Manila Standard - 2016 July 30 - Saturday

WEATHER TROPICAL Depression “Carina” is expected to make landfall in the Cagayan region Sunday night and to intensify into a typhoon, the weather bureau said Friday.

But the agency said “Carina” was also expected to leave and head towards southern China by Monday. PNA

Death toll on dengue still rising

By Cathrine Mae V. Gonzales VOL. XXX • NO. 168 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 • WWW.THESTANDARD.COM.PH • EDITORIAL@THESTANDARD.COM.PH

Duterte to Reds: Ceasefire or not?

THE Department of Health said it will provide catch-up vaccinations as dengue cases nationwide climbed to 57,026 from January to June this year, a 36-percent leap from the 42,026 cases recorded during the same period in 2015.

So far, there have been 253 deaths.

Department spokesman Eric Tayag said their efforts were being hampered by an insufficient stock of the pentavalent vaccines, which he attributed to “internal procurement failures.”

“This resulted in a lower vaccine coverage compared to what we expected,” Tayag said, noting that their 85-percent target coverage was closer to 65 percent. Next page

By John Paolo Bencito

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ULTIMATUM. President Rodrigo Duterte, flanked by Defense Secretary

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte gave the Communist Party of the Philippines until 5 p.m. Saturday to say if they wanted a truce and explain why the New People’s Army ambushed a group of militiamen in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, saying their failure to do so would lead him to lift the unilateral ceasefire he declared earlier this week.

Delfin Lorenzana (left) and AFP chief Ricardo Visaya, issues an ultimatum for the Communists to declare ceasefire on or before 5 p.m. Saturday and explain why the NPA ambushed a group of militiamen in Davao del Norte.

Malacañang Photo

“I am asking you, are you ready to declare ceasefire or not? 5 p.m. I will wait. If I don’t get the word from you, I will lift the ceasefire,” Duterte said during a visit to the wake of the slain militiamen at the 60th Infantry Batallion headquarters in Davao del Norte.

On Friday, the CPP asked Duterte to give them more time to verify and investigate the ambush in Davao del Norte in which one militiaman was killed and four others were wounded.

“The... negotiating panels are in touch with each other. President Duterte should give more time to the [National Democratic Front of the Philippines] negotiating panel to investigate the alleged incident. The NPA regional command concerned has been asked to do the investigation and report,” CPP founder Jose Maria Sison told the Manila Standard.

“President Duterte should be patient and not expect quick surrenders from highly principled and experienced revolutionaries who have a growing mass base against the rotten ruling system of big compradors and landlords,” added Sison, who is in Utrecht in The Netherlands.

“It took at least three days for the Duterte government to make clear what is the content of its unilateral ceasefire order. The CPP and NDFP should be given enough time to study tbe implications and consequences of the GRP ceasefire order,” he added.

Next page

Opposition solon slams ploy to railroad Cha-Cha AN OPPOSITION lawmaker on Friday accused the majority bloc in the House of installing what he described as a “fake” minority bloc in a bid to railroad the proposed federalism being pushed by the Duterte administration.

Probers link 2 generals to drug lords

By Francisco Tuyay

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said putting up a friendly opposition in the Lower House was suspect after House leaders opted to revise the 1987 Constitution through a Constitutional Convention but later favored a ConstituNext page ent Assembly.

INVESTIGATORS from the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Friday they have established prima facie evidence to prosecute two of three active police generals linked to illegal drugs.

Interior Secretary Mike Sueno

OPLAN GALUGAD. Two armored

personnel carriers guard the New Bilibid Prison as police commandos raid another building in search of drugs and paraphernalia used by alleged drug lords on Friday, July 29. Danny Pata

declined to name the two active police generals, but said they were in Metro Manila.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier named the three active police generals as Police Director Joel Pagdilao, Chief Supt. Edgardo Tinio and Chief Supt. Bernardo Diaz.

Pagdilao used to be the director

Miss Universe in PH: Six tourist spots eyed

AGUIRRE

THE Department of Tourism said Friday it is considering six possible locations for the Miss Universe pageant, which the Philippines will host next year.

“We are considering Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, and of course, the main event would be in Manila,” said Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo said in a television interview..

All six locations are popular tourist destinations. Both Boracay and Palawan are recognized for their picturesque beaches

while Cebu’s Sinulog Festival regularly attracts both local and foreign travelers.

Davao and Cagayan de Oro, meanwhile, have recently gained particular significance. The former is the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte while the latter is where reigning Miss Universe Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach grew up.

The pageant will be held on Jan. 30, 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena, with the private sector shouldering the cost of running the tilt.

Next page

of the National Capital Region Police Office while Tinio headed the Quezon City Police District.

Diaz was previously assigned at the Western Visayas Region.

“Of the three generals who are still on duty, we are ready with cases against two, both in Metro Manila,” Sueno said in Filipino.

“We have the evidence.” Next page

Safeguards sought vs extra power SENATE President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon on Friday urged Congress to strive for stronger safeguards that will stop the government from entering into onerous contracts at the expense of the people.

Drilon is the author of Senate Bill No. 11, or the Transportation Crisis Act of 2016, which seeks to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to deal with the transportation crisis in Metro Manila and Next page other urban areas.

Road rage suspect arrested THE suspect in the killing of a cyclist in Quiapo, Manila, following a traffic altercation Monday night was arrested in Masbate on Friday, an official said.

Army Chief Eduardo Año said Vhon Martin Tanto was arrested at 11:40 a.m. in East Milagros by soldiers and policemen.

He made the statement even as Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada ordered the arrest and imprisonment of twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com.ph/ manilastandard

S

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illegal vendors who would be caught going back to the sidewalks or road spaces to sell their merchandise.

He said he was trying to remove anarchy in the streets to prevent the recurrence of road-rage cases such as the killing of a biker by a former Army reservist on Monday.

Estrada made the order as five illegal vendors in Blumentritt were arrested and subjected to inquest proceedings.

Next page

TANTO

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Basilan clashes displace 3,400 C

AGAYAN DE ORO CITY―The fighting between government security forces and armed groups since the first week of July has displaced 3,400 families in Basilan Province, the International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday.

Death...

From A1 “We have to have catch-up vaccinations so we can recover from the low coverage,” he added.

Pentavalent vaccine is a blend of five vaccines which fight diphtheria, whooping cough or pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B, the bacteria that causes meningitis, pneumonia and otitis.

Earlier, the DoH reported that around 400,000 students were given their initial doses of Dengvaxia, but they are still trying to reach 600,000 more to meet their one million target coverage.

Deaths from dengue still rose in 2016, with around 250 dead compared to 150 from the same period last year.

This number alarmed most of local executives, including Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

In Davao City, 19 of about 4,000 dengue patients have already died—11 of them children.

“That the number of deaths could reach this high is disconcerting, and I am appalled because the government is supposed to be doing everything to prevent the breeding of the mosquitoes carrying the virus,” Duterte said in a statement.

The first round of dengue vaccines was given to schoolchildren from April to June aged nine and below from the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon, regions that recorded almost half of the more than 92,000 cases recorded as of September 2015.

Dengue vaccine is also available commercially but costs P4,000 per dose. Each person needs three doses to complete the process.

Areas that listed the highest cases of dengue are Calabarzon, Southern Luzon, Western and Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, Cotabato Region, and Soccsksargen.

In Baguio City, the City Health Services Office said dengue cases in the city increased by over 400 percent from 1,875 cases from January to July, up from only 239 cases in the same period last year.

Dr. Rowena Galpo, city health services officer, said 64 percent or 1,199 cases were residents of the city’s barangays while the rest of the reported dengue cases are from nearby municipalities and provinces.

With Dexter See

Road...

From A1 The National Police, meanwhile, called for calm to avoid incidents like the shooting of a cyclist in Quiapo Monday night.

Metro Manila Police Chief Oscar Albayalde on Friday reminded road users, especially those armed with hand guns, to be responsible and control their anger.

“People who cannot control their anger should not own a gun or carry one,” he said.

The Army had earlier said it helped track down Tanto, a former reservist who was arrested in Poblacion village in Milagros, Masbate.

Tanto is set to be brought to the 9th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Milagros, Masbate, before being turned over to the Manila Police District.

Tanto, 39, is accused of shooting and killing biker Mark Vincent Garalde during an altercation along P. Casal Street in Quiapo Monday night.

Tanto was identified by witnesses through the pictures on his social media account.

The Hyundai Eon seen on the CCTV footage of the incident was traced to him through its conduction sticker.

The CCTV footage earlier showed the driver of a Hyundai Eon shooting Geralde at point blank range several times after a fistfight. Police later identified the shooter as Tanto.

Tanto’s vehicle was later recovered in Nueva Vizcaya in the house of his brother-in-law.

The Manila Police District said Tanto owned three firearms and was considered “extremely dangerous.”

Local officials had offered a P200,000 reward for his arrest.

Sandy Araneta, Florante S. Solmerin and Joel E. Zurbano

MAN OF FATE. With former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as guest former Iloilo congressman Augusto 'Boboy' Syjuco launches his book, 'DU30: Man Of Faith and Fate' at Center Gallery, AFP Museum, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Duterte...

From A1

Sison argued that Duterte merely made an announcement of a unilateral and immediate ceasefire during his State of the Nation Address on July 25 but it was only on July 26 when the Armed Forces issued a suspension of military operations (Somo) that was “not clear about many things.”

The police, on the other hand, only issued a suspension of police operations against CPP rebels on the July 27.

“The Central Committee of the CPP has to study these defective issuances of the AFP and PNP and also find out whether current political prisoners shall be released through general amnesty,” Sison added.

NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni also said the Central Committee of the CPP would be declaring a similar truce.

Probers...

From A1

He said investigators were given 10 days to gather enough evidence against the third police general.

Sueno said that with the prima facie finding against the two police officials, they could now file a case against them in court.

Sueno said it was up to the court to decide the fate of retired PNP deputy director Gen. Marcelo Garbo, while the DILG would have a say on what happens to former police chief supertintendent Vicente Loot, who is now Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor The National Police Commission, for its part, said it is conducting an extensive evaluation of the statements of assets and liabilities of the three active generals.

All the police generals named by Duterte have denied the charges against them.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, meanwhile, said he will form a fact-finding body to

“We expressed to President Duterte that the ceasefire declaration of the Communist Party will be forthcoming soon,” Jalandoni said.

But a statement from the NPA said the “two-faced” Armed Forces violated its own ceasefire, which led to the death of a militiaman.

The statement said communist fighters “thwarted a military offensive” by the Civilian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit of the 72nd Infantry Battalion and Alamara paramilitary troops .

The ambush, the NPA statement said, was in line with orders from top NPA officials to maintain their alert status in response to Duterte’s ceasefire.

On Thursday, Duterte warned communist rebels that he would call off the unilateral ceasefire that he declared unless they explained why the New People’s Army rebels ambushed a group of militiamen.

After his speech, Duterte also scotched the suggestion from the investigate two former high-ranking officials of the Justice Department for receiving millions of pesos in protection money from some high-profile inmates in exchange of providing them special treatment and allowing them to continue their illegal drug trade while being detained at the New Bilibid Prison.

Aguirre said the fact-finding team to be composed of DoJ undersecretaries and prosecutors will investigate information he received that two former Justice officials were on the payroll of drug lords.

The National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police are now gathering evidence and conducting their own probe against these two officials whom the DoJ declined to identify pending investigation.

Nonetheless, Aguirre confirmed that the two officials worked with the DoJ during the previous administration.

“I do not want to name names [because] that would be unfair to them. But we are going to come out with the results

communists that they would join Duterte in a coalition government.

“I would like to assure everybody here in this room that I will never, never agree to a coalition government. I am very emphatic about that. I can have an inclusive government. I have taken them in.

I can only really surrender to them in the sense that I can shake hands and talk about peace… an inclusive government,” Duterte said.

“I’m happy with the ongoing operations on all fronts, [including] the Communist Party. This has been long in the making,” he said.

After the President declared a ceasefire, the military said it would retaliate against any attacks on soldiers or communities.

NDF chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni, in a television interview, said the communists were already investigating the attack made by the NPA, and that it should not be a hindrance to the ongoing peace initiatives.

of the ongoing investigation,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre said the fact-finding body will also determine why some high-profile inmates were not among those who were transferred to the NBI detention during the previous’ administration supposed campaign to neutralize drug operations and other illegal activities inside the NBP. “I’ll be creating a fact-finding committee to assist the other investigating bodies. I believe that the police, the NBI are already conducting their own investigation into it,” he said.

The investigating team will also look into the anomaly involving the daily meal allowance of the prisoners.

Aguirre disclosed that the 24,000 prisoners at the NBP used to be allotted P50 per day for meals but this was lowered to P40 for no apparent reason.

But information reaching his office showed that the P10 deduction, which translates to P240,000 a day, was pocketed by some erring DoJ and NBP officials.

The affected families in Tipo-Tipo, Al-Barka and Ungkaya Pukan municipalities have sought refuge with their relatives after shelling and air strikes took place almost daily over the past three weeks, the Red Cross said.

The group made the statement even as President Rodrigo Duterte said he was willing to talk with rebel groups to attain peace but he would never negotiate with criminal and bandit groups.

“As I talk to the communists, I will also talk to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front,” Duterte said during his visit to the Southern Luzon Command’s headquarters in Lucena.

“Not the Abu Sayyaf. I will not talk to criminals.”

Casualties and injuries have been reported on both sides― including civilians―in the fighting in Basilan.

“The security situation in Basilan is precarious. We are concerned for the civilians as we expect the clashes to continue in the coming weeks,” said Yann Fridez, head of the ICRC’s sub-delegation in Mindanao.

“We urge all parties in the fighting to exercise utmost precaution to minimize the impact or damage to civilian communities,” Fridez said.

“We also ask them to spare civilian structures such as hospitals, schools and houses, and facilities that are essential for their daily lives.”

The ICRC and the Philippine Red Cross have distributed essential household items to more than 17,000 displaced people in the three municipalities.

The items distributed by the PRC in Basilan on July 27 and 28 included hygiene kits, blankets, towels, jerry cans, mosquito nets and sleeping mats.

The ICRC also distributed dressing kits and medical supplies, including drugs and anti-tetanus vaccines, to enhance the capacity of the rural health units in these three municipalities to treat the sick and the wounded.

The ICRC is a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian organization whose mandate is to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and other violent situations. Lance

“The incident of July 27 is already being investigated, and as soon as possible, the NPA will prepare a report and take measure to ensure that this will not be an obstacle to the peace negotiations,” Jalandoni said in Filipino. “ Government peace panel chair and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the ambush of the New People’s Army in Davao del Norte was “disheartening.”

“It is disheartening that the NPA failed to respect the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Duterte last Monday during the Sona (State of the Union Address). Barely two days after this ceasefire declaration, the NPA ambushed government forces killing one Cafgu member and wounding four others in Davao del Norte,” Bello said.

Bello said that the government is working on the premise that the Central Committee of the CPP and the NDF still have control over the ground troops, including the NPA.

NDF negotiator Fidel Agcaoili, whom Bello confronted, said that as far as the NDF leadership is concerned, the NPA has been on active defense mode since July 26 as announced by Ka Oris, a rebel leader.

“We informed Secretary Bello that we will have to look into the report because as far as the NDFP panel knows the NPA is on active defense mode since 26 July as announced by Ka Oris, the newly appointed Head of the National Operational Command of the NPA,” Agcaoili said.

He added that the NDFP “is committed to resume the peace negotiations to address the roots of the armed conflict to attain a just and lasting peace.”

At 4:30 p.m., Duterte arrived at the 60th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Brgy. Doña Andrea, Asuncion to visit the wake of the militiaman who was killed in the NPA ambush. With Vito Barcelo

The fact-finding team will also investigate reports that religious groups are being used as front for prostitution at the national penitentiary, the DoJ chief said.

Aguirre said he was informed by a representative of a nongovernment organization and several prisons guards that some religious groups are behind the smuggling of prostitutes and illegal drugs into the NBP. Aguirre said the PNP Special Action Force commandos, who were deployed one week ago to the NBP, have managed to seize a total of P1.6 million in cash, sachets of suspected shabu and containers of marijuana from inmates.

Other prohibited items confiscated were 80 bladed weapons, 12 ice picks, a .38 cal. pistol, six improvised shotguns, 152 cellphones, 62 mobile phone chargers and 48 television sets.

Aguirre said surprise raids were also conducted in other penal colonies like Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, Iwahig in Palawan and Zamboanga.

Baconguis, with PNA

Miss...

From A1

“We have a President who comes from Mindanao, and our Miss Universe is from Mindanao, so I think this is the best time for us to do the Miss Universe here in the Philippines,” Teo said.

Beauty queens competing for the crown will start arriving by January 15 and will spend about two weeks in the country.

Wurtzbach along with the officials from the Ms. Universe Organization last week met with Duterte in a courtesy call at Malacañang to personally convice him to accept the Philippine bid to hold the pageant here in the country.

The Philippines last hosted the Miss Universe tilt in 1994, which crowned Sushmita Sen of India as winner. The country first hosted the pageant in 1974, when Margie Moran relinquished her title to Amparo Muñoz of Spain.

Binibining Pilipinas Universe Maxine Medina will represent the Philippines in the pageant. John Paolo Bencito

Safeguards...

From A1

Opposition...

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“The order of the day is inordinate fast-tracking with the hegemony of super majorities assured,” Lagman said in a statement.

He was referring to Charter Change through Cha-Con-Ass that newly elected Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez disclosed Thursday as President Rodrigo Duterte had now favored Con-Ass over Con-Con, which they viewed as expensive and a waste of people’s money.

Lagman made his statement even as Senate President Pro Tem-

pore Franklin Drilon said Friday his committee will give the highest priority to the proposed measure that will amend the 1987 Constitution.

“The proposed review of the 29-year-old Constitution will be the top priority of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes and laws which I chair,” Drilon said.

“We will take up all the proposed measures and resolutions calling for the review of the Constitution as soon as the organization of the Senate is finalized and completed.”

Drilon considers the revision of the Constitution “a delicate task”

that needs the involvement of all stakeholders.

Lagman asked: “Why the obsession of controlling the House minority after forging a super majority? One of the principal reasons is out of the bag.”

He was referring to the ConAss method, which means the convening of the Senate and the House of Representatives into one body to propose amendments to the Constitution.

“Only one day after the selection of the majority’s ‘minority leader,’ the leadership of the majority coalition has opted to convert the Congress into a Constituent As-

sembly to propose amendments to the Constitution, like the shift from unitary/presidential to Federal/parliamentary, instead of the original plan to call for a Constitutional Convention to effect Charter Change,” Lagman said.

“The numerical ascendancy of the new administration’s allies in both the Senate and the House makes the Congress, acting as a Constituent Assembly, a convenient launching pad for federalism, more than the projected Constitutional Convention which may not be easy to control.” Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Drilon said that while he fully supported the passage of the bill, “it is also of the highest importance that the bill will provide safeguards that can adequately protect the system and the people from abuses.”

He said Congress should take a careful look at its previous bad experiences, citing the Electric Power Crisis Act of 1993.

“We must learn from the experiences with the Electric Power Crisis Act of 1993, which was crafted to address the power crisis but, in the end, resulted in the execution of onerous contracts with independent power producers that led to expensive and higher electricity rates,” Drilon said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

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SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Solon: Hasten rules for new law

DEADLINE TIME.

Unregistered voters fill up forms to register for the barangay and sangguniang kabataan [village and youth council] elections on October 31. The deadline for registration is today.

Lino Santos

By Maricel V. Cruz PASAY City Rep. Emi CalixtoRubiano urged the concerned government agencies to hasten the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 10911 which penalizes discrimination in employment on account of age.

“This is just a gentle appeal to all concerned agencies. I am hoping that the IIR for this very important law will be immediately available and soon be out for its implementation because that is the missing link right now,” said Rubiano, one of the principal authors of RA 10911.

The law was a product of 10 measures in the 16th Congress that lapsed into law last July 21.

Rubiano, on her third and last term this 17th Congress, said her proposal seeks to promote equal opportunities in employment for everyone and support employment of individuals on the basis of their abilities, knowledge, skills and qualifications rather than their age.

“Age discrimination is a reality in the Philippines and most often, the age ceiling is 40 years old. This [law] effectively bans employers against discriminating qualified and physically able job applicants who are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s,” she said.

She said the government should assist the elderly on their desire to return to work through programs such as job matching, similar to Hong Kong where physically able senior citizens are given priority to work.

“I will continue to ensure that this [law] will be properly and strictly implemented and that the welfare of our elderly will always be protected,” she stressed.

The law declares unlawful for employers to publish, in any form of media including the internet, job wanted ads that would suggest a preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based on age and prohibits the declaration of age or birth date in the application process as a requirement, and the rejection of an employment application due to applicants’ age.

The law also prohibits forced laying off a worker due to advanced age or imposing early retirement on the basis of an employee’s age.

Comelec abandons synchronized polls T

HE Commission on Elections will no longer make plans to hold the village and youth council elections along with the election of delegates to a proposed Constitutional Convention after which Congress junked because of its cost.

“It appears [Congress] is now moving in the direction of constituent assembly so it seems we are really pushing through with our [village and youth council] elections on October 31,” Comelec Chairman Juan Andres Bautista said after speaking with Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

“Yesterday, I spoke with Speaker Alvarez and I asked him if there was a possibility there would be an election of Con-Con delegates. But he told me the direction is now toward

Cops insist it’s not just about killings

By Francisco Tuyay NARCOTICS enforcers are searching for the mastermind behind three drug peddlers from whom the authorities seized on Friday eight kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, worth P50 million.

“We don’t think they are the mastermind,” said Philippine National Police director general Ronaldo dela Rosa. “They are just small players, but we will investigate. The important thing is we have neutralized the supply.”

He said the price of shabu has already gone up because of the tight supply. “It is already increasing because they are having a hard time selling them,” De la Rosa added.

He also used the opportunity to show critics that not all drug peddlers are simply killed by the authorities in the ongoing government campaign against narcotics.

“Look, we confiscated many packs of shabu and a gun but they are alive. That only means they did not resist arrest,” De la Rosa said at a press conference in Camp Crame. “You should also recognize that we don’t just kill people here.”

Six kilograms of contraband were seized from Saadodin Badron, a resident of San Miguel, Manila, who was arrested 3:10 p.m. along Marcos Highway in Pasig City after a weeklong

surveillance.

The rest of the shabu were seized from Sukarno Bansil and Mahatir Malaco, both residents of Taguig City.

The suspects were brought to Camp Crame by Sr. Supt Romulo Sapitula, acting district director of the Eastern Police.

Dela Rosa said drug dealers were being more careful now that the police had intensified its campaign against illegal drugs.

“They are being cautious but no matter how careful they are, they will still be busted,” he said.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte himself admitted that the big bosses of narcotics syndicates are beyond his reach because they are in another country.

“I can’t arrest the big fish here because they are not here. They are beyond reach [because] they are in another country,” Duterte said in a speech before Maguindanao leaders, hours after the authorities killed another Chinese national who is believed to be a big-time drug trafficker.

Dela Rosa identified the slain suspect as Mico Tan, who is believed to be involved in the establishment of several illicit laboratories for making methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, in the country.

Tan was killed by drug enforcers who raided another clandestine shabu laboratory at Barangay Lingunan in Valenzuela City at 4:15 a.m. Friday.

a constituent assembly,” he said.

Bautista earlier pushed for the postponement of the village and youth polls and synchronizing it with the election of delegates for the proposed Con-Con because that would result in savings to the government.

But Alvarez said President Rodrigo Duterte has changed his mind on the matter of a Con-Con, primarily because it was cheaper to amend the 1987 Constitution through Congress sitting as a constituent assembly.

Meanwhile, Bautista reminded unregistered voters that today is the deadline for the registration of voters for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

He said the last day to file opposition to the application for registration of voters is August 8 and the approval or disapproval of the applications shall be from August 11 to 15.

The last day to post the list of approved and disapproved applications for registration as voters will be on August 19, the last day to file petition for inclusion of voters will be on August 25 and the last day to file petition for exclusion of voters shall be on August 31.

From September 16 to October 30, it shall be prohibited to make appointments or hire new employees, create new positions, promote or give salary increases, remuneration

or privileges. From October 1 to 30, raising funds through dances, lotteries, cockfights and others shall be banned.

The election period shall be from October 1 to November 7, during which it will be prohibited to alter the territory of a precinct or establish new precincts, the carrying of firearms or other deadly weapons, use of security personnel or bodyguards by candidates, transfer or detail of officers and employees in the civil service including public school teachers, organizing or maintaining reaction forces, strike forces or similar forces and the suspension of any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer.

The period for the filing of certificates of candidacy shall be October 3 to 5 while the campaign period shall be from October 21 to 29.

More Chinese tourist arrivals eyed TOURISM Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo will go to Macau next week to meet Chinese businessmen and invite more Chinese tourists to visit the Philippines.

“I will be meeting with foreign investors and Chinese tourists. I would be asking them to come to the Philippines,” Teo said amid the diplomatic impasse over the maritime dispute in the South China Sea. “They would like to come to the Philippines. This is a group of Chinese going to meet in Macau and they would like me to be there,” Teo said.

The DoT earlier assured that tourism as an industry will

be able to insulate itself and that the territorial row and sea ruling will have no negative impact on tourism inflow in the Philippines.

Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said partners from both the Philippines and China continue to work closely to ensure two-way traffic is not disrupted.

He also said the department maintains a consistent strategy of maintaining “an optimum mix of source markets” to withstand or help compensate for a possible decline in arrivals from one market.

Another tourism official assured that a large number of Chinese

tourists to the Philippines will still be visiting the country as it is set to welcome a cruise ship—Legend of the Seas—carrying some 2,076 Chinese tourists on September 23 and 24.

Tourism Director for Public affairs and advocacy Czarina Zara Loyola said the cruise ship will call port to Manila and Boracay.

Data from the DoT showed that China is the third top tourism market with 285,348 visitors or a share of 11.33 percent of the 2.51-million foreign tourists that visited the Philippines from January to May 2016.

China also posted the highest tourism growth of 80.79 percent.

PNA

STATE SCHOLARS. Twenty-eight Filipinos are set to depart for Japan on Sunday as part of the Japan

Exchange and Teaching Program. All participants will stay in Japan for an initial contract period of one year.

The JET Programme was introduced by the Japanese Government in 1987 to promote internationalization among local Japanese communities through cultural exchange activities and foreign language education.

IN BRIEF Fugitive Korean man arrested THE Bureau of Immigration has arrested a high-profile Korean fugitive who has been wanted in his country for fraud.

Hajin Hyun, 32, was arrested Thursday in Mandaluyong city after the Korean Embassy sought his immediate arrest for defrauding a number of companies and friends in Korea amounting to several millions of dollars.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente has ordered the cancellation of Hyun’s visa and ordered his summary deportation for being an undocumented and undesirable foreign national.

His name was included in the bureau’s Black List Order and banned from returning to the Philippines.

Vito Barcelo

Prosecutor arrested for extortion THE Ombudsman indicted a Zamboanga deputy city prosecutor Roselyn Murillo Mamon for violating the AntiGraft and Corrupt Practices Act along with private lawyer Pherham Saiddi.

The complainant, PO3 Flavio Enriquez Jr., said on July 22, 2013, Mamon called him up and offered P250,000 to P300,000 in exchange for not implicating one Dadol Mansul and PO1 Phon Mohammad in a frustrated murder suit filed before her office.

Enriquez claimed Saiddi, lawyer of Mansul and Mohammad, asked “complainant how much he wanted to receive in exchange for not implicating his clients” but he reported the incident to his superiors and an entrapment operation was prepared.

Rio N. Araja

Woman faces fraud charges THE National Bureau of Investigation arrested a businesswoman accused of car theft, estafa and illegal recruitment during an operation in Makati City Thursday.

In a statement released on Friday, the NBI said operatives of the NBI-Anti Fraud Division arrested Rosemarie Shinora, alias Marie Martinez, for two counts of car theft, estafa and several counts of illegal recruitment, during an operation on July 28 at Pasay Road in Makati City.

According to the complainants, Shinora said she is married to a Japanese named OE Shinohara and that she needs help because she was victimized by a money scammer. The suspect also said that she has money at a bank but she was having problems with it as it was with a different name.

Sandy Araneta

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Opinion

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

mstdaydesk@gmail.com

More than a spare tire

EDITORIAL

W

ITH the circus of the May polls over, Filipinos here and in the United States are now watching the events leading to the American elections in November. The outcome will have consequences on their individual futures and on the Philippines’, being a US ally. The race itself, however, highlights what could be improved in our own system—aside from the entertainment value it seems to provide.

Businessman Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have secured the nominations of the Republican and Democratic Parties, respectively. The next step—pick-

Adelle Chua, Editor

ing out their running mates, supposedly those who would boost their chances of being the next president of the United States.

Trump, reports The Washington Post, chose from an initial list containing 16 names. Whoever the vice president would be was supposed to be in charge of domestic and foreign policy, while Trump would focus on “making America great again.” Applying a “distinct blend of practicality, impetuousness and disengagement,” Trump settled on Indiana Governor Mike Pence, said to be popular with conservative evangelicals. The Post says that Pence, while he did not come from a swing state or

have any presidential campaign experience, had one important trait—knowing how to say “yes” to the presidential candidate.

Meanwhile, Clinton’s choice is Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, described as a “steady and seasoned hand” in government. Kaine is perhaps best remembered for his handling of the Virginia Tech massacre and is known for his popularity among Latino and white workingclass voters. The choice of Kaine is said to boost Clinton’s belief that experience is the best way to keep Democratic control of the Executive branch—not the sizzle that is best exemplified by her Republican opponent.

American voters no longer

have to evaluate the qualifications of Pence and Kaine: That choice has been made for them. They need only decide who it is they want as president. Whoever wins will take the vice president of his or her choice to the job; the assumption is that they have determined that they could work well together. The vice president would provide invaluable support and guidance to the chief executive in a relationship founded on mutual respect and confidence.

We can only look on with envy. Here at home, the vice presidential contest is a distinct race in itself, sometimes even racier than the presidential fight.

And in the common oc-

currence that the winning president and vice president come from different parties, there is instant conflict and distrust between them that first must be smoothed out before any real work can be accomplished. Ultimately, the vice president serves as nothing more than a spare tire, somebody to step up to the job if the incumbent dies or is taken seriously ill.

Of course, there is an attempt to be cordial. Vice presidents are normally given executive portfolios and are expected to attend Cabinet meetings. In the case of President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leonor Robredo, the mutual dislike was so bad that she had said she could not work with him

and he had refused to grant her audience. Their first meeting, where they were seen giggling like teenagers, was so out of the ordinary that it was given undue attention by the entertainment press and social media.

But this arrangement is written in the Constitution and unless changes are introduced to the fundamental law, the system remains. What we can do, in the meantime, is to hold our highest officials against a higher standard. Once elected, they must shed political color, stop turning every issue into a personal advocacy, and simply work toward the common good together, beyond cosmetic pleasantries.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Legal issues about the traffic superbody

POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO NOTHING has given me and other RH advocates more hope than President Digong Duterte’s statement during his State of the Nation Address that his administration will fully implement the Reproductive Health Law. By far, President Duterte’s is the strongest presidential pronouncement on this controversial law that took one and a half decades and endless debates both in and out of Congress, to pass.

While former President Noynoy Aquino was instrumental in the eventual enactment of RH, and this is not a minor feat, his public pronouncements, even after the bill’s passage, have never been as strong and as direct as the one we heard during Digong’s first Sona.

Not only did President Duterte call for the full implementation of the RH law. He did the same for the Magna Carta of Women. This is important as well because the MCW contains important RH-related provisions under “Women’s Right to Health.” Indeed, his pronouncement relative to women’s rights is a most welcome development.

Going full blast on RH As a member of the National Implementation Team for the RH Law, I am all too familiar with how government, particularly the Department of Health, has been moving towards the law’s implementation. As an activist who has been mostly critical of government, I can say that on this particular legislation, the DoH has been moving and trying its best to fulfill its mandate.

Despite the best of intentions, however, there are major stumbling blocks. Two of the law’s most challenging programs have to do with “age—and development—appropriate sexuality and RH education,” and family planning.

The first has to do with education, both in school, and in the alternative learning system.

Sadly, despite the Supreme Court decision declaring RH education as constitutional, the Department of Education (under the last administration has moved ever so slowly so that until now, this important program has yet to be implemented.

We are, however, optimistic that the new Education Secretary, Liling Briones, will move fast on

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The Supreme Court must do its part in the full implementation of a law that it has pronounced not unconstitutional.” this. After all, besides the fact that Briones is a known progressive and a women’s rights advocate, the President’s directive is very clear. Hopefully, sexuality and RH education can already be implemented by the next school year. This program is quite important to help curb our teenage pregnancy rates, among the highest in the world.

Modern family planning, on the other hand, is a different story.

While the DoH has been moving strongly in the implementation of

Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Maan Ilustre Edgar M. Valmorida

the program, there are problems.

One has to do with some anti-RH mayors who refuse to implement family planning methods that use contraceptives.

There are those who do this quietly by simply not implementing the program. And there is one, like Sorsogon City Mayor Sally Lee who has directly challenged the law by passing a resolution declaring that the city is “pro-life” and in effect only implements Natural Family Planning (NFP) methods. There has also been an attempt to pass a city ordinance prohibiting the use of contraceptives. If this succeeds, access to these family planning commodities whether from public or private sources, will be removed.

As it is, women in Sorsogon City, particularly those in poverty, already have a problem with the LGU’s refusal to provide them with contraceptives. If the ordinance is passed, even those who buy their contraceptives will no longer have access. All Sorsogon women will be deprived of a very important program that will enable them to actualize their rights, better take care of their health,

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and plan their families.

LGUs are within the executive branch headed by the president. It will be most interesting to know how anti-RH mayors are going to follow (or not) PDD’s directives.

The biggest and most urgent obstacle in implementing modern family planning at this point is the Supreme Court’s Temporary Restraining Order against subdermal implant contraceptive and further registration of all other contraceptives.

In June 2015, the SC issued the TRO in response to a petition by Alliance for the Family Foundation alleging, among other things, that hormonal contraceptives are abortifacient and that the Food and Drug Administration did not consult them during the process of certification/registration of these contraceptives.

The SC’s TRO prohibits the DoH and its agents from administering and promoting implant contraceptives, AND prevents the FDA from further registering or certifying contraceptives.

It should be noted that implants is the most popular family planning method especially among women Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Managing Editor Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Associate Editors Francis Lagniton News Editor Emil P. Jurado

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte recently announced that he would not accept invitations to speak at special affairs in Metropolitan Manila, except for the really important ones. Duterte explained that his presidential motorcade to and from those events will only add to the daily traffic nightmare in the metropolis. The President is also considering spending more time in his native Davao City than in Malacañang if the traffic mess at the national capital region remains horrid.

During the administration of exPresident Benigno Aquino III, the traffic problem was mismanaged by the Metro Manila Development Authority under then-chairman Francis Tolentino. Toward the end of his term, a desperate Aquino ordered the Highway Patrol Group, a military unit, to manage traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue. Under the HPG, the situation eased outside the rush hours.

At any rate, President Duterte announced that he is creating a traffic superbody to handle the traffic situation not only in Metropolitan Manila but likewise in Metropolitan Cebu.

Duterte’s allies in Congress want that traffic superbody to be under the direct supervision of the President. That’s expected, because solving the traffic mess is a matter of law enforcement, and law enforcement is an executive, not a legislative function.

The problem is that Congress wants to vest the president with the “emergency power” to abolish existing executive offices to solve the traffic mess. That’s disturbing.

While the power of the President to reorganize existing executive offices is conceded, the power to abolish an existing executive office created by Congress is something else. The latter power is legislative in character, and is exclusively vested in Congress by the Constitution. Congress cannot delegate to the President its power to abolish an office created by law.

That will be an undue delegation of legislative power, which is unconstitutional.

Another privilege contemplated

by Congress for the traffic superbody is its exemption from compliance with the requirements under Republic Act No. 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act. Exemption means that the traffic superbody can enter into negotiated contracts for all supplies and services, in lieu of a public bidding.

Since Republic Act No. 9184 was enacted precisely to do away with negotiated contracts, exempting the traffic superbody from compliance with the procurement law invites suspicion. Since the soTurn to A5

Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Opinion Answering the hardest question in economics

By Noah Smith XAVIER Gabaix, a New York University economist who gets far less attention than he should, has written what might prove to be the most interesting macroeconomic theory paper in years. The title, “A Behavioral New Keynesian Model,” isn’t exactly exciting and the paper is still incomplete, but it might help resolve the most important and difficult macroeconomic debate in academia today—whether low interest rates cause inflation, deflation or neither. And it might signal a sea change in the way macroeconomic theory gets done.

Traditionally, macroeconomists have believed that low interest rates encourage inflation.

But first Japan, and now the USand Europe have kept rates low for years now, and inflation has stayed stubbornly low. A radical group of macroeconomists, including Stephen Williamson of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and John Cochrane of the Hoover Institution, have introduced a new theory called Neo-Fisherism, which says that a long period of low interest rates actually holds prices down instead of pushing them up. Williamson and Cochrane have both repeatedly stressed that New Keynesian models— the most mainstream type of macroeconomic theory—can easily yield the Neo-Fisherian result instead of the traditional view. One problem is that the standard models are often ambiguous—they offer a number of possible, radically different outcomes for the economy, with no way to tell which will happen.

Gabaix tackles these problems with a simple, intuitive, yet bold step. Instead of assuming that people are perfectly rational, he theorizes that they have limited attention—what psychologist Herbert Simon called “bounded rationality.”

When interest rates or gross domestic product change, people in Gabaix’s model don’t quite realize that things are different.

Even more importantly, they’re short-sighted—they don’t think as much about the probability of a recession happening 10 years from now as they do about one occurring in the next six months.

Those ideas probably seem obvious to most people. When events are further in the future, you worry about them less, right? I know I do. But to macroeconomists, this is a pretty radical step. Most macroeconomic researchers are strict adherents to the cult of perfect rationality.

If the economy looks like it’s being driven by behavior that isn’t quite rational, macroeconomists usually bend over backward to explain it as a failure of economic institutions, rather than a result of human psychology. Christopher House, my own teacher at the University of Michigan, thought behavioral economics was a fad, and would never have a big influence on macro theory.

Gabaix might just prove House wrong. Along with an-

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in poor communities primarily because it is effective for three years. Women line-up to get the implant. By restricting government from making this available, the SC has effectively limited women’s choices when it comes to family planning and deprived them of a long-acting method in planning their families.

An emerging bigger problem brought about by the TRO is the matter of registration of contraceptives. If the SC continues to delay its decision, the certification of contraceptives will lapse.

As of this writing, 31 percent of the certifications have already lapsed. Meaning, these brands can no longer be available if the TRO is not lifted.

By 2019, 98 percent of all certifications will lapse. This means that contraceptive supplies will already be almost zero since these commodities also expire.

This is a very serious, if not catastrophic situation because we will no longer have a family planning

other recent paper by Mariana Garcia-Schmidt and Michael Woodford, Gabaix’s new theory is putting human limitations front and center, and slaughtering the sacred cow of Homo economicus.

And Gabaix gets many eyecatching results. First, the battle between Neo-Fisherism and traditional monetarism is resolved—low interest rates increase inflation for a while, and then decrease it in the long run. So both theories are right. That result seems to fit the experience of Japan, which has had interest rates at zero for decades, without any sustained rise in consumer prices.

Unlike in standard theories, Gabaix’s model has no ambiguity about the economy’s future path —in econ jargon, the equilibrium is unique. And his ideas might also explain consumption and saving behavior more accurately than thetypical approach, which assumes that people decide on how much to save today based on how much they might be making two decades in the future.

Gabaix also resolves another longstanding puzzle. Standard macroeconomic theories say that so-called forward guidance by a central bank should have a huge impact on the economy—in fact, the farther in the future the bank promises to take action, the bigger the effect should be today. That’s just not what we see happening in real life. It also makes absolutely no sense—if the Federal Reserve promises to raise interest rates 30 years in the future, it shouldn’t send the economy into a tailspin. But in Gabaix’s model, forward guidance loses the magical powers that it has in standard theories.

Finally, Gabaix’s idea seems to fit our experience with the zero interest rates. Nominal interest rates can never go very far below zero. In typical theories, this sends the economy nose-diving into a deflationary spiral. But in reality, economies that experience very low rates for many years—first Japan, and now the US—seem to grow slowly and have low inflation, but not crash. In Gabaix’s model, that’s exactly what happens.

So what does Gabaix’s theory say we should do to boost the economy? Fiscal stimulus.

When consumers are shortsighted, they will consume more of any windfall or tax cut they receive, which enhances the power of spending increases and tax cuts to increase growth.

Like all macroeconomic theories, Gabaix’s paper—which isn’t even in its final, published form—should be regarded as a thought experiment. But it seems to solve a lot of the major puzzles that economists and policy makers argue about.

And it does so with a remarkably simple tweak—one that also achieves the longstanding dream of using behavioral economics to explain recessions and booms. I’m excited to see whether this paper manages to shake up the field of macroeconomics, which is desperate for new ideas. Bloomberg program. Even those who source their contraceptives from private sources will no longer have access.

Imagine the millions of unplanned, unwanted pregnancies that women will have. Imagine how many teenagers will end up pregnant over and over again. Imagine how many unsafe abortions will happen because of the unwanted pregnancies. And imagine how many mothers will die because of pregnancy and childbirth related complications.

While we welcome President Digong’s intent to fully implement the RH, this will be most difficult to do if our justices continue to sit on the TRO issue. The SC must do its part in the full implementation of a law that it has pronounced not unconstitutional.

The SC must now decide. Deny the petition against the RH law and lift the TRO. We need to go full blast in the law’s implementation. bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA ONE of the least-read portions of The Arbitral Tribunal ruling involves the failure of the Chinese government to prevent its nationals from exploiting the Philippines’ living resources and its interference with the country’s sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf as China pursues its construction of artificial islands and occupation of several maritime portions within the sovereign domain of the Philippines.

This column is the first of a multipart series focusing on the negative impact on different aspects of the marine environment as a consequence of China’s claims of historic rights over the West Philippine Sea as discussed

by The Arbitral Tribunal.

We start with the fishing ban

by China which, as recorded by the Philippine Government, started in May 2012 when the Fisheries Bureau of Nanhai District announced a fishing moratorium in the South China Sea. The fishing ban was also announced by Xinhua, the official press agency of China, as “part of the ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the areas’ marine resources.” Xinhua further announced that the fishing ban applies to “foreign ships” which, according to a spokesman of the Bureau, will be seen as a “blatant encroachment on China’s fishery resources.” During the same period, the Philippine government announced that it will not recognize such fishing ban in as much as portions of the ban encompass the country’s EEZ. As a result of its unilateral pronouncements to ban fishing in its claimed portions of the South China Sea, China began interfering with the Philippine fishing activities in the area. The Director of the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources reported that the conduct by the Chinese government “has created a deep sense of fear among Filipino fishermen that has significantly curtailed their fishing activities and severely impacted their ability to earn a livelihood.”

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

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Fisheries and environment in the West Philippine Sea The first recorded interference occurred in May 2013 when China began harassing Filipino fishermen in Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal, despite representations by the Philippine government that there are no maritime features in the South China Sea claimed by China that can generate entitlements to an EEZ in the areas. Other instances of interference noted by the Philippines government include China’s prevention of fishing by Philippine vessels at Mischief Reef; the 2012 moratorium on fishing in the South China Sea; and China’s revision of the Hainan Regulation. Based on contemporaneous statements by Beijing, it made itself clear that it considers China to have sovereign rights over the disputed areas.

During the hearing, the tribunal asked clarification from the Philippine panel with respect to China’s assertion of fisheries jurisdiction “[w]hether China has sought to enforce either the May 2012 fishing ban or the Regulations for the Management of Coastal Border Security in Hainan Province against Philippines fishing vessels and the specifics of such enforcement.”

In response, the Philippines answered in the affirmative, presenting a Note Verbale from China in which the latter asserted its right to impose a fishing moratorium in the South China Sea, requested the Philippines to educate its fishermen to comply with the moratorium, and cautioned the Philippines that “Chinese law-enforcing authorities will strengthen their maritime patrols and other law-enforcing actions, investigate and punish the relevant fishing vessels and fishermen who violate the fishing moratorium in accordance with the law.”

After due consideration of the evidence adduced during the hearings, the Tribunal came to the conclusion that there exists no legal basis for any entitlement

by China to maritime zones in the area of the Mischief Reef and

Second Thomas Shoal, among others. The Tribunal made it clear that the Convention is unequivocal on the rights on the EEZ and the continental shelf. The same clarity is evident, it adds, with respect to living resources and the provisions of the EEZ. The Tribunal further states “The rights of other States do not include restricting a coastal State from exploiting the living resources of its own exclusive economic zone. Indeed, the very notion is incompatible with the concept of sovereign rights and the exclusive jurisdiction over fisheries that was the central objective motivating the introduction of the exclusive economic zone concept.”

The Tribunal also “considers that such developments (China’ actions) may have a deterring effect on Filipino fishermen and their activities. In effect, the 2012 fishing moratorium constituted an assertion by China of jurisdiction in areas in which jurisdiction over fisheries is reserved to the Philippines through the operation of the provisions of the Convention concerning the exclusive economic zone.”

Notwithstanding The Arbitral Tribunal decision, Beijing remains defiant and persists on its intransigence as the Chinese coast guard continue to interfere with fishing activities by Filipino fishermen eking out a living in Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc and other waters within the declared EEZ of the Philippines. The continuing sea dispute, based on BFAR’s data, as of April 22, 2015, continue to affect an estimated 12,237 fishermen within nine fishing municipalities which have a total combined volume of catch of 21,186.8 metric tons as of 2014.

As we move forward to reengage with China, which I support, we should not however use the words “set aside” as that would render our legal victory meaningless and many of our citizens will be upset with it, Our allies too will be upset. We would diminish not only our victory but

the whole rules-based system. At the same time, we do not have to insist that China agree with us on the significance or correctness of the decision. Suggested language that night be uncontroversial include: “The discussions shall be based on a rules based approach” or even “The discussions will be based on international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea” can be good starting points.

I certainly think that former President Fidel V. Ramos is the right man for the job as he knows the meaning of win-win solutions. China will also treat him with respect given his stature. He knows China well and is not naïve about this country’s behavior.

He will do well with former Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan, whose hard-nosed patriotic lens on this issue complements FVR’s strengths.

For the moment, we should forget about joint development or commercial agreements with China on the resources of the West Philippine Sea. Lets start instead with something so doable and also very urgent—bilateral cooperation on the protection of the marine environment. This is noncontroversial, within the Constitution, and can rebuild trust.

The arbitral tribunal ruled that China has not done well by the marine environment. Perhaps, they can rectify this by cooperating with us to rehabilitate the fisheries, reefs and other ecosystems affected by their actions.

Among others, the Philippines, China and other countries can take up the suggestion of Justice Tony Carpio (which was also suggested earlier by environmental lawyer Tony Oposa) to make the whole area a marine peace park for a hundred years. Dealing with the fisheries issue, a positive resolution of which has immediate outcomes, might be a good place to start the negotiations with China.

Facebook Page: Dean Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

Why Netflix is stumbling overseas

By Adam Minter IN JANUARY, Netflix launched its service in more than 130 new countries, promising to become a “global TV network.” So far, however, audiences aren’t as interested as the company hoped.

According to a statement issued last week, international subscribers grew at the slowest rate since 2014, when Netflix was available to far fewer people.

In an earnings call, Netflix managers downplayed the downturn and the role that local competition might’ve played in it. But that’s a mistake. Netflix may be the world’s biggest streaming video company, but its subscription-based product has little appeal in the emerging markets that will constitute the bulk of internet access growth in coming years. Unless Netflix can reach those viewers, it can’t really claim to be a global channel.

And that won’t be easy. In September, a senior Netflix manageracknowledged piracy as the company’s biggest competitor in Asia-Pacific, the fastest-growing internet market.

But instead of lowering prices or seeking different models, Netflix is charging $7.99 per monthto subscribe in Cambodia —a country where the average

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lution to the traffic mess is predicted to cost hundreds of millions of pesos worth of products and services, this amount alone should be enough reason to require the traffic superbody to comply with the procurement law, if only to protect taxpayer money from grafters and cheats.

In other words, the exemption from the procurement law which Congress wants to give to the traffic superbody will inevitably encourage corruption.

The Duterte administration, installed by a very large mandate of reformseeking voters, cannot afford to be tarnished by anomalies.

While Duterte himself is seen by many as an honest and competent president, his subordinates in key executive offices do not enjoy the same reputation.

Take the case of Emerson Carlos, the incompetent MMDA chairman under ex-President Aquino. Carlos is back as MMDA officer-incharge. He wasn’t able to solve the

income is about $1,000 per year, and where only 2.3 percent of the population has a credit card.

In fact, fewer than half of the 600 million people in Southeast Asia carry plastic. And even if they can pay for Netflix, the experience of watching it probably won’t be pleasant. Almost every country in the region has internet speeds below the global average—oftentimes way below.

The good news, at least for movie fans in emerging markets, is that legal streaming video solutions tuned to local needs are starting to come online. In Southeast Asia, the most notable has been iFlix, a company based in Kuala Lumpur that started in 2014 and now covers Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. Growth has been quick. Azran Osman Rani, the company’s chief operating officer, told me that it now has more than 1 million subscribers paying around $2 per month for unlimited access. But the actual user base is bigger: “In emerging markets the big challenge is piracy,” he said, “so about three-quarters of our customers don’t pay.”

Instead, regional telecoms pay for the service wholesale, and then offer it as a free, curated, virus-free movie service.

Users simply pay for the data.

“And it’s easier to sell movies than eight gigs of data,” Rani explains. For iFlix, this is an irresistible synergy. In developing countries, most internet users have one device for getting online: a mobile phone. At iFlix, 70 percent of the traffic is mobile, rendering home broadband connections of the sort that define Netflix a far less important part of the business. This also makes payments easier: Most emerging-market telecoms have been offering prepaid services for years, and have all the necessary logistics in place. iFlix has its challenges, however. Rani tells me that iFlix’s average streaming speed is 700 kilobytes per second (4G networks in developed countries are designed to be 10 times as fast). So rather than let customers flee to pirate DVD stores when they can’t get a connection (assuming they have a DVD player and TV anymore), iFlix has made modifications so that its app works in Southeast Asia’s uniquely bad internet environment. And for those customers who will never be satisfied by the streaming speeds, iFlix has worked out an arrangement whereby users can download a film for later view-

ing (perhaps from a coffee shop WiFi). There are limits on just how many films can be downloaded in a month, and for how long they can be stored. But in the competition for Southeast Asia’s film fans, this is one feature that Netflix—so far—can’t match.

Nonetheless, Rani is adamant that he’s not competing against Netflix. “We are much more mass market,” he explains. “The emerging middle class is mass market.” And it’s potentially huge. The latest edition of Ericsson’s annual mobility report predicts an additional 3.1-billion smartphone subscriptions globally by 2021, with 86 percent coming from developing regions.

For now, it’s unlikely that Netflix views the Malaysian upstart with much concern. Following its rollout around the world, the streaming giant is introducing programming specific to local audiences, including in emerging markets. But iFlix is doing the same and, unlike Netflix, it has a business model that’s far more likely to be successful in delivering those shows.

Netflix should learn from the example if it hopes to revive its flagging international fortunes.

Bloomberg

traffic mess under Aquino. With December just around the corner, Carlos will pay more attention to the annual Metro Manila Film Festival than to his traffic-management duties. One of his predecessors, Bayani Fernando, is currently facing criminal raps for allegedly receiving P1.6 million from film festival funds.

To justify its proposed measure, Congress claims that the traffic situation in both the NCR and in Cebu has reached “emergency proportions.” Perhaps it has, but then, can’t the traffic mess be resolved without doing away with the requirements of a law designed to guard against overpriced government procurement contracts? Why enact a law which allows too many exemptions in the first place?

Before a grant of “emergency powers” to the traffic superbody is made, the superbody should exhaust all possible solutions to the traffic mess within the existing legal framework. Yes, there are solutions.

With manifest impunity, motor-

cycle drivers ignore traffic lights, overtake cars obeying a red light at a busy intersection, block pedestrian lanes while waiting for the green light, and use any lane they want along Edsa and other major roads. This is particularly true for those delivering food from fast food joints. Since the motorcycle is the favorite vehicle of thieves and killers, its use must be regulated. Many law-abiding motorists demand that motorcycles be allowed on metropolitan roads only during the same hours allotted for trucks and large vehicles, and that they should stay only on a designated lane.

Tricycle drivers are worse. Likewise with manifest impunity, they disregard traffic regulations, belch smoke in violation of the clean air law, and move around at night without headlights. Tricycles should be confined to village roads.

Jeepney and taxicab drivers are the worst. They load and unload anywhere they please, and they have nothing but contempt for traffic regulations. Many jeepneys do not use their headlights at night, on the

mistaken notion that they can minimize on their fuel. Jeepney drivers also carry rocks with them which they throw at motorists who quarrel with them.

Traffic violation tickets against erring drivers of public utility vehicles should rain. That way, they will be forced to obey the laws.

A minimum speed limit must be imposed on the fast lanes of Edsa and major roads. Slow moving vehicles traveling indiscriminately on the highways delay traffic flow needlessly.

MMDA traffic enforcers should be visible everywhere, all the time —even into the late night hours.

When traffic enforcers are visible, motorists are compelled to be lawabiding.

The traffic superbody should solve the traffic mess using basic solutions before it should be given “emergency powers.” If Congress abandons its constitutional power to the President, then Congress may as well enact a law allowing the President to abolish it. Reformists will definitely relish that idea.

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Sports

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Bolt eyes ‘triple triple’ in athletics’ darkest hour

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IO DE JANEIRO—Usain Bolt will launch an audacious bid for three Olympic sprint gold medals for an unprecendented third time as the perfect antidote to a year of turmoil in his drug-tainted sport.

Track and field has been dragged through the ringer since Sebastian Coe took over as president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in Beijing last August on a “zerotolerance” anti-doping mandate.

Widespread corruption at the heart of the IAAF, involving Coe’s disgraced predecessor Lamine Diack, was linked to shocking levels of institutionalised doping in Russia, one of track and field’s powerhouses.

In November, the IAAF issued a blanket ban of Russia’s track and field team over that state-sponsored doping, ruling that only US-based long jumper Darya Klishina was eligible to compete at the Rio Games, which start on August 5.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected a wider appeal by 67 track and field athletes including treble Olympic gold-chasing pole vault tsarina Yelena Isinbayeva, world 110m hurdles champion Sergey Shubenkov and world high jump champion Mariya Kuchina.

Whistleblower Yuliya Stepanova, the Russian 800m runner who lifted the lid on systematic doping fraud in her country, had been hoping to compete after being accepted by the IAAF as a neutral.

But Games organizers, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), said the Olympic Charter does not allow such a gesture even if they have invited Stepanova, who dubbed the decision “unfair”, and her hus-

band to Rio as guests.

One supporter of the IAAF’s blanket ban on Russia is Bolt, the six-time Olympic gold medallist who is also world record holder in the 100, 200 and 4x100m relay.

“This will scare a lot of people, or send a strong message that the sport is serious about cleaning up,” Bolt said.

“It’s sad, but rules are rules. I don’t make the rules, I don’t make the decisions. I just have to go along with it. If you feel like banning the whole team is the right action, then I’m all for it.”

IAAF president Coe added: “I feel the pain that we all feel at the moment because we love our sport. It’s been painful to see where our sport is at the moment in public perception.”

And so the stage is set for Bolt in his quest for an unprecedented third Olympic treble.

“This is where history is going to be made, I’m excited to put on a show for the entire world to see. This is my final Olym-

pics, it’s a big one,” he said.

Brushing aside any concerns about the hamstring injury which forced him to withdraw from his country’s Olympic trials earlier this month, the Jamaican sprint king ran a solid time of 19.89sec in his first competitive 200m of this season in London last week.

“I’m getting there. I am not fully in shape,” said the 29-year-old. “I need more work, but over time I will get there. I thought the cornering wasn’t perfect. But I am feeling good.

“At least I came here, ran the race and had no injuries. I am ready to defend my Olympic titles. The main thing is I am injury free.”

Ironically, Bolt’s closest rival looks like being Justin Gatlin, the 34-yearold American who has served two doping bans and credits his longevity on the track to time spent off it due to his enforced absences. AFP

Jr PH Volcanoes take on Asia’s best THE Philippine National U20s rugby team travel to Johor Bahru, Malaysia this weekend to compete in the first round of the U20s Asian Seven’s Series.

The Junior Volcanoes have been based in a high performance training camp since Saturday under the leadership of current Men’s Volcano Jake Robrigado Letts and David Johnston. It will be the Volcanoes first appearance on this stage since 2012 as it prepares to look to the future to recruit, develop and train the next batch of emerging Volcanoes.

“It’s been a very positive week, the team has trained very well and come a long way in the space of six days. These players are the future and it’s exciting to see the talent both here locally in the Philippines and abroad” says Coach and current Men’s Volcano Jake Letts.

The Junior Volcanoes will be led by Captains Kai Ledesma Stroem and Rhys Jacob Mackley, who have both gained valuable experience playing on the international stage in the Men’s Asian Seven’s Series earlier this year.

“The team will approach the games this weekend with a positive attitude and stick together, the results will then fall in our favor. It’s been a tough but rewarding week with a long training camp but now it’s all down to bringing everything together at the right time and hopefully coming out with some wins,” added Team Captain Stroem.

Routs mark 2 cagefests ROUTS marked the start of the Best Center’s Small Basketeers Philippines- Pasarrelle twin basketball tournaments sponsored

by Milo over the weekend at the Xavier School gym.

Witnessed by special guest and young Philippine Basketball Association legend Jimmy Alapag, Prince Rey Alao and Woodnell Yap scored 18 and 11 points, respectively, in leading San Beda College-Rizal past De la SalleZobel, 48-28, for their debut win.

San Beda was joined in the Group A lead by host La Salle-Greenhills A, which also crushed Notre Dame of Greater Manila, 67-18.

Group B saw Marist School demolishing La Salle-Greenhills B, 55-35, and host Xavier School-A crippling San Beda College-Recoletos, 45-25, to share the group lead.

Routs also marked the Passerelle Division with Ateneo-A bulldozing Quezon City Academy, 96-19, and LSGH-A wringing St. Augustine Institute, 68-42.

Group B saw Adamson dropping La Salle-Zobel, 90-34, and San Beda College-Rizal pulverizing SBC-Recoletos, 59-44.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt creates his ‘Lightening Bolt’ pose as he celebrates winning the men’s 200m at the IAAF Diamond League Anniversary Games athletics meeting at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park stadium in Stratford, east London. AFP

Triathlon champ to hold clinics FOUR-TIME triathlon world champion Chris “Macca” McCormack is offering local triathletes an exclusive opportunity to learn practical, proven tips to successful triathlon training and racing in a two-session clinic on Sept. 2 and 3, at the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, Hamilo Coast, in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Macca brings to the Philippines his MaccaX coaching platform as one of the highlights of the Aboitiz Tri 2016 Olympicdistance triathlon on Sept. 3, Saturday. He holds the first clinic on Sept, 2, Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., and the second session on Saturday from 8 to 10 a.m. prior to the race which starts at 2 p.m.

“I always love coming to the Philippines because the people here are crazy about triathlon,” said Macca. “I want to share my tips and secrets to make sure whether you’re new to the sport or have been at it for a while, you’re racing your best.”

Get a chance to test your mettle, or just swim, bike, or run alongside Macca the champ, who will also be racing in Aboitiz Tri 2016.

MaccaX coaching was set up to bring together triathletes of all skill levels--from newbies to Professionals--from around the world seeking coaching from him and his team of experts, while building up a worldwide support system of triathletes.

“These are just a bit of what MaccaX is about and if we build a big enough team out of the Philippines I would love to come out and do a full-on camp,” said Macca.

Interested parties may just sign up up for a MaccaX membership for only $29 (approximately Pl,350/month, with a minimum three-month commitment) that includes a professional training plan for your next race, access to 40 high-definition videos of Macca’s favorite and most effective training sessions, and a Team MaccaX UnderArmour visor. Register now at http://bit. ly/maccaXbikeking.

Aboitiz Tri 2016 is organized

by Bike King Philippines, a premier organizer of multisport and cycling events and brought to you by Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. in cooperation with AboitizPower, UnionBank, and WeatherPhilippines.

Records fall in Milo-backed Long Course tourney A TOTAL of 66 new individual long course records were set by homegrown swimmers in the recent Philippine Swimming Inc. Long Course National Championships at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

In partnership with leading beverage brand MILO, the PSI Long Course event was able to gather more than 600 swimmers from 65 different teams across the country.

Recognition was given to six swimmers who represented the Philippines in the 6th Children of Asia International Games in

Yakutsk, Russia.

Among the Philippine delegates were Rafael Baretto, Philip Joaquin Santos and Camille Buico, who each made notable records in their respective categories.

Barreto, a young Bulaceño and a scholar of the Ateneo De Manila, made an impressive achievement by breaking the new record in the 50-meter butterfly event for 16-year-old boys with the time of 25.86. He clinched a total of 16 medals from the Age Group division and the Open division.

Fifteen-year-old Santos set two

new age-group records in Individual Medley events, clocking in at 2:15.61 in the 200-meter event and 4:48.98 in the 400-meter event.

Thirteen-year-old Buico, who took home the bronze medal in the Children of Asia International Games, also shone in the Long Course championships and swept two time records in the 50-meter and 100-meter Butterfly categories, with clockings of 29.07 and 1:06.43, respectively.

Another frequent titleholder was Sacho Ilustre, a 17-year-old scholar of De La Salle Universi-

ty, who reigned in the 200-meter Butterfly and 50-meter Freestyle category.

Hannah Dato, an internationalgrade champion who just completed her stint at the ASEAN University Games in Singapore and was MILO Little Olympics’ 2010 best swimmer, ruled the 50-meter Butterfly with 27.69 and the 100-meter Backstroke with 1:06.34 in the 19-andover event division, setting two new records in each of the categories.

The other young tankers who each stamped their own authority with their own respective records

were Samantha Coronel, Zoe Hilario, Raissa Gavino, Mishka Sy, Kirsten Tan, Naomi Locala, Jules Ong, Xiandi Chua, Raissa Regatta Gavino, Regina Paz Castrillo, Kirsten Chloe Daos, Alyssa Pogiongko, Nichole Evangelist, Rona Lalimo, Romina Rafaelle Gavino, Courtney Gray, Priscilla Aquino, Marco Daos, Jonathan Locala, Maenard Batnag, Maenard Batnag, Christian Sy, Joshua Ouden, Ianiko Limfilipino, Jexter Janzen Chua, Akiva Carino, Jose Mari Arcilla, Miguel Antonio Arellano, Jose Antonio Bautista, and Timothy Yen.

Mexican challenger tries to do a Tapales

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

PRU LIFE RENEWS SUPPORT TO AZKALS. British insurance company Pru Life UK has just

renewed its sponsorship agreement with the men’s national football team the Philippine Azkals, an agree currently on its third year. This is part of the company’s support for Philippine football as the company also backs a nationwide football clinic and festival that starts next month in Gingoog and will last until December this year for the 10 legs. Photo shows the Azkals’ team prior to their exhibition game against Perth Glory in Vigan, with the visiting team eking out a 2-0 victory. The Azkals are preparing for the AFC Suzuki Cup, to be hosted by the Philippines later this year.

THE last of two Thai World Boxing Council champions following the smashing 11th round knockout victory of Filipino southpaw Marlon Tapales over rugged WBO bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu last Wednesday puts his title on the line against a talented challenger from Mexico on Aug. 2 in Chonburi, Thailand.

Minimum weight mandatory challenger Saul Juarez will strive to duplicate the feat of Tapales, when he faces Thai world champion Wanheng Menayoythin, who is unbeaten with a record of 42-0, including 18 knockouts.

Juarez, on the other hand, has 12 knockouts in 23 wins with 4 defeats and one draw.

The WBC reported that Juarez

arrived in Thailand after a grueling 26-hour flight “which he didn’t fancy.”

But the Mexican arrived in a Thai gym and showed what the WBC described as “his extraordinary physical condition, built, developed and nurtured due to the ex pert, dedicated and meticulous coaching of his father and trainer Raul.

“I have received the tremendous support of so many people, my promoters and the World Boxing Council. It’s been a real slog to get here (to Thailand), so I’m determined to take the very best of the opportunity I’ve worked for. We’ve put in some truly excellent work and preparation. I fully understand it’s not going to be easy but I will return to Mexico with a positive result,” said Juarez.

Sports

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SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Unheralded leaders dream big S

PRINGFIELD—Jimmy Walker is having a flop golf season after two breakthrough campaigns. Ross Fisher has not contended for a major crown since 2009. And everything is new for rookie Emiliano Grillo.

Jimmy Walker of the United States plays his shot from the ninth tee during the first round of the 2016 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. AFP

The unheralded trio joined two-time major champion Martin Kaymer of Germany at the top of the leaderboard after Thursday’s opening round of the 98th PGA Championship at Baltusrol, dreaming of becoming the sport’s fifth consecutive first-time major winner.

“Everyone is striving to become a major champion,” Britain’s Fisher said. “I’m coming here believing my game is good enough to win. I’ve gotten off to a great start, but I’m not going to sit back on that. There’s still a long way to go.”

Walker, a 37-year-old American, fired a five-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead over Fisher, a 35-yearold Englishman, and Argentina’s 23-year-old Grillo, who won his first US PGA Tour event last October and is only in his fifth major, as well as Kaymer.

Five of the past six PGA Championship winners have made it their first major title.

“It would be nice to make it six out of seven,” Fisher said. “The variety of good golfers is amazing. It feels like anyone can turn up on any given way, pick it up and win.”

On a day when big names faltered, new faces took their moment in the spotlight.

“There are a lot of youngsters out here that aren’t scared to go out there to

play some good golf and win. It’s pretty wide open,” Fisher said. “It will be an interesting next three days.”

Walker, Texas stranger It will be intense for Walker, a Texas stranger to many golf fans who went 187 US PGA events without a title until winning three times in the first eight events of the 2013-2014 season and twice more in 2015.

“Sometimes it’s hard, I’m not going to lie,” Walker said of the motivation that keeps him going when hard work doesn’t seem to pay off in results. “It’s tough. You feel like you’re killing yourself and you’re giving it all you’ve got and you’re just not seeing it. Sometimes hard work doesn’t pay off. But over time, it will I think.”

Walker’s time might be now. His 65 was his low round in 18 major starts. But he has struggled this year and missed the cut in three of his past five majors.

“All year, it has just been real stale and stagnant. It’s just ebbs and flows,” he said. “Just haven’t been scoring. Haven’t been making the 10 to 15-, 18-footers you need to make to start running up the leaderboard and to have high finishes.

“It’s frustrating. I know there’s always time to play well at the end of the year. I haven’t really done that yet. So it would be nice to flip that around.” AFP

Lady Stags vs Altas in Shakey’s V-League opener Scorpions, Altas, Cubs crush foes GRETCHEL Soltones hopes to sustain her strong performance in the Shakey’s V-League Open Conference as she banners San Sebastian College’s bid against a vastly-improved Perpetual Help in today’s opener of Season 13 Collegiate Conference at the Ynares Arena in Pasig City.

Though BaliPure failed to advance to the finals in the season-opening conference of the league, Soltones still ran away with the MVP trophy with the jumpserving, power-hitting ace eager to steer the Lady Stags to a strong finish after missing the semis in last year’s edition of the event won by National University.

“We’re a veteran team and I have faith in my teammates that we’ll do better this conference,” said the 20-year-old Soltones,

a native of San Jose, when it made the FiGames today Catmon in Cebu and nal Four in last year’s (Ynares Sports Arena) a fourth year Business 11 a.m. – St. Benilde vs La Salle (S Turf) NCAA despite parad1 p.m. – UP vs EAC (S Turf) Management student. ing a youthful ros4 p.m. – UP vs San Beda (V-League) Soltones’ team didn’t 6 p.m. – San Sebastian vs Perpetual Help ter headed by Jamela fare well in this conferSuyat with the Lady (V-League) ence last year after she Altas upbeat of their was temporarily switched into a libero from chances against nine other squads in her natural position as a spiker to rest her this conference backed by Mikasa as injured shoulder. SSC won just once in five the league’s official ball and Accel as outings and crashed out of the quarterfinals official outfitter. of the tournament sponsored by Shakey’s.

University of the Philippines, meanBut Soltones and the Lady Stags have while, faces first-timer San Beda at 4 vowed to strike back this time, starting p.m. with the Lady Maroons raring to against the Perpetual Help Lady Altas showcase their vastly improved form folin the 6 p.m. main game of an explosive lowing a third place finish in last year’s twinbill.

Reinforced Conference and a strong Perpetual Help surprised the field showing in the recent Open tournament.

All Shakey’s V-League games, set Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, will be shown live on ABS-CBN Sports + Action Channel 23, according to the organizing Sports Vision. Matches can also be viewed live via streaming on www.v-league.ph.

Meanwhile, the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Collegiate Conference, which features 12 teams, likewise begins today with La Salle battling St. Benilde at 11 a.m. and UP tangling with NCAA runner-up Emilio Aguinaldo College at 1 p.m.

La Salle and St. Benilde are in Group A along with FEU, NU, Phl Merchant Marine School and Perpetual Help while UP and EAC are in Group B alongside National College of Business and Arts, San Beda, UP and Santo Tomas.

Malig leads jr bowlers in world meet EIGHT national junior players, bannered by Ivan Dominic Malig is competing in the ongoing 14th World Youth Tenpin Bowling Championship slated until Aug. 3 at the Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA. Former national player Biboy Rivera, who serves as one of the coaches together with Jojo Canare, is optimistic of the team’s chances despite the presence of a competitive field featuring powerhouse teams such as Korea, Japan, Sweden, Malaysia, Australia and host USA. “We are considered there as one of the underdogs, but I still believe we can compete,” said Rivera, a former 2010 Asian Games’ gold medalist in Guangzhou, China. “Our modest goal is to win a medal. Any medal will be a good performance.”

Besides Malig and Bea Hernandez, the delegation will be sending rookies Gospel Gahol, GJ Buyco and Louis Cantorna for the boys’ side, while the girls’ side is composed of RJoy Daval Santos, Rical Macatula and Xyrra Cabusas.

The delegation is headed by Philippine Bowling Federa-

tion secretary general and team manager Alex Lim. The campaign of the youth team is supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Sports Commission, PBF, Cebuana Lhuillier, Jag Jeans, Mar Lualhati, Eagle Ridge Country Club, Gene Tonolete and Boysen Paints.

The Philippine team hopes to end the country’s long medal drought in the tournament since the 1998 edition.

Former national player RJ Bautista won the bronze medal in 1998 in Incheon, Korea, while the last gold medal came from Angelo Constantino in 1992 in Caracas, Venezuela.

Angelo copped the singles’ gold medal and also won the doubles’ event gold medal, along with partner Norberto Constantino during the competition in Venezuela. They also took home the silver medal in the All-Events’ category, plus the bronze medal in the Masters’ category.

The first edition of the world youth championship was held in 1990 in Manila and organized by former Philippine Bowling Congress president Jose Cojuangco Jr., the current Philippine Olympic Committee president.

Malig

A fighting heart and a fervent faith INSIDE SPORTS RONNIE NATHANIELSZ THERE were two things that manifested themselves in the sensational 11th-round knockout victory of mandatory challenger Marlon “The Nightmare” Tapales against two-time world bantamweight champion Pungluang Sor Singyu of Thailand last Wednesday in the historic city of Ayutthaya, some 85 kilometers north of the Thai capital of Bangkok.

The first was a courageous Filipino heart that he said he acquired from his mother, who was a lady who knew no fear, and the second was a fervent faith in God, who mother and son called upon when all seemed lost as the Thai world champion

sent Tapales crashing to the canvas not once but twice in the fifth round.

Tapales himself admitted that the first punch, which was a vicious right straight to the midsection really hurt, but that he used the second knockdown to recuperate.

His handlers, led by trainer Fernando Ocon, who lost his voice screaming out instructions and veteran Brix Flores, and well-known promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, figured it was the end of a lifelong dream.

But they hadn’t reckoned with the fighting heart of the Filipino.

As Marlon told this writer on his arrival: “The Filipino is different. We have a fighting spirit and the heart of a champion.”

He said this was his dream and he was not going to give the belt away to Pungluang, who had beaten 20 Filipinos before him. He was determined to break the trend and the most

satisfying moment was to beat a Thai fighter in his hometown.

During his training, Marlon concentrated on winning by a knockout and not risking a hometown decision, which Thailand is noted for.

He paid tribute to his mother, who accompanied him on what turned out to be an epic journey and said she was his inspiration and that he inherited his courage from her.

Marlon’s mother said she was happy that her son would break the trend of Pungluang’s victories over Filipino challengers, including southpaw AJ “Bazooka” Banal, who was knocked out in the ninth round in a battle for the vacant WBO title at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Marlon figured in an eightround bout on the undercard and had an opportunity to size up the Thai champion and said he was confident he could beat him.

The two knockdowns in the

fifth round somehow happened to be the turning point in the fight. Marlon’s mother couldn’t stand to see her son grimacing in pain after the first knockdown.

She told us she felt sorry for her 24-year-old son and wanted to stop the fight and told his trainers “give him the towel, stop it.”

But Marlon thought for a moment and told her, “I can take him!”

His mother then enjoined Marlon, “just pray, make the sign of the cross and fight.”

There was a religious fervor in his mother’s voice, which touched him and gave him a surge of confidence that led to his dropping Pungluang in the sixth round – the turning point in the bout, which WBO official supervisor Leon Panoncillo said was one of the best fights he had seen in Thailand and a candidate for the “Fight of the Year.”

Flores stressed that he believed Marlon is the best Fili-

pino boxer today. He was quick, moved well and had great defense and awesome power.

The result vindicated his assessment of Tapales, who trained daily for over two hours and for more than two months since the title fight had been postponed for a month.

Rather than hurt Tapales’ preparation, it helped him and neither the long hours traveling to and from the press conference, the weigh-in and the fight itself hardly made a dent on his condition and if anything, strengthened his resolve to come home with the bantamweight belt.

Marlon Tapales may not have been as well-known as some of the highly publicized ALA fighters, but his incredible fighting heart, his competitive spirit and his abiding faith in God helped inscribe his name in the recent annals of Philippine boxing and in the hearts and minds of millions of his countrymen.

CENTRO Escolar University-B, University of Perpetual Help-Molino and San Beda-Mendiola turned back separate foes Saturday in the 14th Fr. Martin Division 2 Cup basketball tournament at the Arellano University gym in Legarda, Manila.

The CEU-B Scorpions banked on the baskets of Paul Galinato, Mohd Sayeed Ascano and Don Tabol to stop Jose Rizal University, 68-59, in this cagefest supported by Vinas Optical.

With their first win in two games, the Scorpions bounced back from a 56-65 loss to the Arellano University Chiefs in their opening game in Group A. Jayvee Tizon struck with 14 points for the UPH-Molino Altas, who won over Colegio San Agustin-Binan, 76-68.

The Altas, who also got 13 and 10 points from Gerald John Adriano and Arvin Arenas, respectively, moved to a share of the early Group B lead with CEU-A Scorpions, who beat Far Eastern University, 66-54, the other week.

Emmanuel Bejer scored 19 points as the San Beda-Mendiola Red Cubs crushed CSA-Binan in the junior division.

It was the Red Cubs’ second straight triumph, and after they edged Makati Gospel College, 65-54, in their opening match, with Jherome Budomo making 17 points.

In other junior matches, Hope Christian School turned back Adamson, 80-68, while Letran waylaid Xavier School, 75-70, and Manila Patriotic School thwarted San BedaRizal, 82-76.

Commissioner Robert de la Rosa said the top four finishers in each of the two groups in the senior division will make it to the quarterfinal round.

On the other hand, the top two finishers in the junior division will reach the knockout semifinal round.

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

Sports

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

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SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

Painters win but Yeng still unsatisfied Game Today (Lucena City) 5 p.m. - Barangay Ginebra vs. Meralco

By Jeric Lopez SHOWING its championship mettle, Rain or Shine systematically decimated Blackwater, 98-92, for its second straight win in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Friday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.

Dior Lowhorn and Jeff Chan backstopped Rain or Shine as they scored 20 apiece. Lowhorn added 12 rebounds, while Chan canned four triples.

Paul Lee had his best game of the conference, scoring 14 points and dishing out five assists for the Painters.

As a result, Rain or Shine moved up the ladder with an improved 2-1 slate, while Blackwater fell to a 1-2 mark.

Even with the win, Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao still sees a lot of room for improvement for his team.

“We still have to enhance some facets of our game. We’ll work on that in this long break that we’ll have,” said Guiao.

From the get-go, the Commissioner’s Cup champions stamped their class against the Elite.

The Elasto Painters established a significant 29-21 advantage at the end of one, using their cat-quick pace. In the second frame, Rain or Shine grabbed a doubledigit lead, 49-37, just a few minutes before halftime after a basket from JR Quinahan.

At intermission, Rain or Shine maintained its sizeable edge at 52-43.

A lay-up from Carlo Lastimosa inched Blackwater to just three, 93-90, with 49 seconds left.

However, the composed Painters quickly responded to shut the door on the Elite as Quinahan fished a foul from downtown and made all three free throws in the ensuing play, pushing Rain or Shine’s lead to a safe 96-90.

Jericho Cruz sealed the final tally with a lay-up with 17 seconds left.

Meanwhile, action shifts out of town for the first time this conference with Barangay Ginebra and Meralco, teams in the upper echelon with similar 2-1 slates, going at it in Lucena City at 5 p.m.

The game will be Ginebra’s third in a sixday span while Meralco is well rested as it is coming off a six-day rest.

The scores: RAIN OR SHINE 98—Chan 20, Lowhorn 20, Lee 14, Quinahan 11, Cruz 9, Ponferada 6, Ahanmisi 5, Almazan 5, Belga 4, Norwood 4, Matias 0, Nimes 0.

BLACKWATER 92—Lastimosa 20, Erram 16, Cervantes 15, Dawson 14, Cortez 10, Sumang 8, Pascual 5, Gamalinda 4, Canada 0, Dela Cruz 0, Qahwash 0, Sena 0.

Quarters: 29-21, 52-43, 73-68, 98-92

Maverick Ahanmisi of Rain or Shine drives to the basket against Blackwater’s Imad Qaheash and Eric Dawson in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Painters, 98-92.

PH pugs in Rio vow to shock the world R

IO DE JANEIRO—We are ready.

This was the declaration of two Filipino boxers with equal chances of winning a medal in this Rio Olympics when they arrived Thursday afternoon from a onemonth training in the United States.

Light-flyweight Rogen Ladon and lightweight Charly Suarez flew in from Las Vegas via Houston accompanied by a lone coach, Nolito “Boy” Velasco.

They arrived here eight days before the opening ceremony on Aug. 5.

For both boxers, it’s their first Olympics.

“First time,” said the 22-yearold Ladon of Bago City in Negros Occidental, the birthplace of Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco, a silver medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and brother Roel Velasco, bronze winner in 1992 in Barcelona.

Mansueto’s silver in the light-flyweight class was the last medal in the Olympics for the Philippines, which is fielding 12 athletes in seven sports and hoping to finally end the

20-year medal drought in the Summer Games.

Ladon is aware that the country of more than 100 million has long been searching for an Olympic hero. Under this circumstance, Filipinos, known as die-hard boxing and basketball fans, will settle for a medal of any color.

Ladon said he wants to win the gold.

“Go for gold tayo,” said Ladon, borrowing the slogan of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines, headed by Ricky Vargas.

Ladon said it’s been his lifelong dream to make it to the Olympics, and follow the footsteps of the Velasco brothers.

He said he did everything in training the past two years as he hoped that someday he will

win an Olympic medal.

“Every athlete dreams of being in the Olympics,” said Ladon as he walked with some members of the Philippine delegation, including chef-de-mission Jose Romasanta, from the Pinoy quarters to the main dining hall of the Athletes Village.

“Step by step,” said Suarez, who will turn 28 on Aug. 14.

If he gets the breaks, the biblepreaching native of Sawata in Davao del Norte will be fighting in the semifinals of the 60 kg weight class on his birthday, assured of a bronze.

Suarez is a two-time gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games (2009 in Laos and 2011 in Jakarta) and silver medalist in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

“I think this my best chance to win a medal in the Olympics,” he said, adding that he was very satisfied with the training he and Ladon went through in Las Vegas and Washington.

“Boxing has always been a medal hope in the Olympics for our country,” said Romasanta, who said he could not understand why there’s only one

coach to handle the two boxers in this Games that will run from Aug. 5 to 21.

The Philippines tried to have another coach accredited for the Games but could not get what it wanted. Having a single coach to handle two boxers in a tournament of this magnitude is not the ideal situation for any team.

Romasanta is also concerned who would serve as cutman for the Filipino boxers – if needed.

He joined the boxing team for lunch Thursday and offered the services of the Philippine team physican, Dr. Ferdinand Brawner, as cutman.

“With no head gears, there’s the possibility for any of our boxers to suffer a cut, considering that they have to fight as many as six bouts to get to the finals. I don’t think our coach, being alone, can perform both duties during the fight,” said Romasanta.

Under the Philippine Incentives Act, a gold medal in the Olympics is worth P10 million in cash incentives, a silver medal P5 million and a bronze P2 million.

HOME IS THE CHAMP. Marlon Tapales raises his World Boxing Organization

bantamweight championship belt upon arrival at the airport on Thursday. He is joined by his mother (right), Manila Standard columnist Ronnie Nathanielsz (left) and members of his team. Tapales scored a sensational 11th-round knockout of Thai champion Pungluang Sor Singyu. (See related column A7)

Altas seize share of 2nd spot Games Monday

(The Arena, San Juan) 11 a.m.- Arellano U vs San Beda (jrs) 12:45 p.m.- Perpetual Help vs LPU (jrs) 2:30 p.m.- San Sebastian vs EAC (jrs)

PERPETUAL Help drew strength from Bright Akhuetie and a strong defensive effort in the fourth quarter as it survived Lyceum of the Philippines University, 71-68, to seize a share of second place with reigning titlist Letran and Mapua in the 92nd NCAA basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

Struggling most of the game, Akhuetie imposed his will in the final period as he banged in 10 of his 13 points in the quarter, while the Altas held the Pirates scoreless in the first six minutes of the same canto to help them snare their third straight win and fifth overall against two losses.

More importantly, it sent the Las Pinas-based dribblers from joint No. 4 with Arellano University to a share of No. 2 with Mapua and Letran, or just two games behind solo leader San Beda.

“It was our defense that helped us and we never gave up,” said Perpetual Help coach Gimwell Gican in Filipino. “Bright (Akhuetie) also stepped up big even though he struggled almost the whole game.”

Earlier, Remy Morada came through in the fourth quarter as Emilio Aguinaldo overcame San Sebastian, 7367, to snap out of a five-game losing slide.

Mighty Sports is virtual Jones Cup champ NEW TAIPEI CITY, Taiwan—NBA veteran and former PBA import Al Thornton delivered the baskets that mattered most as Mighty Sports Apparels outlasted Iran, 80-73, and virtually clinch the William Jones Cup championship Friday at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium here.

Taking a cue from Dewarick Spencer, the highscoring Thornton scored 12 of his team’s last 16 points, including back-to-back threepoint plays that propelled

scored 69 the PhilippinesGames Today points for the Mighty Sports (Xinzhuang gym) 1 p.m. – Iran vs Japan NLEX Road to its sixth win – Egypt vs Mighty Sports Warriors, fin—enough to 3 p.m.

5 p.m. – Korea vs Taiwan-B ished in douwin the title no 7 p.m. – US vs Taiwan-A ble-double as matter what happens in its last two games. he also grabbed 10 boards.

Though he’s an American, Backed by Scratch It and Symarom, Mighty Sports Thornton was honored to repthus became the third club resent the country, saying he’s squad to win a title as the doing this for his Filipino fans.

“It’s very special,” said country’s representative in this prestigious tournament Thornton, who scored a tourafter the Northern Cement nament-high 30 points in the team in 1981 and the San team’s 101-81 drubbing of India last Thursday.

Miguel Beer squad in 1985.

“Our mentality is to come Thornton, who once

out here and have a good showing and gave ourselves a chance of winning the championship,” added Thornton.

The win also proved meaningful for coach Bo Perasol.

“It means so much to the company that we represent and the country that we represent to win the championship. Playing for six straight games wasn’t really easy for us. It just so happened we had experienced players, talented players. We’re happy we were able to get it done,” said Perasol.

Metro Pacific buys Marikina hospital for P1b B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

B1

WEATHER PARTNER. La Filipina Uy Gongco Group represented by chairman Alfonso Uy (fourth from right) and president Aileen Ongkauko (fifth from right) signs an agreement with WeatherPhilippines Foundation to be its latest platinum sponsor. The deal aims to create a ‘WeatherWiser’ nation and develop programs and services that will help agricultural communities in the future. Also shown are (from left) WeatherPhilippines general manager Dave Valeriano, adviser John Philip Orbeta, trustees Ana Delgado and Hans Sy, WeatherPhilippines president Susan Valdez, WeatherPhilippines chairman Sabin Aboitiz, advisers Maria Monica Araneta and Liza Silerio, and Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. chief human resources officer Txabi Aboitiz.

BoI approves Subic coal plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores

R

EDONDO Peninsula Energy Inc., led

by Meralco PowerGen Corp., received a certificate of registration from the Board of Investments for its 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Subic, Zambales costing P63 billion.

“The registration entitles RPE to duty-free importation of equipment, materials and spares used for the power plant for a period of five years from date of registration. Also income tax

holiday for four years from commercial operation,” RP Energy project development manager Joselito Lantin said Friday.

Lantin said RP Energy would build the project in phases. The

IN BRIEF

to around P15 billion covering the period July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. Alena Mae S. Flores

Meralco gets lower capex

THE Energy Regulatory Commission has provisionally approved the 2017 capital expenditure program of power retailer Manila Electric Co. amounting to P8.757 billion, significantly lower than the P15 billion it applied for.

The ERC approved nine out of 23 major projects and 37 out of 82 residual projects applied for by Meralco.

“These projects were granted provisional approval as they are necessary in order that applicant can comply with existing regulatory standards.

Moreover, these projects are aimed at addressing issues on distribution capacity, safety, protection and reliability,” the regulator said.

Meralco previously applied for a capex program amounting

OceanaGold ‘responsible’

OCEANAGOLD (Philippines) Inc. reiterated its unequivocal support for responsible mining as enunciated by President Rodrigo Duterte.

OceanaGold senior vice president for communications and external affairs Ramoncito Gozar said OceanaGold’s mining protocol coincided exactly to the letter of the pronouncements by the President in various occasions that “he would support mining as long as it upholds the stringiest environmental standards.”

Duterte stated in a business forum that “the best that I can see now is the Australian standard, just follow the Australian standard, just take care of the environment.”

company is currently negotiating for the engineering, procurement and construction contract covering the first 300-MW phase of the project.

He said the EPC contract would include an option for a second 300-MW unit.

“Targeted to start construction for phase one is fourth quarter 2016. Expected commercial operation is late 2019/ early 2020,” Lantin said in a recent briefing.

Electricity generated by the project is covered under a separate power supply agree-

CEBU Air Inc., the operator of budget carrier, Cebu Pacific, is acquiring two Airbus A330 worth $512.8 million for the expansion of its long-haul operations.

The airline company owned by industrialist John Gokongwei said it signed a purchase agreement with Airbus SAS for the order of two A330-300 aircraft.

The two A330 were valued at $512.8 million based on Airbus list prices as of January this year.

The two A330 aircraft are expected to be delivered in December this year and May 2017.

Cebu Pacific’s long-haul destinations include Dubai, Sydney, Kuwait, Riyadh and Doha, Qatar.

Long-haul business contributes about 12 percent to the total revenue of Cebu Pacific.

Cebu Air recently acquired 26 turboprop aircraft valued at $673 million for the expansion of its inter-island services.

The airline placed orders for 16 ATR 72-600, with options to acquire another 10 ATR 72-600 from ATR, the European turboprop aircraft manufacturer, for $673 million, based on current list prices.

The transaction will double Cebu Pacific’s turboprop fleet size.

Cebu Pacific currently operates a fleet of eight ATR 72-500 aircraft, which will be retired as the new aircraft enter the service.

The entry into service of the new ATR 72-600 will provide

phase two,” Meralco PowerGen chairman Manuel Pangilinan said earlier.

Meralco PowerGen is the power generation arm of Meralco, the country’s biggest power distributor, and owns a majority stake in RP Energy.

RP Energy was initially supposed to put up a 600-MW coal plant but was forced to review its options due to transmission constraints.

Meralco PowerGen was scheduled to start construction of the long-delayed power project last year following a favorable

Sy family divests from Megawide

By Jenniffer B. Austria

SYBASE Equity Investments Corp., a privately-held company owned by the family of retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr., is selling its stake in Megawide Construction Corp. back to the company.

Megawide said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it signed a share buyback agreement with Sybase Equity involving 410,842,702 million common shares in the company. The shares represent roughly 17.2 percent of Megawide.

The final acquisition price will be based on the seventrading day volume weighted average price of the company ending on July 28 2016.

Megawide last week said it was in discussions with a minority shareholder about the possibility of a share divest-

Cebu Air buys 2 Airbus worth $513m

By Darwin G. Amojelar

ment with Manila Electric Co. accounting for 225 MW and Aboitiz Energy Solutions contracting 75 MW. The company signed an amendment to the power plant site lease and transmission line right-of-way lease agreements with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority in February.

“We will do 300 MW and then [expand to] 600 MW, depending on our capability to interconnect with NGCP [National Grid Corporation of the Philippines]. It just takes a few months before you can start the

Cebu Pacific with new generation aircraft to meet the growing demand in the Philippines for inter-island services.

It will also allow Cebu Pacific to expand its operations on main and other airports around the country, contributing to the development of regional transport, tourism and local economy.

The airline recently signed a deal with Allegiant Travel Company to sell its four Airbus 319 aircraft.

Cebu Pacific operates a fleet of 55 aircraft comprising of 10 Airbus A319, 31 Airbus A320, 6 Airbus A330 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft.

Cebu Pacific expects to take delivery of seven more brandnew Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft between 2015 and 2021.

ment. The deal was subject to board approval.

Share price of Megawide has been rising in past few days, trading between P9.31 and P11.31 apiece.

Based on this price range, the sale of 410,842 million common shares will raise between P3.82 billion to P4.64 billion for Sybase Equity.

Sybase Equity was a cornerstone investors when Megawide became a public company in February 2011. Other cornerstone investors were Suyen Corp., which is owned

by Ben Chan of Bench, BDO Trust and state-owned Government Service Insurance System SM Development Corp., the residential business unit of the Sy Group, was one of Megawide’s major clients.

Megawide since has trans-

formed from a pure construction company into a diverse engineering and infrastructure concern, after successfully bagging several infrastructure projects that were bid out during the Aquino administration.

Among these were the P17.5-billion Mactan Cebu International Airport expansion program with Bangalorebased GMR Infrastructure; the P16.42-billion School Infrastructure Project phase I; the P3.86-billion SIP phase II: and the P2.5-billion Integrated Transport System-Southwest Terminal.

Megawide in the first quarter of 2016 reported a 55-percent increase in net income to P573 million from P370 million year-on-year, due to strong earnings from both construction and airport operations.

BPI’s profit surged 36% in six months to P12.67b

By Julito G. Rada BANK of the Philippine Islands, the country’s fourth-largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in the first half of 2016 jumped 36 percent to P12.67 billion year-on-year.

The bank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday total revenues rose 21 percent to P35.20 billion, while net interest income increased 10 percent to P20.70 billion.

Non-interest income climbed 42 percent to P14.50 billion, driven by securities trading, bank fees and commissions, bancassurance and capital markets.

Operating expenses rose 14.4 percent to P17.31 billion, trig-

gered by up-front collective bargaining related costs and accelerated spending in technology.

The bank, however, said it “anticipates continued discipline—and slower growth rates—in overhead spending and provisioning for the remainder of the year.”

The bank’s first-half cost-toincome ratio stood at 49 percent, lower than 51.9 percent in the same period last year. Return on assets and return on equity were 1.6 percent and 16.4 percent, respectively.

Total loans stood at P904.38 billion, up 19 percent, driven largely by gains in corporate loans, which grew by 20.4 percent.

ruling from the Supreme Court.

It faced new delays because of the transmission line and right of way constraints.

The Supreme Court dismissed the Writ of Kalikasan case filed by pro-environmentalist groups against the Subic coal plant and upheld the project’s Environmental Compliance Certificate as well as the lease and development deal with the SBMA. Other shareholders of RP Energy are Aboitiz Power Corp. and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp.

PSe comPoSite index Closing July 29, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,963.11 61.87

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing July 29, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P47.110

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.015 LOW P47.130 AVERAGE P47.090 VOLUME 397.000M

P427.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P36.35-P43.45 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.75-P29.60 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, July 29, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

47.0850

Japan

Yen

0.009502

0.4474

UK

Pound

1.316700

61.9968

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128932

6.0708

Switzerland

Franc

1.019680

48.0116

Canada

Dollar

0.760225

35.7952

Singapore

Dollar

0.738716

34.7824

Australia

Dollar

0.750000

35.3138

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654844

125.0033

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

12.5557

Brunei

Dollar

0.735998

34.6545

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028671

1.3500

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.8206

Euro

Euro

1.107700

52.1561

Korea

Won

0.000890

0.0419

China

Yuan

0.150489

7.0858

India

Rupee

0.014925

0.7027

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.247097

11.6346

New Zealand

Dollar

0.706900

33.2844

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031278

1.4727 Source: PDS Bridge

B2

Business

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks drop; Ayala issues fall T

he stock market dropped Friday in step with the rest of Asia, as the Bank of Japan’s small adjustments to its stimulus program disappointed traders who had expected a huge boost to its arsenal.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 61.87 points, or 0.8 percent, to 7,963.11 on a value turnover of P11.9 billion.

Losers beat gainers, 127 to 82, with 36 issues unchanged.

Conglomerate Ayala Corp. retreated 2.2 percent to P870, while property unit Ayala Land Inc. lost 1.2 percent to P39.50.

Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. declined 2.3 percent to P11.90.

Security Bank Corp., the sixthlargest lender in terms of capital, bucked the trend, adding 2 per-

cent to P219. Cebua Air Inc., the biggest budget carrier, climbed 3.6 percent to P109.

Japan’s Nikkei index, meanwhile, ended higher, with financials cheering that the bank did not cut borrowing costs further into negative territory, but most other regional markets retreated.

The Nikkei stock index sank almost two percent at one point but bounced back to end 0.6 percent higher.

Among other markets, Seoul fell 0.2 percent and Hong Kong

was off 1.3 percent while Shanghai ended 0.5 percent down.

Singapore tumbled 1.5 percent but Sydney was up 0.1 percent.

In early European trade London fell 0.1 percent but Frankfurt rose 0.5 percent and Paris added 0.2 percent.

After weeks of anticipation that the central bank would pump fresh cash into the economy, policymakers said only that they would boost its exposure to riskier investments, leaving a massive 80 trillion yen annual assetbuying program unchanged.

“The BoJ decision failed to meet the market’s high expectations,” Khoon Goh, head of Asia research at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group in Singapore, told Bloomberg News.

He added that while governor Haruhiko Kuroda indicated the

bank could unveil fresh measures at its September meeting, “overall this is a huge disappointment for markets”.

The news sent the dollar tumbling to below 103 yen at one point from 104.20 yen earlier in the day, and well off the levels above 107 yen touched last week. In the afternoon it was at 103.50 yen, while the euro bought 114.51 yen from 116.60 yen.

The BoJ announcement came days after the government in Tokyo launched a fresh program worth 28 trillion yen to kickstart the Japanese economy.

World markets soared in July as Britain’s shock vote to leave the European Union sparked promises of support from central banks and governments in a bid to fend off a feared hit to the global economy. With AFP

LandBank netted P7.4b in 6 months STATE-RUN Land Bank of the Philippines, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, said net income in the first half of 2016 grew 3 percent to P7.4 billion from P7.2 billion a year ago on the strength of its core businesses.

The bank said in a statement Friday the first six months’ performance was 10 percent higher than the bank’s semestral income target of P6.7 billion.

Cecilia Borromeo, who will serve as officer-in-charge of the bank effective Aug. 1 succeeding Gilda Pico, attributed the

THE STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 10.4 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 6.12 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance 3.6 Asia United Bank 47.35 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 114.30 Bank of PI 98.60 China Bank 38.1 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 4.13 Bright Kindle Resources 1.72 COL Financial 16.8 Eastwest Bank 20.4 Filipino Fund Inc. 6.86 First Abacus 0.7 I-Remit Inc. 1.94 Manulife Fin. Corp.

595.00 MEDCO Holdings 0.610 Metrobank 95.4 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.92 PB Bank 14.7 Phil. National Bank 62.75 Phil. Savings Bank 101.9 Philippine trust Co. 500 PSE Inc. 280 RCBC `A’ 32.45 Security Bank 214.6 Sun Life Financial 1460.00 Union Bank 71.75 Vantage Equities 1.54

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3

20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.35 Agrinurture Inc. 3.5 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.88 Alsons Cons.

1.83 Asiabest Group 12.98 Bogo Medelin 51.25 Cemex Holdings 12.18 Century Food 17 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 160.2 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 22 Concepcion 58.9 Crown Asia 2.35 Da Vinci Capital 5.75 Del Monte 12.72 DNL Industries Inc. 9.880 Emperador 7.50 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.90 EEI 9.75 Euro-Med Lab 1.75 First Gen Corp.

26 First Holdings ‘A’ 71.75 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.10 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.88 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.73 Ionics Inc 2.340 Jollibee Foods Corp.

258.00 Liberty Flour 40.20 LMG Chemicals 2.12 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.5 Macay Holdings 32.00 Manila Water Co. Inc. 26 Maxs Group 29 Megawide 11.3 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 324.60 MG Holdings 0.275 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.49 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.43 Petron Corporation 10.78 Phil H2O 3.3 Phinma Corporation 11.66 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.03 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.73 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.52 RFM Corporation 4.36 Roxas Holdings 3.8 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 214 Splash Corporation 3.04 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.154 TKC Steel Corp.

1.89 Trans-Asia Oil 2.35 Universal Robina 200 Victorias Milling 4.5 Vitarich Corp.

1.4 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.29

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 6.5 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 9.66 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.225 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 1.15 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3.43 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 3 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.310

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings F&J Prince ‘A’ F&J Prince ‘B’ Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Mabuhay Holdings `A’ Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

MJCI Investments Inc. Pacifica `A’ Prime Media Hldg Prime Orion San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Zeus Holdings

0.400 78.00 16.14 1.25 6.16 0.390 0.390 890 8.1 13.00 6.1 6.1 6.98 0.233 1565 6.80 84.25 4.2 7.67 0.75 15.8 0.480 7.45 3.08 0.0330 1.270 1.980 83.00 2.42 1025.00 1.26 0.87 194.500 0.3300 0.300

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13

8990 HLDG A. Brown Co., Inc. Araneta Prop `A’ Arthaland Corp.

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. Cityland Dev. `A’ Crown Equities Inc. Cyber Bay Corp.

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld

8.070 1.25 2.410 0.285 40.000 3.24 5 0.640 1.02 1.040 0.140 0.690 57.5 0.840 0.155 1.09 1.97 1.21 5.12

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.7 3.5 47.4 47 115.40 113.20 98.60 96.00 38.1 38 4.13 4.05 1.85 1.72 17 16.12 21.1 20.4 7.00 7.00 0.7 0.7 1.96 1.91 600.00 590.00 0.630 0.610 95.4 94.95 0.92 0.92 14.9 14.7 63.00 62.60 101.7 100 460 460 284 280 32.5 32.2 219.4 213.4 1450.00 1445.00 71.90 71.60 1.51 1.5 INDUSTRIAL 45.45 45 3.55 3.44 0.92 0.86 1.92 1.78 13 12.68 51.25 51.15 12.24 11.86 16.9 16.5 163 160.1 22.2 21.85 58.85 56.8 2.38 2.32 5.97 5.75 12.94 12.72 10.000 9.890 7.51 7.35 5.87 5.80 9.85 9.70 1.83 1.73 26.05 25.4 71.75 70.7 12.10 12.00 16.70 15.98 5.74 5.7 2.400 2.320 258.60 255.00 40.40 40.40 2.13 2.1 4.47 3.7 32.00 30.00 26.1 25.95 29.15 28.5 11.4 11 325.00 323.60 0.280 0.270 4.48 4.25 3.43 3.39 10.86 10.68 3.4 3.4 11.66 11.60 6.04 5.96 1.79 1.72 3.6 3.5 4.36 4.22 3.8 3.78 219 211 3.04 3.04 0.154 0.151 2.02 1.88 2.36 2.33 204.6 200.4 4.8 4.51 1.44 1.35 1.29 1.28 HOLDING FIRMS 0.405 0.395 80.00 77.20 16.38 16.08 1.27 1.23 6.20 6.20 0.405 0.385 0.410 0.380 891 870 8.15 8 13.18 13.00 6.47 6.12 6.9 6.3 7.00 6.91 0.230 0.222 1570 1540 6.87 6.75 85.50 83.50 4.03 4.03 7.7 7.59 0.78 0.75 15.8 15.6 0.480 0.470 7.5 7.43 3.3 3.1 0.0340 0.0340 1.250 1.240 1.980 1.930 83.15 82.00 2.70 2.45 722.00 684.00 1.26 1.25 0.87 0.86 194.900 193.000 0.3300 0.3200 0.305 0.295 PROPERTY 8.050 7.830 1.28 1.24 2.440 2.360 0.280 0.275 40.650 39.500 3.28 3.21 5 5 0.67 0.630 1.09 1.02 1.040 1.020 0.162 0.142 0.700 0.650 58.5 56.7 0.840 0.830 0.155 0.149 1.12 1.09 1.98 1.95 1.22 1.20 5.12 5.03

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.69 47.4 113.20 96.00 38.1 4.06 1.75 16.5 20.9 7.00 0.7 1.96 590.00 0.610 94.95 0.92 14.7 62.80 101.7 460 282 32.3 219 1450.00 71.60 1.5

2.50 0.11 -0.96 -2.64 0.00 -1.69 1.74 -1.79 2.45 2.04 0.00 1.03 -0.84 0.00 -0.47 0.00 0.00 0.08 -0.20 -8.00 0.71 -0.46 2.05 -0.68 -0.21 -2.60

58,000 13,000 2,158,270 1,159,520 54,800 6,170,000 1,309,000 102,300 398,500 100 1,000 187,000 260 1,318,000 1,603,350 20,000 20,500 49,480 1,620 10 290 19,100 1,577,140 55 202,940 53,000

209,630.00 478,315.00 27,394,820 11,744,889.50

45.25 3.5 0.89 1.9 12.9 51.25 11.9 16.78 163 22.2 58 2.33 5.77 12.88 9.930 7.44 5.87 9.70 1.83 25.9 70.8 12.00 16.46 5.74 2.400 255.00 40.40 2.1 4 32.00 25.95 28.5 11.18 324.00 0.270 4.48 3.42 10.68 3.4 11.60 5.98 1.73 3.55 4.28 3.78 216 3.04 0.151 1.96 2.33 200.4 4.51 1.39 1.28

-0.22 0.00 1.14 3.83 -0.62 0.00 -2.30 -1.29 1.75 0.91 -1.53 -0.85 0.35 1.26 0.51 -0.80 -0.51 -0.51 4.57 -0.38 -1.32 -0.83 3.65 0.17 2.56 -1.16 0.50 -0.94 14.29 0.00 -0.19 -1.72 -1.06 -0.18 -1.82 -0.22 -0.29 -0.93 3.03 -0.51 -0.83 0.00 0.85 -1.83 -0.53 0.93 0.00 -1.95 3.70 -0.85 0.20 0.22 -0.71 -0.78

1,376,300 4,172,000 1,068,000 5,639,000 11,000 480 23,319,700 2,104,900 1,250 10,317,900 13,650 1,630,000 489,800 34,200 2,013,200 410,400 14,507,800 351,800 23,000 1,438,500 165,140 25,400 2,030,500 231,900 1,806,000 420,200 200 9,000 431,000 17,700 1,504,200 160,500 16,399,700 350,100 510,000 2,000 599,000 3,486,600 3,000 1,900 275,100 321,000 478,000 68,000 28,000 1,500 714,000 4,440,000 1,550,000 949,000 1,423,870 269,000 42,729,000 17,000

-27,134,300.00 21,220.00 1,740.00 4,986,500.00

0.395 78.00 16.16 1.25 6.20 0.390 0.395 870 8.04 13.02 6.15 6.3 6.91 0.230 1540 6.75 83.50 4.03 7.64 0.75 15.6 0.470 7.5 3.1 0.0340 1.250 1.970 82.00 2.7 689.00 1.26 0.86 193.000 0.3200 0.305

-1.25 0.00 0.12 0.00 0.65 0.00 1.28 -2.25 -0.74 0.15 0.82 3.28 -1.00 -1.29 -1.60 -0.74 -0.89 -4.05 -0.39 0.00 -1.27 -2.08 0.67 0.65 3.03 -1.57 -0.51 -1.20 11.57 -32.78 0.00 -1.15 -0.77 -3.03 1.67

1,000,000 2,055,250 4,087,900 114,000 100 15,230,000 1,320,000 312,970 1,670,600 7,931,800 31,600 17,300 295,300 250,000 57,550 1,700 1,850,500 1,000 753,000 224,000 206,200 280,000 74,539,900 10,000 35,000,000 22,000 291,000 78,190 18,000 532,160 130,000 560,000 14,720 7,480,000 290,000

7.850 1.27 2.360 0.280 39.500 3.22 5 0.630 1.09 1.040 0.162 0.650 57.4 0.830 0.149 1.11 1.95 1.20 5.03

-2.73 1.60 -2.07 -1.75 -1.25 -0.62 0.00 -1.56 6.86 0.00 15.71 -5.80 -0.17 -1.19 -3.87 1.83 -1.02 -1.02 -1.76

298,300 1,648,000 708,000 2,340,000 11,642,800 355,000 12,500 23,225,000 38,000 14,000 286,460,000 56,795,000 999,840 504,000 90,000 4,478,000 16,713,000 495,000 43,084,600

-145,400.00 -15,204.00 -1,740,615.00

-21,605,181.50 1,752,714.00 16,770.00 -164,625 153,346,938.00 -1,211,365.00

25,326,328.00 -4,304,282.00 737,635.00 -354,960 183,040.00 58,670.00 -25,800.00 -10,067,644.00 -274,302.00 14,080,962.00 -3,146,640.00 -2,311,006.50 -3,888,498.00 -34,770.00 -24,000.00 -10,711,648.00

-12,097,615.00 -863,950.00 19,562,020.00 77,402,854.00 54,000.00 -23,750.00 3,990,660.00 3,400.00 -66,752.00 17,250.00 140,800.00

-364,800.00 70,240.00 85,687,476 -3,391,160.00

-51,581,514.50 4,780,582.00

-116,393,935.00 -2,990,132.00 66,984,550.00 208,500.00 -13,071,565.00 -72,405,659.50 2,823,885.00 -195,310.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

0.180 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

0.090 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 7.67 4 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 4.8 2.58 1600 5.95

70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93 12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 1 2.46 15.2

0.041 1.200 2.34 6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

70 525

33 500

515 8.21 12.28 111

480 5.88 6.5 101

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

-16,211,844.00

-1,862,165.00 -78,301,050.00 20,580.00 -6,400.00 114,656.00 6,250.00 -109,092,505.00 -446,820.00 -771,900.00 245,180.00 1,562,540.00 4,925,171.00

6.98

0.8900

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6

Close

MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

High

Close

0.123 0.118 0.475 0.475 39.50 39.00 17.1 16.32 33.00 32.00 1.8 1.78 3.6 3.26 29.65 29.00 0.96 0.93 1.100 1.030 6.150 5.980 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 7.32 7.4 7.33 ABS-CBN 49.6 49.6 49 Acesite Hotel 1.21 1.23 1.23 APC Group, Inc. 0.610 0.610 0.590 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 5.99 6.05 5.7 Bloomberry 5.58 5.66 5.51 Boulevard Holdings 0.1180 0.1220 0.1140 Calata Corp.

2.85 2.9 2.82 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 105.2 110.2 106.1 DFNN Inc. 5.73 5.70 5.55 Easy Call “Common” 3.27 3.28 3.26 Globe Telecom 2254 2286 2240 GMA Network Inc. 6.33 6.33 6.30 Golden Haven 16.48 16.26 16.12 Grand Plaza Hotel 20.35 22.00 22.00 Harbor Star 1.20 1.20 1.17 I.C.T.S.I. 65.8 65.65 64 Imperial Res. `A’ 21.95 22.80 20.40 Imperial Res. `B’ 170 176 175 IPeople Inc. `A’ 11 11.02 11.02 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.0088 0.0090 0.0088 IPM Holdings 9.39 9.38 9.35 Island Info 0.345 0.355 0.335 ISM Communications 1.7000 1.7800 1.7100 Jackstones 2.68 2.67 2.66 Leisure & Resorts 6.58 6.70 6.51 Liberty Telecom 3.09 3.10 3.02 Lorenzo Shipping 1.06 1.06 1.06 Macroasia Corp.

2.62 2.55 2.55 Manila Bulletin 0.590 0.590 0.580 Manila Jockey 2.02 2.02 2.02 Melco Crown 3.4 3.4 3.21 Metro Retail 5.67 5.74 5.45 NOW Corp.

3.410 3.600 3.330 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 12.02 12.04 12 PAL Holdings Inc. 5.24 5.48 5.26 Phil. Seven Corp.

137.00 138.00 137.50 Philweb.Com Inc. 15.88 15.88 15.60 PLDT Common 2110.00 2110.00 2086.00 PremiereHorizon 0.445 0.460 0.440 Premium Leisure 1.130 1.130 1.110 Puregold 48.35 48.35 47.00 Robinsons RTL 86.00 86.80 84.80 SBS Phil. Corp.

6.35 6.45 6.32 SSI Group 3.20 3.22 3.18 STI Holdings 0.650 0.650 0.630 Transpacific Broadcast 1.87 1.85 1.85 Travellers 3.59 3.67 3.59 Waterfront Phils.

0.335 0.340 0.330 Yehey 6.640 6.660 6.610 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0041 0.0043 0.0041 Apex `A’ 3.19 3.34 3.11 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.26 4.25 4.21 Basic Energy Corp.

0.230 0.231 0.228 Benguet Corp `A’ 6.6500 6.85 6.51 Benguet Corp `B’ 7.1600 7.1000 6.7000 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.63 0.64 0.62 Coal Asia 0.480 0.485 0.470 Dizon 8.56 8.56 8.08 Ferronickel 0.880 0.890 0.870 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.290 0.295 0.290 Lepanto `A’ 0.230 0.232 0.227 Lepanto `B’ 0.244 0.245 0.243 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 Manila Mining `B’ 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.79 1.85 1.79 Nickelasia 5.7 5.82 5.69 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.88 2.95 2.81 Omico 0.5800 0.5700 0.5600 Oriental Peninsula Res. 1.1200 1.1100 1.0900 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0120 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.15 4.14 4.13 Philex `A’ 8.69 8.77 8.60 PhilexPetroleum 3.90 4.15 3.90 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 0.0130 0.0120 Semirara Corp.

119.20 119.60 119.20 TA Petroleum 3.73 3.93 3.65 United Paragon 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 49 49.3 48.55 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 545 545.5 545.5 CDD Pref 104.2 104.9 104.2 GLOBE PREF P 545 544.5 544.5 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.1 6.1 6.1 Leisure and Resort 1.07 1.07 1.07 MWIDE PREF 112 112 111.9 PNX PREF 3B 115 115 115 SMC Preferred B 77 77.5 76.5 SMC Preferred C 81.1 81.7 81.5 SMC Preferred D 76.5 76.5 76.05 SMC Preferred E 79 79 79 SMC Preferred F 79 79 79 SMC Preferred H 77.1 77.1 77 SMC Preferred I 77.2 77.2 77.1 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.710 2.760 2.680 SME Alterra Capital 4.91 4.91 4.75 Makati Fin. Corp.

3.47 3.56 3.56 Italpinas 5.69 5.77 5.55 Xurpas 17.68 17.98 17.54 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 131.8 132.1 131

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

17,486,571

INDUSTRIAL

561,393,395

HOLDING FIRMS

157,589,648

PROPERTY

509,540,726

SERVICES

1,022,549,292

-13,740,370.00 116,570.00 -13,740,370.00

MINING & OIL

4,054,744,278

62,239,332.00

GRAND TOTAL

6,332,041,610

0.117 0.480 39.00 16.8 33.00 1.77 3.32 29.55 0.96 1.070 6.150

Low

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.119 0.475 39.00 16.32 32.00 1.78 3.26 29.20 0.94 1.050 6.000

1.71 -1.04 0.00 -2.86 -3.03 0.56 -1.81 -1.18 -2.08 -1.87 -2.44

9,970,000 20,000 600 196,000 1,572,600 764,000 899,000 17,012,200 3,993,000 3,173,000 11,566,700

128,970.00

7.35 49.4 1.23 0.610 5.8 5.60 0.1140 2.87 109 5.55 3.26 2268 6.33 16.18 22.00 1.19 64 21.30 175 11.02 0.0090 9.38 0.335 1.7500 2.66 6.54 3.02 1.06 2.55 0.580 2.02 3.21 5.59 3.400 12.04 5.32 137.50 15.66 2092.00 0.455 1.120 48.00 86.10 6.34 3.19 0.640 1.85 3.6 0.330 6.660

0.41 -0.40 1.65 0.00 -3.17 0.36 -3.39 0.70 3.61 -3.14 -0.31 0.62 0.00 -1.82 8.11 -0.83 -2.74 -2.96 2.94 0.18 2.27 -0.11 -2.90 2.94 -0.75 -0.61 -2.27 0.00 -2.67 -1.69 0.00 -5.59 -1.41 -0.29 0.17 1.53 0.36 -1.39 -0.85 2.25 -0.88 -0.72 0.12 -0.16 -0.31 -1.54 -1.07 0.28 -1.49 0.30

692,600 42,700 1,000 364,000 47,500 6,721,400 917,970,000 11,097,000 2,486,310 108,300 8,000 42,455 128,700 159,000 31,500 239,000 797,930 101,700 170 12,900 12,000,000 303,000 17,150,000 831,000 20,000 196,900 186,000 14,000 61,000 30,000 1,000 8,508,000 7,743,400 6,142,000 4,200 209,100 1,010 120,700 126,590 2,230,000 1,942,000 3,991,400 488,590 1,298,000 2,941,000 6,744,000 4,000 6,082,000 380,000 64,300

0.0043 3.19 4.25 0.230 6.8500 7.1000 0.62 0.485 8.56 0.870 0.290 0.230 0.245 0.0130 0.0130 1.79 5.72 2.92 0.5600 1.0900 0.0110 0.0120 4.13 8.70 4.00 0.0130 119.40 3.65 0.0110

4.88 0.00 -0.23 0.00 3.01 -0.84 -1.59 1.04 0.00 -1.14 0.00 0.00 0.41 8.33 0.00 0.00 0.35 1.39 -3.45 -2.68 -8.33 0.00 -0.48 0.12 2.56 8.33 0.17 -2.14 0.00

3,805,000,000 -369,800.00 896,000 282,000 -71,890.00 590,000 4,500 2,700 284,000 5,050.00 770,000 29,800 4,325,000 7,040.00 460,000 14,910,000 470,000 2,440.00 27,600,000 133,300,000 307,000 4,558,800 2,430,621.00 630,000 -60,900.00 10,000 1,418,000 87,800.00 3,700,000 3,600,000 7,000 3,493,400 4,575,368.00 4,467,000 -2,113,760.00 7,400,000 172,610 4,801,280.00 633,000 35,300,000

49.3 545.5 104.5 544.5 6.1 1.07 112 115 76.5 81.7 76.05 79 79 77 77.1

0.61 0.09 0.29 -0.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.65 0.74 -0.59 0.00 0.00 -0.13 -0.13

13,700 8,750 145,200 800 303,900 10,000 13,420 3,100 143,820 18,140 9,600 99,900 460 246,200 398,250

2.680

-1.11

150,000

4.89 3.56 5.55 17.98

-0.41 2.59 -2.46 1.70

5,782,000 1,000 1,028,900 1,902,400

61,880.00

131

-0.61

12,140

3,946.00

3,320.00 -12,712,325.00 -114,570.00 -268,850.00 -23,194,405.00 -9,400.00 549,610.00 7,408,797.00 -4,404,420.00

12,026,903.00 935,700.00 80,460.00 94,419,220.00 6,305,980.00

5,850.00 -13,468,206.00

-51,750.00 452,228 145,230.00 -127,500.00 2,772,080.00 8,155,664.00 -169,170.00 6,870.00 83,210.00 -132,850,760.00 214,850.00 -265,810.00 12,374,635.00 766,373.50 -4,959,260.00 -1,601,410.00 -11,206,560.00 166,500.00

-190,015.00

-1,853,790.00

-11,013,260.00 -537,900

1,542,000.00

-58,275.00 3,193,304.00

VALUE 1,816.19 (down) 11.83 1,059,355,998.725 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 12,136.21 (down) 45.77 5,854,751,566.5318 HOLDING FIRMS 7,855.38 (down) 31.96 1,898,654,327.37 PROPERTY 3,570.06 (down) 49.23 1,646.50 (down) 10.23 1,616,203,608.59 SERVICES MINING & OIL 11,143.00 (up) 43.81 1,297,235,948.6325 PSEI 7,963.11 (down) 61.87 132,943,109.363 All Shares Index 4,750.81 (down) 39.86 11,928,375,196.6808 Gainers: 82; Losers: 127; Unchanged:36; Total: 245

increase in income mainly to the steady growth in its loan portfolio. Revenues from loans jumped 16 percent as the bank’s gross loan portfolio rose to P490.6 billion from P414 billion in June 2015.

Return on equity as of end-June was at 16.5 percent while net interest margin stood at 3.38 percent, both above latest industry averages.

The bank’s total assets increased significantly by 18 percent to P1.3 trillion from P1.1 trillion in June 2015. Total deposits increased to P1.1 trillion, up 18 percent from P954.3 billion in June last year.

Total capital, meanwhile, stood at P89.5 billion, 20 percent higher than P74.6 billion for the same period last year.

LandBank is the only universal bank present in all provinces of the country with its nationwide network of 362 branches and 1,568 automated teller machines.

These are complemented by 24 other banking offices across the country.

Borromeo has 27 solid years of banking experience. Before her appointment as OIC, she led LandBank’s agricultural and development lending sector, which spearheads the delivery of financial services for farmers organizations, micro, small and medium enterprises, local government units, GOCCs, corporations, other financial institutions and consumer clients.

Since joining LandBank in 1989, Borromeo rose from the ranks and handled various core banking operations.

She headed the bank’s institutional banking sector, treasury and investment banking, account management, global banking, credit policy and supervision.

AUB’s net profit rose to P1.2b in in 1st half ASIA United Bank, the financial arm of the Rebisco Group, and its subsidiaries posted a 44-percent increase in net income in the first half of 2016 to P1.23 billion year-on-year, on the back of strong gains from its lending and trading activities.

The AUB Group, composed of publicly listed universal bank AUB and two rural banks, saw its interest income jumped 25 percent to P3.5 billion for the period in review.

“Driving the income was the growth in loans, both commercial and retail, which stood at P2.7 billion from the year-ago level of P2.1 billion. Trading income likewise improved,” the bank said in a statement Friday.

AUB is among the top 20 banks in the Philippines with an asset size of P155.4 billion, 18 percent higher than a year-ago level.

AUB president Abraham Co said earlier the bank was on track to become one of the top 10 leading banks in the Philippines. He said amid the financial market volatility, AUB and its subsidiaries continued to intensify their lending activities and generate deposits from a wider branch network nationwide.

The bank in November 2015 raised P5 billion in Tier 2 unsecured subordinated notes to increase and strengthen its capital base and its capital adequacy based on the requirements of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Julito G. Rada

Business

B3

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Metro Pacific purchases Marikina hospital for P1b

By Jenniffer B. Austria

C

ONGLOMERATE Metro Pacific Investment Corp. said its hospital unit acquired a 93-percent interest in Marikina Valley Medical Center for nearly P1 billion.

Metro Pacific said in a disclosure to the stock exchange unit Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. completed Friday the acquisition of 469,077 shares, representing 93 percent in MVMC at 2,117.80 per share.

MVMC is a prominent tertiary hospital along Sumulong Highway in Marikina.

Established by a group of 21 enterprising founders,

mostly doctors of various specializations, MVMC quickly grew to become the leading hospital on the eastern side of the National Capital Region.

MVMPC completed the construction of a 7-story Medical Arts Building to house 44 new clinics for more than 270 accredited doctors. The transfer of doctors to the new MAB will allow MVMC to immediately

expand capacity to 140 beds, an intermediate step to eventually grow the hospital to 170 beds by next year.

“This is the start of an exciting new chapter for MVMC. This hospital that we founded 12 years ago has served and continuously serves thousands of people. But the dynamics of the Philippine healthcare landscape has greatly changed since then. We now live in a world of integration, collaboration and connectivity,” MVMC president Dr. Juan Lagunzad said.

“The entry of Metro Pacific will allow MVMC to adapt to this new landscape and level up its quality of infrastructure,

equipment and services to a premier level. MVMC will now be in a position to maximize its potential in serving as the leading hospital in this part of Metro Manila,” he said.

MVMC will be the 12th hospital under Metro Pacific’s hospital portfolio, a foray started by the conglomerate in 2007 to provide Filipinos all over the country with quality and affordable healthcare.

Metro Pacific has invested P12 billion in the hospital industry, with 2,700 beds throughout the country.

Hospitals under Metro Pacific’s portfolio are Makati Medical Center, Cardinal Santos Medical

Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Asian Hospital, De Los Santos Medical Center, and Manila Doctors Hospital, Davao Doctors Hospital, Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod, Central Luzon Doctors Hospital in Tarlac, West Metro Medical Center in Zamboanga, and Sacred Heart Hospital of Malolos in Bulacan.

Metro Pacific’s hospital arm posted a core net income of P1.3 billion in 2015, up by 30 percent from a year ago, “as a result of increasing patient revenues, gains from completed capital expenditure programs, lower interest costs and savings from group synergy projects.”

Dooc eyes legislation on HMO industry

By Gabrielle H. Binaday INSURANCE commissioner Emmanuel Dooc said he will push for a law to regulate health maintenance organizations, including capitalization and solvency requirements.

Dooc told reporters in an interview there was a need to legislate a law covering HMOs to make it more binding.

An HMO is a prepaid healthcare service provider offering comprehensive coverage to members through partnerships with hospitals and other health professionals.

He said in the absence of a law, the IC was set to release an administrative circular for HMOs in the country that would impose minimum capitalization and financial capacity for HMOs. “Administrative issuance will come from us. But what is critical is there must be a law to make it more binding. An issuance, which is administrative in nature, may later on be disregarded or rebuilt by any new commissioner,” Dooc said.

“I requested for a meeting with [Finance] Secretary Carlos Dominguez to discuss.... the possibility of introducing an HMO bill because right now after it was transferred to us, there was no sufficient guideline on how to administer and govern the industry, so we are hurriedly preparing the guidelines for the HMO, but I’d rather have a law,” he said.

HMOs were placed under the watch of IC from the Health Department after former President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order No. 192 in November.

CLIMATE RESILIENCE. Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman, vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission (second from right), discusses the importance of building countrywide climate change resilience by reducing climate and disaster risk vulnerability and enhancing capacity at the community and grassroots level during a press conference at the sidelines of the third Communities for Resilience Convergence Forum in Panglao, Bohol. With him are (from left) Bohol disaster risk reduction and management officer Anthony Damalerio, Aksyon Klima national coordinator Ruel Cabile and Climate Reality Project-PH manager Rodne Galicha.

EastWest goes into leasing business

By Julito G. Rada EASTWEST Banking Corp., the financial services arm of Filinvest Group, said it secured an approval from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to invest P100 million to establish a financial leasing company.

“This is to inform the exchange that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, in its letter dated July 26, 2016, approved and confirmed on July 21, 2016, the proposed initial equity investment of East West Banking Corp. in a wholly-owned financial leasing company subject to EastWest’s compliance with regulatory conditions set by BSP,” EastWest said in a disclosure to the stock exchange.

“We shall inform the exchange as soon as we receive approval of the registration of the financial leasing company by the Securities and Exchange Commission,” EastWest said.

EastWest president and chief executive Antonio Moncupa Jr. said in a text message the new company would be called EastWest Leasing and Financing Corp.

“EastWest will put an initial P100 million [investment].

EWLFC completes the product menu of EastWest,” Moncupa said. The bank’s board earlier approved the creation of the leasing firm that will handle EastWest’s financing and leasing businesses.

Moncupa said EastWest would strengthen its asset base from the current P250 billion to P500 billion in the next couple of years to increase earnings.

He said the bank would focus on improving productivity.

The bank ended 2015 with total branch network of 433 stores, the fifth largest in the industry, including its rural bank. Moncupa said the current network size of the bank would make it compete fairly with other universal and commercial banks.

ERC slaps penalties on Aleco, 3 other electric cooperatives

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission said Friday it imposed penalties on four distribution utilities that failed to submit the required fiveyear distribution development plan.

ERC said it imposed the penalties on First Bay Power Corp.

Inc., Albay Electric Cooperative Inc., Abra Electric Cooperative Inc. and Maguindanao Electric Cooperative Inc. after a thorough investigation and observance of due process.

ERC said upon receipt and consideration of their respective explanations, it

Nature parks rising in Clark Green City

By Othel V. Campos STATE-OWNED Bases Conversion and Development Authority said it signed a memorandum of agreement with Earth Day Network Philippines Inc. and the Fern and Nature Society of the Philippines Inc. to establish a botanical garden and ecotourism park in Clark Green City.

Under the agreement, Earth Day and Fern and Nature Society will invest P495.2 million for the development of the botanical garden, restoration of 200 hectares of forest land, preparation of the project management plan and the management and administration of the project.

BCDA will designate the area as Clark Green City Forest Reserve and the Clark Green City Green Infrastructure to both groups. The agency will also provide and construct the support infrastructure facility in the area.

Earth Day, the lead non-government organization for the celebration of Earth Day in the Philippines, is engaged in programs and activities that promote environmental citizenship.

Fern and Nature Society is a non-government organization advocating for the establishment of botanical gardens following international standards in the Philippines to promote the conservation and ethnobotany of Philippine native trees and plants.

Clark Green City is a 9,450-hectare property in Tarlac province currently being developed by BCDA. It is envisioned as the country’s first smart, green and disaster-resilient city that will showcase the country’s capability to build a sustainable and modern city.

The city will adopt smart and green features such as compact walkable communities with generous open spaces, bike lanes, mass transportation, smart utilities, high-bandwidth connectivity, protected biodiversity, energy efficiency and urban farming.

found no justifiable reason to reconsider the imposition of penalties.

The distributors were ordered to pay P50,000 each as provided for under Section 46 of Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001.

ERC chairman Jose Vicente Salazar said under its investigation and enforcement function, the regulator would see to it that every stakeholder complied with all relevant laws and directives to promote and protect the long-term interests of the consumer.

The distribution development plan is a document being prepared and updated by the

FINQT’S AWARD.

The LandBank Mobile Loan Saver service of FINTQ, the financial technology unit of Voyager Innovations under the PLDT group, receives Best in Customer Experience award for mobile during the Customer Experience in Financial Services Asia Awards 2016 in Singapore. Shown receiving the award is FINTQ commercialization cluster head Agustin Santiago (right) from Ann Lim, Asia Editor for Timetric, the organizer of the annual awards.

Energy Department annually that details the distribution utilities; programs on their acquisition of sub-transmission assets, expansion and rehabilitation of distribution facilities and the costs associated to these activities.

DDP helps ERC in its review of the distribution utilities’ capital expenditure applications and facilitates fulfillment of ERC’s mandate of ensuring reasonable power rates.

ERC received a letter from the department in June 2015 requesting the issuance of a show cause order to the four distribution firms for their failure to comply with the submission of

DDP. The orders were issued to erring DUs directing them to submit their respective explanations on why no administrative penalty should be imposed upon them.

ERC is empowered under Republic Act No. 9136 or the Epira law. It said the distribution firms violated rule 7 under Section 4(p) of the IRR of Epira, which required the preparation and submission of an annual five-year distribution plan to the department not later than the 15th of March of every year.

Meanwhile, the Energy Department said it would look

into the viability of the operations of Albay Electric Cooperative Inc. more than two years after it was turned over to San Miguel Corp.

Energy Department spokesman Pete Ilagan told reporters the audit task force would review the operations of Aleco.

“That would be a subject of the task force effort, and we will be waiting for the report of the task force audit. We asked for the documents and review their contract. We need to know the situation right now, so we will be able to understand why it reached that situation,” Ilagan said.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

Business

OUT OF RECESSION. A woman walks past a fashion store in Taipei on July 29, 2016. Taiwan came out of recession in April-June with a 0.69 percent year-on-year growth, data showed, as a pick-up in the island’s key electronics sector helped end a run of three successive quarterly contractions. AFP

Oil prices decrease, near $40 SINGAPORE—Oil prices fell further towards the $40 mark in Asia Friday, extending losses to a seventhstraight day on renewed worries about a global supply glut and increased production.

The commodity has slipped nearly 20 percent since its 2016 peak above $50 in early June as the crucial US holiday driving season comes to an end and temporary disruptions to output in Canada and Nigeria ease.

At about 0640 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was down 22 cents at $40.92 a barrel while Brent fell 24 cents to $42.46.

“There is too much oil in the market, there’s an incredible amount,” Jonathan Barratt, chief investment officer at Ayers Alliance Securities in Sydney, told Bloomberg News.

“Oil is in a range of $40 to $50 a barrel and prices below $40 a barrel are going to be a problem.”

On Wednesday the US Energy Information Administration reported the first increase in US commercial crude stockpiles since May, adding that inventories were 13.4 percent up on-year and gasoline stocks were 11.8 percent higher. Supplies are now at levels not seen for two decades.

Adding to downward pressure on crude is a slow but steady rise in the number of rigs coming back online in the United States. Companies were forced to shut installations earlier this year as prices sank to near 13-year lows below $30. AFP

BoJ’s stimulus plan disappoints

T

OKYO―The Bank of Japan surprised markets Friday with only minor tweaks to its giant stimulus plan that reignited concerns its monetary policy arsenal is almost empty.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 stock index dropped and the yen surged as the underwhelming changes burst hopes for a one-two punch to boost the sluggish economy―after the government unveiled a huge spending package this week.

Japanese officials are under intense pressure to deliver as the fate of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s faltering bid to reignite the world’s number three economy, dubbed Abenomics, looks increasingly gloomy.

“The market had expected more than what the BoJ announced today, which triggered some disappointment and led to the yen’s surge,” said Yosuke Hosokawa, head of the forex sales team at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank.

“This shows the ceiling for monetary policy.”

The dollar briefly sank below 103 yen from 104.20 yen, while Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index dived 1.7 percent immediately after the BoJ issued its statement after a two-day meeting.

The gathering was its first since Britain’s shock vote last month to quit the European

Union. The referendum result hammered financial markets and sparked a yen rally that is threatening corporate Japan’s bottom line―and fanning concerns about growth.

Government figures published on Friday morning did little to soothe those worries.

Spending by households across the country fell in June while inflation dropped for a fourth straight month, while business confidence sits at its lowest levels since Abe swept to power in late 2012.

Weak readings have aggravated worries about second-quarter economic growth, after Japan dodged a recession in the first three months of the year.

On Friday, the BoJ said it would boost its exposure to riskier assets by nearly doubling its annual purchases of exchangetraded funds to about six trillion yen.

It also said it would launch a “comprehensive assessment” of its own growth policies, without giving details.

ETFs are securities linked to a share index or other investment, such as commodities or bonds,

Bank of Japan governor Haruhiko Kuroda speaks during a press conference at the BOJ headquarters in Tokyo on July 29, 2016. The Bank of Japan surprised markets on July 29 with only minor tweaks to its giant stimulus plan that reignited concerns its monetary policy arsenal is almost empty. AFP

that trade like common stock.

The BoJ also said it would double the size of a US dollar lending program to $24 billion, which supplies greenback-denominated funds to boost Japanese firms’ overseas business activity.

But it opted to leave a massive 80 trillion yen ($772 billion) annual bond-buying program unchanged.

It also refrained from cutting

interest rates deeper into negative territory in a bid to stir lending and stoke the wider economy.

The rate plan, launched in January, is meant to encourage commercial banks to loan money to people and businesses by effectively charging them to keep excess reserves in the BoJ’s vaults.

There was also speculation the bank may turn to unconventional measures, including so-called “helicopter money”.

The term refers to a controversial policy of central banks to funnel funds directly into the economy―possibly including into people’s bank accounts― rather than through the financial system by means of more traditional bond-buying and asset purchases.

“Today’s decision is clearer evidence of the BoJ’s limited room for further easing,” Takahiro Sekido, a Japan strategist

at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, said in an e-mail.

The announcement comes after Tokyo on Wednesday announced a whopping 28-trillion yen package aimed at kickstarting growth.

But analysts questioned how much of it was immediate fresh spending, and the government has so far offered few specific details.

Japan’s spend-for-growth policies have set it apart from some of its rich nation counterparts, including Germany which has been reluctant to endorse them, seeing it as an ineffective way to stimulate the economy.

Japan’s leader had promised the package in response to Brexit and the subsequent rise in the yen.

Investors tend to buy Japan’s currency as a safe bet in times of turmoil or uncertainty. But it makes its exporters less competitive overseas and hits profits at Japan Inc. Abe’s plan―a mix of massive monetary easing, government spending and red-tape slashing―initially brought the yen down from record highs and set off a stock market rally.

But promises to cut through red tape have been slower, and Abe’s plan to buoy Japan’s once-booming economy has looked increasingly unrealistic.

AFP

Singapore Air warns of tougher days ahead Air France stoppage hits 30,000 travelers ASIA’S marquee airlines are warning tougher competition is squeezing them.

Singapore Airlines Ltd. said Thursday passenger yields―a key measure of profitability in the industry-remain under pressure amid “aggressive capacity injection.” Yields declined to their lowest in more than six years in the first quarter. The stock fell 1.6 percent at the start of trading in Singapore Friday.

Earlier this month, Ivan Chu, chief executive officer of Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., which dominates the Hong Kong financial hub, said there is “intense pressure” on the metric.

The expansion of the Middle East’s ‘Big Three’―Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways―and an unprecedented surge by budget airlines in the region is hurting the pricing power

of Asian carriers. Singapore Air CEO Goh Choon Phong and his Cathay counterpart Chu have ordered some $20 billion in new aircraft to modernize their fleet and take on their competitors who are offering luxuries like on-board shower and butlers.

“Yields will continue to erode for many quarters to come,” said Shukor Yusof, founder of aviation consulting firm Endau Analytics in Malaysia. “We are still in the downside of the cycle, especially for the premium sector.

There is still some overcapacity in the market.”

Shares of Singapore Air dropped 1.6 percent to S$11.02 as of 9 a.m. in Singapore trading, while the city’s Straits Times Index fell 1.1 percent.

Singapore Air―the only Asian airline to have flown the Concorde and first in the world to fly

the A380 superjumbo―Thursday reported first-quarter profit almost tripled as lower oil prices reduced costs and the company benefited from the sale of a stake by its subsidiary. Net income jumped to S$256.6 million ($190 million) in the three months ended in June even as sales declined 2.1 percent to S$3.6 billion.

Yields, or the revenue earned from a passenger for flying a kilometer, was 10.3 Singapore cents in the quarter ended in June, compared with 10.7 Singapore cents in the same quarter a year earlier.

“The business outlook for the parent airline company remains challenging amid economic weakness and geopolitical concerns in some markets,” Singapore Air said in the statement.

“Competition remains intense with aggressive capacity injec-

tion, and yields will continue to remain under pressure. Yields will be further diluted if key revenuegenerating currencies depreciate against the Singapore dollar.”

Cathay Pacific, which is due to detail first-half earnings next month, is projected to report a net income of HK$5.13 billion ($661 million) for the year, according to the average estimate of 17 analysts compiled by Bloomberg. Last year, the carrier had a net profit of HK$6 billion.

Singapore Air’s first-quarter numbers benefited from an increase in passenger numbers as economic growth from China to Southeast Asia to India allowed more people to travel for work and leisure. CEO Goh took over low-fare subsidiary Tiger Airways to integrate with long-haul budget airline Scoot. Bloomberg

PARIS―Some 30,000 passengers were affected Thursday on the second day of a weeklong strike

by Air France flight crew with the cancellation of one in five flights, a company spokesman said.

The disruption was slightly greater than on Wednesday.

The new CEO of the Air France-KLM group, Jean-Marc Janaillac, said in an interview with the daily Le Figaro that the strike was “regrettable and aggressive,” coming at the height of the holiday travel period.

The airline said it would operate more than 80 percent of its flights on Friday.

Air France flights operated by low-cost airlines HOP! and Transavia, as well as KLM and Delta codeshares, were not affected by the stoppage.

Unions noted that the strike

would have its most serious effects at the weekend, when July holidaymakers return home and their August cohorts start their vacations.

Unions representing around half of the strikers last Friday said the stoppage would go ahead as marathon talks failed to reach a breakthrough on renewing a collective labor accord on rules, pay and promotions that expires in October.

Management want to limit the extension of the agreement to 17 months, whereas unions want between three and five years.

Flights to destinations in Europe, north Africa and Israel will be affected, as well as some routes in Asia and Africa, the company said Monday.

In late June, Janaillac warded off a pilots’ strike that would have been the second such stoppage during the Euro football tournament.AFP

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

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LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

ROTUNDA. An aerial view of the Quezon Memorial Circle taken at rush hour on Tuesday afternoon. REVOLI CORTEZ

CAR economy up 3.7%

By Dexter A. See

B

AGUIO CITY—The economy of the Cordillera Administrative Region rose by 3.7 percent last year due to the robust growth of the services and industry sectors, a report from the Cordillera office of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-CAR) stated. The regional economy grew by 3.3 percent increase in 2014.

Villafe Alibuyog, PSA-CAR for half of the total output at 50.5 regional director, revealed the re- percent, followed by the services gion’s industry sector accounted sector at 40 percent and agricul-

ture, hunting, forestry and fishing (AHFF) at 9.5 percent.

Alibuyog said the percentage of services in the total output of the region increased while the shares of industry and AHFF decreased.

“Industry grew at a faster pace from 2.6 percent in 2014 to 3.2 percent last year due to the growth of manufacturing and construction.

Manufacturing is still the biggest contributor, accelerating from 0.9 percent growth in 2014 to 4.4 percent in 2015. Construction also grew but on a slower pace from 8.3 percent to 1.9 percent,” she stressed.

On the other hand, the PSA-CAR official claimed electricity, gas and water supply (EGWS) contracted from 4.6 percent to negative 8.7 percent while mining and quarrying reversed from 19.9 percent in 2014 to negative 4.0 last year.

According to her, services accelerated from 5.1 percent in 204 to 6.5 percent last year while the sub-industry of other services, which includes tourism, accelerated the fastest from two percent to 7.4 percent last year, followed by transportation, storage and communication from 4.6 percent to seven percent and real estate, rent-

ing and business activities from 6.8 percent to seven percent.

Alibuyog emphasized the rest of the sub industries slowed down with trade from 8.2 percent in 2014 to 7.2 percent last year, financial intermediation from 6.6 percent to six percent, and public administration and defense from 4.2 percent to 1.4 percent.

Relatedly, AHFF further contracted from negative 0.3 percent in 2014 to negative 4.1 percent last year due to the negative growth of the agriculture and forestry subindustry which further contracted by 4.1 percent in 2015.

More infra needed for Miss U – solon

Tacloban, Palo LGUs laud FOI EO signing

By Maricel V Cruz LEYTE Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt-Romualdez on Friday said she was confident President Rodrigo Duterte whom she regards as no non-sense action man will prioritize the renovation of the country’s airports and tourism infrastructures after the country secured the right to host the 2017 Miss Universe pageant.

For one thing, the President earned the reputation as a no non-sense action man who got things done. I trust his leadership to fix the airport concerns and tourism problems. The event will place us in the international spotlight and will boost our tourism, Kittilstvedt-Romualdez, a former Binibining Pilipinas International 1996, said.

Kittilstvedt-Romualdez—the wife of former House independent bloc leader and former Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who is both president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and the Philippine Constitution Association recalled that the Manila airport in the past had suffered congestion, security, technical concerns, not so good maintenance and alleged overcharging of airport taxis and among others.

Kittilstvedt-Romualdez lauded President Duterte, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and reigning Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach for clinching the chance to host the pageant in the Philippines on Jan. 30, 2017, at the Mall of Asia Arena.

This will encourage new in-

By Mel Caspe

Kittilstvedt-Romualdez

vestments that would provide jobs and earn the Philippines a name as a venue for more big international events,” she added.

Kittilstvedt-Romualdez noted that in beauty pageants, the young, talented, intelligent and charismatic women have been given a shot at their dreams and these competitions also bring inspiration to the people.

She also pointed out that hosting an international beauty pageant, especially the Miss Universe is as illustrious as winning the crown itself.

By hosting the event, we already won the competition because it signifies that we live in a prosperous, peaceful and orderly nation, Kittilstvedt-Romualdez said.

She also stressed that beauty pageants should be supported because these promote good advocacies and have been fostering humanity and humility.

Kittilstvedt-Romualdez is a staunch advocate of women and children s rights.

INDIGENTS. Mindanao mayors view the Listahan database of poor households compiled by the Department of Social Welfare and Development of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. OMAR MANGORSI

DA gives 300 boats to fisherfolk

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY The Department of Agriculture will hand over 300 motorized fishing bancas to fisherfolk in the City in time for the 31st Kadayawan festival from August 15 to August 21.

DA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said bancas will come with a complete set of fishing tools. Each fishing boat, which is made of

fiberglass, costs P70,000 each.

“The project aims to improve the lives of the families of fishermen in the city,” he added.

Piñol said they will give one banca to be shared by two families, who will be responsible for taking care of the fishing boat.

We are targeting the 600 poorest families as beneficiaries of the project, he said. This is one of our interventions to

address the poverty experienced by the fishery sector.

Piñol said that he has already talked to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte about his plan. The Davao City local government will identify project beneficiaries.

During the campaign period, the fisherfolk in the city asked several politicians to give them motor boats that they will use in fishing.

Catbalogan is 46th most competitive city–NCC

By Mel Caspe CATBALOGAN CITY—The National Competitiveness Council (NCC) has recognized the great strides made by this city and ranked it the 46th most competitive city in 2015.

Catbalogan, which achieved cityhood in 2009, ranked 104th in the 2014 NCC survey.

Alibuyog bared services contributed most to the region’s overall growth rate at 2.5 percentage points followed by industry at 1.6 percentage points.

However, AHFF pulled down the region’s growth rate by 0.4 percentage points because of its negative growth over the past two years.

Alibuyog added the region’s economy realized positive growth over the past four years with a two-percent growth in 2012 before significantly increasing to 5.4 percent in 2013 and dropped to 3.3 percent in 2014 and then increased to 3.7 percent last year.

The big jump in ranking cited great strides in government efficiency, infrastructure and economic dynamism.

Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan personally received the award on July 14, 2016 during the 4th Regional Competitiveness Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center.

“I am elated by the latest result. Our big jump from 104th to 46th spot out of hundreds of components cities in our nation rewards the hard work of our employees, the cooperation of various agencies in the city and the support of the people of Catbalogan,” UyTan said.

The city mayor added that

she shares the recognition with their development partners.

“It is through their generous inputs that we were able to improve our programs and services,” Uy-Tan said.

The city mayor appealed to her constituents and their development partners to continue helping the city government by working together to

make Catbalogan one of the most truly progressive cities in the country.

“Let it not be a cause for us to be complacent. If anything, let this victory further remind us how much we can achieve if we will be united. Let us therefore work together for the attainment of the much higher goal—the top spot,” she said.

TACLOBAN CITY—The signing of the Freedom on Information by President Rodrigo Duterte was hailed by two mayors in Leyte who have experienced their share of criticism both from the public and the media.

Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzales Romualdez and Palo Mayor Remedios “Matin” Petilla hailed the President for issuing an executive order fleshing out the FOI. “I think it’s the right of the people to get information.

Here in the city hall, we are not hiding anything. We are transparent,” Romualdez said.

For her part, Mayor Petilla said her administration also allows the public and the media access to public records. However, Petilla was told a Tacloban press conference that “not all information being sought by the media should be given. I think there should be some limitations for the media.”

She, however, did not set the limit of freedom of information, saying she was still waiting for more guidelines on the executive order issued by the President.

The Palo town mayor, who had also served as governor and a congresswoman, stressed that she supports Duterte’s campaign to make public officials accountable to the public and the media.

Both Romualdez, a first-term mayor who served for nine years as a councilor, and Petilla have been subject to media criticism of their peformance as public servants.

On July 24, Duterte signed an executive order on FOI. The executive order states that all Filipinos shall be given access to information, records and documents to official government transactions, to include research data.

The National Press Club Philippines also welcomed the signing of the executive order on FOI.

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LGUs

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

124 online game permits voided

By Romeo Dizon

C

LARK FREEPORT, Pampanga—The Philippine Games and Amusement Corp. has revoked the permits of 124 online e-game outlets throughout the country for violation of its existing rules and regulations.

Pagcor Chairman Andrea mostly bingo, had no venues.

Domingo in a media forum It was learned that each eFriday said the permits were game permit is worth only revoked because the e-games, P40,000 but unscrupulous hold-

ers sell them to others for several millions of pesos.

The government earns about P8 billion to P9 billion a year from online gambling alone, Domingo said.

The past administration of Pagcor did not issue any permits to casinos but they had permitted online gaming.

Domingo said Pagcor has stopped issuing permits for online gaming in the meantime.

Pagcor runs 45 casinos and

different operators manage 11 others. Among online games there are 424 e-game and 302 e-bingo permits.

The government earns about P50 billion a year from casinos and online gaming, and the profits are distributed to other government agencies like Philippines Sports Commission who received P103 million in June.

Domingo stressed that starting next year, Pagcor’s contri-

butions to other government agencies will be deposited to the Bureau of Treasury so that they will be included in the national budget for the sake of transparency and accountability.

Some government agencies like PSC are always asking for donation, she said, but when asked to submit documents on how they spend the money they always fail to do so, Domingo said.

With regards to the order of

President Rodrigo Duterte to Pagcor to rid the country of online illegal gambling, Domingo said that an executive order is now being prepared to determine illegal operators, especially those near churches, schools and other prohibited areas.

She added that a task force on illegal gambling is now being organized in cooperation with the police and law enforcement agencies of the government.

Camanava cuts street crime rate

THE aggressive anticrime and anti-illegal drug operations carried out by the the Northern Police District and Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela police stations helped decreased the crime rate, specifically of street crimes in the four localities.

NPD director, Senior Supt.

Roberto Fajardo said the crime rate went down after the strict implementation of the Chief PNP’s ‘’Project Double Barrel and Oplan Tokhang Campaign Camanava wide.”

Based on the data presented by the District Investigation and Detection Management Division, NPD for July 2016, robbery was reduced by 6.25 percent, theft cases went down by 31.57 percent, cases of carnapping sank 100 percent and motornapping dropped by 38.46 percent.

This July physical injuries plunged by 66.40 percent.

From July 1 to 26, 2016, 245 suspected drug users or push-

ers were arrested for violating Republic Act 9165 (the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act) and 51 wanted persons were likewise arrested.

“Crimes such as murders, rape and robberies are committed mostly by persons under the influence of illegal drugs,” said Fajardo.

Fajardo vowed to continue the district’s “no let up” drive against all forms of criminality and illegal drugs activities until the whole of Camanava area is freed from the danger of criminality.

The NPD director also claimed that fighting crime and illegal drugs is a shared responsibility between the police and the community and therefore community support is essential to achieve a peaceful and drug-free community.

Residents may reach the NPD at telephone numbers 287-3717 (landline), 09208684916 (Smart) and 09173885970 (Globe).

WET ONES. Children frolic in a mudhole on a rainy afternoon in Bugnay, Kalinga. DAVID CHAN

QC adopt foreign programs for seniors 1st phase of Tacloban QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista is considering adopting some programs for the elderly in some countries with aging populations, such as Japan, Hawaii or European countries.

In line with this, the Mayor has instructed the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) to study how the city government could come up with more active programs that will let senior citizens remain competitive and productive despite their age.

The city government is mandat-

ed to allocate at least one percent of its annual budget to programs for senior citizens in the city. Its implementation, provided for under an ordinance, will commence in 2017. The Quezon City government is the first local government unit in the country to come up with such an ordinance.

We are studying how best to use the funds to assist the elderly, the Mayor said.

The OSCA record some 400,000 registered senior citizens in the city.

The city s government s efforts to provide senior citizens greater access to quality health services also include enrolment in the Community Health Information Tracking System.

Bautista is also hiring retirees on part-time basis as tutors for public schools, caregivers for health centers, value formation teachers for day-care centers and as support staff in the city s department of public order and safety for retired military and police officers.

The city s social services development department oversees the implementation of the city s volunteer work program for senior citizens and retirees with skills, which had been described as a pioneering effort by a local government unit.

As a token of appreciation for their volunteer work, the city government is providing each retiree with a monthly incentive pay of P3,500 for rendering 24 hours of volunteer work in a month.

Teenage pregnancies rising in Zamboanga

By A. Perez Rimando ZAMBOANGA CITY—Due to increasing sexual activity, many young Zamboanga Peninsula females have become teenage mothers, a local educator said.

A recent Region IX study conducted by Western Mindanao State University professor Rosalyn Echem revealed that “31.6 percent of teenage women have already engaged in pre-marital sex.”

Echem’s survey, entitled “2013 young adult fertility and sexuality” covering some 1,000 respondents showed that in 2002, only 11.9 percent of the girls engaged in premarital

sex…but this nearly tripled to 31.6 percent in 2013.

She disclosed that girls as young as 13 already have sex, even as 92 percent of them admitted “their first sexual intercourse was borne out of love.”

Echem added that most of the sex acts occurred in the respondents’ homes, boarding houses or motels.

She appealed to the Department of Health and the Commission on Population to adopt advocacy programs on value formation for the youth, parents and communities in terms of reproductive, sexual and health rights to help arrest local rising teenage pregnancy.

bridge project seen complete in August

TACLOBAN CITY—The half lane in the ongoing reconstruction of the vital Hiagsam Bridge along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc national highway is now complete, said the Second Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH 2nd LED), and declared that the first phase of the bridge project will be completed by August.

The target date of completion was this July however, driving its huge pier deep down into soil caused additional days of work including soil exploration and boring tests prior to the actual construction.

The DPWH 2nd LED has reported the bridge to be 83 percent complete, with half of the lane of the main bridge already poured with concrete, and the other half will be completed soon.

DPWH 2nd LED District engineer Carlos Veloso said this was part of the first phase of the project as the new bridge will have a total of four lanes to accommodate increasing traffic.

The Hiagsam Bridge is a reinforced concrete deck girder bridge that is 19.3 meters wide and will span a length of 50.8 meters. The bridge will be expanded on each side in line with the road widening projects being done to highways adjacent to the bridge.

The bridge was damaged during Typhoon “Senyang” in 2014 and formal works on the bridge commenced in November 2015. The bridge reconstruction is being done on a P37.9-million budget.

Other improvement works will also be done on the bridge such as slope protection, drainage and sidewalks.

Construction is being done by MWJ Construction through the supervision of the DPWH 2nd LED. An asphalt overlay detour spillway has been constructed as an alternative bridge and has since been utilized to provide access along this route.

The detour bridge is accessible to motorcycle, light vehicles and medium truck. The detour bridge runs both ways.

PNA

ARMM-DoST 3 scholarship grants COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao—The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Department of Science and Technology has started to accept applications for its three Science and Technology scholarship programs for school year 2017-2018.

DoST Regional Secret a r y My r na Mang kabu ng said the agency will extend to qualif ied st udents scholarship prog rams for the Philippi ne Science

High School, the Ju n ior Level Science Scholarship Prog ram (J LSSP), and the Accelerated Science and Tech nolog y Hu man Re sou rce Development Pro g ram (ASTH R DP).

Mangkabung said the PSHS offers “a secondary course which stresses subjects in sciences to prepare Top 10 elementary school graduates with a rating of 85 percent for a science career.”

Its entrance test is set for Oct. 22, 2016.

She explained that JLSSP exam is for deserving thirdyear college students enrolled in DoST priority courses, like engineering, basic and applied sciences who are willing to teach in public high schools after graduation.

The program seeks to strengthen the science and technology education “by helping qualif ied students to f inish their degree and encouraging them to impart their knowledge on sci-

ence, math and engineering through teaching.”

Mangkabung said ASTHRDP provides scholarships to college graduates who want to pursue Master’s or Doctorate degree “to boost global competitiveness for S&T researchers and produce top-level human resources” in, among others, Agriculture, Biological Sciences, Applied Mathematics/Physics, and Environmental Sciences. A. Perez Rimando

World

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

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Traitors’ graves for putschists I

STANBUL—It’s a barren plot on the outskirts of Istanbul, its stony ground baking under the merciless summer sun. A single sign gives a macabre clue as to the intended use of the arid patch.

“Traitors’ graveyard,” say the white capital letters on the black sign, planted on two stakes into the ground.

The cemetery was created to bury Turkish rebel soldiers

whose failed July 15 putsch claimed a total of 270 lives but did not manage to unseat the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The location has been chosen

with the apparent intention to offer the minimum glory in burial -- just near a construction site where a project to build a shelter for street animals is under way.

The Turkish authorities say 24 plotters were killed in the coup.

Only one soldier has been buried in the graveyard so far.

Captain Mehmet Karabekir reportedly killed a local headman during the power grab attempt and his body was rejected

by his family and relatives.

There is no gravestone on his tomb but just a pile of soil. Next to his, three more empty graves have been dug.

“The dead body was carried in an ambulance, with no sirens.

He was laid to rest by a handful of people and then it was over,” one witness told Agence France Presse (AFP).

Civilians are banned from visiting the cemetery and media are

accompanied by a security official for taking any video or pictures.

Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas, in remarks carried by Turkish media, said the idea to create a “traitors’ graveyard” had been floated during a municipal meeting.

“Those who betray this nation cannot rest in peace even in their tombs,” he said.

Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate, Diyanet, said after the

putsch there would not be any funeral services or prayers for the rebel soldiers involved in the coup.

“Funeral prayers are made for the deceased by his Muslim brothers for redemption. But those people, by resorting to that action, trampled on the law not only of individuals but an entire nation.

“They did not deserve redemption or prayers of their Muslim brothers.” AFP

Two-state solution to ME crisis mulled Washington—US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas in Paris on Saturday to discuss progress toward a twostate solution, the State Department said.

“The secretary is not looking at trying to make progress based on a fixed date on the calendar,” spokesman John Kirby told reporters Thursday.

Instead, Kerry will speak with “Abbas about prospects for a two-state solution, and trying to make meaningful progress to create the conditions... where that solution can be more successfully pursued,” Kirby said.

Kerry will travel to Paris late Friday before returning on Sunday. He may also meet with other leaders for bilateral discussions, although Kirby gave no further details on the matter.

“This is something he has been focused on since he has been the secretary of state, and will remain so for, I can assure you, the entire time that he’s in office,” Kirby said.

“You’ve seen the travel that he has made to the region. This remains an area of prime focus for him.”

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been frozen for two years, with hopes that it could be revived before the end of President Barack Obama’s administration now mostly dashed.

The Middle East diplomatic quartet—the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States—urged Israel to stop building settlements and Palestinians to cease incitement to violence in a July report that drew a frosty response from both sides. AFP

New Taiwan president apologizes for IP abuse TAITUNG City—For Tama Talum of Taiwan’s aboriginal Bunun mountain people, hunting is a way of life, integral to his tribal customs -- but after his arrest for illegally killing a deer and goat on land near his village, he fears those traditions will soon die out.

It is just one of many cases reflecting the wrangle between Taiwan’s authorities and its indigenous people, with critics arguing laws discriminate against aboriginal culture and that society as a whole has little understanding of it.

New president Tsai Ing-wen— the first Taiwanese leader with aboriginal blood—will attempt to ease those tensions when she delivers the first ever apology to the island’s indigenous people on August 1 for injustices over the centuries.

“An apology isn’t going to solve all the problems, but symbolically it shows Tsai is willing to face this issue,” said Kolas Yotaka, a legislator of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who is from the largest Amis tribe.

She added: “It gives us hope.”

However, for Talum, the damage is done.

The 57-year-old is a free man while he awaits the result of an appeal at the Supreme Court after an uproar in the aboriginal community over his three-anda-half year sentence for possessing an illegal weapon and hunting protected species.

Aboriginal hunters are legally only allowed to use homemade guns—which they say can been dangerous and have led to injuries—and to hunt on festival days, restrictions to which many tribespeople object.

Talum’s arrest has already stopped younger tribe members wanting to hunt, he says.

“Some of them are scared after seeing me being dragged away. They don’t want to learn.

I was an optimistic man but it’s hard to be upbeat,” he told Agence France Presse.

Anthropologists say Taiwan’s aboriginals migrated from Malaysia or Indonesia and now make up about two percent of the island’s population.

Their sense of injustice revolves mainly around the loss of ancestral land rights, which first came under threat when immigrants from China arrived 400 years ago. AFP

LOST. In this photograph taken on March 10, 2012, Indian tiger ‘Jai’ walks through woods at The Umred Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary some 80

kilometers south-east of Nagpur in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. A massive search operation is underway in India for the country’s most famous tiger, with millions of adoring fans worried sick about the big cat known as Jai who went missing three months ago. Named after Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s character in the hit 1975 film “Sholay”, the tiger shot to nationwide fame three years ago after embarking on an epic hike through villages, rivers and perilously dangerous highways in successful pursuit of a mate. AFP

Japan composer dreams of ‘perfect album’ PARIS—Before he dies, the Oscar-winning Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto wants to do just one thing: “To record the perfect album. That is my dearest wish.”

The actor-musician burst onto the international scene with his soundtrack for the 1983 film “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” in which he also played a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp commandant opposite his friend David Bowie.

The rock legend’s death earlier this year shook Sakamoto badly, having only just survived throat cancer himself.

“It left me in shock for a long time,” Sakamoto told Agence France Presse in a low, barely audible voice.

“It took me more than a month and a half to accept the reality of his death. I couldn’t believe it.”

Bowie died on the same day

as the Golden Globe awards, in which Sakamoto had been nominated for his score for “The Revenant,” marking his comeback from cancer.

Still exhausted by his illness, the pianist had toiled for months on the soundtrack.

“I worked on the music for six long months. Normally it would take me two months maximum.

Sometimes four weeks is enough.

But it was terribly difficult,” he added.

“It was just after my treatment, and I wasn’t back on my feet.

My morale wasn’t the best and it wasn’t an ideal situation,” said the 64-year-old, a pioneer of synthpop, techno and house music genres.

But his love of nature and working on an installation with his friend and longtime collaborator artist Shiro Takatani for “The Great Animal Orchestra” exhibi-

tion in Paris helped put him back on his feet.

“It’s a choreography of tiny (aquatic) creatures,” he said.

“I’m just delighted to be living, to be able to have a simple conversation, to feel a ray of sunlight on my skin and listen to the breeze move through the leaves of a tree.”

The composer was speaking on a visit to the French capital, where the work is on show at the Fondation Cartier until January 2017.

A huge star in his native Japan, like Bowie he has lived in New York for years. But Sakamoto still misses “the beautiful facets of Japanese culture” and particularly Kyoto, the most traditional of Japanese cities.

Working with Takatani -- who lives there -- helps bridge the gap.

The pair have been collaborating for nearly two decades on works like “Garden Live” (2007) in the

Daitoku-ji Buddhist temple in Kyoto, and on “Forest Symphony” in 2013.

Sakamoto—who won his Oscar for Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Emperor in 1987, in which he also acted—said composing for an art installation was “completely different than for a disc, a concert or a film.”

While he was working on “The Revenant” for director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, he was also preparing another score for “Nagasaki: Memories of My Son” by the veteran Japanese director Yoji Yamada.

And he has done another soundtrack since for the Korean Lee Sang-il’s “Anger,” which comes out later this year.

But it is his own music which is preoccupying Sakamoto now.

Having gone seven years without making an album, he said “it is time to bring out another.” AFP

Australia bucks ex-PM’s bid for top UN position

MOURNING. African and Indonesian relatives of Nigerian drug convict Sech Osmane gather at Saint Carolus hospital morgue in Jakarta on July 29, 2016 after his execution at Nusa Kambangan island, home to a high-security prison. Indonesia executed four drug convicts but 10 others due to face the firing squad were given an apparent reprieve in a confused process one lawyer condemned as a “complete mess”. AFP

SYDNEY—Australia refused Friday to back former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s bid to be the next Secretary General of the United Nations, saying he was not suited to the job.

Rudd was spectacularly dumped as prime minister by his own Labor Party in 2010, with colleagues subsequently alleging that his office was chaotic and he was difficult to work with.

“This is not a partisan issue, this is a considered judgment,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is from the rival Liberal Party, said when announcing the decision in Sydney.

“This is a judgment about Mr. Rudd’s suitability for that particular role.”

Canberra revealed earlier this month that the Mandarinspeaking Rudd, who is based in New York as head of the Asia Society policy institute, was keen to lead the global body.

Candidates must be nomi-

nated by their governments and Turnbull said he made the decision not to put Rudd forward after consulting with his cabinet.

Turnbull said he explained his decision to Rudd—who brought Labor out of the political wilderness in a 2007 election landslide—but would not elaborate on his reasons.

“When the Australian government nominates a person for a job, particularly an international job like this, the threshold question is, ‘Do we believe the person, the nominee, the wouldbe nominee, is well suited for that position?’” he asked.

“My judgment is that Mr. Rudd is not, and I’ve explained to him the reasons why.”

Rudd, who was dumped as prime minister by his colleagues in 2010 for Julia Gillard only to be reinstalled briefly as Labor faced an electoral wipeout in 2013, had the support of Turnbull’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. AFP

C4

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

World

HISTORY. Balloons come down on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine at the end of the fourth and final night of the Democratic National Convention at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AFP

US doubts Al-Nusra split from Al-Qaeda WASHINGTON—The US government said Thursday it will continue to consider Al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch, Al-Nusra Front, a security threat despite the group’s announcement that it was breaking ties with the global terror network.

“Al-Nusra Front leaders continue to maintain the intent to conduct eventual attacks in and against the West,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.

Al-Nusra announced the split in a video, broadcast by Al-Jazeera, which showed its leader Abu Mohamad al-Jolani for the first time.

Jolani said Al-Nusra changed its name to Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (Front of the Conquest of Syria) and would unify ranks with other mainstream fighters in Syria.

“We certainly see no reasons to believe that their actions or their objectives are any different,” said State Department spokesman John Kirby.

“They are still considered a foreign terrorist organization,” Kirby said. “We judge a group by what they do, not by what they call themselves.”

Al-Qaeda, founded by Osama bin Laden and to which Al-Nusra pledged allegiance in 2013, encouraged the split to protect “the jihad of the Syrian people.”

Analysts said Al-Nusra aims to rebrand and defend itself as it comes under increased pressure after Moscow and Washington agreed to step up joint efforts against jihadist groups.

US intelligence chief James Clapper called the split “a public relations move.” AFP

Stars show up for Clinton P

hiladelphia—Clinton on Thursday promised Americans her “primary mission” in the White House would be to lift up those left behind by an uneven economy, as she becomes the first woman to accept the Democratic nomination.

“My primary mission as president will be to create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States,” Clinton said, according to prepared remarks released by her campaign.

Shortly before Clinton’s high-stakes speech to accept the presidential nomination on Thursday, the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia brought out one of the biggest stars there is—Katy Perry.

The 31-year-old pop singer briefly gave the arena the aura of one of her shows, with delegates dancing with their illuminated phones in the air.

Clutching a microphone decked out in a sparkling US flag, Perry sang two songs that Clinton could easily take as anthems—her hit “Roar” and her latest single “Rise.”

Perry’s voice returned at the end of the convention as Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine came out to her blockbuster song “Firework,” as real fireworks erupted from the

stage at a packed Philadelphia sports arena.

Perry, noting that her own parents supported Trump’s Republican Party, urged young Americans to vote on November 8.

“You will have as much say as any billionaire. Or you can just cancel out your weird cousin’s vote if you like,” she said.

While many of the pop singer’s legions of fans are unlikely to have been watching the convention, Perry used a tool that she has mastered like few others -- social media.

Perry, who has described her-

self as Clinton’s “number one fan,” shared her message over Twitter where she has more followers than anyone else in the world -- 91 million, far more than the number of votes for President Barack Obama in 2012.

Perry was not the only prominent musician to take the stage at the Democratic convention.

Folk legend Paul Simon sang on the opening night, while Lenny Kravitz, Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men and Demi Lovato were among the performers.

Outside the arena, pop diva Lady Gaga and Snoop Dogg,

Zika hotspot to host world surfing contest JACO—Next month, international surfers converging on a popular Costa Rican beach for the World Surfing Games will be facing more than big waves and tough competition—the zone is also a Zika hotspot.

But promoters of the August 6-14 event in the Pacific coastal town of Jaco, which is organized by the International Surfing Association, insist there’s little to worry about, except for pregnant women.

“We have Zika cases, as the whole country does. People can come to Jaco without any fear,” Tobias Murillo, the mayor of the Garabito region that includes Jaco, told Agence France Presse.

However health ministry figures show that, of the 238

Transgender people not mentally ill—study

cases of Zika infection in Costa Rica, 106 of them are in Garabito, making it the worst-hit area of the country.

Local authorities have bought equipment to fumigate spots where mosquitos— the main vector for transmission of the virus -- could accumulate. They plan to use them just before the surf tournament.

Zika can also be transmitted by sex, and has been found to live on in sperm for as long as 93 days, according to a case reported last week in the British medical journal The Lancet.

The virus, which has spread through much of tropical Latin America and the Caribbean, generally provokes few or no symptoms. AFP

Pontiff decries crimes in the name of religion KRAKÓW—Pope Francis was set to meet Holocaust survivors at the former Auschwitz death camp in Poland Friday, as well as people who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis.

The Argentine will lead prayers for the 1.1 million mostly Jewish victims and has said that rather than making a speech he will stand in silent contemplation of the horrors committed and let his tears flow.

As he arrived on Wednesday in Poland—the heartland of Nazi Germany’s World War II atrocities—the pontiff warned that the world had been plunged into a piecemeal Third World War.

He has repeatedly denounced those committing crimes in the name of religion, after Europe suffered a string of deadly jihadist attacks.

Francis will walk through the notorious “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Sets You Free) gate at Auschwitz, before meeting the survivors in front of the death wall where the Nazis summarily shot thousands of inmates.

The pontiff, who has forged ever-closer ties between the Catholic Church and Jews since his election in 2013, will meet 12 survivors, including a 101-year-old woman, at the site which is now a memorial and museum. AFP

the hip-hop great and marijuana enthusiast, also entertained delegates.

When a documentary-style biography appeared at the convention to introduce Clinton, the audience heard the immediately recognizable voice of Morgan Freeman.

Other Hoallywood A-listers who offered their star power to help Clinton included Meryl Streep, who highlighted the former secretary of state’s historic role as the first woman nominee from a major party for the world’s most powerful job. AFP

CONSERVATIVE. A burqa-clad Afghan woman walks along a road in Herat on on Thursday. AFP

PULCHRITUDE. Models present creations by Colombian brand Agua Bendita during the Colombiamoda fashion show in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia. AFP

MEXICO City—Transgender identity should no longer be classified as a mental disorder in a World Health Organization list of diseases, according to a study presented in Mexico on Thursday.

Violence and social rejection are the cause of mental distress and impairment among transgender people, not their gender identity, according to the research published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry.

“If it’s not a disease now, then it never was. This should be clear,” Eduardo Madrigal, president of the Mexican Association of Psychiatry, said at a news conference.

The field study was conducted between April and August 2014 among 250 transgender adults who were receiving health care services at the Condesa Specialized Clinic in Mexico City.

The group went through an interview which found that 83 percent had experience distress over their gender identity during adolescence.

It is the first in a series of similar studies that will be conducted in Brazil, France, India, Lebanon and South Africa.

The results will be presented at the 11th revision in 2018 of the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases, a diagnostic tool for health care providers around the world.

“This reclassification will not only promote discussions for new health policies for the trans community to have better access to health services, but it will also help to reduce the stigma and rejection that they are victims of,” said Ana Fresan, one of the study’s authors. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

YOUTH

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

D1

FROM TEACHER TO MISER

Menchu remains focused as

Miss Hannigan I

T takes a brilliant actress to be nice to kids offstage and terrifying on stage as the miserable Miss Hannigan in Resorts World Manila’s (RWM) upcoming family musical Annie. Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo is definitely the perfect actress for it.

Also serving as co-artistic director for RWM’s Full House Theater Company and president of new thespian foundation Original Pilipino Performing Arts, the award-winning actress, together with director Michael Williams, is currently enjoying the company of the musical’s kids cast during rehearsals, teaching them such technical elements as projection, performance energy, and going for the truth.

“Michael and I took the kids through a workshop the whole of May,” she shared. “We focused on both Annie and the orphans. Some have experience but a lot don’t and we needed to work on the children one on one to get them ready,” she added.

While admitting that she’s growing fonder of the adorable kids everyday, Lauchengco-Yulo stays focused on teaching the young ones Theater 101.

“I keep telling them they have to stop hugging me because they have to hate me but it doesn’t work,” she said jokingly. “I have fallen in love with each and every one of those girls so it will entail a lot of acting on my part”.

As Miss Hannigan, Luchengco-Yulo needed to dig deeper into the character in order to create multiple dimensions of the same for audiences. “I always work inside out. I create a history of my character. Each character I play, particularly a “villain,” must stem from a reason or action. If I don’t justify why

she behaves a certain way then my character will be one dimensional,” she revealed.

When asked what she discovered about Miss Hannigan during her character study, she shares a sad truth that quite many adults would be able to relate to. “I think there are a lot of Miss Hannigans out there. You start out idealistic about life, then in the blink of an eye, you are old and life has passed you by,” she shared.

Though very much adaptable to challenging roles, the First Lady of Philippine Musical Theater is all set and ready to play Miss Agatha Hannigan when Annie opens on Sept. 30 at RWM’s Newport Performing Arts Theater. “Hannigan is a drunk and she is always intimidated. I think she drinks to escape her problems,” she said of her role. “I will need to portray her intoxicated, but I will not make it too over the top. More like she is coping with being drunk,” she added.

Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (right) plays the villain Miss Agatha Hannigan in Resorts World Manila’s musical ‘Annie’—the titular role will be played by Isabeli Araneta Elizalde (left) and Krystal Brimner

In real life however, Lauchengco-Yulo Tickets for Annie are now available is definitely no Miss Hannigan with her at the RWM Box Office and all Ticketown children Nicole and Luis growing World outlets. up. “Oh gosh... No! I wasn’t the disciplinarian at all. I always gave in to them but Visit www.rwmanila.com/web/anniewithin reason,” she concluded. the-musical/ for more information.

SUITING UP KIDS FOR TRAVEL

WE all know how their traveling adventures have been the touchstone of Inspiration Seekers Char Carlos and Leona Panutat in selecting their wonderful artisanal finds at L’ Indochine stores.

With that, L’Indochine has become a store known for its eclectic modern Asian finds and interiors. These include fashion items, furniture, and home accents, which are handmade by skilled craftsmen and local artisans from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and other Asian countries.

Right now, C&L, as they like to be called, are also looking at local artists, designers, and artisans to bring in new products that L’Indochine customers will love.

The latest of this is Little Luli X My Little Globetrotters, a collection of stylish, functional pieces of clothes for babies and kids recently launched at the L’Indochine store at SM Megamall.

The brand brings together two young moms, Lucien Lao Villaruz and Monica Manzano, who both share C&L’s passion for traveling. And when they are globetrotting with their kids, they like to let them play, explore and be adventurers.

Lucien is the founder of Little Luli, a line of comfortable, stylish and playful clothing for

babies and kids. Most pieces are more understated and refreshingly simple but still chic.

Monica, on the other hand, is known for her travel blog My Little Globetrotters, which documents her travels with her family.

Both hands-on moms, they have similar parenting styles, and prefer to take their kids everywhere with them. And when they met, they decided to create clothes for “kids on the go,” clothes that would be stylish and comfortable for kids who want to feel at ease when at play.

C&L met Lucien at one of L’Indochine’s workshops.

“We’re big fans of her children’s line and when we found out that she was collaborating with Monica who is also a friend of ours for My Little Globetrotters we knew we wanted the collection at our stores right away,” they say. “Not only are the clothes beautifully made, but they are easy, stylish and absolutely perfect for traveling. These pieces are exactly what we need while toting our kids all over the world.”

Lucien loved the idea as “L’Indochine is known to house wonderful pieces curated by Leona and Char’s traveling experiences, and this is a perfect place to launch.”

For the collection, Lucien designed dresses

that are reversible with two different looks – plain on one side and printed on the other.

There are crop tops and pants sets so moms don’t need to dwell on what pieces would go together. For boys there are chambray shorts and super soft tees. Some pieces are in wash and wear fabrics, so no need for ironing.

The collection incorporates Little Luli’s brand philosophy – comfortable clothing with looser cuts that can grow with the kids, as well as details like big buttons, exposed zippers, pockets and tassels – with L’Indochine touches. The latter includes the use of tassels, floral prints, and of course, “the continuous passion to seek inspiration, where it may be in places we visit, our kids and families, or things around us that that may seem simple.”

“We find beauty in all things—big and small,” says Lucien.

The Little Luli X My Little Globetrotters collection, perfect for traveling, is available at L’Indochine SM Mega Fashion Hall at SM Aura Premier.

Whether you’re planning to add a touch of the exotic to your lifestyle or searching for an exquisite gift, join us in our latest journey at L’Indochine stores located on the 4th level of SM Mega Fashion Hall and on the 3rd level of SM Aura Premier.

Kyle Perry and Kaila Estrada

New SM Youth Ambassadors THE two won the SM Youth Go-see, the biggest youth talent and model digital reality search.

When perseverance and hard work pay off, you see your dreams come alive.

This is what happened to Kyle Perry and Kaila Estrada. They strived their way to the top and won one of the biggest youth talent and model digital reality search, the SM Youth Go-See. Kyle and Kaila were screened from the original 3,000 contestants. They were shortlisted and competed against 11 other finalists. After five challenging weeks, they were declared the winners. Having won the SM Youth Go-See, they are officially the new brand ambassadors of SM Youth, joining the current league of SM Youth Ambassadors L.A Aguinaldo, Tommy Esguerra, Richard Juan, and Janna Tee. Kaila Estrada is the daughter of John Estrada and Janice de Belen. Having roots in show business, she proves to be a natural model and is very much interested in fashion.

With this, she has been featured in fashion editorials and has walked on various runways.

Kyle Perry got everyone’s attention at a noontime television show. There, he served his comic chops and charmed the audience. Aside from his love for acting and modeling, he is also a musician and dancer. The two multi-faceted winners are going to star in their own fashion campaigns, gracing a major SM Youth campaign soon.

SM Youth has always been on the lookout for fresh faces, talents and trends. From a fashion brand, it has evolved into a community and has become a depiction of the modern Filipino youth. SM Youth is available in all The SM Stores nationwide.

Visit facebook.com/SMyouthlifestyle, or drop a note @SM_Youth on Twitter and Instagram.

Martie travels in Little Luli’s Sarah Wrap Reversible Dress

Halo in floral printed reversible dress

Halo wears cropped top and pants set on her next adventure

Wyatt in The World is Our Playground tee

L’Indochine founders Leona Panutat and Char Carlos with daughter Martie

Little Luli founder Lucien Villaruz and Monica Manzano of My Little Globetrotters

Life

D2

SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

F

EDEX Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, in collaboration with Junior Achievement Philippines (JA), will send the country’s top delegates to represent the Philippines at the FedEx/Junior Achievement International Trade Challenge (ITC) in Hong Kong on Aug. 7 to 11.

The FedEx /JA ITC is an annual competition that aims to educate high school students on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and instill a global business mindset.

Ten teams from eight schools qualified to compete in the local finals, where they presented their business plans to a judging panel led by John Peterson, managing director of FedEx Express for Philippines, Indonesia, and Brunei. The panel also included Dodgie Perdigon, sales manager at FedEx Express Philippines and Mylene Abiva, president and CEO of Felta Multimedia Inc. Kylyn Angela Abat and Geraldine Anne Cruz of O.B. Montessori Center Las Piñas, Jermaine Ynna Abenoja and Joaquin Miguel Lacuna of O.B. Montessori Center Greenhills, and Catherine Roa and Christine Anne Roa of International Christian Academy topped the Philippine International Trade Challenge besting 400 delegates from 30 schools around the country. At the regional finals, they will compete against 24 teams representing Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Young Entrepreneurs

at 2016 Asia-Pacific FedEx-JA ITC The high school students who will represent the Philippines at the 2016 Asia-Pacific FedEx-JA International Trade Challenge

“FedEx has been supporting the International Trade Challenge since 2009,” said John Peterson.

“The program enables aspiring young Filipino entrepreneurs to acquire knowledge and skills that serve as the foundation for their future careers in business.

The program also caters to the strong volunteer spirit

of FedEx employees who will mentor the students in preparation for the regional finals in Hong Kong.”

FedEx believes in educating youth on the fundamentals of business, economics and entrepreneurship in a global ecosystem.

To date, the program has benefitted 3,844 stu-

dents in the Philippines with 36 representing the country at the regional challenge. In August 2015, three teams of high school students represented the Philippines in the ITC held in Singapore, where they competed against 24 other teams from eight Asia-Pacific markets.

Indonesia’s young innovators featured in CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’ NEXT month, CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’ has got its eyes on Indonesia – the world’s fourth largest country. CNN takes a look at some of the country’s biggest game changers and the personalities that are making waves in the archipelago both domestically and internationally.

In this episode, CNN’s Manisha Tank sits down with three key Indonesian figures that are young, innovative

and represent a rapidly changing and fast developing Indonesia.

‘Talk Asia’ catches up with Indonesia’s first Formula One racer Rio Haryanto, as he opens up about making history and representing Indonesia on the Grand Prix stage. Tank then meets one of the founders of lifestyle concept group Potato Head, Ronald Akili, who is representing Indonesia internationally. At his notable Potato Head Beach

Club in Bali, Akili opens up about his success in starting one of the country’s most successful business brands. Finally, CNN gets access to one of the hottest start-ups in Indonesia, Go Jek, to find out how Nadiem Makarim is hoping his app will help solve an age old problem: traffic and congestion.

Talk Asia airs on Aug. 4, 4:30 p.m. in Manila, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei and Singapore.

Indonesian dishes take centerstage in the food festival at SM Megamall

Indonesian Food Festival at SM Megamall “SIMPLY Delicious” is this year’s theme of the Indonesian Food Festival today at SM Megamall A Event Center in Mandaluyong.

In this joint project of the Indonesian Embassy in Manila and SM Megamall, 10 booths are selling Indonesian dishes that are simply delicious, diverse, vibrant, colorful and full of intense flavors at reasonable and affordable prices.

Two exhibitors offer free sampling to boost the endorsement of their Indonesian products. This event is not only aimed at promoting Indonesian cuisine, but also a means of social mission by way of donating to selected organizations.

The beneficiaries of the 2016 Indonesian Food Festival are The Ursuline Sisters of Roman Union in

Fairview Quezon City, a charitable institution for children with special needs, and the Ibnu Khaldun Integrated School, which is a Muslim school in Maharlika Village, Taguig City.

The program starts at 11 a.m., and food selling begins right after the official cutting of the ribbon.

Aside from enjoying delicious Indonesian specialties, the mall audience will also be treated with cultural performances, the first part in the morning and the second part in the afternoon. These include Indonesian dances and musical renditions using the Indonesian traditional instrument called “Angklung.”

The Indonesian Food Festival is one of the many exciting cultural events at SM Megamall.

‘Talk Asia’ host Manisha Tank sits down with Indonesia’s first Formula One racer Rio Haryanto

Go Jek founder Nadiem Makarim

Potato Head co-founder Ronald Akili

End of the Yahoo era

THE digital world is a fickle little thing.

We’ve all seen the overnight sensation apps and the viral videos and memes of the moment the accidental YouTube superstars. On the Internet, fame is a prize that you don’t have to work for.

Like the fastest connection speeds, it’s something that happens in an instant.

And as swiftly as that fame can arrive, it can disappear just as suddenly.

The demise of Internet giant Yahoo has been a long time coming. The even-

tual fall from grace has been brewing for years and was first noticed when the rest of the connected world was shifting and pivoting and disrupting while it stayed the same.

Yahoo is a pioneer of the digital revolution. Some may argue that it started it all.

And those pioneering efforts have generally been successful. At some point, we all have had Yahoo email addresses (which are probably embarrassing ones because we didn’t know any better), Yahoo Messenger accounts and have used the portal to search and look the news up. It was everything we needed. But it was just that – something we needed.

Back then, that was enough. The thing is that Yahoo was created when no one knew what the Internet was about.

Obviously, in creating something totally new, you have to base it on something that already exists. Simply, Yahoo was just the physical world taken online.

In the mid-1990s, people just consumed information and accepted whatever mass media fed them with. To be validated, something had to go through the mainstream filter and be passed on from a voice of authority to the masses.

Yahoo largely followed that pattern and it was a winning formula because that’s what the market called for.

What Yahoo neglected to consider was the emergence of new markets – the millennials and the digital natives who soon found out that the Internet could be so much more than just a source. We realized that it could be a place to explore, experiment, play, mingle, exhaust and dump our own ideas on. Yahoo’s Internet was just the tip of the iceberg. We, as a culture, discovered its other potentials.

Being folks who are never satisfied, we were never content with having just what we needed. We had to have

more. That’s where everything else on the Internet comes in. If only Yahoo gave us all our wants, then maybe we would’ve stuck with it. But it didn’t. It insisted that we were consumers, that it was the creator – because remember, it still believed that it had the formula that worked.

As other online services allowed all of us to be creators, Yahoo remained a creator as well. It refused to acknowledge that consumers could do its job.

As an aggregator, it only picked up from sources that were traditionally credible (or those that it deemed credible). Everybody else – meaning you and me – are there simply to observe and absorb.

But see, we wanted to be heard. We weren’t just going to be observers and absorbers. We had to contribute, we had to participate, we had to engage, and we had to collaborate. Social networking sites and content-uploading services al-

lowed us that. When Yahoo realized that, it was too little too late – we‘ve all moved on and forgotten that it ever existed.

Its resistance to embrace mobile proves the same point. For as long as it could, Yahoo harnessed the power of the desktop, seemingly incapable of wrapping its mind around the fact that the next logical step from the desk to the lap was to inside the pocket.

These days, the once force to be reckoned with is in the news because of its downfall. Verizon purchased its core business for a little under $5 billion, or a tiny fraction of its market value at its peak. It’s a miserable amount in terms of tech acquisitions, especially for a company that prominent.

It’s the end of an era, that’s for sure, and hopefully down the line, we remember Yahoo for all the good things it gave us, and not how it tragically fell from grace.

Showbiz

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SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

‘Ride N’ Seek’ across the Philippines anew

Jaime Dempsey will visit the country again to explore local destinations and feature them in her show ‘Ride N’ Seek’

By Anne Renee Suarez

B

ACK for another adventure-filled season, Jaime Dempsey—host of Ride N’ Seek—is set to travel again across the Philippine archipelago, in search for the Filipino identity and character.

Now on its fourth season, Jaime will continue the expedition on her motorcycle and discover more of the less explored islands in the country.

“I have to give credit to the producers of Ride N’ Seek. They really put everything together for me, the places that we visit, and the only thing that I have to do is to gain for any new experience,” Jaime told Manila Standard in an exclusive phone interview.

Last season, Jaime traveled from north to the southern tips of Luzon, meeting locals whose roots date back to the Philippine history and helped shape Filipino culture to what it is today.

“As I spent more time in the Philippines, I learned more about the history of the place and visited more historical sites and met with new people whose ancestors had been a part of some important events and for me being a little bit more connected to the place historically brought me a little bit closer to it,” she said.

The American rider recounted that the most remarkable out of all the experiences she had was in Kalinga that left a lasting memory.

“Kalinga really captured a piece of my heart and I really do actually want to go back there on my own sometime.”

Jaime narrated how she rode a tricycle up the

mountain and a two-hour hike up into Apo WhangOd’s village and got tattooed by the nonagenarian artist.

“For me it was actually about picking up the tradition. Whang Od did the front part of my shoulder tattooed and I’m thinking I’d really love to go back and have her niece continue it onto the back part of my shoulder and have that kind of older and younger generation touching on both sides of my shoulder,” the host said.

Jaime has been riding bikes for 10 years now.

And the advocacy that comes with this adventure is simply to show the beauty and history of the different places she travels to.

“I’m trying to showcase the different places that I visit, try and show places that maybe travelers wouldn’t ordinarily think to visit. And so with the Philippines, I’ve been trying to show the beauty of the country and the culture and I want to inspire other people to visit there,” she said.

For the fourth season, Jaime will make her way back to Metro Manila, to the party-paradise that is Boracay, the historical city of Cebu, the islands of Bohol, the twin provinces of Samar and Leyte, and lastly to Northern Mindanao.

Ride N’ Seek airs on the History Channel. It will premiere on Aug. 28, Sunday at 10 p.m..

Look younger

Quezon’s Teen Model vies at Mr. Teen International pageant

with Ricky Reyes WANT to look younger than your age now?

Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT) introduces a new lifting technique which injects multiple threads for lifting effect and for enhancing cell engraftment to the treatment areas called the Power Cell Lift.

Power Cell Lift is classified as ‘minimal invasive’ and produces high satisfaction as a lifting treatment even without cell therapy. It is painless, non-surgical and the needles used is so tiny and safe enough even for use in cardiac arrest cases.

Ricky Reyes also introduces his

FOR Myrna Mandalo, an avid listener of GMA Network’s flagship AM and FM stations Super Radyo DZBB 594 khZ and Barangay LS 97.1 Tugstugan Na!, a Petron receipt became her ticket to becoming a millionaire. She was announced the grand winner of the nationwide send-in raffle promo, RGMA Pera Sorpresa 5.

Mandalo, a 26-year old housewife and mother of two, received P1 million in the awarding ceremony held in Quezon City on July 21. Present at the awarding were RGMA Network, Inc. President Mike Enriquez, promo sponsors and clients’ representatives with the Radio Sales team and Radio GMA officers.

Apart from the grand prize, the promo, which aired on all AM and FM stations of RGMA nationwide, also produced had five consolation winners

‘healing facial treatment’ using his magic Magnesium. This treatment addresses pimples and acne problems plus a host of other ailments.

Winners of Miss Philippines Earth 2016 share their beauty secrets and regimens on how to stay beautiful inside and out.

Tune in from 9 to 10 a.m. today to Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT) on GMA News TV with host Ricky Reyes an learn all about looking younger.

RGMA Pera Sorpresa 5

That Doi Suthep Temple, one of the city’s top attractions. The participants had the chance to experience feeding elephants on a visit to the Mae-Sa Elephants Camp.

Abadilla, a 17-year-old, 5-foot9, student of Tourism Management at Manuel Enverga University Foundation is a product of the annual Quezon’s Top Model Quest.

A resident of Lucena City, Abadilla’s participation in the Teen International Pageant was made possible by JOP/ Galaxy Events Management team under Jaylo Pizzara.

Abadilla, who plays volleyball and loves to cook, performed a modern interpretative dance to showcase Philippine tourism during the first round of the competition in Central Airport Plaza on July 23. Eton B. Concepcion

grand winner becomes a millionaire From left: RGMA Network’s Mike Enriquez, Veron de Leon and Sean Go of Mindshare for Surf-Unilever, promo winner Myrna Mandalo, Petron Media Officer Nora Cleofe, and Irene Sarmiento of Starcom

of P25000.00, with one winner each Petron, Nesfruta, Sunflower Crackers, from North Luzon, South Luzon, Mega Surf Powder Detergent, Vfresh and Air21 Manila, Visayas and Mindanao. are the sponsors of the promo.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, July 30, 2016

ACROSS 1 Within reason 5 Yield, as territory 9 Place for posies 13 Sporty trucks 14 “Aquarius” musical 15 Bachelor’s last stop 17 Slow pitches 18 Humorist — Bombeck 19 Beetle Bailey’s pal 20 Solve 22 Looked high and low 24 Ties up the phone 25 Mandates 26 Plain 29 Hear or smell 31 Rust or patina 32 Iris-like flower 33 Cornfield sound 36 Kyoto cash 37 Spy’s transgression 40 Ron who played Tarzan 41 Formic acid producer 42 Octavian’s legion 43 Canoe anagram 45 Gutter sites

MISTER Teen International Philippines 2016 Mark Spencer Abadilla of Quezon’s Top Model Quest was in Thailand to represent the country at the 16th edition of International Teen Prince and Teen Princess pageant in Chiang Mai from July 21 to 25.

The Children’s and Teens Pageant Festival, with some 20 countries and 60 participants, was part of the program celebrating the 720th Founding Anniversary of Chiang Mai City.

Director Khun Lyn Kanchayanit organized the 2016 International Teen Prince and Teen Princess pageant with the support of Chiang Mai Mayor Tassanai Buranupakorn to promote Chiang Mai tourism in coordination with the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The tour included a visit at Wat Phra

47 Kissin’ kin 48 Build, as assets 51 Annoys 52 Deli staple 54 Orchard units 58 Leave out 59 He loved Lucy 61 Remove the wrinkles from 62 Train restaurant 63 Zorro’s marks 64 “Mack the Knife” singer 65 Monster’s loch 66 Seacoast eagle 67 Enjoy, as benefits DOWN 1 Takei’s “Star Trek” role 2 Nefertiti’s god 3 Wyo. neighbor 4 Made a try 5 Impudent 6 Some nobles 7 Shady 8 Notable times 9 Fog and steam 10 Refer to 11 It may be blank 12 Fridge raider 16 Scepters 21 Car fetcher 23 Housing unit 26 Georgetown athlete

27 Water buffaloes 28 Tea herb 29 Bangs 30 No sweat 32 “Pretty Woman” lead 33 High notes 34 Jai — 35 Keenan or Ed 38 Fairy-tale black 39 Small recesses 44 More undemanding 45 Blows away 46 Ice-fishing tools 47 Vacation option

48 Still snoozing 49 Gen. — Powell 50 “I Fall to Pieces” singer 51 Peer Gynt creator 53 Wood-shaping tool 55 Dashiell contemporary 56 “Run — Run” 57 Purse closer 60 Always, in rhyme

Marc Spencer Abadilla (fifth fromleft) during his Send-Off Press party at Amethyst Square at Queen Margarette Hotel, Lucena City

Showbiz

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2016

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APUSO Premier Actress Lovi Poe remains a loyal Kapuso after signing another three-year exclusive contract with GMA Network, Inc.

Present in the contract signing were GMA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, GMA Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Felipe S. Yalong, and other network officers, and Poe’s manager Leo Dominguez.

After the contract signing, Lovi said she is very happy to renew her contract with GMA-7, her home network in the last 10 years.

“I’m just happy na nandito ako ngayon.

Nagpapasalamat ako dahil palagi nila akong binibigyan ng opportunity to work on what I’m really passionate about, which is acting and performing in front of the people who are supporting me. GMA has always been my home.”

Poe headlines the upcoming primetime series Someone To Watch Over Me with Tom Rodriguez and Max Collins.

This is the first TV project that Poe and Rodriguez are paired and she is excited to share with their fans the upcoming television series.

“Sobrang excited ako kasi first time ko to work with Tom. We already started taping and first time namin na magkaroon ng malalalim and intimate na mga eksena.

Napakahusay ni Tom kaya excited ako sa mga susunod pang eksena na darating.

Lovi Poe is

Kapuso all the way

Nagulat ako kasi napakagaling niya. So, I’m really looking forward to sharing it with everybody.”

Someone to Watch Over Me is an original series that tackles the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Lovi, the audience will learn many things about this condition, which is a disease normally associated with old age.

“Siguro it’s time we actually show people and make them aware about this illness. Kasi usually parang naiisip natin na when people get older nagiging malilimutin na sila pero it’s a certain disease na nangyayari rin pala hindi

lang sa may edad kundi sa mga kabataan din.”

Apart from this TV series, she is also set to release an album this year and is busy with her movie projects.

Atty. Gozon has nothing but praises for Lovi and considers her as one of the most beautiful and talented stars of the network, “Tayo naman ay nagagalak dahil napili tayo ni Lovi sapagkat at least para sa atin hindi lamang napakagandang artista ni Lovi kundi magaling din. Kaya nasa kanya ang dalawang katangian na hinahanap ng bawat nagpo-produce ng programa.”

to have a better life?

Karelasyon airs Saturdays after Eat Bulaga with Carla Abellana as host.

ISAH V. RED

THERE is no stopping the magic of GMA’s telefantasya, Encantadia.

The four enchanting Sang’gres Kylie Padilla, Gabbi Garcia, Sanya Lopez, and Glaiza de Castro who appeared on the series as adults for the first time last Wednesday are traveling to General Santos City today along with fellow stars Rocco Nacino and Ruru Madrid.

The stars are featured in a Kapuso Mall Show.

Following their muchawaited first appearance in the primetime series this week, the Sang’gres will meet their fans at the Convention and Events Center of KCC Mall. The show starts at 5 p.m.

Earlier this month, around 7,000 Cebuanos flocked to South Town Centre in Talisay City to see the Kapuso stars.

Around 6,000 Davaoeños and Tagumeños, meanwhile, welcomed the cast at Gaisano Mall in Tagum City on June 26.

Now that the Sang’gres are full grown ladies, the fans of the stars that play the four will have more exciting nights to look forward to as each of them display their fighting skills in the costume drama set in a the world of enchanted creatures called Encantadia. ***** At Cooking Diva Regine Velasquez-Alcasid’s home, hugot is put on the sidelines first because Traffic Diva Aicelle Santos and his reallife boyfriend, GMA News

Lovi Poe remains a loyal Kapuso as she signs a threeyear exclusive contract with the network

”Encantadia” cast members (from left) Sanya Lopez, Glaiza de Castro, Kylie Padilla, and Gabbi Garcia

‘Encantadia’

cast in GenSan today

Gabbi Garcia as Alena in the fantasy series, “Encantadia”

***** So, the Gutierrezes are back.

Last Monday, 8:30 p.m.

Asia’s most controversial showbiz family is back for a fourth season of It Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez, which anchors E!’s I Heart Pinoy Monday block.

This season, the Gutierrez siblings are flying high.

Richard has reclaimed his A-list heartthrob status as one of the most highly sought after actors in the country after a hiatus in Season 3 to spend more time with his firstborn Zion. His partner Sarah, meanwhile, has become a social media darling after being positioned by her publicists as Philippines’ “Dance Diva”.

Newlyweds Elvis and Alexa are going strong as a couple and Elvis is acting once again, while Alexa is a fully-fledged banker.

Ruffa, while riding high on the entrepreneurship wave, will have to choose between

reporter Marc Zambrano will be her special guests.

On national TV, the AiMark tandem will sing their love story for the Songbird.

But wait, who is this guy whose going to disrupt the romantic atmosphere in Diva’s home? Oh, it’s Santos’ Rak of Aegis co-star Jerald Napoles.

There’s another one that will attempt to steal the thunder form Santos and Zambrano. Haah,

In today’s episode of “Sarap Diva,” host Regine Velasquez talks to couple Aicelle Santos and Mark Zambrano

it’s Diva’s mega visitor Ti Charon.

It’s going to be a romantic Saturday morning with lots of laughter, fun and good food in today’s edition of Sarap Diva on GMA-7 after the dramatic episode of Maynila. **** 2016 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Jaclyn Jose is a mother who tries to make ends meet in today’s episode of Karelasyon.

Jaclyn plays Cristy, a solo parent who works as a collector for an illegal game, loteng, so she can provide for her children.

People might judge her for being a bad influence to

her children with such a job, and it does not help that she cannot stop her eldest son Olan (Martin del Rosario) from being a drug pusher.

Olan says he just wants to help her mother defray for the household expenses. Cristy, while she fears for her son’s life, can caution him to be careful.

Unknown to Cristy, something worse is happening in her own house. And the victim is none other than her daughter Rosita (Joyce Ching).

How will this affect Rosita’s relationship with Pol (Kristoffer Martin) whom she considers her only hope

advancing her promising career or healing a troubled relationship with beau Jordan, whom Annabelle still disapproves of.

While Eddie and Annabelle seem to be perfectly adjusting to grandparenthood, the question remains whether a quiet life is what they truly desire or do they have other career ambitions on the horizon?

Raymond, on the other hand, is taking destiny into his own hands, trusting no one but himself. A self-styled PR magnate, his business empire is accelerating at a rapid rate but is this causing a rift between him and the rest of the family?