rates for notices of cash allocation in August. Estrella Torres

After the storm Two men collect recyclable materials carried by waves generated by Typhoon Lando near the Manila Yacht Club along Roxas Boulevard on Sunday. PNA

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House renews push for grassroots-based livelihood program By Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

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he House of Representatives has adopted a measure that promotes livelihood and entrepreneurial opportunities at the community or grassroots level. House Resolution (HR) 2410 said that the “national program, to be known as the Kabuhayan Program, should be anchored on a national policy to empower and economically mainstream the poor, particularly into the development process.” Under HR 2410, the National Anti-Poverty Commission shall serve as the coordinating and advisory body to ensure that all livelihood programs of the government are harmonized and implemented to reach a wider range of beneficiaries. Furthermore, the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development shall be used to identify the target participants of the program. The amount necessary to implement the Kabuhayan Program shall be charged against the budget of the different government agencies which will implement the program. The resolution was authored by House Committee on Poverty Alleviation, which is chaired by Liberal Party (LP) Rep. Salvio B. Fortuno of Camarines Sur, Centrist Democratic Party Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro, Lakas Rep. Rolando G. Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur and LP Rep. Anthony G. del Rosario of Davao City. “The national program should emphasize and promote entrepreneurial values and attitudes through self-help and self-reliant ventures,” Fortuno said. Rodriguez noted the need to institutionalize a national program to capacitate the poor and to increase their economic activities through technical and business skills training, employment promotion, liberal provision, of and easy access to credit and financing

to enable them to actively participate in the economic mainstream. “The effective implementation of this program necessitates the coordination and convergence of efforts and the rationalization of resources of various stakeholders,” he added. Moreover, the resolution said that such coordinated and rationalized program can be best pursued with administrative and political expediency under the aegis of an institutionalized mechanism clothed with presidential authority. Citing Section 9, Article II of the Constitution, the resolution said that “the State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living and an improved quality of life for all.” The resolution also cited Section 20, Article II of the Constitution, which mandates that “the State recognizes the indispensable role of the private sector, encourages private enterprise, and provides incentives to needed investments.” “These constitutional mandates can be best achieved through poverty-alleviation strategies aimed at empowering people and transforming their psyche and mind-set toward the development of their potential for improved productivity and greater income, with the active participation and support of the private sector stimulating growth in poor communities,” the resolution said. It also underscored that the Kabuhayan Program will also increase activities at the community level through viable livelihood and community-based enterprises; capacitate the poor to undertake meaningful economic and entrepreneurial activities; and engage the private sector as development partner in creating jobs and dynamic growth in poor communities.

Lando rains expected to further Bill grants perks to award-winning indie movies raise Angat water level–Pagasa

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ater level in Metro Manila’s main water source Angat Dam in Bulacan can further rise early this week after surging by almost 7 meters due to downpour from Typhoon Lando (international code name Koppu) over the weekend. “We expect Angat’s water level to rise by 1 to 2 meters more around Tuesday,” said hydrologist Jun Paat from state weather agency Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). He said Lando is already moving away from Angat watershed, but traces of rain from this typhoon and runoff from its downpour this week will still feed the dam, raising water level there. The rise will bring Angat’s water even closer to the desired 210-meter flood-season high-water level (FSHWL) there, he noted. What’s ideal is for Angat water to

reach at least such FSHWL by yearend to help ensure availability of this dam’s water for use the following year, he continued. Pagasa reported that Angat’s 6 a.m. water level on Monday surged to 201.58 meters, up 6.98 meters from the 194.60-meter elevation the agency monitored there 24 hours earlier. “Angat watershed received an estimated 230 millimeters of rain from Lando during the weekend, so water in the dam rose considerably,” Paat noted. Data from Pagasa indicated that the Angat Dam still needs 320 mm of rainfall, so water there can further rise from its level on Monday morning and reach the FSHWL. Despite increase in Angat’s water reserve, Paat said water conservation must continue, as the strong droughtdriving El Niño is still in progress and forecast to last until mid-2016 aside from possibly intensifying further. PNA

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measure providing grants and full tax exemption to award-winning independent movies has been filed at the House of Representatives. House Bill 6187, authored by Liberal Party Rep. Alfred Vargas of Quezon City, seeks to support the production of Philippine independent films by granting incentives to filmmakers who are given honors in notable international film competitions. Under the measure, to be known as the “Philippine Independent Film Incentives Act of 2015,” Philippine independent films that have been awarded the Best Film prize or its equivalent, including those that merited recognition for technical excellence in respected international film competitions of cinema festivals, shall be granted P5 million for the film production or entity that produces the award including fulllength feature or documentary film. A grant of P3 million shall be given to the film production or entity that

produces the award-wining short feature or documentary film. Also, a full tax exemption relevant to the screening of the film and its commercial exhibition, including those levied by local government, shall be granted. Furthermore, the award-winning film shall be considered and shall have the honor of being given an automatic rating of an “A” film being granted by the Cinema Evaluation Board. To be eligible for a grant under the full-length category, films must be made by Filipino filmmakers who have not yet directed more than three full-length commercial feature films, the bill said. The measure added that the total production budget for the fulllength feature or documentary film should not exceed P3 million and the film length should be between 90 and 120 minutes. On the other hand, short-feature or documentary film must be made

by a Filipino filmmaker and the total production budget should not exceed P1 million. The film length shall not be more than 20 minutes (no minimum length). The bill directs the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to adopt a system in implementing and carrying out the provisions of this Act. A special fund is created amounting to P50 million that shall be sourced from the funds of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., the bill said. In filing the bill, Vargas said independent films or alternative cinemas are defined as those made without the capitalization, machinery and influence found in major film studios. He said this form of filmmaking, which includes short films, documentaries, experimental or avant-garde films, and the like, are usually outside the confines of commercial moviemaking.

Vargas added that, in the Philippines, alternative cinema production is on the rise with 84 percent of locally made movies every year consisting of indie films. “However, challenges remain. One particular obstacle is the lack of funds for marketing. As such, most indie films rarely become box-office hits,” Vargas said. “To further empower the Philippine movie industry, the passage of this proposed legislation is earnestly sought,” he added. Vargas also said it is the policy of the state to promote and support the development and growth of the local film industry, in general, and the production of independent films, in particular. He said the state should endeavor to discover, encourage and honor the cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity. Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz

Cebu picked as one of five Asian cities in urban greening study

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N international organization has chosen Cebu as one of five Asian cities in its “green growth” study, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said. The other cities that will be covered by the study are Bangkok in Thailand, Johor Bahru or Iskandar in Malaysia, Band-

ung in Indonesia and Hai Phong in Vietnam. Davide said the study, “Urban Green Grown in Dynamic Asia Project,” will cost around P10 million and will be undertaken by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). OECD is an organization of 34

high-income countries that provides, among others, a forum where governments can work, share experiences and come up with solutions to common problems. In a letter to Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Davide said the project will examine policies in promoting “greening” and competitive-

ness in fast-growing economies. Davide heads the Metro Cebu Development Coordination Board (MCDCB). The project will also examine policies for the improvement of the city’s environmental performance and urban quality of life, as well as “increase institutional capacity to

achieve green growth.” Davide said the OECD study is “very timely” because the roadmap study for sustainable urban development of Metro Cebu conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, has just been completed. One of the programs included

in the roadmap study is the “operationalization” of the Mega Cebu spatial plan. Davide said the spatial plan, which has been identified by the MCDCB as one of its 14 priority roadmap projects, can be initiated by presenting it as the focus area for the OECD study. PNA

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Yolanda rehab projects funded by ADB now 50% complete By Cai U. Ordinario

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wo years after Supertyphoon Yolanda struck the central Philippines, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has reported that projects it funded are already 50-percent complete. ADB Country Director for the Philippines Richard Bolt also told reporters on Monday that two-thirds of close to a billion worth of loans and grants it extended to finance various projects for the Yolanda rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts have been released. “By the end of the year we’ll be about 50-percent implemented which is consistent with our projections before reconstruction. [We estimated it would take] about four years. We’re basically on target,” Bolt said on the sidelines of the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR) forum titled Responding to Disaster in Asia on Monday. The ADB extended $500 million as budgetar y support to the Philippine government for Yolanda rehabilitation efforts and funded the $376-million KalahiCidds project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The Manila-based multilateral development bank also managed the $20-million Yolanda fund extended by the JFPR. The ADB also extended another $150 million worth of support for Yolanda efforts. Meanwhile, Bolt said the ADB is currently on standby should the government require financial support to address Typhoon Lando relief and/or reconstruction and rehabilitation. Bolt said, however, that based on data already being received, most of the damage was on housing, which means there will be a need for construction materials like nipa, plywood and galvanized iron sheets, among others, to rehabilitate the damaged homes. He added that farms and other agriculture-related structures in provinces affected by Lando may likely require rehabilitation in the coming weeks. “I think, budget-wise, the government can handle it. That said, we’re on standby. First of all, we have to see what damage and losses [resulted from Lando]. We’ll see over the next few days how that plays up. The country teams, the UN country teams, ADB’s part of the country team, [will] be on standby so we’re ready to help if requested,” Bolt said. Data from the ADB said Yolanda affected 16 million people, or 3.4 million families, in central Philippines. The typhoon damaged more than 1 million homes; 248 transmission towers; 33 million coconut trees; 600,000 hectares of agricultural land; and over 1,200 public structures like provincial, municipal, and barangay halls and public markets. Yolanda also damaged 305 kilometers of farm-to-market roads; approximately 20,000 classrooms; and over 400 health facilities such as hospitals and rural health stations.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 A5

NGCP warns of more frequent power failures in Mindanao if ROW issues remain unsettled

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By Lenie Lectura

he National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is appealing for government and military assistance as right-of-way (ROW) issues in Mindanao escalate.

If not addressed immediately, the NGCP warned, brownouts in Mindanao would linger. On Monday the grid operator said it had already sent an urgent request to the Department of Energy (DOE) and Philippine Army to assist in the negotiations with landowners and clearing of the lines, respectively, as soon as possible. The frequent dips in voltage and frequency severely affect both household appliances and industrial equipment.

“The NGCP is seeking all avenues of support, from the DOE to the military to the public. We are also appealing to the local government units for a resolution prohibiting tree-planting and building any structure under transmission lines. This does not only affect the NGCP or the hydroplants, which form the bulk of their power supply, but all the power consumers in Mindanao stand to bear even longer power interruptions,” the company said.

The ROW woes have breached critical level with the sustained tripping of the Agus 2-Kibawe Line 1 in Mindanao over the weekend. “The tripping of the line was caused by a fallen tree cutting the line conductors. This leaves the NGCP with only one line [Agus-Kibawe line] catering to the Agus 1 and 2 power plants and threatening the entire Mindanao island with complete isolation from these hydropower plants should the remaining line become unavailable,” said Gildo Listano, NGCP head of operations and maintenance. He added that the isolation of an additional 260 megawatts (MW) from Agus 1 and Agus 2 power plants will likely result in an hour or two of power outage in the Mindanao grid on top of the existing power shortfall currently experienced in the area. “Outage of the hydroelectric

plants along the Agus River due to vegetation problem further increases the generation deficiency in Mindanao, which can be translated into several hours of rotating brownouts,” he said. The situation is further aggravated as landowners are refusing the entry to NGCP personnel deployed to clear and restore these lines which are vital to the grid. “It has become the practice of some uncooperative landowners to intentionally plant trees or build structures under highvoltage transmission lines, and demand for recompense when we seek entry into the property to conduct maintenance activities. The trees and other structures under our facilities breach our safety clearances and endanger the reliability of the entire grid,” the NGCP stressed. The following are the affected

transmission lines due to ROW issues: Baloi-Agus 2 138-kilovolt ( kV) line (out since July 26, 2014); Baloi-Agus 2 138-kV line 2 (out since November 18, 2014); and Baloi-Agus 6 69-kV line (out since December 27, 2014). The NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations and related assets. The consortium, which holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network, is comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp., led by Henry Sy Jr.; Calaca High Power Corp., led by Robert Coyiuto Jr.; and the State Grid Corp. of China as technical partner.

briefs british firms set november trade mission to phl

The British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (BCCP) has set a trade mission in the country on November 16 and 17 for British entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in the Philippines. “It is envisioned that the participating UK companies would have an in-depth knowledge on the different business opportunities available in each key sectors, the focal contacts they can tap into to aid their market-entry strategies and the routes to enter the Philippine market,” the BCCP said. During their trade mission in the country, British firms will be meeting key government agencies including the Department of Trade and Industry and Philippine Economic Zone Authority, as well as lawmakers to brief them on doing business in the local market. British firms will also have a networking session with trade and business organizations, as well as potential business partners and distributors in various sectors. “The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world with a GDP growth of 6.1 percent in 2014 and a remarkably positive GDP growth trajectory over a decade,” the BCPP noted. PNA

Glutton’s fest Contestants of a hot-dog sandwich-eating contest try to outdo each other during the one-day 2015 Lilac Food Festival along Lilac Street, Barangay Concepcion Dos in Marikina City on Saturday. PNA

PSA lists top 3 occupational diseases afflicting Filipino workers

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ack pain, hypertension and neck-shoulder pain are among the most common occupational diseases in the workplace, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). PSA data also showed that cases of occupational diseases doubled or grew 101 percent in 2013 to 171,787 from 85,483 in 2011. Back pain cases, the most common occupational disease, grew 78.6 percent to 54,244 in 2013 from 30,374 in 2011. This was followed by a 72.4percent increase in the incidence of hypertension to 19,382 cases in 2013 from 11,241 cases in 2011. A far third was neck-shoulder pain cases which grew 109 percent to 18,255 in 2013 from 8,733 in 2011. “Occupational disease is defined as an abnormal condition or disorder other than one resulting from an occupational injury caused by exposure over a period of time to risk factors associated with work activity, such as contact with certain chemicals, inhaling coal dust, carrying out repetitive

movements, etc.,” the PSA said. PSA data showed that the highest increases in the number of cases were recorded in peptic ulcer cases, which grew 178.9 percent to 19,434 in 2013 from 6,967 in 2011. Other occupational diseases also posted increases of over 100 percent included chilblain, frostbite and freezing at 170.7 percent; and occupational asthma, 144.1 percent; carpal tunnel syndrome, 138.6 percent; occupational dermatitis, 114.5 percent. However, there were also decreases in the incidence of occupational diseases, such as deafness with a contraction of 65.9 percent; cataract, 30.6 percent; tuberculosis, 18.5 percent; and cardiovascular diseases, 17.3 percent. In terms of industry, the PSA said the highest increases in occupational diseases were recorded in mining and quarrying at 983.7 percent to 9,255 from 854 cases. Industries that have high cases of occupational diseases were construction at 377.1 percent to 4,175; administrative and support-service activities

at 329.1 percent to 56,115; and information and communications at 177.3 percent to 6,258. Data also showed that the largest share of occupational diseases in 2013 was in administrative and supportservice activities that accounted for 32.7 percent or 56,115 cases of the total for the year. In contrast, the highest decline was observed in real-estate activities at 69 percent to 240 cases, followed by water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities at 42.7 percent to 266. The data was based on the Occupational Injuries and Diseases module in the 2013 and 2014 Integrated Survey on Labor and Employment (ISLE). The ISLE is a nationwide survey covering 8,399 establishments with 20 or more workers in 69 industry groups. It also generates statistics on employment of specific groups of workers; occupational shortages and surpluses; training of workers; and productivity improvement and gainsharing practices, among others. Cai Ordinario

eastern petroleum cuts pump prices anew Eastern Petroleum Corp. will cut its gas prices by 55 centavos per liter and diesel prices by 65 centavos per liter on Monday at 6 p.m. Fernando Martinez, chairman and CEO of Eastern, said the price drop was caused by market worries on the return of Iranian crude. “Some analysts forecast the reentry of Iranian crude to the market could push fuel prices to continue its downward trend for the rest of the year amid the price increases noted these days. Some are also expecting the oil price recovery to proceed at a measured pace along with a supply glut in petroleum products continuing through the first half of 2016,” he said. Before the slash in prices, most oil firms offered diesel at a price range of P25.20 to P28.65 per liter, with a common price of P26.70 per liter, according to the oil monitor of the Department of Energy. Gasoline, on the other hand, was noted to have a price range of P35.95 to 43.45 per liter and a common price of P42.55 per liter. For the entire year, diesel had a net decrease of P2.49 per liter as of last week, while gasoline had a net increase of P1.91 per liter. PNA

GENSAN PUSHES COMPLETION OF P56-M SALINTUBIG PROJECTS

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The city government is targeting the completion next year of around P56 million worth of community–based water system projects that are funded under the national government’s Salintubig program. Shara Cabreros, action officer of the city’s integrated barangay affairs office, said on Monday that they are currently implementing 56 water system projects worth P1 million each within the city’s 26 barangays. She said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had approved a total of 60 projects for the city under the Salintubig, which is short for “Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig para sa Lahat.” The agency allocated P29 million in 2014 and P31 million this year through the bottom-up budgeting scheme for the implementation of the water system projects, she said. “We already completed four projects so far in Barangays Batomelong and Mabuhay,” Cabreros said. DILG personnel here pushed for the inclusion of the area in 2013 in the Salintubig program to provide potable drinking supplies to identified local communities where water is scarce. PNA

Supplies, prices of goods in Lando-affected areas in Luzon remain stable, DTI exec says

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rade Undersecretary Victorio Mario A. Dimagiba on Monday assured that the supply and prices of goods in areas affected by Typhoon Lando (international code name Koppu) remain stable. Dimagiba presided over an emergency meeting with food manufacturers to assess supply and prices of basic goods, particularly in Northern and Central Luzon, which are now heavily battered by the typhoon. According to Sardine Asso-

ciation of the Philippines President Cezar Cruz, the sardine indust r y ’s e i g h t mont h m i n imum supply could last until dimagiba year-end and that prices of sardine products remained unchanged. Noodle manufacturer and dis-

tributor Monde Nissin, on the other hand, said supplies and prices of noodles remain stable as Lando spared the firm’s facilities in Luzon. But Nissin added that the company might encounter delivery problems in areas where roads were impassable. Bread manufacturer Gardenia also noted that the company was able to deliver supplies in Cagayan, Isabela and La Union over the

weekend, and to Ilocos province on Monday morning. Delivery of bread is normal apart from Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan, where delivery trucks were stranded due to floods, Gardenia said. Canned-meat producer San Miguel said its inventories in Luzon were sufficient, provided that there would be no panic buying. The company said three delivery trucks were now en route to Isabela and Nueva Vizcaya to de-

liver supplies. Meanwhile, Nestlé Philippines said its stocks of coffee and milk products in areas affected by Lando are adequate. However, Nestlé failed to deliver supplies in Nueva Ecija and Aurora as some roads were impassable. Snow Mountain Dairy, on the other hand, said the company’s inventories in their depots were enough for 1.5 months’ supply, while its distributors’ inventory

can cover 0.8 month. The company added that inventory in depots and distributors were sufficient to cover any surge in demand. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said its regional and provincial offices would continue in monitoring supplies and prices of basic goods, with Lando expected to remain in the Philippine area of responsibility until weekend. PNA

A6 Tuesday, October 20, 2015 • Editor: Angel R. Calso

Opinion BusinessMirror

editorial

Presidential debates: Why bother?

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hilippine social media and pundits have followed the debates between presidential candidates in the US with great anticipation. It is true that the Americans do know how to put on a television show that allows candidates the opportunity to present their ideas to the voting public.

There is always a sense of confrontation between the candidates as they spar to offer themselves as the persons who should be given the power. The media have the opportunity to push the candidates to go beyond the superficial and try to get the specific substance behind the visions. Perhaps, the most important takeaway that the public receives from the debates is to see the candidates in situations that are unscripted and uncontrolled. In the presidential debates of the 2012 US election, one candidate had a “brain freeze.” Part of his platform was the elimination of three Federal government departments, but when asked about that during the debate, he was able to name only two, simply forgetting the other one. Losing your train of thought during a debate is not the way to win voter confidence. In 1988 the question was asked, would the candidate favor the death penalty if his wife was raped and murdered. The answer was, “No, I don’t, and I think you know that I’ve opposed the death penalty during all of my life.” While in one sense, this showed the candidate’s commitment to his position; the brief answer also showed a lack of sensitivity to those who might have suffered a similar fate. Voters were also bothered by the candidate not mentioning anything about justice for crime victims. Another presidential candidate talked of his experience seeing a UFO. He lost perhaps, because the aliens were not registered to vote. We can remember attending a candidate forum—which was almost a debate—for the 1992 presidential election. The candidates were all asked what was the most important improvement that was needed in the government. One candidate said that the professionalism, political independence and quality of the government bureaucracy in all departments were vital, as the heads were all political appointees. Government departments were only as good as the real people doing the department’s work. Another said that the Department of Science and Technology was the most important government department in order to prepare the Philippines for the next century. With issues now, such as Internet connectivity and various government departments’ inability to deliver transportation and infrastructure projects, those two answers—from losing candidates—may have been the best look into the country’s future. Presidential debates could afford voters an important look at the candidates, and these may even help shape the coming election’s outcome. But this will only happen if all debate participants—the candidates, the media and the public—are genuinely interested in seeking answers to the issues that the Philippines faces. Otherwise, the debates will be nothing more than an episode of “Pilipinas Got Talent—President’s Edition.”

10202015

A David-versus-Goliath confrontation Manny B. Villar

THE Entrepreneur

First of a series

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T is likely that the Philippines’s dispute with China over parts of the West Philippine Sea will still be unresolved when the next president assumes office in June 2016.

It is a David-versus-Goliath situation. Except for size, however, the Philippines cannot compare itself with the real David, who defeated his giant adversary. China is the world’s second-largest economy and an emerging military superpower. The Philippines, on the other hand, is still developing its economy, and has to depend on assistance from other countries to build up its armed forces. With no military capability to defend its claims, the Philippines has gone to The Hague, where it filed a complaint against China with the Permanent Court of Arbitration, in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). In July a team of high-ranking government officials, including Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio, presented the Philippines’s position on the maritime dispute. Unclos governs maritime disputes on overlapping maritime zones, like overlapping territorial seas. As signatories to Unclos, China and the Philippines are bound by

the Unclos compulsory dispute settlement mechanism. The Philippines filed the complaint following China’s takeover of the Scarborough Shoal, Mischief Reef and the Subi Reef, which are within the Philippines’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as guaranteed under Unclos. According to Carpio, China claims almost 90 percent of the West Philippine Sea under its nine-dash line map, which overlaps 80 percent of the Philippines’s EEZ. If China’s claim succeeds, the Philippines will lose 80 percent of its EEZ in the West Philippine Sea, including the Reed Bank and the Malampaya naturalgas field. The proceedings at the Arbitration Court will determine whether it has jurisdiction over the case. If it has, the Philippines will present its arguments to support its claim in future proceedings. If the international court decides it has no jurisdiction, then the case is over. China has refused to participate in the proceedings, claiming that the dispute is not maritime but territorial, in

which case the Arbitration Court would have no authority to hear the case. The filing of the complaint did not stop China from imposing its might. The Philippines, according to Carpio, has the weakest navy among the claimants (which include Vietnam and Malaysia) in the West Philippine Sea. Thus, the Philippines lost the Mischief Reef in 1995 and the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 to the Chinese, while Vietnam lost the Paracels in 1974 and the Fiery Reef Cross in 1988. Fishermen from Zambales and other provinces, who have been fishing in the Scarborough Shoal since the Spanish colonial period, are now being chased away by Chinese vessels. China has also been trying to drive away the Philippine marines aboard the shipwrecked RPS Sierra Madre, which serves as the country’s station on the Ayungin Reef, by preventing the Philippine Navy from delivering food and other supplies to the marines. Numerous reports also show China’s continuing reclamation activities in the West Philippine Sea, including the construction of artificial islands and military facilities. China has already reclaimed more than 1,173 hectares of land between December 2013 and June this year. In August China said it had stopped its reclamation activities. In a report on September 14, however, The Washington Post said China was still constructing artificial islands in the disputed area, particularly on the Subi Reef and Mischief Reef. Citing the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), The Post said that the construction included a new airfield that would enable China to control the air space over the region. The CSIS, which was also cited by

The question is finally answered John Mangun

OUTSIDE THE BOX

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hroughout human history, people have had to grapple with profound questions. Probably the first one after we crawled out of some dark, wet cave was, “I wonder what is on the other side of that hill?”

As civilization advanced, so did the questions. “What makes it rain?” “What happens to us after we die?” “How can someone without any talent like Miley Cyrus be so popular?” However, this is probably the one unanswered question that has been on human minds since the earliest times: “Is putting money in the stock market gambling or investing?” Actually, by definition that is an easy question to answer. Everyone knows that the outcome in gambling is based on random chance over which a person who participates has no control or input. Not so fast. By that definition, there is little if any difference between the roulette wheel and the stock market. Although stock prices may not move based on a predictable set of odds, like which particular number will appear when you roll the dice, no ordinary person can

truly control if a stock price will go up or down. But the stock market is an investment, because an investor can do all kinds of different research and planning to help choose an issue that is more likely to go higher than lower. However, the same kind of research can be applied to the outcome of something that is totally random. The purpose of market analysis is to find those stocks that should go up based on historical precedent of company value on stock price and the movement of the price itself. A gambler can do some research for the lottery. The odds of any particular set of numbers coming up in a 6 out of 45 lottery-game pick is exactly the same—1 in 8,145,060—as the day before or the day after. But after 8,145,059 games, if a certain set has not come up, that set would be a good bet in the next game. In stock-market analysis, if the price

earnings ratio of a particular company’s shares is lower than shares of similar companies, then that would be a good bet to go higher. Therefore, if the numerical possibility of a win or a loss may not be a good way to determine if the stock market is gambling or investment, then, perhaps, the likelihood of winning is not the way to determine the answer to the question. There are those that say the difference between gambling and investing has to do with the attitude of the participant and not the vehicle. For example, if the lotto numbers that you picked are not winners, you probably would take the attitude that losing was not your fault. That is gambling. Poker players know that losses are often just the result of the cards that are dealt. But even lotto players know that in a pick 6 out of 45 lotto game, you limit your chances by choosing “birthday numbers” because there are only a maximum of 31 days in a month. Poker players know, as also for the stock market, that over time—and that is what counts—it is not the cards dealt or what stock prices may do; it is how you play them. Dropping out when you are holding a bad set of cards is actually no different than cutting a loss with a stock that is going down. Stock-market players like to say that the reason they are “investors” is that they learn from mistakes and grow both in knowledge and experience, unlike those that go to the casino. That is why

other news reports, said a runway at the Mischief Reef would allow China to conduct constant patrols over the Reed Bank, where the Philippines has been conducting oil explorations for many years. The only advantage, if it could be called an advantage, which the Philippines has over China is the sympathy of other countries, including the United States, Japan and Australia. In a speech at West Point in May last year, President Barack Obama warned that the US was prepared to respond to China’s aggression, saying that it could impact America’s allies and draw in the US military. He acknowledged, however, that the US could not participate in resolving the disputes in the West Philippine Sea, because it was not a signatory to Unclos. For his part, the Australian prime minister has advised China to ease off on its reclamation activities, because it could encourage its small neighbors to seek stronger presence of the US military in the region. The Philippines, however, cannot expect the US to defend it in case of an armed confrontation with China, one of the biggest trading partners and creditors of the US. Thus, the new president of the Philippines will face the problem of how to defend the country’s territory through diplomacy or the international courts (actually, the only option at present) and build up the capability of the armed forces against internal or external aggression. To be continued For comments, e-mail mbv.secretariat@gmail.com or visit www.mannyvillar.com.ph.

the stock market is an investment. But any experienced casino player will tell you that, although you might walk up and hit the jackpot on a slot machine the first time you play, experienced players in any casino game must gain the same kind of knowledge and experience as stock-market investors do over time to be consistent winners. Both at the casino and the stock exchange, you must learn when to walk away and when to run away, as money management for both is equally important. There may be just as much of a learning curve to be successful in both arenas. Professionals in the stock market like to look down on those in the casino, saying that “gamblers” are only interested in the excitement unlike at the stock market, where people are sensibly running a business venture. Obviously, these “professionals” never heard the screams of excitement when the Philippine Stock Exchange hit historic highs over the last six years. In conclusion, after extensive observation and study, the answer to the question, “Is putting money in the stock market gambling or investing?” is an unqualified “Yes.” 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.

Opinion BusinessMirror

opinion@businessmirror.com.ph

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

A7

The misperceptions that Reaping the country’s demographic dividend fuel Mideast violence Noah Feldman

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BLOOMBERG

ne of the most striking features of the terrible cycle of violence in Israel right now is a recurring disagreement about the facts. From the Israeli perspective, Palestinians are randomly stabbing Israelis, after which Israeli police or bystanders shoot the assailants to prevent further violence. From the Palestinian perspective, the shootings by Israelis are either unprovoked or disproportionate to the threats and, therefore, amount to extrajudicial killings. Another source of dispute is the concern that may be motivating some of the Palestinian attackers: the belief that Israel intends to exclude Palestinians from the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif, and replace the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque with a Jewish temple. To most Israelis, the charge is preposterous. To some Palestinians, it seems plausible, notwithstanding the official government denials. Understanding such fundamental disputes about truth is difficult. It’s very tempting to say one side is simply lying, and leave it at that. But Americans might be able to glean some insight into the otherwise foreign disputes by comparing them to a phenomenon we know better: racially based disagreement about the shootings of blacks by white police officers. The Ferguson, Missouri, case involving the shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson is the most obvious example: At one point, 64 percent of blacks polled thought Wilson was at fault, as opposed to 22 percent of whites. The comparison suggests something about what’s going on with the different views of Israelis and Palestinians. Several Israelis I know have told to me that they think the attacks are continuing because of falsehoods and misrepresentation spread by Palestinian leaders. There’s certainly evidence for this claim, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s statement that one Palestinian boy had been “executed” by Israelis when he was, in fact, alive. But there’s something almost too hopeful about attributing the attacks—and the beliefs that go along with them—to intentional distortion. It implies, quite wrongly, that if only the “facts” were known to them, isolated Palestinians wouldn’t engage in attacks on Israelis. What’s going on is much more complicated. Ambiguous evidence is being interpreted in the light of what people believe that they know about the world in which they live, based on their experiences, politics and values. In the US context, blacks and whites diverge in their understandings of shootings like the one in Ferguson because they have different background perceptions of how the police operate. If you’ve experienced discriminatory treatment or know someone who has, you’re much more likely to think the police have committed an unjustified shooting. If you identify with law enforcement and see them as protecting you, you’re much more likely to side with the police. In the Israeli context, the videos of the shooting of Palestinians often don’t show an initial attack. Israelis would no doubt say that this is because the attack happened so quickly that no one has yet bothered to start videotaping. Palestinians, in turn, might say that in some cases there was no attack at all. For each side, the interpretation reflects perspective. Israelis assume that their police wouldn’t shoot unarmed Palestinians who

Another source of dispute is the concern that may be motivating some of the Palestinian attackers: the belief that Israel intends to exclude Palestinians from the Temple Mount, or Haram al-Sharif, and replace the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque with a Jewish temple. To most Israelis, the charge is preposterous. To some Palestinians, it seems plausible, notwithstanding the official government denials. hadn’t attacked anyone. Many Israelis might be prepared to concede that sometimes police might make a mistake and shoot someone who only appeared to be reaching for a weapon or wielding one, but they would assume such cases were rare. Notice that this viewpoint reflects not only perspective, but also values: Israelis believe theirs is a democratic society in which the police enforce the law rather than breaking it. In contrast, Palestinians see themselves as living in a basic political structure of oppression, in a world where Israeli security services shoot first and ask questions later. Israel’s occupation means that many Palestinians go through checkpoints daily, where armed Israeli soldiers or police scrutinize them. They understand individual Palestinians not to be armed because, as a people, the Palestinians are not armed in the way the Israelis are. The same is true of the controversy over the Temple Mount. Only a tiny fringe of Israelis advocates building the Third Temple now, and so to most Israelis, the allegation that there’s a plan to do so seems obviously paranoid. Yet, to Palestinians, the existence of that Jewish fringe serves as evidence that a secret plan might exist. More Orthodox Jews than in the past consider it permissible to pray on the Temple Mount, and go there for that purpose. To Palestinians, the occasional presence of these religious Jews is a message about where things might go in the future. When they say Al Aqsa is in jeopardy, it’s a reflection of their values, as well as their perspective. It emerges that ascertaining facts isn’t as simple as we like to believe. To be clear, this isn’t relativism. Facts are real, and can be true or false. But how we determine those facts is highly inflected by our circumstances—which can lead to interpretations that seem crazy to the other side. The solution to such situations —assuming anyone wants one— requires each side to consider why the “facts” look so different from the other angle. It’s easy to say, “I’m right, and you’re a liar.” That’ll get you nowhere, unless your goal is to deepen the disagreement. It’s much harder to say, “I see why you might understand things in that way. Here’s how we disagree.” That statement might just be the beginning of a productive dialogue.

Edgardo J. Angara

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N 2004 the United Nations projected that beginning 2015, the Philippines will open a “demographic window”—a natural phase in the country’s history where its workingage population (15 to 64 years old) will be proportionately larger than its dependents (those who are either too young or too old to work). Such periods are precious few, demographers say. History has shown having a large workingage population translates to more production, consumption, increase in investments and savings, and to the expansion of its tax base. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan exploited that sweet spots in their development and prospered mightily. Those dividends, however, don’t come automatically. For one, the country’s leadership must have a clue of the opportunity and the political will to seize it. And secondly, the leadership must possess the competence and vision to carry

measures necessary to realize the potential gains. The leadership should take into account that these dividends come in two phases, as explained by a 2005 East-West Center paper of Drs. Andrew Mason and Tomoko Kinugasa. The first comes when the working-age population begins to outnumber dependents corresponding to increases in overall productivity per capita. And the second is when longer life expectancies encourage people to save and rapidly accumulate wealth that could later be reinvested to spur even more productivity growth. The first phase can last for decades

(ours will run until 2050), but is transitory in nature. In contrast, the second phase could potentially last indefinitely. About three years ago, I articulated and emphasized these essential points on the floor of the Senate—and during the 2013 commencement exercises of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Recently, the World Bank’s 2015-2016 Global Monitoring Report reminded us again of this strategic period. In general, the report states that the world’s population is growing more slowly and is aging at an unprecedented rate. Yet, this scenario does not apply to “early-dividend countries” like the Philippines, whose fertility rates have only begun to decline and whose young populations still hold much productive potential. The main challenge for earlydividend countries, the report emphasizes, is to accelerate job creation to a rate faster than the growth of the working-age population. For the Philippines, such an undertaking is big, but not formidable—as more than a million Filipinos enter the labor force each year, up to 4.3 million are unemployed, and close to 14 million are underemployed,

according to the July 2015 Labor Force Survey. The report recommends that achieving this goal demands nothing short of large generational investments in human capital—that is, in education, skills-training and health care. Several reforms are also necessary, including strengthening the social safety nets and enhancing labor market mobility. Early-dividend countries must also lay the foundations for the demographic dividend that the report terms as “an environment conducive to savings.” Greater financial inclusivity and stronger capital markets will be needed. But the easiest reform to do—yet with far-ranging impact—is constructing a fair taxation regime that puts more money into the pockets of working people and entrepreneurs today. These are surely tall order for the next President and his or her administration. And that’s why the candidate you vote for must be prepared to explain how he or she intends to manage the country toward capitalizing on our demographic advantage. E-mail: angara.ed@gmail.com.

2016 polls a crucial test for our democracy

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Our people have had enough of traditional politicians who promise us the moon and stars during an election campaign but do exactly the opposite when they are already in power: serve their own personal interests and hold on to pelf and privilege for as long as they can.

The Comelec’s job, however, is not to determine whether the candidates meet the substantive requirements for those seeking public office but rather to ensure that the electoral process is clean, fair, orderly and peaceful. Add to that list the requirement for the candidates to stick to electoral rules. The substantive requirements for candidates include educational background, track record and leadership or management capabilities. And yes, honesty and integrity. Evaluating all these is the job of the electorate. On the part of the politicians, the campaign period is an opportune time for them to explain to the voters what they really stand for. They should have their own ideas of what they hope to accomplish during their term of office once elected. They cannot rely solely on popularity or name recall, but must offer the voters what reforms or changes they intend to pursue while in office. Our people have had enough of traditional politicians who promise us the moon and stars during an election campaign but do exactly the opposite when they are already in power: serve their own personal interests and hold on to pelf and privilege for as long as they can. For those seeking the people’s mandate, I think what Sen. Chiz Escudero—the front-runner among vice presidential bets according to one recent survey—has said regarding politics is wise counsel: “We, politicians, are challenged these days to return to the basic reason we seek the people’s mandate: that is, the conviction that politics is and has always been a noble profession or vocation.” While a number of public officials have been tainted by corruption and wrongdoing, it is also true, as the lawmaker pointed out, that “many politicians also managed to fashion, mold, and create avenues and opportunities for our people to improve their lives…. Many politicians helped to build schools for our children. Many politicians assisted in creating jobs for their

hectares, mostly in Cavite. With over 1,400 employees, the company has completed 17 projects and working on nine other residential projects. It has also expanded to Pampanga and even to Iloilo. Ample proof that Pro-Friends has steadily built a solid reputation in the property-development industry is the recent acquisition by GT Capital Holdings Inc. of a 22.68-percent stake in the company, worth P7.24 billion. GT Capital’s shareholdings in Pro-Friends is expected to increase even more in the next three years, at the end of which it will control 51 percent of the company’s ownership structure. What this means is that GT Capital, headed by George S.K. Ty of Metrobank, Toyota Philippines, and other big enterprises, has realized the viability of Pro-Friends operations and has been sufficiently impressed with its good marketing strategy, solid track record and efficient sales force that they are willing to infuse more capital into the realestate firm in the coming years. GT Capital Chairman Francisco Sebastian has described their partnership with Pro-Friends as mutually beneficial as this would allow them to be among the market leaders in the affordable housing sector. He cited Pro-Friends’s “product expertise” and strategic landholdings as the main reasons for GT Capital’s keen interest in helping the property development firm grow even further in the coming years. “Our partnership adds a new dimension to GT Capital’s property development portfolio and will enable our group to be one of the market leaders in the low-cost housing sector,” Sebastian said in a recent disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pro-Friends is unswerving in its commitment to deliver quality yet affordable housing units. It emphasizes its core values—service excellence, professionalism, integrity, innovation, teamwork and a sense of family—in its operations and dealings with clients. With its strong market presence, reinforced by GT Capital’s financial muscle and access to capital,

Ernesto M. Hilario

ABOUT TOWN

fter five days last week when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) accepted the certificates of candidacy of those seeking public office in next year’s elections, the poll body now begins the process of evaluating who among the filers meet the basic requirements for elective positions set by the Constitution and our laws. constituents. Many politicians worked actively to make their communities safe and conducive to living.” Many public officials have given politics in this country a bad name simply because they have engaged in cheap gimmicks to score publicity points and cling on to power. Our country has a population today of over 100 million. Majority of them are ordinary Filipinos who work hard so they can keep body and soul under the most trying circumstances. But if our politicians think only of themselves and not of the people’s welfare, then this nation will never be able to rise to join the ranks of the developed countries and be perpetually doomed to a Sisyphean future where every time we try to scale the heights, we always fall to where we came from. Our elected leaders must serve the Filipino people first and foremost. Our politicians must understand that their duty is to help improve the lives of millions of ordinary Filipinos reeling from poverty and despair. Winning an election is only the first step for politicians to become statesmen, that is, to do what’s right for this country, and for them to lead the nation toward genuine transformation.

Needed: Affordable housing

With a growing population concentrated in urban centers, the Philippines needs to address an acute housing shortage estimated at 5.5 million units. Industry sources say this housing shortage may even worsen in the years to come if left unchecked. The property development sector is helping the government in addressing this housing backlog. Among these is the Property Company of Friends Inc., or Pro-Friends, established way back in 1999, which focuses on the affordable to middleincome primary home market. With its mission of “Creating Communities, Transforming Lives,” Pro-Friends has accumulated a land bank consisting of over 1,600

Pro-Friends appears well-positioned to make a bigger dent in the Philippine real-estate industry in the near future by offering quality products and providing quality service to the public.

Road rates

Subsidiaries of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) are set to file arbitration cases against the government over its inaction on pending petitions for toll-fee adjustments, in gross violation of their separate concession deals with Malacañang. In a recent forum, MPIC President-CEO Jose Ma. Lim said the conglomerate might initiate arbitration proceedings against the government as a last resort over the long-delayed toll-rate petitions by the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) and the Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC). MNTC and CIC respectively operate the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) and the Cavite Expressway (Cavitex). Lim said the government’s failure to honor its contracts with MNTC and CIC affects the competitiveness of MPIC’s participation in major infrastructure auctions under the Public-Private Partnership Program. MPIC said the continued freeze on toll-rate increases is affecting the financial viability of its infrastructure projects because MNTC has four years’ worth of inflation adjustments pending for Nlex, while CIC has six years of inflation adjustments for Cavitex, equivalent to 19 percent and 23 percent, respectively. “These inflation adjustments are embedded in the concession agreements, but getting the regulator to act on our applications has been a futile exercise,” Lim said. “In order to enforce our rights, we have issued a formal demand that may end up in an arbitration with the regulator.” The regulator in this case is the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), which has rejected the MNTC petition to claim from the government about P2.4 billion in foregone revenues. “We have a provision in our concession agreement that the government would adjust the toll rates in accordance to the contract,” Franco said. “Pursuant to the provisions of the contract, we were just claiming from government lost revenues— that was rejected by the TRB.” “We are technically on the mandatory amicable settlement stage after which we will go to mediation. Arbitration will come after,” Franco said. “We want to see what progress they will generate from their tollrate review process.” E-mail: ernhil@yahoo.com.

2nd Front Page BusinessMirror

A8 Tuesday, October 20, 2015

www.businessmirror.com.ph

BOP back to surplus in Sept ALIENS, BOXERS, on lower ‘hot’ money outflow MOVIE STARS ADD

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By Bianca Cuaresma

he country’s transactions with the rest of the world turned around in September, after having posted a deficit the previous month. On Monday the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reported that the country’s balance of payments (BOP)—or the summary of the Philippines’s economic transactions with the rest of the world—stood as a surplus of $219 million. September’s surplus was a reversal

from the $450-million deficit seen in August this year. The aggregate transaction was also larger than the $98-million surplus reported in September last year. The September surplus, likewise, put the aggregate excess closer to the $2-billion target that now sum up to

$1.808 billion. This was a steep recovery from the $3.42-billion deficit seen in the first nine months of 2014. Global developments in August— particularly the jitters generated in the wake of the devaluation of the yuan and whether the US Federal Reserve finally should or should not allow interest rates to adjust— unsettled the foreign exchange and stock markets during the period. The volatility generated in the wake of these events subsided gradually toward September as subsequently reflected in the value of the peso versus the US dollar. While other components of the BOP have yet to be released, the country’s foreign portfolio investments (FPI)—more popularly known as

“hot” or speculative money—mirrored the BOP turnaround during the month. The country’s foreign transactions recovered from its August beating. In particular, hot money flowed out on net basis totaling $323.98 million in September, data from the BSP showed. Despite the continued outmigration of speculative funds, the event represented a recovery from outmigration aggregating $543 million in August. While speculative foreign investments do not directly benefit an economy, their presence often speak volumes on the investment climate of the host environment and their macroeconomic underpinnings and are for these reasons always welcome.

COLOR TO POLLS

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olitical dynasties, an alienbacked contender and long ballot papers will be features of the Philippine elections. By the time deadline for candidates to declare was reached on Friday, there were more than 100 contenders for the top job. Here is a look at the main ones and some quirky facts about how the country will choose its next President in elections in May. The principal candidates are former Interior Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II, who once worked as an investment banker and represents President Aquino’s ruling Liberal

PHL taking small steps toward TPP membership

Party; Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, a one-time human-rights lawyer and ex-mayor of the country’s most-important business district, Makati City; and first-term Sen. Grace Poe. She is the daughter of one of the Philippines most revered film stars and served in the Senate as part of Aquino’s coalition. Now she is running as an independent and is leading in the most recent opinion polls. One later entry to the race on Friday was Sen. Miriam DefensorSantiago, a 70-year-old former Continued on A2

DTI expects double-digit growth in exports to EU

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demand from the Philippines and other countries that are seeking to join the TPP. Some of the more controversial sections of the deal centered on intellectual property rights protection for pharmaceutical products, as well as the imposition of the investorstate dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism. The Philippines, for failing to gain entry into the TPP before negotiations were closed to new members, will be faced with a take-it-or-leave-it scenario. The country’s constitutional limits to foreign investments and practice of profession, among others, have been acknowledged by the DTI as problematic areas in the country’s TPP bid. Given the Philippines’s constitutional limitations and the secrecy surrounding the text of the TPP, the country needs to carefully study the commitments that it needs to make as part of the deal, Cristobal said. “Before we enter formal discussions for membership in the TPP, we will carefully review the final and full text of the agreement, evaluate its impact on the economy and consult thoroughly with our various stakeholders,” Cristobal explained. Cristobal, however, emphasized that while the country is not yet a member of the TPP, Philippine products already enjoy favorable market access to the US, the deal’s main proponent. About 70 percent of Philippine exports enter the US market duty-free, through zero tariffs under the Most Favored Nation status or through the Generalized System of Preference scheme. The TPP is a landmark agreement that eliminates or reduces tariffs, lowers the cost of trade and sets new and high standards for global trade, while addressing next-generation issues. The TPP is envisioned to promote economic growth, create jobs, raise living standards, reduce poverty, promote good governance and enhance labor and environmental protections among its member-countries. The 12 TPP members—Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam—announced the conclusion of their negotiations last week. These countries have a combined population of 800 million and are projected to account for 40 percent of the global GDP and 30 percent of world trade.

The EU-GSP+ allows the Philippines to export 6,274 products to the EU duty-free. The Philippines is the only Asean country allowed by the EU to enjoy its benefits. In contrast to the EU-GSP+, the regular GSP scheme covered 6,209 products, of which only 2,442 products are accorded the duty-free privilege. Total exports to the EU that were eligible under GSP in 2013 amounted to €1.69 billion, or 33 percent of total exports to the EU. According to the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, actual utilization of the regular GSP was around 64 percent of the €1.69 billion, or €1.08 billion. Meanwhile, Perlada urged food exporters to consider shipping out their products to the EU. Of the 100 products shipped out to the EU, he said 35 were food products. Some of the food products covered by the EU-GSP+ are pineapple juice, preserved fruits and processed food. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the country’s merchandise exports to the EU rose by 4.46 percent to $4.71 billion in January to August. In the month of August alone, PSA data showed that receipts declined by nearly 11 percent to $618.71 million. The EU accounted for 12 percent of export receipts recorded in the January to August. The DTI had earlier projected export revenues to decline this year due to the slower demand from China and Japan.

LANDO’S FURY Top photo shows Philippine Coast Guard personnel checking on a cargo barge loaded with coal and another vessel on Manila Bay. The vessels were pushed dangerously close to shore due to strong waves brought by Typhoon Lando. Authorities have announced that the Manila Bay was a “no walk zone” due to strong waves hitting the breakwater. Photos above show the flooded streets of Nueva Ecija, which bore the brunt of Lando. The slow-moving (5-kilometer-per-hour) typhoon brought torrential rains, flooding the streets and rice fields in the area. ALYSA SALEN/ Hermie Reyes

Villar may merge shopping mall, residential operations

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illionaire Manuel B. Villar Jr., who made a fortune building affordable homes, is considering merging his residential and shopping mall units as he turns housing projects across the country into self-contained communities. Combining Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., the biggest Philippine homebuilder, with the income stream from shopping-center developer Starmalls Inc. “could make sense,” according to Villar, a former politician who’s chairman of both companies. The two have a combined market value of about $2.5 billion and the stakes held by the tycoon and his family are worth together more than $1 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“That is always a topic of debate among our officers and among our bankers,” Villar said in an interview on the sidelines of the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Manila last week. “We are looking into that.” A similar move in 2013 by Philippine billionaire Henry Sy, the nation’s richest man, catapulted his SM Prime Holdings Inc. from the country’s biggest shopping mall operator into the biggest developer by market value, unseating Ayala Land Inc. The merger allowed SM Prime to undertake projects other than shopping centers and develop what it calls “micro cities” around its malls.

Low-cost homes

Vista Land, which sells homes

p r ic e d a s lo w a s P5 0 0,0 0 0 ($10,900), has a market value of P45.3 billion, while Starmalls, which has nine shopping centers, is worth P68.8 billion. Villar’s plan “allows immediate diversification,” said Robert Ramos, Manila-based chief investment officer at Union Bank of the Philippines. “While the housing market is expected to continue growing, there is also a preference for developers with a steady income from leasing and rent.” Vista Land, which has a presence in 92 towns and cities in 35 provinces, has identified 23 residential projects that can be developed into what Villar calls “communicities” by adding shopping malls, grocers,

department stores, schools, hotels and hospitals. In areas where there’s demand, offices will be built for outsourcing companies, he said. Vista Land will develop these communities, while Starmalls provides the large-box shopping centers and offices, Villar said. Vista Land has also built shopping arcades in some of its projects.

Anticipating needs

“What do homeowners need? You need to shop. You need to watch movies,” Villar said. “We want to provide all of that.” The tycoon’s All Day convenience stores has 70 outlets that will continue to expand, while his supermarket, which just started, is roll-

ing out its second and third outlets. All Home, his home-improvement shop, will have 12 stores by yearend, with the prospect of growing into a chain of 50 outlets across the country, he said. Villar, a former senator who lost in the 2010 presidential elections, is estimated by Forbes magazine to have a $1.56-billion net worth. He returned as Vista Land chairman in 2013 to work with his son Manuel Paolo Villar, who’s president of the company. “The land bank we have, the nationwide presence we have, is a big advantage, so I told myself why limit yourself to houses,” he said. “We have big plans for the group.” Bloomberg News