Manila Standard - 2016 August 15 - Monday

VOL. XXX • NO. 184 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 • WWW.THESTANDARD.COM.PH • EDITORIAL@THESTANDARD.COM.PH

REFUGE. Residents of low-lying areas take temporary shelter in covered basketball courts in Quezon City and Rizal after days of heavy rain caused floodings. Manny Palmero and AFP

VAT increase to 15% looms

WEATHER

Cabinet also pushes for oil tax hike 70,000 displaced; 5 dead FIVE people have been killed and tens of thousands have fled from floods caused by days of unrelenting rain, rescuers said Sunday.

Civil defense officials warned residents of Manila and nearby provinces to expect more heavy seasonal rain over the coming days as more than 24,000 people sought refuge in schools and government buildings.

“We are expecting more lowlying areas to experience flooding,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokeswoman Romina Marasigan told AFP. “Those who are already in evacuation centers should stay there until the weather improves,”

she added.

Those evacuated include nearly 9,000 residents displaced by flooding from the Marikina River on Saturday.

The council said three Manila slum residents were crushed to death Saturday by walls that collapsed from the floods.

A man drowned crossing a swift-flowing river in Panay on Wednesday, the council said, while the authorities retrieved a body from a Manila canal on Friday.

A fisherman went missing at sea off Marinduque on Monday, while a man was injured by falling rocks at a highway east of Manila on Friday.

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By Christine F. Herrera

T

HE government plans to increase the valueadded tax or VAT on goods and services from 12 percent to 15 percent and raise the excise tax on fuel from P4.53 a liter of gasoline to P10 a liter to fund President Rodrigo Duterte’s first national budget of P3.35 trillion, which is 11.6 percent higher than this year’s spending plan.

Highly placed Palace and House sources said the Cabinet Revenue Cluster headed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez is also considering lifting VAT exemptions on 30 products and services, and 13 types of transactions.

“Either we impose an increase on VAT to a maximum of 15 percent or we lift exemptions from too many VAT-exempt transactions. The country’s economic managers believe that there are too many exemptions on VAT Next page

RH budget Drug slays probed; US weighs in proposal set at P4b

By Gabrielle Marie Consuelo H. Binaday THE National Economic and Development Authority will propose a higher budget for the “aggressive” implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law for 2017, a Cabinet official said over the weekend.

Economic and Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia told reporters that they aim to increase the RPRH law’s or budget to P4.26 billion in 2017, nearly double of the approved P2.28-billion budget this year.

“So we’re really serious about the full implementation of the RH [law],” Pernia said.

Pernia, who also serves as the Neda chief, said earlier that they will even consider borrowing from different agencies to fund the provisions of the law.

The Neda chief said the proposal to increase the RPRH law budget will result in a wider and faster implementation of programs under it.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in his first State of the Nation Address last month, said there will be a full implementation of the RPRH law under his administration.

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THE government on Sunday vowed to investigate reports of a wave of extrajudicial killings, after Washington warned that military aid was dependent on respect for human rights.

Media reports say nearly a thousand people have been killed since President Rodrigo Duterte won a landslide election victory in May largely on a pledge to kill tens of thousands of criminals.

The US Embassy warned the

Duterte government on Friday that millions of dollars of military aid allotted to the Philippines was tied to adherence to the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights.

“We are concerned by reports regarding extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected to have been involved in drug activity in the Philippines,” it said.

“We strongly urge the Philippines to ensure its law enforce-

ment efforts are consistent with its human rights obligations,” the embassy added.

The Foreign Affairs Department said Sunday that it took note of US views on the issue, adding Manila was focused on the eradication of drugs in society.

“Nevertheless, while pursuing this objective, the Philippine government is committed to the rule of law, and the protection of human rights for all,” the statement said. Next page

Top narc supplier gives up LUCENA CITY—Cerilo Alcala surfaced on Sunday and surrendered to the police accompanied by his brother, Quezon Rep. Vicente Alcala and his nephew, Lucena Mayor Roderick Alcala.

Cerilo Alcala topped the drugwatch list in Quezon and is said to be the supplier of illegal drugs in the province for more than a decade, with Central Quezon as his area of operations.

Cerilo, 59, and his son Shajid, 36, showed up at the police station after sending feelers that they would surrender four days after Mayor Alcala ordered the police Next page to arrest them. twitter.com/ MlaStandard

Exemptions for 30 items lifted soon THE 30 VAT exemptions that the government wants lifted cover: • Agricultural and marine food products in their original state; • Livestock and poultry of a kind generally used as, or yielding or producing foods for human consumption; • Breeding stocks and genetic materials; • Fertilizers; • Seeds, seedlings and fingerlings; • Fish, prawn, livestock and poultry feeds; • Ingredients, whether locally produced or imported, used in the manufacture of finished feeds; • Importation of personal and household effects belonging to residents of the Philippines returning from abroad and nonresident citizens coming to resettle in the Philippines; • Importation of professional instruments and implements; • Wearing apparel; • Domestic animals; Next page

Du30 firm on Marcos burial amid protests

HIGH VALUE. Cerelo Alcala (right), an alleged supplier of illegal drugs in Lucena City, and son Sajid Alcala, surrender to the city’s police chief Supt.

Dennis de Leon. Benjie Antioquia

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PROTESTS took place Sunday in Manila over President Rodrigo Duterte’s plans to honor the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos with a state burial.

About 2,000 people gathered in heavy rain to denounce Duterte’s plan to move Marcos’ remains from his hometown in Ilocos Norte to the National Heroes’ Cemetery in the capital, Manila, next month.

“We would be the laughing stock of the entire planet,” Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of four members of parliament to attend the Manila rally, told AFP. Next page

The Duterte administration is looking at lifting

30 VAT exemptions

and 13 VAT zero-rated transactions, including:

AGRI-PRODUCTS

CLOTHES

REAL PROPERTY

GOLD

AIR AND SEA CARRIERS

P23 billion earmarked for House projects

By Rio N. Araja THE Duterte administration will allocate some P23.5 billion to fund congressional projects of 294 members of the House of Representatives under the proposed national budget for 2017.

The proposed allocation will be submitted Monday to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and should be ratified by Congress on or before Dec. 14.

On July 6, the Department of Budget and Management said it would submit the proposed 2017 national budget of P3.3 trillion to Congress on Aug. 15.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News ceipts do not exceed the amount of P1.5 million; • Importation of fuel, goods and supplies engaged in international shipping or air transport operations; • Services subject to percentage tax under Title V or the Code, as amended; • Services of banks, non-bank financial intermediaries performing quasi-banking functions and other non-bank financial intermediaries, such as money changers and pawnshops.

The government is also considering lifting VAT exemptions recently granted through a law authored

by Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.

These include • Senior citizens • People with disabilities and • Renewable energy.

The 13 VAT zero-rated transactions that may lose their exemptions are: • The sales and actual shipment of goods from the Philippines to a foreign country, irrespective of any shipping arrangement that may be agreed upon which may influence or determine the transfer of ownership of the foods so exported, paid for in acceptable foreign currency or its equivalent in goods or services, and accounted for in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; • The sale of raw materials or packaging materials to a non-resident buyer for delivery to a resident local export-oriented enterprise to be used in manufacturing, processing, packing or repacking in the Philippines of the said buyer’s goods, paid for in acceptable foreign currency, and accounted for in accordance with the rules and regulations of the BSP; • The sale of raw materials to an export-oriented enterprise whose export sales exceed 70 percent of total annual production; • Sale of gold to the BSP; • Transactions considered export sales under Executive Order 226 otherwise known as the Omnibus Investments Code of 1987, and other special laws; • The sale of goods, supplies, equipment and fuel to persons engaged in international shipping or international air transport operations, provided, that the same is limited to goods supplies, equipment and fuel pertaining to or attributable to the transport of goods and passengers from a port in the Philippines directly to a foreign port without docking or stopping at any other port in the Philippines, provided fur-

ther, that if any portion of such fuel, foods or supplies is used for purposes other than that mentioned in this paragraph, such portion of fuel, goods and supplies shall be subject to 10 percent VAT; • The sale to a non-resident of goods, except those mentioned in Sections 149 and 150 of the Tax Code, assembled or manufactured in the Philippines for delivery to a resident in the Philippines, paid for in acceptable foreign currency and accounted for in accordance with the ruled and regulations of the BSP; • Processing, manufacturing or repacking goods for other persons doing business outside the Philippines, which goods are subsequently exported, where the services are paid for in acceptable foreign currency and accounted for in accordance with the rules and regulations of the BSP; • Services other than processing, manufacturing or repacking rendered to a person engaged in business conducted outside the Philippines or to a non-resident person not engaged in business who is outside the Philippines when the services are performed, the consideration for which is paid for in acceptable foreign currency and accounted for in accordance with the rules and regulations of the BSP; • Services rendered to persons or entities whose exemption under special laws or international agreements to which the Philippines is a signatory effectively subjects the supply of such services to zero percent rate; • Services performed by subcontractors and/or contractors in processing, converting, or manufacturing goods for an enterprise whose export sales exceed 70 percent of the total annual production; • Transport of passengers and cargo by domestic air or sea carriers from the Philippines to a foreign country. Gross receipts of international air carriers doing business in the Philippines and international sea carriers doing business in the Philippines are still liable to a percentage tax of three percent based on their gross receipts as provided for in Sec. 118 of the Tax Code but shall not be liable to VAT; • Services to persons engaged in international shipping or air transport operations, including leases of property for use thereof, provided that the services referred to herein shall not pertain to those made to common carriers by air and sea relative to their transport of passengers, goods or cargoes from one place in the Philippines to another place in the Philippines.

Quezon Police Chief Antonio Yarra said Cerilo surrendered through the efforts of Mayor Alcala and Rep. Alcala.

Yarra said father and son were both high-value targets in their drug-watch list.

In Manila, an official said Sunday Malacañang will investigate the case of a Cebu policeman who was killed after naming Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo and Daanbantayan town Mayor Vicente Loot as protec-

tors of suppliers of illegal drugs.

“We shall look into it,” presidential spokesman Martin Andanar said.

“Fallen policemen who fought to win the war against illegal drugs must not be abandoned.”

In Sultan Kudarat, an anti-drug policeman was gunned down by motorcycle-riding men in Tacurong Saturday night.

In the Senate, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara warned of “a gaping hole” in the government’s war against drugs if no funds were available to rehabilitate thousands of drug dependents in next year’s budget.

In Cotabato, four security forces and an anti-drug policemen were gunned down in separate incidents on Friday and Sunday.

In Binondo, Manila, NBI operatives arrested three Chinese nationals early Sunday during a raid in Santo Cristo.

In Calapan City, three more “persons of interest,” including a village official and his wife, are being sought by the police following the killing of a 29-year-old woman Friday night. Benjie Antioquia, Francisco Tuyay, Sandy Araneta, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Robert A. Evora

“That’s great. Along with investment in human capital and job creation, that would help reduce poverty faster,” Pernia said.

Pernia also suggested that the President make a statement urging the Supreme Court to lift the tempo-

rary restraining order that it imposed on provisions of the law.

The SC had suspended the distribution and selling of implant that can prevent pregnancies up to three years.

“This is the problem with our judiciary, they take [their] sweet time.

They don’t realize how serious it is to have a TRO like this because everyone knows by now, 11 woman die of pregnancy and birth-related causes. And this could have been prevented if the TRO were not in effect,” Pernia said.

killed since then by shadowy assassins who leave cardboard signs beside their victims accusing them of narcotics crimes.

Police said that while it was investigating these other killings, no suspects had been arrested.

The Palace, meanwhile, touted a 9.8-percent decline in the crime rate in July, compared to the same month in 2015.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, citing the report of Philippine National Police spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos, said the crime volume in July 2016 was at 50,817 or 5,522

incidents lower compared to July 2015’s 56,339.

“With the crime rate in the country going down, the campaign against illegal drugs and crime is continuing to have positive results, a month after President [Rodrigo] Duterte assumed office,” Andanar said during an interview over staterun dzRB. Andanar said the index crime rate also went down from 17,105 incidents to 11,800 in July or a 31-percent decrease compared to the same month last year.

Crime versus property also decreased by 40.3 percent from 11,106

incidents last year to 4,476 in July this year.

Andanar said statistics on crimes against persons deceased by 829 incidents or 13.82 percent.

The three most prevalent crimes were theft, physical injury, and robbery, he said.

Andanar said the lower crime rate was proof that “hardline” solutions and “quick action” are making a change. Sandy Araneta, AFP “Our call on our people is, let us continue our work with the Philippine National Police to further decrease crime in the country,” Andanar said. Sandy Araneta, AFP

the war against drugs, criminality and corruption.”

Marcos’s family have kept his From A1 preserved body on display after he She called Marcos an “unrepen- died in exile in 1989 following a popular revolt three years earlier, tant enemy of our heroes”.

Hontiveros made her statement demanding that it be buried with even as Malacañang said Duterte full honors in the Heroes’ Cemetery.

Marcos was elected president in will not change his decision to allow the burial of the late strongman 1965 and declared Martial Law in 1972, allowing him to rule as a dicin the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“The President’s stance, remains tator while he, his family and allies firm: There is clarity in the regulations enriched themselves through masgoverning the late President Marcos’ sive corruption and his troops bruburial,” Presidential Spokesman Mar- tally stamped out dissent.

But Duterte, who has styled himtin Andanar said in a statement.

“The President shall therefore self as an anti-corruption crusader, remain undistracted and it shall be defended Marcos, noting that his fagovernance as usual with his full ther had served in the Marcos Cabiand undivided attention in winning net and he himself had even voted

for Marcos before.

Duterte has previously said that he won the May 9 elections partly with the support of the Marcos family who remain influential in their bailiwick in the northern Philippines.

A small protest was also staged by human rights victims outside Duterte’s southern hometown of Davao city, where candles and flowers were placed outside the city hall, television reports said.

The protests Sunday were joined by the Marcos-era victims of torture and imprisonment, as well as by the relatives of the victims of extrajudicial killings that historians say claimed thousands of lives.

Protesters shed tears during the three-hour protest and organizers

launched a signature campaign to try to reverse Duterte’s decision.

“I was jailed when I was young.

It’s so hard to imagine that he will be buried in the Heroes’ Cemetery,” former Marcos prisoner Danny Tang told AFP. University of the Philippines professor Ricardo Jose alleged that in order to win war medals for bravery, Marcos faked his service record in the anti-Japanese resistance when Japan occupied the country in World War II. “There are World War II heroes buried there who sacrificed their lives.... But here’s one guy who distorted things in his favor,” Jose told AFP at the rally. AFP, with Sandy Araneta

P23 billion...

Exemptions...

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Alvarez said P80 million would go to each lawmaker of the House of Representatives with a total amount of P23.5 billion.

The allocation is much higher than the P70 million in pork barrel allocated to every congressional district to fund scholarships, medical and burial assistance, infrastructure and other programs for the poor in the past.

Under the Aquino administration, a senator received a P200million fund to implement priority projects.

Alvarez, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan secretarygeneral, said the allocation cannot be considered pork barrel, which the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional in 2013 because the allotments were not made as a lump sum and were included in the budget as line items.

Alvarez said he believed Congress will be able to pass the 2017 budget ahead of time.

“Between now and November, we’ll prioritize deliberations for the national budget,” he said.

Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, House majority floor leader and PDP-Laban stalwart, said Congress will ratify the 2017 General Appropriations Bill on Dec. 14.

“We will pass [the budget] in time for the President to sign it into the General Appropriations Act on or before we adjourn on Dec.14.

This will be the first national expenditure program of the President.

We will see his priorities for his first year in office,” he said.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, chairman of the House committee on appropriations, pledged to ensure that sufficient budget would be allocated to the programs and projects of the Duterte administration. With Macon Ramos-Araneta “Immediately after NEP is submitted by Secretary [Benjamin] Diokno, we will have one week to scrutinize its contents. Thereafter, on Aug. 22, we can begin with the budget briefings until Sept. 13. On Sept. 19, we will bring the budget to the floor for plenary debates,” he said.

He said on Aug. 22, the development budget coordinating committee will make a presentation of the budget overview, including the macro-economic assumptions, projected borrowings and sources of funds for the annual operations.

The committee is an inter-agency body composed of DBM, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Finance and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Also on Sunday, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial said the government will expand eye care services to communities.

Ubial noted that having a blind member in a family amounts to “a double whammy” that can lead to poverty and social dependency.

Because of this, Ubial cited the need to integrate eye care into public health programs at the local government unit level. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

• Services by agricultural contract growers and milling for others of palay into rice, corn into grits, and sugar cane into raw sugar; • Services rendered by regional or area headquarters established in the Philippines by multinational corporations which act as supervisory, communications and coordinating centers for their affiliates, subsidiaries or branches in the Asia Pacific Region and do not earn or derive income from the Philippines; • Transactions which are exempt under international agreements to which the Philippines is a signatory or under special laws except those granted under Presidential Decree 529; • Sales by agricultural cooperatives duly registered and in food standing with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) to their members, as well as of their produce, whether in its original state or processed form, to non-members, their importation of direct farm inputs; • Machineries and equipment, including spareparts, to be used directly and exclusively in the production and/or processing of their produce; • Gross receipts from lending activities by credit or multipurpose cooperatives duly registered and in good standing with the CDA; • Sales by non-agricultural, nonelectric and non-credit cooperatives duly registered with and in good standing with CDA; • Export sales by persons who are not VAT-registered; • Sales of real properties not primarily held for sale to customers or held for lease in the ordinary course of trade or business; • Sale of real properties utilized for low-cost housing as defined by Republic Act 7279, and other related laws; • Sale of real properties utilized for specialized housing as defined under RA 7279, and other related laws wherein price ceiling per unit is P225,000; • Sale of residential lot valued at P1.5 million and below, or house and lot and other residential dwellings valued at P2.5 million and below where the instrument of sale/ transfer/disposition was executed on or after July 1, 2005; • Sale or lease of goods or properties or the performance of services other than the transactions mentioned in the preceding paragraphs, the gross annual sales and/or re-

RH...

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Pernia lauded the President’s announcement in a text message to Manila Standard.

Drug...

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It added: “We do not condone any unlawful killings and Philippine authorities have been instructed to immediately look into these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Police said Friday they had killed 550 drug suspects while arresting nearly 8,000 others since after the May election.

However, ABS-CBN said more than 400 other people have been

Du30...

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[and] many of these... were with-

out good rationale,” said a House leader, who requested anonymity.

The source also said the economic team noted that the petroleum excise tax has not been adjusted since 1997, and that raising this would offset losses to be incurred when the government lowers income tax rates.

The new tax impositions would raise a total of P500 billion in fresh revenues, the House source said.

Congress is also set to tax the rich more and lower the income tax on wage earners and the middle income bracket from 32 percent to 25 percent, which could result in government losing P92 billion a year in tax collections.

Tax efforts will also be focused on professionals such as doctors, lawyers and engineers as only 40 percent of them were found to be paying the right taxes.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno will be in the House today to submit the Palace-proposed national budget for 2017.

The possible tax policy packages—a reduction in personal income tax and consumption tax, corporate income tax, property tax, and capital income and transaction tax— were described as “revenue losing measures” but that the economic managers included “offsetting measures” to cushion the impact of the lowering of taxes.

Personal income tax and consumption tax would be reduced from 32 percent to 25 percent but be offset by limiting VAT exemptions to raw food and other necessities.

The excise tax on oil could also be increased, the source said.

The corporate income tax will also be reduced from the prevailing 30 percent to 25 percent, but lost revenues will be offset by rationalizing fiscal incentives and granting companies incentives that are good only for a limited time.

The government has an option whether to lower the property tax (both on asset and transactions) or abolish the estate and donor’s tax and offset the losses by centralizing valuation of properties and increase valuation closer to market prices with a mandatory increase every five years.

President Rodrigo Duterte did not mention new tax impositions during his first State of the Nation Address but announced he plans to tax the rich more to fund salary increases for teachers, soldiers and policemen and social services program, such as a monthly rice subsidy for the poorest of the poor.

Three days after the Sona, the country’s economic team presented to the President a proposed tax reform strategy that would include reducing personal, capital and corporate taxes at the same time increasing the VAT to 15 percent and the excise tax on fuel by P5.65 a liter.

Congress was being given only three months within which to pass the tax policy packages, official government records show.

Banking on the President’s 91-percent popularity rating, the Cabinet Revenue Cluster convened in July to propose tax reform strategy that would raise some P500 billion to finance the government’s job creation and poverty reduction programs.

The economic team started this month discussing the draft tax system with select congressmen and senators to reach a consensus on the VAT hike.

Official documents from the DoF, a copy of which was obtained by the Manila Standard, show August is the target for consultation with stakeholders with the Department of Finance expected to transmit the final tax package proposal to Congress by September with the President convening the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council or Ledac

by October and identifying the tax bills that will be certified as urgent.

Congress is expected to deliberate on the tax bills between October and December with the passage being eyed by January 2017 and effectivity by June 2017.

On the pessimistic side, the economic managers saw passage of the tax proposal by June 2017 and implementation by January 2018.

For this year, the Bureau of Internal Revenue was able to collect taxes on domestic goods and services amounting to P791 billion, official records show.

70,000...

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In all, more than 70,000 people have had their houses swamped by floodwaters, the council said, though the majority of residents

The BIR was also able to collect some P396 billion from VAT annually.

The three-percent increase in VAT or the lifting of exemptions would translate to an additional P80 billion in VAT collection annually, the source said.

The economic managers said to become a high-income country in a generation, the Philippines needs to invest seven percent of GDP or gross domestic product more every year.

This is equivalent to P1 trillion in 2016 prices, the economic managers said.

“Investments are needed in infrastructure, education, health and social protection, both rural and urban. Around 3.5 percent of GDP can be raised by improving tax administration and spending efficiency, as well as maintaining strong growth. The remaining 3.5 percent of GDP needs to be raised through tax policy reform,” the source said.

The government, the source said, plans to reform the tax system to achieve more inclusive growth.

By 2019, the source said, the government wants to raise three percent of GDP in tax revenues by improving the equity, inefficiency and simplicity of the tax system towards a low-rate and broad-based regime to support investment, job creation and poverty reduction.

“Immediate objectives for 2016 to 2019—raise 2 percent of GDP [P290 billion] from tax policy reform. Raise one percent of GDP (P145 billion) from tax administration reform, spending efficiency and high growth,” the revenue cluster document said.

The economic team also lamented that the Philippines had a low tax efficiency compared to other countries in the region.

For instance, they said that the Philippines has a VAT rate of 12 percent, while Thailand has a seven percent VAT, but they both collect the same revenues amounting to 4.2 percent of GDP. This was because the Philippines has tax efficiency of 35 percent compared to Thailand’s 60 percent, the economic team said.

Citing a study undertaken by the House last year, House Deputy Speaker Miro Quimbo, former chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said of the 36 million Filipinos working, only 6.8 million are taxed.

Quimbo said only 16 percent of all working Filipinos actually pay income taxes.

“The salary wage earners were 100 percent compliant. Only 40 percent of professionals [doctors, lawyers, engineers] are paying the right taxes while only 31 percent of the entrepreneurs—hardware and store owners—are paying taxes,” Quimbo said.

The corporations and those executives who are earning P10 million and above would be taxed 33 percent in individual income and corporate taxes but they would be given tax incentives for safety nets, he said.

“There is a reason why these people are not paying. But it doesn’t follow that if others refuse to pay, we have to squeeze those who have no choice like the wage earners,” Quimbo said. “That is not fair.”

Quimbo said the reason those with big salaries were not paying was because the system was “too complex, so complicated.”

“The tax rates are just too high.

In fact, we are the highest in the entire Southeast Asia in both the corporate and individual income taxes,” he said. “Yet, in terms of tax collection, we are the lowest in Asean. What does that say?”

Quimbo said that when the tax rate is unreasonably high, compliance becomes all the more difficult.

“The higher the tax rate, the higher the tax evasion,” Quimbo said.

In the previous Congress, Quimbo said his counterpart in the Senate, Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, pushed to lower the tax rates because this was one of the reasons Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Philippines was lowest in the entire Asean.

FDI creates jobs that address poverty, Quimbo said.

Quimbo said the reduction of the corporate income tax bill is part of the second phase of his income tax proposal. The first phase of the proposal is embodied in House Bill 20, which adjusts the individual income tax to inflation to give immediate social justice to salary workers.

have remained at home.

The western section of the Philippines has been swamped by heavy rain over the past week, forcing the cancellation of some domestic commercial flights and the suspension of classes. AFP

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2 more Reds freed soon P

RESIDENTIAL Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza revealed on Sunday that two more members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s ArmyNational Democratic Front will be released soon to join the peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the communist party peace panels in Oslo this month.

MORE RIDERS. Chinese engineers and their Filipino crew on Sunday Aug. 14, 2016 assemble four new coaches at the MRT tracks along Edsa-Taft Ave. station.Danny Pata

Red Cross marks IHL Month

AUGUST is International Humanitarian Law Month.

In observance of IHL month, the Philippine Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross, along with the departments of National Defense, and of Foreign Affairs as well as the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and the Commission on Human Rights will hold a series of activities aimed at heightening public awareness and respect for IHL. The IHL or Geneva Conventions of 1949 is a set of rules which place restrictions on the use of weapons and methods of warfare. It protects people who are not or no longer, participating in hostilities such as the wounded combatants, shipwrecked members at sea, prisoners of war and civilians.

All activities for this year’s IHL Month are anchored on the theme, “Mga Aral ng Nakaraan at Hamon sa Kasalukuyan (IHL: Lessons of the Past, Challenges of the Present) geared to promote the principles of IHL. PRC Chairman Richard J. Gordon, an advocate of IHL and the author of Republic Act 9851 which defines and penalizes violations of International Humanitarian Law and other crimes against humanity, said the commemoration of the international humanitarian rules also honors Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross Movement and main initiator of the Geneva Conventions.

PRC secretary-general Oscar P. Palabyab said Red Cross chapters will hold various activities for the event.

New passports out soon STARTING today, Monday, Filipino passport applicants will receive their travel document with the “all new high-security” features, according to Malacañang.

Security features include “intaglio printing” used for the printing of money and the printing of the coat of arms using optical variable illusion ink where

color varies at different angles.

Added security features have been put in place such as a microchip to capture the personal data of the applicant, invisible ultraviolet (UV) fluorescent ink and thread, and elaborate design when subjected to UV light.

The new passports will also feature impressive design promot-

ing the regions of the country.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar said that the new passports would be made readily available as the new APO printing system reduces its printing time , which means speedier delivery of the documents from seven to 14 days to only five days. Sandy Araneta

PH-US ties marred by anti-gay remark

By Macon Ramos Araneta that the US diplomat should PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s calling former US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg “gay” and “son of a bitch” may strain the relationship between the two countries, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Sunday.

“So we have to prepare for it,” Pimentel said in an interview over radio dwIZ. “But I hope it will not. It’s just a small thing,” stressed Pimentel .

In the first place, the senator said it was Goldberg who sniped first at Duterte, then a presidential candidate during the campaign period, by issuing a statement on the rape-slay of a missionary that got the President’s goat.

Goldberg strongly reacted to Duterte’s pronouncements, saying “statements by anyone, anywhere that either degrade women or trivialize issues so serious as rape or murder are not ones that we condone.”

This remark did not sit well with Duterte who said

have just “shut up.” He said he doesn’t care if the US cuts diplomatic ties with the Philippines.

Taking up the cudgels for Duterte, a partymate at PDP-Laban, Pimentel said it should be the US envoy who should first apologize.

The number one rule there was “you shut up,” Pimentel told Golberg. He reminded Goldberg that he is a foreigner and then a diplomat of a powerful nafion.

The US Embassy came to the defense of Goldbert last week. “We’ve seen those inappropriate comments made about Ambassador Goldberg.

He’s a multi-time ambassador, one of our most senior diplomats,” said US State Department Spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau.

The President has maintained he won’t apologize to Goldberg after calling the diplomat “gay.”

According to Duterte, Goldberg didn’t apologize to him when they met in Malacañang.

Pie in the sky? Solon proposes income tax cuts SENATOR Juan Miguel Zubiri has proposed to splash out tons of “helicopter money” on Filipino families via new concessions that would cut in a big way the taxes now being automatically withheld from everybody’s paycheck.

“Families deserve stacks of

‘helicopter money’ by way of a broad-based withholding tax cut to enable every household to spend more and achieve a superior quality of life,” the senator said.

Economists around the world use Nobel laureate Milton Friedman’s parable of a helicopter dumping piles of money

from the sky—for everybody to freely collect and spend—to refer to cash injections as a potent stimulant to consumption and growth.

Zubiri said his proposal to decrease tax rates and increase exemptions all together would instantly raise the standard of

living of Filipinos, create jobs and drive inclusive economic expansion.

The senator has introduced Senate Bill 124, which seeks to double from P50,000 to P100,000 the basic personal exemption being enjoyed by every taxpayer, and to raise twice as much

Print group eyes city a la Thailand A GROUP of leading printing businessmen initiated activities and projects not just for national development but to be globally competitive.

Rolando F. Rocha, president of Philippine Center for Print Excellence Foundation Inc., said the group fostered collaborative relationships with government agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry/Board of Investments, Department of Education, Department of Science and Technology and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to support their vision.

“We have broken the ‘camel’s back,’ so to speak, because of our initiative, dedication and hard work on things that matter most to our industry. In other words, PCPEF has started breaking bar-

Dureza said that Ariel Arbitrario and Porferio Tuna are set to be temporarily released soon.

Dureza is currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the resumption of negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on the creation of a Bangsamoro autonomous region.

Arbitrario together with his brother Crispolo were arrested last February in Tagum City during a joint police and military operation by virtue of an arrest warrant for murder.

Tuna, alias Ka Simon, was arrested in Tagum City in October 2015 on kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges.

Tuna is reportedly the spokesman of the NPA in Mindanao.

The impending release of Arbitrario and Tuna comes on the heels of the grant of bail to communist leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon and Adelberto Silva last Friday.

The Tiamzons and Silva posted P100,000-bail each for their temporary liberty to be able to join the peace negotiations. Sandy Araneta

riers around the once-daunting struggle of uplifting the printing industry,” said Rocha.

The PCPEF has also envisioned a Print City in the near future, the first of its kind for the printing industry in the country, that will be located in an economic zone with strategic and convenient location, one that is close to Manila and has quick access to major highways and expressways.

The new set of officers are: president - Rolando F. Rocha; 1st vice president - Reynaldo B. Nicolas; 2nd vice president - Samuel B. Uy; corporate secretary - Jing S. Lagandaon; treasurer - Philip L. Lao; public relations officer - Solomon Y. Yuyitung; internal auditor Simeon N. Tan; executive director - Allan Rolando A. Asi; and honorary chairman - Jimmy C. Co.

Officers of the Philippine Center for Print Excellence Foundation Inc. pose for a souvenir shot.

the additional exemption for each qualified dependent child, from P25,000 to P50,000, up to a maximum of four children.

He has also filed Senate Bill 121, which proposes to cut down to just 25 percent the country’s highest individual tax rate of 32 percent.

A4

Opinion

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

mstdaydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Stupid wins again

B

ARELY three weeks into his term as senator, boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has once again exposed a critical flaw in our democracy—that anyone with half a brain and enough popularity and money can win election to high public office.

Last week, we were treated to the spectacle of the newly minted senator delivering his first privilege speech urging Congress to reinstate the death penalty for drug-related crimes, exhibiting a dangerous combination of ignorance and arrogance.

Although he took 15 minutes to speak his

Adelle Chua, Editor

mind, Paquiao’s message was rather simple. We should reinstate the death penalty because 1) It will eradicate the drug menace; 2) the Constitution allows it; and 3) the Bible allows it.

The boxer-turnedsenator did little by way of presenting facts or figures to bolster his first argument,

while the second point was based on his interpretation of Section 19 of the Bill of Rights, which states: “Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted.

Neither shall the death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion perpetua.”

Thus, Pacquiao argued, the fact that the august drafters of the 1987 Constitution left the door

open means that we should perforce take that path—an argument that seems lacking in logic and good sense.

Finally, by invoking the Bible, the boxer demonstrated his ignorance that religious doctrine is not an acceptable basis for government policy in a secular state.

It was after his speech, however, when he had to answer questions posed by his colleagues, that Pacquiao really came into his own.

Asked by one comedianturned-senator which method of execution he favored, Paquiao hemmed and hawed before admitting

with some mirth that he preferred death by hanging.

“All you have to do is kick the bench away,” he said, trying to inject humor into what should have been a serious discussion.

Were ignorance his only sin, we could write Pacquiao as a buffoon like others that preceded him in the Senate.

But the new senator also proved that he is a liar who is untrue to his word.

In May, after refusing to represent the country in the Olympics this year, Pacquaio—who was among the most delinquent lawmakers in the House of Representatives during his

two terms—promised to become a full-time lawmaker and attend every session of the Senate.

It took him only three weeks to break this promise, announcing he would come out of retirement to fight again in Las Vegas in October. Assurances that the fighting will not interfere with his Senate duties are about as convincing as his earlier vow to become a fulltime senator.

But we do get the government we deserve, and if majority of voters continue to leave their brains out of the electoral exercise, stupid will win—again and again.

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO

A comedy of errors

PENSEES

What about a constitutional court?

FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO PRESIDENT Digong wants us to go federal—and since he commands a “supermajority” in the Legislature, it appears that we are indeed headed in that direction. There are voices of dissent, to be sure, and still others exhort thorough and assiduous study that should go into crafting our own version of decentralizing government. A constitutional amendment will not do. The Constitution has to be completely rewritten because we will have to determine anew the metes and bounds of legislative, executive and even judicial power the moment the distinction between “federal” and “state” or “regional” is introduced.

While we are at it, I think we should give serious heed to the proposal to establish a constitutional court, in the sense that Spain and Germany have constitutional courts, and France, a Constitutional Council. Under the present scheme of things, our Supreme Court is a “constitutional court” in the sense that it interprets the constitution doctrinally

and resolves disputes between the branches of government. The only problem, of course, is that it has happened—and can very well happen again—that it is itself one of the disputants. In these cases the Supreme Court is in the awkward if not implausible position of having to pass judgment on the limits of its own power vis-a-vis the other coordinate branches.

Purveyors of suspicion that we are, we will suspect that in such cases, the Court will rule in favor of a more expansive reach!

A constitutional court, as I envision it, would not be a part of the judiciary. It would not be part of any branch of government, nor would it constitute a fourth branch of government, otherwise one gets back into the vicious loop the court is supposed to avoid. It is a body that will be created by the Constitution but that will convene only when a proper case arises— and what a proper case is must be exactly defined by the Constitution itself, to give no branch of government any undue advan-

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It would not be part of the judiciary. tage in defining the constitutional court’s jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court should remain supreme in the judicial branch, and therefore the Constitutional Court will not be an appellate court in relation to the Supreme Court. No action for ejectment, nor reconveyance, nor payment of a sum of money should ever be brought before the Constitutional Court by whatever mode, writ or ruse! And when the issue raised calls for an interpretation of the Constitution, the matter will not necessarily be subject to the Constitutional Court’s adjudication. It is only when there is a conflict between any of the branches

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

of government that the court sits in judgment. An example from that sad chapter of our legal history— the impeachment of a sitting Chief Justice—should make my point clear. At one phase of the trial, the question was asked whether a writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court would lie against the Senate sitting as a court of impeachment when it was alleged that the Senate’s order was fraught with grave abuse of discretion. That question should not be shoved aside lightly, for the Constitution does say that the electoral tribunals of the Legislature are “sole judge” of contests involving members of the Chambers, but that has not preluded the Supreme Court from asserting its certiorari powers! In short, the Constitution’s use of the modifier “sole” does not resolve issues.

That then would be a genuine conflict involving the Supreme Court and the Senate—and such an issue would not really be resolved by calling on the Supreme Court to settle the matter, since its own power would then be in question!

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We can learn from the French Constitutional Council or the German model that such a court would have to include not only lawyers but academics and politicians—including former presidents of the Republic and retired Chief Justices as well as truly eminent legislators who did not divide their time between the business of lawmaking and pugilism. That way, not only legal considerations would find their way into a resolution of issues but juridical theory, legal philosophy, political thought and praxis as well.

A constitutional court would then be the institutionalization of the self-reflection of the political and juridical system—an important forum in the rationalizing discourse that should make all loose talk of coups and uprisings and revolutionary governments of no more significance than the distraction of static! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

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

IT WOULD have been funny, if it weren’t disastrous.

Rodrigo Duterte who likes to joke about everything has to decide whether he wants to be a comedian or president. Like some priests who use the pulpit to be a standup comic and often forget the spiritual message they are supposed to deliver, President Duterte is more focused on delivering punch lines to evoke laughter from his audience.

But what Duterte says is no laughing matter. His remarks may make headlines but the consequences are often disastrous. Take his bad joke he should have been first in line as Davao mayor in the gang rape of an Australian missionary. This, of course did not sit well with the Australian government which did not find it funny.

When US Ambassador Philip Goldberg correctly pointed out the rape joke was a serious matter not to be made fun of, Duterte called the envoy “bakla” (gay). For this, the charge d’affaires in the Philippine Embassy in Washington was summoned by the US State Department to explain the obnoxious remark. We have become the subject of derision if not the laughing stock of the diplomatic community in Washington and Canberra.

In his latest faux pas, Duterte joked before a gathering of Filipino soldiers that he would end the war in Mindanao so that “they can prepare for the next war with China!” The consequences of this mindless remark does not bode well for former President Fidel Ramos’ back channel mission to Beijing to ease strained relations with China. To think it was Duterte who sent Ramos on this important mission.

No one it seems is spared from Duterte’s stinging comments. Nothing is sacrosanct —not even Pope Francis whom he cursed with the P…I phrase because the then-Davao mayor got stuck in a traffic jam during the papal visit in Manila. Is there no limit or boundaries to Mr. Duterte’s bad behavior?

Some people are beginning

Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Turn to A5

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City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Opinion Shaming could be the best fix for Olympic doping

By Cass R. Sunstein AT THE Olympics, we’re witnessing some serious cases of public shaming. Victorious competitors are publicly ostracizing those who once used performance-enhancing drugs.

To take just one example, Australian Mack Horton, gold medalist in the 400-meter freestyle, pointedly refused even to acknowledge China’s silver medalist Sun Yang, who had been suspended for doping. “I don’t have time or respect for drug cheats,” Horton said later.

Horton and others are aggressively asserting the social norm against drug use. By those who violate that norm, they’re giving some important clues about the functions of norms in general— and how they can be fortified.

As the philosopher Edna Ullmann-Margalit has shown, many social norms have a specific function: deterring people from making self-interested decisions that end up harming the community as a whole. In that respect, norms operate a lot like laws; they operate as private enforcement mechanisms, preventing peo-

ple from acting to their mutual detriment.

A small example: You probably won’t try to cut into a long line at the checkout counter at the local grocery store, because your neighbors would get upset with you, and because you’d probably feel ashamed. Long lines aren’t much fun, and for busy shoppers, it might be tempting to try to cut in. But all of us benefit from the norm against doing that: It prevents a free-for-all.

In many places, there is a strong social norm against littering. Individuals might find it in their self-interest to litter, but if everyone does so, communities will be a lot dirtier. An anti-littering norm, enforced by social pressure (and far less frequently by law), solves a potentially big problem. The institution of private property itself is made possible not only by law but more fundamentally by norms, which lead most of us to respect other people’s holdings even if the police are unlikely to get involved.

Turn in this light to the Olympics, where norms are essential to keep competition from get-

ting out of hand. Performanceenhancing drugs are a defining example. If Russian swimmers use drugs, then (all else being equal) other swimmers will feel pressure to use them as well to stay competitive. Before long, a lot of people will be doping. A ban on drug use prevents athletes from competing to their collective detriment.

The challenge is that for the very reason that the ban is needed, it might be difficult to enforce.

Athletes who want to win will be sorely tempted to violate it, and to do whatever they can get away with the violation. Maybe they’ll be caught—but maybe not.

That’s where norms become so important. In international competitions, athletes get to know each other, and they often become friendly. If an athlete knows that doping will mean contempt or ostracization from her peers, deterrence will increase.

In other words, nobody wants to be on the receiving end of the opprobrium directed at Yulia Efimova, a Russian suspended for doping in 2014. Booed by the audience and ignored by the triumphant gold medalist swimmer Lilly King, silver medalist

Efimova was nearly reduced to tears during a post-race news conference. King wasunmoved, saying, “I’m not a fan.”

In sports as in daily life, shaming and prospect of ostracism can be great motivators.

No athlete wants to be treated as a pariah, especially by her fellow competitors; their disapproval operates like a fine or a tax. If gold medal winners like Horton and King prominently show contempt for those who have used performance-enhancing drugs, both coaches and athletes may hesitate before doping in the future.

Will it work? The challenge is that here, as elsewhere, people’s behavior is a product of numerous incentives, not just one. A spot in the Olympics, or a shot at gold, can be hard to resist; if a drug really would make the difference, some athletes will always be tempted.

In these circumstances, it’s not entirely pleasant to see Olympic gold medalists acting as village elders or self-appointed drug police—but if we want a level playing field in the future, it’s probably a good idea.

Bloomberg

Don’t expect instant gratification from new tech

By Leonid Bershidsky ANOTHER Tesla has crashed because the driver thought its self-driving technology could actually drive the car. As we read all the stories about magical technology and then use the hyped-up products, we ought to keep in mind that the “magic” hits the market long before they live up to their promise, which in some cases they will never do. If it’s new, don’t expect it to work as advertised.

The Tesla in Beijing, in Autopilot mode, hit the side of an illegally parked car and kept going until driver Luo Zhen—who had taken his hands off the steering wheel —manually stopped it. The $7,500 repair bill was probably a tough way for Luo to learn that when he read and heard about self-driving cars, or even when he watched Tesla’s Autopilot video (which tells drivers to grip the wheel at all times but shows the Model S changing lanes, taking curves and parking itself), he was essentially reading and watching sci-fi.

I’m not going to accuse Tesla of false advertising, as many did after Autopilot led to a fatal crash. The technology can do what the video shows it doing, but it can’t do it in every situation, and that’s why the automaker’s warning about holding on to the wheel

is clearly articulated. Nor was Microsoft really misleading customers about the ability of its Skype Translator to livetranslate between Mandarin and English. It can do that when you speak slowly and clearly, avoiding complicated subjects and sentence structures, the way people do in the promotional videos.

But a Tesla cannot drive itself better than an experienced human driver can drive it.

Skype Translator cannot really handle normal conversation the way even a middling simultaneous translator could. Nor can “big data” predict election outcomes or real-world economic phenomena better than traditional tools. And Pokemon Go isn’t quite augmented reality. It’s sad but true, whatever you think you’re hearing from starry-eyed tech writers, Silicon Valley marketers or even chief executives.

For example, when Apple boss Tim Cook said during the latest earnings call that “machine learning enables Siri to understand words as well as the intent behind them,” it was a forward-looking statement, not a promise to tomorrow’s iPhone buyers; 98 percent of iPhone users have tried Siri, but only about 30 percent use it with any regularity—precisely because they expected more from it before it could match those expectations, and that’s the way it’s going to stay for

A comedy...

From A4 to miss Noynoy Aquino. You may not agree with PNoy’s policy and some of the things he said in public but at least you cannot fault him for being vulgar and using language laced with expletives.

The foot-in-mouth disease must be contagious. Comes now presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo who said “Filipinos have no right to question President Duterte.” He was defending the right of the President to decide that former President Ferdinand Marcos should be buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, adding that those who voted Duterte in power gave him that mandate.

It is not whether Marcos should be buried or not at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. I, for one, believe he’s entitled to a hero’s burial, being a former soldier and president. It is Panelo’s distorted view that Filipinos have no right to question Duterte’s action because

some time.

Two years ago, when muchhyped 3-D printing was proving a bit kludgier than neophytes drawn by the promise of magic expected, its inventor, Charles Hull, said this in an interview: “Most of the stuff they talk about will happen someday -- eventually. But there’s the here-and-now and the near-term future, where a lot of that stuff is definitely hype and won’t happen.”

“Most of the stuff” and “eventually” are the keywords.

We don’t know for sure whether, let alone when, autonomousdriving technology will fully replace humans, or whether machine translation will work as well as the human kind.

We often pay to serve as testers for technology that is going exciting places for the engineers who develop it.

And we expect instant gratification, though intuitively, we should understand there’s no such thing in engineering. They don’t really deceive us: The warnings are always there for those who are willing to listen, and the makers and the hypers are rarely the same people.

It’s difficult for laymen to resist the hype. We want to believe in miracles, and we often don’t admit to ourselves that the tech we buy into isn’t quite miraculous, that despite being extremely advanced and unimaginable just a decade or two

they gave him an overwhelming mandate in the last elections. Every Filipino citizen has a right to question the President’s decision.

And this President has made some public utterances that certainly raise questions.

That Sal Panelo has been shifted from presidential spokesperson to legal counsel speaks volumes of his inadequacy to speak for the President. But in appointing Panelo as chief legal counsel, Duterte might have erred in choosing him to interpret the law.

Any high school student knows the legal and constitutional right of every citizen to question the action of the country’s leadership. Only Panelo apparently does not know that.

Something we have been warning the people about has been validated by President Duterte. He has raised the red flag about the presence of Islamist State agents in the country after receiving a report from the Bureau of Immigration about the entry of some Middle Eastern men traveling to Mindanao.

ago, the gap between it and pure magic is often bigger than the distance already covered.

For those who need a reality check, though, there’s a convenient tool: the “Hype Cycle,” developed by tech research firm Gartner. Technologies aren’t brought to market when they can fully deliver on their promise but when they are at what Gartner calls the “Peak of Inflated Expectations.” Almost exactly a year ago, the company released its 2015 Hype Curve. At the top: autonomous vehicles, speechto-speech translation and machine learning.

Marketers figure the top of that cycle is the best time to offer tech to the masses. People who expect magic get disappointed, and the technology falls into the “Trough of Disillusionment.” But the good news is that at least some of the technologies then make it up the “Slope of Enlightenment” to the “Plateau of Productivity.”

Enterprise 3-D printing was halfway to the plateau from the trough a year ago, according to Gartner. Virtual reality was just climbing out of the trough.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t buy new tech when it’s being overhyped. But it does mean that we shouldn’t expect much from it. I feel privileged to play with the early implementations of big dreams, even if they never come to fruition.

Bloomberg

Although the military has still refused to confirm the presence of IS suspects, there’s a strong possibility they have linked up with Muslim militants in Mindanao. What is more worrisome is if IS brings its urban terrorism into Metro Manila, particularly in the crowded shopping malls.

Thailand, the first Asian country to suffer terror bombings followed the series of IS attacks in France, Belgium, Germany and Turkey. Could the Philippines, a Christian country, be next?

The government, nonetheless is working at passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law, meeting with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Malaysia. The BBL is being eyed to fit into a proposed federal form of government if the Charter is amended and approved in a plebiscite. It would be Duterte’s legacy if he can bring peace and prosperity to Mindanao as the first President to come from this region.

We wish him well and success in this endeavor.

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

A5

mstdaydesk@gmail.com

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

‘Tapang at malasakit’ BOUND for Cebu to attend the milestone of our friend Mike Dino’s dad, Norman Fulgencio (the Duterte-Cayetano campaign manager for Malabon and Navotas) got to discussing the first 45 days of the new presidency.

“Parang ang tagal nang presidente ni mayor, ano?” he quipped. To which I said, “ngayon nga lang magkakaroon ng first 50-day report para sa isang presidente.”

Norman, whose self-financed efforts in his area resulted in an astounding victory for Duterte in Liberal Party-controlled Malabon (PNoy’s first cousin, Len-len Oreta is the mayor) and even topping Binay in Navotas by more than 2,000 votes (this fishing capital is the fiefdom of Jojo’s loyalist, Toby Tiangco), then stated: “Kasi naman ang dami nang nagawa in so short a period. Every day that passes there’s a major news event”.

The common observation got both of us reminiscing about how a year ago, in 2015, most everyone we approached to support a Mindanaoan’s candidacy was met by snickers and jeers.

“Saling-pusa lang ‘yan.” “Pumu-porma lang ‘yang si Duterte, baka magsi-senador, at most ‘yan vice-president.”

These were samples of common reactions, not only in Luzon, but even in the Visayas.

Then, cobbling together a few million pesos, mostly from friends who believed like us that a significant public was tired enough of the same traditional politics and the same old faces, the Duterte pre-campaign was able to fund a three-week, medium-frequency national TV ad, which ran from the last week of May to mid-June 2015. Putting together what was loose It’s always change for the other major candidates (Roxas, Binay and Poe) was so natural, difficult that our national in-character, ad didn’t even have the necessary traction for the never second-quarter publicly contrived. released surveys of Pulse and SWS. Prior to that, there were low-budget efforts by Duterte’s Davao friends, such as some introductory regional ads that ran in March, plus a memorable “langaw” advertorial that could afford only a once or twice nightly TV exposure for a week or so. But it was “different” enough to catch public attention.

Sometime in April of 2015, we got in touch with the top brass of a “disruptive” creative agency which was used by Sen. Manny Villar in 2009-2010.

In previous campaigns, I normally worked with veteran adman Greg Garcia, but then Greg was working for his “anak,” Alan Peter Cayetano, who was at the time still assiduous on a presidential run.

I was always impressed by the quality of Villar’s infomercials even when I was working on the campaign of his main opponent, Noynoy Aquino, whose father Ninoy and Tito Doy Laurel introduced me 35 years ago to the world of politics.

Providentially, although strangely weird, it was Sen. Cynthia Villar, through a common friend, who introduced us to the “disruption” creative group.

On the first meeting, they agreed to draw up a TV commercial based on the concept of a “courage and compassion” candidate. For months since I volunteered to help Duterte, I kept talking to rather skeptical publics that “character” and “compassion” would differentiate my reluctant dream candidate from the maddening crowd of would-be presidents.

Through several presidential campaigns of which I was a part of the strategy team, I maintained that national leaders must “sell” their persona based on three C’s: competence, character and compassion. Getting the voters to identify your candidate as having all three, or at least two of these qualifiers, would be essential to victory.

The “disruptors” and I agreed to define Duterte in terms of character and compassion, with competence already a “given” to a significant number of voters. Davao City, after all, was one of the best-run and best-governed cities in the country.

Duterte’s outstanding character was to be defined in terms of his courage. But there is an underlying and all-encompassing raison d’etre for the “tapang,” and that is an inherent “malasakit” for the public he serves.

Besides, the competition (especially the then-leading candidate, Binay), had a compelling narrative in his 2010 VP run, thanks to my friend Greg’s “Ganito kami sa Makati, sana ganito rin sa buong bansa.” Mar Roxas, on the other hand, scored well on the “Mr. Clean” image, which predictably, his party and the president embraced as the be-all and end-all quality of a leader.

Thus was “Tapang at Malasakit,” the Duterte campaign theme, born.

Later, when Duterte and Cayetano teamed up, Greg Garcia came on board, so that essentially we had two creative groups reinforcing through succeeding permutations, the “tapang at malasakit” narrative.

“Matapang na solusyon, mabilis na aksyon.” “Change is coming.” “Tinud-anay nga kausaban” for the Bisaya publics.

“Kayo ang lakas ko” as finale, with massive crowds and the Philippine flag as compelling visuals.

The rest is campaign history.

The beautiful thing about the campaign story is that we never, and the candidate himself, never, ever, strayed from the truth about his character and persona. The compelling narrative and all the sub-stories thereafter were authentic. What you see is what you will get. The people believed. They applauded this “enigma” they entrusted their future in.

Winning is the first part. Succeeding is the more difficult part, and Duterte never had any illusions about the odds he would encounter.

But examine his actions in the first 50 days, beginning from his short but stirring inaugural address he himself wrote.

And throughout, see “tapang at malasakit” in full play. And always naturally, in-character, never contrived.

A6

Sports

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

TIP, San Sebastian seek quarterfinals Games today (Philsports, Pasig) 4 p.m. – TIP vs San Sebastian (V League) 6 p.m. – Ateneo vs Perpetual (V League)

SAN Sebastian and Technological Institute of the Philippines dispute the first quarterfinal berth today while Ateneo and Perpetual Help fight for survival in a pair of crucial matches in Group A of the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The Lady Stags and the Lady Engineers posted a winloss-win record each to tie for second behind unbeaten National U with the winner in the 4 p.m. encounter clinching the first quarters seat in their side of the competition in the mid-season conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

University of the Philippines (3-0), Far Eastern U (20) and UST (2-1) have made it to the quarters by taking the top three spots in Group B although all will aim for more wins to boost their respective records in the carryover next round.

With a 2-0 mark, the Lady Bulldogs are actually fancied to advance although the defending champions still need to hurdle either the Lady Altas or the Lady Eagles to formalize their stint in the next round.

That makes the SSC-TIP clash worth watching with the Lady Stags tipped to lean anew on the power-hitting Grethcel Soltones, setter Denice Lim, middle blockers Katherine Villegas and Joyce Sta. Rita.

Despite her role as playmaker, Lim has been supplying added firepower for the Lady Stags, norming 12 points after three games.

“She’s been playing consistently well and we will need her to take some of the pressure of Grethcel,” said San Sebastian assistant coach Clint Malazo, referring to Lim. But the Lady Engineers had been dishing out big games behind guest player Mylene Paat, Gayle Layug, Eunice Mabayao, Eden Maturan and guest setter Relea Saet, who are all raring to steer the unfancied squad to the next round against the league’s top draws.

Tornadoes level series with F2 in PSL finals

By Peter Atencio ROOKIE standout Cherry Ann Rondina showed her big fighting heart as the Foton Tornadoes held off the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers, 18-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-18, on Saturday.

The 5’5” Rondina’s big plays, combined with the intimidating presence up front of 6’4” Jaja Santiago, contributed to the Tornadoes’ victory in Game 2, which tied their best-of-three Philippine Super Liga All Filipino Conference finals against the Cargo Movers at The Arena in San Juan.

“Kinapitan namin, naniwala kami,” said Rondina, who scored 15 points, behind Santiago, who led the Tornadoes with 19.

The Tornadoes, who tied the series after their one hour and 59-minute match, will now have chance to go for the title on Wednesday.

Rondina’s time at the spotlight came when she hit five crucial points in the fourth.

Her ace, followed by a net error from F2’s Kianna Dy, allowed the Tornadoes to move ahead, 6-3.

They kept their three-point edge with her kill midway in the fourth, 12-9.

Her defensive plays from the left side then handed Foton a fourpoint lead, 19-15.

The Tornadoes hiked their lead on Rondina’s jump spike to the backline, 22-15.

“Tinibayan namin ang first ball, kahit kargado. Sinabi ni ate Rhea (Dimaculangan), itaas ko lang ang bola. Nag-matter po ito,” said Rondina, who gets important advise from University of Santo Tomas schoolmate Rhea Dimaculangan.

Ara Galang led with 16 for the Cargo Movers. Danika Gendrauli’s attacks which shattered a 22-all tie powered her team to victory.

“We are receiving better. Ito ang wala nung Game 1. From first to last, nag improve,” said Foton coach Vilet Ponce de Leon who believes Game 3 will not be easy.

She expects F2 to make a strong comeback.

SYDNEY’S BIGGEST ROAD RACE. Runners take part in the annual City2Surf road race in Sydney. Local distance runner Harry Summers won Sydney’s biggest road race finishing ahead of more than 80,000 participants in 42 minutes in sunny winter conditions. AFP

Teener Tan leads Bowling World Cup national finals

Y

OUTHFUL national bowler Merwin Tan sizzled with a 12-game series of 2478 pinfalls to tow 33 others to the second round of the 2016 Qubica/AMF Bowling World Cup national finals last Friday at Coronado Lanes (Starlanes).

The 17-year-old Tan, youth bowler of the year in 2014 when he also won a bronze medal in the Asian Schools competition in Jakarta, shot seven 200 games to finish 47 pins ahead of veteran Raoul Miranda, who carded 2431.

Tan rolled 230, 221, 221, 225, 221, 203 and 209 in the second, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th games, respectively, to cushion himself from the

late charge of Miranda, who capped his performance with a 257 in the 12th game.

Miranda also tallied six other 200s – 211, 206, 223, 204, 213 and 203 – but his opening round was marred by a 165 in the sixth game.

With their scores carried over, the top 34 pintopplers will roll another 12 games tomorrow at Paeng’s Midtown, with the top eight finishers staying in the race for

the national crown.

The ladies’ aspirants, led by seasoned international campaigners Liza del Rosario and Liza Clutario, played their first 10 games last Saturday.

The men’s and ladies’ national champions will represent the Philippines in the Qubica/AMF BWC international finals scheduled on October 14-23, 2016 at Hao’s Bowling Center in Shanghai, China.

Jay R. Tan came in third last Friday with 2394, followed by Paulo Valdez (2354), Kevin Cu (2330), Alvin Pastrana (2273), Nicco Olaivar (2265), Simple Villajin (2257), Sammy Say Sy (2256) and Ronnie Javier (2240).

The 24 other bowlers who are still in the running for the title are: Paul Angelo Sia (2240), Lito Fabros (2227), Alex Ngoi (2217), Jeff Carabeo (2216), Benshir Layoso (2182), Jomin Wong (2176), Scott Uy (2173), John Paul Genciana (2162), Rjay Lorenz Magana (2155), Norman Lising (2138), Wilson Sua (2132), John Paul G. Macatula (2126), Kurt Mendoza (2103), Jansen Collantes (2097), Kap Aguila (2095), Raul Imperial (2085), July Vargas (2083), Jun Garcia (2069), Noel Abad (2068), Nichole Andrew Jimeno (2067), Francis de Leon (2057), Eric Luciano Aranez Jr. (2054), Jorel Simbulan (2050) and Lorenz Tugade (2046).

Bulldogs face Archers, target no. 3 triumph Games today (Philsports, Pasig) 10 a.m. – EAC vs San Beda (S Turf) 12 noon – NU vs La Salle (S Turf)

NATIONAL University sets out against La Salle today, wary of its chances for a third straight victory against a team bannered by the league’s leading scorer in a key Group A match in the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Collegiate Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The Bulldogs toppled the FEU Tams and the Philippine Merchant Marine School side in a pair of straight-set romps but expect a tougher outing against the Archers, who split their first two games, holding off the St. Benilde Blazers, 25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, but bowing to the reigning NCAA champion Perpetual Help Altas, 20-25, 15-25, 2519, 25-14, 12-15.

But with Raymark Woo at the helm, La Salle is expected to measure up with NU, ensuring a fierce battle in the featured 12 noon duel of two

TOP RIDER. Italian Valen-

tino Rossi of Movistar Yamaha competes during the qualifying session at the Grand Prix in Spielberg, Austria. AFP

of the league’s top teams. The match can be viewed live via streaming on www.sports. abs-cbn.com.

Woo has been averaging 25.5 points after three games and is tipped to dish out another explosive game along with Mike Frey, Arjay Onia, Joshua Elorde and guest player Rafael Del Pilar, libero Jopet Movido and setter Geuel Asia as they tr y to stop the Bulldogs’ early surge.

Though Woo is the league’s top scorer, NU’s Francis Saura remains the top spiker with an 80 percent success with Madzlan Gampong also producing a solid backup with a 52.78 percent effort. Woo has turned in a 49.44 percent clip.

Meanwhile, Emilio Aguinaldo College and San Beda, both winless in two starts, collide at 10 a.m. with the winner remaining in the semis race.

The top two teams in each side of six after the single round robin elims will advance to the Final Four of the country’s premier men’s volley league organized by Sports Vision.

Tennis president Villanueva gets world federation’s nod THE INTERNATIONAL Tennis Federation has acknowledged Randy Villanueva as acting president of the Philippine Tennis Association, enabling the erstwhile Philta vice president to immediately call for a summit of all stakeholders of the sport.

Villanueva, who is assuming the unexpired term of resigned president Edwin Olivarez until 2018, said he will open the doors for more tennis stakeholders by overhauling the Philta bylaws and constitution “which have become outdated and flawed.”

He said the existing bylaws and constitution “is run by only a handful of people all based in Metro Manila and who don’t represent the entire tennis population.”

“We want the association to be more hardworking and more responsive to a broader population,” said Villanueva, who added that the amendments will be followed for a proper electoral process that will widen the representations of the board and its officers.

Based on the existing Philta charter, there are only 12 stockholders and 12 general membership, who also com-

prise the officers including the president, vice president, secretary general and treasurer.

“If anyone wants to run and he has the right intention, he can present his plans and platforms to a proper general membership and convince the general membership,” said Villanueva.

“Our goal is to have 100,000 members which is very achievable for a big sport like tennis,” said Villanueva who received the congratulatory email from ITF president David Haggerty last July 30.

Haggerty practically gave recognition

to Villanueva after the Filipino official emailed him a letter explaining the situation in Philta, saying “congratulations on your assumption as President.”

Among those Villanueva planned is to gather regional representatives as well school sports like UAAP and NCAA for a summit as soon as possible. Villanueva said they will ask the Philippine Olympic Committee for guidance.

Villanueva is also planning to launch a massive database among all tennis players and coaches.

Joining Villanueva in the call for change

is Philta chair Jean Henri Lhuillier, who is the part-owner of the Philippine Mavericks in International Tennis Premier League, team sponsor/manager of the Davis Cup teams and title sponsor of PCA Open.

Lhuillier is also bankrolling ITF Futures and ATP Challenger tournaments the past two years plus some 40 other annual tournaments.

Villanueva also helped broker talks between Lhuillier and IPTL founder Mahesh Bhupati, which made it possible for the country to have a franchise in the breakthrough tournament.

Sports

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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Fall guy Mo wins gold in Olympics R

IO DE JANEIRO—British distance runner Mo Farah recovered from a dramatic fall to defend his 10,000m title on Saturday as Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson ended the Olympic reign of compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to claim 100m gold.

The 33-year-old Briton brought the Olympic Stadium crowd roaring to its feet after conjuring a trademark surge down the home straight to win in 27min 5.17sec.

Kenyan Paul Tanui won silver in 27:05.64 with Ethiopian Tamirat Tola third in 27:06.26.

But it was Farah’s heroic recovery that was the only talking point of a display that was every bit as memorable as his win in London four years ago.

Farah, aiming to become only the second man since legendary Finn Lasse Viren in 1972 and 1976 to complete a 5000m-10,000m double, was left stunned after being sent crashing to the track by training partner Galen Rupp on the 10th lap.

But he brilliantly recovered to get back in the race, hunting down the leaders and powering to gold.

- ‘Don’t panic’ Farah later told reporters he had thought of a promise made to his daughter as he tumbled over.

“I was thinking ‘Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic,’” Farah said. “Mentally I was thinking ‘Is the race done?’ And I said to myself ‘No, no.’

“I’d promised my daughter I was going to bring home a medal and I couldn’t let her down,” he said.

“I wasn’t going to let it go. I thought about my family. It made me emotional.”

The victory cements Farah’s place as the dominant distance runner of his generation.

It was his eighth successive win in the 5,000 or 10,000m at a world championships or Olympics since 2011.

As Farah extended his Olympic reign however, another one drew to a close with

Jamaica’s Fraser-Pryce downed by training partner Thompson in the blue riband 100m final.

Fraser-Pryce had been aiming to become the first woman in history to win three consecutive Olympic golds in the same event after her wins in 2008 and 2012.

But she was left trailing in the wake of Thompson, who surged into the lead after exploding from the blocks to win in 10.71sec.

Tori Bowie of the United States took silver with 10.83sec while Fraser-Pryce claimed bronze in 10.86.

- ‘Proud of Jamaica’ “When I crossed the line and glanced across to see I was clear (I) didn’t quite know how to celebrate,” said a jubilant Thompson after sharing an embrace with Fraser-Pryce.

“There is a big screen back home in my community in Jamaica. I can’t imagine what is happening there right now.”

Fraser-Pryce, wearing her hair dyed in Jamaica’s national colours, congratulated her young partner on her win.

“What I’m most happy about is that the 100m title is staying in Jamaica,” said FraserPryce. “I’m on the podium with my training partner. I’m proud of Jamaica -- just look at my hair.” AFP

Argentina’s shooting guard Manu Ginobili (right) drives to the basket against Brazil’s center Nene Hilario during a Men’s round Group B basketball match between Argentina and Brazil at the Carioca Arena 1 in Rio de Janeiro in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. AFP

Argentina edges hosts; Spain alive

Britain's Mo Farah falls to his knees as he celebrates winning the Men's 10,000m during the athletics’ event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO—Argentina snatched a thrilling 111-107 double-overtime win against Brazil amid fears of fan violence, as Spain kept its Rio Games basketball hopes alive by crushing Lithuania.

Dozens of armed security personnel were deployed for the afternoon game between Argentina and the Olympic hosts, with tensions high following previous unruly spectator behaviour in Rio. Team captains Marcelinho Huertas of Brazil and Luis Scola of Argentina met at half-court before tip-off, addressing the crowd in a bid to nip excess passions in the bud.

“We are South American brothers, and we ask everybody to support us in the spirt of the Olympics and in a civil manner,” Huertas said to cheers.

Decades of football rivalry spice any Argentine-Brazil matchup, but no incidents were reported.

Argentina dealt a blow to Brazil’s tournament hopes, with forward Andres Nocioni scoring 37 points and guard Facundo Campazzo getting 13 of his 33 in extra time.

Nocioni sank a clutch three-pointer with four seconds in regulation to stun the deafening, mostly Brazilian, crowd and force overtime at 85-85.

Campazzo’s fast-break lay-up with 36 seconds left in the first overtime, one of several penetrating drives, tied it again at 95-95 to trigger another overtime. AFP

Phelps From A8 in the moment but to “build the fire up in you while you’re hearing the national anthem”.

“He’s usually like a machine on those,” Bowman said, invoking a word often used in connection with Phelps.

Bowman has called Phelps a “motivation machine” spurred to action by the slightest snub, and the sheer number of his triumphs have earned him the reputation of a “medal machine”.

Bowman, however, said each one of those golds was the product of sweat and stress.

“Every one of those was hard,” Bowman said. “Maybe the very first one was the easiest one. After that they’ve all been super-hard.”

Bowman, who first detected the determination he cites as Phelps’s greatest asset when he began coaching the 11-year-old swimmer, has lived through some stormy times with Phelps.

He watched as Phelps fought through youthful scandals including his first drink-driving charge at 19 and a tabloid ruckus over a picture of Phelps with a marijuana pipe in 2009.

Their relationship hit rock bottom as London approached, but Bowman said Phelps in Rio is really changed.

Phelps soaked up aspects

Puig hopes gold solves Puerto Rico identity crisis of the Olympic experience he previously ignored -- serving as a captain on the US team for the first time, carrying the US flag at the opening ceremony he had never before attended.

Then he dived in and did what Michael Phelps does, helping the US to gold in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, avenging his 2012 200m fly loss to le Clos and notching his fourth straight 200m individual medley title.

Even his lone silver -- to Singapore sensation Joseph Schooling in the 100m fly -carried a whiff of the extraordinary: it was a rare three-way tie with le Clos and Phelps’s longtime Hungarian rival Laszlo Cseh.

“I think he wants to wrap it up knowing that he gave everything and prepared well did it the right way,” Bowman said. “And he loves it.”

His success in the pool -- far from assured when the Games began, begs the question, “how do you not come back?”

“I just don’t see it happening,” Bowman said. “I think he’s in such a good place personally he doesn’t need it.

“I think he’s got a lot to do, I think he has a plan for what he’s going to do with his life, and he’s just in a good place.” AFP

RIO JANEIRO—Monica Puig hopes her landmark Olympic gold medal for Puerto Rico will be an inspiration for Latin American women, even if she may struggle to compete with the island’s boxers, baseball players... and Ricky Martin.

Puig made history on Saturday when she defeated Australian Open champion and world number two Angelique Kerber 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 in the women’s tennis singles final.

It was a first gold for the US territory to add to the island’s modest previous haul of two silver and six bronze.

She is also the first Puerto Rican woman to medal at an Olympics.

The title charge was a surprise for a player ranked at 34 in the

world and who came into Rio on the back of a couple of first round losses, at Wimbledon and Montreal where she was even defeated by a qualifier.

“I’m really proud to represent Latin America and I hope this can be an inspiration to all Latin women that everything can be done in this life,” said Puig.

In the aftermath of her victory, she struggled with the words of the Puerto Rico national anthem, admitting that her father Jose had emailed her the lyrics in the morning.

Despite being born in San Juan, Puig has spent most of her life in Miami and her pronounced American accent masks any trace of her roots.

In a way, Puig’s win served to highlight the Caribbean island’s

standing in the world order. It is a US territory, but not a state.

- Gigi salute She is also technically not the first Puerto Rican gold medallist.

Gigi Fernandez was also born in San Juan but when she was a gold medallist in doubles in 1992 and 1996, she was playing under the US flag.

“Gigi congratulated me, she’s an inspiration,” said Puig.

“Anyone who gets a medal is inspiring. But I’m just so happy to be the first Puerto Rican woman to win gold.”

She added: “I always have been 100% loyal to where I was born and the roots I was raised in. I still have family in Puerto Rico and I have been back to visit quite a lot.

“That island has given me so

Neymar takes Brazil closer to Germany rematch RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP)-Brazil captain Neymar blasted his first goal of the Olympics to edge the hosts closer to a first football gold medal in a bruising 2-0 quarter-final win over Colombia.

The Barcelona star curled home an exquisite free-kick after just 12 minutes, but was lucky to stay on the field when he chopped down Andres Roa, sparking a brawl between both sets of players and coaches.

Brazil kept their cool, and a fourth clean sheet in four Games matches, as Luan’s dipping effort eight minutes from time set up a semi-final meeting with Honduras in Rio on Wednesday.

Germany remained on course for a mouthwatering rematch with Brazil in next Saturday’s final, two years on from their 7-1 thrashing of the hosts at the 2014 World Cup, by disposing of Portugal 4-0 in Brasilia.

Brazil edged the latest install-

ment of a bad-tempered trilogy with South American rivals Colombia in Sao Paulo with Neymar the focus of attention for good and bad reasons.

Neymar missed the Germany semi-final two years ago. He left the field in tears on a stretcher with two broken vertebrae to bring his home World Cup to a cruel end when Brazil dumped a James Rodriguez-inspired Colombia out of a bruising quarterfinal that included 54 fouls. AFP

much. So much love and support throughout my career and I just wanted this one for them.”

On Friday, after beating twotime Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the semi-finals, Puig had vowed to win gold and bring some light relief to the island which has been buried under some $70 billion in debt.

There is also a growing concern over the Zika virus.

In July, US health officials reported that as many as 50 pregnant women per day had been infected, raising the risk of birth defects.

Puerto Rican born crooner Martin was amongst the first to recognise his island’s newest star even if Puig’s 101,000 Twitter followers are trailing behind the singer’s impressive 14 million. AFP

LOTTO RESULTS

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3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

Sports

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

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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

Phelps more than just a medal machine

‘We will never see another one like him’

RIO DE JANEIRO—Michael Phelps is said to have surpassed the deeds of Leonidas of Rhodes at the ancient Olympics and the American’s coach believes we will never see his likes again.

“Absolutely not, I’m not even looking,” Bob Bowman said after Saturday’s final swimming races which left Phelps with 23 Olympic gold medals.

“He’s too special. It’s not even once in a generation -- it may be once in 10 generations that someone like Michael comes along.

“He just had so many things going for him: he had the physical skills, the mental out-

look, the family that supported swimming. He has an emotional ability to get up for big races and actually perform better under pressure.”

Phelps bowed out with his fifth gold of the Rio Games in his fifth and final Olympics after powering the United States to victory in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.

“I don’t think you’re going to see another Michael,” added Bowman. “But you’re going to be seeing a lot of other wonderful people. You’re going to be seeing Katie Ledeckys and Ryan Murphys, and hopefully I’ll find some of those.” AFP

A teary-eyed Michael Phelps of the USA waves to the crowd after his final Olympic swim—the Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. AFP

AU Braves, Cubs try to stay ahead Games today (The Arena, San Juan) 9 a.m.- Mapua vs Jose Rizal (jrs) 10:45 a.m.- Arellano vs EAC (jrs) 12:30 p.m.- San Beda vs San Sebastian (jrs) 2:15 p.m.- St. Benilde vs Perpetual (jrs) 4 p.m.- LPU vs Letran (jrs) ARELLANO University and San Beda seek to keep their grip on the lead as the two take on lowly Emilio Aguinaldo and San Sebastian, respectively, in today’s start of the second round of elimination of the 92nd NCAA juniors’ basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan City.

The Braves and the Cubs finished the first round with identical 8-1 records and should stay that way as the they are expected to hurdle the Generals (0-9) at 10:45 a.m. and the Staglets (1-8) at 12:30 p.m.

Arellano University rode on Guilmer dela Torre, its best scorer with an average of 18.7 points, the league’s second best behind only St. Benilde’s Troy Mallinllin’s 21.8-point norm, and Aaron Fermin, the league’s best rebounder and blocker having averaged 11 boards and two swats a game.

Semerad’s triple keys GlobalPort’s 1st win erad calmly sank his sixth triple of the play in an attempt to force a third ex- and his team finally listed one under game to give GlobalPort, which over- tension, but Jonathan Uyloan’s poten- the win column.

Games Wednesday GlobalPort improved to 1-4, came a sensational 55-point explosion tial game-tying triple didn’t find its (Smart Araneta Coliseum): from Meralco import Allen Durham, mark, allowing the Batang Pier to win forcing a four-way tie with the 4:15 p.m. - NLEX vs. the breakthrough win it badly needed. the hard-fought battle that saw 13 lead Blackwater Elite, the Star Hotshots Mahindra and the Alaska Aces for the ninth He shot 75 percent, 6-of-8, from down- changes.

7 p.m. - Meralco vs.

“I’m just happy we finally had our to 12th spots. The inconsistent town, to help his team, which needed Blackwater first win. We just didn’t want to break Bolts dropped to 3-3 in the middle each of his outside baskets. under pressure,” said Semerad after he of the pack.

Still with a chance, the Bolts ran a WITHOUT a doubt, Anthony Semerad played the best game of his career.

The sophomore gunner scored a career-high 24 points and more importantly, knocked down the goahead triple with 14.9 seconds left to lift GlobalPort to a gut-wrenching 126-123 double overtime grinder over Meralco as the Batang Pier finally barged into the win column of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Sunday.

With the score tied at 123-all with 20 seconds remaining, players had a mad scramble for the ball at midcourt. GlobalPort gained possession of the leather, immediately sending it over to a wide-open Semerad at the right corner baseline.

GlobalPort’s Terrence Romeo is guarded by Meralco’s Jimmy Alapag in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Hot all game long, Sem- Batang Pier, 126-123.

By Jeric Lopez

R

IO DE JANEIRO —Michael Phelps’ past and present converged at the Rio Olympics in a last explosion of gold for a swimming icon who showed he is more than a “medal machine”.

After amassing 22 medals, 18 of them gold, in four prior campaigns, Phelps delivered an epic ending to his Olympic saga in Rio de Janeiro, powering to five gold medals and one silver in seven days.

He leaves Rio with 28 medals to his name, 23 of them gold. No other athlete in any sport comes close.

In a departure from Games past, Phelps’ fifth Olympics offered a glimpse not only of a sporting great relentless in pursuit of success but also of a man buoyed by warm relationships heading purposefully into a post-swimming life.

That was not a picture presented before by Phelps, not as a young striver in his first Olympics at 15 in Sydney in 2000, not in Athens in 2004 where he arrived working his way up into the heavyweights alongside Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband.

- Haunted star It certainly wasn’t the Phelps of 2008 in Beijing, when the unprecedented achievement of eight gold medals at a single Games required an isolating determination and focus.

London 2012 was supposed to provide the fond farewell.

And it wasn’t until after the fact that Phelps lifted the curtain to reveal the anger and unhappiness of those Games, when he wanted nothing more than to be done with swimming.

Despite four gold medals and two silvers, Phelps was “haunted” by knowing he failed to prepare as he could have and particularly stung by the loss of the 200m butterfly title he surrendered to Chad le Clos.

Phelps said he had felt himself “starting to crack” with emotion as he went to the Rio pool Saturday where he played a decisive role in his final relay victory.

“This is how I wanted to finish my career. I’ve lived a dream come true. Being able to cap it off with these Games is just the perfect way to finish,” said the 31-year-old.

Rio, according Phelps’ coach of 20 years Bob Bowman, was the swimmer’s chance to fashion the ending he deserved.

“He mentions it all the time that he wants to go out on his own terms -- on good terms, not ‘Let’s get out of here,’” Bowman said.

But a comeback launched in 2014 ground to a halt within months when Phelps’ personal demons caught up with him in a Maryland tunnel. He was clocked driving 84mph (135 Km/h) in a 45mph zone while under the influence of alcohol.

The incident launched Phelps on a “brutal” personal journey that included a stay at a facility specializing in personal trauma and addiction treatment.

There Phelps, who after his parents’ divorce was brought up by his mother, Debbie, reconnected with his estranged father.

That renewed relationship has taken on even greater resonance since Phelps became a father. Fiancee Nicole Johnson gave birth to their son, Boomer, in May. Johnson and Boomer were front and center in Rio, Phelps sealing the celebration of his longed for 200m fly victory with a tender kiss for the baby boy as the Olympic crowd roared.

It was the kind of expansive public demonstration the old Phelps rarely allowed himself, just as the old Phelps wouldn’t have let himself get too emotional on the 200m medley medal stand, knowing he had a 100m butterfly semi coming up.

“That was nice to see, actually,” said Bowman, adding that in the past he would have counseled Phelps not to bask Turn to A7

Business

San Miguel set to open 2 coal plants B3

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

B1

Govt resolving rail station row

By Darwin G Amojelar

T

HE Transportation Department expects to resolve this month the dispute between SM Group and Ayala Corp. over the controversial location of a common station that will link the overhead mass rail systems in Quezon City.

“I talked to them. They have come to an agreement, maybe before the end of this month we will sign a memorandum of agreement. They all agreed,”

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade told reporters Friday.

Tugade said the common station would be built between SM North and Trinoma mall.

“It would be in the middle so that the passengers will no longer be inconvenienced, I will approve and I will put my conformity to the agreement,” he said.

San Miguel Corp., the proponent of MRT 7 preferred SM North as the location of the common station under a 25-year concession agreement with the government.

SM Prime earlier secured a Supreme Court stay order, barring the department from transferring the location of the common station to Trinoma mall of

Ayala Land Inc. The Transportation Department decided to relocate the common station to Trinoma from SM North, saying the government could save P1 billion from the transfer.

To resolve the conflict with the SM Group, the Transportation Department proposed building two common stations, one near SM North Edsa and the other beside Trinoma Mall.

Under an earlier agreement between SM Prime and staterun Light Rail Transit Author-

ity, the common station would be situated beside SM North Edsa. SM Prime already paid the government P200 million for the naming rights for the proposed station.

MPIC chairman Manuel Pangilinan earlier said the best solution to resolve the issue on common station was to build it somewhere between SM North Edsa and Trinoma.

Pangilinan said the two common stations for MRT Line 3, LRT Line 1 and the proposed MRT Line 7 would

be inefficient.

LRMC earlier proposed to Transportation the construction of an interim station between SM City North Edsa and Trinoma to connect the existing LRT1, MRT3 and the planned MRT7.

“The idea is to have just one station that will be ideal for us and for everyone because all the lines will just meet in that station. It has to be within that triangle of Trinoma and SM,” MPIC president and chief executive Jose Ma. Lim said.

Aboitiz cleared to study gas plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores

AGRICULTURAL TIES. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (second from right) and South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Jae Shin express mutual gratitude about the trade relations between the ytwo Asian countries. Piñol during the latter’s courtesy call at the DA office, on July 27, 2016, thanked the South Korean government for providing a steadily growing robust market for Philippine agricultural commodities, such as bananas and pineapples that come primarily from Mindanao.

Economy grew 6.6% in second quarter—Standard poll

By Gabrielle H. Binaday ECONOMISTS said the country’s gross domestic product in the second quarter of 2016 likely grew 6.6 percent due mostly to election-related spending in April and May. Analysts polled by Manila Standard said economic growth in the April-to-June period would range from 6.1 percent to 7.2 percent compared with the revised 5.8 percent expansion in the second quarter of 2015.

The economy grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter of the year.

Deutsche Bank Economist Diana Del

Rosario pegged the economic growth at 6.1 percent following the slower factory output growth and government expenditures.

“We estimate growth eased 6.1 percent in the second quarter on a weaker pace of factory output and a wider trade deficit. Government consumption and construction activity also likely expanded more slowly than in the previous quarter,” Del Rosario said in an e-mail.

Eugenia Victorino of ANZ Research saw second-quarter economic growth at 6.4 percent following the robust consumption driven by election-related spending.

IN BRIEF Mindanao peace key—banana group

THE Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association on Sunday urged government agencies to immediately address the insurgency problem in Mindanao.

PBGEA executive director Stephen Antig said the government should pay more attention to the insurgency problem because “it is driving the present and prospective investors away from Mindanao.”

“Why are government agencies so focused on issues like aerial spraying and land rental when the bigger problem is peace and order, which is driving the investors away?” Antig asked.

Earlier, PBGEA expressed its concern over a proposed bill in Congress that aims to regulate agribusiness ventures in areas covered by land reform.

House Bill 5161 proposed to make all agribusiness venture agreements subject to the approval of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council.

Anna Leah E. Gonzales

Aspen sees sales growing by 16%

ASPEN Philippines Inc. expects sales to increase 16 percent in the current fiscal year with the acquisition of new pharmaceutical products.

Aspen president and chief executive officer Marcelina Itchon said higher revenues would come from mature products.

“About 12 percent of the growth will come from mature products like our line of antibiotics and cardiovascular medicines and a new set of products that will contribute to sales for 2016,” she said.

Aspen Holdings, the mother unit, recently acquired an anesthetics company that will start distributing new products as early as August to September.

Unit Aspen Global Inc.of parent Aspen Holdings signed an agreement with AstraZeneca AB and AstraZeneca UK to acquire the exclusive rights to commercialize AstraZeneca’s global, excluding US, anesthetics portfolio. Othel V. Campos

“Election-related spending should have provided support to consumption, in line with the strong growth in imports. However, the sequential contraction in industrial production and the continued weakness in the agricultural sector should have weighed on overall growth,” Victorino said.

Moody’s Analytics, a division of Moody’s Corp., meanwhile, said economic growth likely slowed a bit to 6.8 percent in the second quarter from 6.9 percent a quarter ago, due to some uncertainties that stemmed from the presidential election in May. But Moody’s said in a report over the

weekend said private consumption and investment remained the main growth drivers of the economy in the April to June period.

“The Philippine economy is forecast to have grown 6.8 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, down slightly from the 6.9-percent result in the first. Private consumption and investment have been the main drivers of the archipelago’s economy, and they likely shook off any uncertainty stemming from the presidential election, which occurred in the second quarter,” Moody’s said. With Julito G. Rada

Mindanao investments pushed THE Finance department urged the private sector to innovate their products and continue creating more jobs by establishing new businesses.

“Your job, I suppose, is to create more jobs by establishing new and sustainable enterprises. You are, after all, clients of the healthiest bank that promises to make things happen for domestic business,” said Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III in a speech in Davao City.

Dominguez told businessmen now wass the best time for investors to put their money in the Philippines, especially in Mindanao.

“This is the best time to do business in our country. Interest rates are low. The growth trajectory is nearly certain. Government policies are most supportive. Investments in infra and property will create demand for jobs and, down the line, more robust consumer demand,” Dominguez said. “A golden age for entrepreneurs is in the offing.”

CLIMATE CHANGE. Climate Change Commission Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman (second from right), Minister Counselor William Calvo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica (left), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change chief negotiator Adriana Murillo Ruin (second from left) and Dr. Shiferaw Teklemariam Menbacho, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change of Ethiopia and the incoming chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, share a light moment on August 11. The officials attended a series of discussion on the advancement of the collective agenda of countries highly vulnerable to climate change during a seminar at Taal Vista in Tagaytay City.

THERMA Batangas Gas Inc. of the Aboitiz Group received approval from the Energy Department to conduct a grid impact study on a proposed combined cycle gas turbine power plants in Batangas City with a total generating capacity of 1,100 megawatts.

The study will determine the impact of the entry of the three power plants to the Luzon grid.

Therma Batangas’ combined cycle gas turbine power project will have three units, with the first generating 300 MW and the second and third producing 400 MW in Barangay Libjo, Batangas City.

Aboitiz Power Corp. senior vice president and chief operating officer of corporate business group Luis Miguel Aboitiz confirmed the natural gas power plant project.

He said the company was preparing ahead of time although the “timing is not necessarily good now.”

“Empty land. Nothing there yet. We are just getting permits,” the official said.

Parent Aboitiz Power Corp. has long expressed interest in building natural gas power plants, including liquefied natural gas, a few years ago but temporarily shelved the plan for economic reasons.

Aboitiz Power was also waiting for the release of a natural gas policy from the government.

The power industry is preparing for the eventual depletion of the Malampaya gas project in northwest Palawan by 2024.

B2

Business

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

GDP growth to guide market

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

TOCKS are expected to move sideways in the early part of trading this week, as investors look overseas for guidance and wait for the release of the gross domestic product data on Thursday.

Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said last week the economy likely grew 7 percent in the second quarter, faster than the 6.9-percent expansion in the first quarter, driven by infrastructure and election-related spending.

Pernia said he expected growth to be sustained in the second half.

Online brokerage firm

2TradeAsia.com said with the presidential election in May boosting spending, there was a good chance the second-quarter GDP number exceeded the consensus growth of 6.6-percent.

The brokerage firm said if growth hit over 6.6 percent, heavy accumulation of big capitalized stocks was expected.

Investors will also monitor the release of Japan’s GDP and the

Federal Reserve meeting minutes this week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company bellwether, dropped 0.2 percent over last week’s five-day market trading to close at 7,955.86 while the broader all-share index lost 0.4 percent to settle at 4,722.82.

Except for the industrial index, which went up 0.11 percent, all other indices ended in the red led by mining and oil which dropped 8.8 percent after the Environment Department threatened to shut down more mining companies for alleged environmental violations.

Top gainers last week were Megawide Construction Corp.

which jumped 24.6 percent to P13.76, Bloomberry Resorts Corp. which climbed 5.1 percent to P6.19 and Cebu Air Inc. which rose 4.35 percent to P120.

Heavy losers were mostly mining firms including Semirara Mining Corp. which fell 13.8 percent to P100.80. Puregold Price Club Inc. lost 6.5 percent to P44.10, while DMCI Holdings Inc. dipped 5.5 percent to P12.28.

Foreign investors bought more shares than they sold, resulting in net foreign buying of P6.8 billion last week. Foreign buying reached P28.61 billion while foreign selling amounted to P21.72 billion.

DMCI Homes starts Makati office project DMCI Homes, the residential development arm of conglomerate DMCI Holdings Inc., said it ventured into office development in Makati City and launched its first residential projects in Davao City.

DMCI Homes president Alfredo Ramos said in an interview the company would develop the former site of Federal Hardware along Pasong Tamo Extension in Makati City into a two tower residential and office development.

Under the plan, the 28-story office project will have 35,000

THE MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

AUGUST 8-12, 2016 Close Volume

AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank Filipino Fund Inc. First Abacus I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil Bank of Comm Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank Philippine trust Co. PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

3.33 47.7 116.60 103.30 38.3 4.00 1.41 16.2 20.6 6.96 0.65 1.96 580.00 0.630 91.5 0.9 14.8 24.50 60.50 100.7 400 278.8 32.5 208 1395.00 73.80 1.49

297,000 78,900 9,515,230 8,615,190 1,063,600 117,000 1,194,000 434,800 3,577,400 2,400 27,000 148,000 240 5,599,000 9,876,100 350,000 390,200 6,600 546,410 17,250 20 44,370 1,015,800 5,422,340 1,190 782,730 72,000

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Bogo Medelin C. Azuc De Tarlac Cemex Holdings Century Food Chemphil Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ Cirtek Holdings (Chips) Concepcion Crown Asia Da Vinci Capital Del Monte DNL Industries Inc. Emperador Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) EEI Euro-Med Lab First Gen Corp.

First Holdings ‘A’ Ginebra San Miguel Inc. Holcim Philippines Inc. Integ. Micro-Electronics Ionics Inc Jollibee Foods Corp.

Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ MG Holdings Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp.

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas and Co. Roxas Holdings San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ Splash Corporation Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Trans-Asia Oil Universal Robina USIPHIL, Inc. Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

45.85 3.22 0.83 1.9 12.26 51.1 180.00 11.82 16.9 136 153.2 22.85 57.2 2.23 5.6 12.7 11.160 7.40 5.89 9.58 1.87 24.85 71 12.08 16.10 5.67 2.330 253.00 41.45 1.96 4.6 29.00 26.6 34.5 13.76 325.00 0.260 5.10 3.517092 11.32 3.47 11.66 6.15 1.67 3.42 4.19 2.22 3.76 223 3.04 0.154 2.00 2.36 199.9 4.45 4.59 1.85 31.55 1.23

11,683,300 4,539,000 4,462,000 7,627,000 7,400 30 30 56,701,700 17,256,900 20 3,970 46,156,800 110,660 2,810,000 2,003,500 105,000 47,184,800 3,265,900 131,858,200 2,800,300 5,000 9,520,200 872,070 64,800 657,600 1,222,200 11,786,000 2,453,680 800 12,000 919,000 41,200 13,321,500 14,638,500 65,285,900 930,030 1,020,000 373,000 28,415,990 26,388,900 69,000 56,800 2,167,000 1,299,000 1,001,000 2,406,000 16,000 126,000 54,220 792,000 36,400,000 14,429,000 6,123,000 7,323,330 18,000 68,000 283,614,000 100 2,030,000

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

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Jolliville Holdings Keppel Holdings `A’ Keppel Holdings `B’ 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 Republic Glass ‘A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. South China Res. Inc. Transgrid Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries Zeus Holdings

0.400 75.00 16.00 1.25 6.30 0.400 0.385 898 1004.00 8.64 12.28 6.15 6.85 0.221 1535 6.60 81.85 4.05 5.14 5.28 7.54 0.76 16.02 0.465 7.1 3.14 0.0360 1.210 1.880 2.73 84.30 685.00 1.37 0.85 188.00 204.000 0.3150 0.2130 0.285

3,500,000 15,013,700 18,468,400 81,000 394,800 56,410,000 4,850,000 1,593,900 20 61,871,100 41,101,100 285,000 2,227,100 1,230,000 1,520,980 9,200 9,088,570 20,000 14,900 10,700 7,003,100 118,000 24,017,400 30,000 257,452,500 9,000 276,000,000 149,000 2,128,000 67,000 1,106,520 1,352,230 13,083,000 38,000 580 39,050 11,650,000 19,860,000 8,240,000

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

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Cebu Prop. `B’ 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 MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

7.890 6.60 1.27 2.630 0.275 41.200 3.22 5.15 5.8 0.620 1.02 1.010 0.167 0.630 58.75 0.810 0.158 1.08 1.86 1.21 5.15 0.124 0.2900

585,400 3,900 25,517,000 29,240,000 3,620,000 51,047,100 3,270,600 203,100 6,000 34,635,000 36,000 577,000 204,510,000 32,295,000 4,421,710 2,540,000 1,150,000 44,656,000 137,194,000 407,000 263,479,600 136,280,000 40,000

Value FINANCIAL 1,004,950.00 3,761,545.00 1,117,587,821 884,392,918.00 40,758,595.00 453,390.00 1,771,480.00 7,080,280.00 72,706,233.00 16,692 18,250 285,700.00 140,850.00 3,611,090.00 919,451,516.00 316,900.00 5,750,110.00 163,300.00 31,631,475.50 1,731,557.50 8,000.00 12,469,198.00 32,777,090 1,171,705,900.00 1,670,245 57,787,677.00 107,850.00 INDUSTRIAL 533,863,380.00 15,083,970.00 3,749,820.00 14,809,140.00 91,884.00 1,533.00 5,400.00 681,223,216.00 304,464,464 2,720.00 613,217.00 1,036,747,535.00 6,567,894 6,265,660.00 11,586,136.00 1,339,904.00 522,836,710.00 24,386,908.00 788,963,274.00 26,895,272.00 8,820.00 237,543,485.00 62,227,519.50 796,096.00 10,589,062.00 6,940,470.00 27,645,460.00 623,398,340.00 32,645.00 24,160.00 4,079,520.00 1,204,170.00 345,879,750.00 488,710,495.00 803,725,926.00 301,595,262.00 266,750.00 1,823,170.00 12,181,810.00 293,765,750.00 216,120.00 657,582.00 13,165,788.00 2,160,640.00 3,407,970.00 10,167,300.00 35,520.00 478,640.00 12,094,792.00 2,411,870 5,866,640.00 29,658,220.00 14,564,410.00 1,488,636,654 81,550.00 311,270.00 500,243,750.00 3,155.00 2,530,840.00 HOLDING FIRMS 1,364,750.00 1,126,367,103.00 298,634,428.00 100,160.00 2,477,855.00 22,627,400.00 1,951,750.00 1,429,928,145.00 11,060.00 551,191,796.00 520,884,292.00 1,821,730.00 15,480,878.00 277,330.00 2,400,007,810.00 61,248.00 754,770,035.00 81,000.00 76,710.00 56,758.00 53,591,037.00 90,750.00 384,382,836.00 13,950.00 1,888,377,695.00 28,170.00 10,127,500.00 182,170.00 4,048,440.00 170,460.00 92,597,874.00 932,106,000.00 17,865,210.00 32,300.00 111,040.00 7,872,377.00 3,621,450.00 4,318,220.00 2,366,250.00 PROPERTY 4,675,534.00 26,300.00 33,743,390.00 79,501,270.00 971,500.00 2,091,379,365.00 12,277,850.00 1,028,331.00 34,800.00 21,675,720.00 36,990.00 580,860.00 35,065,200.00 21,077,760.00 253,112,114.00 2,071,310.00 180,570.00 49,171,370.00 218,698,000.00 484,720.00 1,394,540,189.00 17,447,260.00 10,700.00

Close

AUGUST 1-5, 2016 Volume Value

3.67 47.65 115.00 101.30 38.1 4.00 1.56 16.7 20 7.00 0.63 2.03 580.00 0.670 91.15 0.91 14.7 25.40 63.00 102 400 276.8 32.6 224 1415.00 73.00 1.51

110,000 120,800 149,421,242 8,416,210 878,100 341,000 1,954,000 187,200 2,515,700 32,200 210,000 71,000 1,290 17,603,000 16,114,980 290,000 82,400 29,000 366,740 930 80 30,870 1,591,900 4,870,000 455 1,420,500 142,000

388,910.00 5,696,845.00 1,127,007,119 839,820,039.50 33,323,870.00 1,373,420.00 3,226,170.00 3,109,708.00 50,633,359.00 220,976 136,200 141,190.00 755,420.00 11,530,070.00 1,515,268,690.00 264,090.00 1,211,424.00 728,610.00 23,080,528.50 93,448.50 35,008.00 8,633,426.00 51,717,795 1,087,307,430.00 653,120 103,502,474.00 215,220.00

45.55 3.32 0.87 1.98 12.56 53.95 190.00 12.3 18.1 140.1 160 22.4 57.5 2.22 5.98 12.9 10.540 7.79 5.89 9.24 1.73 24.7 71 12.10 16.40 5.66 2.400 255.00 40.00 2.08 4.2 28.50 26.2 31.3 11.04 324.80 0.265 4.30 3.48 10.72 3.09 11.66 6.02 1.69 3.37 4.27 2.22 3.76 216 3.04 0.162 1.91 2.36 203

7,889,600 6,487,000 2,108,000 28,061,000 33,200 820 150 61,047,200 12,710,000 10 5,880 49,645,100 332,390 7,933,000 1,810,800 717,200 41,788,200 6,191,300 54,181,700 3,315,800 87,000 11,910,500 843,310 7,900 1,255,900 1,265,200 34,503,030 2,598,520 4,400 57,000 974,000 295,300 6,308,400 7,469,500 73,550,600 465,800 2,310,000 16,000 11,834,000 17,311,000 5,000 65,700 2,262,300 2,770,000 1,507,000 12,620,000 34,000 64,000 10,320 1,268,000 84,590,000 6,347,000 5,754,000 6,582,630

358,177,735.00 21,924,670.00 1,832,010.00 54,887,880.00 414,108.00 42,804.50 29,000.00 733,908,534.00 222,193,668 1,401.00 937,198.00 1,107,038,505.00 18,917,377 18,116,180.00 10,771,545.00 9,296,356.00 427,704,216.00 47,122,064.00 316,392,699.00 30,670,759.00 158,400.00 296,252,160.00 59,785,489.00 95,010.00 36,200,662.00 7,127,136.00 219,139,888.00 662,793,402.00 176,000.00 114,830.00 4,157,430.00 8,382,780.00 164,346,755.00 225,570,655.00 771,998,524.00 150,885,990.00 633,950.00 68,160.00 40,918,800.00 181,777,938.00 15,660.00 762,216.00 13,450,098.00 4,673,840.00 5,388,690.00 53,659,770.00 75,680.00 241,010.00 2,228,148.00 3,855,850 13,799,380.00 12,242,690.00 13,505,660.00 1,338,607,020

4.4 1.6 31.00 1.25

1,927,000 316,600,000 500 1,767,000

8,491,790.00 483,166,730.00 15,515.00 2,245,160.00

0.415 75.45 16.00 1.29 6.47 0.405 0.410 897.5 1400.00 8.3 13.00 6.99 6.99 0.230 1600 6.60 82.25

38,120,000 13,992,770 16,273,300 166,000 122,700 108,370,000 6,280,000 1,293,660 480 19,477,200 36,680,500 2,149,000 1,378,400 1,000,000 567,225 238,600 7,849,860

16,083,950.00 1,061,146,171.50 260,430,036.00 207,310.00 760,270.00 33,482,050.00 2,570,600.00 1,144,987,085.00 644,590.00 159,310,526.00 474,901,992.00 14,775,293.00 9,638,729.00 222,170.00 896,144,335.00 1,595,175.00 649,240,999.00

5.3 5.82 7.64 0.78 15.94 0.460 7.4 3.1 0.0380 1.290 1.910 2.60 82.10 678.00 1.29 0.85 195.00 200.000 0.3200 0.2050 0.295

2,800 100 12,574,500 3,290,000 44,306,400 120,000 162,115,200 1,000 1,066,200,000 61,000 3,021,000 114,000 585,360 1,760,420 1,334,000 237,000 10 59,190 14,710,000 6,450,000 4,190,000

14,619.00 582.00 96,222,881.00 2,597,630.00 704,470,354.00 55,800.00 1,199,356,087.00 3,100.00 39,468,300.00 75,810.00 5,816,820.00 297,040.00 47,899,765.50 1,210,519,395.00 1,694,760.00 201,620.00 1,950.00 11,606,991.00 4,687,550.00 1,299,610.00 1,269,900.00

8.090 6.90 1.29 2.510 0.275 40.500 3.15 5.06 6.35 0.640 1.02 1.020 0.173 0.660 57.9 0.800 0.145 1.05 1.95 1.24 5.19 0.137 0.2900

982,900 28,900 5,091,000 7,883,000 1,810,000 36,264,300 8,688,000 143,600 200 45,037,000 135,000 278,000 982,860,000 51,132,000 6,233,670 10,451,000 1,830,000 46,838,000 112,424,000 596,000 150,683,700 434,580,000 400,000

7,770,736.00 191,274.00 6,487,640.00 19,515,230.00 511,750.00 1,454,672,780.00 27,891,480.00 726,555.00 1,270.00 27,990,300.00 138,000.00 287,350.00 172,810,420.00 33,746,450.00 347,277,903.50 8,472,280.00 274,910.00 49,617,240.00 218,948,850.00 727,620.00 767,174,606.00 60,089,330.00 110,400.00

STOCKS

AUGUST 8-12, 2016 Close Volume

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. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

0.450 37.80 15.18 32.30 1.78 3.35 29.45 0.95 6.84 1.030 5.910

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Berjaya Phils. Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Centro Esc. Univ.

Discovery World DFNN Inc. Easy Call “Common” FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Golden Haven Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Pacific Tollways Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Paxys Inc. Phil. Racing Club Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Comm & Energy PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

7.2 50.2 1.23 0.600 11 5.65 6.19 0.0930 2.72 120 9.8 2.1 5.28 3.34 941 2130 6.39 15.86 21.80 1.32 74.9 20.50 173 11.02 0.0086 9.30 0.310 1.4400 3.07 12.9 6.00 2.90 1.03 2.40 19.98 0.570 2 3.68 5.88 5.15 3.910 11.38 6.10 2.65 9.9 135.00 8.80 1906.00 1876.00 0.450 1.020 44.10 86.00 6.40 3.25 0.610 1.84 3.45 0.330 6.520

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Benguet Corp `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Oriental Pet. `B’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0040 3.26 3.93 10.00 0.218 6.2500 6.9900 0.57 0.420 8.07 0.840 0.275 0.192 0.210 0.0110 0.0120 1.7 5.28 2.65 0.5300 0.9200 0.0120 0.0110 4.05 8.50 3.90 0.0130 100.80 3.7 0.0099

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen F First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

50.1 545 104.5 116 119 510 6.09 1.03 111.5 1040 1022 110.8 78 80.3 76 79 78.5 79 77.45 77.5 2.42

LR Warrant

2.230

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

5.94 3.89 5.18 16.8

First Metro ETF

131

Value

Close

1,330,000 6,700 1,090,200 8,770,100 1,322,000 648,000 444,200,155 8,779,000 2,100 2,698,000 33,007,600

613,500.00 258,160.00 13,667,318.00 283,112,400.00 2,345,670.00 2,154,320.00 1,279,326,965.00 8,387,710.00 13,584.00 2,805,640.00 196,522,884.00 SERVICES 603,900 4,395,965.00 373,470 19,006,263.00 64,000 82,400.00 7,297,000 4,453,030.00 1,033,900 11,391,130.00 74,200 425,108 62,553,100 376,939,007.00 692,980,000 68,271,730.00 29,987,000 83,553,560.00 5,097,340 612,118,125.00 19,200 189,180.00 183,000 402,070 4,124,900 21,148,199.00 12,000 39,800.00 18,400 17,308,550.00 597,860 1,298,149,620 3,210,000 20,603,584.00 797,100 12,325,178.00 1,300 28,150 4,942,000 6,453,780.00 30,179,230 2,087,773,334.50 208,200 4,314,795 910 149,228 10,000 111,080.00 236,000,000 2,054,100.00 3,440,700 32,090,430.00 53,800,000 17,051,500.00 42,916,000 61,110,040.00 1,459,000 4,560,090.00 64,800 846,740.00 4,673,000 28,020,452 1,695,000 4,857,640.00 374,000 388,940.00 1,279,000 3,096,610.00 1,500 29,336 99,000 57,450.00 26,000 52,000.00 55,539,000 200,949,570.00 10,280,200 61,182,597.00 51,160,400 278,371,688.00 108,847,000 435,329,800.00 343,600 3,951,302.00 2,235,600 13,579,142 6,000 15,900.00 1,400 13,327.00 6,040 797,980.00 51,324,400 336,178,499.00 182,540 348,285,260.00 660,955 1,249,613,025.00 12,700,000 5,646,550.00 72,094,000 75,612,460.00 13,464,300 621,151,940.00 4,288,030 371,328,239.50 5,389,000 34,821,455.00 54,808,000 185,951,770.00 17,969,000 10,960,000.00 24,000 44,580.00 6,355,000 22,043,690.00 1,470,000 490,800.00 850,400 5,661,347.00 MINING & OIL 1,449,000,000 5,854,400.00 20,534,000 71,003,990.00 1,065,000 4,286,780.00 9,100 89,314.00 2,050,000 449,250.00 88,100 540,933.00 5,300 34,962.00 4,194,000 2,477,210.00 7,420,000 3,236,000.00 47,700 385,376.00 124,176,000 101,012,270.00 8,140,000 2,285,850.00 170,020,000 35,148,020.00 96,710,000 3,749,570.00 846,500,000 9,410,800.00 279,400,000 3,372,800.00 6,620,000 11,580,420.00 24,946,700 136,639,537.00 1,666,000 4,531,560.00 266,000 140,480.00 5,844,000 5,690,460.00 44,700,000 497,300.00 4,000,000 47,200.00 78,000 274,080.00 10,742,100 90,150,789.00 12,021,000 44,842,590.00 104,900,000 1,266,200.00 7,987,640 864,463,014.00 435,000 1,620,030.00 146,700,000 1,445,460.00 PREFERRED 389,640 19,674,970.00 12,120 6,535,565 764,630 79,833,834.00 200 23,200.00 66,100 7,865,900.00 23,510 12,321,090.00 5,582,400 33,985,262.00 9,961,000 10,312,750 35,320 3,846,884.00 3,240 3,370,670.00 12,120 12,388,540.00 100 11,080.00 30,600 2,397,255.00 157,140 12,719,438 502,000 38,174,133.50 128,280 10,134,170.00 150,320 11,802,920.00 66,430 5,260,048.00 659,780 50,936,161.00 283,600 21,941,198.00 21,000 50,220.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 7,919,000 17,699,450.00 SME 29,299,100 157,345,572.00 111,000 426,990.00 3,808,200 19,601,216.00 3,261,600 54,669,640.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 61,310 8,096,037.00

AUGUST 1-5, 2016 Volume Value

0.470 41.40 15.08 32.50 1.8 3.35 29.90 0.94

330,000 11,800 3,337,500 6,306,100 2,851,000 323,000 70,960,800 3,776,000

156,300.00 454,830.00 54,134,252.00 203,295,330.00 5,106,490.00 1,072,170.00 2,078,912,685.00 2,994,210.00

1.030 6.000

5,234,000 19,092,000

5,395,850.00 114,520,333.00

7.35 50 1.23 0.600 11.2 5.79 5.89 0.1030 2.83 115 10 1.85 5.45 3.20 950 2248 6.34 15.78 20.30 1.21 63.25 21.05 166.6 11.5 0.0089 9.35 0.325 1.5100 3.28 12.3 6.36 3.01 1.09 2.50 19.98 0.600 2 3.75

503,900 303,730 39,200 3,803,000 88,300 75,200 22,584,000 1,315,200,000 34,197,000 6,585,860 8,700 71,002 2,031,000 17,000 700 430,875 595,600 1,764,800 12,900 1,695,000 3,997,180 674,800 3,930 3,500 392,000,000 2,029,500 125,780,000 44,297,000 15,333,000 177,400 5,223,400 381,000 203,000 209,000 300 416,000 1,553,000 55,582,000

3,682,711.00 15,094,755.00 50,530.00 2,264,980.00 937,400.00 425,516 129,823,875.00 142,726,320.00 99,372,070.00 747,498,379.00 61,870.00 132,530 10,879,362.00 54,930.00 662,895.00 968,773,210 3,758,427.00 27,796,956.00 262,250 2,044,840.00 255,316,613.50 14,963,786 680,107 40,130.00 3,619,700.00 18,979,825.00 41,203,800.00 69,976,050.00 52,613,910.00 2,309,494.00 33,958,058 1,152,940.00 212,640.00 526,130.00 5,814 244,180.00 3,277,220.00 196,735,210.00

5.93 3.510 11.68 5.70 2.65 9.5 129.00 9.01

65,802,200 16,323,000 4,228,800 526,900 53,000 75,000 24,490 7,780,400

378,073,788.00 57,868,060.00 48,763,506.00 2,918,570 139,570.00 712,500.00 3,320,170.00 73,749,282.00

1940.00 0.465 1.070 47.20 86.00 6.35 3.34 0.620 1.86 3.56 0.330 6.450

1,295,462 37,190,000 83,904,000 5,889,000 3,070,310 3,713,600 46,090,000 19,975,000 3,000 2,878,000 1,940,000 349,100

2,521,596,745.00 17,387,400.00 91,292,660.00 280,381,375.00 264,684,112.50 23,684,107.00 152,786,550.00 12,485,040.00 5,580.00 10,260,760.00 640,250.00 2,282,391.00

0.0041 3.10 4.14 10.00 0.221 6.3000 6.8000 0.62 0.460 8.10 0.830 0.290 0.229 0.244 0.0130 0.0120 1.58 5.45 2.85 0.5300 1.0800 0.0120 0.0130 4.13 8.76 3.75 0.0120 117.00 3.73 0.0100

2,337,000,000 1,588,000 1,170,000 22,600 3,920,000 49,300 9,500 2,652,000 2,520,000 70,500 104,692,000 15,690,000 120,970,000 25,840,000 375,800,000 106,600,000 6,195,000 28,774,600 866,000 2,417,000 920,000 58,600,000 1,200,000 64,000 17,417,100 23,886,000 103,600,000 1,938,630 431,000 364,200,000

9,744,000.00 4,966,170.00 4,913,900.00 232,338.00 879,660.00 321,684.00 62,913.00 1,603,020.00 1,177,000.00 585,741.00 87,759,010.00 4,516,200.00 27,298,460.00 6,230,360.00 4,508,600.00 1,388,400.00 9,723,840.00 162,566,897.00 2,440,550.00 1,299,180.00 1,002,920.00 671,400.00 14,900.00 263,210.00 153,002,964.00 90,594,300.00 1,246,200.00 230,084,134.00 1,588,870.00 3,646,700.00

49.9 549.5 105.7

2,540,000 4,050 556,520

127,185,070.00 2,207,295 58,488,674.00

119.5 548 6.01 1.06 111.7 1043 1023

132,120 450 12,226,900 2,337,000 30,000 565 11,605

15,722,285.00 246,140.00 5,053,042.00 2,485,840 3,355,250.00 589,295.00 11,889,755.00

78.2 81.25 76.15 79 79 79 77.25 77.25 2.35

214,860 243,510 51,110 631,150 78,210 56,010 793,340 464,250 28,000

16,678,255.00 19,788,523 3,888,196.00 49,747,850.00 6,177,840.00 4,459,698.00 61,115,455.00 35,892,145.50 70,060.00

2.580

2,442,000

6,252,530.00

4.98 3.61 5.25 16.64

11,088,300 208,000 7,444,300 8,579,900

56,131,533.00 762,840.00 38,652,463.00 148,226,582.00

131

32,280

4,221,031.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining Manila Mining `A’ Boulevard Holdings SM Prime Holdings Vitarich Corp.

Manila Mining `B’ Pacifica `A’ Megaworld Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

VOLUME 1,449,000,000 846,500,000 692,980,000 444,200,155 283,614,000 279,400,000 276,000,000 263,479,600 257,452,500 236,000,000

STOCKS GT Capital Ayala Land `B’ I.C.T.S.I. Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Universal Robina Ayala Corp `A’ Megaworld Globe Telecom SM Prime Holdings PLDT Common

VALUE 2,400,007,810.00 2,091,379,365.00 2,087,773,334.50 1,888,377,695.00 1,488,636,654.00 1,429,928,145.00 1,394,540,189.00 1,298,149,620.00 1,279,326,965.00 1,249,613,025.00

square meters of leasing space.

The project marks DMCI Homes’ entry into office leasing space after being one of the leading property developer in the mid-segment sector of the residential industry.

The residential component of the project will offer 900 units targeting the middle-income market. The whole development is slated for completion in five years.

DMCI Homes also launched its first residential development in Mindanao called Verdon Park in Davao City in June.

The two-hectare property owned by DMCI’s parent firm will be developed into a three-tower residential project with a total of 1,900 units.

Austria said at P3 million per unit, the Davao project was expected to raise as much as P6 billion in sales.

Austria said the company would launch five new projects in Makati, Parañaque and Quezon City in the second half.

Meanwhile, construction unit D.M. Consunji Inc. secured P4.4 billion worth of new contracts in the first six months, bringing its total order book to P27.9 billion.

Among its newly signed projects are Spectrum BPO building, City Gate of Ayala Land Inc., a 50-million-liter water reservoir in Quezon City and a gas turbine plant in Batangas.

The construction firm expects more construction projects to come from the public sector amid the plans of the Duterte administration to increase infrastructure spending to 6 percent of gross domestic product.

“We believe DMCI is well positioned to assist in the infrastructure renewal plan of the Duterte administration because of our track record in implementing complex and large scale projects,” D.M Consunji president Jorge Consunji said. Jenniffer B. Austria

ATI posted P1-b profit in first half

By Darwin G Amojelar ASIAN Terminal Inc. said net income inched up to P1.02 billion in the first half, or flat from P1.01 billion a year ago on moderate revenue growth.

The port operator owned by businessman Eusebio Tanco said revenues in January-to-June reached P4.40 billion, up 2.6 percent from P4.29 billion in the same period in 2015.

ATI attributed the revenue growth to higher international container volume at Manila South Harbor and increased volume of international roll-on/roll-off cargoes at Batangas Port.

ATI said excluding foreign exchange gain (losses) attributable to port concession rights payable, net income would have reached P1.09 billion in the six-month period, or 6.3 percent higher than P1.03 billion in the same period last year.

ATI raised capital expenditures by P1 billion this year to sustain the growth momentum of ports in Manila and Batangas. The port operator said it would spend a minimum of P3.8 billion this year for the continuous expansion of Manila South Harbor and Batangas Port.

The capex for 2016 would be used to deploy more cargo handling equipment and develop additional cargo storage facilities to cope with rising demand. In 2015, the company allocated P2.8 billon for capex.

Business

B3

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

SMC set to open 2 coal plants

By Alena Mae S. Flores

S

MC Consolidated Power Corp., a unit of San Miguel Corp., is set to start the commercial operations of two large coal-fired power plants in Luzon and Mindanao this year.

San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said the first unit of the 300-megawatt coal-fired power project in Limay, Bataan and the first unit of the 300-MW coalfired facility in Malita, Davao del Sur would start operations before the end of the year.

Data from the Energy Department showed testing and commissioning of the first 150-megawatt unit of the P25.5-billion coal-fired power facility in Limay, Bataan would begin this

month, while commissioning of the second 150-MW unit would start in April 2017.

Commercial operations of the first unit are expected to start by November, after the testing and commissioning phase, while operations of the second unit would start July 2017. Construction of the power plant in Barangay Lamao in Limay town started in January 2014.

San Miguel Corp. built the power plant to meet the rising demand in the Luzon grid which currently

suffers from thin reserves.

In Mindanao, San Miguel also started the testing and commissioning of the first phase of another 300-MW coal-fired power plant in Barangay Culaman, Malita, Davao del Sur. The first 150-MW unit of the P25.8-billion power plant in Davao del Sur is expected to start commercial operations this month, while the second 150MW unit is targeted to start commercial operations in November.

San Miguel has become one of the most aggressive power players in the country. The Energy Department recently granted a permit to SMC Global Power Corp., the power am of the San Miguel, to conduct a grid impact study for two other coal-fired power plants with combined capacity of 928 megawatts.

The department issued the grid impact study clearance for a 600-MW coal plant in Barangay Ibabang Polo, Pagbilao and a 328-MW circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power facility in Barangay Danong, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur. San Miguel also said it would put up a coal-fired power plant in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The company signed a memorandum of understanding with ARMM, which is comprised of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces. The ARMM plant is expected to serve the power needs of the entire ARMM region, with estimated 573,446 households. Only 30 percent of households in ARMM have electricity.

San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang earlier said that instability, lack of infrastructure and insufficient power supply made investors wary about the region but he was hoping that San Miguel’s vote of confidence in ARMM would generate jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities and provide a major economic boost in the region.

San Miguel said the planned investment in ARMM was in line with the strategy to locate facilities and production centers outside urban centers, creating strong “second-tier cities,” generating jobs and rebalancing the national economy.

Ang also said San Miguel was looking at putting up three power plants with a total capacity of 300 MW in industrial estates in Mindanao.

Neda unit approves 3 projects in Bicol LEGAZPI CITY — Albayanos have expressed gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte for the speedy approval of three major transport and infrastructure projects, which are expected to propel the province and the whole of Bicol region to an unprecedented growth.

Delayed for a number of years, the three projects were approved and recommended by the National Economic Development Authority Investment Coordinating Committee for final approval and fund release by the Neda board chaired by Duterte.

PDP-Laban Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, representing the second district of Albay, said the three projects were the P170.7-billion North-South Railways Project South Line, the P4.79 billion P4.79-billion Bicol International Airport in Daraga town with a larger passenger terminal building and the P10.15-billion Inclusive Partnerships for Agricultural Competitiveness project in Albay.

Salceda, a former Albay governor and chairman of both the Bicol Regional Development Council and the Luzon Area Development Committee, initiated and pushed for the three projects under the previous Aquino administration.

They were among the first batch of major development packages under the new Duterte administration worth P300 billion now being finalized for final approval and fund release. Of the total amount, 60 percent will benefit Bicol, especially Albay, he said.

Salceda said he was informed of the projects’ current status by Economic Planning Secretary and Neda directorgeneral Ernesto Pernia and Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

Energy Development Corp. organizes a site visit for various stakeholders to its Southern Negros Geothermal Power Plant in Valencia, Negros Oriental, to dispel allegations about its 60-megawatt expansion plan. EDC, the country’s biggest geothermal energy producer, is expanding SNGP’s capacity from 222.5 megawatts to 282.5 MW to meet the region’s growing electricity needs. Shown are the visitors and hosts during the site visit.

EDC plant expanding within geothermal site ENERGY Development Corp. said over the weekend the 60-megawatt expansion of the Southern Negros Geothermal Power Plant in Valencia, Negros Oriental will not encroach into a biodiversity area.

EDC, the country’s biggest geothermal energy producer, is expanding Southern Negros Geothermal’s capacity to 282.5 MW from 222.5 MW to meet the region’s growing electricity needs.

“We will confine our expansion within SNGP’s existing geothermal production block in Valencia,” EDC’s Negros Integrated Geothermal Business Unit head Jay Joel Soriano said.

EDC recently organized a recent site visit for various stakeholders to the Southern Negros Geothermal power plant in Valencia, Negros Oriental to dispel allegations against the expan-

MARIA JOSEFINA N. CLARAVALL

GREEN LIGHT REVOLUTIONARY. This has been a running theme in our world nowadays. It can be a word linked to something violent, absolute, serious, desperate, extreme and drastic. But it is also a word that can be used to describe something new, groundbreaking, fresh and creative. I would like to dwell on the latter definition.

Social media has been a revolutionary driver in society today. The past Philippine election was said to be highly influenced by information exchange in social media platforms like Facebook. A Filipino TV love team broke the internet and a world record by garnering most tweets using a single hashtag in Twitter. Start-up businesses have flourished through online selling in Instagram. And now, old and new music easily accessed through Spotify or Apply Music. Social media as defined by Merriam-Webster are “forms of electronic through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content.” The impact of social media on creation and accumulation of information has been so vast it does not only function for pure broadcasting and

sion plan.

Reports from some quarters said EDC’s expansion required an additional 5,163 hectares that would encroach into Mount Talinis, considered a key biodiversity area in Negros Oriental.

EDC, however, said the expansion involved an increase in capacity, not the area.

Southern Negros Geothermal’s existing geothermal production or development block spans 5,163 hectares in the Palinpinon-Okoy watershed in Valencia, which is physically separate from Mount Talinis.

Southern Negros Geothermal’s steam field and power plant occupy less than 200 hectares, and EDC assured the expansion would be confined within the existing development block of 5,163 hectares.

“I believe the issue about SNGP’s

Vietnam business cuts URC’s profit goal

By Jenniffer B. Austria UNIVERSAL Robina Corp., the food manufacturing unit of the Gokongwei Group, reduced its revenue growth target for fiscal year 2016, as sales fell in Vietnam where it announced a product recall.

URC said in a recent analysts’ briefing operating income was expected to be slightly lower for fiscal year 2016 compared with the previous fiscal year’s level. URC’s fiscal year begins October and ends September of the following year.

“Given by the unexpected significant decline in Vietnam, we are revising our guidance with topline growing by low to mid-single digit and operating income slightly lower than fiscal year 2015,” URC said.

URC said sales recovery in Vietnam was expected to be slow as the company planned to rebuild the brand in the Southeast Asian country.

This is the second time this year that URC revised the topline guidance.

The company projected revenues to grow by 8 percent to 9 percent at the start of the fiscal year 2016.

The food manufacturing company reduced the sales growth target to 6 percent to 7 percent in May, with operating income projected to rise 10 percent.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health issued a ruling in the later part of May to recall one batch of C2 Lemon 350 ml (manufactured Feb. 4, 2016) and one batch of Rong Do cup 240 ml (manufactured Nov. 10, 2015), produced in URC Hanoi, one of its four facilities in the country.

The rest of the URC products in Vietnam were not affected by the recall.

URC said net income grew 26 percent in the first nine months of fiscal year ending June 2016 to P12.03 billion from P9.55 million posted in the same period last year.

plan to expand by another 5,163 hectares is a result of a misunderstanding, because the supposed additional expansion area corresponds to our existing development block,” Soriano said.

“But as we have been saying, we are not in Mount Talinis and we are not going to Mount Talinis,” he said.

EDC is awaiting the release of the environmental compliance certificate from the Environment Department for the 60MW geothermal expansion.

The company said the proposed expansion went through public consultations and hearings for the ECC application and received the strong endorsement for an ECC from the host communities and local government of Valencia.

“But pending the release of the ECC, EDC has not begun any activity for its proposed geothermal expansion project,” Soriano said. Alena Mae S. Flores

Revolutionizing recruitment entertainment and small scale enterprises, but it has also been instrumental to big organizations.

Connecting professionals One of the notable social media platforms that have been helping working individuals and companies is LinkedIn. The company describe itself as being the ‘world’s largest professional network’ having more than 400 million members.

It aims to connect professionals around the globe and help build their careers.

LinkedIn is revolutionary. It has been contributing a lot to the progress of job hunting and external recruitment.

As we consider human resource as the one of the most important assets of an organization, recruitment plays a crucial role in the overall success of a business. At this point, companies gain contact to the labor force, recognize potential employees and uses gathered information to decide if a person will best fit for an open position.

Organizations must be able to pick someone who can and is willing to work for them and contribute to the achievement of their goals. The recruitment

process also helps in finding people who have potentials to further develop to lead the company in the future. On the other hand, the recruitment process exposes members of the workforce to a wide variety of prospective employers. Individuals decide to join a company based on the company’s background, requirements, position, work environment, compensation and benefits among others.

Servicing both recruiters and job seekers LinkedIn is now one of the major recruitment sources servicing both recruiters and job seeking individuals. It has created a business ecosystem where recruiting and applying for a job is as easy as browsing through other social networking sites. An individual can create an account, set up his or her profile and make connections with anyone.

One’s profile is like an online resume. Instead of printing and sending via mail, uploading in various company website or handing it to a friend for referral, you can just regularly update your profile and make it available for people to see. HR professionals now

also have their own LinkedIn accounts to scout for prospects. They can now reach more people despite of location, age, expertise and background.

I can attest to LinkedIn’s benefits because I landed my current job because of it. My new company’s HR manager saw my profile, contacted me and the rest is history. Same with my friends who were tapped by head hunters on this site.

Someone once told me that since I had several years of working experience, it is wiser to have a head hunter help you find your next job than applying for a job in the same way a fresh graduate would.

Head hunters can initially screen work opportunities for you, help you schedule interviews and negotiate for you. LinkedIn is a venue where you can meet head hunters and help you find a job with a package that best suits you.

Adapting to changes Many say that LinkedIn has its drawbacks. Placing personal information, such as contact numbers, email address and work information may put your security at risk. To avoid this, make sure you check your privacy settings and

still be critical of persons you connect with me. On the other hand, individuals can also put fake information that may deceive HR practitioners. When using this site as a recruitment source, it is still best to do additional research and thorough evaluation of candidates.

LinkedIn has been up and running for years now but many still may not know how it helps individuals and businesses reach success. In this fast paced world, everyone should learn to adapt to changes and be at the same level as everyone, if not ahead of everybody else.

LinkedIn is truly a game changer in the recruitment and job application process.

Maria Josefina N. Claravall is an MBA student of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business at De La Salle University. This article was written to fulfill her requirements for the course Strategic Human Resource Management.

The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.

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

B4

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

Business

UK guarantees funding for farmers after Brexit

T

HE UK pledged to support British businesses and universities that receive billions of pounds a year from the European Union after the country leaves the 28-nation bloc.

Projects approved before the government’s autumn budget statement will receive full funding, while the Treasury will make arrangements to assess guarantees for projects signed later, according to a statement Saturday on the government’s website. The UK also will match the level of agricultural funding until 2020, Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said in the statement.

“We recognize that many organizations across the UK which are in receipt of EU funding, or expect to start receiving

funding, want reassurance about the flow of funding they will receive,” Hammond said.

“We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU.” The announcement comes as the UK faces a daunting array of demands from EU nations when exit negotiations begin, heralding a long and complex process that’s likely to generate uncertainty and weigh on business investment.

After Brexit, about 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) in research funding may drain out of

programs seeking to develop new medicines, according to analysts at Shore Capital Group Ltd. Meanwhile, Britain’s farmers are set to lose about 3 billion pounds in subsidies a year from Europe.

From 2007 to 2013, the UK received 8.8 billion euros ($9.8 billion) from the EU to fund research, development and innovation activities, according to a December 2015 report by the Royal Society, citing figures from the Office for National Statistics.

The Treasury will “consult closely” with stakeholders to ensure any ongoing funding commitments best serve the UK’s national interest, David Gauke, chief secretary to the Treasury, wrote in an Aug. 12 letter to Brexit minister David Davis.

“Leaving the EU means we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding,” Gauke wrote.

Pound traders, meanwhile, may have more reasons to fret next week amid economic reports that will show the true extent of the fallout from the UK’s decision to exit the European Union.

Sterling, already this year’s worst performing major currency, could come under further strain as reports on inflation, retail sales and unemployment benefit claims provide more detail on how the UK economy is faring after the referendum. The pound has been one of the most obvious causalities of Brexit, undergoing its worst-ever day

when the result became clear, while losses deepened in the last week in the wake of the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates and boost its stimulus plan.

“The risks are to the downside in the data,” said Jeremy Stretch, head of foreign-exchange strategy at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in London.

“It’s going to be a case of another week of a challenging backdrop for sterling.”

Sterling has dropped more than 13 percent since Britons opted to leave the EU, and fell below $1.30 this week for the first time since July, approaching the three-decade low of $1.2798 reached in the wake of the vote.

It has already surpassed its postBrexit low against the euro, sliding to its lowest since August 2013 on Friday. Bloomberg

Traders less bullish on dollar DOLLAR bulls were dealt a fresh blow last week as another set of US economic reports sent the greenback plunging.

The dollar touched its lowest level since June on Friday after data showed retail sales unexpectedly stalled last month while wholesale prices posted a surprise decline. The losses capped the third straight week in which the currency reversed course amid conflicting economic signals. Last week wrapped up on a bullish note on brightening payroll data, a week after gross domestic product figures came in much weaker than forecast.

The latest data led traders to curb bets that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates in coming months, suggesting the dollar may struggle to recoup its roughly 4.5 percent decline this year against major peers.

The market-implied likelihood of a rate hike by December fell to 42 percent, from 47 percent a week ago, leaving traders to focus on Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s appearance at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, later in August. Bloomberg

BHS CLOSING DOWN. Pedestrians walk past retailer BHS (British Home Stores) flagship store on Oxford Street in central London on August 13, 2016 during its last day of trading before the store closes. British department store chain BHS is to close with the loss of up to 11,000 jobs, administrators said in June 2016 after failing to find a buyer. All stores, including the London flagship outlet on Oxford Street, are due to close

by August 20 according to reports. AFP

IMF sees Korean economy rising 3% SOUTH Korea’s economy will expand 2.7 percent this year and 3 percent next year, the International Monetary Fund said in a statement, which also welcomed recent fiscal and monetary stimulus in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.

The nation has “considerable fiscal space” to manage challenges to growth such as an aging society and high household debt, the fund’s directors said in a statement after talks. The fund said that social spending could reduce poverty and help consumption, and said that Korea should limit intervention in currency markets.

Both the government and central bank took action in recent months to shore up growth, with 11 trillion won ($10 billion) in extra spending and the Bank of Korea surprising markets with a June rate cut. The IMF’s forecast for growth is similar to that of the central bank, which this week kept its key interest rate at a record low of 1.25 percent.

“A carefully targeted expansion of social expenditure over the medium term could help reduce poverty and inequality and aid rebalancing by bolstering consumption and raising productivity,” the statement said. Bloomberg

Jakarta mulls over tax-haven districts INDONESIA is considering options for setting up tax-haven jurisdictions as it tries to lure back billions of dollars through its amnesty program to fund infrastructure projects and finance the widening budget deficit, Coordinating Maritime Minister Luhut Panjaitan said on Sunday.

News of the haven plan follows an announcement by the government on Aug. 11 that it would allow repatriated funds to be invested in assets such as gold and property.

The central bank has said the tax amnesty program could attract about 560 trillion rupiah ($43 billion) of funds stashed overseas.

More avenues to park the repatriated money may encourage greater participation and help President Joko Widodo partly plug a shortfall in tax revenue as the nation grapples with a slowdown in China and low commodity prices.

“It is still in early stage,” Panjaitan wrote in a mobile-phone text message. “The government still needs to discuss the technical aspect of it.”

Indonesian and foreign businesses would be able to set up shell companies in Bintan and Rempang and enjoy lower tax, the Jakarta Globe reported, citing Panjaitan. Both islands are located around 60 kilometers (37 miles) away from Singapore.

Bloomberg

Beyond wheatgrass: vegan junk food is all the rage

By Veronique Dupont LOS ANGELES―Vegan diets are considered by most as healthy and environmentally responsible, with celebrity poster children touting benefits like weight loss, clear skin and increased energy.

But even vegans―who eschew all animal products like meat, eggs and dairy―crave junk food.

As the movement becomes more and more popular, temptations including donuts, pizza and mock hamburgers allow vegans to eat just as badly as everybody else.

“There are a lot of unhealthy options. It’s hard to resist at first,” Jessica McCully, 28, said at a vegan food festival in the Los Angeles area, a fake chicken taco in her hand.

McCully is a new convert to “mock meat” thanks to her girlfriend, and says that in just two months of adopting a vegan diet, she feels happier and “more energetic.”

According to a Harris Interactive study, between seven and eight million Americans identify as vegan, especially in the US epicenter of clean eating, California.

Today’s animal product-free diet goes beyond the stereotypical lentils and granola, with res-

taurants offering gourmet vegan dishes like watermelon salad with almond cheese and toasted pistachios, or zucchini flowers stuffed with macadamia ricotta.

Of course, the diet is not all haute cuisine―there are also plenty of restaurants serving “comfort” vegan food, including tofu or mock meat that has been breaded and fried.

Los Angeles even holds an annual “Vegan Oktoberfest”―allowing vegans to imbibe while sampling from an assortment of indulgent snacks.

Not just carrots and celery At the vegan food fair in Anaheim, a suburb of LA, bowls of quinoa are hard to find.

Lori Whitaker, a long-limbed blonde with a golden complexion, stood in line at one stand to buy a pizza.

“I like my junk food; I won’t lie,” the 54-year-old said. Today, she said, “you can get a vegan pizza, a vegan taco―I think this is great because a lot of people think vegans eat only celery and carrots.”

In LA’s hipster Silver Lake neighborhood, Donut Farm sells sugary, fried confections just like every other donut shop―but their treats in trendy flavors like green tea and salted caramel are vegan.

Krimsey Ramsey, of Krimseys, serves vegan food nest to a shirt with a message at the 3rd annual Healthy Junk Vegan Faire on July 31, 2016 in Anaheim, California.

“I think a vegan option is still going to be a bit more healthier,” said sales person Chris Boss, who said the bakery’s recipes call for organic flours and sugar, and ingredients like coconut milk.

The treats do have less cholesterol and no trans-fats, he added.

But at the end of the day, “it’s a ball of fried dough with lots of calories,” Boss said.

‘Horror and compassion’ Many converts to veganism cite health reasons, but support for animal rights remains a key motivation.

“Usually it’s with horror at

how our factory farming works,” said Annie Jubb, a vegan lifestyle consultant. “It’s motivated by horror and compassion.”

But Jubb admits that not all vegans are healthy.

“They could be eating chips and fried food,” she said. “Eating soy burgers, soy bacon three times a

day... soy is not a health food.”

The orthodox vegan, who counts Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio as one of her past clients, allows herself the occasional indulgence, ordering in a comfort food staple―vegan mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy.

“We’re in this business to provide people healthy, nourishing food,” said Ryland Engelhart, co-owner of Cafe Gratitude, a California chain of “plant-based” restaurants serving dishes like faux chorizo sandwiches and chocolate-pollen smoothies.

“But you can’t expect people to jump overnight to a diet of kelp noodle salad with bean sprouts and sauteed tempeh,” he said.

Still, Engelhart said, vegans need to be careful to maintain a balanced diet just like everyone else.

“It can get to a point where we’re not just transitioning people, but maintaining them into being satiated by non-meat junk food,” he said. “It is still junk food.”

The Cafe Gratitude team, though, leans medicinal: at its sister restaurant, the Mexicanthemed Gracias Madre, cocktails include ingredients like essential oil of cannabis.

“We are all about plants, right?” said Engelhart with a smile. AFP

LGUs

DA to turn over agri trade center to farmers

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

By Dexter A. See LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol apologized to concerned stakeholders for the failure of the multimillion-peso Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC), the largest among the 22 trading centers built by the previous administration, which was supposed to cater to the welfare of vegetable farmers.

Piñol said he is considering turning over the center to farmers “but they must be able to show that they are capable of effectively and efficiently managing the facility.”

The DA chief who visited the P600-million facility to consult with agriculture industry stakeholders said the overall concept of the trading center was good but its actual implementation was a failure that is why farmers refuse to transact business with the administrators of the facility that was built over a five-hectare property of the State-run Benguet State University (BSU).

He ordered the creation of a task force composed of representatives from the members of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) to conduct a study on the outcome of the BAPTC management and operation and that he will make the appropriate pronouncements on what will be the fate of the facility when he comes back after two weeks.

Further, the agriculture official also ordered the creation of a technical working group (TWG) to continue the conduct of grassroots consultations with the concerned stakeholders on the importance of the facility in improving the trading practices for the benefit of improving the state of the vegetable industry.

“We apologize for the failure of the stakeholders to be informed on the actual management and operation of the largest agriculture trading facility in the country which we must all together fix for the farmers to be able to maximize the utilization of the trading center to their advantage,” Piñol stressed.

The DA secretary said that he will propose the establishment of a lending facility in the BAPTC to allow the farmers to have easy access to credit for their production in order for them not to be abused by disposers cum financiers.

It was learned that the credit facility inside the BAPTC can provide farmers as much as P5 million in loans purposely for the enhancement of the production of various agricultural crops with farmers allowed to borrow at least P100,000 per cropping season without the required collateral.

According to him, the credit facility will be aggressive in collecting the amortization of farmers in order to be able to have the liquidity to sustain the expected heavy borrowings from farmers in order to improve their production considering that the loans will have a minimum interest of six percent per annum.

MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

‘Special powers must clear roads during rains’

By Joel E. Zurbano

P

ROJECTS covered by the emergency powers to be given by Congress to President Rodrigo Duterte must include measures that will prevent road congestion during heavy downpours, Senator Ralph Recto said on Saturday.

NATURAL BEAUTY. PTT Philippines, in support of the government’s National Greening program, launched the ‘Sibol: Re-Greening Marikina Watershed’ reforestation program to rehabilitate the Upper Marikina Watershed. In photo, hundreds of volunteers join Miss Earth 2016 Imelda Schweighart at a tree planting activity at the San Ysiro Elentary School in Brgy. San Jose in Antipolo City. Manny Palmero

Aussie NGO to restore Cagayan river basins

By Brenda Jocson KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya—The International River Foundation (IRF) in partnership with Australian-Canadian miner OceanaGold here launched “Project We Build” to promote sustainable restoration and management of river basins destroyed by unregulated small-scale mining operations in the Cagayan Valley The IRF and OceanaGold will work with affected local communities and non-government organizations in their project called the “Water and Environment: Building Unity for Inclu-

sive Living and Development.”

According to IRF officials, the degradation of river systems that lie dangerously close to sites of mining activities has been the subject of serious concern in many countries throughout the developing world.

They said the issue of river degradation which experts trace to unmitigated small-scale mining is viewed particularly by the province of Nueva Vizcaya with “grave urgency.”

IRF chief executive officer Nick Schofield said the problem has impacted communities along the Didipio River since the

1970s when gold was first discovered.

During the launching, Schofield announced that the project will mainly focus on integrated river basin management of the Addalam River.

For its part, OceanaGold has also announced the launching of its Water Leader Scholarship Program as part of its environment and social management efforts.

OceanaGold country director Bradley Norman said the program is open to all who are inclined to doing research and further study on sustainable

river system management under the supervision of the IRF. “Creating better environmental and social conditions for the people relying on rivers for agriculture, for drinking water and daily needs is the main aim of the company’s partnership with IRF,” Norman said.

“The company’s successes would not have been achievable without the support of our communities, governments and our partners. We continue to strive to be a leader in sustainable mining by tackling the issues that matter most to our stakeholders,” he added.

Mindanao tutors: Merge three education agencies

By A. Perez Rimando

PHOTOBOMBS. Local tourists take souvenir photos beside the Lapu-Lapu Shrine at the Rizal Park in Manila. Ey Acasio

QC barangays told to settle territorial woes

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista ordered on Friday the speedy settlement of territorial disputes in 29 barangays.

Bautista tasked Tomasito Cruz of the city planning and development office to facilitate a peaceful and amicable settlement of these disputes.

Among the 29 barangays with boundary disputes are Commonwealth and Payatas, Libis and Bagumbayan, Sto. Cristo and Ramon

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Magsaysay, Kaunlaran and San Martin de Porres, and Pansol and a portion of Marikina City, he said.

The mayor underscored the importance of resolving barangay disputes during the turnover of P28 million to the city’s 142 village executives representing the barangays’ real property tax shares for the second quarter of 2016.

Of the city’s 142 barangays, Bagumbayan in District III got the lion’s share of P1,407,197.30.

Loyola Heights got the second biggest share of P1.377,375.15.

Next was San Bartolome that received P1,204,077.11, followed

by Kaligayahan that took home P1,058,062.69 million.

Also included in the top 10 recipients were Socorro, South Triangle, Matandang Balara, Central, Mariana and Fairview.

Bautista urged all barangay executives to allocate their funds to worthwhile projects beneficial to the residents.

The Local Government Code of 1991 provides the barangay with a percentage of real property taxes.

DIPOLOG CITY, Zamboanga del Norte—Former Department of Education secretary Mona Valisno’s proposal to merge the three main education agencies received strong support from public school officials in Mindanao, an informal survey conducted by some top school executives in the region showed.

The concerned field educators, who asked not to be identified, come from Northern Mindanao (Region 10), the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Southern Mindanao (Region 11), Caraga (Region 13) and Central Mindanao (Region 12).

Valisno, who served as DepEd chief during the Ramos and Estrada administrations, stressed that fusing together the DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) “will improve the country’s quality of education.”

The DepEd used to be the Department of Education, Culture and Sports until 1994 when CHED was established, followed

by Tesda in 1995.

A Region 10 school superintendent agreed with Valisno that the

“trifocal education system refocused the DepEd’s mandate to basic education and removed the administration of cultural and sports activities from the department.”

Valisno said Education Secretary Leonor Briones should serve as coordinator of the three agencies, stressing that the implementation of the senior high school program (Grades 11 and 12) “highlighted the need for the education agencies to synchronize their activities.”

Another Region 12 supervisor claimed that DepEd’s K-12, which cited tracks (like vocationaltechnical-livelihood) that senior HS students could choose, signifies “the importance of closely coordinating with Tesda to ensure the programs offered in senior HS are aligned with those offered by DepEd.” The supervisor concurred with Valisno that DepEd should work closely with CHED as some college general education subjects have been transferred to senior high school, and added that the trifocal approach in the education system “resulted in the fragmentation of efforts, programs and strategies that caused some wastage in public resources.”

“Getting 144 days of rain in a year turns 3,845 hectares of the megapolis flood-prone and any traffic plan authorized by emergency powers must include projects that will prevent monstrous gridlocks during rainy days,” Recto said.

He added it is not enough to build or widen new roads to ease traffic in Metro Manila, saying, existing roads must be made flood-proof too.

The Metro Manila Development Authority identified several flood-prone areas in the National Capital Region, some of which cover portions of major roads, including five intersections on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

Recto said the average 32-kilometer per hour crawl of cars during good weather in NCR roads further slows down during rainy days, or even in the slightest drizzle. He urged Malacañang to pump more funds into flood-control projects so that light downpours will no longer be a major inconvenience to 14.5 million Metro Manila residents.

The senator said the MMDA was given only P504 million this year to repair and construct 66 flood and drainage structures, citing a Budget department briefer, “the proverbial drop in a bucket of needs.”

Despite its meager funds, the MMDA has been given a performance target of creating a system in which floodwaters fully subside within 25 minutes in some areas, he said.

Recto said “Metro Manila’s abundant annual rainfall of 81 inches plus the fact that many of its areas are sinking should be factored in to the transportation blueprint that Malacañang plans to implement once President Duterte is granted emergency powers

by Congress.”

In the previous Congress, Recto sought a probe into the status of the P351-billion overall master plan on flood management in the NCR which is, by far, the most ambitious and expensive flood control program ever planned by the national government.

Twenty-two years in the making, the plan was approved in late 2012 and Recto is reiterating his calls for consistent congressional oversight to monitor its progress.

The long-term plan, the senator said, would cover the infrastructure needs of 11 floodprone areas in Metro Manila and nearby provinces and, if funded regularly, would see completion by 2035.

Recto urged the government to look into doable things and not just big-ticket items in solving flooding in the capital region.

“There’s a study which shows that 40 percent of the 273 esteros, creeks and tributaries in the NCR are gone, buried under road networks and houses built on top of them. How can they be recovered?” he asked.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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TODAY AUGUST 15, 2016 MONDAY,

Mindanao LGUs emulate best Indonesian city I

By Rio N. Araja

NDONESIA’S best smart city in 2016— Bandung City—is offering to help make cities in the Southern Philippines more liveable places.

RESPONSIBLE. Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. chairman and chief executive officer Manuel V. Pangilinan receives a trophy of appreciation from Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting chairman Amb. Henrietta de Villa for supporting PPCRV’s vision of a clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful elections or ‘CHAMP.’

Bautista wants drug surrenderees analyzed

By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista announced on Thursday the recruitment of psychiatrists in the rehabilitation of drug users who surrendered during the all-out war against illegal substances waged by President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a meeting of the QC AntiDrug Abuse Advisory Council, the mayor said there is a need to hire psychiatrists to study the behavior and background of former drug addicts for rehabilitation.

Psychiatrists are qualified to assess both the mental and physical aspects of psychological problems of those who voluntarily gave themselves up so they could fully understand the complex relationship between emotional and other medical illnesses of these drug users.

He said council, chaired by Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, must not focus alone on how to encourage drug dependents to surrender, but should also study,

quantify, analyze and evaluate every drug dependent’s problem and behavior.

“There should be a narrative evaluation of drug dependents’ situation so that we will know their mental state why they were hooked on drugs,” he added.

Once there is a narrative evaluation of each drug dependent’s case, a better understanding of their behavior could lead to formulation of specific intervention on case to case basis, he noted.

To date, the local government’s campaign for a drug-free city, including police Oplan Tokhang, has already netted 5,729 surrenderees from 6,202 houses visited during the past few weeks.

Of the number, 5,268 are drug users and 461 are drug pushers.

QCADAAC revealed a total of over 300 city government employees tested positive on drugs, including 172 barangay public safety officers from different barangays.

Republic of the Philippine CITY OF NAGA BIDS & AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY & DELIVERY OF DUMP AND STAKE TRUCKS

The City Government of Naga, through the Construction and Heavy Equipment (Capital Outlay) of Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO) and Typhoon Reming Trust Fund, intends to apply the sum of Sixteen Million Seven Hundred Eighty Thousand (P 16,780,000.00) Pesos, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment under the contract for the Supply and Delivery of Dump and Stake Trucks for use in garbage collection, Contract Reference Number: 2016-030. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

Item No.

1

2

Qty.

4

1

Unit

Items

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

units

DUMP TRUCKS, brand new, 6-wheeler with garbage dump body high-side, 10cu.m. loading capacity, equipped with power take off (PTO) tailgate automatic locking device, hydraulic gear pump with adaptors Specifications: Engine Engine: 6-cylinder diesel engine turbo-charged with intercooler common rail fuel injection or direct injection system Euro-compliant or equivalent; Max output: output 177ps to 320ps; Minimum Torque Range: Range from 706n-m or above; Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission equipped with PTO and one reverse; Clutch: hydrovac with primary and secondary actuator; Brakes: air over hydraulic; Tires and Wheels: tube-type radial, size 8.25x20, 10x20 or dealer option; Steering Steering: power steering system; Electrical System: System 12 voltsx2=24 volts starting capacity and lighting system; Dump body: body high-side all steel-welded with chassis for ,PTO hydraulic hoist and pump, load capacity 10cu.m.; Safety Features: Features seat belts for driver and passengers, meters and gauges, warning indicator lamps and other convenient features, with tools and accessories, tire wrench and jack; Warranty: based on manufacturer or dealer option Additional Requirements: color tone: cab-orange, dump box-blue; with audio system, public address radio amplifier, speaker and microphone-12 or 24V; LTO registration to government plate; after sales and availability of spare parts within Naga City and National Capital Region; provide shop service manual, parts manual and standard tool kit; to conduct seminar and training for proper usage and maintenance

16,000,000.00

Stake Truck, Japan surplus, NKR series, 12-footer, diesel engine direct injection, 5-speed transmission, power-steering, ½ drop side type box, 6-wheeler, tire size: 7.00x15 with one spare, 24volts starting capacity, complete cab and standard lighting accessories

780,000.00

unit

TOTAL

P 16,780,000.00

The City Government of Naga now invites bids for the Supply and Delivery of Dump and Stake Trucks for use in garbage collection. Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) calendar days. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years, from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the IRR of RA 9184.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the City Government of Naga and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below starting from 8 AM until 5 PM. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders starting on Monday, August 15 to September 6, 2016, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat c/o City Planning & Development Office, 2nd Floor City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Five Thousand (P 25,000.00) Pesos and an Annual Registration Fee of Three Thousand (P 3,000.00) Pesos, and upon presentation of Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS showing your company name.

It may also be downloaded from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity (www.naga.gov.ph), provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The City Government of Naga will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on Tuesday, August 23, 2016 at 3:00 PM at City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, which shall be open to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents. Bids must be delivered to the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, on or before Tuesday, September 6, 2016 at 3:00 PM. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security, either in the form of cash or cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a universal or commercial bank (2% of ABC), or, Bid Securing Declaration (BSD).

Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, at 3:00 PM at the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The City Government of Naga reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: MR. FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. Acting City Administrator, City Hall Compound, J. Miranda Avenue, Naga Ciy Telephone Number: 054-4732240, 054-4723235 Email address: bac@naga.gov.ph, Website: www.naga.gov.ph (SGD) FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. BAC Chairperson ( M S - A U G . 15 , 2 016)

EV traders deplore flight rerouting

By Ronald O. Reyes TACLOBAN CITY—Businessmen and the riding public in Eastern Visayas are hopeful that the government will heed their appeal to “reconsider and desist” the reported implementation of full rerouting of all Tacloban-Manila flights to Clark International Airport.

“We had a very productive meeting with Secratary Mike Diño and the staff of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas. Diño spoke with (Transportation Secretary Arthur) Tugade and also relayed some good news in our meeting,” said Ginggay Hontiveros, RTR Foundation/Mission Tacloban mission director and member of the Leyte Chamber of Commerce on Thursday on the social media.

Hontiveros said “any rerouting to decongest must have a winwin solution and if implemented should only affect up to 50 percent of flights, with passengers being offered a choice to fly via Manila or Clark.”

She stressed that “Tacloban should not be singled out but that all other Visayas routes should also be part of the decongestion solution. Diño emphasized that no implementation would be done without proper consultation with Eastern Visayas stakeholders.”

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Eastern Visayas earlier passed a resolution urging the agency to reconsider its plan, saying “the region’s economy is still now at a critical turnaround and recovery phase after Super Typhoon “Yolanda” aggravated the region’s economic situation.”

The resolution pointed out “the anticipated negative impact that (the rerouting) will have on the region’s economy and specifically its Tourism industry.”

The three airlines serving Tacloban are Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Air Asia.

Jude Acidre, leader of a political group Tinngog Sinirangan (Voice of Eastern Visayas) said “I hope that the administration will reconsider the plan to transfer Tacloban-Manila flights from Naia to Clark until the needed train/freeway infrastructure is in place, an integration plan based on a dual airport system is implemented, international flights are rationalized to other international airports and not while Eastern Visayas is still trying to rebuild its local economy,” he said online.

Over social media, concerned netizens pushed for the hashtag #‎ NoToClarkForTaclobanFlights as a form of protest over the rerouting issue.

At the Islam, Democracy, and Leadership: The Bandung Experience in Creating a Smart, Collaborative and Happy City at the GT Toyota Asian Center Auditorium, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Bandung Mayor Mochamad Ridwan Kamil said Bandung has a lot of things and experiences to share with Mindanao to make it a better place.

“I want to learn something from Mindanao, and Mindanao from me,” Kamil said.

Bandung can be a sister city not of Davao City, Marawi City and Cotabato City, but also of any of the cities in the Philippines, he said.

“If you invite me, I can come to Mindanao. Just give me a letter of invitation. I cannot leave without the President’s permission,” Kamil told the forum.

He said he would also welcome

Filipino Muslims and Christians to come over to Bandung to see for themselves the “beauty” of the city.

“I will be very happy to come,” Kamil added.

Just like in Bandung, Christians and Muslims in Mindanao must live in harmony, he said.

“We can be partners,” Kamil said.

He said he is willing to discuss partnerships with Davao City.

Kamil said Bandung can lend a hand in shaping the future of Mindanao, and in making a unique contribution to the social market economy of the region through collaboration, innovation and creativity.

“If you create a stressful city, you create stressful people,” he said.

In a powerpoint presentation, Kamil, an architect, lecturer and social activist, said he was able to

address squatting, corruption, criminality, drugs, unemployment, lack of housing, peace and order, traffic, illiteracy, stunted economic growth, and social injustice, and promote good governance, accountability and transparency through the use of the social media.

“I am a risk taker, problem solver, and revolutionary pragmatic leader,” he said.

“I walk my talk. I visit the poor. I talk to the people. A lot of issues can be resolved through collaboration. That is how I was able to make Bandung a liveable city,” Kamil revealed.

Bandung is cited as Indonesia’s Most Smart City in 2016.

When asked if he had any plans to succeed Indonesian President Joko Widodo, he said “that question comes many times.”

“It is destiny that tells where I go and what I become. It is really up to God. My only concern is to use my best energy to serve the people. If this situation (call for presidency) is appreciated, I will answer in due time,” Kamil said. “Presidency is not impossible. Joko paved his way from mayor to governor to president.”

CSC voids more Peña appointments

By Joel E. Zurbano ONE hundred eighteen more personnel were dismissed, bringing to 217 the total number of “midnight appointments” made during the administration of former Makati City mayor Romulo Peña Jr. that were invalidated by the Civil Service Commission.

The CSC claimed the previous city administration violated the election ban on appointments and failed to comply with the requirements prescribed by the Commission for exemption from the ban.

Officials of the city’s Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) said the 118 personnel were in addition to the 99 invalidated appointments earlier submitted to the office of Mayor Abigail Binay.

The latest batch included the

regular appointment of Lawyer David Galang as Assistant Department Head II under the International Relations Department (IRD), which the CSC voided for his “lack of relevant training.” Galang had served as Peña’s chief-of-staff and officerin-charge of IRD and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Makati.

HRDO records show that out of the 217 nullified appointments, 120 were up for regularization while 97 were for promotion.

City Personnel Officer Vissia Marie Aldon said the city government thanked the CSC, particularly its Makati field office, for hastening the review and evaluation of questionable appointments issued by the previous administration.

“We are grateful for the prompt

action taken by the CSC through its Makati Field Office on our request. The timely updating of our Personal Services Budget is crucial to the ongoing final review of our annual investment plan and budget for calendar year 2017,” Aldon said.

Aldon said she hoped the Commission will soon complete its review of the remaining appointments referred initially by the city government. “More questionable appointments are still being reviewed by the city legal department. Those that warrant CSC action will be forwarded to the Commission accordingly,” she added.

Among those with nullified appointments were personnel working at Ospital ng Makati, Makati Health Department, General Services Department, and IRD.

MANDATE. Radio Veritas was allowed to construct, install, operate and maintain radio and television broadcasting facilities for another 25 years by Republic Act 10793. Photo shows (from left) Regina Ongsiako-Reyes and Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle and witnesses to the turnover of the new franchise.

Erap slams cops coddling illegal vendors

By Sandy Araneta MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada on Friday said he will sanction the heads of the Police Community Precinct (PCP) chiefs who tolerate the operation of illegal vendors in their jurisdiction.

Estrada issued a “one-strike” policy that penalizes PCP commanders who are lax in enforcing the city government’s regulations against illegal vending.

“Once we have cleared their area of illegal vendors and all forms of obstructions, it is the responsibility of the precinct commanders to maintain its cleanliness and orderliness. If we find out that those vendors have returned, the concerned PCP commander is instantly relieved,” Estrada said.

“If a clearing is conducted,

vendors must not come back. If they do, they will have to answer for this. No second chances,” Estrada warned the precinct commanders bluntly.

Estrada personally led road clearing operations in Manila in the past month as part of his vision to put order back in the city streets.

Among those cleared are Divisoria, Binondo, Blumentritt, Quiapo, and Sta, Cruz-Rizal Avenue.

To ensure the PCP commanders’ compliance with his one-strike rule, Estrada created a composite team that will regularly monitor traffic flow in Manila and check if illegal vendors returned to areas where they are banned.

The task force is composed of personnel from the Office of the Mayor, Department of Public Safety (DPS), Manila Traffic and

Parking Bureau (MTPB), Manila Tricycle Regulatory Office, Manila Barangay Bureau, City Treasurer’s Office, and Manila Police District Traffic Enforcement Unit (MPD-TEU).

“We’ll be watching every corner of the city so the PCP commanders, and even barangay officials, should better be on their toes always,” Estrada said, stressing the seriousness of his road clearing campaign.

The mayor said he is aware that several policemen are on the “take” of the illegal vendors, colorum drivers and operators, and even groups who “maintain” illegal parking zones that have been the cause of traffic congestion in the city for years.

“We will know about this,” Estrada quipped.

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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

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Nigeria staring at recession L

AGOS―First it was falling oil prices that plagued Nigeria. Then came inflation, power shortages and a humanitarian crisis in the north.

“Suddenly, we’re a poor country,” Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

“Before we came to office, petroleum sold for about $100 per barrel. Then it crashed to $37, and now oscillates between $40 and $45 per barrel.”

By the end of the month it’s likely Nigeria will officially enter a recession.

Adding insult to injury, this week the International Monetary Fund said that South Africa overtook Nigeria as Africa’s biggest economy in dollar

terms―a result of the anemic naira.

“Both countries are experiencing difficulties, but Nigeria is taking a more slower pace to recover. I don’t think Nigeria can regain its position anytime soon,” Manji Cheto, Sub-Saharan Africa analyst at Londonbased Teneo Holdings, told AFP. That’s because Nigeria’s problems, a result of decades of mismanagement, have no easy fix.

Just a few months ago, Nigeria was the number one oil exporter on the continent.

Not anymore. According to figures released Friday by OPEC, Nigeria is now producing just 1.5 million barrels per day, compared with Angola which is pumping out 1.7 million.

Militant attacks on oil infrastructure in the increasingly volatile southern swamplands are to blame.

The Niger Delta Avengers, a new armed group fighting for political autonomy and a bigger cut of oil revenues, have been bombing pipelines since the beginning of 2016.

They have vowed not to stop until their demands are met.

Today Nigeria is an economic heavyweight on the back foot, with its economy not fit enough to survive this round of blows exposing its structural issues.

Now the country is literally sinking into darkness.

Electricity production, which already was faltering before the crisis, barely reached 2500mW for its 170 million inhabitants, according to local reports, thanks to oil militants sabotaging the lines that fuel the gaspowered stations.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, tried to reassure the representatives of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday, promising that “great” effort is being put into improving non-oil revenues.

In the streets of Lagos, posters on the street remind people that not paying taxes is a crime.

Nigeria loses too much to corruption, with Oxfam, an organisation focussed on ending global poverty, reporting that Nigeria loses the equivalent of 12 per cent of its GDP in illicit channels―the largest share of any

African country.

In his speech, Osinbajo reiterated his commitment to diversifying Nigeria’s crude-addicted economy with a focus on agriculture to avoid costly imports.

Another solution is looking to private business.

Aliko Dangote, the richest man in Africa, is building a gigantic refinery project that could inject the economy with muchneeded energy, according to BMI Research.

“We expect that the development of a massive refinery by the Dangote Group will lead to a sharp improvement in the current account deficit from 2018 onwards,” the consultancy said in an August note.

Still, Dangote has to convince wary investors to back his project.

Last week, the Transnational

Corp. of Nigeria, a giant company whose interests range from agriculture to energy, said it hadn’t attracted enough funding and was consequently suspending plans to build one of the largest power plants in the country (1,000 MW).

“The priority now is to restore credibility,” Cheto said, explaining that Buhari needs to implement his economic policies with some more urgency.

“When it takes one year to implement what you said, don’t expect confidence from the investors.”

While Nigeria will still be an economic powerhouse for years to come, in the foreseeable future its once-skyrocketing growth will be subdued.

As one IMF analyst put it in July: “Nigeria is in a particularly difficult situation.” AFP

Libya fighting hard to increase oil rices TRIPOLI―Jihadist attacks and political struggles are thwarting the attempts by Libya’s unity government to revive an oil industry seen as vital for the economy of the impoverished North African country.

Five years since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya’s rival governments and militias are in a bitter struggle for control of crude exports.

The political turmoil, coupled with Islamic State group attacks on oil facilities, has brought shipments to a near-standstill.

Despite having Africa’s largest oil reserves, estimated at around 48 billion barrels, Libya has only managed to export a few tankers of crude in recent months.

On August 1, the Tripolibased National Oil Company announced that it was preparing to restart regular exports of crude.

But analysts doubt Libyan oil will be gushing back to world markets just yet.

“Opening the ports allows the NOC to start to undertake repairs, but that will still take time,” said Scott Modell, an analyst at energy consultancy Rapidan Group.

“One announcement about potentially opening ports that are not fully functional is not going to turn around the overall trajectory of the political process,” he added.

Since 2010, the country’s production has plummeted from 1.5 million barrels per day to just 300,000 bpd.

Libya now has the smallest production of any member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The 2014 collapse in oil pric-

es was a further blow. Industry sources say Libya’s exports this year will earn it just a tenth of the estimated $45-50 billion (40-45 billion euros) it took in 2010.

That is a disaster in a country where the government depends on oil exports for nearly all of its revenue.

Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Accord faces major obstacles as it tries to revive the sector.

For a start, the NOC is split into two rival branches―one loyal to the GNA and the other based in Benghazi and loyal to a rival government.

Meanwhile, all of the country’s export terminals in Libya’s eastern “oil crescent” are controlled by the Petroleum Facilities Guard, a militia set up to protect them.

They include the two key export terminals of Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra, 650 kilometers east of the capital, which are together capable of handling 700,000 bpd.

But they were shut down in January after storage tanks were set on fire during attacks by IS. The jihadists have taken advantage of the turmoil to establish a presence in Libya, but now appear close to losing their stronghold in Sirte which lies between Tripoli and the oil crescent.

PFG leader Ibrahim alJadhran also regularly defies both of Libya’s rival governments.

“The blockage costs Libya $30 million (27 million euros) a day,” Mustafa Sanalla, chairman of the Tripoli-based branch of the NOC which supports the unity government, said in April. AFP

CIRCULAR VINEYARD. This file photo taken on July 20, 2016 ,shows French winemaker Dominique Leandre-Chevalier posing in his unique circular wineyard in Anglade, southwestern France. AFP

Wedding season can hit wallet hard ABU QASH, Palestinian Territories―For Palestinians, summer is wedding season―time for brides and grooms to celebrate. But for guests, who are expected to help cover the costs, it can mean financial misery.

The tradition of “naqout” encourages those invited to donate cash to help pay for the often lavish feasts.

They pick up an envelope, fill it with cash, usually sign it and place it in a box strategically placed at the entrance.

Technically the donations are voluntary, but hosts take a dim

view of those failing to meet expectations.

Some Palestinians see the tradition as a way to share the costs of important community events.

But others say the social pressure to contribute pushes them into dire financial straights.

Murad Shriteh, 46, from near the West Bank city of Ramallah, said he feels swamped after being invited to more than one wedding a week.

He spent $400, nearly half his monthly salary, in just two weeks of weddings, he told AFP at a wedding party in the West

scarf or a rosary.

A wedding can cost up to $30,000, while even a poor family may shell out $10,000.

That’s a major in expense in the West Bank, where more than a quarter of people live under the poverty line after nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation.

The costs come out of the pockets of the family―traditionally the father of the bride. Naqout is a way of sharing the burden.

Khaled Abdallah, 50, recently celebrated his son’s marriage in a village near Ramallah in the West Bank. AFP

Istanbul’s famous avenue deserted

AUTHORS’ NIGHT.

Erica Jong attends the Authors’ Night for the East Hampton Library at The East Hampton Library on August 13, 2016, in East Hampton, New York.

AFP.

Tensions forcing Japan to develop missile TOKYO―Japan will develop a new land-to-sea missile as part of plans to beef up its defense of remote southern islands, as tensions with China increase over the disputed territory, a report said Sunday.

The two countries are locked in a long-running dispute over the uninhabited islets known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Di-

Bank town of Birzeit.

“I have already received several invitations for the rest of August, but I think I will refuse a few,” he said.

The West Bank sees more than 25,000 weddings a year, according to Palestinian statistics.

Social pressures and tradition mean that most are extravagant celebrations, with much of the community invited.

They tend to involve mountains of food, live music and a photographer. The most lavish celebrations even offer each guest a traditional Palestinian

aoyu in China.

The report comes after repeated protests by Japanese foreign ministry officials over what Tokyo calls “intrusions” by Chinese ships in the territorial and contiguous waters of the rocky islands.

Tokyo plans to deploy the weapon, which reportedly will have a range of 300 kilometers on islands such as Miyako in Ok-

inawa prefecture, the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said, without citing sources.

The range will cover the disputed island chain, the Yomiuri said, adding that the deployment is expected by 2023.

Officials at the Defense Ministry could not be reached for comment.

“In light of China’s repeated acts of provocation around the

Senkaku islands, Japan aims to increase deterrence with improved long-range strike capability,” the newspaper stated.

The missile will be developed

by Japan and will use solid fuel, the Yomiuri said, referring to the technology that allows for weapon’s long-term storage and capacity to be launched at short notice. AFP

ISTANBUL―For centuries, it has been the main commercial artery running through the heart of Istanbul, attracting thousands of people every day for shopping, entertainment or historic sightseeing.

But following a string of deadly attacks and the failed coup of July 15, Istiklal Avenue now faces an uncertain future, its shops boarded up and visitor numbers plummeting, its identity rapidly changing.

Located in Beyoglu in the centre of European Istanbul, the pedestrianized street is lined with elegant shops and cafes, stretching 1.5 kilometers from Tunel, which overlooks the Golden Horn, to Taksim Square.

In March, the street was hit by a suicide bombing that killed three Israelis and an Iranian and injured dozens in an attack blamed on Islamic State jihadists.

And three months later, at least 41 people were killed in a triple suicide bombing at Ataturk airport, causing tourism to plummet.

Now, once-lively areas along the street have fallen silent, with a string of shops shuttered, from

big chains to boutiques, unable to make a profit in the face of high rents and declining revenues.

For Beyoglu mayor Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Istiklal Avenue will never lose its dynamism, with the current recession an unfortunate “reality” but only a temporary one.

“The terror attacks followed by the July 15 coup were actions aimed at dealing a setback to Turkey’s economy,” he told AFP. “We are aware of the negative waves. It’s only natural after all that has happened, and I personally do not see any sign it will have permanent repercussions,” said Demircan, a member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Although some businesses would not survive because of the lack of profits, it would be unfair to stigmatize Istiklal Avenue and craft “disaster scenarios” out of it, he said.

Istiklal Avenue has a special place in the history of Istanbul and until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, was the heart of what seen as very much the European quarter of the city. AFP

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ONSTAGE. Singer Fergie performs at the Pandora Summer Crush at L.A. Live on August 13, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Italy facing hard times R

OME―In a sign of how good a summer it has been in Italy, coastguards are threatening holidaymakers with fines for bagging beach spots by parking deck chairs and towels overnight.

From Sicily to Venice, the “novacancies” signs are up and sun lounger spaces are thin on the sand as the country’s holiday resorts operate at full capacity for the busiest week of the year.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, whose own vacation destination is a closely-guarded secret, must wish the same could be said for the rest of his country’s flagging economy.

Weighed down by sluggish domestic demand and a bad debt-laden banking sector’s inability to finance investment, the eurozone’s third biggest economy ground to a standstill in the second quarter of 2016.

For Renzi, the surprise stalling of a recovery that had been progressing slowly since early 2015 could not have come at a worse time.

The center-left leader has

staked his political future on a constitutional reform referendum scheduled for November.

And with the economic slowdown complicating a 2017 budget to be drafted by mid-October, the center-left leader appears to be heading for a perfect autumnal storm that will make or break his premiership.

The 41-year-old former mayor of Florence admitted last week that he had made a mistake in

making the referendum personal by vowing to quit if voters reject his proposed reforms of parliament and the electoral system.

But analysts are united in saying it is too late to prevent the vote being effectively a referendum on Renzi’s two and a half years in office.

And despite his success in driving through labor market reforms, the worsening economic outlook means voters’ verdict is

Thai police know bomber

Record floods kill 3 in southern US NEW YORK―Torrential rains have caused record flooding in parts of the southern United States, officials said on Saturday, with US media reporting at least three deaths.

Flooding in southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi shut down roads, cutting off at least one town as an area of low pressure slowly moved west along the Gulf Coast.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the flooding “unprecedented.”

“We have record levels of flooding along rivers and creeks,” he told reporters during a news conference, urging residents who have been advised to evacuate to leave their homes.

Emergency services were transporting residents by highwater vehicles, boats and aircraft, he said. More than 1,000

residents had been evacuated in Louisiana, the authorities said.

The floods killed at least three people on Friday, media reported. Among them, a man in the Louisiana town of Zachary, near the capital Baton Rouge, drowned trying to escape flood waters, local television station WAFB reported.

“We were walking out and he slipped and fell,” his roommate Vernon Drummond told the station. “He went under the water.

We tried to save him, but we couldn’t.”

The area recorded 10 to 15 inches (25.4 to 38.1 cm) of rain, David Roth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told AFP. Another 10 inches were expected in parts of Louisiana over the next two days.

“Even for them it’s very unusual,” Roth said. AFP

ON THE TRAIL. Visitors walk on the Navajo Loop Trail next to a fin rock formation near Sunset Point on August 12, 2016, in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. AFP

Imam, assistant gunned down near NY mosque NEW YORK―A gunman shot and killed a New York imam and his assistant near their mosque in the borough of Queens during a brazen attack carried out in broad daylight Saturday.

Police said the imam, identified as Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his assistant, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot just before 2:00 pm (1800 GMT) in the Ozone

Park neighborhood.

The working class area, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

Both men were taken to nearby Jamaica Hospital with gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead there.

The shooting comes amid a climate of growing Islamophobia and anti-Muslim

sentiment as a series of deadly attacks have unfolded in the United States and abroad, some of which have been claimed by the Islamic State group, and Republican presidential contender Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US. The two men were approached from behind by a suspect, who witnesses saw fleeing the scene with a gun, according

to police. The street on which they were killed is called Liberty Avenue.

Officers said the individual is still at large and the investigation is ongoing.

US media reported that the men were shot after leaving the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque after Saturday afternoon prayers, dressed in traditional Muslim garb. AFP

Competition brewing for London afternoon teas

LONDON―The popularity of afternoon tea has London hotels vying to attract a new wave of customers by inventing twists on the classic English indulgence―although with tapas and takeaways on offer, some say the trend is going too far.

London’s Sanderson hotel won this

in the balance.

Polls suggest the referendum outcome is too close to call, increasing the pressure on Renzi to come up with a budget that will get voters back on side at the cost of a clash with Brussels.

Economic Development Minister Carlo Calenda made it clear at the weekend that the government plans to ignore EU guidance on the deficit by unveiling an expansionary package. AFP

year’s themed afternoon tea of year award for its Mad Hatter’s version, with every item inspired by the “Alice in Wonderland” story.

The K West Hotel and Spa has given theirs a “glam-rock makeover”, with teainfused cocktails and electric blue teapots, served on vintage album covers.

And the Lancaster London has a takeaway version to be enjoyed in Hyde Park just across the road, plus an ARTea, delivered in a painter’s box with jam and cream in paint tubes and featuring “miniature edible paintings”.

“There is a lot of competition so you have to stand out from the crowd,” said

Keith Newton, the founder of national Afternoon Tea Week, which takes place in mid-August.

“But you have to be careful because people do want the traditional,” he told AFP. “Sandwiches, scones, desserts: you can be creative within that structure but not stray too far away.” AFP

BANGKOK―Thai police said Sunday they “know who was behind” a recent wave of bombings that rattled tourist destinations across the south, shattering a surface calm imposed by the kingdom’s military junta.

No one has claimed responsibility for at least 11 small explosives and series of suspected arson attacks that ripped across core tourist hubs Thursday night and Friday mor ning, killing four locals and wounding dozens, including European tourists.

The bombs, most of them detonated in twin blasts, struck holiday resorts during a long weekend, including the seaside town of Hua Hin and the island of Phuket.

“Our investigation is progressing. We know who was behind it,” deputy police spokesman Piyapan Pingmuang told AFP Sunday.

He repeated the military government’s stance that a domestic group was behind the coordinated attacks but refused to provide further details.

“I reaffirm that it was an act of local sabotage, not terrorism. We do not have terrorism in Thailand,” he said.

Two people have been detained for questioning in Hua Hin―rocked by four bombs―and one arrest warrant has been issued over a suspected arson attack in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, the spokesman said. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

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SIP & SAVOR

Naxional’s spread represents the best dishes from 10 countries in South and Central America.

Diverse

South American cuisine S

OUTH American dishes are as diverse as the countries within the region, which takes pride in its colorful history and rich culture.

Indigenous cooking traditions use key ingredients such as corn, potato, peppers, fresh cheese, cassava, and tropical fruits like coconuts, pineapple and avocado, resulting in a fusion of flavors.

Filipinos who wish to embark on a gastronomic tour of South America need only go to Naxional, a diner-style restaurant with an al fresco bar on the second floor of Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City. Brick walls with street art designs and chandeliers made of soft drink bottles invite guests to sample a wide range of dishes from 10 countries (thus the “x” in Naxional) – seven from South America and three from Central America.

“The flavors are very rich and very familiar. The dishes take time to prepare. The whole process is really a labor of love,” said Chef Cynthia Patos, the Venezuelan host and winner of Lifestyle Network’s The Clash.

“We want the menu to be South American home-cooked dishes, which we think Filipino diners would love to try. Family cooking takes time, so you have to put effort for these dishes,” she added.

Some dishes, such as the pão de quiejo or freshly baked mozzarella cheese bread from Brazil, are made from scratch and take at least two days to prepare. Rice is also soaked for 24 hours to produce milk for the horchata, a Mexican drink with a dash of vanilla and cinnamon.

Many of Naxional’s founding members, including Patos and BrazilianJapanese model Vanessa Matsunaga, were born and raised in South America, thus their desire to ensure the authenticity of the dishes.

“For my brother (model and actor Daniel Matsunaga) and I, it has always been our dream to have our mom’s cooking close by, since we live far away from Brazil. The recipes for all the Brazilian dishes of Naxional came from our mom, so they are all authentic,” Matsunaga said.

THE JOYCE OF EATING JOYCE BABE PAÑARES

According to Patos, the philosophy behind South American dishes is similar to how Filipinos use ingredients that are readily available to create comfort food.

“South American countries are just like any other Third World countries: we make do with what we have. We start from scratch, and build on the flavors,” said Patos, who is responsible for Naxional’s postres or desserts.

Matsunaga shared how the feijoada, touted as Brazil’s national dish, is believed to have been created by sugar cane plantation slaves who took scraps of meat discarded by their masters and cooked them with black beans which were the foundation of their diet.

“Eventually, even their masters learned to love the dish, and it has become a must-try when you are in Brazil.

But now, you don’t have to go to Brazil to taste authentic feijoada. Just come here at Naxional,” she said.

Naxional offers a respectable array of South and Central American dishes including picanha (churrasco steak) from Brazil; elote (char-grilled sweet corn with chili butter, mayo like and crumbled cheese) from Mexico; bacon tocino rubbed in Colombian coffee with agave chili glaze from Colombia; chicharones with smoked chili vinegar from Cuba; ceviche with citrus marinade, pickled peppers, coconut lime from Peru; empanadas from Venezuela; patacones (choice of pork or shrimp on top of fried plantains with guacamole) from Puerto Rico; gaucho angus rib-eye steak from Argentina; picante de pollo (slow braised chicken with black beans, root vegetables, coconut crème and fried garbanzos) from Bolivia; and encebollado

Peruvian ceviche served with citrus marinade and coconut lime for starters

(hangover fish stew with root vegetables, cassava, tomato salsa and pickled onions) from Ecuador.

And while South Americans, according Patos, do not have a sweet tooth in general, it becomes another story when one opens a can of condensed milk, as a sampling of some of Naxional’s postres – dulce de leche cheesecake, arroz con leche, apple pie with dulce de leche, and tres leches sponge cake – will confirm.

“We cook our condensed milk. It is a comforting dessert for us,” she said.

Naxional may have started as a way for its founders to feel like they were back home again, but as its repeat customers will attest, this diner is proof of South America’s culinary diversity and legacy of flavors.

For feedback, send comments to joyce.panares@gmail.com

Encebollado or fish stew, Ecuador’s perfect cure for hangover

Tres leches sponge cake to cap your South American culinary tour

Xin Tian Di celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival

Crowne Plaza Hotel’s Xin Tian Di restaurant offers special mooncake sets to give to friends or share with family on Mid-Autumn Festival

PARTAKE in a celebration like no other as Xin Tian Di joins the Chinese-Filipino community in observing the Mid-Autumn Festival with lucky bundle of mooncakes.

Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria through its Chinese specialty restaurant, Xin Tian Di is offering variations of mooncakes to celebrate this festivity.

Mooncakes are available in traditional, two-egg yolk, custard snow skin, sesame seed snow skin, and green tea snow skin flavors.

Pre-selling period started on Aug. 1 while redemption period is on Sept. 1 to 15, just in time to share a fresh box of mooncakes with family and friends.

Xin Tian Di’s special mooncakes are available in a box of four large pieces: Snow Skin (P2088.00 nett),

two-Egg Yolk (P2088.00 nett), Traditional (P1688.00 nett).

It is also available in a box of six mini sizes: Snow Skin (P2288.00 nett), and Traditional (P1988.00 nett).

Each box of mooncake includes 50 percent discount vouchers on Xin Tian Di’s Dim Sum Unlimited and Set Menus.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is part of the Chinese culture, which involves gathering of family members and sharing of mooncakes, a tradition symbolizing completeness and prosperity for the whole family. Mooncakes are most often given as gift to friends and relatives to express love and best wishes.

To order this tasty treat in advance, call 633-7222 or email fandb.reservations@ihg.com

Life

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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Chef Donita Rose

shares Jolly Heart Mate recipes

T

HE rewarding experience of sharing a feast is just one of the many perks of cooking especially for Filipinos, and Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil ambassador Chef Donita Rose shares her passion as she tours the country to share delectable recipes fit for the traditional family fiesta gatherings.

She’s preparing healthy dishes for the residents of Naga City during the celebrations of the Peñafrancia Festival in September before heading to Bacolod’s Masskara Festival in October. She will then culminate the Philippine Festival Tour with Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil and GMA 7 by cooking for the Cebuanos during the highly anticipated Sinulog Festival in Ja nu a r y 2017.

With t h e

On the second year as a brand ambassador for Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil, Donita is marking her continued partnership with the brand by helping spread the heart-healthy goodness of home cooking.

With celebrations rounding up in the country this coming months, Donita, along with Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil, tours the country during the festival season to share her delectable recipes that are easy, healthy, and fitting for the table gatherings of Filipino families.

“We Filipinos really love to eat, our culture is practically centered on food which brings families closer during festivities, so we should also be aware of how we prepare the food and the kind of dishes that we serve,” said Donita.

Dabaweños will be the first to try out the dishes she plans to share and prepare on the Kadayawan Festival at Gaisano Mall on Aug. 20. She will conduct a cooking demo for interested foodies and moms.

“I’ve always loved cooking, but cooking food that is good for the heart, espe-

cially for my family, is what drives me to learn more dishes and expand my knowledge in cooking,” she added.

TOP Australian kitchen appliance maker Breville wowed expo visitors at the opening of World Food Expo (WOFEX) 2016 at the SMX Convention Center in Mall of Asia and World Trade Center.

As Platinum sponsor of the country’s biggest and most effective food show in the Philippines today, Breville showcased its magnificent kitchen products like the Kinetix Control™ Superstar Blenders, Smart Oven, the Froojie Fountain Pro and the Scraper Mixer Pro. Breville , in partnership with some of the most notable names in the culinary world such as Chef Chele Gonzales, Chef Louise Mabulo, Master Latte Artist Dave Dource, Chef Edward Mateo, and Chef Philip Golding, demonstrated and highlighted the functional capabilities of these trusted kitchen devices in two venues: the WOFEX Kitchen Theater and the Breville Booth at the SMX Convention Center WOFEX. For more of BREVILLE visit www. breville.com.ph or www.wofex.com

Breville wows guests The Breville booth at World Food Expo 2016

The Bellevue Hotel’s Cafe ‘d Asie offers several buffet meals

Appetizing August at The Bellevue Manila

THE rainy season gets an exciting lift as the premiere five-star hotel in the Southern Metro, The Bellevue Manila, offers three irresistible food promos for the month of August.

Experience one of Asia’s oldest and most diverse cultures at Café d’Asie, the hotel’s prime dining outlet. It offers its very own Indian Independence Day Buffet today.

Top-notch fine dining Chinese restaurant Phoenix Court invites you to have a taste of authentic cooking with age-old, well-loved recipes as

it offers its very own Authentic Special a la carte menu until Aug. 28.

Meanwhile, gather your foodie friends for a yummy get-together and savor the lip-smacking goodness of famous Malaysian dishes as The Bellevue Manila’s Vue Bar offers its very own Malaysian Special food promo for the whole month of August.

For inquiries, call (02) 771-8181, email tbmnl@thebellevue.com or visit the website. For real time updates, like the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thebellevuemanila.

Actress Donita Rose spreads love as she takes part in a nationwide cooking adventure

staple of festival foods that are delectably sinful, like Crispy Pata, Sisig, Lechon, Donita will feature the cities’ signature recipes, but will make it heart healthy with the use of Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil. “We must always be conscious that the ingredients we use should be good for the heart, like Jolly Heart Mate Canola oil which contains the lowest amount of bad fats (saturated fats) but packs in the good kind like omega 3 and 6 that are good for the heart,” Donita shared.

Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil also contains Vitamin A and has a pale golden color, light texture, and neutral taste that make it good for all kinds of cooking. It also has one of the highest smoking points, which make it very ideal for frying.

Chef Donita Rose notes that the preparation and the ingredients we use in the cooking process makes a difference.

These tips that she plans to share makes any simple dish more flavorful, or any sinful dish a lot more heart-healthy.

“We are very happy that like Donita, more and more moms today take into consideration the nutrition they can give to their family through the food they cook at home. Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil does not only make every dish delicious but heart healthy as well,” added Zen Prudentino, Fly Ace Corporation senior product manager for Jolly Heart Mate Canola oil.

Cooking has many perks, but it’s the joy of sharing food prepared for a feast which has no better place for Filipinos than the table of traditional family fiesta gatherings, and Jolly Heart Mate ambassador Chef Donita Rose is spreading the love as she takes part in the nationwide tour of Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil this year to teach easy-to-do and heart healthy recipes that moms can make at home.

Slow juicer goes to WOFEX 2016

MATSTONE Horizontal Slow Juicer took its wonder machine to the World Food Expo 2016 at the SMX Convention Center on Aug. 3. Matstone has been providing its consumers with ways on how to get healthier by juicing and creating other healthy dishes just by using its wonder machine. Its unique horizontal shape makes juicing more effective by retaining most of the needed nutrients from the ingredients, even tough leafy vegetables like malunggay— from the leaves down to the stems.

Its design also guarantees that there will be no stuck ups in processing foods and with quick twists and turns, everyone can change the attachments easily to make this wonder machine perform eight more functions other than juicing. It can help slice and mince

ingredients for main dishes, make pasta, shave ice and create sorbets for desserts, grind, milk, and extract oils from tough beans and seeds. These then could be used in many healthy recipes that is proven to slow down the ageing process, strengthen immunity, and renew vigor.

Matstone’s participation in the WOFEX 2016 included several product demonstrations that showcased the nine wonder functions of Matstone. It also featured several recipes that included dishes that could help senior citizens reinvigorate their health, dishes for the diabetic, and dishes to ease hypertension. Matstone also featured a couple of Wonder Seminars that revealed the secrets of oriental medicine with Dr. Andrew S.H. Kim.

Phoenix Court’s dishes are all made with the freshest ingredients specially chosen by the hotel’s seasoned chefs Seafood pasta is one of the main dishes offered at Vue Bar

Showbiz

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HEN it comes to gastronomic affairs and wedding runways, there is no settling for anything less than what kings and queens deserve on TLC. This August, chef and restaurateur Luke Nguyen, and the queens of bridal fashion embark on new shows fit for royal viewers.

Wedding bells will soon ring, but the road to the big day is not all bliss. More often than not, brides are pressured to make everything fit princess-perfect: the flowers, the guest list, the dress.

It can only go two ways—happily ever after or a total wedding disaster.

Walk down the TLC aisle with plus-sized brides trying to find their dream dress in Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss Bliss. The new season marks new beginnings of the brides and follows the inner workings of premier bridal salon, Kleinfeld Bridal. There are many struggles for a plus-sized bride shopping in an average size 6 store, but all will be conquered by love.

‘Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss’ follows the successes and disappointments of plus-size brides

Food and Fashion Royalty on TLC

Say Yes to the Dress: Big Bliss airs 9 p.m.

Fridays.

Celebrity chef Luke goes out to see for himself just why Asia is widely considered one of the best spots for the best kinds of street food.

Exploring Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, he goes behind the scenes and discovers the secrets and routines of street food vendors and owners who busy themselves hunting for ingredients, preparing recipes, setting up their stalls, selling their famous dishes and more. Binge on and do not miss Luke Nguyen’s Street Food Asia as it premieres on Aug. 22, and airs 9:25 p.m.

Mondays.

Celebrity Chef Luke Nguyen embarks on another gastronomical adventure, this time traveling to the streets of Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia

First known Shakespeare film at 10th International Silent Film Festival THE British Council in the Philippines will be opening the 10th International Silent Film Festival on Aug. 25 at Shangrila Plaza with Play On! Silent Shakespeare, a 2016 compilation of Silent Shakespeare films from the British Film Institute (BFI) National Archive. Tago Jazz Collective will do a live musical score of the film.

Shakespeare compilation includes King John, the world’s earliest surviving Shakespeare adaptation released in 1899 and directed by William KennedyLaurie Dickson and Walter Pfeffer Dando. The compilation also includes extracts from early versions of Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard III as well as the cartoon parodies of Shakespeare’s plays by the British animation pioneer Anson Dyer—scenes from the earliest surviving Shakespeare adaptations on film with several titles untouched for decades.

Play On! Silent Shakespeare, scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. screening on Aug. 25, pays homage to works of William Shakespeare, as the world celebrates the 400th anniversary of his death this 2016.

“We are delighted to take part

A compilation of silent Shakespeare shorts, with a newly commissioned score

by Tago Jazz Collective, will open the Silent Film fest at The Shang

in this festival for the first time and, in the year in which we are celebrating 400 years of Shakespeare’s life, to be able to share some historic early film adaptations of his work with audiences in the Philippines,” said Nicholas Thomas, country director of the British Council.

Dickson, one half of the production

of King John, was a Scottish inventor who worked under Thomas Alva Edison and credited for the development of the 35mm format still in use today, by trimming and perforating Kodak Eastman’s 70mm film stock. Dickson was also known to have helped with Edison’s film productions, eventually producing

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, August 15, 2016

ACROSS 1 Hold back 6 Wedding ritual 10 House ad abbr.

14 Severe 15 Maintain 16 Survey finding 17 Sextant updated 18 Pen points 19 In shape 20 Puffed up 22 Gauges 23 Fleet initials 24 Indian burial site 26 Thumb through 30 Wheedle 32 Cove 33 Jury or wainscot 34 Prehistoric 36 Gave a prompt 37 Tightens 38 Freedom org.

39 Historical period 40 Flatfish 41 Youngsters 42 Became known 44 It — add up!

45 Late bloomer 46 Double curve 47 Mattress brand 49 After all (3 wds.)

54 Cod kin 55 Raison d’ —

57 Home with a dome 58 Software buyer 59 Prowl 60 Foundations 61 Earns as profit 62 Optimistic 63 An Astaire DOWN 1 Melting-watch artist 2 GNP topic 3 Block of peat 4 Footnote abbr.

(2 wds.)

5 Le Car producer 6 Windmill blades 7 Exiled Roman poet 8 Where to surf 9 Jrs.’ sires 10 Making a bundle?

11 Ropes of hair 12 Not counterfeit 13 Occupies, as a post 21 Mao — -tung 22 Two-way 24 Quarries 25 Rightmost column 26 Saki grain 27 Accustom

28 Bargain place (2 wds.)

29 Govt. agent 30 Sat opposite 31 Burstyn of “The Exorcist” 33 Less tanned 35 Gold deposit 37 Balcony section 38 Yes, to Angus 40 Baja Ms. 41 Laptop maker 43 Organic compounds 44 Summer hrs.

46 Rome, to

Carthage 47 Rebuff 48 Facilitate 49 Tax shelters 50 Major Hoople’s word 51 So what — is new?

52 Lois Lane portrayer Neill 53 It can be a pill 55 Make a typo 56 Excessively

some 500 films of his own. He is also credited to have produced the firstever film with live-recorded music, dated 1894.

The International Silent Film Festival, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, will also be featuring films from eight other countries.

Joining the film festival are the Philippine-Italian Association, the Japan Foundation Manila, Goethe-Institut Philippen, Instituto Cervantes, Film Development Council of the Philippines and the Embassies of the United States of America, France and Austria.

To celebrate this important festival milestone, the participating countries will be holding a lecture and an exhibition on silent cinema as a way to further enrich the program.

The exhibition will open on Aug. 16 at the Grand Atrium of Shangri-la Plaza, which will illustrate the tenyear journey of this unique festival.

The festival will run from Aug. 25 to 28 at the Shang Cineplex, Shangrila Plaza. Admission is free to the public on a first come, first served basis.

For screening schedules and other inquiries, please visit: www.britishcouncil.ph, or the official International Silent Film Festival facebook page: www.facebook.com/ InternationalSilentFilmFestivalManila

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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

No ambition to be a beauty queen IN SPITE of the general observation that she is a beauty queen material, Janine Gutierrez downplays any future possibility that she will end up as one.

“I believe I’m not cut for that,” she avers. “If ever I will join a beauty pageant because the majority thinks that I have a huge potential, but my heart is not really into it, it will be futile. It’s not fair as well to all the candidates who’ve exerted a lot of efforts to make their dream come true. I feel I will just spoil the competition. Ha-ha-ha!

“There are people who are destined to become what they’ve envisioned themselves to be. Just like many of our beauty titlists. They worked and prepared hard just to win the crown. Beauty pageants are definitely prestigious, but as I’ve said earlier, it’s not my cup of tea. What I really want is to be an actress since obviously, acting runs in my blood.”

The daughter of Lotlot de Leon and Ramon Christopher and granddaughter of Nora Aunor, some quarters wonder if she is under pressure due to the public’s high expectations.

“Initially, yes! Who wouldn’t be, right? But fortunately, I’ve learned to embrace it and make it as a motivation instead for me to always give it my best shot. I think that there is always room for improvement. I know that I still have a long way to go in improving my craft.”

Speaking of honing her acting skills, Gutierrez reveals her dream role.

“Actually, I want to breathe life to the role of a killer or hit man on screen. That would be very challenging since I’m always the meek, sweet, kind and girl-next-door type in most of my portrayals. I want to do something offbeat like Angelina Jolie in Girl, Interrupted or something close to my character in the indie film Lila, which is a suspense-horror. That would truly be a welcome change,” says the actress.

As a proof of her growing popularity, she’s a sought-after endorser at present for various products and services like shampoo, bank and clothing line, to name a few.

“I’m really humbled by such blessings. Honestly, it’s my dream to have TVCs or have huge billboards along EDSA. When I wasn’t in showbiz yet, that was something I really wanted to do. I’m overjoyed that it’s happening now.

“It gives me a different high seeing the fulfilment of my cherished dream. Imagine the trust bestowed upon you by advertisers. It’s just elating. The more I get inspired to do my best in my job.”

Same with beauty contests, the charming young actress doesn’t see herself doing sexy pictorials as well.

“I’ve had offers before but I turned them down. I feel I’m not yet ready for it. Of course, I don’t want to end my sentence with a period but at this point, I’m not going to do it. Let’s see in the future,” ends Janine. ***** A new travel show will soon air over at ANC (ABSCBN News Channel). Titled Becoming Filipino, Your Travel Blog, it is hosted by Kyle “Kulas” Jennermann, cited by the Huffington Post as one of the Top 5 Best Male Travel Bloggers in the World.

What’s admirable about the 28-year-old Canadian is his immense love for the Philippines.

“I’ve travelled (to) 29 countries in Europe, AsiaPacific and North America but I was totally smitten by the Philippines’ natural charms. I’ve never been in your country before but once I stepped foot in here, I instantly loved it. I realized its positive side right away.” states Kyle.

What are the things he adore about the Philippines?

“The people! They’re such kind, giving, friendly, hardworking, outgoing, proud and basically happy individuals. I’ve never experienced a culture like the Philippines. It inspires me every single day. There’s also its beautiful natural environment: the beaches, waterfalls, rivers, mountains, etc. It’s also in here where I find smiling is genuine and where giving and sharing are a part of everyday life.”

What can the tele-viewers expect from BFYTB? “The program will actually feature not just lovely scenic spots but compelling stories of the people whom I meet in my travel. People will know their sentiments and aspirations as well as their unique values and traditions,” says Kyle.

Showbiz

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

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MONDAY, AUGUST 15, 2016

The new cast of ‘Goin’ Bulilit’ offers comedy for children, and for adults, too

‘Goin’ Bulilit’ has new kid stars

Following in his father’s footsteps, Vito Quizon joins the wacky cast of ‘Goin’ Bulilit’

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HERE are new bulilits on the rise in ABS-CBN’s hit kiddie gag show Goin’ Bulilit.

Joining the wacky gang of Izzy Canillo, Clarence Delgado, Mutya Orquia, Bea Basa, Ashley Sarmiento, CX Navarro, JB Agustin, Kazumi Porquez, Mitch Naco, Allyson Mcbride, and Josh De Guzman are eight new kid stars to watch out for – Raikko Mateo, Nathan Prats, Vito Quizon, Marc Santiago, Chunsa Jung, Sophia Reola, Cessa Moncera, and Lilygem Yulores.

Raikko is already a familiar face to many after he portrayed the role of Honesto in a primetime teleserye with the same title. Marc was also introduced via a teleserye when he played young Tenten in Dolce Amore.

Nathan and Vito, on the other hand, have showbiz running in their blood as they both come from showbiz families. Nathan is the son of Camille Prats, while Vito is the son of Vandolph Quizon.

Chunsa, meanwhile, was discovered via the “Mini Me” segment of It’s Showtime as the mini Maja Salvador, while Sophia, Cessa, and Lilygem auditioned for the show and have also appeared in some TV commercials.

Expect more exciting episodes with this new breed of “Bulilit.” On top of

that, the show will also introduce new segments and even guest big stars, such as the phenomenal love team of Daniel Padilla and Goin’ Bulilit alumna Kathryn Bernardo.

Aside from giving entertainment and laughs every Sunday, the 11year old Kapamilya comedy show is also known to have catapulted some of today’s most bankable artists like Kathryn, Julia Montes, Miles Ocampo, Jane Oineza, Kiray Celis, CJ Navato, Kristel Fulgar, Sharlene San Pedro, Trina Legaspi, Mika Dela Cruz, Nash Aguas, and Alexa Ilacad.

Goin’ Bulilit is created by Bobot Mortiz, directed by Frasco Mortiz, and produced under the business unit led by Reily Santiago.

Keep watching the show after TV Patrol Weekend, Sundays on ABSCBN. *** ABS-CBN Corporation’s Chief Operating Officer of Broadcast Cory V. Vidanes and ABS-CBN Chief Operating Officer of Star Creatives Malou N. Santos were selected as Most Influential Filipina Women in the World (Global FWN100™) by the Filipina Women’s Network.

The Global FWN100 Award™ recognizes 100 women of Philippine ISAH V. RED ancestry who are changing the face of leadership in the global workplace, having reached status for outstanding work in their respective fields and are recognized for their achievement and contributions to society, mentorship and legacy.

Vidanes and Santos were selected from an outstanding field of nominees from around the world.

Vidanes was selected under the Builders category. This award honors Filipina women for demonstrating exceptional business impact at a large workplace environment; displaying deep passion for a cause through collaborative initiatives or alliances on behalf of her own organization; and demonstrating high potential and skill with measurable results in the private sector or public sector. “Buildership” is about building better organizations or leading broken organizations to adjust, repair, and re-align.

Santos was selected under the Founder and Pioneer award category.

This award honors Filipina women in their capacities as the chief executive, president, executive director or founder of a company, community organization, non-profit, or business venture that they helped start, build or significantly grow. This award

category is for the trailblazers who have marshaled resources and applied innovative practices, processes and/or technologies in a new and groundbreaking way to address significant business or organizational opportunity.

“The Global FWN100™ women are dynamic entrepreneurs, rising stars under age 35, practitioners, behind-the-scene leaders, community, government and corporate managers and executives who have moved through the ranks in large organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies. They are inspiring examples of women doing extraordinary work who will motivate our youth and future leaders,” said Josephine Romero, chairman of the Global FWN100™ Worldwide Search and Selection Committee.

“They were selected based on the size and scope of their positions, influence in their industries and their communities, board affiliations and other leadership roles.”

The Global FWN100 Award™ is a working recognition award with a meaningful purpose and FWN’s 2020 Vision: a Filipina woman leader in every sector of the global economy by 2020. The awardees are asked to re-invent themselves by paying forward, femtoring a young Filipina woman and bring her to the Filipina Leadership Global Summit on Aug. 21 to 24 at Shangri-La Mactan in Cebu.

Multiple Nominations

for MCA artists at 29th Awit Awards THE list of nominees for the 29th Awit Awards has been revealed. The Awit Awards is a prestigious award-giving body, spearheaded

by PARI (The Philippine Association of the Record Industry, Inc.), that gives recognition to Filipino performing artists and people behind the making of Filipino recorded music.

MCA Music, the number one music company in the Philippines, is proud of having a total of 31 nominations this year led by Jason Dy with six nominations.

MCA Music nominees under Performance Awards – Darren Espanto for “I Believe” and Jason Dy for “Milagro” are both nominated for Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist. “Puedepende” by Edray and “If I Were a Boy” by Sassa Dagdag are nominated for Best Performance by a New Female Recording Artist and Juan Karlos Labajo’s “Para Sa Yo” for Best Performance by a New Male Recording Artist.

Talents from The Voice Kids Lyca Gairanod with “Puede Nang Mangarap”, Elha Nympha with “Ikaw Ang Lahat Sa Akin” and Reynan Dal-Anay with “Magkaisa” are nominated for Best Performance by a Child/Children. The First Philippine Kid Rock Band, Square One with “Letra” is nominated for Best Performance by a Group recording artist.

For Creative Awards – “Puedepende” by Edray and “Milagro” by Jason Dy both composed

by Jungee Marcelo are nominated for Song of the Year and for Best Pop Recording and nominated for Best Ballad Recording- “Break My Heart Some More” by Jason Dy composed

by Soc Villanueva and Kennard Faraon.

“Why” by Pupil, composed by Ely Buendia and “Leader for a Day” by Nicole Asensio, composed by Ira Cruz are both nominated for

CREAM OF THE CROP. MCA artists lead this year’s Awit Awards nominations

Best Rock/Alternative Recording, “Ligaya”

by Sitti is nominated for Best World Music Recording, “Tayo Ay Maglaro” by Lyca Gairanod, composed by Jamie Rivera is nominated for Best Novelty Recording, “Kung Wala Ka” by Reynan Dal-Anay, composed

by Jeffrey Salin-Ay Mambucon and Eynard M. Pajalla and “Puso Ko’y Namamasko” by Jason Dy, composed by Jungee Marcelo are both nominated for Best Christmas Recording, “Laman Loob” by Stick Figgas, composed by Lester” Klumcee” Vano, Loonie and Ron Henley for Best Rap/Hiphop Recording, “Pero”

by Conscious & The Goodness composed by Mike Constantino is nominated for Best Jazz Recording and “2 Have U” by Jason Dy is also nominated for Best R&B Recording.

For Technical Arrangement Awards Category, “Para Sa’yo” by Juan Karlos Labajo arranged by Ferdie Marquez, “Leader for a Day” by Nicole Asensio arranged by Ira Cruz and “Pero” by Conscious and The Goodness arranged by Jesser Sisson are nominated for Best Musical Arrangement. Nominated for Album Packaging Excellence Award is Zilch

by Pupil, designed by Ces Olondriz, album concept by Erwin Romulo and Jason Tan and photography by Tim Serrano.

Nominees for Music Video of the Year are “Walang Anuman” by Nicole Asensio, “Why”

by Pupil and “Laman Loob” by Stick Figgas.

For bookings and inquiries, contact MCA Music Artist Management at +639209682991 or email mcabookings@umusic.com. For more information on MCA Music artists- log on to the following sites: Facebook- MCA Music (Universal Music Philippines), Instagrammca_music, Twitter- @mca_music.