Manila Standard - 2016 September 3 - Saturday

VOL. XXX • NO. 203 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

FUN FESTIVAL . Men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted in the Moriones, a folk-religious event held annually during the Holy Week in Marinduque, welcome tourists at the start of a three-day event showcasing the Philippines’ best tourist destinations at the 27th Philippine Travel Mart at the SMX in Pasay City on Friday. Danny Pata

Du30 in for rough time in Vientiane

Obama ‘won’t pull any punches when it comes to human rights’

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is set to hold closed-door meetings with nine heads of the state, including US President Barack Obama, who is expected not to pull punches in bilateral talks, and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at the sidelines of the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Vientiane, Laos.

In a press conference, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said Duterte will hold one-on-one talks with leaders of Australia, India, Japan, Laos, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, the United States

and Vietnam.

Jose also said that there are other several heads of the state who have requested him for a pull-aside meeting but due to his tight schedule, the President was able to accommodate only

the nine countries.

“The Asean summit has only a few days of important meetings wherein [the President] is expected to attend all under a very tight schedule. Several heads of state have requested him for a pull aside bilaterals and has already said yes to 9 including Asean members and key dialogue partners,” Jose said.

Jose, on behalf of Duterte, asked the other leaders to understand his inability to meet with all of them.

“Please understand that he cannot accept them all and no one should impute any negatives on those he could not accommoNext page date,” Jose said.

THE Presidential Security Group is now taking the alleged assassination plots against President Rodrigo Duterte seriously after the police seized P4.5 million worth of smuggled gun parts and accessories that were meant to be used against him, Malacañang said Friday.

The reports on the alleged assassination plots gained credence following the arrest of two Next page

“It’s not only with China but with the rest of those he’s going to meet,” Dela Vega told reporters in Malacañang.

“He will explain to the international community the problem that we have and how it impacts on the social fabric of our society.”

In other developments: * The Presidential Communication Office on Friday released the anti-drug TV advertisement created by awardwinning Director Brillante Mendoza; Next page

‘Probe De Lima accounts’

WEATHER

By Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

THE southwest monsoon will continue to bring rains to the western part of northern Luzon on Friday, state-run weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said. The agency said the Ilocos region, Apayao, Batanes and Babuyan will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rains and thunderstorms. Other areas, including Metro Manila, will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

legation that his predecessor and now Senator Leila de Lima is involved in illegal drugs trade.

Aguirre said the Justice DepartJUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday expressed ment will ask the Anti-Money confidence that the government Laundering Council to investigate Next page will be able to substantiate its al-

Rody names 39 appointees MALACAÑANG on Thursday night released a list of 39 new appointees recently approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Among those in the list were lawyer Ranibai Dacula Dilanga-

len and Evelyn Gonzales Laviña, wife of President Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña in the last election campaign, who, together with Ariel T. Cayanan, have been named Agriculture undersecretaries.

Next page twitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

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By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said that the Philippines can only take so much of China’s continued refusal to accept an arbitration award that debunked China’s “rather absurd” nine-dash line claims to almost the entire South China Sea. “They say they will not honor it [the arbitration award], but we can only take so much. We cannot take a slap every day,” said Duterte at the opening of the Davao International Container Next page Terminal (DICT).

Full sked bars meet with UN UNITED NATIONSa—Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has railed against the United Nations for criticizing his government, has declined a request to meet UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon, officials said Thursday.

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Palace men Duterte drums up support looking into for his war on illegal drugs kill-plot PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will be raising the drug menace as he marks his first foreign trip as the country’s newest head of state at the Association of South East Asian Nations Summit in Vientiane, Laos, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Friday.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Dela Vega said Duterte will take up the issue not only with China but also with the other members of the regional bloc.

China told: ‘PH can’t take a slap every day’

WORLD-CLASS FACILITY. President Rodrigo Duterte arrives at the Davao International Container Terminal in Panabo City to inaugurate the P5-billion state-of-the-art Davao International Container Terminal Inc. in Davao del Norte which offers world-class container terminal facilities and services. (Story on B1)

ZIKA cases

IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Thailand

97

PH stays Zika-free so far

Singapore

56

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Vietnam

7

Cambodia

7

Philippines

1

Indonesia

1

Malaysia

1

Laos

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THERE have been no cases of local transmission of the Zika virus, even though five people have been infected, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said as she called on travelers to reconsider plans to visit five countries affected by the virus--Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Thailand.

In a news conference, Ubial said the five reported cases

got the virus from other countries before they returned to the Philippines.

“We can say we have no local transmission. No Zika virus is moving here,” said Ubial, adding that the five have been declared virus-free after completing the required incubation period.

The Health chief also said the department has tested 86 travelers with fever, which they yielded negative results for the virus.

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SOURCE: WHO DATA

Subic 4th most popular tourist area SUBIC BAY FREEPORT―Subic Bay is now the fourth most popular tourist destination in the Philippines, an official said Friday.

Ronaldo Tiotuico, the Tourism Department’s director for

thestandard.com.ph

Central Luzon, said the Subic Bay Freeport and the rest of Zambales soared to number four in 2015 among the top 10 tourist destinations in the country and were topped only by Cebu,

Davao and Camarines Sur. The top 10 tourist destinations in the country in 2015 included Boracay, Albay/Legazpi City, Metro Manila, Clark/Pampanga, Laguna and Benguet/Baguio City.

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News

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

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South China Sea, citing its nine-dash line policy based on an ancient map.

On July 12, a tribunal in The Hague has ruled in favor of the Philippines invalidating China’s excessive claims.

Despite the victory, the Duterte administration has kept a “lowkey” stance and is seeking bilateral talks with China to solve the matter.

The White House said Friday that Obama would not pull any punches when he talks to Duterte.

“The President is going to speak quite directly about our shared interests with the Philippines. Both countries benefit from effective cooperation on a variety of issues, including maritime security. But the President is certainly not going to pull any punches in raising well-documented and relevant concerns when it comes to human rights,” US Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a press briefing.

“Listen, the Philippines is a treaty ally of the United States. And the President values the important relationships that we have not just maintained, but strengthened with our treaty allies around the world. There are a variety of benefits associated with being a treaty ally of the United States.

And certainly as the Philippines deals with some of the maritime security situations in the South China Sea, they benefit from a close relationship with the United States.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs, however, played down the newest statements of Washington, saying that the President is ready to answer any allegations of human rights and extrajudicial killings that will be raised by the country’s closest strategic ally.

“I think the President is prepared.

That’s why his first statement is to ask President Obama to listen to him. So he can discuss and explain to him the problem that we face as far as the drug problem is concerned. So I think he’s prepared for it,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria dela Vega told reporters in a Malacañang press briefing.

On Wednesday, Duterte said that he is ready to discuss any issues with Obama when they meet in Laos next week, adding however that Obama must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights.

Jose also said that there is a possibility that Duterte will tackle the territorial disputes in the South China Sea and his war against drugs with the nine leaders.

During the summit, Duterte’s first since he assumed office on June 30, the President will promote the Philippines’ top priorities, which is a “drug-free Asean.”

Aside from his campaign against the proliferation of drugs, Duterte will also called on the Asean communities and other involved International leaders to respect for the rule of law, under the legally binding code of conduct, emergency response and disaster management, protection of migrant workers, combating trafficking in persons, peace and reconciliation efforts, combating terrorism, and ensuring inclusive economic growth and connectivity.

Since he assumed office and declared his war against alleged drug pushers and users on July 1, there are 2,446 people have died.

Of this figure, 929 drug suspects have been killed in legitimate police operations while 1,507 have died in apparent extra-judicial killings.

His other agenda during the meetings, Jose said, is to strengthen relations with other Asean states.

Jose also said that Duterte will formally accept the chairmanship of Asean for 2017, which will begin on Jan. 1 next year.

Jose said that Duterte will not insist on raising the South China Sea issue during the summit, in contrast to his predecessor.

However, Jose said, once the sea dispute is raised in the Summit, Duterte is ready to discuss the matter.

Despite the soft stance of the new administration, Jose said the Philippines will continue to advocate the rule of law and the legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea. The Philippines, including Asean members Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, has territorial disputes with China over the overlapping claims over the sea.

China claims 90 percent or the With John Paolo Bencito

China...

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Duterte said he will make it clear to Beijing that bilateral negotiations would keep within the ambit of the UN arbitral tribunal ruling that Manila won last July 12.

“There will be a time that I have to make a stand. I also have to be clear to China that their claim in disputed waters is not acceptable,” he added.

Duterte made these statements after he received intelligence reports that China had recently brought in new barges to disputed areas in the Scarborough Shoal, wondering aloud if there is any new construction about to take place there.

“I received an intelligence report last night. If it continues to build up, new barges will be coming in and new construction would take place,” he said.

Duterte reiterated that while he does not intend to raise the issue of the ongoing territorial row before the Asean, China must also realize that the country won’t move outside of the four corners of the arbitration ruling that the country won last July.

Subic...

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Tiotuico said the Subic Bay Freeport hosted 1.67-million domestic and foreign visitors in 2015, a 28-percent increase from 1.265-million visitors in 2014.

He said the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority had been instrumental in developing Subic as a major tourist destination in Central Luzon.

“Such success is due to the determination of the entire manpower complement of the SBMA under the leadership of Chairman Roberto Garcia,” Tiotuico said.

Garcia said Subic gained significant attention after the Tourism Department recognized it as the top tourist destination in Central Luzon in 2013.

“This only validates Subic’s attractiveness not only as top tourist destination but also as the convention capital of Central Luzon,” Garcia said.

The SBMA’s Mary Jamelle Camba said Subic had become a favorite location for watersport tourism and nature-related activities.

She also said the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center had become a prominent venue for international events and conferences as it could seat 10,000 people.

She said the Subic Bay Freeport now had 44 hotels with a total of 3,244 rooms. Butch Gunio

“I hope China realizes that we went out of our way, we walked the extra mile to keep the peace,” Duterte said, as he credited his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, for securing the UN tribunal ruling.

“You can be very sure, eyeballto-eyeball, [to China] let us not talk about anything else. Let’s talk about [The Hague] arbitration.”

On Monday, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua said that while China cannot accept the arbitration ruling as a means to move its already tense relations with the country, the Asian giant is willing to move forward to enhance ties.

“We cannot accept the arbitration award but we do look forward to talk to the Philippines bilaterally of the troubles we have. But right now, we need to change our focus from our differences to common interests so we can concentrate on cooperation that will benefit our two peoples,” Zhao told reporters.

“The Filipinos are always in the hearts of Chinese people. We have been friends, partners even relatives for a thousand years despite the troubles we have,” he added.

Duterte however, doubted the sincerity of the Chinese on the ter-

PH...

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She said they procured additional kits to deal with the Zika scare.

The Philippine Embassy in Singapore, Ubial said has not reported any Filipino infected with the virus.

“There are no reports of infected Filipinos from other countries either,” she said.

Singapore has so far reported 82 cases of Zika, while Malaysia confirmed its first Zika case.

Ubial said if a traveler suspected

Pacific nations fail to cut tuna quotas

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OKYO—Pacific island states and countries failed on Friday to strike a deal to protect shrinking supplies of tuna and adopt cutbacks following a regional conference, officials said, sparking condemnation from conservationists.

The Pacific Ocean is the world’s largest tuna fishing ground, accounting for almost 60 percent of the global catch.

But supplies are dwindling and conservationists say urgent action is needed to ensure populations remain viable.

The 10 participants “could not reach an agreement” on proposed regulation after five days of talks at the Northern Committee of the

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DRUG SUSPECTS. Sixty-seven drug users and pushers are transported from their detention cells at Camp

Karingal in Quezon City to their respective hearings at the Quezon City Hall of Justice on Friday. Manny Palmero

ritorial dispute after the new intelligence reports.

“The problem is that we do not know the intentions of China. What do they want? If they continue to build structures within contested islands, it will be a source of conflict,” he said.

I have nothing against China now, but I won’t intend to raise issue in the Asean because if I do, it will be convoluted,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Department said that Chinese and Southeast Asian leaders will try to establish an emergency diplomatic hotline and adopt a joint statement on a Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) to prevent armed clashes in the disputed waters as products of the upcoming Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) summit meeting at Vientiane, Laos next week.

“We hope that the Code of Unplanned encounters succeed … it’s one way of deescalating tensions in the region,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria De Vega said.

“It’s among our aspirations to have a code of conduct because it’s long in the negotiating table. We hope some things will happen.” of contracting the Zika virus develops a fever, he or she should practice safe sex since the virus stays in the blood for six months. She said the virus can also be transmitted through blood transfusion.

While the Zika virus is mild and non-fatal to the general population, she said it can pose a danger to babies in the womb. Infection during pregnancy can result in babies with small heads—a condition called microcephaly—and other brain defects.

At the same time, the Health chief also urged Filipinos to cooperate in filling out the health declaration checklist

‘Probe...

men this week who claimed to be involved in smuggling gun parts in relation to the plan.

“These assassination plots are being monitored by the Presidential Security Group,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a radio interview.

“If those M16 rifles had been assembled, those would be used against the President.”

Andanar said although the assassination plots were not new to Duterte, the administration had always been on high alert over his security as a result of his unrelenting drive against criminality and illegal drugs.

“We are not taking these death threats for granted,” Andanar said.

“We will take extraordinary steps to ensure the safety and security of the President.” John

the bank accounts allegedly being used as conduits for drug money by several individuals with links to De Lima and her former driver and alleged lover Ronnie Dayan.

The Justice secretary denied that he was responsible for the release of copies of bank deposits purportedly showing a former staff of De Lima -- Edna Obuyes -- having amassed P24 million in a span of two months in 2014.

However, he admitted having received a copy of the bank deposits, but clarified that these have yet to be authenticated.

Aguirre said the premature release of the documents was suspicious and could be part of the disinformation campaign being perpetrated by the senator’s camp to discredit the ongoing investigation on her links with illegal drugs trade.

Paolo Bencito

“Japan, the world’s largest consumer of bluefin tuna, bears the responsibility to strengthen domestic rules [on fishing],” Greenpeace said.

The conservation group has proposed an immediate two-year moratorium on all commercial fishing.

“The latest stock assessment for Pacific bluefin, released in 2016, found that the population has been heavily depleted to just 2.6 percent of its historic unfished size by nearly a century of overfishing,” Greenpeace said in its proposal.

Conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature has recommended the 10 countries introduce a catch limit and adopt a long-term bluefin tuna recovery plan. AFP

Full...

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Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) annual conference, Japan’s Fisheries Agency said in a statement.

The participants, which include Japan, China, the United States, Fiji, Vanuatu, Canada, South Korea, the Philippines, the Cook islands and Taiwan, agreed to the conference in the Japanese city of Fukuoka after sharp declines in bluefin tuna brood

stock last year.

Japan, which consumes roughly 70 percent of the global bluefin tuna haul, has suggested introducing cutbacks if stocks drop for three consecutive years.

But the Japanese proposal was opposed by other participants at the meeting, including the US, that want tougher measures to protect the species, fisheries agency official Kazuya Fukaya told AFP. Fukaya added that the issue will be discussed again at the committee’s next annual meeting in South Korea.

Environmental groups expressed frustration over the stalemate, with Greenpeace calling it “extremely regrettable as the stock of Pacific bluefin tuna is in a state of emergency.”

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tra-judicial killings in the country, “I have to solve the problem involving more than 3,700,000 addicts. I cannot compromise my people,” Duterte said.

“Criminals themselves are behind these extra-judicial killings. They get rid of the criminals by their own hands, I cannot control criminal minds.”

Earlier, Duterte said he was ready to discuss any issues with United States President Barack Obama, including the drug menace in the country, when they meet in Laos next week.

But he said the US President must listen to him first before bringing up the question of human rights.

He said Chinese nationals were the leaders of the drug rings all over the country, and they were as good as dead once they escaped from prison.

He warned alleged drug lords Peter Lim alias “Jaguar,” Peter Co alias “Wu Tuan,” and Herbert Colangco alias “Ampang” that they would die if they stepped out of jail. John Paolo Bencito, F. Pearl

• Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the TV advertisement focuses on the effect of drugs on the family and how big the drug problem is in the country; • Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa warned the 150,000-strong police force and local officials against receiving payola from illegal gambling syndicates; • Private subdivisions, exclusive villages and the business process outsourcing offices in Metro Manila will be the next target of the police crackdown against drug dealers and users; • Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Friday asked the House leadership to give priority to the passage of a measure seeking to impose the death penalty against erring and grossly negligent public officers and employees who are responsible for the flight of drug mules from any Philippine air or sea port.

In a press briefing in Davao City, Duterte reiterated he was A. Gajunera, Dexter A. See, Joel E. not bothered by the spate of ex- Zurbano and Maricel V. Cruz distributed at the airport, and to also intensify efforts to rid their communities of mosquito breeding places.

She noted that eradicating mosquitoes and destroying their breeding habitats remain the best defense against Zika virus.

Preventing the local mosquito population from growing will not only help curb the spread of the Zika virus, but can also reduce cases of dengue and chikungunya in the Philippines.

“Be a good citizen and avoid bites and spreading Zika, and also protect your family from mosquito bites. We

are calling on everyone to watch out for fever among family members coming from Zika endemic countries and call our hotline should they develop fever within seven days.”

For concerns, she said the public can call the DoH through hotline numbers (02) 711-1001 to 02, or through the citizen’s concern hotline number 8888.

DoH Bureau of Quarantine Deputy Director Dr. Ferchito Avelino said they are strictly monitoring travelers arriving from the five countries and were exerting best efforts to monitor all ports of entry. With AFP

“We are just at the initial stage of releasing the case,” Aguirre said. “I know they have a disinformation campaign that will make it look like we released the documents.” He described De Lima as the “poster girl” of the disinformation campaign.

Aguirre said the National Bureau of Investigation is still in the process of building up a case against the senator and her alleged cohorts.

In her purported Facebook account, Obuyes questioned the authenticity of the bank slips, noting that she could have not used her nickname “Bogs” in bank transactions.

Other observers also noticed that one of the slips was dated April 18, a Good Friday, thus, banks were surely closed on that day.

But Aguirre confirmed he was in possession of 22 deposit slips amounting to P88 million, which were obtained from a principal source.

Obuyes and another staff of De Lima identified as Jonathan Caran-

to have reportedly executed their sworn affidavits before the NBI denying that they own millions of pesos in their bank accounts.

The two are among those who have reportedly presented themselves as possible witnesses to the irregularities committed by De Lima during her stint as DoJ chief.

Aguirre said three inmates at the New Bilibid Prison are still executing their affidavits linking De Lima and Dayan in the illegal drugs trade in the national penitentiary.

De Lima on Friday said President Rodrigo Duterte has grown irritated that Aguirre has been unable to produce strong evidence to support the allegations against her.

“As I said, it would appear that they are having difficulty inventing evidence, or they’re trying to fabricate evidence,” said De Lima.

She said it is not far fetched for them to manufacture evidence.

“In fact, they are already inventing evidence,” she said.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that “contacts were had to try to set up a time” for a meeting on the sidelines of the Asean forum meeting in Laos next week, but that “no time could be agreed upon.”

A foreign affairs spokesman in Manila said that 11 heads of state had requested meetings with Duterte during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting, and that he had said yes to nine of them.

“Please understand that he cannot accept them all and no one should impute any negatives on those he could not accommodate,” said Charles Jose in Manila.

Duterte’s spokesman Ernesto Abella said the September 6-8 Asean meeting in Vientiane was “extraordinarily full” and that “a number of possible meet-ups have to be presently foregone.”

Duterte has launched several tirades against the world body after a UN special rapporteur criticized his crackdown on crime, even threatening to pull out of the United Nations, a threat he later withdrew.

“Maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. If you are that disrespectful, son of a whore, then I will just leave you,” Duterte said in a press conference last month.

He later said the threat was just a “joke.”

Nearly 2,000 people have been killed since Duterte was sworn into office on June 30 and immediately launched his war on crime, according to the national police chief. AFP

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The other appointees to the department were Hansel O. Didulo, Enrico P. Garzon, Lerey A. Panes and Francisco M. Villano, assistant secretaries; Eduard Baluca Gongona, director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources; Alfredo Sarautom Aton, director of the Agricultural Training Institute; Sarah G. Gayona, deputy executive of the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries; and Victor Barranco Prodigo, executive director of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority.

The other appointees were Undersecretaries Ariel Y. Abadilla, Linglingay F. Lacanlale, Enrique A. Manalo, Manuel Antonio J. Teehankee, and Jesus I. Yabes at the Department of Foreign Affairs; Undersecretaries Rowel Sevilla Barba, Ruth Bernardino Castelo, Teodoro Cabacungan Pascua, Ceferino Samson Rodolfo and Nora Kakilala Terrado; Assistant Secretaries Anna Maria Diaz-Robeniol, Ameenah Abcede Fajardo, Rafaelita Mercado Aldaba and Arturo Pecision Boncato Jr. at the Department of Trade and Industry; Undersecretaries John Rualo Castriciones, Jesus Villanueva Hinlo Jr. and Emily Ortiz Padilla at the Interior Department; Undersecretary Emmanuel T. Bautista and Pelagio U. Samson, director of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime at the Office of the President; Undersecretaries Archilles Gerard C. Bravo and Roger P. Tong-an, and Assistant Secretaries Agnette P. Peralta and Abdullah B. Dumama Jr. at the Department of Health; Commissioner Reynaldo O. Munsayac at the Presidential Commission on Good Government; Director III Liza Fidelis Fernandez Canada at the Office of Civil DefenseDepartment of National Defense; Administrator Marcial Quirico C. Amaro III at the Maritime Industry Authority-Department of Transportation; Member of the GRP panel to the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Antonio Binas Arellano at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process; Dangerous Drug Board Chairman Benjamin Panganiban.

John Paolo Bencito

News IN BRIEF DoLE issues new exit rules THE Department of Labor and Employment issued a new rule exempting overseas Filipino workers from submitting overseas employment certificate as a requirement to leave the country as part of the government’s program to streamline processes in the deployment of OFWs. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has issued Governing Board Resolution No. 12, Series of 2016, which will exempt a group of OFWs from submitting OEC on an experimental basis starting next week.

Bello said the new rule is in line with the directive of President Rodrigo Duterte to streamline processes in the deployment of OFWs to afford them facility and ease in transactions before government offices.

Vito Barcelo

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Shun ‘hallelujah squad,’ senator pushes Duterte

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATE Minority Leader Ralph Recto has raised the possibility of a serious credibility problem for the Constitutional Commission if it would be packed by partisans whose marching order is to rubber-stamp preconceived plans.

“If it (Con-Com) is straitjacketed toward certain conclusions, then it will lose respect,” said Recto, while assuring he will not oppose the creation of a Con-Com. But he stressed its member-

ship must be drawn “from various sectors to be credible.”

He said the Con-Com membership should come from all regions, from parties of different, even clashing, political persuasions, from Left to Right, from

former outlaws to legal luminaries to be credible.

He called it “a study group whose output will have to be submitted to Congress for consideration, and whatever Congress recommends will still have to be ratified by the people in a plebiscite.”

“The Con-Com must have no prior biases, no script to be followed. For the discussion among members to be vibrant, it must be given complete freedom to revisit the basic law, find its weaknesses, and recommend the cures,” Recto said.

One necessary element for the commission to do its work as “an

impartial body” is to appoint known “personalities who have reservations about the proposal to shift to a federal form of government.”

“If the commission will be overrun by the federalism hallelujah squad, then the independence required of such a body to do an important task is compromised from the very start,” he stressed.

“And if the proposed commission will vote, upon exhaustive review, that a federal form of government is not feasible, then the one who formed it...must respect the body’s findings,” Recto said.

Recto reminded Malacañang to follow the example of its pre-

vious occupants in commissioning experts to review the constitution’s flaws.

“Presidents Estrada and Arroyo formed Charter study groups. Their members were given a free hand to study and recommend. Erap and GMA never attempted to influence their work. The members were never shepherded toward certain conclusions,” Recto said.

“That must also be the code of conduct of the Duterte administration towards the proposed Con-Com. A ‘hands off’ policy [is needed] so that its output is not tainted by a partisan political agenda,” Recto said.

Koko seeks Edloy probe SENATE President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Friday sought a Senate inquiry on the tragic death of overseas Filipino worker Irma Avila Edloy who was reportedly sexually abused by her employer in Saudi Arabia.

“The tragic death of Edloy reminds us time and again of the risk to life and limbs faced by our OFWs, especially female OFWs employed as domestic workers,” said Pimentel.

He filed Senate Resolution No. 114, directing the Senate committees on foreign relations, and labor, employment and human resources to conduct the probe, in aid of legislation, on the death of Edloy.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

AFP salary hike pushed SENATOR Sonny Angara has renewed his call to raise the hazard pay of all personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are assigned in conflict areas in the wake of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to go “full force” against the Abu Sayyaf.

“We have long been calling for an increase in the hazard pay of soldiers because the P390 monthly pay is very small especially if thousands of soldiers are facing grave danger everyday,” he said.

The AFP is set to deploy five more battalions composed of 2,500 troops in Sulu amid mounting casualties including 15 soldiers who were killed by the bandit group last Monday.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

MEET THE PRESS. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairperson Andrea D. Domingo (third from right, front row) hosted lunch for officials of the Association of Philippine Journalists - Samahang Plaridel, during which she outlined and discussed programs she plans to implement. Also at the luncheon were (from left, front row), Max Edralin, Plaridel chairman Jun Icban, vice chairman Jullie Yap Daza and Marichu A. Villanueva; (standing, from left), board secretary Nelly Lumbaca, Roy Acosta, treasurer Carmelita Valdez, officer-incharge of the Pagcor Corporate Communications Office; president Rolly Estabillo, Ariel Ayala, Lito Gagni and corporate secretary Jimmy Gil (extreme right). Also in photo are Plaridel members Weng Ocfemia (fourth from right) and Emy Perez, second from right). Allen Cid

Poe eyes ‘out of job pay’ from SSS

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe wants the Social Security System to provide so-called “out-ofjob pay” to workers who suddenly lost their jobs to help them get by during tough times of unemployment and assist them in finding new opportunities.

Records from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed some 2.6-million Filipinos are unemployed as of April 2016.

Senate Bill No. 1036, filed by Poe, seeks to expand SSS benefits to include immediate economic relief for workers who suffer from

the setback of involuntary unemployment.

Poe said this income support program is designed so “workers can still put food on the table for their children while they get back on their feet and find more stable sources of income.”

Poe said the compensation can also be used for retraining and acquiring necessary skills sets in view of prospective opportunities or employment.

“Is it not proper that we help our countrymen who suddenly lost their job? We should not neglect them lest they become hopeless, but instead help them in the fastest way,” said Poe. Under Poe’s bill, employees involuntarily

separated from service would receive monthly cash payments commensurate to their contributions.

She said those with contributions of six months to two years would receive compensation for one month, while those with contributions of up to two years would get two months.

Those who have contributed to the SSS for four to six years would get relief for three months, those with contributions of six to 11 years would receive four months and those with contributions of 11 to 15 years would be entitled to the maximum five-month temporary compensation.

Robredo submits smaller OVP budget

By Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo is asking Congress for a lean budget of P428.6 for 2017, smaller than the P500-million budget appropriation of then Vice President Jejomar Binay in 2015.

Robredo vowed to live frugally, cut cost in touring the country to meet with those on the

fringes or the marginalized sector, to travel with a few staff to stay in cheap hotels in meeting up with government agencies and the private donors.

Georgina Hernandez, Robredo’s spokesperson, said the Office of the Vice President’s 2017 budget proposal is 14 percent smaller than that of Binay’s.

At least P22.5 million would be cut down

from would-be travel expenses, she added.

“We think with this amount, it is prudent enough to follow austerity measures. [Despite this] it [budget] will still continue to allow the Office of the vice president and the vice president herself to actively pursue her advocacies and really personally visit the communities,” she told a radio interview.

Maza terminates 155 overpaid consultants

By John Paolo Bencito

MAN’S BEST FRIEND. Seventeen dogs of various breeds and their handlers graduate from a year-long training on search and rescue missions. David Chan

THE National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) is rightsizing the agency’s personnel structure through a memorandum order after President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to remove all holdover officials from the previous administration.

In a statement, NAPC chairman Liza Maza said the restructuring will fix the “swollen bureaucracy” hired during her predecessor Joel Rocamora’s time.

“These consultants in oversized quantity were being paid about P5.8 million a month over a nine-month period by the former administration of the NAPC. Total fees paid to con-

sultants alone had been approximately P43.5 million or about 36 percent of the NAPCs annual budget,” Maza said.

Documents obtained by the Manila Standard revealed some 151 consultants and 82 people under contract were paid more than P3.4 million over a nine-month period under the Aquino administration, “more than double the total organic internal staff of the agency which is only 50.”

Maza said these were far larger, with the final number being 161 consultants distributed by former NAPC administration to all units and various projects of the commission, and paid monthly or in tranches.

Forgive Harvey, Teo urges

By Sandy Araneta TOURISM Secretary Wanda Teo said Friday she is counting on the sense of forgiveness of President Rodrigo Duterte and the Filipino people as well to accept Steve Harvey to emcee the Miss Universe pageant in Manila next January.

Teo admitted during Thursday’s Meet the Press in Malacañang that Duterte expressed hesitation on the likelihood that Harvey would host 2016 Miss Universe coronation night scheduled for January 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Teo said she explained that Harvey is on a fiveyear contract to emcee the pageant.

Harvey has been vocal in expressing his apologies for his mistake of announcing Miss Colombia as the winner before he realized that Bb. Pilipinas Universe Pia Wurtzbach was adjudged the 2015 Miss Universe.

“Miss Universe Pageant is four months away. That’s more than enough time to assuage President Duterte about his hesitation on Mr. Harvey’s hosting the event. I’ve known him for many years as our Davao City Mayor with a big heart for well-meaning people like Mr. Harvey, who did not hesitate to correct his mistake,” Teo said.

In a recent radio interview, Teo also pointed out, “I will personally speak with the President and may even ask the help of Pia to convince him to give Mr. Harvey the chance he deserves.”

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Opinion

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Simplified

I

N A joint memorandum circular, the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Information and Communication Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the National Competitiveness Council enjoined local government units to cut the processing time for registering new businesses from five days to 1 ½ days.

Businesses renewing their registration should be able to accomplish the task in one day.

There should be only three steps for registering businesses, and two signatures required instead of the usual eight.

Said agencies signed the circular earlier this week in a bid to encourage foreign and local investors to set up shop here. According to the Ease of Doing Business report by the World Bank-International Finance Corp., the Philippines ranked poorly in “Starting a Business,” slipping eight places in the past year to 165th from 157th.

In overall ease of doing business, the Philippines ranked 103rd.

Curiously, a similar circular is said to have been issued six years ago, right at the beginning of the previous administration.

Nobody knows what became of the document that likewise sought to make it easier to do business here. What is apparent is that it never achieved its purpose, and that the pains of putting up an enterprise remained until a new document had to be issued.

We have every reason to believe that the Duterte adminis-

tration is serious about simplifying business transactions as a matter of national policy. It’s not a grand gesture, to be sure, but it sends a strong message that change can be observed in the small things so long as they are done consistently.

Local government units need to remove unnecessary obstacles to those who just want to earn an honest living. Doing so benefits everyone—except corrupt officials who can personally gain from a protracted process. Anyone who refuses to cut red tape might find themselves in this category.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Duterte’s cue is in Beijing’s ‘silk road’ project

ume of fuel needed every 18 months is so small.

Imagine a conflict in the West Philippine Sea. To keep our coal plant running, an uninterrupted string of about three (3) ships per month need to deliver coal. Any interruption or delay will result in brownouts.

In contrast, our nuclear plant needs fuel only ONCE every eighteen months. This is more convenient and programmable.

Also, our fuel only needs to be loaded in a small airplane, to be delivered in a few hours. Fast and economical compared to 51 big ships.

4) Nuclear energy is good for the environment. It emits nothing. It means less CO2 and pollution everywhere.

This is the other magic of nuclear. We are not “burning” anything in the chemical sense.

There is no fire, no smoke, no ash as we know it. There is only heat produced by the invisible fission reaction.

The core of BNPP contains

AS EXPECTED, after the Philippines won its international arbitration case against Communist China regarding the latter’s territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea, the enforcement of the judgment has become a problem. That’s because the arbitration tribunal can only resolve the case and has no power to enforce its own rulings. Moreover, Beijing unreasonably refuses to recognize the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

The communist government in Beijing seems contented with the current stalemate because the Chinese military arsenal is more powerful than those of its neighbors in South East Asia, the Philippines in particular. China has been flexing its military muscle in the disputed sea lane—an indication that Beijing has no intention of complying with the pronouncement of the arbitration panel.

Because the Philippines does not have a military force to match that of the communist giant, Manila has ruled out an armed conflict as a possible solution to the problem. Accordingly, the Philippines’ only feasible option is to engage Beijing in a peaceful and, possibly, a fruitful dialogue. That option will be futile if Manila is unable to muster enough bargaining power by the time the negotiations take place.

With the planned visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Beijing within the year almost a certainty, the prospects of forging an equitable compromise between the two countries are encouraging because Duterte is known to be a shrewd, experienced, and practical negotiator, with the best interests of his country in mind.

To improve his chances of getting a good deal from China, President Duterte will have to figure out where Beijing’s current economic interests are focused, as well as Beijing’s vulnerable areas in the realm of international trade. Manila will score big if Duterte is able to pinpoint what Beijing currently needs from its Southeast

Turn to A5

Turn to A5

9 benefits of operating the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO Part 1 THE Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is in the news again. It has been mothballed for 30 years, but now the Department of Energy is considering operating the controversial plant as an alternative power source. As expected, reactions are varied although many, if not most of the opposition can be traced to lack of knowledge or misconceptions on the BNPP itself, and on nuclear energy.

I sought the help of the foremost advocate for the opening of BNPP, former Pangasinan Representative Mark Cojuangco, to help people understand the benefits that could be brought about by opening the plant. He came up with these: 1. Operating BNPP will save

foreign exchange, recognized as our scarcest resource.

Uranium’s energy density is extremely high. A small amount contains a large amount of energy. Compared to coal, about 120,000 times more per kilogram energy is produced.

BNPP only needs to be refueled once every 18 months and with ONLY 20 Tons of fuel.

Such fuel will fit a small truck.

For 18 months, BNPP can generate about 8.1 billion Kwhs.

That’s enough to light up more than 41.3 billion 15-watt lightbulbs for eighteen months, 24 hours a day. That’s a lot of lightbulbs from only 20 tons of fuel. In contrast, to generate the same quantity of electricity, a coal plant would need 2.55 million tons of coal over that same 18-month period.

20 tons vs 2.55 million tons is a no-brainer. And this is just one part of the magic of nuclear power.

Value wise, 20 tons of nuke fuel is worth about $20 million and 2,550,000 tons of coal is

worth about $102 million. There is an $80-million savings every 18 months with nuclear energy.

In addition, because of the great volume of coal required, freight becomes a major issue.

We need 51 Panamax size ships to transport the coal. Ship rentals are not cheap. We need to add

Most of the M opposition can be traced to lack of knowledge. this huge freight cost to the cost of our coal.

So with nuclear, there will be huge savings in forex. Such savings can be used for important things like needed infrastructure that will benefit our people and our country. Now, we burn a lot of forex away as fuel without

anything much and permanent to show for it after. This is sad, and it does not have to be.

2) BNPP will result in cheap electricity. This will make us more attractive to foreign investors. We will be less bypassed as an investment/manufacturing destination. Our costly electricity cost us dearly in terms of economic opportunity. Is it plausible that our economy would grow an additional one (1) percent if electricity costs half its price? I think that is an easy proposition to accept. In our economy of P15 trillion, 1 percent represents P150 billion of FOREGONE economic opportunity because of expensive and unreliable supply of electricity. Imagine what we lost the last 30 years that the BNPP was not used. It is easy to see why we missed the boat economically.

Let us not make the same mistake now. Let us not leave the solution to just the private sector.

Let us make BNPP productive to keep electricity prices honest.

3) It is strategically more secure because the physical vol-

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Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

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Opinion

THIS columnist was jolted af- mga Bayani. First, R.A. No. 289 ter reading the argument of is an act providing for the conSupreme Court Associate Jus- struction of a national pantheon tice Antonio Carpio saying that for presidents of the Philippines, the late Ferdinand E. Marcos national heroes and patriots of was dishonorably discharged the country. The relatives and as commander-in-chief as a the faithful followers of Marcos result of the 1986 Edsa revolt. are not demanding the construcI could not believe we have a tion of a special pantheon for justice who would unabashedly him but are requesting that he exhibit his canine devotion to be buried beside his comradesformer President Fidel Ramos in-arms.

Second, as previously argued, whose election in 1992 was equally questioned by Senator the memorandum circular isMiriam Defensor Santiago for sued by Ramos was onerous and massive electoral fraud. Carpio immoral because it defies tradisaid, since there was a revolt tion, decency and respect for the that successfully ousted Mar- dead, notwithstanding that the cos, ergo he was dishonorably honor was bestowed on Marcos discharged from his post as by a grateful Motherland. Section 2, (c) of R.A. No. 289 enucommander-in-chief.

Such simplistic deduction is merates those who are qualified shocking because no justice in to be interred: a) the remains of his right mind would say that all Presidents, b) national heroes a successful coup d’ etat is and; c) patriots.

Third, the memorandum is legal. Even constitutionalists only use the word “ousted” or illegal because it specifically “removed” from office, and the wants to amend R.A. No. 289 one who removed the de jure which cannot be done except President can only be called de by another legislation amendfacto President until after a new ing that existing law. If they do constitution is ratified or an not recognize that he served as election is held wherein he could president, they cannot deny he formally assume the title of de was a bemedalled soldier and is jure President. Nobody calls entitled to that honor.

While it can be said that the such extraordinary political transition carried outside the legal terms of right to equal provision of the Constitution as protection and against discrimination is for the living, noneunconstitutional or illegal.

Maybe it is for political sci- theless it is the law that points ence to justify that. But po- out to them that he is qualified. litical science has its own ratio Yes, he was ousted, but those decidendi: that the incumbent who engineered his ouster adPresident can be removed from here to the same system. There was merely a office, or to be change of adprecise, topm i n ist r at ion. pled with or Chief Justice without any Sereno canvalid or legitiAssociate not proceed in mate reason.

The so-called Justice Carpio does hearing issues like human constitutional not even sound rights violation basis which as if to litigate many mis- like a lawyer. a dead man placed lawyers just to prevent and justices him from beinvoke under ing buried at that given circumstance is redundant to any LMNG, unless she wants to be consummated act of revolt, remembered as the most stupid much that nobody can stop any chief justice.

The afterthought decision power-hungry political animal from carrying out his plot of Ramos to join the revolt did to wrest power. Even foreign not result in the overhauling of governments can broker a coup the system in what the Marxist hatched by agitators like what would say change in the superthe renegade soldiers, the oli- structure where a new ideology garchy and the Church with the replaces the old one. What hapcomplicit collaboration of the pened in 1986 did not include a change in our ideological inLeft. We call that realpolitik.

This explains why an ousted terpretation of history where president cannot be dishonor- we would replace our present ably discharged because the heroes with the names of peoact of removing him is politi- ple who died fighting for their cal rather than a constitutional system, I mean replacing all of act. In the case of soldiers, they them from Bonifacio down to cannot be dishonorably dis- the last soldier.

Taken in this context, we charged from the service unless they are formally tried and could rightly agree to the found guilty by court martial comment to this latent enemy of the specific Articles of War of the state that Marcos is they violated. In the case of the not worthy of inspiration and ousted president, there is no emulation because of his alantecedent process like hold- leged human rights abuses and ing a trial where he could be plunder during his term. But pronounced guilty to justify his do Colmenares and his gang removal by coup d’ etat to ludi- have the right to object when crously stretch that as equiva- they openly profess their comlent to having been dishonor- mitment to destroy the system ably discharged. As said, any and replace our version of hispresident can be ousted from tory based on their ideology?

It would have been logical for power without any reason.

If many things are said of Colmenares to reject altogeththe ousted president, all those er in calling the sacred ground remain propaganda intended Libingan ng mga Bayani for to reassure the people that the strictly speaking, he would new order is firmly in control. have nothing to do with it.

The same argument applies If the new government believes the ousted president committed to what Justice Carpio is saying, criminal acts, it can prosecute for it seems he is not only ignohim without invoking the con- rant of his law but is completely stitution it violated. Given the without any idea as to when a fact that there is no law or court change in the superstructure of to declare their act of ousting society takes place. I say this beMarcos as illegal or unconsti- cause it is not for him to prejudge tutional, the Supreme Court to Marcos because the coup d’ etat which Carpio now parades him- launched by his benefactor was self as an associate justice, can- merely a change in leadership.

What took place did not renot now posthumously declare him as having been dishonor- sult in radical change because Ramos and company subably discharged.

Just like that kibitzing lawyer scribed to the same ideology named Neri Colmenares, Jus- as that of Marcos despite their tice Carpio is citing Republic political differences in what the Act No. 289 to justify his objec- Left would term “liberating our tion to the burial of the former people from the yoke of capiPresident at the Libingan ng talism, feudalism and imperial-

A5

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Hope for Mindanao peace

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Not sounding like a justice

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA THE story of the Bangsamoro peace process is long and hard. In the 1970s, war erupted when the Moro National Liberation Front, led by Nur Misuari, launched a separatist rebellion in Mindanao. In 1976, the Marcos government and the MNLF signed the Tripoli Agreement; it collapsed when authentic autonomy was not delivered. War again erupted and, to complicate matters, in 1978 the Moro Islamic Liberation Front separated from the MNLF. Since then, a succession of governments initiated peace negotiations with the Moro revolutionary groups, starting in 1986 when President Corazon Aquino invited back Misuari who was then in exile in Libya.

In 1996, the MNLF entered into a peace agreement with the Manila government, then already headed by President Fidel V. Ramos. Misuari was elected governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Unfortunately, that experiment failed, and Misuari was removed as ARMM governor after leading another uprising. He was detained by the Estrada administration. Later, he was released but returned with a vengeance in 2013 when MNLF forces identified with him attacked Zamboanga City.

In the meantime, Manila could no longer ignore the MILF as it grew bigger and stronger.

President Ramos rightly started the negotiations process with the MILF. But during President Joseph Estrada’s early days, the talks collapsed after the rebel group failed to sign an agreement on the government-imposed deadline. This prompted Estrada to order a military offensive that saw military forces invading main MILF headquarters Camp Abubakar in Maguindanao, and other major rebel camps. Government forces won the skirmish but did not prevail in the war.

Duterte’s...

From A4

Asian neighbors, and haggle within the framework of those needs.

If his timing is right, Duterte may be able to b ring ho me the bacon.

Fortunately, an opportunity in that direction appears to present itself in Beijing’s ongoing “Silk Road” project.

At an economic forum organized by the Asian Institute of Management last week, Zhang Yuyan, one of China’s top economists, spoke about his country’s role in global economic affairs, and revealed his government’s “Silk Road” project. He said the project was proposed by their president, Xi Jinping, back in 2013, and that the operational plans began in earnest the following year.

Zhang stated that the “Silk Road” project has two components. The first is the Silk Road Economic Belt, which intends to connect China with central Asia, Russia, the Baltic countries, the Persian Gulf and, ultimately, the Mediterranean Sea. This component looks like a modern version of the “silk road”

9 benefits...

From A4

about 60 tons of nuclear fuel. A third of this is replaced every 18 months. 20 Tons new goes in and 20 tons old go out. What goes in looks exactly like what goes out.

It is not like a piece of wood that when burned becomes charcoal or ash. There is no outward dirt or residue produced. called SNF (spent nuclear fuel). Which is not really spent, but only partly used. ism.” Rather, the opportunism of this ideological charlatan is glaring for while he objects to the process of honoring heroes carried out by people who adhere to the system he rejects, his cohorts are in Netherlands pretending to seek peace they know has the greater possibility of being co-opted. He is the lousiest wolf to ever disguised himself

When Estrada was ousted in 2001, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo resumed the talks with the MILF. It took awhile but, in 2008 and with the mediation of a Malaysian official, the parties achieved a breakthrough with the initialing of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD). Under the MOA-AD, the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) was created and the ARMM was expanded.

Disaster struck the process when the Supreme Court declared the MOA-AD unconstitutional. Before its decision was issued, the Court had ordered the government not to sign the agreement through a Temporary Restraining Order. It was a big embarrassment for the government and the MILF because the signing ceremony was already scheduled in Kuala Lumpur, and dignitaries were in that Malaysian city already or were on the way to attend the ceremony.

Hostilities broke out when the TRO on the MOA-AD was issued and worsened when the Supreme Court issued its decision. It took a full year to bring the process back on track with a focus on strengthening the ceasefire and preventing escalation of hostilities. It was only in early 2010 when the negotiations with the MILF returned its focus to the substantive aspects of the peace process. But time ran out and all the parties could agree on was a Declaration of Continuity.

The Aquino administration’s approach to the MILF negotiations started in the right footing, with the appointment of Dean (now Supreme Court Justice) Marvic Leonen as the government negotiator. Breakthroughs were achieved early in the process ending with the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in March 2014. The agreement stipulates for the demobilization and disbarment of the Bangsamoro Army in exchange for the establishment of an autonomous Bangsamoro through an organic law that Congress would pass.

Unfortunately, the Aquino

peace efforts ended in a bad way. The Mamasapano incident in early 2015 stopped the Bangsamoro Basic Law in its tracks as political support for the Mindanao peace process collapsed. At the end of the Aquino administration, the drafts of the BBL in the Senate and the House of Representatives were pathetic versions of the original text agreed upon by the government and the MILF. On a personal note, I have been a witness and participant to many of these processes. In 1974, as a high school student, I led the relief program our school launched for refugees from the Lanao provinces. In the 1980s and early 1990s, I worked as human rights and indigenous peoples’ lawyer to support indigenous and Moro peoples’ struggle for ancestral domain and self-determination rights. During the MNLF peace negotiations in 1996, as an environment undersecretary, I provide legal support to our Jakarta negotiations. And in 2010, in the last days of the Arroyo administration, the President appointed me to be in the government peace panel. During the Aquino years, I consistently supported the peace process and worked to have a good BBL enacted.

I recount this tortuous history of the negotiations with the two Moro revolutionary organizations and my personal experience with the peace process to highlight its current state— which is the best it has been for many years. Indeed, transforming the government and MILF negotiating panels into implementation and problem-solving panels, moving the process to the Philippines and phasing out Malaysian mediation, expanding the Bangsamoro Transition Commission to make it more inclusive, and the overtures to the MNLF are all strokes of genius.

On the last point, President Duterte has said many times that he wanted to meet with Mr. Misuari but the still-unserved warrants from the Zamboanga siege is turning out to be a major obstacle. Hopefully, some solution to this can be found as Misuari is still crucial for comprehensive

peace to be achieved.

If there is any president that can complete the peace process in Mindanao, it is Rodrigo Duterte. He understands the problem; he knows the long-term solutions necessary to solve it— constitutional change that will allow federalism or at the very least the highest form of autonomy that is promised by the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

President Duterte shows his mastery of the Moro issue by the appointment of Secretary Jess Dureza as his peace adviser and Irene Santiago as the Chair of the government implementation panels. Secretary Dureza is a pragmatic visionary and understands very well that development of Muslim Mindanao is the key to the prevention of conflict. Chairperson Santiago, like Dureza a veteran in the peace process and in the Mindanao development sector, has both the international and domestic experience move this forward. I am sure she and her colleagues in the government panel will be able to work well with their counterparts in the MILF led by the brilliant and passionate Mohagher Iqbal.

I was in Davao City early this week to be a resource person for the government and MILF panels for their joint planning workshop. One could not help but observe the atmosphere of respect and dialogue that now characterize their engagement with each other.

I have never been so optimistic about the Mindanao peace process. Let’s move forward on creating the Bangsamoro, making sure that we learn the lessons from the post-Mamasapano obstacle. In a later column, I will write about how a new organic law could be crafted, what it should look like and the process that could produce the best outcomes. With commitment, imagination, and skill, we can make this happen. And then peace will prevail in our great island.

of olden times, an ancient trade route across the vastness of Asia which Chinese merchants took to bring silk to the Middle East and Europe.

That route will be complemented by another one, which plans to connect China with South East Asia and South Asia, and, in the end, the Indian Ocean.

The second component of the “Silk Road” project is called the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road,” a commercial maritime highway likewise consisting of two routes. One route expects to go from China’s coastline to Europe through the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, and another one will be from the Chinese coastline to the South China Sea, and then on to the South Pacific.

Beijing has another name for this ambitious undertaking – the Belt and Road project.

Zyang said that in various ways, many countries are already involved in the Belt and Road project as seen in the existing deals his government has inked with other governments. These deals cover many concerns ranging from railway construction to nuclear energy. He added that many Chinese business corporations

have already invested about 42 billion US dollars in the project, which is about a quarter of the total capital outlay.

In addition, Zyang predicted that the Belt and Road project will increase interaction among the countries covered by the project through overland roads, railways, and sea lanes. Analysts opine that a heavily populated sea lane will discourage piracy in the Gulf of Thailand.

Although Zyang expressed optimism about the stability of his nation’s economy in the predictable future, he acknowledged that there are risks and uncertainties in the undertaking, such as sharp fluctuations in currencies and interest rates, bad corporate debts, and a glut in the real estate market.

Owing to the tense situation in the West Philippine Sea brought about by the maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing, Zhang insisted that Beijing has no hidden agenda in the Belt and Road project.

If that is so, then the Belt and Road project, the maritime silk road component in particular, may be the ace which President Duterte can use at the bargaining

table when he talks to the Chinese.

That’s because the success of the maritime silk road project will depend very much on the political stability in the coastal territory of mainland China. That political stability, in turn, is premised on a peaceful resolution of, among others, the maritime dispute between Manila and Beijing.

Since tensions between nations discourage trade, and considering that the Chinese have already invested so much in the project, it will be in the best interest of China to resolve its maritime dispute with the Philippines as quickly as possible. Considering that the Belt and Road project is a longrange plan, any delay is bad for China.

If and when President Duterte does engage Chinese leaders in a dialogue in the near future, mapping out the parameters of the cooperation Manila will be willing to extend to Beijing in the Belt and Road project may be the best means of forcing Beijing to rethink its reculcitrant attitude on the Philippine victory in the international arbitration case involving what is arguably one of the most important sealanes in the world.

This “waste” is mostly fertile material. It can be bred into new fuel in Gen4 reactors. A great national wealth that we would be crazy to just throw away. How much is there? Each 18-month batch of SNF will yield 50 new batches. That’s 900 months or 75 years worth!

A good example of Gen4 is http://www.transatomicpower. com/the-science/ and video is http://www.nextbigfuture. com/2014/02/transatomic-presents-their-molten-salt.html.

5) Nuclear energy saves lives.

How deadly is your Kilowatt? According to the WHO, from various sources it is as follows in “Deaths per terawatthour” (TWh): Coal 170,000, Oil 36,000, Biofuel 24,000, Gas 4,000, Hydro 1,400, Solar 440, Wind 150, Nuclear 90. The numbers for nuclear already include Chernobyl, ThreeMile, and Fukushima. If not for the fatalities at Chernobyl, nuclear would be ZERO. No one died or was injured at Three Mile or at

Fukushima. And so, nuclear is the safest of energy sources.

Nuclear being the lowest, implies that for every other kind of energy which nuclear substitutes, it is saving lives the entire time for which it is in operation.

Meaning, nuclear has saved millions of lives already. Let us save more lives!

(To be continued next week)

Respect for the position of chief justice is merely a protocol usually based on seniority, but to appoint one is a constitutional act that can only be exercised by the President.

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno was appointed by the good-for-nothing President to the post, but there is no guarantee she could hold on to her post.

Sereno cannot invoke that protocol because her appointment was also made in violation of that protocol. President Duterte can replace her anytime. And Justice Carpio will be the loneliest man watching from the sideline the changing of the guards with him again being by-passed.

with a sheepskin.

Addendum: When President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte offered to former Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago the post of chief justice of the Supreme Court, many were surprised with some saying impossible! They failed to analyze that the position can be replaced anytime, and President Duterte knows that.

Facebook: Professor Tony La Viña Twitter: tonylavs

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News

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

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Solon questions budget for K-12

By Maricel V. Cruz

BEAUTIFICATION DRIVE. Workers of the Department of Public Works and Highways clean and repaint the center island on Roxas Boulevard in Parañaque City’s Baclaran district as part of a beautification drive. Lino Santos

A PARTY-LIST lawmaker questioned on Friday the P23.9-billion allotment for the implementation of the Senior High School (SHS) voucher program for private schools, since public funds may only end up in the coffers of private educational institutions.

During the congressional deliberation on the Department of Education’s proposed budget for 2017, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Sarah Elago asked Secretary Leonor Briones why there was a large disparity between funding for SHS vouchers in private and public senior high schools.

Of the P34.6 billion allotted under DepEd’s “assistance to students and teachers” program for 2017, Elago said, P23.9 billion are earmarked for the implementation of the SHS voucher program in private schools, private higher education institutions and private technical vocational institutions.

Meanwhile, only P1.3 billion are set aside for the implementation of

‘NHA’s underspending caused poor’s suffering’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATORS Cynthia Villar and Francis Pangilinan on Friday focused on alleviating the plight of the poor, particularly informal settlers and farmers, through government housing initiatives and farm-productivity enhancement.

Citing the inadequate budget of the National Housing Authority for the relocation of informal settlers and families living in hazardous areas, Villar said they should not be made to suffer due to the agency’s underspending.

“It is not the fault of informal settlers if NHA did not perform well and underspent their budget. Families are living in danger

zones and they should be relocated to better communities as soon as possible,” Villar said.

Testifying in the Senate briefing of the Development Budget Coordinating Committee on the proposed P3.35-trillion national budget for 2017, Department of Budget and Management Secretary Benjamin Diokno said only P12.6 billon will be allocated to NHA for

the socialized housing program.

Diokno said the amount will be spent for the resettlement of informal settlers living in danger zones, as well as housing aid for calamity victims.

He disclosed a huge cut in the NHA budget due to underspending of its P30.4 billion for 2016.

Villar noted that in 2010, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority estimated that 2.8 million informal settlers or 556,526 families are in Metro Manila. Of this number, 104,000 families are in areas identified as danger zones, such as railroad tracks, garbage dumps and waterways.

“With flooding becoming more and more massive and widespread, more people need to be relocated to safer ground.

This budget is not enough to re-

locate more people,” Villar said.

Villar, who heads the Senate committee on social justice and rural development, also said relocation sites should allow families to lead safe and decent lives. They should be where the relocatees could find jobs and procure what they need from markets and schools.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan commended the NFA and Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. for the judicious bidding of rice contracts for 250,000 metric tons awarded to Thailand and Vietnam.

However, Pangilinan said the government’s thrust should be rice self-sufficiency or at least improvement of the competitiveness of local agricultural producers.

The imported rice will be used as buffer stock for the coming lean months.

The NFA initially rejected the bid offers of both governments as they were higher than the reference price of $425 per ton. Thailand’s initial offer was $432 a ton for 100,000 MT of rice, while Vietnam offered $432.75 per metric ton for the entire volume. Both Thailand and Vietnam revised their offer to $424.85.

In 2014, the NFA also rejected high bid offers for the first time in 43 years. This resulted in government savings of P7 billion.

Last year, NFA imported around 1.2 million MT of rice in preparation for the El Niño.

Pangilinan was the NFA Council chairman during his stint as the Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization from May 2014 to September 2015.

Govt launches TPLEX stretch

By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Public Works and Highways announced the opening of the P24.4-billion TarlacPangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) that would cut travel time from Tarlac City to Binalonan, Pangasinan.

More than 20,000 vehicles to use the 67.9-kilometer highway a day, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said.

“The Duterte administration is fast-tracking the construction of all projects to ensure that communities are livable, safe and accessible. The opening of this highway would cut travel time from Tarlac to Urdaneta by more than 70 percent and would ensure easy access to many tourist destinations in Pangasinan,” Villar said.

“This is only one of the many infrastructure investments which we

hope to put in place to increase competitiveness and ease of doing business outside of Metro Manila. By improving our road network, we hope to strengthen agricultural and rural enterprise productivity as well as urban and rural tourism,” he added.

Villar said the construction of 7.53-kilometer Binalonan-Pozzurubio part of the TPLEX is 61 percent complete and is expected to be opened by December.

“We want the next segment completed in time for the Christmas season as it would cut travel time to Baguio City and other areas of Northern Luzon and Cordillera,” the secretary said.

“Procrastinating contractors have no place in this administration. The moment we delay our projects, we deny the Filipino people their right to demand prudent use of their tax money,” he added.

viral infection of the human reproductive tract.

There are more than 100 types of HPV and approximately 40 types can affect the genital area, 15 to 20 of those are high-risk types that can cause cancers, while the other 10 to 15 types are responsible for benign HPVrelated diseases including genital warts.

Dr. May Montellano, president of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination and a pediatric infectious disease specialist, said children should be protected long before they are at risk of exposure to HPV. “HPV often has no visible signs or symptoms, so as a parent, you will not know if your child is exposed to it. There’s no way to predict who will or who won’t clear the virus. It is important that you understand how HPV-related dis-

IN BRIEF Bus terminal moved again THE Metro Manila Development Authority is considering transferring the location of a bus terminal in Paranaque City, which served as the central bus station of buses coming from the provinces of Cavite and Batangas.

This developed shortly after Senator Grace Poe made an ocular inspection of the Southwest Integrated Provincial Terminal located along the Coastal Road and noted numerous observation of the maintenance of the facility.

MMDA General Manager Thomas Orbos said the agency’s management team is currently reviewing and evaluating the status of the SWIPT’s operation.

He added that the terminal, which was established in 2013, was intended to be a mere interim station in time for the completion of the permanent terminal by the then administration of the Department of Transportation and Communications scheduled for 2015.

This, however, was delayed, and its projected completion has been moved to 2018. Joel E. Zurbano

CA nullifies transfer of capitol exec

ARGUING FOR SPECIAL POWERS. Traffic czar Senior Supt. Antonio Gardiola Jr. stresses the need for special powers for President Rodrigo Duterte to deal with the traffic crisis during a meeting of the InterAgency Council on Traffic in Camp Crame, Quezon City Friday. PNA/Avito Dalan

Pinays urged to get HPV shots ABOUT 2,800 Filipinas die of cervical cancer each year, medical authorities said, which means about seven women die of the disease every day.

Thus, foreign and local doctors never tire of advising parents to have their children immunized against the virus which causes it and other diseases.

Although awareness of human papillomavirus (HPV) as a cause of cervical cancer has grown over the last decade, health experts said, there is still a lack of understanding of HPV-related diseases and how these can affect teenagers.

It is critical to continue to spread information of the perils of HPV and the importance of vaccination as protection against HPV diseases.

HPV-related cancers and genital warts can affect both females and males. It is the most common

the SHS voucher program for “nonDepEd” public schools, which include state and local colleges and universities, and public technical vocational institutions.

The SHS voucher system is a program implemented by DepEd to partially pay for the enrollment of students in senior high school under the K-12 program.

“The funding for the implementation of the K-12 program has been highly criticized in the past for its large emphasis on subsidizing private schools. The manner in which the budget for the SHS voucher program is designed confirms these observations,” Elago said.

“In a way, we can consider this allotment for private senior high schools as ‘sure profits’ for them, again confirming fears that DepEd might have actually designed the full implementation of the K-12 Program in a manner that will guarantee greater profit for school owners. This is one of the reasons why we continue to call for the junking of the K-12 program,” the lawmaker stressed.

eases can affect your daughters and sons,” Montellano advised.

“We shouldn’t wait until exposure to give HPV vaccination— Bivalent and quadrivalent HPV vaccines that are available in the Philippines,” she stressed.

Montellano said the quadrivalent HPV vaccine helps provide protection against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. It has undergone efficacy and safety trials similar to those given to other adolescent vaccines so it can be administered to children as young as nine years old.

She said HPV vaccination works best in children from the age of nine because pre-teens have a higher immune response to the vaccine than older individuals.

Although they might not be exposed to HPV at that age, they should be vaccinated because the risk of exposure increases rapidly.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

DoH plans to build more drug rehabilitation centers

By Cathrine Mae V. Gonzales THE Department of Health said it is working on expanding treatment and rehabilitation centers as the government continues to raise its war chest against illegal drugs in the country.

“Right now, we are building big treatment and rehabilitation centers as promised by President [Rodrigo Duterte]. [These facilities have] about 500-2,000 beds,” Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said.

The health secretary said they are asking the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to shoulder the cost of human resources, maintenance and operations.

About 673,000 drug users and pushers have surrendered to the police as of August 31, but Ubial said their present facilities can accommodate only 5,000 patients.

Currently, the DoH has 15 facilities for rehabilitating drug users and pushers, she said, and they now have 200-percent occupancy in existing facilities.

“We have worked with the Department of Interior and Local Government, local government units, non-government organizations and the Church so we can develop a community-based approach to drug rehabilitation,” Ubial said.

“Doctors and nurses are now being trained to provide brief counseling,” she added.

“We have a lot of problems but the approach of the DOH is [to] develop a strategy to address them and then, little by little, build up the capacity of the health system,” she said.

“With the help of so many sectors, we can address this [health issue on drugs] even if it’s small step at a time,” Ubial said.

THE Court of Appeals has denied the appeal of Camarines Norte Governor Edgardo Tallado seeking to uphold his action transferring an employee from the Provincial Engineer’s Office to the Capalonga Medicare Community Hospital in 2014.

In a 12-page decision, the CA’s Ninth Division through Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier dismissed Tallado’s petition seeking to nullify and set aside the issuances of the Civil Service Commission questioning his order to reassign Computer Operator IV Beverly Canlas to a community hospital.

Instead, the appellate court sustained the decision of the CSC declaring Tallado’s reassignment of Canlas as invalid.

“What Governor Tallado did to [Canlas] was not a job rotation but an invalid reassignment, devoid of any legal or factual justification,” the CA ruled. “Here, the obtaining circumstances invariably indicate that Governor Tallado acted in bad faith when he issued the reassignment in question,” the appellate court added.

Associate Justices Celia Librea-Leagogo and Melchor Sadang concurred with the ruling. Tallado’s decision to reassign Canlas came after photos depicting the governor, naked and kissing another woman, other than his wife, went viral on internet and tri-media in October 2014. - Rey Requejo

Sports

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Easy wins for Murray, Serena N EW YORK—Wimbledon champions Serena Williams and Andy Murray raised the roof at the US Open on Thursday, powering into the third round with decisive straight-sets victories.

World number one Williams defeated fellow American Vania King 6-3, 6-3, her 306th Grand Slam singles match win tying her with Martina Navratilova for the most ever for a woman.

“This one’s kind of cool,” she said of her latest milestone, “to win 306.”

There could be more history in store for Williams as she seeks a seventh US Open title and a 23rd Grand Slam singles crown, both of which would be Open Era records.

She fired 13 aces, with a total of 38 winners against 87thranked wild card King, and said the troublesome right shoulder that has hindered her since Wimbledon wasn’t a problem.

“So far, so good,” said Williams, who was cheered on by rap mogul Jay Z and his pop superstar wife Beyonce as she booked a meeting with 47thranked Swede Johanna Larsson for a place in the last 16.

Despite wrapping up the victory in just 65 minutes, Wil-

liams said there was plenty of room for improvement.

“I feel like I made a lot of errors,” Williams said. “What really matters is I got the win.

Hopefully I’ll just get better.”

By the time Williams opened the night session the rain that prompted organizers to close the new roof on Arthur Ashe stadium had tailed off.

Murray had played with it drumming on the roof, adding to the noise the US Open is famous for.

“You can’t hear anything, really,” said Murray, who downed tenacious Spaniard Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.

“I mean, you could hear the line calls, but not so much when he was hitting the ball or even

when you’re hitting the ball, really, which is tough.”

Nevertheless, after needing seven set points to seal the first frame, Murray broke Granollers twice in the second set and once in the third to move through to a meeting with Italian Paolo Lorenzi, a 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/3) winner over France’s Gilles Simon.

Juan Martin del Potro, who has undergone four wrist surgeries since lifting the US Open trophy in 2009, closed out the action on Ashe with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-2 victory over 19th seeded American Steve Johnson.

Del Potro, ranked 142nd in the world as he battles back from the injuries that nearly cost him his career, is back in

the Open as a wildcard after a sparkling run to a silver medal in the Rio Olympics.

- Wawrinka in straight sets As the showers lingered, a batch of doubles matches scheduled for outside courts were cancelled.

Among those who didn’t have the luxury of the roof, 2014 finalist Kei Nishikori of Japan waited out a third-set rain delay en route to a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over 20-year-old Russian qualifier Karen Khachanov.

Third-seeded Swiss Stan Wawrinka, a two-time semifinalist, was also up against a qualifier, advancing with a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 victory over 243rd-ranked Italian Alessandro Giannessi.

Ateneo, SSC bets dispute semis slot Games today 10 a.m. – UST vs NU (S Turf semis) 12 noon – La Salle vs Ateneo (S Turf semis) 6 p.m. – San Sebastian vs Ateneo (V-L playoff)

SAN Sebastian College and Ateneo face off tonight for the last semifinal berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Collegiate Conference with the former out to re-assert its mastery of the latter and the Lady Eagles vowing to put up one big fight to save their season.

Both teams dropped their final quarterfinal matches to end up tied at 2-3, setting up the sudden death for the right to join Far Eastern U, defending champion National U and University of the Philippines in the Final Four of the mid-season conference sponsored by Shakey’s.

The match is set at 6 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig and will be aired live over ABS-CBN Sports + Action Channel 23 and via streaming on www.sports. abs-cbn.com, according to the organizing Sports Vision.

Meanwhile, the best-of-three semis series in the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Collegiate Conference also fires off today with UST and NU colliding at 10 a.m. and La Salle and Ateneo squaring off at 12 noon, which will be shown on a delayed basis at 4 p.m.

The Lady Stags swept the Lady Eagles in their Group A elims meeting last Aug. 6 that saw the former NCAA champs rally from 13 points down at the end of the third set and rack up the last 15 points to complete a 25-23, 25-22, 25-23 victory.

But records are ignored in knockout matches with coaches of both teams expected to come up with key adjustments and surprises to startle the other team’s play-patterns for the needed advantage or momentum.

SAN DIONISIO SPORTS COMPLEX. The community sports development program of San Dionisio, Paranaque City is expected to get a big boost with the recent inauguration and blessing of its new sports complex that highlighted the 82th birthday anniversary celebration of San Dionisio Barangay Chairman and former Paranaque City Mayor Pablo R. Olivarez (second from left in photo). A component facility of the new San Dionisio barangay hall, the sports center features a gymnasium, a covered basketball court and an open basketball court and volleyball court that will be made available for the various athletic and sports activities of barangay residents. It is a joint project of the Paranaque city government and the San Dionisio barangay council. With Barangay Chairman Olivarez during the ribbon-cutting rites for the new gymnasium are other Parañaque officials (from left) Rep. Eric L. Olivarez, Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez and Vice Mayor Rico T. Golez.

MetroTurf hosts Japan Racing Association Cup THERE will be eight official runners participating in the 2016 Japan Racing Association Cup set this Sunday at the MetroTurf in Malvar, Batangas.

A total of P500,000 is at stake in this 1,600-meter race sponsored by the Philracom and hosted by the Metro Manila Turf Club with the winner receiving the top prize of P300,000 plus a trophy each to the winning owner, trainer, and jockey. A P15,000 bonus will

also be given to the breeder of the winning horse.

The official runners together with their respective jockeys include: Guanta Na Mera– Mark Alvarez owned by Atty.

Narciso Morales; Brennero– Kelvin Abobo and Absoluteresistance–MM Gonzales both owned by former Mayor Benhur Abalos Jr.; Aerial–Dennis Camanero Jr. (Mark Vincent Geron); Kundiman–Fernando Raquel Jr. (Paul Carpio); Fighting Back–Jonathan Hernandez

(Nardy Javier); Fun Day Fest– Jordan Cordova (Andok’s Litson Corp); Bite My Dust–Jesse Guce (Dr. Nick Cruz).

The runnerup will receive P112,500, while the third and fourth placers will be given P62,500 and P25,000, respectively.

The annual JRA Cup is a goodwill exchange race between Japan and the Philippines for the past several years now and promoting closer working relations between

the two countries through horseracing.

Earlier, the JRA held the Asia Week of Racing last July 16-17 at the Chukyo Racecourse in which 6 Trophy Races—The Philippines Trophy, Singapore Turf Club Trophy, Macau Trophy, Thailand Trophy, Malaysia Trophy, and India Trophy—were held. MMTC vice presidents Ronald Alfeche and Andy Sevilla represented the Philippines in the said two-day event held in Nagoya.

Triathlon association holds back-to-back events in September TRIATHLON Association of the Philippines will stage two races for the derivatives of triathlon in September a week apart in separate traditional venues of the tridiscipline sport.

The Philippine Aquathlon Championships 2016 unwraps with the cooperation of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority at Camayan Beach Resort

and Ocean Adventure in Subic Freeport on Sept. 11 and the National Duathlon Championships 2016 “Race for the lloilo River” rolling off in partnership with the City Government of lloilo, headed by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, at the Esplanade 1 in lloilo City on Sept. 18.

As the kick-off event of the Philippine Youth Olympic Games

Qualifying Series for those born 2001-02, the aquathlon is also the national championships for junior high school and collegiate levels, youth and junior not representing any school, para athletes and open category.

Veteran internationalists Mirasol Abad, MisceleGilbuena, Bigboy Estevez and John Chicano, the country’s top duathletes,

will banner the tough field in the Philippine Sports Commission-supported duathlon, which aims to support efforts to clean and re-develop the lloilo River, according to lloilo City Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa.

Other duathletes competing include Emmanuel Commendador and Joey Delos Reyes.

Sept. 7 is the deadline for

registration in the run-swim-run event. Entry fee is P 1,500 for youth, P2,000 for junior, P2,000 for individual age groupers and P3,000 for the two-man relay.

Philippine Sports Commission and SBMA Tourism Department co-present the aquathlon tilt with Camayan Hotel, Subic Holiday Villas and The Lighthouse Marina Resort as partner hotels.

Arum’s stroke of genius

TOP Rank promoter Bob Arum isn’t someone you take lightly when it comes to hyping a fight card.

Sensing the less than enthusiastic response to the World Boxing Organization welterweight title fight between champion Jessie Vargas and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 5, Arum pulled off a masterstroke that suddenly fired the imagination of fight fans, especially Filipinos, who didn’t seem too excited about Pacquiao’s return to the ring against a champion.

Most boxing pundits, writers and columnists felt Vargas wouldn’t prove to be a challenge for Pacquiao similar to what Terrence Crawford, a legitimate banger at 140 pounds would have provided.

Arum, in as stroke of genius, decided to add five-division world champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire to the card, which surely will excite both Filipino and American fight fans since Nonito, who spent most of his years in the United States has quite a following among the hip hop crowd in America.

There is a certain flair about Nonito that is bound to complement the charisma of Pacquiao who, according to his former strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, is not what he used to be as a fighter and that he has lost his allure in recent years, especially after the loss to

Ariza’s new-found boss, Floyd Mayweather Jr. With Donaire facing unbeaten Jessie Magdaleno on the Las Vegas fight card, Arum has upped the interest and the expectation of boxing fans both in the United States and the Philippines and may find it easier to attract a payper-view audience, even though HBO Sports had earlier decided not to cover the Pacquiao-Vargas showdown, essentially taking a break after years of covering Manny’s fights which used to draw anywhere between 1.2 to 1.3 million pay-per-view subscribers at the height of his popularity when Manny simply ran through what may well be considered an honor roll of champions past and present.

Donaire brings in a different dimension if not aura to the Nov. 5 fight card. Nonito has his own following, moves around with a

certain flair and talks well, which is why the American media consider him a star in his own right.

The 2012 “Fighter of the Year” and Manny Pacquiao, the “Fighter of the Decade” should prove to be a deadly combination that should spark a surge in both interest and ticket sales because both colorful Filipinos are going up against truly talented Americans with a Mexican heritage.

Magdaleno’s constant problem has been making the super bantamweight limit where Donaire holds the WBO world title.

Should Magdaleno make the weight and Donaire’s 122-pound title is on the line, it would certainly enhance interest in the bout.

With Pacquiao becoming the first Senator to figure in a world title fight in Las Vegas, it adds another flavor to the evening.

One other element that should drive the public interest and the

opportunity to hype the card is the fact that Donaire, over the past few years, had been dreaming of fighting side by side with the hero to millions of Filipinos—Manny Pacquiao.

That wish has finally been realized and we personally expect Donaire to want to put on a show of his own after being given the opportunity to fulfill his longtime dream.

Both fighters are bound to be inspired by the competitive spirit not just among themselves but against two Americans who have vowed to shock the world with their performance.

As we assess the fight card we cannot help but be struck by the inherent genius of Bob Arum, with some prodding from the Donaires Nonito and wife Rachel. The promoter extraordinaire surely deserves his billing as the best in the business.

Ancajas to go for KO if given a chance

By Ronnie Nathanielsz HARD-HITTING Jerwin Ancajas, who has a record of 16 knockouts in 24 wins, with only one defeat and one draw, plans to go for a knockout against IBF super flyweight champion McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico when they clash in a title bout at the Philippine Navy Gymnasium in Taguig City on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Ancajas will engage the 26-year-old Puerto Rican, who won the vacant title with a 10th-round technical decision at the Don Haskins Convention Center over previously unbeaten, classy ALA boxer King Arthur Villanueva, whose handlers protested the premature stoppage by American referee Rafael Ramos, who was born in Puerto Rico.

This time around, the referee will be American Gene Del Blanco, who was erroneously referred to as a Filipino. Del Bianco works at the US Embassy in Manila and is regarded as a competent referee.

In an interview with the Manila Standard at the Grami Hotel along Sucat Road, Ancajas looked trim and ready.

“My condition is really good,” said Ancajas, who had trained for a long time after the fight was postponed since April after Arroyo suffered an injury to his left hand. “I trained everyday since my trainer (Joven Jimenez) told me the fight would surely take place, but I did only light training.

I didn’t abuse my body.”

Ancajas said McJoe Arroyo “is good and moves well, but we’ll see what happens in the ring. My plan is to play around with him in the early rounds and if there is an opening and a chance, we’ll knock him out.”

But McJoe Arroyo told the Manila Standard: “ I’m happy to be here. Everybody has been nice and I look forward to a good fight on Saturday night which should be packed since Senator Manny Pacquiao has ordered the fight would be free to the public.”

Football for A Better Life goes to Dipolog ACTION in the ongoing 10-leg nationwide grassroots football program Football for A Better Life shifts to Dipolog City in Zamboanga del Norte for its third leg today after Gingoog and Dumaguete City, with close to 500 participants and teams expected to join the free football clinic and the pocket football tournament for local teams.

The event is organized by Spears Activation and backed by PRU Life UK as the British life insurance company’s CSR program, in cooperation with the local government of Dipolog led by Mayor Darel Dexter Uy and the Zamboanga del NorteDipolog Football Association headed by its president Irvin Banga.

Competing teams in the tournament will come from schools and other football clubs from Dapitan City, Oroquieta, Iligan, Ozamis, and the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte , Misamis Occidental, and Lanao del Norte.

“We welcome this opportunity to be a partner in football development in the country and show visiting players what Dipolog has to offer,” said Mayor Uy. Former Azkal skipper Chieffy Caligdong, FFABL Project Director, together with Fil-Brit Graham Caygill and Little Azkals of Dipolog, Mark Zidane Alanquihan, will be conducting the free football clinic, where the participants will come mostly from the host’s city schools and barangays.

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

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

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

Sports

Star’s Joel Wright (23) gets the pesky defensive treatment from Phoenix’s William Wilson in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Fuel Masters, 106-93.

Pague, Reyes make semis IT looked like Filipino-Italian Marc Reyes was in a hurry to reach the Final 4, while a young Jose Maria Pague savored every tense moment of the quarterfinals in the 35th Philippine Columbian Associa- Marc Reyes tion Open Cebuana Lhuillier ATF Tour at the PCA indoor shellclay ourt in Paco, Manila.

Basking in the spotlight, Pague went through a tense third set, where he came from behind, lost the upper hand and finally finished the difficult task of beating Davis Cup veteran Elbert Anasta 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7) to advance to the semifinals of the tournament staged under the aegis of the Asian Tennis Federation and Philippine Lawn Tennis Association.

“Nu’ng first set, gigil ako kaya nu’ng second and third set tiniyaga tiyaga ko lang,” said Pague, a 15-year-old, who studies at Zamboanga Sibugay National High School. “Ibinalik ko lang ‘yung bola sa kaniya, hindi siya sanay sa long rallies, mabilis siya mainis.”

It was a different story for Reyes, 27, who swamped De La Salle University standout Argil Lance Canizares 6-3, 6-3.

Canizares fell in an hour and 26 minutes and hardly looked the same player who booted out India’s Medhir Goyal 6-1, 6-3 in the first round.

Reyes, who beat Mark Ervin Concepcion 6-0, 6-2 in the initial round, will play the winner of the quarterfinal match between PCA Open champion Patrick John Tierro and Rolando Ruel Jr., while Pague will meet the Johnny Arcilla-Ronard Joven game.

Filipino aces are ruling the roost following the fall of Goyal and countryman Parth Aggarwal, who was brushed aside by Ronard Joven 6-3, 6-0 in the opening round.

Phoenix five dims Star’s luster

By Jeric Lopez

C

OASTING for most part, Phoenix still needed to weather a second-half storm before eventually turning back Star, 106-93, for a much-needed victory in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night.

In one of his best outings thus far, Eugene Phelps carried most of the load for the Fuel Masters, scoring a game-high 45 points on 17-of-29 shooting, to go with 17 rebounds.

This second straight win for the

surging Phoenix Petroleum lift it to 4-4, good for sixth place, as its chances of making the quarterfinals strengthened while Star’s woeful stretch continued after tasting its fifth straight defeat, sending it further down the cellar

with its atrocious 1-7 slate.

“Slowly but surely, the team is maturing. Hopefully, we’re peaking at the right time,” said Phoenix coach Ariel Vanguardia. “We need one more win to make the quarterfinals and I hope we can gut it out.”

Leading by double-digits for most part of the first three quarters, the Fuel Masters looked poised to cruise to the finish, but the Hotshots had one serious run.

Star rallied through a 15-0 bomb to end the third quarter, turning a gigantic 20-point Phoenix lead, 77-57, into just a five-point distance, 77-72, heading into the final 12 minutes of action.

However, that proved to be the Hotshots’ biggest surge as the Fuel Masters regained control and responded with a decisive 24-12 run down the stretch in the fourth to bag the victory.

“Even when we were up by 20, we still had high respect for Star and I was still scared. I’m happy we’re able to hurdle it,” added Vanguardia.

Through Phelps’ dazzling start, Phoenix took command by the end of the first canto.

The Fuel Masters took a sizeable 32-19 spread into the second period.

There, they even led by 15 points twice before the Hotshots trimmed

their deficit to a more manageable nine points, 56-47, at the break.

Phelps scored 24 of his total points in the opening half alone.

Just three minutes into the third, Phoenix restored its 15-point lead through a 10-4 run after a triple from Ronjay Buenafe made it 6651. That run paved way for the Fuel Masters’ biggest lead, the mentioned 20-point bubble, at the 4:38 mark of the quarter.

The Hotshots need to sweep their remaining three assignments and hope that the teams above them lose games as well for them to be able to have a chance at cracking the top eight.

Santiago: Foton PH ready for Asian volleyfest

By Peter Atencio TEAM captain Jaja Santiago expressed the readiness of Foton Pilipinas when it sees action in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Asian Women’s Club Championship, which fires off today at the Alonte Sports Arena in Binan City.

The 6’5” Santiago is aware that the Tornadoes will be in for a big challenge, as a strong field of former Olympians and national players will be around to play for other competing squads from other countries.

“I expect the team to be more motivated and in fighting form,” said Santiago during a presentation of teams yesterday at the Crimson Hotel in Alabang.

The Tornadoes will clash with Pocari Sweat of Hong Kong in their opening game at 2:30 p.m.

Italian coach Fabio Menta said the team is young, but they are working hard to improve on their level of play.

“We look forward to this challenge. It’s going to be exciting,” said Menta.

Bangkok Glass of Thailand, the defending Asian champion, is tipped to make it to the finals of this spikefest featuring a starstudded cast.

There’s Yuan Xinyue, a 19-year-old middle blocker, who was with China, which won the gold medal in the recent Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

Yuan will be aided by Ba’yi Shenzhen and Lin Yanhan, an open spiker who was adjudged as the most valuable player in the Asian U23 Women’s Championship last year in Manila.

The NEC Red Rockets of Japan also have an Olympian in middle blocker Haruyo Shimamura, plus another talented bet in Sarina Koga.

Koga was hailed as the best scorer and MVP for Japan when it won the gold medal in the Asian Youth Girls’ Championship in 2012.

TV5 and SMMTV-Thailand are the official television partners, with Crimson Hotel serving as the official hotel for the participating teams.

A match between T. Grand of

Simple rites kick off UAAP’s 79th season NEW things are expectUniversity, are joining.

Schedule ed to happen when Sea- (USTToday’s The main attraction Quadricentennial Pavilson 79 of the University of the opening ceremoion Arena) Athletic Association of 2 p.m. – Ballroom Dance nies will be the studentthe Philippines unrav- Competition (Plaza Mayor) athletes from among the 5:30 p.m. – Opening els its opening-day rites eight member-schools Ceremony/Concert today with the theme who will have a parade at “Dare to Dream.” the grounds of Plaza Mayor.

“It will be a very simple opening Action in the basketball game ceremony this year,” said UAAP Sea- will commence Sunday at the Smart son 79 president Fr. Ermito de Sagon. Araneta Coliseum..

Before the opening ceremonies set Last season’s runner-up UST at 5:30 p.m. at the historic Plaza Mayor, clashes with Ateneo in the main the UAAP will hold its first-ever ball- game at 4 p.m., right after Univerroom dancing competition at 2 p.m. at sity of the Philippines and Adamson the nearby University of Santo Tomas take the floor at 2 p.m.

Quadri-centennial Pavilion Arena.

The Lady Maroons and the It will be introduced this season as Lady Falcons collide at 8 a.m., to be a demonstration sport. followed by the Tigresses-Lady EaAll schools, except for Far Eastern gles at 10 a.m. Peter Atencio

Coaches and Team Captains of the 12 Asian Countries playing for the AVC tournament are shown here.

Roman Prospero

Chinese Taipei and the Malaysian Games Today national squad will be at 11:30 (Alonte Sports Arena) 11:30 a.m. – Chinese Taipei vs Malaysia a.m.

1:30 p.m. – Opening Ceremony A brief opening ceremony is 2:30 p.m. – Philippines vs Hongkong set at 1:30 p.m., with Binan City 5 p.m. – Indonesia vs Kazakhstan 7 p.m. – North Korea vs Iran Mayor Arman Dimaguila declaring the games open, along with Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, and Philippine Sports CommisInc. president Joey Romasanta sion chairman William Ramirez.

AVC Honorary Life President Wei Jizhong will also grace the occasion as guest of honor.

The Tornadoes have American imports Lindsay Stalzer and Ariel Usher together with guest players Aby Marano of F2 Logistics, Jen Reyes of Petron and Jovelyn Gonzaga of RC Cola-Army.

PH chessers seek to improve performance THE Philippines’ men’s and women’s teams go into action in the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijian Friday night seeking to improve on their performance two years ago.

Once more, the men’s team is without a key player as national champion Joey Antonio opted to compete in Malaysia, which is held almost the same time as the Olympiad.

In the 2014 Olympiad in Tromso, Wesley So sat out, saying he wanted to play for the US. So, who just won the Sinquefield Cup ahead of many of the world’s top players, is playing board three for the US team, which is seeking to dethrone China as the defending champion.

US-based Ino Sadorra will man first board, just as he did in 2014, followed by John Paul Gomez, Eugene Torre, Rogelio Barcenilla Jr. and Paulo Bersamina.

But for the team’s first-round clash with Jersey, Gomez, Torre, Barcenilla and Bersamina will suit up.

The team finished in 46th place two years ago without So and then no. 2 Oliver Barbosa.

Janelle Mae Frayna, who missed winning the world junior championship and settled for fifth place, leads the women’s squad. She is backed up by Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Catherine Perena Secopito, Cristy Lamiel Bernales and Shania Mae Mendoza.

The team finished in 64th place last year.

The first board two years ago, Cheradee Camacho, has quit playing and finished her computer science degree with honors in Texas.

Frayna, Fronda, Bernales and Secopito see action in Round 1 vs Netherlands Antilles.

All eyes will be on Frayna, graduating with honors in psychology at FEU, as she led the world juniors in Round 10 before losing twice and drawing her last round game. Had she won the tournament, Frayna would have become the country’s first woman grandmaster.

Torre and Secopito are celebrating Olympiad milestones.

Torre is on his 22nd Olympiad, while Secopito is on her sixth, the most by any Filipina.

Game Today

(Batangas City): 5 p.m. - TNT KaTropa vs. San Miguel Beer

The scores: PHOENIX 106—Phelps 45, Wilson W. 13, Baguio 11, Buenafe 11, Lee 8, Cruz 6, Lanete 4, Enciso 3, Urbiztondo 3, Miranda 2, Borboran 0, Caperal 0, Torres 0, Wilson J. 0.

STAR 93—Wright 29, Barroca 12, Simon 11, Sangalang 8, Garcia 7, Yap 7, Maliksi 5, Brondial 4, Mallari 4, Melton 2, Pascual 2, Pingris 2, Reavis 0.

Quarters: 32-19, 56-47, 77-72, 106-93

Ababa nets a 68, grabs 2-shot lead TAGAYTAY—Jhonnel Ababa turned a horrible start into an explosive windup, banging in a rare double-eagle on No. 10 on his way to a four-under 68 and a two-stroke lead over erstwhile leader Tony Lascuña and Micah Shin in the third round of the ICTSI Splendido Classic at the Splendido Taal Golf Club here yesterday.

Ababa overcame a four-over start after four holes, including a double-bogey 7 on No. 2 as he racked up five birdies and gunned down an albatross on the par-5 10th on a brilliant 3-wood second shot from 255 yards that landed on the green, rolled sideways and into the cup.

The former amateur standout, who last won on the ASEAN PGA Tour in Malaysia in 2014, actually headed to the green with no idea of his feat and even took a step back when tournament director Bong Igaya told him that it went out of bounds.

“I really can’t believe it went it but it did and that sparked me up all the more,” said Ababa, who bounced back from that faulty start with birdies on Nos. 5 and 7 then followed up his double-eagle exploit with birdies on Nos. 11, 13 and 16.

With Lascuña failing to sustain a solid second round 66 and sputtered with a closing 38 for a 74, Ababa battled back from 4-down to 2-up with a 54-hole aggregate of 207 in the P2 million event sponsored by ICTSI. “Despite my poor start, I played pressure-free and gained more confidence after I made that double-eagle,” said Ababa, who also hit an albatross in the Indonesia ADT in 2012.

But what Ababa wants to hit now is a first paydirt in two years and it may not need another albatross to anchor his bid but a gutsy final round stand against one of the most feared players in the fold.

Metrobank closes P5-b note issuance B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

ICTSI building Laguna auto hub

Officials of International Container Terminal Services Inc., NYK Auto Logistics Philippines and other project partners lead the ground breaking ceremony of NYK’s pre-delivery inspection and storage facility in an ICTSI-owned land in Barangay Niugan, Cabuyao, Laguna. The facility will serve as a storage center for completely built-up units discharged from Bauan International Port Inc., a unit of ICTSI that operates the Bauan terminal in Batangas. Shown (from left) are Jong Castaneda, NALP general manager; Teng Albert, NALP president; Dennis Hain, Baranga Niugan chairman; Cabuyao City Mayor Cabuyao Rommel Gecolea; Manuel de Jesus, ICTSI vice president for business development–Asia; Ayumi Tsuboi, NALP VP; and Jerry Lagunilla, NALP assistant GM.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PSe comPoSite index Closing September 2, 2016

8300

PPA, port operators belittle Hanjin’s woes PeSo-dollar rate

7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,807.42 34.11

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Alena Mae S. Flores

Closing SEPTEMBER 2, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.620

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.610 LOW P46.700 AVERAGE P46.652 VOLUME 476.500M

P400-P640.00 LPG/11-kg tank P34.15-P41.20 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.35-P27.75 Diesel P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, September 2, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

46.6270

Japan

Yen

0.009687

0.4517

UK

Pound

1.326900

61.8694

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128904

6.0104

Switzerland

Franc

1.020825

47.5980

Canada

Dollar

0.763359

35.5931

Singapore

Dollar

0.735727

34.3047

Australia

Dollar

0.755100

35.2080

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655196

123.8038

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266745

12.4375

Brunei

Dollar

0.733030

34.1790

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028885

1.3468

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.6959

Euro

Euro

1.120000

52.2222

Korea

Won

0.000895

0.0417

China

Yuan

0.149745

6.9822

India

Rupee

0.014972

0.6981

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.245459

11.4450

New Zealand

Dollar

0.727900

33.9398

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031543

1.4708 Source: PDS Bridge

B1

P

HILIPPINE port operators said on Friday the collapse of South Korean-based Hanjin Shipping will have minimal impact on their operations.

International Container Services Inc., the operator of Manila International Container Terminal Inc., and Asian Terminal Inc. that oversees South Harbor said Hanjin Shipping had little operations in the Philippines.

“Hanjin’s volumes and revenue contribution are marginal and all our accounts are up to date and settled,” Christian Gonzales, senior vice president and head of Asia Pacific Region and MICT, told the Manila Standard.

He said there were “few containers in MICT and none in Subic.”

Gonzales assured the release of those containers in MICT would not be affected by Hanjin’s troubles.

“No, because Hanjin has issued clearance that so long as all chargers paid, the importer may claim their containers so long as they return the empties to Hanjin’s designated container yard,” he added.

Gonzales also said Hanjin’s operations in Subic involved shipbuilding and this would not be affected by the shipping liner’s problems.

ATI also said Hanjin’s problem had “minor impact” on its

operations.

State-run Philippine Ports Authority said there was no request from the Korean government or any of the creditors of Hanjin to hold the vessels.

The PPA said there are about 100 boxes for export pending at the South Harbor to be handled

by Hanjin, but the cargo owners could transfer it to other shipping lines.

Oil and coal companies, meanwhile, siad they were not affected so far by Hanjin’s bankruptcy. Most Filipino oil and coal traders do not use Hanjin vessels to deliver their goods, company sources said.

A San Miguel Corp. official said the conglomerate was not affected by the Hanjin shipping crisis, specifically the delivery of coal to power plants. San Miguel subsidiary Petron Corp., which owns the country’s biggest oil refinery, meanwhile, is also not using Hanjin vessels.

Representatives of Aboitiz Power Corp., Phinma Energy Corp., Palm Concepcion Power Corp. and Semirara Mining and Power Corp. said they were unaffected by Hanjin’s woes.

Another oil company, Eastern Petroleum Corp., said the Hanjin crisis did not disrupt its operations, and that while some products might be affected, marine insurance could handle some of the problems.

South Korea giant Hanjin Shipping said Friday about a third of its cargo fleet―some forty vessels―is marooned at sea or has been seized at ports, as the industry staggers after its biggest ever bankruptcy filing.

On Wednesday, Hanjin Shipping, South Korea’s largest and the world’s seventh-largest shipping company, filed for court protection after its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, rejected its self-rescue scheme. Related story on B3.

Campi: Vehicle sales to hit 500,000 as early as 2020

By Othel V. Campos THE automotive industry expects sales to hit 500,000 by 2020, or two years ahead of the original target in 2022, amid rising demand from the middle class.

Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. president Rommel Gutierrez said the group revised its sales forecast in 2016 to 370,000 units, or up 10,000 units from the previous target of 360,000 units.

“We hit 300,000 units in 2015, a target we ourselves set for 2018.

Now, we are quite confident we will be able to hit 500,000 units ahead of the projected schedule by 2022,” Gutierrez said Friday at

the sidelines of a pre-event briefing for a motor show.

“It is still conservative and we intend to review this new timetable by 2018,” he said.

Gutierrez said the sales projections were a moving target given the rapid growth of the Philippine automotive industry.

The local automotive sector projected sales to hit 500,000 units in the next four years because of a steady growth in income.

The industry noted nearly half of the Filipino households did now own cars.

Gutierrez said that with the automotive incentives program of the government, car compa-

nies were confident owning a car would be easier.

Sales in the first six monthsof 2016 reached 167,481 units, or more than half of the 2015 figure.

“We are optimistic we will reach our target of 370,000 units on the back of economic expansion and the growth of the middle class,” said Gutierrez.

The automotive sector accounts for 12 percent of the industrial output and 4 percent of the total gross domestic product during the previous administration, industry estimates show.

The automotive industry remains one of the major drivers of the country’s industrial sector with sales of about P250 billion in

the last three years.

“Together with the government, we will work to increase the share of the manufacturing sector to total gross domestic product from 23 percent to 30 percent with employment increasing from 9 percent to 15 percent,” said Gutierrez.

The 6th Philippine International Motor Show, meanwhile, is slated September 14 to 18, 2016, at the World Trade Center Metro Manila.

Seventeen of the country’s top automotive manufacturers and distributors will showcase their latest vehicles and automotive technologies in the brand heritage display.

IN BRIEF

P30-b retail bonds auctioned Sept. 6

THE Bureau of Treasury on Friday announced it will issue the first retail treasury bonds this year under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte with a tenor of 10-year and a minimum issue size of P30 billion.

The bond issuance is the first for 2016 since the P30-billion RTBs sold three years ago.

The BTr posted a notice of offering on its web site Friday, reminding all government securities and eligible dealers about the auction of fixed rate RTBs maturing on September 2026 on September 6 this year.

The bonds will be offered from September 6 to September 16, 2016, but the end of the public offer period can be moved to an earlier date, as determined by the Bureau of Treasury.

The government is offering the bonds in scripless form in minimum denominations of P5,000. The RTBs will then be issued on Sept 20, 2016.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

Floirendo completes P5-b Davao terminal

SSS set to appoint three fund managers this year

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE state-run Social Security System on Friday said it will hire three fund managers to manage P3 billion worth of investment assets, its top official said.

SSS president and chief executive officer Conrado de Quiros Jr told reporters on the sidelines of the agency’s 59th anniversary celebration the three fund managers would handle assets worth P1 billion each.

De Quiros said the agency was waiting the go-signal from the Social Security Commission appointees.

“We are just waiting for the new commissioners to be appointed so our investment group will be making their presentations and recommendations,” he said.

He said the pension system planned to hire the fund managers within the year once the SSC commissioners, who serve as the governing body of the SSS, were appointed.

De Quiros added SSS would focus on local funder managers before possibly tapping the servies of overseas managers.

“The problem is a lot of the banks and the trust companies had problems getting BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) clearances so we hope that they would be able to resolve it this year,” he said.

THE joint venture of International Container Terminal Services Inc. and NYK Auto Logistics Philippines is building an automotive logistics hub in Cabuyao, Laguna province.

The port terminal, NALP and other project partners recently broke ground on NYK’s predelivery inspection and storage facility at ICTSI-owned land in Barangay Niugan, Cabuyao, Laguna.

The facility will serve as a storage center for completely built-up units discharged from Bauan International Port Inc., a subsidiary of ICTSI that operates Bauan terminal in Batangas.

The initial phase of the project will feature a 5,000 square meter covered warehouse and storage space for 2,800 CBUs. Aside from the project development, ICTSI donated a 4,500-square meter parcel of land to the City of Cabuyao, which will be developed into access roads leading to other parts of Barangay Niugan.

NYK is conducting several development projects and help the residents of St. Francis homes and improve the condition of the facility’s surrounding areas.

ICTSI earlier reported a net income of $92.6 million in January to June, lower than $105.7 million in the same period last year.

ICTSI attributed the drop in net income to unfavorable volume mix, lower non-containerized and storage revenues, reduced capitalized borrowing costs and higher depreciation and amortization expenses related to Tecplata S.A., the company’s new terminal in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

PH-UK RELATIONS. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (right) sharea his thoughts on the future direction

of the Philippines-UK bilateral trade and investment relations in a joint lunch meeting with British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines Richard Graham on August 25, 2016 in Makati City.

THE Antonio Floirendo Group of Companies has completed P5-billion Davao International Container Terminal expansion to support the anticipated economic growth and development of Mindanao, specially within the Davao Region.

Strategically located in Panabo City, the DICT is the anchor project of an agricultural and industrial complex being developed by Anflo Management and Investment Corp. to provide the logistical requirements of various businesses seen to grow in Mindanao.

The completion of the DICT project is seen to help improve the logistics backbone of Mindanao’s economy as well as create jobs in less progressive areas.

DICT, a modern container port, is a joint venture between Anflocor and Dole-Stanfilco, the leading producers and exporters of fresh Cavendish bananas in the Philippines. Anna Leah E. Gonzales

B2

Business

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rises; ALI tops gainers S

TOCKS rose Friday to end a seven-day slump, as investors searched for bargains while waiting for the release of a crucial US jobs report.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 34 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 7,807.42 Friday. The bellwether was also up 12.3 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, gained 14 points, or 0.3 percent, to settle at 4,629.86, on a value turnover of P7.7 billion. Advancers led losers, 117 to 73, while 51 issues were unchanged.

Nine of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by property developer Ayala Land

Inc. which went up by 2.9 percent to P39.50 and conglomerate SM Investments Corp. which rose 2.2 percent to P689.50.

Medco Holdings Inc. tumbled 17.4 percent to P1, after surging more than 49 percent a day earlier.

Meanwhile, Asian markets fluctuated in a narrow range as investors avoided taking on risk before key US payrolls data that may provide hints on the path of interest rates in the world’s largest economy.

Commodity shares fell as oil headed for its worst weekly drop

in Auckland at ANZ Bank New Zealand, said in a client note, according to Bloomberg News.

“A stronger US labour market isn’t new news for the Fed or its watchers, rather, it is areas such as manufacturing and retail that are currently causing concern, not to mention a generalized lack of inflation. But nonetheless, payrolls data is traditionally a big market mover, so buckle up.”

Asian stock markets swung to and fro through the morning as traders jostled for positions ahead of the jobs report.

Tokyo ended the morning 0.1 percent higher, while Hong Kong added 0.6 percent and Shanghai was up 0.3 percent. Sydney shed 0.7 percent and Singapore 0.2 percent. Seoul was flat.

With AFP, Bloomberg

in eight months on signs of a glut.

“All eyes are clearly focusing on the non-farm payrolls data,” James Woods, a strategist at Rivkin Securities in Sydney, said by phone.

“Even if we do see a strong reading in the payrolls, I don’t really expect that the Fed would act in September. The recent data has been improving and its certainly a good sign but its not enough yet to suggest that they have to hike imminently,” Woods said.

Weaker-than-forecast US manufacturing data on Thursday raised concerns that the patchy growth in the economy may prompt the Fed to hold rates for longer.

“There is potential for markets to whipsaw should we see robust US jobs data tonight,” Sharon Zollner, a senior economist

Metrobank closes P5-b note issuance

By Julito G. Rada METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co., the second-largest lender in terms of assets, said it closed early the offering period for P5 billion worth of long-term negotiable certificates of time deposits amid an oversubscription.

Metrobank said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Friday the end of the offering period originally scheduled on Sept. 12 was moved to Sept. 5.

“Metrobank announced the early close of the offer period of its seven-year long-term negotiable certifi-

THE STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 4 17 30.45 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 75 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 8.7 12.02 19.6 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 58 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59

AG Finance 3.72 Asia United Bank 47.65 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 114.00 Bank of PI 106.00 China Bank 38.45 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.70 Bright Kindle Resources 1.47 Citystate Savings 9.09 COL Financial 16.46 Eastwest Bank 20.8 First Abacus 0.73 I-Remit Inc. 1.88 Manulife Fin. Corp.

590.00 MEDCO Holdings 1.210 Metrobank 87.4 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.93 PB Bank 14.44 Phil Bank of Comm 23.60 Phil. National Bank 57.90 Phil. Savings Bank 99.9 PSE Inc. 275 RCBC `A’ 32.5 Security Bank 218 Sun Life Financial 1370.00 Union Bank 73.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92

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

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

Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.5 Agrinurture Inc. 3.4 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.86 Alsons Cons.

1.78 Asiabest Group 15.32 Cemex Holdings 12 Century Food 17 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 140 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 24.55 Concepcion 58 Crown Asia 2.18 Da Vinci Capital 6.1 Del Monte 12.02 DNL Industries Inc. 11.040 Emperador 7.74 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.75 EEI 8.30 First Gen Corp.

25.8 First Holdings ‘A’ 73 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.08 Holcim Philippines Inc. 16.50 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.8 Ionics Inc 2.260 Jollibee Foods Corp.

253.00 Liberty Flour 44.00 LMG Chemicals 2.02 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.85 Macay Holdings 27.95 Manila Water Co. Inc. 28 Maxs Group 33.2 Megawide 13.32 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 311.00 MG Holdings 0.260 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.80 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.11 Petron Corporation 10.08 Phinma Corporation 11.52 Phinma Energy 2.21 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 6.18 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.60 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.36 RFM Corporation 4.21 Roxas Holdings 3.4 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 220 Splash Corporation 3.05 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.155 TKC Steel Corp.

1.83 Universal Robina 184 Victorias Milling 4.7 Vitarich Corp.

2.44 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.24

0.59 59.2 30.05 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 911 10.2 84 3.35 3.68 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 6.66 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 2.99 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 6.62 0.225 0.23 634.5 260 7.390 12.8 2.6 1.15 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 3.52 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 2.26 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

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

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Keppel Holdings `B’ Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

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

0.385 74.50 16.18 6.18 0.375 0.375 868.5 1000.00 8.55 11.80 6.1 6.01 7.00 0.220 1510 6.31 79.00 5.28 7.9 0.8 17.2 7.11 0.0360 1.200 2.100 2.60 84.50 2.5 675.00 1.30 1.00 213.800 0.3550 0.2050 0.285

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39

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

Ayala Land `B’ Belle Corp. `A’ Cebu Holdings Century Property City & Land Dev. 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.

Phil. Realty `A’

7.580 1.29 3.570 0.270 38.400 2.97 5.11 0.640 1.05 0.164 0.630 59.6 0.780 0.158 1.03 1.84 1.17 4.84 0.125 0.2950 0.440

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.75 3.6 47.75 47 112.90 111.60 106.60 105.00 38.5 38.3 3.90 3.70 1.54 1.41 9.09 9.09 16.5 16.44 20.95 20.7 0.76 0.7 1.87 1.87 590.00 590.00 1.580 1.000 87.75 86.95 0.87 0.87 14.52 14.44 23.60 23.60 57.80 56.60 99.85 95.7 277.8 273 32.85 32.55 220 217.6 1370.00 1360.00 73.75 73.50 INDUSTRIAL 46.15 45.45 3.47 3.25 0.91 0.85 1.8 1.78 15.4 14.96 12.16 11.98 17.06 16.7 140 135 24.9 23.75 58.4 58 2.18 2.13 6.41 6.11 12.3 12 11.040 10.880 7.75 7.58 5.91 5.75 8.31 8.15 26.2 25.3 75 73 13.00 12.90 16.54 16.50 6.85 6.6 2.330 2.250 252.40 249.00 43.80 43.80 2.01 2.01 5 4.68 28.00 27.00 28 27.55 33.2 32.45 14 13.34 313.00 310.60 0.265 0.260 4.81 4.80 3.16 3.1 10.24 9.92 11.66 11.52 2.26 2.20 6.26 6.10 1.62 1.60 3.55 3.36 4.22 4.19 3.4 3.4 224 220 3.07 3.05 0.160 0.156 1.90 1.81 182.9 180.9 4.69 4.38 2.59 2.1 1.24 1.24 HOLDING FIRMS 0.400 0.385 75.50 74.50 16.54 16.18 6.43 6.30 0.395 0.370 0.400 0.385 880 864.5 1000.00 1000.00 8.68 8.48 11.90 11.70 6.48 6.01 6.6 6.5 7.00 7.00 0.231 0.217 1533 1510 6.35 6.31 79.05 78.30 5.31 5.31 8.2 7.9 0.83 0.79 17.52 16.5 7.25 7.01 0.0370 0.0350 1.280 1.190 2.160 1.950 2.58 2.58 84.40 83.15 2.50 2.50 690.00 675.00 1.30 1.23 1.04 1.00 214.000 211.400 0.3850 0.3250 0.2050 0.2050 0.285 0.285 PROPERTY 7.800 7.570 1.38 1.27 3.860 3.570 0.275 0.275 39.650 38.400 3.01 2.96 5.11 5.11 0.66 0.620 1.05 1.01 0.182 0.162 0.640 0.630 59.9 58.8 0.790 0.780 0.146 0.146 1.06 1.04 1.87 1.85 1.19 1.19 4.99 4.84 0.135 0.128 0.2950 0.2950 0.440 0.440

Close 3.74 47.75 112.30 106.00 38.45 3.70 1.52 9.09 16.44 20.75 0.71 1.87 590.00 1.000 87.3 0.87 14.5 23.60 56.70 99.85 277.8 32.75 217.6 1360.00 73.65

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

0.54 0.21 -1.49 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.40 0.00 -0.12 -0.24 -2.74 -0.53 0.00 -17.36 -0.11 -6.45 0.42 0.00 -2.07 -0.05 1.02 0.77 -0.18 -0.73 0.00

18,000 20,500 1,902,780 1,171,050 36,400 18,000 290,000 200 7,000 207,100 89,000 10,000 50 162,866,000 4,337,230 20,000 702,200 5,400 163,250 11,240 800 1,495,800 1,756,680 370 25,780

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95

46,131,510.00 -333,990.00

1.97 119.5 7 0.017

1.23 102.6 3.01 0.011

-3,060.00 11,689,928.00 -31,390,116.00

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

1,196,450.00

12.28 3.32 2.53 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

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

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

70 525

33 500

120 515 8.21 12.28 111 1060

101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 997

78.95 84.8

74.5 75

-18,174,506.50

1.34

1

77,687,680.00

6.98

0.8900

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6

795,140.00 -21,144,771 16,150,178.00 118,440.00 1,644.00 -935,925.00

-3,212,720.00 -82,331,787.50 8,700.00 -8,120,202.00 -7,717,319.00 -138,000.00 -1,155,150 -135,327,172.00 360,902.00

Close

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

High 37.60 3.27 32.00 1.68 3.3 28.55 0.97 7 1.010 5.820

Low

42.00 37.95 3.38 3.26 32.50 31.05 1.7 1.67 3.3 3.26 29.45 28.60 1.13 1 6.89 6.51 1.050 1.010 5.890 5.800 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 7.2 7.6 7.2 ABS-CBN 49.7 49.8 48.25 Acesite Hotel 1.24 1.3 1.3 APC Group, Inc. 0.580 0.600 0.580 Bloomberry 5.71 5.83 5.70 Boulevard Holdings 0.0930 0.0970 0.0940 Calata Corp.

3.6 3.8 3.58 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 120 125 120.6 Centro Esc. Univ.

9.9 9.9 9.8 Discovery World 2.21 2.3 2.22 DFNN Inc. 5.15 5.45 5.25 FEUI 960 960 960 Globe Telecom 1997 2020 1997 GMA Network Inc. 6.30 6.35 6.29 Golden Haven 15.14 15.20 14.90 Harbor Star 1.81 2.28 1.81 I.C.T.S.I. 83.5 83.8 83 Imperial Res. `A’ 20.10 20.85 20.05 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.0090 0.0095 0.0092 IPM Holdings 9.20 9.30 9.20 Island Info 0.295 0.305 0.295 ISM Communications 1.4500 1.4500 1.4100 Jackstones 3.76 3.87 3.59 LBC Express 12 11.9 11.9 Leisure & Resorts 4.20 4.68 4.20 Liberty Telecom 2.19 2.19 2.18 Lorenzo Shipping 1.02 1.30 1.08 Manila Broadcasting 21.50 21.50 21.50 Manila Bulletin 0.570 0.580 0.580 Manila Jockey 1.99 1.99 1.98 Melco Crown 3.81 3.93 3.78 Metro Retail 5.35 5.40 5.31 NOW Corp.

3.680 3.770 3.640 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 11.28 11.36 11.34 PAL Holdings Inc. 5.60 5.70 5.45 Phil. Seven Corp.

130.00 130.00 130.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 5.90 6.00 5.29 PLDT Common 1800.00 1820.00 1800.00 PremiereHorizon 0.430 0.440 0.425 Premium Leisure 0.870 0.900 0.860 Puregold 44.60 44.60 44.25 Robinsons RTL 81.60 83.75 81.00 SBS Phil. Corp.

6.24 6.31 6.15 SSI Group 3.21 3.23 3.18 STI Holdings 0.610 0.620 0.610 Transpacific Broadcast 1.95 1.95 1.95 Travellers 3.44 3.5 3.44 Waterfront Phils.

0.335 0.350 0.335 Yehey 6.130 6.280 5.950 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0039 0.0040 0.0038 Apex `A’ 2.91 2.98 2.88 Atlas Cons. `A’ 3.88 3.91 3.89 Basic Energy Corp.

0.220 0.220 0.220 Benguet Corp `A’ 2.2000 2.21 2.21 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.59 0.69 0.6 Coal Asia 0.420 0.420 0.405 Dizon 8.37 8.90 8.36 Ferronickel 0.840 0.850 0.830 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.270 0.280 0.275 Lepanto `A’ 0.202 0.205 0.202 Lepanto `B’ 0.210 0.224 0.214 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.69 1.7 1.65 Nickelasia 6.26 6.55 6.24 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.91 3.08 2.9 Oriental Peninsula Res. 0.9800 1.0200 0.9800 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.05 4.06 4.05 Philex `A’ 8.70 8.71 8.56 PhilexPetroleum 3.21 3.35 3.18 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 Semirara Corp.

111.20 114.10 111.20 TA Petroleum 3.25 3.41 3.2 United Paragon 0.0110 0.0100 0.0100 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 49 49.4 48.25 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 541 541 531.5 DD Pref 104.9 105 104 First Gen G 118 120 118 GLOBE PREF P 535 540 531 GMA Holdings Inc. 6.08 6.09 6.05 Leisure and Resort 1.03 1.03 1.02 MWIDE PREF 109 109.2 109.1 PCOR-Preferred A 1060 1061 1061 PCOR-Preferred B 1138 1138 1135 SMC Preferred B 77.55 78 77.5 SMC Preferred C 81.5 81.2 81.1 SMC Preferred D 78 76.6 76.5 SMC Preferred F 79.7 80 79.95 SMC Preferred G 79 79 79 SMC Preferred H 78.1 78.25 78 SMC Preferred I 78.3 78.8 78.3 Swift Pref 2.2 2.2 2 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.400 2.840 2.260 SME Alterra Capital 4.14 4.35 4.13 Makati Fin. Corp.

4 4.09 3.7 Italpinas 5 5.02 4.98 Xurpas 15.8 16.1 15.7 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 128.2 129.1 128.4

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

42.00 3.27 31.60 1.67 3.3 28.75 1.11 6.89 1.030 5.880

11.70 0.00 -1.25 -0.60 0.00 0.70 14.43 -1.57 1.98 1.03

3,200 1,840,000 853,700 128,000 21,000 10,453,100 71,709,000 200 459,000 5,135,300

7.38 49.15 1.3 0.590 5.72 0.0940 3.65 122.4 9.9 2.22 5.38 960 2010 6.30 15.14 1.95 83.5 20.80 0.0093 9.25 0.300 1.4300 3.8 11.9 4.36 2.18 1.14 21.50 0.580 1.98 3.78 5.38 3.680 11.34 5.45 130.00 5.85 1807.00 0.440 0.890 44.50 81.70 6.20 3.20 0.610 1.95 3.49 0.350 6.280

2.50 -1.11 4.84 1.72 0.18 1.08 1.39 2.00 0.00 0.45 4.47 0.00 0.65 0.00 0.00 7.73 0.00 3.48 3.33 0.54 1.69 -1.38 1.06 -0.83 3.81 -0.46 11.76 0.00 1.75 -0.50 -0.79 0.56 0.00 0.53 -2.68 0.00 -0.85 0.39 2.33 2.30 -0.22 0.12 -0.64 -0.31 0.00 0.00 1.45 4.48 2.45

544,300 78,400 145,000 928,000 2,548,400 31,270,000 7,544,000 985,560 600 92,000 643,500 10 74,550 234,900 140,100 51,376,000 2,026,950 53,100 85,000,000 630,000 15,570,000 977,000 370,000 400 5,216,000 284,000 1,658,000 2,300 20,000 28,000 5,889,000 5,530,500 2,020,000 9,900 60,300 26,900 3,583,300 100,900 1,210,000 15,295,000 1,144,600 177,930 518,800 6,737,000 4,479,000 10,000 2,269,000 480,000 46,400

0.0039 2.95 3.89 0.220 2.2100 0.67 0.420 8.50 0.850 0.275 0.202 0.214 0.0110 1.68 6.31 2.95 1.0000 0.0110 0.0110 4.06 8.70 3.20 0.0120 113.50 3.37 0.0100

0.00 1.37 0.26 0.00 0.45 13.56 0.00 1.55 1.19 1.85 0.00 1.90 0.00 -0.59 0.80 1.37 2.04 0.00 0.00 0.25 0.00 -0.31 0.00 2.07 3.69 -9.09

252,000,000 345,000 35,000 20,000 24,000 13,280,000 540,000 18,700 5,044,000 820,000 2,870,000 70,000 3,900,000 332,000 10,292,200 2,156,000 194,000 5,900,000 200,000 6,000 7,460,500 3,168,000 9,300,000 838,510 185,000 10,700,000

49.1 535 104.9 118 531 6.08 1.03 109.1 1061 1135 77.5 81.1 76.55 80 79 78.25 78.8 2.16

0.20 -1.11 0.00 0.00 -0.75 0.00 0.00 0.09 0.09 -0.26 -0.06 -0.49 -1.86 0.38 0.00 0.19 0.64 -1.82

52,700 16,240 79,050 34,390 7,340 130,200 219,000 1,500 5 1,000 20,000 16,500 22,700 18,990 22,700 167,310 5,310 8,000

2.580

7.50

2,527,000

4.2 3.89 4.98 15.7

1.45 -2.75 -0.40 -0.63

1,287,000 225,000 334,000 408,300

128.9

0.55

2,610

4,035,515.00 1,680.00 -140,484,155.00 1,139,040.00 -7,573,268.00 -2,048,656.00 130,000.00 2,138,378.00 92,550.00 20,570,817.00 -25,300.00 -184,800.00 1,251,675.00 -111,260.00 -900.00 -91,437,117.50

MS 45.95 3.3 0.89 1.78 15.1 12.02 17.04 136 24.1 58.3 2.13 6.3 12.28 10.900 7.60 5.87 8.18 25.4 74.8 12.90 16.54 6.6 2.300 250.00 43.80 2.01 4.73 28.00 27.9 33 13.98 312.00 0.265 4.80 3.15 9.92 11.64 2.20 6.15 1.62 3.43 4.20 3.4 224 3.05 0.156 1.82 180.9 4.69 2.2 1.24

0.99 -2.94 3.49 0.00 -1.44 0.17 0.24 -2.86 -1.83 0.52 -2.29 3.28 2.16 -1.27 -1.81 2.09 -1.45 -1.55 2.47 6.79 0.24 -2.94 1.77 -1.19 -0.45 -0.50 -2.47 0.18 -0.36 -0.60 4.95 0.32 1.92 0.00 1.29 -1.59 1.04 -0.45 -0.49 1.25 2.08 -0.24 0.00 1.82 0.00 0.65 -0.55 -1.68 -0.21 -9.84 0.00

2,312,700 933,000 4,289,000 715,000 15,600 5,589,200 1,984,500 740 15,406,500 310 909,000 2,053,500 8,100 6,620,400 2,376,600 17,136,600 806,300 3,764,800 127,100 1,400 88,300 4,202,300 496,000 644,230 600 2,000 297,000 700 984,900 613,800 7,812,400 148,670 340,000 18,000 1,359,000 9,440,000 11,500 1,677,000 964,700 424,000 158,000 185,000 3,000 12,020 113,000 1,590,000 1,367,000 1,308,220 22,000 78,407,000 48,000

0.385 74.80 16.40 6.30 0.380 0.400 865 1000.00 8.5 11.80 6.48 6.5 7.00 0.226 1523 6.35 78.80 5.31 8.14 0.83 17.3 7.14 0.0370 1.210 2.060 2.58 84.00 2.5 689.50 1.27 1.03 214.000 0.3300 0.2050 0.285

0.00 0.40 1.36 1.94 1.33 6.67 -0.40 0.00 -0.58 0.00 6.23 8.15 0.00 2.73 0.86 0.63 -0.25 0.57 3.04 3.75 0.58 0.42 2.78 0.83 -1.90 -0.77 -0.59 0.00 2.15 -2.31 3.00 0.09 -7.04 0.00 0.00

520,000 1,948,680 5,510,900 22,300 16,840,000 870,000 322,290 10 1,681,100 7,100,900 49,500 5,300 52,200 1,670,000 301,225 8,500 2,545,040 700 14,692,600 33,000 2,489,200 29,819,000 39,600,000 46,000 3,862,000 2,000 375,040 1,000 399,940 1,231,000 204,000 7,230 28,280,000 20,000 780,000

7.750 1.38 3.600 0.275 39.500 3 5.11 0.630 1.05 0.182 0.630 59.9 0.780 0.146 1.06 1.85 1.19 4.92 0.132 0.2950 0.440

2.24 6.98 0.84 1.85 2.86 1.01 0.00 -1.56 0.00 10.98 0.00 0.50 0.00 -7.59 2.91 0.54 1.71 1.65 5.60 0.00 0.00

136,900 9,437,000 7,962,000 490,000 6,891,800 1,237,000 13,800 8,474,000 11,000 213,330,000 3,276,000 414,940 7,000 10,000,000 5,314,000 15,552,000 70,000 32,721,000 17,120,000 10,000 150,000

-18,431,386.00 -5,499,931.00 54,152,943.00

-7,215,850.00 -232,917.50

546,930.00 -635,958.00 22,700.00 15,892,066.00

-40,515.00 -16,742,470.00 -52,894,530.00 22,121,888.00 3,515,870.00 -47,932,055.00

1,608,500.00 -1,398,440.00 -80,000.00 -235,200.00 112,790.00 1,048,728.00

-130,263,674 3,016,030.00

12,121,875.00 8,606,506.00 -11,550.00 -77,204,900

2,204,351.00 -60,755,762.00

10,811,405.00

-22,628,835.00

-161,124.00 -820.00 -1,111,900.00 -47,184,188.00 282,480.00

202,850.00 142,500.00 -225,074.00 -26,800.00 -1,273,910.00 62,943,490.00 -836,440.00

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

395,900.00

FINANCIAL

175,157,662

150,030.00 -62,370.00 9,145,976.00

INDUSTRIAL

179,842,286

HOLDING FIRMS

170,378,146

PROPERTY

423,320,449

SERVICES

261,977,886

-1,460,000.00 -1,416,700.00 -20,590,610.00 -49,225,350.00 2,590.00

MINING & OIL

329,760,366

GRAND TOTAL

1,542,699,420

cates of time deposit due to oversubscription. Metrobank is moving the close of the offer period to Monday, Sept.

5, 2016,” the bank said.

It said the issue and listing date remained unchanged on Sept. 19, 2016, adding investors who still wanted to participate might contact Metrobank or ING Bank, its sole arranger, bookrunner and selling agent.

Metrobank started the offer period for the LTNCDs on Aug. 30. The debt papers have a tenor of seven years, with interest rate of 3.5 percent per annum payable quarterly.

Long-term negotiable certificate of deposit is a bank product offered to investors looking for a relatively safe investment asset with a higher interest rate compared to a regular savings account or short-term time deposit.

Metrobank registered a 2-percent decline in consolidated net income in the first half to P9.1 billion from P9.3 billion a year ago on higher operating expenses it incurred during the period.

Metrobank president Fabian Dee said in a statement the bank managed to accelerate performance in core businesses, particularly lending, low-cost deposit generation and fee income despite the volatility in the global financial markets, local elections and heightened competition.

282,100.00

2,500.00 -2,900.00

-7,145,940 -4,380.00

-4,602,080.00 -3,501,317.00 383,960.00

1,665.00 -208,000.00 2,052,653.00 56,388,930.00

-5,143,400.00 -4,039,610.00 -455,764.50 1,164,670.00 -6,399,810.00 103,400.00

76,000.00

7,800.00 -197,860.00 84,000.00

2,106,590.00 168,000.00

11,830.00 3,305,792.00 -28,000.00

-219,073.00 1,427,420.00 -34,509,131.00

-158,085.00

-524,500.00 -766,051.00

-1,553,280.50

199,866.00 -2,999,800.00

VALUE 1,825.80 (down) 8.07 1,388,827,674.10 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,860.12 (down) 58.50 1,872,788,292.00 HOLDING FIRMS 7,731.49 (up) 53.59 2,076,699,367.63 PROPERTY 3,540.03 (up) 53.56 1,565.58 (up) 5.45 1,039,034,557.95 SERVICES MINING & OIL 10,712.42 (up) 128.23 1,044,806,670.05 PSEI 7,807.42 (up) 34.11 259,218,916.58 All Shares Index 4,629.86 (up) 14.51 7,696,179,321.32 Gainers: 117; Losers: 72; Unchanged: 52; Total: 241

Ayala unit sells all stake in Integreon

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE Ayala Corp. continues to divest from the business process outsourcing sector as it focuses on expanding its investment in the education sector.

Ayala Corp. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned unit LiveIt Investments Ltd. sold its entire 58.71-percent stake in Integreon Inc., a leading global provider of legal support, research and business services to law firms, financial institutions and corporations.

LiveIt’s divestment from Integreon was made through a business combination transaction with Anchorage Merger Sub Ltd., owned by IGL Services Ltd. IGL Services Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of certain private equity funds managed

by NewQuest Capital Partners, Asia’s leading secondaries private equity platform.

LiveIt exercised its right to exchange all its shares of stock in Integreon for consideration.

LiveIt’s other BPO investments, both HRMall and AffinityX, are being retained.

HRMall provides strategic value for Ayala Group’s HR requirements while AffinityX is a global leader in advertising and marketing production services. Ayala said both continued to achieve meaningful growth and profitability.

It said in the case of AffinityX, a bolt-on acquisition in the digital space would be considered to accelerate growth and deepen capabilities.

LiveIt also sold its stake in business process outsourcing firm IQ BackOffice Holdings Ltd. in August.

Ayala Corp. said in a disclosure to the stock exchange wholly-owned unit LiveIt Investments Ltd. sold its entire 82.5-percent stake in IQ BackOffice through a management buyout.

Business

B3

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Saudi Arabia defends share of Asian market

DRIVERLESS IN DUBAI. An autonomous 10-seater car is pictured during a trial run along the Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard on September 1, 2016. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, in collaboration with the UAE real estate development company Emaar Properties, accomplished the first phase of an experiment to test driverless transit technology in the Emirate. AFP

SAUDI Arabia is poised to expand use of oil storage tanks in Japan and China, strengthening ties with its two largest Asian buyers as it fends off competitors for market share.

The world’s biggest exporter plans to increase the amount of storage capacity it uses on Japan’s Okinawa islands, where it’s been leasing tanks since 2010, Amin Nasser chief executive officer of Saudi Arabian Oil Co., said Thursday in Tokyo. The state-run producer, known as Aramco, is negotiating for commercial and government crude storage projects in China to help the country import more Saudi crude, Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said in an interview with Al-Arabiya television.

“It helps Saudi Arabia to be seen as the preferred supplier, who can easily help during sudden unforeseen events, and gives it a leg up against rival producers,” said Tushar Tarun Bansal, director at Singapore-based Ivy Global Energy, a consultant. In addition to investing in Asian oil refineries, storage is part of the “Saudi strategy to be closer to their largest markets,” he said.

Oil storage near buyers can give producers greater logistical flexibility to quickly tap pockets of local demand and helps establish themselves as reliable suppliers during emergencies. This may bolster Saudi Arabia’s defense of its market share amid a global glut that’s halved prices in the last two years and left buyers with more choices of supply.

Iran boosted exports to major oil consumers in Asia during the first half of this year after international sanctions that restricted its supplies were eased in January. Japan’s purchases increased 28 percent, India bought 63 percent more, South Korea’s imports more than doubled while shipments into China gained 2.5 percent, government and shipping data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Russia has made in-roads into China thanks to its East SiberiaPacific Ocean pipeline. In the first half of this year, Saudi Arabia and Russia each had a 14 percent share of China’s oil market, according to China customs data. This compares with Saudi Arabia’s 15 percent stake versus Russia’s 13 percent the year before. In 2014, Saudi Arabia has a 16 percent share, while Russia had 11 percent.

Bloomberg

Hanjin to ruin Christmas trade

By Park Chan-Kyong

S

EOUL―South Korea giant Hanjin Shipping said Friday about a third of its cargo fleet―some forty vessels―is marooned at sea or has been seized at ports, as the industry staggers after its biggest ever bankruptcy filing.

On Wednesday, Hanjin Shipping, South Korea’s largest and the world’s seventh-largest shipping company, filed for court protection after its creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank, rejected its self-rescue scheme.

The company is foundering under a debt estimated at some six trillion won ($5.37 billion), posting a net loss of more than 473 billion won in the first half of this year after racking up total net losses of about 1.2 trillion won over the past three years.

New textile material may keep people cool WASHINGTON―American researchers have created a lowcost textile made of a plastic base that could cool the body when woven into clothing.

The engineers suggested in the US journal Science that the textile could become a way to keep people living in hot climates cool without using air conditioning.

“If you can cool the person rather than the building where they work or live, that will save energy,” said Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering and of photon science at Stanford.

Scientists blended nanotechnology, photonics and chemistry to develop the material, which cools the wearer in two ways.

Like cotton, the textile allows sweat to evaporate through the material, but the new development allows it to also let through heat the body gives off as infra-

red radiation.

The latter is a characteristic of polyethylene, the clear, clingy plastic already used as kitchen wrap.

All objects―including our bodies―discharge heat as infrared radiation in the form of invisible light wavelengths.

Clothing traps those wavelengths close to the body, but the new plastic textile lets them through.

“Forty to 60 percent of our body heat is dissipated as infrared radiation when we are sitting in an office,” said Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering. “But until now there has been little or no research on designing the thermal radiation characteristics of textiles.”

To test the cooling capabilities of the experimental material, researchers put swatches of the plastic material and cotton fabric on bare skin and compared skin surface temperature. AFP

The crisis has badly hit the oversupplied international shipping industry, suffering from its worst downturn in six decades, and sent ripples as far as the US economy, with retailers fearing it may damage Christmas trade.

“Forty-five of our 144 vessels are unable to operate in the normal fashion in some 10 countries,” a Hanjin spokesman told AFP. “Some of them are being impounded, others being barred from docking or discharging,” he said.

Since last last month, Hanjin’s vessels, sailors and cargo have been stuck in a maritime limbo

as ports, wary they will not be paid for their services, refuse to let them dock, as well as refusing to handle or free cargo already landed.

Also effected are ships not owned by Hanjin but contracted by it or belonging to its alliance members, along with cargo and containers on board those vessels.

US retailers, bracing for fallout from Hanjin’s woes as they stock up for the crucial Christmas holiday sales season, have asked Washington to step in to help resolve a growing crisis, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Ten Hanjin vessels were either

seized or denied access at Chinese terminals in Shanghai and Tianjin over the past 48 hours, according to local media reports, with another vessel seized in Singapore earlier the week.

An estimated 540,000 containers are expected to face delivery delays, according to the reports.

Hanjin officially entered court receivership Friday, the Seoul Central District Court announced.

The court will decide whether to keep Hanjin afloat under a recovery program including debt rescheduling or to declare it bankrupt.

Hanjin Shipping’s assets will in the meantime remain frozen,

and the court-appointed new management is required to come up with a new rehabilitation plan

by November 25.

South Korean financial authorities reportedly are considering letting South Korea’s No. 2 Hyundai Merchant Marine Co. take over Hanjin’s good assets, such as its global marketing networks and personnel as well as its own 59 ships.

Financial Supervisory Commission Yim Jong-Yong on Friday met with KDB and Hyundai Merchant Marine officials and asked Hyundai to help ease cargo disruptions, Yonhap news agency said. AFP

IMF’s Lagarde warns G20 of ‘low-growth trap’ WASHINGTON―The head of the International Monetary Fund on Thursday called on global leaders to take “forceful” action to revive the world economy, sounding a stark warning ahead of this weekend’s G20 summit.

Christine Lagarde, the IMF managing director, said that as of 2016, global economic growth had stagnated for five years below the 3.7 percent average that prevailed between 1990 and 2007.

“Not since the early 1990s... has the world economy been so weak for such a long time,” Lagarde said in a statement issued to coincide with the start of the summit.

With member states representing 85 percent of the world’s GDP, the Group of 20 summit is due to convene in Hangzhou, China beginning Sunday amid a climate of sluggish growth and

uncertainty.

Lagarde warned of a “lowgrowth trap”―high debt, weak demand, eroding work forces and labor skills, weakening incentives for investment and slowing productivity.

She said the world’s economies faced a potentially toxic mix of low long-term growth and rising inequality, creating political temptations to populism and raised trade barriers.

But analysts say the G20 summit is unlikely to achieve a breakthrough, given that it occurs in the absence of a crisis which could prod governments to take action.

With varying difficulties and pressures―Britain exiting the European Union, Japan considering more easing, Germany skeptical of stimulus and China pressed on its industrial overcapacity―member states currently have too few common interests

to stick to difficult commitments that are easier to make than to live with, analysts said.

“At the moment there’s simply not a lot of common overlapping interests between the major economies,” Christopher Balding, professor of economics at Peking University HSBC Business School, told AFP. In a report on global economic conditions for G20 members, IMF economists said US growth would likely be weaker than previously expected in 2016.

The report’s chief author, IMF economist Helge Berger, told reporters in Washington the organization expected in October to downgrade its US growth forecast in light of the poor performance seen in the first half of this year.

In July, the IMF said it expected the US economy to grow at 2.2 percent this year and 2.5 percent in 2017, already down-

ward revisions from an April forecast.

“It’s clear for the US given the developments in the first two quarters this year that we’re in for a downgrade of that outlook,” said Berger.

In its report, the IMF said G20 leaders in 2014 had pledged to raise their collective GDP by 2 percent by 2018. But, as of 2016, member countries had carried out only 55 percent of the commitments they made then, demonstrating a “lack of determined policy action.”

Since the Great Recession, the main causes of persistently low inflation have been high unemployment and low commodity prices―with excess industrial capacity driving the price of goods downward, the report said.

If unaddressed, prolonged low inflation could reduce investment and drag growth further downward. AFP

Singapore sale of rare Marina Bay land set to fetch bumper price THE first sale of land in Singapore’s Marina Bay in nine years is set to fetch a bumper price as developers jockey for a piece of the sought-after financial district.

The 1.1-hectare (2.7 acre) plot may fetch more than S$1.8 billion ($1.3 billion), according to Cushman & Wakefield Inc., or S$1,200 per square foot of gross floor area. That would make it the city’s most expensive land sale since 2007, when the Asia Square Tower I plot sold at S$2.02 billion, or a rate of S$1,409 per square foot.

“This will be a hotly contested plot,” said Christine Li, director of research at Cushman in Singapore. “Bidders could include sovereign wealth funds and aggressive bids from Chinese developers.”

The bidding interest comes amid a slew of property deals in the city. The plot sits next to Asia Square, which Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund in June agreed to buy from BlackRock Inc. for S$3.4 billion in Singapore’s biggest office transaction. CapitaLand Commer-

cial Trust, Singapore’s largest office REIT, in May agreed to buy a 60 percent stake in CapitaGreen in the central business district for S$393 million, and MYP Ltd., which operates an investment holding company, offered S$560 million for the Straits Trading Building.

Reserve bid An unidentified buyer has committed to bid the reserve price of S$1.54 billion, or S$1,010 per square foot of gross floor area, the Urban Redevelopment Authority said on Aug. 30.

The auction closes Nov. 8. The site can be developed primarily for office use, with a smaller area reserved for residential housing, a hotel or serviced apartments.

The plot is expected to command premium prices even though office rents have halved since the sale of the Asia Square Tower I land in 2007. That’s because there will be a dearth of new office openings from 2019 to 2021―after a flood of supply coming up through 2018―meaning the buyer of the plot will be poised to tap pent-up demand if

the development is completed by early 2022, according to Hsueh Ling Ng, chief executive officer of Keppel REIT, Singapore’s second-largest office landlord and part owner of the Marina Bay Financial Centre.

The auction “will attract so many bidders,” Hsueh said. “Come 2019, 2020 and 2021 there will be zero office supply, and there has never been such a thing in Singapore’s history where there are three years of zero supply.

That’s why the government has started this sale.”

Bidding partners The total cost of the Marina Bay land’s development may exceed S$2.5 billion, which will likely lead to the formation of bidding groups as small to mid-sized developers don’t have the financial muscle to undertake such a large project, Cushman’s Li said.

CapitaLand Ltd., Singapore’s largest developer, could partner with CapitaLand Commercial Trust and Mitsubishi Estate Asia Pte for a bid, she said.

Other potential bidders may include the consortium of Cheung Kong Holdings Ltd., Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd. and Keppel Land Ltd., which developed the Marina Bay Financial Centre after winning the previous auction in the area in 2007, Li said.

City Developments Ltd., Singapore’s second-largest developer, could also potentially bid given the project will have a residential or hotel component, which is that company’s strength, she said.

Bloomberg

Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

Gadgets / Games

NBA GAMES

at your fingertips EA Sports unveiled the NBA Live Mobile during its press launch at the NBA Store in Glorietta 3. Peter Paul Duran

Easy-own deals for that OPPO phone WITH the Philippines now crowned as ASEAN’s fastest growing smartphone market, and the global market at large growing 3.8% in Q1 2016, game-changing partnerships—such as financing options that allow more consumers to buy higher-end models at 0% installments—may prove to be the xfactor in sustaining growth.

This is according to Prague-based consumer finance company Home Credit, noting that its financing services have helped fast-growing players such as OPPO gain significant revenues in previously untapped market segments in the country, leveraging on the ever-growing appetite of Filipinos for the latest gadgets.

“It is definitely an exciting time not just for smartphone makers, but smartphone users, as even the flagship phone models are more accessible than ever,” said Home Credit Philippines Head of Sales Adam Bernasek. “Consumer financing has played a key role in bridging this gap.”

Bernasek cited Home Credit’s recent three-month promotional tie-up with OPPO, which offered the OPPO F1 “selfie expert” smartphone at low monthly payments with 0-percent interest, as a notable case study.

The promo generated nearly P280 million

in loans for the OPPO F1 model, with the F1 accounting for five out of 10 products purchased through Home Credit in all establishments offering the promotion.

“Promos such as these, fueled by combined sales and marketing efforts of both parties, have really shown to be a win-win arrangement,” said Garrick Hung, Operations Manager at OPPO Philippines, adding that out of all OPPO F1 units sold during the promo period, 30 percent were due to Home Credit financing. “These innovative promos have allowed us to add on to our already growing market share.”

For its part, OPPO finds itself in a winning streak, as it continues to rapidly gain market share not just in the Philippines, but the rest of the region. Data from a Gartner report show that OPPO enjoyed a sales growth of 145 percent in Q1 2016, giving it the best performance of the period ahead of other leading brands. OPPO has since jumped up in the overall global rankings for smartphone brands.

The same Gartner report noted that overall, smartphone sales were driven by demand for entry-level models in emerging markets such as the

Philippines. However, consumers have also shown an increasing desire for better specs—such as for processors and cameras—at affordable prices.

A recent study by the International Data Corporation stated that “from 44% share in 2015, less-than-1GB-RAM smartphones dropped to 38% last quarter as consumers demand for higher RAM for new mobile applications to run smoothly.”

With new financing options in place to allow more customers to get their hands on these higher-end models, the prospects of the local smartphone industry are more bullish than ever.

“As more and more consumers make the move from the entry level to the midto-high range, the demand for affordable payments will certainly rise,” Bernasek noted. “Home Credit and OPPO are more than happy to meet this demand, as we move forward in our partnership.”

OPPO’s latest model in the “selfie expert line, the F1S, launched last Aug. 13, with Home Credit once again partnering with OPPO to offer the phone at 0% interest installments.

For more information, please visit www.homecredit.ph.

Epson PH gives back to the community EPSON Philippines Corporation continues to strengthen its nationbuilding activities for various communities in the country.

As part of its annual activities, Epson Philippines encouraged its own employees to take part in Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Among these CSR efforts was the special activity held in Bahay Tuluyan Home for the Girls last 16 July 2016. Through exciting games and activities, Epson employees joined in on the fun, spread good spirits and put smiles on the faces of girls aged from 2 to 17 years old.

As part of their outreach efforts, the Epson team also donated sacks of rice, personal hygiene products, a 40”

Members of Epson Philippines Corporation organized fun activities in Bahay Tuluyan Home for the Girls.

LED TV and an Epson L120 ink tank system printer that Bahay Tuluyan Home for the Girls wholeheartedly received.

“Epson Philippines also gives importance to making

a deep impact through longterm initiatives that are focused on helping groups that aid the youth and champion education,” said Beth Alcantara, Department Head of HR and Admin,

Epson Philippines.

“We are constantly in search of ways and means to provide support for various groups in the Philippines similar to Epson Philippines’ Gift of Brightness Program which is done in partnership with the Department of Education to provide Epson printers and projectors to public schools to help address the shortage of educational resources particularly in poverty-stricken areas in the Philippines,” Alcantara added.

“Epson Philippines is positive that through specific efforts such as the recent CSR activity for the Bahay Tuluyan Home for the Girls, we can be an instrument of change in the country,” she concluded.

By Peter Paul Duran

I

T MIGHT be a far-off memory, but almost every basketball fan with a mint new console during the early to mid-2000s just had to have NBA Live on their collection.

Well, which hoop devotee wouldn’t?

The prospect of controlling your idols on the court and doing their moves as if your own is just titillating. NBA Live paved the way for ordinary people to do extraordinary things on the console.

But there lies the issue, consoles aren’t that booming anymore especially in the Philippine market.

The reason? The advent of mobile tech- Sheffield nology with applications on phones is becoming the next big thing in gaming.

So, NBA Live, the sports game that captivated every budding gamer and cage nut is now available in the Philippines via the App Store and Google Play, extending the game of basketball to Filipino fans all year long, and without the limits of a console.

EA Sports, one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, unveiled the NBA Live Mobile during its press launch at the NBA Store in Glorietta 3, letting Pinoy gamers experience the world’s premier basketball league on the tip of their fingers.

“It’s just a different experience,” said NBA Live Mobile Producer Justin Sheffield.

“The game is just really different, the medium is really different, I can play it wherever I want. We made the game easy to pick up and play,” added the video game industry veteran.

The free-to-download game puts the franchise in the hands of the fans with live service content updates year-round, while featuring intuitive onscreen controls, creating an entertaining, engaging and

high-quality mobile basketball experience.

“When the season goes along, you’ll gonna see new rosters, new perks, new jerseys. We just wanna have new things,” Sheffield said.

Meanwhile, asked whether the game would be widely accepted in the country, NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson sees the game’s rise to start here.

“It already has (attracted a huge following), even before the game was launched, there’s a lot of Filipinos playing the franchise. But I think if you look at the combination of NBA fans here in the Philippines, how many gamers we have, mobile users, all those factors coming together, that will guarantee the success of this game,” Singson said.

And the numbers back that claim.

“Outside of the US, the Philippines is number three in installs, number one in daily active users and number one in hours played per day,” added Sheffield, who has also worked on titles such as FIFA and FIFA Ultimate Team.

Sheffield also bares plans to incorporate tournaments akin to the FIFA interactive World Cup, but there is no specific time frame for that to happen and the team will continue to work on in-game features of the app before venturing to bigger improvements.

“We’re looking to integrate the game to some of our on-ground events here. We have some very interesting plans to deliver content and promote the game,” said Singson. “The success of the game is very important to us and we’re here to do whatever we can to make sure that happens.”

Oval TVs, smart kitchen hoods: top trends at IFA tech fair BERLIN—Berlin’s mega consumer electronics fair IFA opens its doors to the public Friday, offering a dizzying array of high-tech goods from home robots to surround sound systems to drones.

Some tech giants are also seeking to define what they believe will be the next gizmos and digital must-haves to drive the industry.

The future of TV is...

Oval. Or any shape, says Sharp, which showed off what it called the “future of TV displays” using its new IGZO technology, during previews before the public opening.

IGZO is the acronym for indium, gallium, zinc and oxygen, and Sharp says the technology has allowed it to build TVs that are frameless, have outstanding image quality and consume little power.

But what’s wrong with a rectangular frame? Do we really need oval or odd-shaped televisions?

Yes, says Sharp, explaining that the beauty of such screens is that they can be integrated anywhere—in a car, in the kitchen or in the bathroom mirror.

The company plans to introduce TVs with IGZO displays to Europe within the next two years.

The world through 3D glasses The 3D experience first began in cinemas, but virtual reality is increasingly entering homes with video-gamers jumping in.

Unveiling a new VR headset in Berlin, Acer chief executive Jason Chen said the lines are blurring between movies and video games, and converging to a more dynamic, immersive form of storytelling, with VR to feature prominently South Korean giant Samsung also did not miss a chance to tout its Gear VR headset when it presented its latest smartwatch on Wednesday, as it

From its homemade, paper form, 3D glasses have improved by leaps and bounds.

offered a tour in the Russian mountains with the reality-altering glasses.

Experts believe that VR offers many untapped opportunities—tour agencies can give customers a glimpse of their upcoming holidays, spectators can enjoy the live concert experience or football game from the comfort of their homes, and even news can be viewed in 3D format.

“The list of possibilities is growing each day,” said Hans-Joachim Kamp, who heads the German federation for electronics companies, gFu. Tick tock, emails They began life as mostly square or rectangular blocks on wrists. But the latest generation of smartwatches have had their edges smoothed out, and are now mostly round-faced as their makers seek to broaden their reach to the wider public.

When the hob talks to the hood From the coffee maker, which can be told to make one’s favourite blend from a distance to the dishwasher that picks the best programme, electronics giants Siemens and Bosch believe these smart appliances should feature in every kitchen.

There’s also a ventilation hood that turns itself up when the cooking gets intense and a fridge that can take a selfie so users know exactly what’s missing while dashing around the supermarket. AFP

Tarlac is top tree planter in CL

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

By Ferdie G. Domingo TARLAC CITY—The province of Tarlac, the top performer in the government’s National Greening Program (NGP) in Central Luzon, planted trees on more than 18,600 hectares of land over a six-year period, besting six other provinces in the region.

Ronilo Salac, regional NGP coordinator for Central Luzon, said 18,668.9 hectares have been planted in 288 sites in the province since 2011, accounting for roughly 20 percent of the 94,658.25 hectares in 2,131 sites in the region over the period.

When the NGP was launched in 2011, only 936 hectares were added to Tarlac’s forest cover.

These increased to 2,736 has in 2012; 4,306 in 2013; 3,259 in 2014; 4,863.27 in 2015 and 2,568.67 this year.

Tarlac was followed by Nueva Ecija with 17,052.87 hectares planted, Zambales (15,814.55 has), Bulacan (13,7.36 has), Aurora (11,606.4 has), Bataan (10,567.38 has) and Pampanga (7,100.75 has).

In terms of NGP sites, Nueva Ecija utilized the most with 485 sites followed by Bataan (371), Aurora (339),Tarlac (288), Bulacan (234), Zambales (223) and Pampanga (191).

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported that the country increased its forest area to 240,000 hectares per year from 2010 to 2015, enough for it to rank fifth behind China, with a forest area gain of 1.5 million hectares, Australia (308,000 hectares), Chile (301,000 hectares) and the United States (275,000 hectares).

The country ranked ahead of Gabon, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, India, Vietnam and France.

Disneyland-inspired park soon in Cebu A

400-HECTARE theme park being developed in Carmen town, some 41 kilometers north of Cebu City, is being groomed as Cebu’s next tourism draw, an official said.

Patria Aurora Roa, Cebu by Cebu pawnshop and money Province’s tourism consultant, remittance magnate Michel said the theme park, developed Lhuillier, is expected to attract

both local and foreign tourists.

Roa, a former Department of Tourism Region VII director, said the 400-hectare theme park in Carmen is an ecotourism Disneyland-like attraction in size and attractions.

She said Lhuillier’s theme park will have accommodation facilities, farms, a zoo, nature

By Sandy Araneta

One-stop shop for Clark travelers opens thur Tugade instructed the regional office of the National Economic and Development Authority, the province of Pampanga and 11 government agencies to execute the project.

The one stop shop will supply the documentation needs of other travelers as well and the papers will be processed within 24 hours.

Davao City shelters homeless foreigners

By Funny Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—The local government of Davao continues to provide temporary shelter and medical attention to homeless foreign nationals in Davao City while they await repatriation and assistance from their respective embassies.

Aside from the three foreigners—the German Peter Muhamburg (German) and the Americans Hoyll Caldwell and Ronald Kennedy Jr.—who have been placed in the care of the City Social Services and Develop-

tripping and other outdoor activities that promote “communion with nature.”

Roa said ecotourism remains a priority tourism product pushed

by Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who is the chairman of the province’s tourism sector.

Earlier, Magpale pledged to develop more ecotourism desti-

nations in Cebu, citing the rising interest in nature tours.

She said the provincial government released funds to Samboan town last year for the Aguinid Falls development; to Tabuelan town for its river cruise project; and to the towns of Badian and Alegria for their canyoneering activities. PNA

Binondo cleared of illegal vendors

Mandaluyong mayors Menchie Abalos and Benhur Abalos meet with the Philippine National Police, real-estate developers, homeowners associations and community leaders regarding Oplan Tokhang against illegal drugs. Manny Palmero

CLARK Freeport, Pampanga—A one-stop shop that will speed up the processing of documents especially for overseas Filipino workers was opened at the Clark International Airport Thursday.

Transportation Secretary Ar-

C1

COOL. A tanned surfer rides the green breakers at the Dangkalan Beach Resort in Taft, Eastern Samar. Mel Caspe

CIVIC. Former

By Romeo Dizon

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

ment (CSSDO) after a series of misfortunes, an Australian has sought refuge in the CSSDO center.

According to Juenalyn Morgia of CSSDO, 52-year-old Mervyn James Edwards refused to go back to Australia despite his embassy’s interventions.

Edwards said he wanted to work as a city government doctor. He reportedly left the center after a fight with two other expats.

Morgia said Edwards still goes to the center for a meal and frequents two popular fast food restaurants for Wi-Fi connection for his laptop.

The documentation had a total funding of P22-million budget with an initial P10 million provided by Clark Development Corp.

Aside from the Neda, the CDC and Pampanga, the other government agencies involved in the project are Clark International Airport Corp., Pag-IBIG

Fund, the Department of Health, the Social Security System, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Professional Regulatory Commission, the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration, the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and the Maritime Industry Authority.

MORE than 100 illegal vendors in Binondo were evicted again on Thursday after Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada ordered another road clearing operation there.

A day after a small group of protesters held a protest rally in front of the city hall, Estrada said the city government’s zero vending policy will continue to be strictly enforced.

“We cannot give in to their demands and compromise the safety and convenience of the thousands of pedestrians, motorists and commuters,” Estrada added.

Members of Task Force Manila Cleanup cleared the stretch of MV Delos Street in Binondo, between Ylaya and Sto. Cristo streets.

Task Force chief Che Borromeo said traffic flow in the street was slowed down by illegal stalls.

“They refuse to follow the orders. They have also occupied a big portion of the roads,” Borromeo said.

Claiming that Estrada’s zero vending policy is killing their livelihood, some 20 protesters

belonging to the so-called United Vendors Alliance and Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) held a rally on Tuesday, asking that the city government be more lenient to them.

But Borromeo expressed doubts about the legitimacy of the protesting group.

He claimed that militant groups just ride on the issue and even go to the extent of “using” vagrants on Roxas Boulevard to pose as vendors.

“You know, the reality is, they just want to make some noise. They tried to get the vendors to join them, but only a few of the vendors did,” Borromeo pointed out.

He recounted that last month, a group tried to persuade vendors in Quiapo, Blumentritt and Divisoria to join the protests but no one participated.

Borromeo clarified that the city government still allows vendors to operate on the side streets if they do not block traffic and dirty up the place and they first secure authorization from the Bureau of Permits at the city hall.

He stressed road clearing operations will continue as instructed by Estrada.

AGRI PACT. Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco, Jr. signed a Pact of Unity with leaders of the National Food Authority Union, the National Federation of Employees Associations of the Departments and Agencies in Agriculture (Nafeda) and the Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees (Courage) on August 2.

The pact aims to protect the rights and welfare of small rice farmers, fisherfolk, consumers, small grain businessmen and rank-and-file government workers.

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LGUs

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

13,793 surrender in Quezon

By Benjie Antioquia

L

UCENA CITY—Philippine National Police Quezon provincial director Sr. Supt. Antonio Llarra reported that the number of drug offenders who submitted themselves to the authorities reached 13,793 after the implementation of the intensified campaign against drugs in the province.

Llarra attributed the huge turnout of drug personalities from various areas in the province to Project Double Barrel and its initial step OplanTokhang, named after the Cebuano phrase “Tok-Tok- Hangyo” or knock and request.

Quezon Police Provincial Office records show that in the 60 days since

July 1, law enforcers visited 7,565 houses of drug suspects on its watchlist to request them to stop their drug habit and cooperate with the authorities.

Of the 13,793 surrenderees, 12,314 are users and 1,479 are pushers. The police office said 1,675 of them were on its watchlist and 12,118 were not listed.

Llarra said 274 operations were conducted and 303 drug personalities were arrested, 145 of this are users and 158 pushers. Also, nine drug personalities were killed in armed encounters with the police.

The Quezon police continue random drug testing to identify personnel using illegal drugs.

Davao to build new landfills

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) has proposed the establishment of sanitary landfills at a cost of P50 million.

Cenro chief, engineer Eliza Madrazo said her office submitted its proposal to the City Administrator’s Office for review.

Madrazo said the current sanitary landfill at New Carmen, Tugbok is good only for the next two years.

She said the P50-million budget is only for the projected landfills in the city, since they are still looking for other possible locations.

The Cenro chief said that they are proposing to establish two landfills in Davao.

“We are proposing to have two landfills, one in the north and the other one in the southern part of the city,” Madrazo said.

When opened, the two landfills will also lessen the work load of the garbage collectors since they will not need to travel far to reach the sanitary landfill in the southern part of metro Davao, she said.

Meanwhile, Madrazo said, the proposed waste to energy project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will be a big boost to the city waste management.

She said that if the project were pursued, the lifespan of sanitary landfills will extend to 10 to 15 years, instead of only five years.

The Cenro collects over 600 tons of garbage everyday, said Madrazo.

GOODIES. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi distributes grocery packages to Zone 1 and 2 Laguerta residents during the Values Formation Seminar at Muntinlupa City Health Office, Laguerta, Tunasan on Wednesday. The local government conducts psycho-social services and training in family health to communities in the city.

Bulacan mall attractions help prevent floods

By Jun David SM CITY San Jose del Monte in Bulacan recently unveiled its newest outdoor attractions that celebrate the beauty and charm of the city, view deck and lagoon.

But more than pleasing the shoppers’ senses, the mall has taken a social responsibility for helping prevent f loods in

its vicinity.

Underneath the lagoon, a Water Catchment Facility aids in collecting up to 13,500 cubic meters of rainwater to thwart flooding in nearby areas. When the rain stops and the flood subsides, the water held in the tank is released through the public drainage system.

A five-minute fireworks display capped the grand opening

of the view deck and lagoon that utilized the natural hillside backdrop which provides relaxation to the biggest retail store patrons.

The two-story-high view deck is accessed through the bridge exit at the lower ground floor Events Center or through the al fresco dining areas of surrounding restaurants. Meanwhile, open-air lounges found in the

upper ground and second floor restaurants also offer a great bird’s eye view.

Clear tempered glass panels f lanking the bridge’s railings provide an unlimited view of the lush scenery, while its cable supports running up to the towering pylon not only add style, they also strengthen the structure.

Below the view deck is a

Ecija throws grand Pokemon Go party IT’S a holiday in Nueva Ecija on Friday and the provincial government is giving Novo Ecijanos a grand treat—an unlimited lure for Pokemon Go. Dubbed as the very first Pokemon Go Grand Lure Party, the event comes with free lures, charging stations, live band performances, games and raffles to celebrate the 120th anniversary celebration

OBSERVANCE.

St. Luke’s Medical Center Quezon City recently celebrated its 23rd Urology Week, with ribbon-cutting led by (from left) St. Luke’s senior vice president and medical director Dr. Jose Moran, Kamuning Bakery Cafe owner Wilson Lee Flores, and St. Luke’s QC Institute of Urology chairman Dr. Dennis Lusaya.

of Unang Sigaw ng Nueva Ecija at 5 p.m. at the Benigno Aquino Freedom Park in this city.

The event will be conducted in cooperation with the office of the governor and the Provincial Youth and Development Council (PYDC) and is sponsored by a telecommunication company.

News of the event delighted some netizens.

“Nice event but please add police visibility in the area to ensure the safety of the players if possible everyday,” said Marius Castillo anticipating a huge attendance of Pokemon Go-crazed trainers.

September 2 was declared an official holiday in Nueva Ecija through Republic Act 7596.

Nueva Ecija was one of eight

provinces that revolted against Spanish rule in 1896, earning a ray of the sun in the Philippine flag.

Besides the Pokemon Grand Lure Party, other activities include the coronation of Binibining Nueva Ecija, recognition of outstanding youth and an agriculture summit at the Nueva Ecija Convention Center in Palayan City. PNA

stunning park, known as the Lagoon, which perfectly complements the organic landscape with decorative plants, a water pond, and eight fountains that come alive at night with colorful lighting.

With its water catchment facility, SM City San Jose del Monte has raised its outdoor enticements to the level of keeping the community safe.

Trike driver’s killers shot POLICEMEN have cornered the suspects who shot dead tricycle driver Micheal Young on August 22 after a video of the shooting captured on CCTV went viral on social media.

Police report showed that at about 11:20 p.m. on August 27 personnel from Precinct 2 received a call from Emergency Hotline 911 regarding an incident of indiscriminate firing involving two unidentified male suspects on Tanigue Street, Dagat-Dagatan Avenue in Caloocan.

Responding policemen spotted the unidentified male suspects armed with handguns who speedily fled on a motorcycle towards C-3 Road and they eventually cornered the fugitives at a checkpoint on Pamasawata, Caloocan City.

Police said the suspects fired at the responding police team, prompting the latter to shoot them dead.

The Northern Police District’s scene of the crime operatives led by Sr. Insp. Sonny Boy Tepace recovered from the crime scene four small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu; a .38-caliber pistol marked Armscor 202 with three live ammunition; three cartridges; one .45-caliber “paltik” (homemade gun) with an open chamber; and one red motorcycle without a license plate.

Further investigation disclosed that the recovered .38-caliber pistol was taken from the security of guard of Maybank by armed suspects wearing bonnets and face masks and who later boarded motorcycles at the corner of 10th and Rizal Avenues.

The investigators are currently waiting for the results of the cross matching examination from SOCO for the confirmation.

Meanwhile, NPD Director Roberto Fajardo commended the policemen for their hard work and timely response. He also thanked public for helping the police fight criminality. Jun David

World

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

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Malaysian PM linked to graft K

uala Lumpur—A Malaysian cabinet minister has admitted that Prime Minister Najib Razak was the mysterious unnamed official who the US Justice Department said took part in rampant looting of state funds.

The admission confirmed wide- “Malaysian Official 1” mentioned spread suspicions that Najib was in a Justice Department lawsuit

filed in July.

The lawsuit—part of US moves to seize more than $1 billion in allegedly ill-gotten assets—repeatedly fingered the official as someone conspiring to divert vast sums from state investment fund 1MDB. Najib, who launched a crackdown last year to contain the spiraling scandal, has so far not

commented on the identity of the unnamed official.

But in an interview with the BBC that aired late Thursday, Minister of Urban Well-Being, Housing and Local Government Abdul Rahman Dahlan admitted it was Najib.

“It’s obvious that the so-called ‘Malaysian Official 1’ referred to

by the US Justice Department is our Prime Minister,” he said in a subsequent clarifying statement.

Rahman Dahlan, who also is communications director for Najib’s ruling coalition, did not address whether Najib committed wrongdoing. But he insisted Najib was not a target of the US lawsuit.

His comments, however, will

add fuel to persistent calls for Najib to step down and face justice.

Tens of thousands of people paralyzed the capital Kuala Lumpur in August 2015 with two days of protest over the scandal.

Last weekend, several hundred protesters demonstrated, demanding that “Malaysian Official 1” be identified and arrested. AFP

10 dead, 40 hurt in Mardan blast PESHAWAR—At least ten people have been killed and 40 wounded after a suicide bomber attacked a district court in the Pakistani city of Mardan early Friday, police said, the latest assault targeting Pakistan’s legal community.

The bomber threw hand grenades before detonating a suicide vest among the morning crowds at the court, senior police official Faisal Shehzad told Agence France Presse.

“At least ten people were killed,” Shehzad said, including two policemen.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes three weeks after a massive suicide blast killed scores of lawyers in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, in Balochistan.

Pakistan’s legal community is frequently the subject of targeted killings and small-scale attacks

by militants, who are also known to hit soft targets such as schools.

Militants on Friday also launched an attack on a Christian colony in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital of Peshawar, 60 kilometers (37 miles) to the west of Mardan.

Relatedly, four suicide bombers who were trying to attack a Christian colony in Pakistan were killed early Friday during a gunfight with security forces outside the northwestern city of Peshawar, the army said.

Soldiers backed by army helicopters exchanged gunfire with militants in suicide vests who had tried to attack the colony near Warsak Dam, just north of Peshawar, the army said.

“Four suicide bombers with arms and ammunition entered the Christian Colony at Warsak after hitting a security guard at 5.50 am (00:50 GMT),” the Pakistan army said in a statement. AFP

Japanese premier meets with Putin VLADIVOSTOK—Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia’s far east on Friday as the countries step up efforts to boost trade ties and resolve a lingering territorial dispute.

Meanwhile, the death toll from a devastating typhoon in northern Japan rose to 14, officials said Friday, as another powerful storm approached the country’s south.

Tokyo-Moscow relations are hamstrung by a row dating back to the end of World War II when Soviet troops seized the southernmost islands in the Pacific Kuril chain, known as the Northern Territories in Japan.

The tensions have prevented the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending wartime hostilities, hindering trade and investment ties.

Abe’s visit to Russia—his second this year—comes days after the Kremlin announced that Putin will travel to Japan in December, his first trip to the country since 2005.

Experts view recent rapprochement efforts as a positive development for Moscow’s trade ties with stalwart US ally Tokyo but doubt that they will result in a resolution of their territorial dispute.

Over the years, leaders from the two nations have tried to make headway on resolving the row but a solution has proved elusive and still looks some way off.

Both sides have confirmed that Friday’s talks—taking place on the sidelines of an economic

forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok—will touch upon the disputed islands.

Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told Agence France Presse that only “frank talks” could pave the way to a peace treaty.

But neither side has signaled it is ready to compromise.

“The two parties are likely to show that they are in favor of a peace treaty but will try not to publicly express their disagreements about the Kuril islands,” Russian political analyst Konstantin Kalachev said.

“Japan is not ready to drop its claims to the islands and Russia will by no means recognize them.”

Foreign minister Lavrov said earlier this year that Russia wants to “move forward” its ties with Japan but is not prepared to budge on the “result of World War II.” Russia has angered Japan recently by building new modern compounds for its troops stationed on two of the disputed islands.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev infuriated Tokyo last year when he visited the islands, which are home to some 19,000 Russians.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters that boosting trade will be “at the heart” of Putin’s talks with Abe—after Japan joined the US and EU to slap sanctions on Russia over its meddling in Ukraine. AFP

MEETING. Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with with Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev (left) during their meeting at the West Lake State Guest House in Hangzhou on Friday. AFP

Quake causes tsunami in New Zealand WELLINGTON—The east coast of New Zealand was hit by a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake before dawn Friday, generating a small tsunami, but officials said there was no significant damage or injuries.

A swarm of aftershocks, several of nearly 6.0 magnitude, rocked the region for many hours after the initial jolt as coastal residents made their way to high ground by torchlight.

But less than three hours later they were advised they could return home after a 30-centimeter (one foot) tsunami was detected.

“The greatest wave height has already occurred, further waves are anticipated to be up to 20 centimeters,” the Civil Defence organization, which is responsible for national emergency management, said.

“Areas under ‘marine and beach threat’ can expect unusually strong currents and unpredictable water flows near the shore.

This means a threat to beach, harbor, estuary and small boat activities.”

However, despite the power of the temblor, East Coast Civil Defense information officer Sheri-

dan Gundry told Radio New Zealand the impact was minimal.

“We haven’t heard any reports of injuries or damage at all,” she said.

“There was power out in a few places but we’ve been let off pretty lightly as far as damage goes.”

The tsunami warning covered the East Coast of the North Island and the upper South Island.

The shallow tremor, off the coast of New Zealand, was estimated at a depth of around 30 kilometers (18 miles), according to the US Geological Survey.

It struck at 4:37am (1637 GMT) and was centered 167 kilometers (103 miles) from the nearest main town, Gisborne, which has a population of around 45,000.

In New Zealand, where earthquakes are common, Civil Defense regularly holds practice drills for coastal residents so they know how to react in an emergency.

Pat Seymour, a local council politician in the Gisborne area, told the New Zealand Herald the earthquake was “quite vigorous.” AFP Manila

Standard

UK artist dreams of united Korea TODAY

HANDSHAKE. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) shakes hands with President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (L) during ceremonial reception at Presidential palace in New Delhi on Friday.

El-Sisi is on a three-day state visit in India. AFP

LONDON—An art installation lit up the memories of Korean refugees on London’s River Thames on Thursday, in a project which artist Ik-Joong Kang said he hoped could spark the reunification of North and South Korea.

The “Floating Dreams” lantern stands three stories high on the Thames, between two of the British capital’s most famous sites—St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern art gallery.

Appearing like an oversized Rubik’s Cube and illuminated from within, the installation is made up of 500 drawings by those who fled their home during the Korean War in the

1950s.

“I grew up in (South) Korea but I always thought, when can the two Koreas be reunited? As an artist what do I have to do?

Why do we have to live separately?” said Kang.

The artist, who has lived in New York since the 1980s, said he hoped the bright light emanating from the installation would contribute to the reunification of North and South Korea.

“It has to be solved right now, now is the time...

Even a big fire can be started from tiny sparks. This is a tiny spark in the Thames, because the Thames in London connects to everywhere,” he said.

Kang created the “Floating Dreams” piece by transferring the drawings by the refugees, now in their 80s and 90s, onto Korean rice paper.

He returned to his native South Korea for the project and, with the help of the Red Cross, Buddhist monks and Catholic priests, encouraged participants to draw their memories of home.

“I wait and I wait and they start talking about their home town; that is the time when they draw,” he said, explaining many participants cried during the process.

“It’s like bumping into yourself in the drawing.

Thinking about your past,

your memory of the past, then you just cry,” said Kang.

Towns, mountains and rivers all feature, while many people have drawn maps so their relatives can trace their origins if it becomes possible to return home. AFP In memory of a loving mother/wife

Beatriz Garcia Castro,

born on July 7, 1951 at Asingan,Pangasinan died on October 25, 2015 at Milan, Italy after a heart attack. She is survived by her husband with 8 children.

(MS-AUG. 20,27 & SEPT. 3, 2016)

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

14 die in birthday cake fire

World

CONTROVERSIAL. A bust of Mother Teresa is seen outside the convent of the Missionaries of Charity In Rome on Tuesday. Mother Teresa, the revered but controversial nun whose work with the dying and the destitute made her an icon of 20th Century Christianity, will be declared a saint on Sunday. AFP

ROUEN—The death toll from a fire in northern France this month, sparked by birthday cake candles, rose to 14 on Thursday after a young woman died in a Paris hospital, a family lawyer said.

The fire quickly killed 13 people, most aged between 18 and 25, after it broke out during a birthday party on August 6 in the Au Cuba Libre bar in Rouen.

Six others remain injured as a result of the blaze.

“The family of Karima Ababsa is sad to announce the death of the young woman this afternoon after a month of suffering,” lawyer Gerard Chemla said in a statement.

The 25-year-old’s condition had deteriorated in recent days and a decision was made to “stop her treatment” in order to put an end to her suffering, the lawyer added.

The increased toll from the fire tragedy was confirmed by the Rouen prosecutor’s office.

An investigation will focus on whether building safety rules were respected at the bar, particularly in relation to fire exits and flammable materials.

It is the highest death toll in a French night spot fire since November 1970, when a blaze at a disco in the east of the country claimed the lives of 146 people, most in their early 20s. AFP

Green activists endangered Dilma files SC challenge to impeachment IMPEACHED Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff filed a Supreme Court challenge Thursday to her removal from office in an immediate blow to new President Michel Temer’s bid to stabilize the country and consolidate power.

The appeal, filed by Rousseff’s lawyer Jose Eduardo Cardozo and seen by Agence France Presse, demands “the immediate suspension of the effects of the Senate decision.”

The Senate voted Wednesday to convict Rousseff on charges of having illegally manipulated government accounts, stripping her of her office and replacing her with Temer, her bitter enemy and former vice president.

Cardozo’s appeal asks for “a new trial” during which Temer—who was sworn in as president up until the end

of 2018—would be downgraded to interim president.

Temer is now in China, attending a G20 summit, while Rousseff remains in the Alvorada presidential palace in Brasilia. She is expected to leave shortly for her personal apartment in the southern city of Porto Alegre.

But the court challenge is only one of the many challenges stacking up for Temer, whose declared mission to fix the economy will require pushing painful reforms through the same hostile Congress that brought down Rousseff.

“There will be no honeymoon,” said Andre Cesar, a political analyst in Brasilia.

“Temer will have to negotiate unpopular measures in Congress and being president is very different to being a legislator, which is the experience he

has,” Cesar said.

Rousseff was convicted by a twothirds Senate majority of taking illegal state loans to patch budget holes in 2014, masking the country’s problems as it slid into economic disarray.

Senators voting for her removal said she had contributed to Brazil’s economic crisis and acted with criminal irresponsibility.

Rousseff, from the leftist Workers’ Party, denied doing anything illegal and claimed to be the victim of a right-wing coup d’etat.

In a surprise move, a Senate vote on barring Rousseff from public office for eight years failed, meaning she is free to reenter political life. The ban had bee n considered by many to be a standard consequence of removal in an impeachment trial. AFP

G

uatemala City— Honduras and Guatemala are the most dangerous countries in the world for environmentalists due to the persecution and even murder of activists, Amnesty International said in a report Thursday.

The London-based global rights group pointed to “an insidious wave of threats, bogus charges, smear campaigns, attacks and killings of environmental and land activists in recent months” in the Central American countries.

Amnesty’s report looks at the plight of “individuals and communities fighting to protect the environment from large-scale mining, log-

Netizens stream live video on FB

Jackie Chan gets honorary Oscar

LOS ANGELES—Action movie star Jackie Chan is due to receive an honorary Oscar, the Academy said Thursday, to recognize a glittering career that has seen him become a cultural icon.

The 62-year-old martial artist, known for his comic timing and acrobatic fighting style, has appeared in more than 150 movies since becoming a child actor in his native Hong Kong in the 1960s.

Film editor Anne Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman will also be awarded Oscar statuettes at the Academy’s 8th Annual Governors Awards in November.

“The honorary award was created for artists like Jackie Chan, Anne Coates, Lynn Stalmaster and Frederick Wiseman—true pioneers and legends in their crafts,” said Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs.

Chan’s Hollywood breakthrough came with “Rumble in the Bronx” in 1996, and he has gone on to be become a global star through the “Rush Hour” movies, “Shanghai Noon,” “The Karate Kid” and the “Kung Fu Panda” series of animated films. AFP

ging and hydroelectrical projects” in the region.

For AI Americas Director Erika Guevara-Rosas, the murder in March of Honduran environmentalist Berta Caceres “seems to have marked a deadly turning point for human rights defenders in the region.

“The lack of a transparent and effective investigation into her killing has sent the abhorrent message that shooting someone, point blank, for standing up to powerful economic interests is actually allowed,” she said.

In Guatemala, the report said activists “have been constantly subjected to smear campaigns aimed at stigmatizing and discrediting them in order to force them to stop their legitimate work.”

The smears include “being falsely accused and prosecuted as a way of keeping them silent,” AI said. AFP

SAVIOR. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes on the role of a superhero in a comic book by US publisher Marvel released on newsstands on Wednesday in Canada. The comic book is a limited edition in English of the series “Civil War II: Choosing Sides.” AFP

SAN FRANCISCO—Facebook Messenger on Thursday added the ability to stream live video, adding a feature enjoyed by fans of rival application Snapchat.

Instant Video lets people broadcast real-time video in Messenger text exchanges, according to a Facebook blog post.

“It’s perfect for sharing quick moments with friends who aren’t right by your side or making your conversations richer by seeing each other face-to-face when you are messaging,” Facebook said of the Instant Video feature.

Instant video was available in the latest version of the Messenger application on mobile devices powered

by Apple or Android software.

People using Messenger can tap on a video icon to begin sharing real-time video, with the sound turned off by default but easily turned on.

“Instant Video is a reflection of the ubiquity of video—we simply expect to have that ability in realtime, all the time,” Facebook said.

The feature also matches one offered in rival Snapchat, the vanishing message service that became a hit with teenagers and lets members share pictures and video clips. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

YOUTH

Jofel Gaddi serves as Brand Republic’s chief operations officer

W

HAT initially started as a showbuying pastime eventually became a brandbuilding endeavor.

Two years ago, three friends—Florente, Mark and Jofel—bought a show from a theater company and decided to put a twist into it. They made it into a play plus a party—complete with a unique social media strategy and eyecatching design artworks for the event.

It turned out to be a big hit and became a nice springboard for the start of an exciting one-stop-shop marketing services company (consultancy, design, events, and premium items) for startups, now called Brand Republic.

Jofel Gaddi, chief operations officer of Brand Republic shares, “We did show-buying just for fun, but it showed us that we complement each other’s strengths really well—Florente for strategic marketing, Mark for design, and I for operations. We thought of forming a business that would duplicate that experience, and its success, more often.”

At 29, Jofel is no stranger to the ins and outs of managing a business.

He co-owns a BPO company that has grown exponentially in the last five years and co-manages his family’s other businesses.

Today, the group feels that they are now ready to go full blast. They have been quite successful in startups that served as their “practice” clients, which were mostly lifestyle businesses: entertainment companies,

The design and creative department of the company is headed by Mark Dayot

Florente Garcia is responsible for the company’s strategic marketing

Power to create

strong brands eco-resorts, and wellness companies like Full Blast Productions, Red Turnip Theater, Aleron, and Prado Farms.

They served as their marketing arm and worked on their marketing plan, including digital presence.

Florente Garcia, chief marketing strategist of Brand Republic says, “It has been a very interesting journey so far. After our first official project, we have been referred to small businesses who wanted guidance on their marketing. We really enjoy the process because we’ve realized that there are many promising start-ups in the Philippines today. They can truly be big if only their great ideas are paired with the right marketing principles found only in established companies. So it has become our goal to be the first choice of start-ups to partner with when it comes to marketing services.”

Coming from solid brand management assignments for companies like Nestle, Philippine Airlines, San Miguel,

and Fonterra Brands Philippines, Florente feels confident that Brand Republic can contribute to the success of various emerging businesses.

On top of the marketing aspect, the business has also been thriving on the design front. Brand Republic says that what works for them is that other than being affordable, the designs they produce has science in it, as it is intrinsically tied to proven marketing strategies.

Mark Dayot, head of design and creative for Brand Republic, explains, “I’ve tried creating design for big companies in the past, but it really is different when you work with new small companies. The possibilities are greater and the approach can be more varied. It gives me a high when I see my work being boosted in social media, used by people on the trade, and displayed on the streets. However, nothing beats that feeling when clients appreciate the fact that we don’t just come up with any design, but we

Titans from the age of ice

EXPERIENCE our planet of billion years ago and be transported to the frozen landscape of the Ice Age. Titans from the Age of Ice let audience see wonders come alive and walk again in this one of a kind exhibit. Get up close and be amazed at the animals that reigned during this glacial period in Earth’s history.

Cool down and hear the tales straight from the tour guides.

Jonathan Gowland of Sparklight, one of the creative minds behind the exhibit, says

D1

that children would love “making a mammoth, they will love the musical. All our tour guides know everything about the ice age.”

“We have activity areas, a photo wall and merchandising areas,” he adds. “It’s 32 animals from millions of years ago.”

Children and adults from the south of the Metro to the north of Manila are invited to make their own mammoths inspired by this extravagant spectacle.

This educational and entertaining visual display will run for the whole month

come up with something that can truly achieve their business objective.”

His formal design training in Sydney, Australia and his previous experience as head of design in their family business (which incidentally is one of the biggest printing companies in the country) has become key to how he responds to client requirements.

The team is very much excited to work with more new businesses in the future.

“As a team, we have decided to invest more of our energies and time here because more than just a business, we see this as an advocacy as well. We want to see more budding companies succeed because the impact is really greater,” explains Gaddi.

How about the cost? Can start-ups afford Brand Republic?

“It is actually very funny because a key realization is that people starting a business really want help in their marketing plan, but are just wary of the costs associated with consultants. In Brand Republic,

for as low as P35,000.00, we can already give you a strategic marketing plan, key designs, and proposals for marketing activities. This is because we believe that it is very important for us to be a worthy investment for these new companies,” Dayot explains.

When asked where the name “Brand Republic” came from, Garcia shares, “Republic actually means that the power is with the people. Blame it on our UP, Ateneo, and La Salle education, but I guess that is what drives us to make this company succeed. The vision is to really empower new businessmen, regardless of how small their new business is, to create strong brands that can build the future. We are sure that doing so will ultimately help us see a Philippines that is fueled by inclusive growth and positively youthful visions.”

For those who want to work with Brand Republic, contact (02) 411-5303 or email ask@brandrepublicph.com.

iPHOTO

of September until Oct. 9 and through Ayala Malls in partnership with Limitless Ventures. Schedule is as follows: Sept. 2-11: Alabang Town Center; Sept.

16-25: Glorietta 5 Atrium; and Sept. 30Oct. 9: Trinoma Cinema Lobby.

Tickets are available at the Alabang Town Center Concierge Area, Glorietta Concierge Area, Trinoma Cinema Lobby and on the 3rd Level of Greenbelt 3. Call (02) 439-6469, 208-8833, 09162403572 and 09983127252 for inquiries.

Diamond Hotel is home to TingTing’s list DIAMOND Hotel Philippines partners once again with social activist and historian TingTing Cojuangco for the second “The Elegant Filipinas, TingTing’s List” on Sept. 22 at the Diamond Ballroom.

The annual event will present TingTing Cojuangco’s choice of “The Elegant Filipina” cited for exemplifying elegance and their contribution to society.

A fashion parade will also be held by one of the country’s outstanding designers Albert Andrada.

The proceeds of the event will provide for the educational needs of the children of the Special Action Force (SAF) 44.

In the photo during the memorandum of agreement signing are (from left) Diamond Hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing Sunshine Robles; Cojuangco; Diamond Hotel General Manager Vanessa Ledesma Suatengco; and Honorary Consul General of Monaco Fortune Ledesma.

32 animals from millions of years ago will headline the ‘Titans from the Age of Ice’ musical

Life

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

IRL (IN REAL LIFE) MENCHU AQUINO SARMIENTO

I

N this digital age, there are still many among us who must touch and smell paper pages, and feel the heft of an actual book in our hands in order to fully enjoy reading. Electronic screens are fine for e-mail and FB, but no substitute for a real book. Snail-paced Internet makes downloading entire volumes tedious. When you’re stuck without Internet in traffic or a doctor’s waiting room, a good book will get you through.

For the thousands who live and work in the Makati CBD, the UCM (Union Church of Manila) Library at the corner of Rada and Legaspi streets is an oasis away from the work station. UCM is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and Saturday and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. The library is closed on Thursday and Friday.

For just P200.00 a year, one can be a UCM Library member and borrow up to five books, periodicals, music recordings or films at a time. The Destiny Library Manager Program allows you to view online its collection of nearly 30,000 items, mostly donations from UCM members and attendees.

An entire wall is devoted to Filipiniana and several shelves to Christian literature. You don’t have to be a paid up member just to read inside the library.

Lounging on the sofas in air-conditioned comfort while leafing through a glossy magazine, or just wandering among the shelves examining books at your leisure, remain simple pleasures in notoriously pricey Makati.

It is said that bad libraries build collections; good libraries build services; and great libraries build community.

At the heart of the UCM Library is its core of 12 volunteers. Rhona Bautista, a professional librarian does the cataloguing, but trained volunteers will help you find what you need. Other UCM friends also conduct community outreach events, such as storytelling with “Uncle” Johann Quisumbing, free outdoor movies in the park across the street, and even seminars on topics such as disaster preparedness and women’s self defense techniques.

Should you suffer pangs of guilt over all the trees slaughtered to make books,

Storytelling with Uncle Johann Quisumbing is one of UCM’s outreach events

UCM Library:

Haven

for mind and spirit

UCM has a renewable initiative with the Legaspi Market organizers every Sunday at the Rodriguez Car Park.

Book lovers may take any book from the UCM Library cupboard by the plant nursery stalls, provided that they also bring a book to replace it. The system is founded on the honesty and human decency intrinsic to every true book lover.

It’s a practical arrangement for those who lack shelf space, and a modest ex-

ample of the gift economy at work.

For the last five years, the annual UCM Book Sale has jumpstarted or built up personal libraries. Hardbound (HB) books are uniformly priced at P50.00 each; softbound (SB) books, even large trade books, at P20.00 each.

This year, the library sold its “retired” books for just P10.00 each. Below, in alphabetical order by title, are 17 books, which I got for only P400.00, roughly

The Union Church of Manila library has 30,000 items that range from books to magazines to video materials

the cost of one brand new paperback – The Assistant by Bernard Malamud (SB); Babiyar by Anatoly Kuznetsov (HB); Great Science Fiction Stories, an Anthology featuring: 2001, a Space Odyssey by Arthur Clarke; A Time of Changes by Robert Silverberg; The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham; I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (HB); Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (SB); More Mystery Cats: An Anthology of Feline Felonies (retired); The Name of the Rose by Umbert Eco (SB); On the Road by Jack Kerouac (SB 25th Anniversary Edition); Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller (SB); The Plague by Albert Camus (SB); Right Ho, Jeeves!

by P.G. Wodehouse (SB); Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally (SB); Spree

Killers: the Enigma of Mass Murder by R. Castleden (SB); Telegraph Avenue

by Michael Chambon (SB); Truth or Dare: A Book of Secrets Shared – J. Picardie, editor (SB); Three for Lord Peter Wimsey by Dorothy Sayers (retired); W. S. Merwin - Selected Poems (SB); and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (HB).

That’s approximately P23.50 per book or a little more than the cost of a daily broadsheet. Think of the trees and water one potentially saves by not being a first time consumer for this commodity that can never be used up. Unless a book is totally physically destroyed, you can keep on re-reading it. For us mere mortals, that’s close enough to forever as we will get in our lifetimes.

5 games that really come alive WHEN choosing gaming laptops, gam- but is equipped with JBL Speakers and have the option to either kill silently or ers would either compare specs, perfor- Dolby Home Theater. With the Y700, extravagantly. Hitman: Absolution can mance, design, and price; or they can gamers can get both stunning visuals be played at the IdeaPad Y700’s highest dive right into their favorite games or and awesome sound in one gaming lap- graphic settings - its picturesque locagames they’ve always wanted to try, top package. tions, fluid character movements, gripand see how well the laptop is able to In the stealth third-person game, Hit- ping action sequences, plus the crisp bring the game to life. One such pow- man: Absolution, players take on the sounds (grunts, groans, shots, clangs of erhouse device that is scoring high with role of skilled assassin Agent 47, who metal) are all so enjoyable on this playplayers in both game and work must rescue a girl, Victoria, the target anywhere gadget. enjoyment modes of agency 47. Players take on disguisThe IdeaPad Y700 has a full-sized is the Lenovo Ideaes, use whatever objects are at keyboard and a number pad that’s Pad Y700. With hand to remove tar- spaced out comfortably and with just the Y700’s gamegets, and the right keystroke travel. The W, A, S, worthy features, top D keys, the default direction keys for PC games based most PC games, are highlighted and on gameplay, stoeasy to see, with no need to glance rylines and pure down and hunt for those keys, a enjoyment are sure move that can make gamers lose to provide hours of their game tempo. Fans inside the topline entertainY700 keep the keyboard, touchment. pad, and palm rest area temperaIn World of ture low, so gamers can comfortWarcraft (WoW), ably keep on playing. players take The post-apocalyptic role-playon the roles of ing game Fallout 4 is set in Boston Warcraft heroes 2287, 210 years after a nuclear war. as they underThe player emerges from a buntake quests, go ker and the gameplay is similar to on adventures, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. and explore Meaning, first and third-person the gargantuan perspectives are available in a expanse of the non-linear gameplay. CompanWarcraft universe. ions can help out with battles The Lenovo and in scavenging (it’s a Y700’s large and viwide dystopian world brant display plus reout there). Gamers sponsive and comfortcan deconstruct able keyboard make buildings the WoW experience and items completely satisfying. and use Gamers can enjoy WoW them on its highest graphic setto cretings. The Y700 not only Lenovo IdeaPad Y700 features specs that make it the perfect machine for casual or ate setgives impressing visuals, hardcore gamers tlements.

The Y700 is equipped with JBL speakers and Dolby Home Theater

The game’s setting and premise are alluring, as are the rich details and room for discovery and the immersive gameplay.

These are just a few of the games that showcase the IdeaPad Y700’s gaming prowess –gamers get quad-core power, awesome graphics, and a total multimedia experience with hi-definition display, booming surround sound, and subwoofer. Gamers just have to put their game face on and don’t have to worry about heating issues because the Y700’s thermal cooling will keep things cool.

Dota 2 is a highly competitive, addicting, and very colourful game enjoyed by pros and casual gamers around the world. Players pick from a selection of heroes and form two opposing teams composed of five players per team. Heroes then fight to control a beautiful, textured, and highly detailed landscape, where cunning, stealth, ingenuity, and teamwork pay off.

A game this addictive and competitive deserves the complete gaming package that is the Lenovo IdeaPad Y700, a portable gaming PC with 6th Generation Intel Quad-Core i7 Processor, NVIDIA GTX 960M 4 GB GDDR5, and Dolby Home Theater. This combination of

specs gives both casual and pro gamers an intense, immersive, and satisfying gaming experience. Practice alone or with friends or maybe even bring the Y700 to a local tournament to up the game. The Y700 weighs 2.6 kilograms, and fits into a large backpack. With its 15-inch frame, it’s also a great portable workstation for on-site work and entertainment.

The Sims 4 is the 4th main installment in The Sims franchise. As with previous games in the series, The Sims 4 lets users create and control a neighbourhood of “Sims,” or virtual people.

The Sims 4 features an improved “Create a Sim,” an updated set of building tools, and comparatively more complex Sims due to the added elements of emotions and some new traits.

If gamers want rich and detailed gaming, the Lenovo IdeaPad Y700 has what they are looking for. Gamers can see the tiniest of details with crisp and vivid colours in the Y700’s Full HD (1920 x 1080) or Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) screen.

With its Frameless UHD Anti-Glare display, gamers can enjoy work, games, browsing, or videos regardless of being outdoors under the sun or indoors with uneven or harsh lighting

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

A

CERTIFIED hit in all Gandang Ricky Reyes Salons are services using the power of Magnesium.

The Healing Facial Treatment and Clean & Cure Therapeutic Foot Massage not only give beauty advantages but wellness improvements as well. Host Ricky Reyes shows how ailments like diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, among others, can be treated with the power of Transdermal Magnesium.

Beauty guru and ‘GRR TNT’ host Mother Ricky Reyes

Filipinos are proven to have extraordinary dance and voice talents locally and internationally.

Bringing honor to the county once again are Pinoy winners from the recently concluded World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA) held in California.

Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT) discovers beautifying water from Japan.

The Omizo Beautifying Water

with its advance filtration technology provides beauty and health benefits as well.

In “Showbiz Express,” the segment features a new GMA7 teleserye set to premiere on Sept. 5. Entitled Someone to Watch over Me, stars Lovi Poe and Tom Rodriguez will be featured in GRR TNT. All these and more 9 to 10 a.m. in Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT) today on GMA News TV.

Health and beauty features

in

‘GRR TNT’

(From left) Cosplayers Haruna Luna and Chun WX and local music act Grace Note will make an appearance at the biggest gathering that focuses on anything and everything anime and Japanese pop culture

Otakus, Japanese culture fans unite at Best of Anime 2016 IT’S that time of the year again for anime fans, cosplayers, and fans of Japanese and Asian culture to ready themselves for one of the most awaited anime-related events in the country. The Best of Anime (BoA) 2016 is set to excite Asian culture fans on Sept. 17 and 18 at Function Rooms 2 to 4 of the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Now on its seventh year, the BoA 2016 is one of the biggest and most exciting events on anime, cosplay, and Japanese culture. The event aims to promote Japanese culture and music through exciting activities and exhibitors that promise to offer anime fans exciting finds. It’s two whole days of guest performances from some of the hottest acts from Japan and the Philippines, meetand-greets with Japanese artists and local and international cosplayers, exciting contests and challenges, fun workshops, and meeting fellow otakus.

This year’s BoA is set to be extra exciting with performances of artists sure to entertain otakus.

Visual kei group Uchusentai:Noiz is back this year. Known for their energetic music and wild costumes, they have also gained a following in the country for their participation in It’s Showtime’s “I Love OPM” segment and their covers of Filipino rock hits “Narda” (by Kamikazee) and “Pinoy Ako” (by Orange and Lemons).

Meanwhile, first timer INKT is ready to perform hits such as “Trigger”. The indie band is headlined by Koki Tanaka, a former member of

the multi-awarded band KAT-TUN, and is known for the creative vibe in their music. A huge star in Europe and the USA, Haruna Luna is also set to take the stage to sing her songs such as “Overfly” and “Kimi Iro Signal”. Known for her sweet looks and deeply soulful voice, she is also one of Japan’s rising fashion models and has graced the cover of many magazines.

Local music fans have something to look forward to with some of the hottest acts on the local music scene gracing the event. Described as “The Country’s Answer to Paramore”, Grace Note is set to perform songs from their latest album Transparent. The band has opened for international acts Nelly Furtado and Second Hand Serenade. One of the most unique groups in the country, Tanya Markova will also perform.

Known for “Picture Picture” and the unique blend of elaborate costumes and a refreshing feel to their music, the band will showcase their style that can only be described as “happy goth meets shock pop”. Now on their 10th anniversary, Callalily will continue to excite anime fans with hits such as “Stars”, “Magbalik, and Pasan”.

The BoA 2016 is also the opportunity to meet and greet amazing cosplayers, not only from the Philippines but all over Asia. One of the best-known cosplayers in the world Taiwan-based Misa has portrayed various characters from both Asian and Western pop culture, ranging from Harley Quinn (Suicide Squad), Misa Amane (Death Note), Hinata

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, September 3, 2016

ACROSS 1 Silents vamp Theda — 5 Delays, with “off” 9 Syrup base 12 Used thriftily 13 Cornhusker city 15 Male elephant 16 Attached 17 Watering places 18 Melville work 19 Win over 21 Evicts (2 wds.)

23 Enjoy a feast 25 Zen riddle 26 Icy remark?

29 Like Beethoven 31 Pilfer 35 Frat letter 36 Emerson opus 38 Maritime 39 Rembrandt paintings 41 Long-distance haulers 43 Auto-parts store 44 Acquired brother (hyph.)

46 Terminal 48 Fleck 49 Mr. Nielsen 51 Edit out 52 Sooner than

53 Viking name 55 Where Anna taught 57 Complicated 61 Made an outline 65 Bronco “brake” 66 Noted soap vixen 68 Tent support 69 Blast-furnace inputs 70 Relish 71 Finish last 72 Drowse off 73 Knight’s wife 74 Coup d’— DOWN 1 — noire 2 Quite similar 3 Organ part 4 Augmented 5 Lack of 6 Ms. Thurman 7 Piece of work 8 Valentino role 9 Type of wrestler 10 Matty of the diamond 11 Intrigue 14 Cravat cousin 15 Sarajevo resident 20 Man Friday

22 Actress Madeline — 24 Moderated 26 Swelter 27 Lorelei’s river 28 Cinnamon goodies 30 Well-known 32 Stay clear of 33 Fog or steam 34 Fill with happiness 37 Cry of dismay 40 Frontier bars 42 Remote

45 Determination 47 Rip open 50 Chalet features 54 Savage 56 Furniture wood 57 Heavy metal 58 Successor to Claudius 59 Contended with 60 Aria ace 62 Old codger 63 Anagram of seal 64 Bug repellent 67 Not prepaid

Hyuga (Naruto: Shippuden), and Tracer (Lena Oxton). One of Japan’s up-and-coming cosplayers Jun Kaise will also grace the event. Best known for her portrayal of Buchou from the Sengoku no Musou game, she has won several cosplay awards in Japan. Returning to the BoA is Sara-Tousa Bao from Singapore, who will once again amaze cosplayers with his detailed takes on characters such as Taiga Kagami (Kuroku’s Basketball) and Rin Matusoka (Free!). Known for her elaborate, selfmade costumes and props and being a member of award-winning cosplay group Team BaLance, Yau from Hong Kong is one of the most well-traveled cosplayers in the world, with guest appearances in conventions such as Animecon in the Netherlands and Haru Matsuri in Vietnam.

Returning “home” to the BoA is Liui, who got his start as a cosplayer as Hiccup at a previous edition of BoA. He has since been a special guest copslayer in different conventions all over the world. Meanwhile, homegrown cosplayer Suzume has established himself as a consistent part of the Top 50 list of WorldCosplay.net.

Current World’s no.1 Cosplayer Chun WX will also grace the event.

BoA 2016 is a co-located event of the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF). Slated on Sept.

14-18 at the SMX Convention, the MIBF is the country’s biggest and longest-running book fair and is considered a go-to event for the book-loving community.

Excitement for ‘Kia Beats’ KIA’S Power to Surprise escalates as the date draws near for the opening salvo of Kia Beats. The bands set to perform have expressed their excitement to be involved in this one-of-a-kind musical event.

The members of Ang Bandang Shirley say that playing with the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra (MMCO) is a dream come true. According to them, “Orchestral collaborations are common in contemporary pop music, but these are usually reserved for big, established artists. The fact that we were selected along with Farewell Fair Weather and Motherbasss is really exciting. We don’t know what to expect.”

The band members from Farewell Fair Weather also chimed, “It’s something that you don’t really see a lot of in the Philippines. Putting up something like this enlightens two different scenes in the music industry and we think that it’s a great idea.”

The musicians also talked about how the process of melding their signature styles with that of the MMCO proved to be less of a challenge than they initially thought.

For Farewell Fair Weather, the formal education that most of their members received at University of Santo Tomas’ Conservatory of Music program meant they shared an appreciation for classical music with MMCO’s arranger and it made the collaborative process a whole lot easier. ”The arranger of the orchestra got exactly where we wanted to go musically.

It’s probably because our musical backgrounds are pretty similar”. The band owes it to the fact that one of their members also plays in an orchestra for a living.

As for Shirley, they say,

“It isn’t that hard because they have incredibly talented musicians and arrangers on their side. We just have to make sure that we don’t mess up our parts due to nervousness or overexcitement”.

The bands both say that they are excited about the performance. They are both focused on bringing a great experience to the audience because it’s not often that you get to watch indie bands collaborate with an orchestra.

Their goal is to make the night an unforgettable one for their fans.

Both groups also shared bits of surprises are in store from their respective playlists.

Farewell Fair Weather is eager to perform their latest single “Sakali” as it is their lone Tagalog song.

They also add, “The song is very dramatic musically and ever since, we first played it as a band, we could hear a possible orchestral arrangement for it.”

Fans of Ang Bandang Shirley in particular will be in for a treat, as the band also announced that they will be releasing a new song exclusively at Kia Beats. According to them, “We thought this new song would be perfect for the show because of its different movements and spaces.”

The bands are looking forward to putting on an amazing show for their supporters and are inviting all of them, Farewell Fair Weather fans, Shirley friends along with the followers of Motherbasss to come catch Kia Beats on Sept. 9 at the Kia Theatre at the Araneta Center presented by Kia Motors and ZIC Lubricants.

Tickets are available at all TicketNet outlets or at http://www.ticketnet.com. ph/KIA-Beats-KIA-Theatre/ EventDetails/453

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2016

Showbiz

I

N THE second semester, GMA Network seems even more aggressive premiering two new shows, one for its afternoon and another on primetime, both for the weekend programming.

One show will replace the funny Lip Synch Battle, the Kapuso edition, and the other joins the roster of afternoon shows on Saturdays.

Superstar Duets premieres tonight Experience entertainment at its finest as GMA Network launches its newest celebrity singing competition Superstar Duets tonight.

A first in the Philippines, Superstar Duets will surely give Kapuso viewers an extraordinary and more enjoyable TV viewing experience as it showcases oneof-a-kind duet performances from 8 Filipino celebrities and surprise international superstars every Saturday night.

All set to host this program is Ultimate Star Jennylyn Mercado while the panel of judges is made up of comedian/ TV host Allan K, Traffic Diva Aicelle Santos and Asia’s Romantic Balladeer Christian Bautista.

Jennylyn said she couldn’t contain her excitement not only to be part of an exceptional comedy- talent show but also to witness how the contestants will execute their performances.

“I’m really excited and looking forward to this show. I know it’s going to be fun kasi singing contest siya na celebrities ang contestants.

Aabangan ko kung paano gagawin ng mga contenders yung performances nila plus yung superstars na makakaduet nila ay magagaling talaga,” the award-winning actress shared.

Teamwork is what Allan K looks for every time he will be judging the contestants. “When you’re in a duet, you’re in a team. So, ang hinahanap ko ay marunong dapat makipagblend sa boses ng kanyang ka-duet, marunong makipaginteract sa kanyang ka-duet.

Hindi siya nagsosolo. Ayoko na nagdu-duet mag-isa. Dapat isipin niya may kasama siya because it’s a team.”

As a singer himself, Christian said it is important that the contestants will make a connection with him in their performances. “I know these artists are going to do everything they can, kaya kung magko-connect yung performance nila sa akin, kung yung puso ko and my being ay mamo-move at matatawa at mag-eenjoy, dun ako. Sa kanya ako.”

On the other hand, Aicelle defines the show as a combination of entertainment and talent so it is an imperative that the contestants should always remember the blending of the two. “Ang Superstar Duets bukod sa kantahan ay very entertaining din. So I think it’s a mix of the two. Syempre yung coherence ng contestants at yung foreign superstar dapat sabay silang dadalhin to the next level sa bawat performance nila.”

Competing to become the first Superstar Duets champion are the witty and funny celebrities Mike “Pekto” Nacua, Joross Gamboa, Jerald Napoles, Rita Daniela, Denise Barbacena, Nar Cabico, Divine Grace, and Osang.

Under the helm of director Bert de Leon, Superstar Duets airs every Saturday night beginning after Magpakailanman on #LIKE Tagisan ng Internet Sensations Meanwhile, this afternoon, after the Saturday edition of Eat Bulaga, GMA’s newest talent reality competition airs the pilot episode of #LIKE! Tagisan ng Internet Sensations.

You’ve seen them on your social media feeds—the new breed of online celebrities worth millions in views, comments, shares and likes!

You followed their hip dance craze—and admit it, probably attempted a video of your own—and laughed at their

Kapuso’s Ultimate Star Jennylyn Mercado hosts ‘Superstar Duets,’ a one-of-a-kind comedy talent show featuring celebrity contestants

ISAH V. RED

Kapuso

preems 2 new shows

today witty memes. You admired their looks, their talents and clicked on their posts over and over again. And now, get to see them in a one-of-a-kind street battle. In a showdown between viral superstars, who will the crowd LIKE the most?

GMA Network premieres the newest talent reality show hosted by “crush at like ng bayan” Tom Rodriguez—#LIKE! Each episode will pit online sensations against each other in individual or group battles to see who has the most hashtag like-able talent. But this time, you won’t see them on the mobile screen, not even in a TV studio, but in your very own barangay.

Who can judge these viral stars better than the Taumbayan Likers made up of 100 barangay members. The act that gets the most LIKEs will be hashtag-blessed to be called the winners.

Are you hashtag excited yet?

Joining like ng bayan Tom Rodriguez as he makes the rounds in barangays is Internet sensation Balang known for his viral dancing stints in the Ellen De Generes Show.

Sarap Diva goes international Today, Sarap Diva will have

international caliber guests.

First on the roster is 1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez. The beauty queen will face Regine VelasquezAlcasid in a one-on-one interview. In the Question and Answer portion, it will be interesting to watch out for what Melanie will answer the Songbird’s questions about the hottest issues in the country these days.

In the talent portion, perfume magnate Joel Cruz comes along with his twins who will show off their talents to the Songbird.

How does Cruz with his two sets of Russian twins divide his time between his business and parenting?

Let’s not forget Songbird’s very own recipe for patato chips that she will flavor with salted eggs.

It’s going to be a morning of songs, title-tattling and eating in Sarap Diva on GMA Network, after Maynila.

‘Superstar Duets’ celebrity contestants Pekto, Joross, Gamboa and Denise Barbacena

Korean Film Festival 2016

at SM Cinemas

#LIKE. Tom Rodriguez and child sensation Balang team up in a new reality show that will visit different barangays in the metro

THE annual Korean Film Festival unreels to showcase five blockbuster and critically acclaimed films at selected SM Cinemas from Sept. 8 to Oct. 16. With “Strong Hearts” as this year’s theme, the festival will feature films with characters with strong personalities and those who pursue their goals and desires with courage and determination, A joint partnership between the Korean Embassy’s Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines and SM Cinema, the film festival will begin its run at SM City Clark in Pampanga from Sept. 8 to 11. This will be followed by screenings at SM Lanang Premier in Davao from Sept. 15 to 18, SM City Iloilo from Sept. 22 to 25, SM City Cebu from Sept. 29 to Oc.1, and at SM City Dasmariñas in Cavite on Oct. 6 to 9. The film festival’s culminating event will be on Oct. 8 to 11 at SM Megamall.

Other partners include the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Film Cultural Exchange Program, the Korea Tourism Organization – Manila (KTO), and the Korea Copyright Commission.

The featured films give us a

glimpse of Korean history and culture. Ode to My Father is a South Korean drama that depicts modern Korean history from the 1950s to the present day. This is seen through the life of an ordinary man, as he experienced events such as the Hungnam evacuation of 1950 during the Korean War, the government’s decision to dispatch nurses and miners to Germany in the 1960s, and the Vietnam War.

Other films highlight different aspects of Korean everyday life.

On the lighter side, there is The Beauty Inside, a story about a furniture designer who wakes up in a different body everyday, regardless of age, gender, and nationality and how he could reunite with his special someone; and How to Use Guys with Secret Tips, a part romantic comedy, part satire of the Korean film industry.

This wacky and charming tale follows and overworked woman’s attempt to improve her relationship with men.

There are also crime and action films such as Confession of Murder, which is about a man who confesses murders he committed by publishing a book and a detective who is searching for the author of the book; and The Suspect, which is about a North Korean agent who tries to uncover the volatile secrets hidden inside the eyeglasses of a dead man after he’s betrayed and has escaped.

For more information and queries, please contact the Korean Cultural Center at 555-1711 or email events@ koreanculture.ph.

The 2016 Korean Film Festival is one of the many interesting cultural events of SM Cinema.