Manila Standard - 2016 September 17 - Saturday

PH to US: Show respect Filipinos no longer America’s little brown brothers—Yasay

By Vito Barcelo

F

OREIGN Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. told US officials in Washington that Filipinos “are no longer the little brown brothers of America” and appealed for mutual respect between allied nations.

“Don’t teach us about human rights,” Yasay said as he defended the government’s war on illegal drugs, which has claimed almost 3,000 lives since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power.

The Philippines understands the sanctity of life and respects everyone’s rights and freedom, he said before the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washingtonbased think tank.

“The two countries should work within the premise of being sovereign equals,” Yasay said against the backdrop of strained relations over US criticism of the rising bodycount in Duterte’s war on drugs.

“We are asking our American friends and American leaders to look at our aspirations. We cannot be forever the little brown brothers of America (as we were) at one point in time. We have to mature, we have to develop, we have to grow,” Yasay said.

Yasay also said that the alliance between US and Philippines should not be conditional and insisted that the Philippines understands the sanctity of life and freedom, which led to the struggle for independence from America in the 1940s.

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UNDAUNTED PUNISHER?. President

Rodrigo Duterte addresses Army Scout Rangers at their regiment training camp in San Miguel, Bulacan Thursday, on the same day a self-confessed hitman, testifying under oath during a Senate hearing, tags him in Davao killings when he was still mayor—claims quickly denied by Malacañang and some members of his Cabinet. AFP

8 high-profile inmates to testify against Leila

By Rey E. Requejo JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday said eight high-profile inmates from the national penitentiary who will testify against Senator Leila de Lima have already been transferred to a military camp.

Aguirre revealed that the two inmates who will testify against De Lima include convicted robber-turned-singer Herbert Colangco and convicted kidnapper Noel Martinez, leader of the Genuine Ilocano, one of the biggest gangs inside the New Bilibid Prison.

Colangco and Martinez belonged to the so-called Bilibid 19, high-profile inmates transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation after authorities found out that they managed to live a posh lifestyle in jail.

From NBI detention, they were transferred to Building 14, a highly secure facility inside Bilbid’s Maximum Security Compound, isolated from other inmates.

Aguirre said 10 to 12 highprofile inmates will testify against De Lima during the legislative investigation by the

VOL. XXX • NO. 217 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

The Punisher: War on illegal drugs continues FOUR months after TIME Magazine Asia edition featured then incoming President Rodrigo Duterte on its cover page as “The Punisher,” the same weekly publication highlighted on its cover a man whose face is wrapped in a packaging tape.

The cover of the magazine’s September 26 issue, already out and available at bookstores in Metro Manila, is seen by ob-

servers as portentous, given the title in white letters “Night Falls On the Philippines” imposed on the background in plain creepy black–color of mourning in predominantly Catholic Philippines.

There was no immediate reaction to the TIME feature from Malacañang or any of the President’s Cabinet men.

“The Punisher” has reference to the 71-year-old Duterte,

who took his oath as President of the Philippines on June 30, who claimed during the election campaign he had criminals in his home city of Davao killed by the Davao Death Squad.

He promised during the campaign hustings in May he would have thousands of criminals slain to make the Philippines, a country of 102 million people–nearly 13 million in the national capi-

Senator’s action got Cayetano’s goat—Koko

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Palace: DDS hitman a ‘perjured witness’ A PALACE official on Friday told Senator Leila de Lima, allegedly the protector of selfconfessed hitman Edgar Matobato, to “do her homework” as he assailed his testimony before the Senate on Thursday.

Calling Matobato a “perjured witness,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said his accusations against President Rodrigo Duterte didn’t hold water and questioned his motives for not making his revelations when Duterte was still mayor of Davao City.

“Why are you saying

tal–safe for the ordinary man in the streets.

In the Sept. 26 issue, writer Rishi Iyengar displayed the writer’s perception of the trajectory of the unrelenting government war on what hitherto was a hardly attended to war in Philippine society–with almost 2,000 supposed drug pushers and drug users killed in police operations as Next page of mid Septrember.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

that [only] now? There is no sane reason for not telling all these things before when President Duterte was still the Mayor [of Davao City.],” Panelo said.

“Second, your handler is Secretary De Lima. Senator, why not reveal that information before?”

In other developments: * Vice President Leni Robredo slammed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano over the “serious” allegations against her and the Liberal Party to which she belongs over an alleged plot to oust Duterte using self-confessed hitman Matobato.

NO WAY. Manila Police District cops throw a protective cordon in

front of the US Embassy beside Manila Bay during an anti-American rally Friday marking the 25th anniversary of the bilateral bases treaty rejection. Danny Pata

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TURNING off the microphone of a fellow senator during a hearing is unacceptable, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said Friday.

He was referring to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who turned off the microphone of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, who had been questioning confessed hit man Edgar Matobato during Thursday’s hearing on summary killings by the justice committee led by Senator Leila de Lima.

Matobato had claimed that President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the killing of criminals and

Binay sees anti-Du30 ‘telenovela’

LIFT AND THRUST. A go-go

man in Manila’s tourist Malate district offers his Flying Bird Flapping Its Wings for P100 which can negotiate 50 yards up, almost like an ornithopter, an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings– imitating the flapping-wing flight of birds, bats and insects. Lino Santos

By Joel E. Zurbano FORMER vice president Jejomar Binay dismissed hearings at the Senate that tagged President Rodrigo Duterte as the brains behind the Davao Death Squad, saying they were in aid of demo-

lition, not legislation.

“What we saw Thursday at the Senate was a replay of the demolition telenovela against the former vice president,” Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado said in a statement.

“Every rumor, half-truth, and

hearsay broadcast or published; every accusation accepted and presented as truth--complete with dramatic pauses and gestures--by some senators,” he added. ”Once again, a political personality--this time no less than the President Next page

Gloria cleared in ZTE mess Oust-Rody prank fails to catch fire

“IT ain’t no sin if you crack a few laws now and then, just so long as you don’t break any.”

That was how the Sandiganbayan concluded its decision junking the remaining corruption case against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo over the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) project involving the Chinese multinational company ZTE Corporation.

The court’s fourth division quottwitter.com/ MlaStandard

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

thestandard.com.ph

ed the 1937 American movie “Every Day’s A Holiday” in granting two demurrers to evidence in the graft and ethics cases lodged against Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo and former elections chief Benjamin Abalos.

The former leader’s lawyer Lawrence Arroyo said Arroyo was deeply grateful for the decision that was filed against her in 2011, a year into the adminisration of former President BeNext page nigno Aquino III.

A GROUP opposed to President Rodrigo Duterte called on people to converge at the Edsa People Power Monument on Friday to press for Duterte’s resignation, but no one came.

In a text message through Next page

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Binay...

From A1 himself--has been declared guilty even before the start of the hearing.

Once again, senators are lawyering for a witness, and the public is treated to a barrage of shocking but unsubstantiated statements on live radio and television,” said Salgado.

Salgado said no family should go through the harrowing experience of the Binay family at the hands of Senate inquisitors.

“But no less than President Duterte and his family have been pilloried on live television by senators with patently political motives.

And this looks like just the warmup,” he said.

Salgado added that the Senate does not have the competence or the authority to determine criminal liability.

“Only the courts can determine guilt or innocence, not the Senate, and specially not senators with political motives.”

He also accused senators belonging to the Liberal Party of being behind the attacks.

“Thursday’s hearing is a page from the Liberal Party [LP] playbook, with a minor casting change: It’s now [Leila] De Lima and [Antonio] Trillanes as BFFs, with Senator [Alan Peter] Cayetano as the spurned ex-friend. Having said that, we cannot help but be amused by the antics of Senators Trillanes and Cayetano.”

“Cayetano’s conversion into a born-again advocate of due process and the rule of law is hilarious, considering that he lawyered for the accusers of VP Binay during the Blue Ribbon sub-committee hearings. At least, Trillanes was true to form as the Session Hall bully, this time intimidating his erstwhile BFF. These two deserve each other,” said Salgado.

Solons frown on ‘extra powers’

By Maricel V. Cruz

S

OME lawmakers frowned on the proposed emergency powers being sought by the Department of Transportation for President Rodrigo Duterte to solve the country’s traffic woes, saying there is no legal justification for it.

During the House committee on transportation hearing on President Duterte’s proposed emergency powers through the Transportation department, Rep. Harry Roque Jr. of Kabayan party-list and a member of the House minority bloc, said there is no need for Congress to grant emergency powers to Duterte as the pro-

visions embodied in the draft proposal submitted by the DOTr to lawmakers are already covered in the Constitution.

“If the term ‘emergency’ as stated in the Constitution were to be defined in its common meaning, an emergency should be sudden, unforeseen, and dangerous,” Roque said.

Roque said the present traffic situation could not be considered as “unforeseen and sudden” since the problem has been plaguing the busy streets in Metro Manila, including Edsa.

Responding to Roque, DOTr Undersecretary Raoul Creencia said “we consider this a problem. We consider this a crisis.”

Creencia pointed out that the current traffic woes plaguing not only the busy streets of Metro Manila but also in major seaports and airports have the “magnitude of a national emergency.”

“Given the effect of congestion not only on land but also air congestion and given the [Japan International Coopera-

tion Agency] computation of economic losses we incur every day, it is our position that these be considered, as in most versions of the bills we’ve seen, as a national emergency,” Creencia stressed.

Roque raised suspicion that the special powers being sought by the DOTr for President Duterte are a “blanket authority to completely disregard the laws.”

“The DOTr’s request for emergency powers is not something we can take lightly... Emergency powers should be granted only under very pressing circumstances,” Roque, a lawyer, pointed out.

He also said that traffic crisis can be effectively addressed through political will to implement the laws and resolve to stamp corruption in the agencies tasked to enforce traffic laws and rules.”

Surigao Rep. Prospero Pichay also shared Roque’s view that the proposed provisions of emergency powers are already provided for in the present laws.

“All the president has to do is to de-

PH...

Oust-Rody...

From A1 cellphone number 09994551233, the group asked the public Thursday night to attend a rally on Edsa at 3 p.m. on Friday to call for Duterte’s resignation.

“Let’s converge, let’s unite vs Duterte. Please attend today’s rally at EDSA People Power Monument, 3 PM, and let us call for his resignation,” the text message said.

“This will be spearheaded by the Duterte Resign Movement, Magdalo and other political personalities.

Walang alisan dito, tuloy-tuloy tayo pls! Please pass.”

The leader of the Duterte-resign movement remained unknown after it called on people to converge on Edsa a day after the Senate committee on justice and human rights led by Senator Leila de Lima presented a witness who said Duterte was behind the series of summary killings in Davao City when he was its mayor.

“You do not go to the Philippines and say, ‘I’m going to give you something. I’m going to help you develop, I’m going to help you grow. But these are the checklists you must comply with. We will lecture you on human rights.’ No. We know that our goal is toward the full respect for human rights in accordance with international norms,” Yasay said.

However, Yasay assured Washington of continued and strong relations, noting that the Philippines is one of America’s oldest and closest allies.

He added that the Philippines is committed to a defense cooperation agreement signed by the previous administration that will give US troops access to five Philippine military bases.

Yasay also said the Philippines will only discuss its territorial row with China on the basis of a recent international tribunal ruling supported by Washington.

Some of Yasay’s statements seemed at odds with Duterte’s recent declarations.

In less than three months on the job, the 71-year-old Duterte has used expletives in talking about US President Barack Obama and vowed to end cooperation with the US military in both fighting terrorism and patrolling the disputed South China Sea. He’s moved to boost economic and defense ties with China and Russia.

While Duterte is unpredictable —one day calling China “generous” and the next threatening a “bloody” war if Beijing attacked— his behavior has undermined US efforts to rally nations from Japan to Vietnam to Australia to stand up to China’s military assertiveness.

In doing so, he risks shifting from the 1951 Philippine-US defense treaty, which has been a bedrock of American influence in the region. While Duterte has said he’ll respect the alliance he’s repeatedly stressed the need for an “independent foreign policy” and questioned America’s willingness to intervene if China were to seize territory in the South China Sea. “This could be the game changer for the South China Sea situation in general and Sino-US regional competition specifically,” said Zhang Baohui, director of the Center for Asian Pacific Studies at Lingnan University in Hong Kong.

“Duterte’s foreign policy may dramatically shift the geo-strategic picture of the region, leaving China in an advantageous position versus the United States.”

One of the biggest benefits for China is the potential for a deal over the South China Sea. Just weeks after Duterte took office in late June, an international arbitration panel ruled that China’s claims to most of the waterway had no legal basis—a win for the Philippines in a case brought by Duterte’s predecessor.

While Duterte has said he’ll respect the ruling, he’s signaled he’s open to talks with China, the country’s biggest trading partner, and he did not push for the ruling to be mentioned in the communique last week from a summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Laos. Before taking office, he said he’d consider setting aside territorial disagreements to get a Chinese-built railway.

In July, Duterte sent former President Fidel Ramos to Hong Kong to explore common ground with China. Ramos later called for a bigger role for the Philippines under China’s plan to link ports and other trading hubs throughout Asia to Europe.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Wednesday that China is aware of reports on Duterte’s comments regarding military cooperation, but had no specifics. She said that China “will work with the Philippines to promote and renew normal exchanges and cooperation in different fields.”

Japan’s new defense minister said Thursday her nation would step up activity in the South China Sea, in comments made less than two weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping urged Japan to “exercise caution” in the waters.

“Japan on its part will increase its engagement in the South China Sea through, for example, Maritime Self-Defense Force joint training cruises with the US Navy, bilateral and multi-lateral exercises with regional navies, as well as providing capacity building assistance to coastal nations,” Tomomi Inada said in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

While not a claimant in the complex web of territorial disputes in the water bisected by vital shipping lanes, Japan has frequently urged all parties to adhere to international law and refrain from trying to change the status quo. Japan has also provided assistance to the coastguards and navies of Southeast Asian nations and has its own, separate territorial dispute with China.

In the speech at the Washington think tank on her first visit to the US as defense minister, Inada singled out China for its reclamation of land around maritime features in the water and expressed support for the US Navy’s freedom of navigation operations there.

“Coercive attempts to change the facts on the ground and upend the prevailing norms do not serve anybody’s interest,” she said. “Unfortunately, what China has been doing recently in the East China Sea and South China Sea is just that, and it is raising serious concern in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.”

Earlier this month, Xi met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for the first time in almost a year and a half. During the discussions on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Hangzhou, China, Xi said Japan should “exercise caution in its words and deeds” on the South China Sea issue, Xinhua news agency reported.

Inada, who last month became the second woman to be appointed Japan’s defense minister, is known for embracing causes that irritate Japan’s biggest trading partner. She is a frequent visitor to Yasukuni Shrine, seen by many in China as well as South Korea as a symbol of Japan’s past military aggression in Asia.

In her speech, however, she also emphasized that the defense ministry would “keep the door open” for constructive dialogue with China, and that she was committed to accelerated talks on a maritime and air communication mechanism between the two countries to prevent unplanned collisions in disputed areas of the East China Sea. With Bloomberg

any basis [for it].”

Pimentel also said heckling a fellow senator was foul.

“I hope turning off one’s mike or whispering to a fellow senator when he is speaking, which seems liked heckling, won’t happen again,” Pimentel said.

He urged his colleagues to maintain their respect for each other to make sure the work of the Senate would not

be affected by personal differences.

Cayetano had insisted he wanted to test the credibility of Matobato. He wanted to prove he was part of the demolition job of the Liberal Party to grab the presidency from Duterte and replace him with Vice President Leni Robredo.

But Trillanes turned off his mike when it appeared he was taking too much time questioning Matobato.

From A1

8Fromhigh...

A1 House of Representatives next week on the proliferation of illegal drugs at National Bilibid Prison.

The other high-profile inmates will be coming from other penal colonies under the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Aguirre hinted that the witnesses will testify how the money was collected from them, a practice that started in 2013, allegedly in preparation for De Lima’s 2016 Senate run.

The inmates will also narrate how convicted car thief Jaybee Sebastian ordered them to collect funds and remit sales from drugs to De Lima’s campaign kitty.

“Sebastian ordered them to sell 20-30 kilos of shabu a month to collect funds. They even had disagreement because of that,” Aguirre said.

Despite living a posh lifestyle, Sebastian was not among the 19 inmates transferred to the NBI. He was only transferred to Building 14 in October last year.

“De Lima went to the Bilibid. She didn’t oversee any inspection, but she went straight to Jaybee Sebastian’s hut,” the Aguirre said.

The Justice secretary said the witnesses had their own lawyers, and said he has not spoken with them, nor promised them any concessions or benefits in exchange for their testimony.

“They volunteered to testify.

Their affidavits were handwritten and signed and these were all recorded in a video,” Aguirre said.

On Friday, Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said the supply of illegal drugs in the country has gone down by 80 percent to 90 percent as a result of the government’s war on drugs.

“The good news is that we have significantly reduced the supply of illegal drugs in the country by some 80 to 90 percent,” Dela Rosa said in Legazpi City. “We are posting tremendous gains and slowly but surely winning the streets from the illegal drug menace.”

clare there’s crisis in transportation.

With that, you can do everything,” Pichay said.

Earlier in the hearing, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade appealed to lawmakers to approve the emergency powers they sought for the President.

“Promise ho para sa kabutihan ito ng nakararami. Promise ho walang abuso.

Promise ho FOI [Freedom of Information] compliant kami,” Tugade told the transportation committee panel chaired

by Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento.

Traffic has made life miserable for most Filipinos, Tugade said. Much time and resources are wasted in the street instead of family and livelihood, Tugade said.

Also in the hearing, Tugade said government will take over the printing of driver’s license to address the 1.1 million backlog and local production of car plates with a shortage of 6.6 million instead of importing these abroad.

SIMULATED SCENARIO. Troops from the Philippine Army’s Scout Rangers regiment take a fortified posi-

tion as they simulate a hostage rescue scene during a vist by President Duterte aqt their training camp in San Miguel, Bulacan on Thursday. AFP

The Punisher...

From A1 Iyengar says, “According to figures provided to TIME by the Philippine national police, 1,506 people had been killed in police operations as of Sept. 14, just over two months since Duterte took office.

“The rest were likely killed by vigilantes who may have been inspired by Duterte’s words―deaths the authorities say they are investigating.”

Iyengar documents the death of

Gloria...

From A1 “[Mrs. Arroyo] has always kept her faith in the judiciary and our courts have not failed to fearlessly render justice. Our courts have not allowed themselves to be swayed by public opinion or perception,” the lawyer said in a statement.

He said the courts’ decisions to grant their demurrers in the NBNZTE case, PCSO case, and the P5.4million civil suit filed against her by a religious group proves the charges she faced were all weak.

In its decision, the Sandiganbayan said the prosecution failed to prove that Arroyo was interested in personal gain from the NBN project, which re-

Palace...

From A1 “To me, the allegation is too serious. For me, we can just take this with a grain of salt,” she said.

“As I said earlier, let us just stay vigilant.” * In Davao City, the legal counsel of Supt. Leonardo Felonia, the alleged brains behind the killing of Cebu-based hotelier Richard Lim King, said he was studying to use the statements of the Matobato to prove his claim that Felonia had nothing to do with the killing.

Caesar Europa said Matobato’s statements corroborated his client’s claim that he was innocent. * The Armed Forces of the Philippine said Friday it had no records

Senator’s...

From A1 suspects when he was mayor of Davao City. He also claimed that Duterte personally gave them the order to kill, abduct and assassinate people.

But Trillanes turned off the microphone in front of Cayetano to stop him from his lengthy questioning of Matobato.

Restituto Castro, shot in the back of his head after an alleged drug dash for his friends.

In the meantime, Duterte’s habitual use of irreverent words was also given attention, according to the article, citing an oft repeated rape joke disclosed on the campaign trail and the recent remarks he made about US President Barack Obama after he was pressed about the issue of human rights.

“I don’t care about human rights, believe me. There is no due process in my mouth,” Iyengar quoted Duterte,

describing the former city prosecutor and congressman “unapologetic” towards the end.

Iyengar also shares the perspective of some police officers: “This is the first time that the President or the administration are really focused on eradicating illegal drugs. The support of the President makes it very encouraging for the law enforcer.”

Beyond the 1,506 individuals who died in police operations, Iyengar added nearly 700,000 people with drug-related offenses have surrendered out of fear.

quired the discretionary approval of the National Economic and Development Authority board which Mrs. Arroyo chaired when she was President.

The Sandiganbayan said the cancellation of the contract on Oct. 2, 2007 proved that Arroyo was not interested in seeing the implementation of the project because she was looking forward to personal gain.

Even the fact that Arroyo met with officials of ZTE Corp. in Shenzhen, China in November 2006 did not prove that she accepted favors or gifts from foreign officials.

“There was no clear and indubitable proof presented by the prosecution that accused PGMA was the recipient. As a matter of fact, there was no evidence introduced on who made the payment,” the ruling read.

The court said the prosecution failed to prove that the NBN-ZTE contract was “grossly and manifestly disadvantageous” to the government.

The Sandiganbayan likewise took the prosecution to task for failing to establish the supposed conspiracy between the three officials and thentransportation secretary Leandro Mendoza for the contract to be signed.

“This failure to specify the circumstances establishing conspiracy among the four accused is violative of their right to be informed of the accusations hurled against them,” the court said.

With the project cancelled during the Arroyo administration, the Sandiganbayan said there was no longer any contract to refer to when the Ombudsman filed the cases against the former President in 2011.

on the existence of a certain Sali Mukham, an alleged international terrorist executed by Matobato and other members of the “Davao Death Squad” in 2002. * National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran denied any links to Matobato, who claimed that he worked with him for 15 years.

“I know Matobato as a witness but he has never been a part of my work before in Davao, “ Gierran said Friday. * Due to the refusal of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to give protective custody to Matobato, Senator Leila de Lima said Friday she was withdrawing their request and bringing it back to her committee, saying the matter was not a prerogative of the Senate President.

Duterte’s chief legal counsel said the testimonies of Matobato were obviously lies, adding the witness could not even remember the names of the victims they had killed.

“His facts are all convoluted,” Panelo said.

“Where can you see someone who confesses to a crime but doesn’t know whom he killed? So you cannot even sue him because there is no victim. It’s very obvious that he’s lying.”

Testifying for the first time, Matobato, 57, tied Duterte to the alleged Davao Death Squad, which is said to be behind the killings of thousands of criminals and suspects when he was Davao City mayor.

Matobato said that Duterte personally gave them the order to kill, abduct and assassinate people.

Pimentel expressed hope that the incidence would not be repeated, and that he planned to talk to Trillanes about the matter.

“I hope there will be no more physical interference in the physical space of a senator [to the point of turning off his mike],” Pimentel said.

He made his statement even as Senator Panfilo Lacson said he doubted Matobato’s credibility but rejected

the claim that the Senate hearing on summary killings was part of the Liberal Party’s plan to reclaim Malacañang. Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, belongs to the LP, which was then the dominant party.

“I won’t buy that,” Lacson told dzMM radio.

“With all due respect to APC [Alan Peter Cayetano], it would appear that his projection was too far. I don’t see

News IN BRIEF Asean legal portal open

by January LEGAL information and materials across Southeast Asia may soon be accessed for free with the launch of an online portal— the first in the region—starting January next year.

In partnership with state-run University of the Philippines and other leading law schools in the region, the online legal portal is being promoted by Kuala Lumpur-based Asean Legal Information Centre and Malaysia’s University of Malaya.

“Asean LIC, when it will be launched in January 2017, will be directly beneficial to the Asean legal community because it provides latest updates of Asean legal developments to all visitors free of charge,” Asean LIC Executive Director Rajesh Muttath said.

A3

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DoF unveils tax plans, other reform programs

By John Paolo Bencito

F

INANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has unveiled a comprehensive tax reform plan as part of the Duterte administration’s broader reform program for inclusive growth.

“Tax reform is needed because we now have the tax system that is inequitable, complex and inefficient,” Dominguez told congressmen during a hearing on his agency’s budget for next year.

He said the Department of Finance estimates that the new tax plan will mean a revenue loss of P198 billion but a gain of P566 billion for a net gain of P368 billion.

The tax plan is bundled into

four packages, consisting of a reduction in personal income tax rates to a maximum of 25 percent, except for the highest income earners, and; lowering corporate tax rates to 25 percent, along with simplifying other corporate income tax provisions to improve compliance.

The plan also includes lowering estate and donor tax rates to around 6 percent and harmonizing capital income taxes regardless of currency, maturity and type towards 10 percent so that low-income depositors pay less on the interest income and the rich pay more.

To offset revenue losses from these tax cuts, the DoF has proposed to limit value added tax exemptions only to raw food, health and education; increase excise taxes on petroleum products; levy taxes on sugary drinks, and; relax bank secrecy laws in fraud cases.

To protect vulnerable sectors from the impact of these new taxes, the government also plans to expand its conditional cash transfer programs and provide public transportation subsidies.

To help cancel out foregone revenues from the lowering of corporate income tax rates,

Dominguez said they will rationalize incentives towards a “more transparent, performancebased, targeted and time-bound system” and provide sunset provisions to existing incentives.

The DoF also plans to expand the coverage of the Fiscal Incentives Review Board to include all incentive recipients beyond government corporations; replace the gross income tax earned rate of 5 percent to a reduced corporate income tax rate of around 15 percent; limit the VAT-zero rating to direct exporters and give VAT refunds in cash; and remove the use of tax credit certificates.

Villar sells agri-travel in China SENATOR Cynthia Villar promoted the Philippines as an agri-tourism destination as she led the Philippine delegation at the China-Asean Expo held in Nanning, Guangxi, China.

The Philippines’ theme this year is agri-tourism supplementing the bid to promote the Philippines as a destination of choice for agri-tourism. The theme is anchored on “Farm Tourism Development Act of 2016,” enacted into law as Republic Act 10816 last May. “The Philippines is blessed with abundant natural resources, biological diversity and cultural heritage. Our country has what it takes to take a strong lead in agri or farm tourism, that is the main motivation for me, my fellow legislators and industry stakeholders to put in place an enabling law that improve the industry standards, professionalize the industry players and boost the growth of the industry,” Villar said in her speech at the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center. Macon Araneta

Recto wants live video of projects SENATR Minority Leader Ralph Recto said one way to hasten the completion of traffic jamcausing road constructions is to install a camera which would allow Department of Public Works and Highways officials and the public to monitor progress, or the lack of it, real-time.

“If CCTVs are now being trained on government office workers, work on critical government infrastructure can also be livestreamed,” said Recto.

He noted that live-streaming is one IT-based “helper” that enables transparency in large-scale public works undertaking.

For “big-ticket flagship” projects, Recto said footage of jobsite cameras can be fed to Malacañang, where President Duterte can see it. He said Duterte can benefit from having a war room solely dedicated to monitoring infrastructure projects. Macon Araneta

ASSERTING INDEPENDENCE. Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. speaks at the Center for Strategic and International Studies headquarters in Washington D.C. about current Philippine foreign policy under President Rodrigo Duterte. (Story on A1) AFP Photo

House panel ends budget hearings DFA

By Maricel V. Cruz THE House committee on appropriations has wrapped up its budget hearings for the proposed P3.35-trillion General Appropriations Act and will now proceed with final tweaks on next year’s national expenditure program before presenting it to the plenary for approval.

The panel chairman, Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, said his committee started conducting pre-plenary briefings prior to the commencement of plenary deliberation tentatively by September 27.

Nograles said that he is hopeful that all is-

sues about the proposed budget for every department, including the concerns of some lawmakers which were not addressed by agency representatives during the first round of appropriations hearings, will be ironed out and tweaked during the pre-plenary conferences.

“What we want is to bring everything on the table to iron out all the problems before we present the budget for plenary deliberations,” Nograles said.

“This is President Duterte’s maiden budget and I hope that we can really fast-track the process so that we can move on to other pressing legislative matters such as the proposed consti-

tutional change and the fight against contractualization,” Nograles added.

On September 19, Nograles said his committee will present the Department of Agriculture, the National Food Authority, the Pasig Rehabilitation Commission, the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.

Last Thursday, Nograles said his panel has already completed the pre-plenary conferences for the Department of Energy, the Energy Regulatory Commission, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Agrarian Reform.

6 in JBC shortlist for tax appeals court

By Rey E. Requejo THE Judicial and Bar Council has transmitted to President Rodrigo Duterte a shortlist of six nominees for the lone vacancy at the Court of Tax Appeals, which is mandated to hear and resolve tax cases.

During its session on Friday, the sevenman JBC shortlisted the following appli-

cants: Caloocan City Regional Trial Court Judge Lorenza Bordios, who is a native of Davao and a graduate of San Beda College of Law; Catherine Manahan, the chief of staff of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III. The JBC also included in its shortlist Manila RTC Judge Ma. Celestina Cruz-Mangrobang, Mandaluyong City RTC Judge Esteban Tacla, Pasig RTC Judge Rowena San Pedro

IMPROVING HEALTH.

Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez helps senior citizen Virginia Laurino of Tanauan, Leyte in trying out a new wheelchair from the Department of Health.

Ver Noveno

and San Miguel Corp. tax lawyer Ruby Sison.

Only six members of the JBC chaired by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno participated in the shortlisting of nominees for CTA post because retired RTC Judge Toribio Ilao, representing the JBC Private Sector has yet to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.

Honor honest workers, lawmaker urges House A CONGRESSMAN urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to honor the honesty of two House employees who returned the cash he inadvertently left at his seat in the plenary hall last Tuesday.

Cebu Rep. Jonas Cortes, in a letter to House Secretary General Cesar Pareja, asked the lower chamber to give due recognition to Michael Mark Quimora and Crispin Jasareno, of the Janitorial Services assigned to the plenary hall of Congress, for returning the P19,500 cash he left at the session hall.

Cortes said that honoring Quimora and Jasareno for being “the epitome of integrity and honesty in the service” is “an acknowledgement of the act which

is more important than the letter or any award we may decide to give to our honest employees.”

Cortes recalled that last Tuesday, he left the P19,500 cash at his seat in the session hall “not knowing, I left something, I went home and went about with my usual duties.”

He said he was surprised that the following day, Quimora and Jasareno went to his office and returned the money without asking for any reward.

Cortes said that their act of honesty must be emulated by other people.

“There can be no better way to appreciate someone for their integrity and honesty,” Cortes said in his letter to Pareja dated Sept. 14.

Maricel V. Cruz

probes envoy

By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said it will investigate a complaint filed by a domestic helper against a top Philippine diplomat for alleged maltreatment.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Charles Jose said the department will seriously take the complaint leveled against ambassador Lourdes Yparraguirre, the Philippines the Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Milagros Braza has sought the help of migrant worker advocacy group Blas F. Ople Policy Center, who claimed to suffered verbal abuses and was forced to work to the official’s other relatives without extra pay.

“We have taken note of this and of course we take this matter very seriously,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told reporters.

Jose they have already refer the matter to the appropriate office to look into the complaint but he said the DFA would ask Yparraguirre to explain her side.

“It is also important that we get the side of our own people on this issue,” Jose said during a press conference.

“The matter has also been referred to the DFA Human Resource department, which will make the appropriate action on Yparraguirre, a seasoned career diplomat and a lead negotiator for the Philippines-United States negotiations on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement in Manila and Washington DC,” Jose said.

“We have just referred this so we will see what action our personnel office will take regarding this matter,” Jose said.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

T

Adelle Chua, Editor

Another day, another list

HE President says he will make public, and soon, a list of more than 1,000 politicians and policemen involved in the drug trade.

This won’t be the first.

Since Mr. Duterte came to power, he has read from at least two lists containing names of judges, local executives and military officials allegedly protecting or directly

involved in illegal drugs.

The results of the revelations have been varied.

The most common reaction of those named is to deny any involvement whatsoever and invoke their own efforts in the fight against drugs. Police officials present themselves to their superiors, also protesting their innocence.

Some cannot do so because they are dead.

President Duterte says the “very thick” list is now being vetted. That some vetting is going on gives us a

measure of comfort. We trust that the President, who was a prosecutor before he forayed into local politics, appreciates the value of hard proof especially in a country that is prone to pronounce people guilty or innocent by perception—nothing else.

If the list, for instance, included truly innocent individuals, imagine the havoc that their inclusion could create in their and their families’ lives. Reputations built over many years of hard work and integrity will crumble in a day. They will become

hapless targets of vigilantes and other groups that believe simply getting rid of suspects is the best way to wage the war against drugs.

And even if the accusations turn out to be legitimate, the process should not end with the naming and shaming that accompanies the list. Cases should be filed in courts, all of which should have the capacity to hear and render judgment.

The merits should hinge on the evidence, not on the suspect’s wealth or political affiliation. Trial should be

swift: protracted processes deny justice to both the accused and the public.

Anytime soon, then, we expect to be regaled again with a late-night or earlymorning announcement from an angry President.

But while this new list will give us more to talk about, it will also make us rethink what we have done about the other previously named, and what will become of these new names once yet another set of names is released. Certainly a list will never stand on its own.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Pasig’s rapid decline under the Eusebio dynasty

Let the women suffer POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO THE Supreme Court’s decision to NOT lift the Temporary Restraining Order against the use, distribution, and promotion of subdermal implant contraceptives (Implanon and Implanon XT), as well as the registration and recertification of other contraceptives, is a huge blow against tens of millions of Filipino women.

In the immediate term, this decision affects mostly the poor women who depend on government for their family planning supplies and services. In the long run, even women who can afford to buy their contraceptives will be deprived of their human right to make decisions about planning their pregnancy.

The SC, in effect, may have unwittingly allied itself with those who are exerting all efforts so the reproductive health law becomes useless.

RH law timeline Let us review what the RH law has undergone so far. It was signed

into law by former President Benigno Aquino III on December 21, 2012. On the first working day after the holidays (January 2, 2013), anti-RH groups trooped to the SC petitioning the Court to declare the law unconstitutional. In response, the SC issued Status Quo Ante Order on March 19, 2013.

This put the law’s implementation on hold. The SQAO was indefinitely extended on July 16, 2013.

After the oral arguments, the SC on April 2014 declared that the RH Law is NOT unconstitutional, save for some provisions.

This was the only time when the law could be implemented. However, after just over a year, on May 13, 2015, anti-RH groups again petitioned SC alleging that FDA abused its powers. In response to this, the SC issued a TRO in June 2015 prohibiting the Department of Health and its agents from providing women with contraceptive subdermal implants, Implanon and Implanon XT. The TRO also stopped the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) from registering new contraceptives.

On August 24, 2016, the SC promulgated another decision (released only a few days ago) which rejected the motion to lift the TRO,

and if my non-lawyer reading is correct, can potentially result in the WORST scenario of removing ALL access of ALL women to ALL hormonal contraceptives.

Looking closely at the RH law timeline, it is obvious that the

The SC may have unwittingly allied itself with those who are exerting all efforts so the reproductive health law becomes useless. law has not rested from the legal attacks of those against it. From the day it was signed into law in 2012, it only had a year of break (April 2014 to May 2015) from legal challenges against it in the SC.

Unchanging RH situation It is no wonder that the RH situation is not much better now than when it was enacted. Consider the following data from NDHS 2013: High unintended pregnancies— 39 percent Poor women give birth to two children more than intended (five vs. three) Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) for modern family planning methods for all women of reproductive age is at a low 23.5 percent High unmet need for modern family planning—35 percent 10 percent of young Filipinas (15-19 y/o) is already a mother or pregnant with first child Among young adult women 20-24 y/o, 43 percent are already mothers; and 4 percent are pregnant with first child Early pregnancy and motherhood more common among less educated young women aged 1524 than among those with higher education (44 percent—with elementary education; 21 percent— with college education) More young women from POOR families began childbearing than those from wealthier households (37 percent—lowest wealth quintile; 13 percent—high-

est wealth quintile) Teenage pregnancy has been on the rise. Pregnancy among girls under 20 y/o increased by 65 percent over a 10-year period, 2000 to 2010 (UNFPA) Adolescent fertility rates declined in the last two decades in all countries (with available data) except in the Philippines. (UNFPA) The SC decides against women As if the situation is not bad enough, the latest decision of the SC Second Division headed by Justice Antonio Carpio can render the RH law useless. From day one, those opposing the law have been consistent in their position that all hormonal contraceptives are abortifacient. It is plain that the aim of these groups is to ban all contraceptives from the country. Thus, they opposed all applications for registration of contraceptives with the FDA alleging that all of them are abortifacient.

The SC’s latest decision says, “In view of the foregoing, the Court denies the motion to lift the TRO… The public respondents, their representatives, agents, or other persons acting on their behalf are still enjoined from distributing and administering the Turn to A5

THE City of Pasig in Metropolitan Manila used to be a beautiful town when it was under the stewardship of Mayor Emiliano Caruncho Jr. Its streets were always clean, and the sidewalks were always clear of vendors, parked vehicles, and other obstructions.

Jeepneys and tricycles did not belch smoke, and there was no drug menace to speak of.

Back then, uniformed policemen were always visible at strategic places. Their visible presence even at night made the streets safe for factory workers and other night employees.

Pasig deteriorated when the Eusebio political dynasty took over the city. This political dynasty currently controls the city, and has been in power for decades. Patriarch Vicente Eusebio, an infrastructure contractor, was first in line. He was succeeded by his wife, and later on, by his son.

Today, the streets form one large garbage bin for motorists.

Billboards and disgusting, selfserving signages bearing the names and images of the city mayor and other local politicians are all over the city.

Most sidewalks have been converted to private parking spaces. This forces pedestrians to use the street and compete with vehicles for the remaining available road space. The traffic mess is aggravated, and pedestrian safety is unnecessarily compromised.

The sidewalk across the Unilab headquarters along the Pasig segment of United Street now hosts unsanitary food stalls that litter the area and block pedestrian sidewalk traffic. Further east in United Street and East Capitol Drive, restaurants have converted the sidewalks into parking spaces. A corner eatery even uses the sidewalk as an extension of its dining room.

Many jeepney and tricycle drivers operating in Pasig City violate traffic rules and regulations with impunity.

These drivers do not even have professional driver’s licenses, and their vehicles do not have the requisite franchises.

Random inspections will confirm this extensive anomaly.

Almost all jeepneys and tricycles on Pasig City roads belch smoke in violation of the Clean Air Act. Their drivers add cheap Turn to A5

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Opinion BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Noynoy’s bigots in the judiciary IT MUST be recalled that then- and were arrested pursuant to the President Marcos filed a case declaration cannot now question for libel against a disgruntled that fact. Moreover, if there were soldier who disguised himself abuses in the enforcement of as “progressive” but was in fact martial law, the Supreme Court a notorious lackey of the US, to- is not the proper forum as it is gether with former senator Raul not the trier of facts. It is even Manglapus, for imputing that stupid for Senator Leila de Lima the medals he earned in World to join as one of the petitioners War II were spurious and for much that it is the Republic that denigrating his participation is being tried, not Marcos. And in some of the bloody episodes De Lima claims to have been against the Japanese in World elected senator.

It was most stupid for those War II. The case was dismissed bigoted justices to ask Solicitor by reason of his death.

Nonetheless, even before the General Jose Calida on the issue case was dismissed, the two left of compensation. This means for the US to evade the charge. they are impugning the integrity Instead of facing the court to of the Court, of which now they prove there is no malice on their are justices. They took turns in part, the two who claimed to be exhibiting their shameful ignowar veterans opted to flee, giv- rance by interrogating Solicitor ing alibi they would prosecuted General Calida to show their by the alleged Marcos-con- deep gratitude to the man who appointed them to their post. trolled judiciary.

That means that even if Mar- Fortunately, Calida knows his cos survived to prosecute his law more. He did not present any criminal complaint against the witness to rebut the testimonies two cowards, the case could not of the mercenary witnesses and be prosecuted much that Philip- lend credibility to the petition.

We are not saying they have pine courts have no jurisdiction over fugitives fleeing to the no right to lodge a petition. They US and seeking political asy- should have, however, filed it in lum. Thus, if a case filed by the the proper forum where facts are complainant himself can be dis- supposed to be tried, and when missed on the ground that death the defendant was still around supervened while the case was to defend himself. This means pending, it is most awkward and that the petitioners and their jusillogical for the court to main- tices cannot proceed to litigate tain a case against an accused a dead man for his alleged miswho died or much more to accept deeds, and then collaterally deny the filing of a case against a de- him the honor given him by the Motherland, ceased person. and exact comIf at all there pensation for are questions a crime which about the burhe was not ial of the late In this case, convicted by president at the any court for Libingan ng it is not only the human rights mga Bayani, violation. these should petitioners who Common sense only pertain are downright should have to the issue of guided the pewhether he is stupid. titioners and qualified to be their bigoted buried there. consort in the Sp e cif ical ly, Supreme Court the law involved is Republic Act No. 289 to go after Fidel Ramos and Juan or an act providing for the con- Ponce Enrile, the two being the struction of a national pantheon most trusted enforcers of martial for presidents of the Philippines, law for which they could rightly national heroes and patriots of accuse as co-principals for the the country. The Rules of Court alleged crimes resulting from the have nothing to do with the law imposition of martial law.

Rather, these clowns in robes invoked by the petitioners to justify their opposition, but merely want to hit two birds with one to see to it that court procedures stone; that if they succeed in are strictly observed. The court preventing the burial of the decannot proceed to hear and try a ceased President at the Libingan case other than on the qualifica- ng mga Bayani, that would autotions of the deceased president matically mean the State is now who also distinguished himself admitting the guilt of the deceased, and invariably give them as a bemedalled soldier.

In this case, it is not only the a go-signal to rewrite our history petitioners who are downright in cahoots with the US imperialstupid. Some of the members of ist and with the greedy oligarchy the Supreme Court also are. The without them having to win the clowns in the Supreme Court war. That would be the most outshould not have entertained rageous verdict in the annals of and participated in question- humanity, for we have our own ing whether or not the deceased Supreme Court sentencing a is qualified to be buried there. dead man who died 27 years ago.

In fact, the justices exhibited They can only ask clarificatory questions. These loonies can- their complete ignorance of R.A. not even refute what Marcos has No. 10368 or an act providing accomplished and achieved for reparation and recognition for the his country because that could victims of human rights violation no longer be the subject of liti- during the Marcos regime which gation. Rather, they should de- was enacted during the adminismand for a repeal of the law that tration of the man who anchored is being applied to the deceased his policy on his so-called Tuwid president. Even then, that could na Daan. Many are questioning not retroact to affect the honor that stupid law authored by demahe earned as former president gogues because it was in defiance of the Supreme Court decision upand soldier.

If those justices have their holding the constitutionality and one cent’s worth of the Rules, validity of martial law and the arthey would have dismissed the rest orders subsequently issued.

They cannot claim that the petition outright much that it raised issues that could no longer petition is pursuant to the exerbe rebutted by a man who has cise of their rights as taxpayers, long died. Why put in question much that it is not an action by the medals he earned for hero- one whose income is subjected ism, his injuries while in action, to charges imposed by the govthe alleged hidden wealth he ernment for the benefit of that amassed, and the claims for individual and others in order to compensation by the alleged hu- prevent the unlawful diversion man rights victims? The case of funds. Besides, payment of had been closed after the death compensation would partake of Ferdinand Marcos, and nei- of an illegal diversion of public ther can that stooge Gillego, who funds. That traitorous law imworked for a CIA-operated or- plies that our soldiers who died ganization known as “Operation and sacrificed in defending the Brotherhood,” claim that Marcos Republic were nothing more but failed to prove his medals. He bunch of “war criminals” who who alleges should be the one to served the “dictatorship,” and the traitors who fought against prove his allegations in court.

For sure, those bigots know the government are rewarded that martial law was upheld and honored as heroes like what by the same Supreme Court as they did to put up their questionconstitutional, valid and legal in able Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

1973. That means that those who rpkapunan@gmail.com fought against the government

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

The long legal shadow of martial law EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA THE title of this column comes from a chapter I was asked to write about the long-term impact of the martial law experience in the Philippines. Next week, we will commemorate the 44th anniversary of the proclamation of martial law. To remember that, and as my contribution to the collective effort to make sure that our dictatorship experience does not happen again, I share excerpts from my draft chapter through this and subsequent columns.

I start with February 25, 1986.

This was a good day for Filipinos.

It marked the end of the Marcos dictatorship which started with the proclamation of martial law

by President Ferdinand Marcos on September 21, 1972.

Five years earlier, in 1981, Marcos had formally lifted martial law but it was cosmetic. Even as a small number of opposition members were elected in the 1984 parliamentary elections, Marcos retained legislative power under the 1973 Constitution through Amendment Number 6. Up to the end of his dictatorial regime, human rights were wantonly violated with people arrested without warrants, enforced disappearances happening, and extrajudicial killing as well as massacres of protestors still occurring.

With the people power revolution, formal democracy was restored. Certainly, the pre-martial law Bill of Rights became the rule again. While initially governing under a revolutionary Freedom

Constitution, President Corazon Aquino immediately convened a constitutional commission that then quickly drafted the 1987 Constitution that on February 2, 1987 was ratified by the people.

Things have changed indeed.

But the long legal shadow of martial law lingered for decades. Even now, remnants of the legal architecture set up my Marcos remains, not the least of which are the provisions in the 1987 Constitution which perpetuates an imbalance in separation of powers, favoring a strong president that can suspend the privilege of writ of habeas corpus, be granted emergency powers under certain circumstances, and worst once declare a state of martial law throughout the land.

Many Filipinos, particularly those belonging to the economic and social elite—initially supported martial rule. With the support of the military, cooperative media, a small cadre of social and economic elite, and a coopted legislature and Supreme Court, President Marcos established for himself a repressive regime—stifling all forms of dissent, perpetuating himself in power by manipulating the adoption of the 1973 Constitution—made himself both Head of State as President and Head of Government as Prime Minister, rigged elections and installed himself as a dictator for life.

Marcos’ designs were not at once apparent. He justified martial law as a way, among others, to dismantle the oligarchic structures and patronage system which contributed much to the suffering of the people, to infuse moral values sorely lacking among Filipinos like discipline, spirit of self-sacrifice for the national welfare. In other words, he

wanted to establish a New Society, calling it as the Revolution from the Top. The objective was to emulate the economic progress and political stability of Taiwan and South Korea. And a wide majority of the local business community and foreign governments, particularly Washington, approved. Only a few brave souls dared to raise a cry of protest.

The first years of martial law saw increased economic gains due to bolstered business confidence and political stability. President Marcos tapped good technocrats from the academe and business sector. He encouraged foreign investments, projecting the country as an excellent choice for multinational investors because of low wages and industrial peace. The influx of foreign capital increased considerably. Land reform was instituted and new agricultural initiatives introduced. Amount of investments in infrastructure was at unprecedented levels, with the construction of new roads, highways, bridges, hospitals and other structures essential to nation building.

With a compliant legislature in the Batasang Pambansa and a subservient Supreme Court, Marcos successfully put in place the political and legal infrastructure which enabled him to exercise absolute power, in the process churning out innumerable presidential decrees which cemented the dictatorship.

But with absolute power at its disposal, the Marcos regime not only created a new breed of oligarchs known as cronies to whom the dictatorship granted monopolies.

They supplanted the traditional economic elite but also redefined the term corruption and profligacy, which then First Lady Imelda

Marcos best exemplified.

The Marcos dictatorship resulted in innumerable cases of human rights violations, a wrecked economy, highly politicized military and weak governmental institutions. In the end, the martial law experiment proved to be a national trauma which must not be repeated and never forgotten.

Today, 44 years later, we are still feeling, as this article illustrates, the ugly vestiges of martial law. None of the architects and enforcers has been brought to justice.

Moreover, with the presidential system that we have, there is always a possibility—and that’s not even remote—of a repeat of 1972.

As pointed out above, the president is given a lot of leeway when it comes to the exercise of his extraordinary powers. What level of conflict demarcates the choice between ordinary police action and resort to emergency rule? What degree of punitive State action is necessary to address the emergency without exposing civil liberties to unwarranted perils?

Sadly, the answer to these questions depends largely on this wide presidential discretion. And that is why it would have been better if the 1987 Constitution completely did away with the martial law powers of the president.

In my next column, I will write about the transition from the 1973 to the 1987 constitution and the opportunities we missed there. In subsequent columns, I will also write about the impact of martial law on our human rights jurisprudence and on Marcos-era statues that are still in the books 30 years after the dictator was overthrown.

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The great equalizer

THE LRT-MRT common station in SM City North Edsa, which aims to connect the LRT Line 1, MRT Line 3, and the proposed MRT Line 7, has been in the government’s pipeline for several years now. Unfortunately, there have been delays in the construction due to the technicalities and disagreements among parties involved.

During the Department of Transportation budget hearing last Friday, I had the chance to inquire on the development of this project. According to Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, the parties involved have finally agreed to proceed with the construction. My question is, what

Pasig’s...

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engine oil to their fuel to increase its volume. The combination produces thick emissions.

Jeepney and tricycle drivers disregard traffic lights, particularly at night. They also block the pedestrian lane at intersections. This can be readily observed at the intersections of Shaw Boulevard-San Miguel Avenue; Shaw BoulevardPioneer Street; Shaw BoulevardMeralco Avenue; and Meralco Avenue-ULTRA. Numerous jeepneys plying Meralco Avenue, Shaw Boulevard and Pasig Boulevard do not use their headlights at night, for the mistaken reason that by turning off their headlights, they use less gasoline.

Tricycles in two Pasig barangays, Kapitolyo and Pineda, are notorious for keeping their headlights turned off while traversing the roads at night. These jeepneys and tricycles have become dangerous road hazards to law-abiding motorists.

Taxicab drivers load and unload anywhere they please in the city, and in the process, they block the smooth flow of traffic.

Let...

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certified and re-certified drugs and devices, considering that the FDA will still be conducting a hearing on the opposition of the petitioners… (emphasis added)” Does the SC mean that, hence, the DOH and all its instrumentalities are prohibited from administering ALL contraceptives, and not just the implants that were the subjects of the original TRO? If this is the case, then the SC has just completely removed the access of POOR WOMEN to these crucial fam-

exactly was their agreement?

Where exactly will the common station be?

During the 14th Congress, I took part in crafting a resolution to construct a common railway station at SM City North Edsa.

With the convenience of the commuters in mind, we believe that a common station would ease the daily transportation grind of the working class. Our resolution originally proposed to construct the railway interchange in front of SM City North Edsa.

The alignment was changed during the previous administration as the North-end station of the MRT Line 3 was relocated beside TriNoMa Mall, an Ayala property. We would like to revisit this new design of the LRT-MRT common station in North Edsa as we hope to avoid the blunder of the Gateway Mall connec-

tion, where commuters have to walk approximately 700 meters to transfer from MRT Line 3 to LRT Line 2. This kind of set-up favors only the interests of the mall owners and not of the working class. In other countries such as Hong Kong and New York, interchange stations only require commuters to go up or down a platform or walk a few meters to transfer railway lines. Why can’t we implement the same here?

The government recognizes the big role of the country’s top corporations in making the LRTMRT common station project possible. SM Prime Holdings Inc. together with the Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC) composed of Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), and the Universal LRT Corp. (ULC), a unit of San Miguel Holdings Corp., should

collaborate to construct a bona fide LRT-MRT common station in SM City North Edsa. We have to make sure that the deal does not favor anyone but the public.

We in the minority firmly believe that the concept of mass transit is the great equalizer between a rich man and a poor man. To paraphrase, a developed country is not where everybody rides a private vehicle; it is one where the rich and the working class ride the train together. As a prime advocate of long-term traffic solutions and as one of the initiators of the construction of the common station, I commit to be proactive in ensuring that this project gets done the soonest. My only appeal to the public is to remain patient as this construction would affect the current traffic condition. Rest assured, it will all be worth it.

Motorcycle drivers delivering merchandise from fastfood joints in Pasig City disobey traffic lights, enter one-way streets the wrong way, and use sidewalks as road extensions. More often than not, the motorcycles belch smoke.

Road rules are disregarded with impunity in Pasig City because there is no visible police presence along major city roads. A visit at the Pasig City Hall reveals that many policemen serve as personal bodyguards of city officials. This explains why policemen are not visible in the city’s streets.

There are horrible traffic jams in the Shaw Boulevard-Meralco Avenue area throughout the daylight hours, and unto the night. City hall has no political will to open some of the gates of the city’s gated subdivisions to motorists even for just the rush hours.

For instance, San Ignacio Street at Capitol 8 Subdivision can easily connect Pasig Boulevard to Pioneer Street and on towards Boni Avenue. The street itself has a bridge built by the city government, but its use is virtually limited to Capitol 8 residents. Opening it to motorists should ease the traffic bottleneck at Shaw Boulevard.

Unfortunately, the subdivision association closed San Ignacio Street to non-residents. Although the city pays for the electricity consumed by the lightposts along this street, the city has not done anything about the closure. Capitol 8 should not be confused with Barangay Kapitolyo proper, the bigger village to its northeast.

Pasig City authorities also seem reluctant to order other gated villages like Valle Verde and San Antonio to open their roads to ease traffic congestion during rush hours. Are there city officials who reside in these gated communities?

Speaking of traffic congestion, it appears that Pasig City authorities have allowed officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to proceed with the construction of a bridge across the Pasig River to connect Lawton Street in Fort Bonifacio to Santa Monica Street in Barangay Kapitolyo. Residents of Kapitolyo are up in arms against the diversion route because it is not the shortest, most practical path towards Pioneer Street. The better, more practical connecting road to Lawton Street is Sheridan Street Extension likewise in Barangay Kapitolyo. Unlike San-

ta Monica Street, Sheridan Extension is connected to Pioneer Street.

The problem, however, is that the segment of Sheridan Street Extension connecting Pioneer Street to riverside Kapitolyo is apparently being used by the RFM headquarters along Pioneer Street. Whether this is legal or not is something the Pasig City government has not investigated. Meanwhile, the residents of Barangay Kapitolyo are restless.

Another alternative to Santa Monica Street is Banaag Street in Barangay Pineda. This road can connect Pasig Boulevard (near the C-5 junction) almost up to Sheridan Street Extension. Widening Banaag Street and connecting it to Pioneer Street will help ease the traffic nightmare. Sadly, Pasig City officials refuse to consider this option.

Traffic lights are long overdue at the intersections of United Street and Pioneer Street, and at United Street and West Capitol Drive.

Compounding the traffic problem here are motorcycle and tricycle drivers who insist on resorting to counterflows.

Meanwhile, the Eusebio political dynasty remains complacent because it is securely entrenched at city hall.

ily planning supplies. It should be noted that poor women depend on government as their source of these commodities. The poor women have just been dealt this huge blow.

The SC decision also said that “Any decision of the FDA is appealable to the Court of Appeals through a Petition for Review under Rule 43 of the Rules of Court.” Finally, the SC “Directs the FDA to formulate the rules of procedure in the screening, evaluation, and approval of all contraceptive drugs and devices …. (d) in weighing the evidence, all reasonable doubts shall be resolved in favor of the protection and preservation of the right to life of the

unborn from conception/fertilization… (emphasis added).”

We all know how long and complex the justice system is in this country. We can expect the anti-RH groups to challenge all decisions of the FDA that do not adhere to their position. Each legal case can take years to settle. The serious concerns are not only about the time but the SC directive to favor the unborn when “reasonable doubts” exist. It is as if our Justices turned a blind eye to the EQUAL PROTECTION afforded by the constitution to the mother and the unborn. In this case, the unborn is protected at the expense of the mother.

Surely, the anti-RH will use this to the hilt. In questioning all contraceptives, they will harp on the protection of the unborn as contained in the SC decision.

It is possible that because of this SC decision, ALL contraceptives will be banned. Thus, ALL women, including those with money to buy, will no longer have access to contraceptives. If this SC decision is not challenged and reversed, the Filipino women, the family’s source of strength, will surely suffer. bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

News

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 A6 Standard TODAY Manila

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PCSO ruined by Aquino officials

By John Paolo Bencito

T

HE government’s P20-million daily loss from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is mainly due to the Small Town Lottery program which was abused by the Aquino administration, Malacañang said Friday.

After President Rodrigo Duterte revealed that the government is losing more than P20 million a day, Communications

Secretary Martin Andanar said that the government is eyeing solutions to revive the cases of underreporting of revenue.

“It was Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre who gave the report about the Small Town Lottery. He noted that it was being abused in the previous administration,” Andanar said in an interview over radio dzXL. “The government is supposed to have large revenues but they were diminished because of the inaccurate reporting and bad remittance procedures,” he added.

On Thursday, Duterte said that he cannot allow corruption to thrive inside the state lottery

system, being racheted by goons.

“As a matter of fact, this Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office was turned into a pig sty by these syndicates and gangsters, the lotto was used to cover up jueteng. They were granted a right by the previous government and they merged it,” Duterte said in his speech at Camp Tecson in Bulacan.

“We are losing about P20 million a day because they are reporting less,” Duterte said after appointing former police general

Jose Jorge Corpuz as the new chairman of the state lottery agency.

In an interview, Corpuz said the STL has “very big potential” that can be tapped to generate more revenue to buy more medicine, but the programs needed rationalization and an overhaul.

“We will look into how we can improve our product,” Corpuz said, stressing the need to check the implementing rules and regulations of STL, review alleged cases of underreporting and look

into its loopholes.

Shortly after winning the presidency, Duterte said that he wanted a “killer” to replace former Cavite governor Erineo Maliksi, who was charged with graft over the extension of contracts for the lease of lottery terminals without public bidding.

“PCSO is a corrupt agency.

I am looking for a killer to head this agency. Those bingo games that they hold, the lotto and ‘jueteng’ that is the racket,” he said.

Birth control group laments SC decision

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Forum for Family Planning and Development expresses grief on Friday for the decision of the Supreme Court not to lift the TRO on implants.

“We lament the decision of the Supreme Court to extend the TRO on implants,” said Benjamin de Leon, president of the Forum for Family Planning and Development.

He said the decision sets back the full implementation of the RH Law despite the call of the President of the Republic for its full implementation when he delivered his very first State of the Nation Address.

SC Spokesperson Theodore Te said that now is not the right time, yet to lift the temporary restraining order on the RH Law. The group expressed grave disappointment that their struggle to implement the RH Law is still met with

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

Notice of Publication Notice is hereby given that an “Affidavit of SelfAdjudication” has been executed by Virginia Coronel-Ramos as sole heir of the late Zacariasa Ramos Vda. de Coronel under Doc No. 485; Page No. 97; Book No. 53; Series of 2016 executed before Atty.

Vicente C. Cruz, Notary Public for Quezon City.

(MS-SEPT.17/24/OCT. 1, 2016)

so many barriers and challenges.

“We cannot emphasize enough the fact that it is our poor women and couples who are burdened by the effects of such barriers and opposition,” he said.

“Every day that this TRO is in effect, hundreds of women remain at risk from health issues that are otherwise easily preventable.

When would be the right time lift the TRO? When more poor women are dead?” added De Leon.

De Leon further emphasized the need to act fast and vigorously on family planning.

“It would have been better for the Filipino people had the Supreme Court lifted the TRO and remanded the issue to the DoH which has the responsibility in determining whether modern methods of contraception are abortifacient or otherwise, after observing due process,” said De Leon.

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published.

We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal INVITATION TO BID The Department of Education Region IV-A, through the 2016 General Appropriation Act intends to apply the sum of One Million Three Hundred Forty Eight Thousand Eight Hundred Pesos (Php1 ,348,800.00) only being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to eligible payments under the contract for the provision of venue for the Board & Lodging of the participants to the Activities on ALIVE Program (Orientation, Modification and Upgrading of Regional Operation Manual on ALIVE).

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

281 pax x 1,200.00 x 4 days = Php1,348,800.00 The Department of Education Region IV-A, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), now invites bids for the herein-mentioned Goods. Bidders must have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project with an amount of at least 50% of the ABC to be bid.

The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, i.e ., in Section II, Instructions to Bidders. Bids received that exceed the ABC shall be rejected at bid opening .

Contract duration------------October 24,2016 to October 28,2016 Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be inspected or purchased at DepED IV-A BAC Secretariat, located at Supply Office, Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal upon accomplishing a bidder’s information sheet and payment in cash of a non-refundable fee by interested bidders in the amount of One Thousand Pesos (PhP1,000.00) to the DepED IV-A Cashier. Only bidders who purchased the Bidding Documents will be allowed to submit bids.

It may be viewed or downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhiIGEPS), www.philgeps.net. and the website of the Procuring Entity, www.depedcalabarzon.gov. provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The schedule and venue of the procuring activities are as follows: Activity

Date and Time

Venue

Issuance of Bidding Documents

From September 15, 2016 to October 4, 2016 8:00am to 5:00pm (Mon . -Fri.)

DepED IV-A Director’s Conference Room

Pre-Bid Conference

September 21,2016 -10:00 a.m.

-same

October 4, 2016-10:00 a.m.

DepED IV-A Director’s Conference Room

Submission and Opening of Bids

STILL MORE USERS. Eighty drug users and an alleged member of the Abu Sayyaf group were arrested by the Quezon City police during a raid on their village.

Senators back nuclear power SENATORS on Friday visited the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to see for themselves if the mothballed plant had potentials for revival.

Senators Nancy Binay and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said they were both open to rehabilitating the BNPP despite the misgivings of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy.

“The first step is visiting the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to see and discuss if it’s a potential source [of energy],” Binay said. “It’s high time to finally decide what to do with the BNPP. We must remember that we continue to spend for this plant every year although it does not produce electricity.”

Ejercito was more upfront in saying that he wanted the BNPP revived immediately after it receives

safety certification to operate as it would lower the price of power and provide more jobs in the manufacturing sector.

“Maybe it only needs certification that it is safe. Either we operate it or we scrap it altogether,” Ejercito told reporters.

“For me, if we can revive the BNPP that would greatly change the game in the power sector. I think this can lower the price of power. In that way, investments would flow in,” he said, adding that the BNPP to date is still the only power plant that can function 24/7.

But Gatchalian said he is still not in favor of reviving BNPP even after inspection.

“We are for nuclear power because we see many advantages [from it] but the BNPP I am not too favor of this,” Gatchalian, chairman

of the Senate Committee on Energy, told reporters in an interview at the plant site in Morong, Bataan.

The senators visited the BNPP and a seminar, led by former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, who enumerated the advantages of nuclear power plants over other plants.

Cojuangco, in his presentation, explained that nuclear power plants were the safest type of power plants compared to wind, solar and coalfired power plants which emitted more carbon dioxide and other poisonous heavy metals.

He said that nuclear power plants also required less capacity but provided cheaper power cost.

He, meanwhile, dispelled reports that the BNPP was not safe, noting that it is tsunami-proof since it is 18 meters above sea level.

TALKING NUCLEAR.

Bids must be delivered to the address and on the date and time stated herein. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the ITB Clause 18. A valid Bid Securing Declaration must accompany the bid(s) in lieu of a bid security.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the opening of bids at the address, date and time stated herein. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The DepED Region IV-A reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract(s), or annul the bidding process without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Ann Geralyn T. Pelias BAC Chairman Virginia o. Bagacay BAC Secretariat DepEDIV-A Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal 6458406 (SGD) ANN GERALYN T. PELIAS BAC Chairman M S - S E P T. 17, 2 016)

Former lawmaker faces graft raps

By Rio N. Araja THE Ombudsman ordered the filing of 18 charges of graft, 11 counts of malversation through falsification of public documents and seven counts of malversation of public documents against ex-Misamis Occidental representative Marina Clarete over her pork barrel funds.

Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap, former Department of Agriculture secretary, is included in the charge sheet.

The other accused were Alan Javellana, Rhodora Mendoza, Encarnita Christina Munsod, Marilou

85 nabbed in QC raid AUTHORITIES arrested 85 suspected drug users and peddlers in an Oplan Tokhang and Galugad operation in Barangay Culiat, Quezon City Friday at around 10 a.m.

Sr. Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, Quezon City Police District chief, said a suspected member of the dreaded Abu Sayyaf Gang, one Juraid Sahibbun, was also nabbed during the raid. A suspected drug lord in the drug watch list, Hadji Abraham, was also nabbed.

Operatives of the QCPD Station 3, led by Supt. Danilo Mendoza, raided the Salam compound and rounded up over 80 drug suspects. They were accompanied by barangay officials and the president of the Barangay Culiat Muslim Peace and Order, SPO2 Hassan Adi. Rio Araja

Cebu wants shark specie in CITES list

Senate Energy committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian (left) speaks with Senators Nancy Binay and Joseph Victor Ejercito as they inspected the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan.

Ey Acasio

Prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to order or download the electronic copy of the Bidding Documents from the PhilGEPS website: www.philgeps.net. for them to be included in the Document Request List of the project The pre-bid conference is open-to-all interested parties who may have or have not bought the bidding documents.

IN BRIEF

Antonio, Marilou Ferrer, Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Romulo Relevo, Allen Calma, Victor Roman Cacal, Maria Ninez Guañizo, Flerida Alberto, Maria Paz Vega, Gondolina Amata, Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal, Ofelia Ordoñez, Sofia Cruz, Evelyn Sucgang, Gregoria Buenaventura, Rodrigo Doria, Godofredo Roque, Chita Jalandoni, Filipina Rodriguez, Ma. Neriza Gador, Antonio Ortiz, Dennis Cunanan, Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, Francisco Figura, Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, Pio Ronquillo and Marivic Jover.

An investigation found that in 2007

to 2009, the Department of Budget and Management issued seven special allotment release orders of P65 million as part of Clarete’s Priority Development Assistance Fund.

Clarete identified and endorsed the National Agri-business Corp., National Livelihood Development Corp. and Technology Resource Center as implementing agencies with Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc., Kasangga sa Magandang Bukas Foundation Inc. and Aaron Foundation Philippines Inc. as non-government organization-partners.

CEBU CITY—Local government officials, coastal community representatives, environmental groups, marine scientists, resort owners, divers, and other tourism industry representatives gathered at the Cebu Provincial Capitol Friday to make a global call for the protection of thresher sharks.

The call is being made a week before delegations from different countries meet in Johannesburg, South Africa for the 17th Conference of Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora from September 24 to October 5.

“Thresher sharks are an essential link in our way of life, especially for coastal communities like those we have around Cebu and, indeed, most of the Philippines. They bring us life and livelihood, and so they are more valuable thriving in our seas rather than slaughtered and eaten on our plates, said Dennis Bryan Bait-it, coordinator of Migo sa Iho (Friends of the Sharks), a local enforcement group deputized to enforce fisheries law around the Shark and Ray Sanctuary of Monad Shoal and Gato Island.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

A7

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Hamilton eyes quick Singapore getaway SINGAPORE—Lewis Hamilton said Thursday he hoped he had put his starting problems behind him after Nico Rosberg cut his championship lead to just two points.

Despite dominating qualifying, Hamilton was left groping for grip on the grid two weeks ago at Monza as Mercedes teammate Rosberg darted away into the lead.

“It’s harder now with the regulations in terms of getting a consistently good getaway,” Hamilton told reporters Thursday. “I just had more torque than was predicted.”

Hamilton said that the fact the teams are not allowed feedback on tyre and clutch temperatures meant the starts were much harder for the drivers to judge.

He hoped that erratic starts would not prove a decisive factor in the world championship outcome this year.

“If you gauge my season then the championship could be lost through starts,” said Hamilton.

“A lot of pole positions I’ve lost the race from the start.

Rugby Residents take on Sabah

THIS year, rugby players from Alabang Eagles, Manila Nomads, Clark Jets, CBRE Makati Mavericks and the Makati Chiefs all come together to form the 2016 Philippine Residents XV. The Residents will play an international 15s match against Sabah Rugby on Sunday at 3 p.m., Southern Plains Field, Laguna.

The program provides a pathway for the best local rugby players to learn from an experienced coaching staff and play a high standard of rugby. The team will be coached by David Johnston, the assistant coach to the Men’s National 15s Team, more commonly known as the Philippine Volcanoes.

Experienced Philippine Volcano members Justin Villazor Coveney, Jake Robrigado Letts, Jovan Reyes Masalunga and seven other national team members have all been included in the team. Mixed in with the best local players, including Greg Goleman, Jackson Vatu and Epineri Vulakouvaki, is a team full of confidence this weekend.

“On paper, this team is surprisingly very strong. Getting together the best players from all the top clubs in the country makes this program really exciting. I have no doubt this Sunday’s game will be extremely physical and a tough encounter against a strong Sabah team,” said Matt Cullen, Director of Rugby for the Philippine Rugby Football Union.

The Residents XV Team, proudly sponsored by Transcom is a pathway into selection for the 2017 Philippine Volcanoes Men’s 15s National Team. The Men’s National 15s Team will compete in the Asia Rugby Championships in April next year against Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates for the Division 1 title.

“You do all the work during the weekend and two seconds, whatever it is, had determined some of the races.”

Teammate Rosberg said the starts were just one of a number of things you have to get right to win a race, but he too had suffered this season.

“For sure they impact it but they are just one thing of many things,” said Rosberg.

“I’ve also had my difficulties.

I lost the Hockenheim grand prix and the Hungarian grand prix with not optimal starts,” said Rosberg.

“It’s an ongoing challenge and it will not become easier for us.

“It needs some attention in my part but I’ve been feeling good lately and having some good starts.”

Hamilton said he was still feeling upbeat about securing a third drivers’ crown in a row, and fourth in all, despite his 19-point championship lead being cut to two with Rosberg winning the last two races.

“I still have a positive mind,” said the Englishman, who won the drivers’ title in 2008, 2014 and 2015. AFP

DOWN BUT NOT OUT. Moroccan Mohamed Amguoun (right) falls after winning the 400M of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de

Janeiro, Brazil. AFP

Aussies lead Serbians, 2-0

S

YDNEY—Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic claimed straight set victories to give Australia a commanding 2-0 lead over Slovakia after the opening day singles in the Davis Cup World Group playoff in Sydney on Friday.

The 15th-ranked Kyrgios shrugged off recent hip problems to whip through Andrej Martin 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 while the 21st-ranked Tomic completed a 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4 win over Jozef Kovalik.

Australia will stay in the premier World Group next year if they win one further match in the best-of-five rub-

ber at Sydney’s Olympic Tennis centre.

“A perfect start. We know it’s not over quite yet but the boys did really well today,” Australian captain Lleyton Hewitt told reporters.

“They were big favorites coming into both singles but you can’t take anything for granted in Davis Cup.

“There’s a lot more pressure on as well and sometimes it’s tougher when you are a lot more fancied chance to go out there and get the job done.”

Kyrgios was expected to have little trouble with the world No.127 Martin and cruised to victory in 1hr 40min to take his Davis Cup singles record to 4-3.

It came just over a week after he was forced to quit his thirdround US Open match against Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko with a hip injury.

But the temperamental 21-year-old star showed little inconvenience to put away Martin despite plugging up a nose bleed

early in the final set.

“Everyone expects me to go out there and towel the guy but it’s never as easy as that,” Kyrgios said. “I thought he played some great tennis today.”

Tomic won a first-set tiebreaker and raced to a two sets to love lead before his game dropped off. He regrouped to take the match in three sets in just under two hours.

He improved his impressive Davis Cup singles record to 17-4.

Tomic was at the centre of a foul-mouthed controversy at the US Open last month when he became embroiled in a lewd exchange with a heckler on the

Turf golf meet slated Sept. 30

BEST Center opens weekend clinics BEST (Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training) Center, the award-winning school for basketball and volleyball, will have another series of clinics for aspiring basketball and volleyball players at the Ateneo College Covered Courts and Starmall Alabang.

The highly anticipated classes at the Ateneo College Covered Court will be held every Saturday on Sept.

24, Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6 from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Students in Preparatory Level and Levels 1 to 5 will be joining the basketball clinic while volleyball will be for levels 1 and 2.

Meanwhile, clinics at Starmall Alabang are held every Sunday on Sept. 18 and 25 and Oct. 2, 9, 16 and 23 from 1 to 4 p.m. Joining these classes are students belonging to the Preparatory Level and Levels 1 to 4.

“Sports is vital in the chil-

dren’s growth and development. Aside from honing their athletic skills and encouraging kids to lead a healthy, active lifestyle, it also helps them learn self-discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship and perseverance,” said Jorge.

The clinics provide scientific training for young boys and girls of varying skills and age levels, which includes the fundamentals on ball handling, dribbling, passing, shooting, spiking, serving, blocking, footwork and defensive and offensive moves.

Since its establishment in 1978 by national coach Nic Jorge, BEST Center continues to produce some of the country’s finest basketball and volleyball players including Chris Tiu, Kiefer Ravena and Princess Gaiser.

For more information about BEST Center’s classes and tournaments, call the hotlines 411-6260, 3723066 and

The clinics provide scientific training in basketball and volleyball for young boys and girls.

372-3065, email bestcenter- https://www.facebook.com/ sports@gmail.com or follow pages/BEST-Center-Sportsits official Facebook page at Inc/66172039922.

Men of substance: Eugene and Paeng

CHESS is a game of creative genius. It accentuates innovation and at times sheer courage, often manifested in the audacity of a player’s moves.

Moves on a chessboard are akin to a symphony orchestra where every instrument or piece contributes to an overall harmony that ends in a crescendo, reflective of the ultimate triumph in a game of chess.

The recent Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan was indeed a celebration for Philippine Chess as its first international grandmaster Eugene Torre had the rare distinction of winning an unprecedented bronze medal, even

in the midst of a disappointing performance by our team, which finished 58th compared to its 46th-place finish two years ago in Tromso, Norway.

Torre a gentleman of uncanny class, who reflects the old school values of the Filipino in an era that has regrettably passed us by and diminished the traditions and the character that were outstanding traits of that time.

Aside from Eugene, the other Filipino sportsman, who consistently reflected what the Filipino truly was in terms of traditional values and consummate decency, is Rafael “Paeng” Nepomuceno, undoubtedly the greatest bowler of all time, who straddled three decades as a champion against the very best in the rest of the world.

A six-time World Bowling Champion, Paeng won the World Cup of Bowling no less than four times beginning in 1976 and end-

ing 20 years later in 1996, with the prestigious Bowlers Journal International naming him “The Greatest International Bowler of All Time.”

Paeng was a master of the lanes just as Eugene was a master of the boards.

Indeed, Torre’s closing tally of 10 from 11 is regarded as extremely rare for a 64 year old.

His bronze-medal finish behind Wesley So, the much younger Filipino grandmaster who, as a result of a monumental blunder by our so-called sports leaders, left the country to represent the United States, where chess authorities openly welcomed the young genius, is another reflection of the tragedies that continue to hound Philippine sports under a leadership that lacks caring and is devoid of vision.

Torre, as far as we know, depended on his innate strength of will to persevere in a sport where he has brought our country nu-

way to his first-round exit to Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia.

Australia, who lost to the United States in this year’s first round, are looking to maintain their three-year stay in the World Group.

Slovakia, who have come to Australia without their two leading stars—31-ranked Martin Klizan and 102-ranked Lukas Lacko—are up against ending a 10-year absence from the World Group.

The Slovaks, captained by Olympic gold medallist Miloslav Mecir, have lost all five of their World Group playoffs since losing to Chile in the World Group first round in 2006. AFP

merous honors, just like Paeng whose successes were guided by an affectionate and caring father, who just didn’t hone his unquestioned skills as a bowler but together with Paeng’s mother, the former Teresita “Baby” Villareal, molded his character on the anvil of the traditional values and virtues of a Filipino.

There was a time when Eugene was regarded as a possible future world title challenger after a sensational victory in an incredibly strong four-man tournament in Manila, where he finished ahead of world champion Anatoly Karpov of the then Soviet Union, becoming the first player to finish ahead of Karpov since the Russian became world champion.

Torre was a close friend of the ultimate chess genius Bobby Fischer and was one of the American’s seconds in his 1992 rematch with Boris Spassky in Yugoslavia.

The Manila Standard reported that Israel’s Emil Sutovsky, whose performance rating was broken by So, said Torre provided “a truly inspiring example from the player who became grandmaster before all other top scorers were born. Hats off!”

We can only hope, most fervently, that our young athletes of today in various sporting disciplines will learn from the heroes of our time and move forward into a renaissance in sports because surely, it’s time for change.

And change must come sooner than later if we are to survive and progress.

Our admiration, respect and indeed affection for Eugene and Paeng are manifestations of our own sense of valuing men of substance who, to the glory of God, reflect the sporting genius and ultimate sportsmanship, sense of fair play and decency of true Filipinos.

THE Turf Company will host The 3rd Turf Invitational Golf Tournament a The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmarinas, Cavite on Sept. 30.

Registration starts at 6:15 a.m., with free breakfast. Shotgun play starts at 8 a.m.

The golfest will be participated in by officers and representatives from various golf clubs, guests and customers, who have been their business partners in the industry for many years. Aside from valuable prizes that will be given to the winners, camaraderie and fellowship await the participants, with a live band to provide entertainment numbers during the awarding ceremonies and raffles to cap off the event.

The tournament will be held with the support of The Turf Company’s valued partner, TORO, the industry leader in turf and landscape maintenance based in the USA. Cameron Russel, Asia Business Manager and Andrew Price, Asia Pacific Manager of Toro Company have committed to grace the occasion. They will be joined by The Turf’s team led by Mario Lopez, President and Chief Operating Officer.

Founded in 1989, The Turf Company is one of the country’s leading distributors of precision mowing equipment, irrigation system, golf carts and other utility vehicles. It is the total solutions provider that keeps golf courses verdant and irrigation systems working efficiently at all times.

The Turf Company is located at 9622 Kamagong St., San Antonio Village, Makati City. For inquiries, please call (+632)8908017 or send a message to mobile numbers 09175076915 and 09175079872. You may also email inquiries to turf@turfcom.net.ph. For more information about the company and its products and services, check out www.theturfcompany.com.ph.

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

Shin scorches field, leads by 4 strokes

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

A8

TARLAC—Micah Shin showed up veteran rivals Jay Bayron and Rey Bayron with a near-flawless game that produced a tournament-best seven-under 65, putting the young Korean-American four shots clear off erstwhile leader Tony Lascuña after three rounds of the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open here yesterday.

The Davao-based shotmaker, whose lean frame belies his power off the tee, rattled off eight birdies in second-to-last flight in another fine day at the Luisita Golf and Country Club, including four straight from No. 2 where he quickly erased Lascuña’s overnight one-shot lead.

He then held sway at the back to string a 31-34 card for a four-shot cushion at 12-under 204 heading to the final round of the P2.5 million event sponsored by ICTSI. “I played well. Everything’s in place, especially my putting,” said Shin, who sparked his birdie-spree with a 19-footer on the par-3 second and went on to gun down seven more against a missed green bogey on the par-5 12th.

The 19-year-old ace has put in strong starts in recent legs of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. only to crumble at the finish, keeping him winless until he put together one near-perfect round under preferred lies rule to get a clear shot at a first-ever championship.

“I have to maintain this kind of game in the final round,” said Shin, who tied for fourth at Splendido Classic where he slugged it out and lost to Lascuña in the final round. He also shared third place at ICTSI Riviera Classic won by Bayron in a playoff with Clyde Mondilla and tied for ninth at Aboitiz Invitational, also ruled by Bayron.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

Sports Micah Shin hits a superb bunker shot on the par-5 No. 5 to cap an early four-birdie binge

Alaska routs NLEX, seals seat in PBA quarterfinals

By Reuel Vidal

T

HE Alaska Aces sealed a berth in the Quarterfinals of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup with a 100-85 victory over the NLEX Road Warriors Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Aces, known to be a defense-oriented squad, relied on their explosive offense this time around to grab the early advantage and go on to coast to the lopsided victory.

NLEX started the fourth with a 6-0 explosion with Asi Taulava scoring off another bank shot to cut the Alaska lead to just five points, 75-

70. But the Aces countered with a 10-2 run to create some separation as Alaska posted a 13-point, 85-72, advantage with 7:40 left to play.

The Aces protected that advantage the rest of the way to post the rout over NLEX. With victory the Aces (6 wins, 5 losses) advanced to the playoffs at sixth spot. NLEX

(5-6)—which had already qualified to the playoffs regardless of the result of the match—wound up at seventh place ahead of the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters (5-6) and the Rain Or Shine Elasto Painters (4-6).

Out of contention are the GlobalPort Batang Pier (4-7), the Star Hotshots (2-8) and the Blackwater Elite (1-9).

TNT KaTropa (9-1), Barangay Ginebra (8-2), the San Miguel Beermen (7-3), the Meralco Bolts (6-5) and the Mahindra Enforcer (6-5) have already qualified.

Alaska’s Calvin Abueva penetrated from the perimeter then pulled up for a mid-range

jumpshot to start an 8-0 Alaska run which turned a 12-14 deficit into a 20-14 advantage for the Aces.

The Road Warriors countered with a field goal by Sean Anthony and a triple by Henry Walker against field goals by Noy Baclao and returning Vic Manuel as the Aces held on to a 24-19 advantage after the first quarter.

Asi Taulava and Sean Anthony led the NLEX counterattack early in the second period. Taulava banked the ball off the glass and into the net to cap a 14-10 NLEX run which cut the Alaska lead to just a point, 34-33, with 5:18 left to play in the half.

Alaska responded with a 7-0 run by Sonny Thoss, buck Henton and Calvin Abueva to push the Aces ahead 41-33.

Walker almost tore the ring from the backboard with a vicious two-handed dunk to peg the count at 41-35.

The Aces then forced a turnover and Henton dribbled coastto-coast to convert a fastbreak layup to cap a 9-0 Alaska run as the Aces went ahead by 15 points, 50-35.

Walker slammed in another vicious dunk while RJ Jazul countered with a nifty drop pass to Henton who converted an easy layup to push the Aces to a 15-point, 52-37 halftime advantage.

Torre, Frayna to get bonus GRANDMASTER Eugene Torre and newly designated Women’s GM Janelle Mae Frayna will get cash incentives for their exceptional performances in the recent 42nd World Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said the Philippine Sports Commission will give the 64-year-old Torre P100,000 for the bronze medal that he won on Board 3 in the men’s division.

On the other hand, Frayna will be given P50,000 for becoming the first Filipina to become a Grandmaster. She also obtained a men’s International Master title.

“The biennial Olympiad bronze is P100,000, while a Grandmaster title is something new but she (Frayna) will given P50,000,” said Ramirez.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to meet Torre and Frayna in Malacanang, along with Josephine Medina, who earned a bronze medal in women’s table tennis the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

Torre scored 10 out of 11 points on nine victories and two draws while Frayna scored seven of 11 to reap honors for the country.

It was Torre’s fourth medal after he won a silver in the 1974 Nice Olympiad. Peter Atencio

Eagles to focus on defense vs Falcons THE Ateneo Blue Eagles will focus on improving their defense as season 79 of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament progresses.

This is what coach Sandy Arespacochaga promised as the Blue Eagles get ready to meet the Adamson Falcons at 4 p.m. today at the Araneta Coliseum.

Holding down the Falcons’ ace shooter Jerrick Ahanmisi will be one of the challenges for the Blue Eagles in their quest to score their third win in

four games.

“We’d like to see more defensive efforts and defensive stops in the first half,” said Arespacochaga after they prevailed over defending champion Far Eastern University, 71-76, last Sunday.

Earlier, the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers will try to bounce back from a humiliating 62-100 loss to the La Salle Green Archers in their 2 p.m. clash with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons.

UST shares the same 1-2 slate with FEU following that loss while the

Falcons hold a 1-1 card.

Much is expected from skipper Thirdy Ravena, who proved his worth in their game with FEU. The 19-year-old Ravena joined hands with Anton Asistio in the 10-5 run that carried Ateneo to the win. He made 5 of his 17 points in the last two minutes.

“It’s the mentality coming into the game to stick to the system. Once you stick to the system, your game’s going to come to you,” said Ravena.

The Blue Eagles could miss key player Aaron Black, who hurt his

Games Today

(Araneta Coliseum) 2 p.m. UST vs UP 4 p.m. Ateneo vs Adamson

left foot going into the first two minutes of the game.

On the other hand, UST ace is Mario Bonleon could miss the rest of Season 79 due to injury.

The second-year guard reportedly aggravated the injury on his left hand during their losing game to La Salle.

Bonleon is set to have surgery next week and is expected to be out for eight months. Peter Atencio

Robins stun Braves, boost semis bid

By Peter Atencio THE Mapua Red Robins turned to the game-long brilliance of point guard Mike Enriquez to upset last year’s finalist, the Arellano University Braves, 8471, Friday in the 92nd National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament at The Arena in San Juan.

Enriquez, who showed complete recovery from a foot injury that sidelined him in the first round, struck with his season’s best of 28 points to lead the Red Robins to their 13th win in 16 games.

The win put them in contention for the second twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four semifinals and dropped the Braves to a share of third place with the La

Games Monday

(The Arena in San Juan) 9 a.m. San Sebastian vs EAC 10:45 a.m. JRU vs Letran 12:30 p.m. UPHSD vs Lyceum 2:15 p.m. San Beda vs Arellano 4 p.m. Mapua vs La Salle Greenhills

Salle Greenhills Junior Blazers at 13-4.

Meanwhile, the defending champion San Beda Red Cubs turned to topscorer Evan Nelle, who had 27 points, including a triple in the last 3.1 seconds, to turn back La Salle Greenhills, 8582, for their 16th win in 17 games and the solo lead.

Earlier, Benedict Buno had 20 points for Jose Rizal University in their 75-72 win over Lyceum.

The 17-year-old Enriquez, taking charge in the absence of three

mainstays, started putting the Red Robins out of harm’s way with his jumper in the last 1:40, 61-56.

Then, a layup from Will Gozum and a triple from Brian Lacap allowed Mapua to move away, 6658, at the end of the third.

Enriquez unloaded 10 points in the last period, including a drive in the last 2:39 for a 77-69 edge.

The Red Robins missed big man Sherwin Concepcion due an injured shoulder, a suspended guard Romuel Junsay and another key player in Jasper Salenga, who sprained his ankle in the remaining five minutes.

“Gusto naming makuha ang no.

2 kaya sinunod ang game plan at na-depensahan namin ang mga shooters nila,” said Mapua coach Randy Alcantara.

Govt says no to wage hike proposal B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

B1

Miners vow to support DENR

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

PSe comPoSite index

Closing September 16, 2016

8300 7840

WIN-WIN SOLUTION. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (second from left) listens to some members of the business sector in an effort to find common grounds on labor relations among workers, service providers and companies, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to end labor contractualization and end-of-contract schemes. The high-level meeting was held on September 15, 2016 at the Department of Labor and Employment. Story on B3.

7380

Neda’s Pernia calls for PeSo-dollar rate drastic reform of CoA T

6920 6460 6000

7,553.76 154.66

Closing SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 48.00

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

46.00 45.00

P47.820

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P47.600 LOW P47.850 AVERAGE P47.726 VOLUME 816.700M

P392-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank P35.70-P42.50 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.84-P28.27 Diesel P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, September 16, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

United States Dollar

US Dollar Peso

1.000000

47.5710

Japan

Yen

0.009795

0.4660

UK

Pound

1.323900

62.9792

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128899

6.1319

Switzerland

Franc

1.029442

48.9716

Canada

Dollar

0.759821

36.1454

Singapore

Dollar

0.733568

34.8966

Australia

Dollar

0.751400

35.7448

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655126

126.3070

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

12.6856

Brunei

Dollar

0.730887

34.7690

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000076

0.0036

Thailand

Baht

0.028652

1.3630

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.9530

Euro

Euro

1.124700

53.5031

Korea

Won

0.000890

0.0423

China

Yuan

0.149705

7.1216

India

Rupee

0.014959

0.7116

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.241721

11.4989

New Zealand

Dollar

0.731400

34.7934

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031623

1.5043 Source: PDS Bridge

HE head of the National Economic and Development Authority called for a drastic reform of the Commission on Audit to clear road blocks in investments in the agriculture sector.

Economic Planning Secretary and Neda director-general Ernesto Pernia said during the general membership meeting of the Chamber of Thrift Banks that CoA had been one of the hindrances in attracting potential investors to the agriculture sector.

He said the government must improve securing property titles in the country to make lands productive.

“That means we need to improve our titling of lands. A lot of lands in agriculture are

not really titled, so they cannot be used as collateral or cannot be sold or leased, so that some big businessmen can buy small pieces of land... and make it more economically viable,” Pernia said.

“So that is a constraint and that has to be addressed by better land administration,” he added.

Pernia noted that one of the 10-point economic agenda of the Duterte administration stressed the improvement of land administration.

He said farmers should be allowed to sell lands awarded to them and be given the title to make the property transactionable.

“Also, the other problem is that CoA has been warning potential investors or builders not to build on or buy untitled property. So at the Cabinet meeting, we discussed this issue, and the President said we will call the CoA chairman and tell him you better do something about this roadblock, (to allow) investment in agriculture (to flourish),” Pernia said.

“In fact, Vice President Leni Robredo was also... complaining that she could not build houses in many areas that they would like to build on for housing because they are untitled. They just have the tax declaration, but that is not enough for CoA. CoA has to be reformed drastically,” he added.

A report released by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank last year showed that about 46 percent of the country’s 24.2 million land parcels remained untitled as of 2007. In comparison, Vietnam had about 90 percent of land parcels registered.

About 70 percent, or 7.8 million, of untitled land parcels, are residential.

The ADB report, entitled Building Modern Land Administration Systems, said the big volume of untitled land weakened security of tenure, opened the system to abuse and hampered the efficient flow of commerce, as land could not be bought and sold without titles.

The limited supply of land and increase in population are also leading to conflicts in use and ownership because of blurred titling.

Mactan airport passengers to hit 9m—Megawide

By Jenniffer B. Austria MEGAWIDE Construction Corp. said passenger volume in the Mactan-Cebu International Airport is expected to reach 9 million this year, up 12.5 percent from 8 million in 2015.

Megawide president and chief operating office Edgar Saavedra said during the annual stockholders’ meeting passenger volume in the MCIA had been growing since the company took over the airport operations in 2014.

Saavedra said the MCIA would have an overall capacity of 12.5 million passengers a year cnce

the modernization of the MCIA airport was completed in 2018.

Meanwhile, Megawide chief marketing officer Louie Ferrer said the company remained interested in other airport projects that the government might bid out.

Megawide in partnership with GMR Infrastructure Ltd. was among the five companies qualified to join the bidding for the P108-billion bundled airport project under the government’s public-private partnership program The others were FilinvestJatco-Sojitz Consortium, Maya Consortium, the Philippine

Airports Consortium and the SMHC-IIAC Airports Consortium.

The government is also set to auction by January 2017 the P74.56-billion contract to operate and maintain the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Megawide said it will continue with a diversification plan after its venture into power sector where it bought 100 percent of Citicore Power.

Citcore Power currently operates three solar power projects in the provinces of Bataan, Negros Occidental and Cebu. The three plants account for over 100 megawatts of power in the na-

tional grid.

The company is committed to producing 1,000 MW of clean energy, such as solar, biomass, wind and hydropower.

Megawide’s construction business contributed 66 percent to total consolidated earnings at P973 million while airport operations accounted for 34 percent.

Megawide expects an additional source of revenues with its venture into the power sector.

The company is also slated to start construction of the P3.5-billion Southwest Integrated Transport System in the last quarter of the year.

Security Bank increasing branches to 292 this year

IN BRIEF Current account surplus declines THE current account, one of the components of balance of payments, remained in surplus at $778 million in the first half of 2016 but lower than $5.3 billion in the same period last year due mainly to the widening of the trade-in-goods deficit, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Friday.

“The trade-in-goods deficit for the first half increased by 72.1 percent to $16.4 billion as a result of the contraction in exports of goods by 5.2 percent and the expansion in imports of goods by 18.3 percent,” Bangko Sentral said in a statement Friday.

Exports of goods fell to $20.7 billion in the first six months of 2016 from $21.8 billion in the same period last year. Except for sugar products, all major commodity groups registered decreased shipments. Imports of goods rose to $37.1 billion or by 18.3 percent mainly from higher imports of capital goods.

Julito G. Rada

Cebu Pacific seeks more Bangkok seats

By Julito G.rada SECURITY Bank Corp., the sixth-largest lender in terms of assets, expects total branches to reach 292 by the end of the year, president and chief executive Alfonso Salcedo Jr. said Thursday evening.

“We see our branch network to reach a total of 292 this year. As of July, total branches already reached 277,” Salcedo told reporters at the sidelines of a media event held in Makati City.

Salcedo said the bank earlier planned to open 30 branches this year.

He said 15 had already been opened in different locations nationwide.

Salcedo said the capital expenditure for each branch was estimated at P5 million. About 70 percent of Security Bank’s new branches would be situated in the provinces because of growth prospects in the countryside. The balance will be opened in Metro Manila.

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., Japan’s largest bank, in February this year acquired 20 percent of Security Bank for P37 billion. The equity infusion was considered the biggest by a foreign financial institution in the Philippines.

Salcedo said the bank would use part of the additional capitalization from BTMU to expand branches nationwide to around 500 to 600 in the next five years.

Security Bank’s net income in the first half of 2016 increased to P4.9 billion from P3.5 billion a year ago, buoyed mainly by higher net interest profit.

THE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines vowed Friday to help the government in its programs to protect and enhance the environment.

Environment Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio presented the priority programs of the agency in the next six years under President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration during a meeting of the House committee on natural resources.

The programs include enhanced national greening program forest protection; responsible mining; enhanced clean air act; the campaign for clean water; enhanced solid waste management; and protection of biodiversity to promote social enterprise.

“We see valuable opportunities for our members to continue helping government in its environment programs and beyond with this direction of the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources),” said CoMP executive vice president Nelia Halcon.

Halcon said CoMP members planted 20 million trees from 2011 to 2014, covering an average forest density of 500 trees per hectare with an aggregated 40,156 hectares.

“We remain as one of the country’s largest private sector contributor to the NGP with our ongoing forestation efforts,” Halcon said.

Halcon said CoMP members in their respective mining jurisdiction also practiced coastal management to ensure the integrity of bodies of water near their operations and protect marine life.

SECURITY BANK AWARDS. Alpha Southeast Asia Magazine recognizes Security Bank Corp. with two awards during its 6th Annual Southeast Asia’s Institutional Investor Awards for Corporates 2016 and 10th Annual Best Financial Institutions in Southeast Asia held on September 1 at the Conrad Centennial Singapore. Security Bank executive vice president and chief financial officer Joey Mape (center) and investor relations head Ropi Dangazo (left) receive the awards from Alpha Southeast Asia’s publisher and chief executive officer Siddiq Bazarwala. The bank was voted one of the top three companies with the “Most Organized Investor Relations” and “Most Improved Investor Relations.”

CEBU Pacific has sought additional seat entitlements to China and Bangkok from the Civil Aeronautics Board.

The airline, owned by industrialist John Gokongwei, filed with the CAB for an additional allocation of 588 seat entitlements from Manila to Bangkok and vice versa under Article 1, Protocol 5 of Asean Multilateral Agreement on Air Services.

The airline also filed for an additional allocation of 1,792 seat entitlements from Manila to Shanghai and vice versa under Protocol 1 of Asean-China Air TWransport Agreement.

Data from the Tourism Department showed that visitors from Thailand reached 24,775 in the first half of the year, while China’s tourists stood at 340,958. Darwin G. Amojelar

B2

Business

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market tumbles; Petron rises S

TOCKS tumbled Friday, following a strong rebound a day earlier, as investors position ahead of a likely Federal Reserve interest rate hike this month.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, fell 154 points, or 2 percent, to close at 7,553.76 Friday. This reduced the market’s total gains this year to 8.7 percent.

The broader all-share index, also dipped 55 points, or 1.2 percent, to settle at 4,558.17, on a value turnover of P13.8 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 102 to 78, while 47 issues were unchanged.

Three of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led

by chemical producer D&L Industries Inc. which climbed 6.3 percent to P11.80. Oil retailer Petron Corp. gained 2.9 percent to P10.20, while Security Bank Corp. rose 0.1 percent to P248.60.

Major conglomerates posted heavy losses Friday, with Metro Pacific Investments Corp. sliding 4.7 percent to P6.50 and SM Investments Corp. declining 3.7 percent to P6.60. Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. also retreated 3.7 percent to P75.10.

Meanwhile, Asian markets

on Friday tracked a rally on Wall Street. Equities globally have suffered during a volatile week as top Fed officials gave conflicting views on the need for tighter monetary policy, fueling uncertainty across trading floors.

But the chances of a move at next week’s policy meeting were diminished Thursday with the release of lacklustre retail sales figures as well as weak readings on industrial output and wholesales inflation.

All three indexes in New York surged more than one percent, which in turn filtered through to Asia, where trade was thinned by public holidays.

Tokyo ended 0.7 percent higher, while Sydney jumped one percent, Singapore added 0.7 percent and Wellington climbed

0.8 percent.

Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Taipei were closed for public holidays.

However, in early European trade London dipped 0.3 percent, while Frankfurt and Paris each fell 0.2 percent.

“With nothing in the economic numbers to say US rates should be moving up, and growing signs of losing momentum, expectations have largely diminished toward the Fed doing anything in September,” Cameron Bagrie, chief economist in Wellington at ANZ Bank New Zealand Ltd., said in a note to clients.

“The market is drifting back toward the view they might do nothing for quite a while.”

With Bloomberg, AFP

Splash wants longer tender offering period

By Jenniffer B. Austria HOMEGROWN personal care and food company Splash Corp. asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to extend the tender offer period in connection with its plan to delist from the stock exchange.

Splash said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the 11-day extension would give minority shareholders more time to evaluate their options regarding the tender offer.

“The request for extension is

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

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

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

Asia United Bank 48 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 113.00 Bank of PI 107.90 China Bank 38.1 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.90 Bright Kindle Resources 1.35 COL Financial 16.5 Eastwest Bank 20.5 Filipino Fund Inc. 6.80 First Abacus 0.71 I-Remit Inc. 1.98 MEDCO Holdings 0.990 Metrobank 87.9 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.9 PB Bank 14.08 Phil. National Bank 57.50 Philippine trust Co. 390 PSE 272 RCBC `A’ 35.55 Security Bank 248.4 Union Bank 73.20 Vantage Equities 1.47

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 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5.25 12.98 15 2.65 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.86 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 234 1.3 26

15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.87 8.45 10.04 2.09 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 1.65 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 152 0.640 10.02

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 911 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 1455 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.225 0.23 634.5 260 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 837 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.310

Aboitiz Power Corp.

46.1 Agrinurture Inc. 3.28 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 1.08 Alsons Cons.

1.62 Asiabest Group 16.86 Cemex Holdings 11.68 Century Food 16.98 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 126.9 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 24 Concepcion 56.6 Crown Asia 2.11 Da Vinci Capital 6.05 Del Monte 11.98 DNL Industries Inc. 11.100 Emperador 7.20 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.98 EEI 7.60 Euro-Med Lab 1.81 First Gen Corp.

25 First Holdings ‘A’ 70.7 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.08 Holcim Philippines Inc. 16.30 Integ. Micro-Electronics 6.23 Ionics Inc 2.240 Jollibee Foods Corp.

250.00 Liberty Flour 50.00 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.55 Macay Holdings 27.80 Manila Water Co. Inc. 29.3 Maxs Group 28.9 Megawide 14.98 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 311.80 MG Holdings 0.265 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.06 Petron Corporation 9.91 Phinma Corporation 11.60 Phinma Energy 2.20 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 5.81 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.55 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.52 RFM Corporation 4.20 Roxas and Co. 2.21 Roxas Holdings 3.2 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 218.2 Splash Corporation 3.06 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.157 TKC Steel Corp.

1.74 Universal Robina 186.8 Vitarich Corp.

2.38 Vivant Corp.

33.05 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.380 Aboitiz Equity 78.00 Alliance Global Inc. 16.26 Anglo Holdings A 1.29 Anscor `A’ 6.20 ATN Holdings A 0.370 ATN Holdings B 0.370 Ayala Corp `A’ 860 BHI Holdings Inc. 1150.00 Cosco Capital 8.16 DMCI Holdings 12.18 F&J Prince ‘A’ 6.12 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

7.65 GT Capital 1455 JG Summit Holdings 77.40 Lopez Holdings Corp.

8.1 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.82 LT Group 16.96 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.83 Pacifica `A’ 0.0350 Prime Media Hldg 1.190 Prime Orion 2.030 San Miguel Corp `A’ 82.00 SM Investments Inc. 685.50 Solid Group Inc. 1.28 South China Res. Inc. 1.00 Top Frontier 218.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3150 Zeus Holdings 0.275

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 0.305 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 27 8.54 31.8 2.29

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 0.188 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 23 2.69 22.15 1.6

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

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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry Primex Corp.

Robinson’s Land `B’ Rockwell

High

Low

FINANCIAL 48 47.5 111.80 108.50 106.60 103.80 38.25 38 3.90 3.85 1.42 1.35 16.76 16.4 20.8 20.3 6.80 6.80 0.7 0.7 1.9 1.9 1.010 0.930 88 85.5 0.89 0.88 14.1 13.98 58.00 56.35 560 380 274 272 36.95 36 248.8 244 73.50 73.15 1.47 1.46 INDUSTRIAL 46.05 44.55 3.51 3.23 1.1 1.02 1.63 1.61 16.88 16.22 11.72 11.66 16.94 16.82 130 120 24.15 23.75 58 57 2.11 2.1 6.53 6.1 12 11.76 11.800 11.120 7.22 7.01 5.99 5.93 8.05 7.80 1.81 1.81 25.2 24.9 73.45 70.55 12.48 12.40 16.40 16.30 6.39 6.2 2.250 2.200 249.80 241.20 50.00 50.00 4.48 4.3 29.45 27.80 29.45 28.8 29.15 28.8 15.2 14.9 313.00 311.20 0.265 0.255 3.22 3.06 10.30 9.95 11.60 11.60 2.19 2.17 6.00 5.95 1.62 1.50 3.52 3.48 4.22 4.20 2.25 2.25 3.2 3.2 220 219 3.01 3.01 0.160 0.157 1.74 1.71 187.3 185.2 2.63 2.35 33.05 33.00

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

48 111.00 105.80 38.1 3.85 1.38 16.4 20.4 6.80 0.7 1.9 1.000 86.15 0.89 14.08 56.35 396 274.4 36.95 248.6 73.25 1.47

0.00 -1.77 -1.95 0.00 -1.28 2.22 -0.61 -0.49 0.00 -1.41 -4.04 1.01 -1.99 -1.11 0.00 -2.00 1.54 0.88 3.94 0.08 0.07 0.00

16,100 2,463,330 2,051,320 19,000 26,000 77,000 79,400 393,300 2,800 148,000 21,000 4,641,000 4,099,750 55,000 163,000 157,480 1,820 6,270 297,900 1,855,040 276,420 45,000

707,640.00 -119,526,372 24,351,983.00

44.75 3.29 1.03 1.62 16.88 11.68 16.88 125 24.05 57 2.11 6.2 11.8 11.800 7.01 5.97 8.00 1.81 25.1 71.4 12.48 16.36 6.2 2.220 245.20 50.00 4.45 29.45 29.3 29 14.9 311.80 0.265 3.08 10.20 11.60 2.19 6.00 1.56 3.52 4.20 2.25 3.2 220 3.01 0.159 1.71 185.7 2.63 33.00

-2.93 0.30 -4.63 0.00 0.12 0.00 -0.59 -1.50 0.21 0.71 0.00 2.48 -1.50 6.31 -2.64 -0.17 5.26 0.00 0.40 0.99 3.31 0.37 -0.48 -0.89 -1.92 0.00 -2.20 5.94 0.00 0.35 -0.53 0.00 0.00 0.65 2.93 0.00 -0.45 3.27 0.65 0.00 0.00 1.81 0.00 0.82 -1.63 1.27 -1.72 -0.59 10.50 -0.15

2,119,800 2,776,000 5,193,000 2,685,000 500 7,490,400 1,053,900 500 377,400 1,028,350 224,000 3,595,500 70,700 20,376,400 39,684,000 28,402,600 420,300 3,000 1,251,700 422,160 700 48,300 971,000 524,000 498,840 1,890 22,000 500 3,243,300 142,500 2,361,500 207,310 2,300,000 200,000 15,043,100 1,500 541,000 662,000 333,000 34,000 200,000 4,000 4,000 4,920 16,000 3,880,000 343,000 3,088,470 49,052,000 400

-24,886,025.00 -47,710.00 -76,650.00 -3,156,840.00

0.385 75.10 16.20 1.21 6.13 0.365 0.365 854.5 1001.00 8.15 11.36 6.5 7.75 1401 77.20 8.07 0.84 16.84 6.51 0.0350 1.190 2.050 81.95 660.00 1.27 0.98 217.800 0.3200 0.275

1.32 -3.72 -0.37 -6.20 -1.13 -1.35 -1.35 -0.64 -12.96 -0.12 -6.73 6.21 1.31 -3.71 -0.26 -0.37 2.44 -0.71 -4.69 0.00 0.00 0.99 -0.06 -3.72 -0.78 -2.00 -0.09 1.59 0.00

30,000 3,579,240 6,801,500 53,000 400 10,390,000 380,000 465,100 20 2,251,700 8,812,200 511,100 1,211,300 294,925 4,010,270 2,720,000 642,000 5,220,300 78,468,000 12,800,000 1,000 725,000 64,950 900,720 128,000 70,000 17,550 5,600,000 70,000

7.330 1.27 2.750 0.280 37.050 2.83 5.1 0.560 0.990 0.169 0.590 58.8 0.790 0.143 1.00 1.86 1.14 4.55 0.186 37.00 3.28 30.20 1.61

-6.51 -0.78 -0.72 3.70 -2.50 -3.08 0.00 -8.20 -2.94 4.97 -1.67 2.71 2.60 -0.69 0.00 0.54 0.00 -3.19 -4.12 2.78 0.61 -0.49 0.00

5,418,600 684,000 1,305,000 4,300,000 80,398,100 18,520,000 150,000 30,446,000 70,000 75,670,000 6,503,000 2,194,330 112,000 70,000 2,169,000 7,123,000 140,000 27,344,000 396,340,000 4,500 261,000 3,877,800 73,000

-989,888.00 -6,867,445.00

1,369,720.00 -118,033,786.50 -327,132.00 -5,593,765.00 7,877,320 -46,056,510.00 600,509.50

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 28.5 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 12.3 2.6 7.67 4 1700 2720 8.41

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 18.2 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 10.14 1.6 4.8 2.58 830 1600 5.95

70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 0.017

17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 4 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 2.28 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 5 0.315 1.14

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.8 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 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 5.11 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 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

70 553 525

33 490 500

120 515 8.21 12.28 111 1047 78.95

101.5 480 5.88 6.5 101 1011 74.5

6.98

0.8900

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6

Close

Shang Properties Inc. SM Prime Holdings Sta. Lucia Land Inc. Starmalls Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. Vista Land & Lifescapes

High 3.37 27.90 1.08 7.05 1.050 5.440

Low

3.36 3.31 28.00 27.10 1.13 1.07 7.11 7.11 1.050 1.010 5.520 5.400 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 7.25 7.28 7.22 ABS-CBN 49.1 49.5 49.1 Acesite Hotel 1.28 1.39 1.33 APC Group, Inc. 0.570 0.580 0.570 Berjaya Phils. Inc. 5.7 5.68 5.15 Bloomberry 5.10 5.28 5.08 Boulevard Holdings 0.0960 0.1060 0.0970 Calata Corp.

3.69 3.72 3.62 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 117 119 117 Centro Esc. Univ.

10.12 10.12 10.12 Discovery World 2.22 2.35 2.35 DFNN Inc. 6.41 6.72 6.42 Easy Call “Common” 3.10 3.10 3.10 FEUI 945.5 945.5 945.5 Globe Telecom 1990 1998 1961 GMA Network Inc. 6.24 6.34 6.22 Golden Haven 13.72 13.74 13.50 Grand Plaza Hotel 20.30 20.30 20.30 Harbor Star 1.63 1.79 1.66 I.C.T.S.I. 78 79 76.2 Imperial Res. `A’ 19.46 19.28 19.00 Imperial Res. `B’ 150 150 150 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 IPM Holdings 9.25 9.25 9.15 Island Info 0.260 0.265 0.250 ISM Communications 1.4300 1.4300 1.4000 Jackstones 3.5 3.53 3.43 LBC Express 12.4 12.4 12.3 Leisure & Resorts 3.95 4.20 3.95 Liberty Telecom 2.15 2.15 2.10 Lorenzo Shipping 1.03 1.03 1.03 Macroasia Corp.

2.22 2.21 2.21 Manila Broadcasting 19.06 21.25 21.25 Manila Jockey 1.98 1.98 1.98 Melco Crown 4.17 4.3 4.04 Metro Retail 5.49 5.55 5.45 NOW Corp.

3.500 3.580 3.450 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 11.28 11.36 11.3 PAL Holdings Inc. 5.40 5.55 5.40 Paxys Inc. 2.93 2.8 2.52 Phil. Seven Corp.

138.90 143.00 135.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 5.93 6.76 5.98 PLDT Common 1691.00 1740.00 1666.00 PremiereHorizon 0.430 0.425 0.420 Premium Leisure 1.030 1.040 1.010 Puregold 44.10 44.95 43.95 Robinsons RTL 79.00 79.90 78.60 SBS Phil. Corp.

5.93 5.95 5.90 SSI Group 3.03 3.05 2.98 STI Holdings 0.590 0.600 0.590 Travellers 3.35 3.39 3.34 Waterfront Phils.

0.355 0.355 0.350 Yehey 5.590 5.580 5.200 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0039 0.0039 0.0038 Apex `A’ 2.78 2.78 2.68 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.00 4.10 3.90 Basic Energy Corp.

0.220 0.218 0.210 Benguet Corp `B’ 2.4000 2.2000 2.1500 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.6 0.6 0.58 Coal Asia 0.410 0.405 0.400 Dizon 8.50 8.69 8.26 Ferronickel 0.850 0.850 0.830 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.270 0.275 0.270 Lepanto `A’ 0.201 0.204 0.200 Lepanto `B’ 0.210 0.210 0.206 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.64 1.7 1.62 Nickelasia 6.69 6.68 6.25 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.92 2.99 2.91 Oriental Peninsula Res. 1.0200 1.0100 0.9800 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Philex `A’ 8.55 8.55 8.44 PhilexPetroleum 3.29 3.41 3.21 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 Semirara Corp.

109.30 112.10 106.30 TA Petroleum 3.1 3.2 3.11 United Paragon 0.0099 0.0100 0.0099 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 49.1 49.95 48.85 Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ 530 531 531 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 540 540 540 DD Pref 104.7 105.1 104.8 First Gen G 119.5 119.5 119.5 GLOBE PREF P 547 547 541 GMA Holdings Inc. 6 6.01 6 Leisure and Resort 1.02 1.03 1.03 MWIDE PREF 112 112.8 112.8 PF Pref 2 1036 1040 1036 SMC Preferred B 79.5 78 78 SMC Preferred G 80 79 79 SMC Preferred H 78.6 78.5 78.1 SMC Preferred I 79.1 78.5 78.5 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.330 2.480 2.320 SME Alterra Capital 3.13 3.21 3.04 Makati Fin. Corp.

3.6 3.6 3.6 Italpinas 4.59 4.75 4.6 Xurpas 13.74 14.18 13.9 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 126 126.1 124.9

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.33 27.10 1.07 7.11 1.030 5.450

-1.19 -2.87 -0.93 0.85 -1.90 0.18

70,000 38,826,000 7,575,000 13,900 505,000 11,251,000

7.25 49.5 1.33 0.570 5.65 5.08 0.1010 3.62 118.4 10.12 2.35 6.70 3.10 945.5 1961 6.34 13.68 20.30 1.78 76.2 19.28 150 0.0100 9.25 0.255 1.4000 3.43 12.4 4.12 2.13 1.03 2.21 21.25 1.98 4.18 5.50 3.450 11.36 5.55 2.8 143.00 6.13 1666.00 0.425 1.030 44.95 79.05 5.95 3.00 0.600 3.36 0.355 5.550

0.00 0.81 3.91 0.00 -0.88 -0.39 5.21 -1.90 1.20 0.00 5.86 4.52 0.00 0.00 -1.46 1.60 -0.29 0.00 9.20 -2.31 -0.92 0.00 -9.09 0.00 -1.92 -2.10 -2.00 0.00 4.30 -0.93 0.00 -0.45 11.49 0.00 0.24 0.18 -1.43 0.71 2.78 -4.44 2.95 3.37 -1.48 -1.16 0.00 1.93 0.06 0.34 -0.99 1.69 0.30 0.00 -0.72

125,700 19,400 62,000 349,000 1,500 14,367,400 370,260,000 1,365,000 191,860 2,200 11,000 774,200 1,000 30,160 306,465 215,300 106,800 51,900 4,777,000 3,484,020 1,900 10 323,700,000 353,400 13,930,000 493,000 18,000 5,300 1,934,000 194,000 1,000 10,000 200 5,000 14,472,000 664,700 3,867,000 41,500 20,500 47,000 12,480 2,927,800 584,155 870,000 26,267,000 1,591,700 524,790 56,000 7,644,000 501,000 335,000 290,000 45,800

0.0039 2.68 3.95 0.218 2.1800 0.58 0.400 8.50 0.850 0.270 0.204 0.207 0.0110 1.66 6.42 2.97 1.0000 0.0110 8.45 3.22 0.0110 110.80 3.19 0.0099

0.00 -3.60 -1.25 -0.91 -9.17 -3.33 -2.44 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.49 -1.43 0.00 1.22 -4.04 1.71 -1.96 0.00 -1.17 -2.13 -8.33 1.37 2.90 0.00

122,000,000 393,000 373,000 90,000 17,000 279,000 310,000 1,300 5,275,000 80,000 4,830,000 740,000 500,000 202,000 7,852,300 29,000 267,000 600,000 527,700 3,309,000 1,900,000 622,050 56,000 7,000,000

49.4 531 540 105 119.5 541 6.01 1.03 112.8 1040 78 79 78.5 78.5

0.61 0.19 0.00 0.29 0.00 -1.10 0.17 0.98 0.71 0.39 -1.89 -1.25 -0.13 -0.76

150,300 2,000 30 43,880 10 16,000 1,111,200 500,000 30 255 7,530 12,000 63,520 12,710

2.320

-0.43

360,000

3.2 3.6 4.61 14.12

2.24 0.00 0.44 2.77

2,294,000 5,000 77,000 1,154,600

124.9

-0.87

11,020

224,670,155.00 74,600.00 98,829.00 -7,463,266.00 -543,600.00 8,050.00 19,182,657.00 -228,460.00 5,539,772.00 9,870.00 -29,449,830.00 71,344.00

MS 7.840 1.28 2.770 0.270 38.000 2.92 5.1 0.610 1.020 0.161 0.600 57.25 0.770 0.144 1.00 1.85 1.14 4.7 0.194 36.00 3.26 30.35 1.61

0.385 0.385 77.45 75.00 16.30 16.10 1.29 1.20 6.20 6.13 0.385 0.365 0.385 0.365 860 848.5 1250.00 1001.00 8.2 8.15 11.96 11.36 6.5 6 7.98 7.66 1455 1401 77.20 74.50 8.15 7.96 0.84 0.81 16.96 16.82 6.8 6.51 0.0350 0.0340 1.190 1.190 2.080 2.010 82.00 80.90 685.00 660.00 1.28 1.26 0.99 0.98 218.000 214.000 0.3200 0.3100 0.275 0.275 PROPERTY 7.850 7.330 1.30 1.27 2.800 2.700 0.285 0.265 37.950 36.650 3 2.83 5.1 5.1 0.62 0.560 1.020 0.990 0.174 0.160 0.600 0.590 58.8 56.5 0.790 0.770 0.143 0.143 1.01 1.00 1.87 1.83 1.14 1.14 4.71 4.55 0.202 0.182 38.00 33.00 3.28 3.25 30.65 30.00 1.64 1.61

1,303,928.00 -8,289,666.00 373,160.00 -54,720

285,348.00 237,200.00 30,987,094.00 -71,202,366.00 -2,176,432.00 -248,518.00

12,954,830.00 -12,157,682.00 -1,690.00 -3,372,543.00

-8,240,760.00

42,733,510.00 -815,025.00 -9,194,586.00 -76,512.00 30,600.00 19,690.00 -1,085,687.00 739,800.00 -3,600,000.00 15,300.00 79,650.00

617,580.00

1,570.00

67,520,853 2,382,060.00

-61,167,951.50 -20,907,824.00

-20,137,050

5,665,737.00 -25,842,858.00

-143,249,725.00 -86,734,200.50 2,478,971.00

10,129,010.00 -193,093,741.00

-2,141,238.00 -204,358,995.00 -2,361,620.00

-22,959,660.00 -99,330.00 -237,600.00 -549,835,420.00 -3,057,540.00 -11,585,560.00 9,900.00 39,330.00 413,000.00 102,059,537.50 -384,280.00 8,092,920.00 -49,451,560.00 12,595,090.00 10,800.00 120,450.00 -35,130,330.00

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

16,896,766

INDUSTRIAL

200,909,622

HOLDING FIRMS

146,318,495

PROPERTY

723,667,326

SERVICES

800,113,582

MINING & OIL

162,076,305

GRAND TOTAL

2,053,529,673

being made pursuant to under SRC Rule 19.9 and in order to give the stockholders more time to consider their options and to decide whether they wish to tender their Splash shares given the tender offer is being conducted pursuant to the company’s intention to voluntarily delist from the exchange,” Splash said.

“Rest assured that the extension, notwithstanding, the company shall be able to complete the tender offer within 60 business days from the date of the publication of its intention to delist and make a tender offer as required by SRC,” it said.

The tender offer which started on July 18 was originally scheduled to end Sept.

20. If approved by the SEC, the tender offer would last until Oct. 5.

Owned by the Hortaleza group, Splash offered to acquire the remaining 158.449 million shares, owned by minority shareholders at P3.10 per share.

Splash Corp. announced in July it decided to delist its shares from the Philippine Stock Exchange, nearly nine years after it became a public company.

The decision to delist was to avoid telegraphing its business plans to competitors, it said.

-62,450,287.50 -400,000.00 1,850.00

-1,692,920 -149,100.00

-21,019,550.00 206,853.00 -3,325,060.00

175,044.00 245,812.00 -92,437,210.00 63,000.00 -1,060,940.00 -41,381,595.00 -26,514,432.50 -11,481,180.00 183,490.00 301,240.00

390,030.00

2,262,060.00

134,180.00 10,934,704.00 -217,840.00

814,258.00 -404,000.00 4,261,105.00 -3,150.00 610,125.00

-6,634,209.00

73,040.00 36,800.00 -2,201,856.00

VALUE 1,859.05 (down) 24.74 1,359,806,736.10 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,876.53 (down) 50.28 2,252,394,908.31 HOLDING FIRMS 7,487.46 (down) 188.36 2,885,486,853.59 PROPERTY 3,339.81 (down) 76.61 1,485.81 (down) 11.82 4,790,016,750.30 SERVICES MINING & OIL 10,545.78 (down) 31.67 2,342,143,164.88 PSEI 7,553.76 (down) 154.66 144,554,684.516 All Shares Index 4,558.17 (down) 55.83 13,799,650,175.30 Gainers: 78; Losers: 102; Unchanged: 47; Total: 227

DoF sees modest inflation THE slight increase in core inflation last month indicates that consumers may see some modest uptick in commodity prices in the near term, an official of the Finance Department said Thursday.

Finance undersecretary Gil Beltran, appearing at the Thursday Club media forum in Quezon City, said removing the impact of volatile food and fuel prices, core inflation accelerated to its highest level this year at 2 percent in August.

Beltran said the country’s low inflation regime would serve as a favorable environment for policy makers to further cultivate and sustain sound economic policies.

“Outlook for the immediate near-term may see modest uptick in inflation, as indicated by the rise in core inflation from 1.9 percent to 2 percent,” Beltran said in a report submitted to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III. Headline inflation in August slowed to 1.8 percent from the previous month’s 1.9 percent, owing to the decline in prices of index heavyweights non-alcoholic beverages and food, particularly corn, meat, and vegetables.

July’s headline figure was below the internal forecast of 2 percent by the DOF and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ target range of 2 percent to 4.0 percent for the year.

“The lower-than-expected inflation rate is largely accounted for by the continued easing of food prices. While the DOF had expected food prices to rise by 2.7 percent, actual increase turned out to be 2.4 percent,” Beltran told members of Thursday Club.

The general price increase for food and non-alcoholic drinks further slowed to 2.4 percent in August from 2.7 percent in the previous month, contributing 1 percentage point to inflation.

Recreation and culture also eased to 1.7 percent from 1.8 percent.

Business

B3

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Govt says no to wage hike proposal

By Othel V. Campos

T

HE government assured the business sector that it will not support a P125 across-theboard salary increase as proposed by the labor sector.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the exporters group, employers’ association and manufacturing companies were “appeased” after learning that the government was not supporting a huge wage increase.

“This is unrealistic. We are trying to be competitive in the world market then all of sudden, we’re increasing wages.

Our position at the Trade Department is no to wage hike,” he said.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE ELECTRIC POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT (EPPA) BETWEEN ANTIQUE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND PANAY ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY.

CRF PhpO&M PhCPIc

= Capital Recovery Fee = Php 2.3096 per kWh = Peso-based O&M Fee = Php 0.2736 per kWh = Philippine Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current month as published by the National Statistics Coordination Board, www.nscb.gov.oh = Base Philippine CPI = 138.30 May 14 PhCPIb USDO&M = USD-based O&M Fee = $ 0.0092 per kWh = US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the USCPIC Current Month as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov = Base US CPI = 237.07 May 14 USCPIb Reference exchange rate (in Php per USD) on the Forex meter reading date, as published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), www.bsp.gov.ph E = in kWh, Minimum Contracted Energy (MCE) or Actual Energy Delivered, whichever is higher Base Coal Price = Base reference coal price = $ 56.33 USD per MT Newcastlec = Preceding quarter’s average coal price for 6,700kcal/ kg ADB per the Global CoaI Newcastle Physical Trading Index, www.globalcoal.com (in USD/MTl) Base Newcastle Index = $ 77.31 USD per MT NewcastleB Transport Cost = Cost of freight, insurance, brokerage, taxes, and other costs in USD per MT Consumption Rate = 0.68kg/kWh, escalated at a rate of 1.5% per year or actual, whichever is lower En = Nominated Energy of Buyer to Seller in kWh

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 29 April 2016, Antique Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“ANTECO”) and Panay Energy Development Corporation (“PEDC”) filed a Joint Application for approval of their Electric Power Purchase Agreement (EPPA) with a prayer for the issuance of Provisional Authority.

On even date, PEDC also submitted a separate “Motion to Treat Data Confidential” dated 28 April 2016 wherein PEDC prayed that Annexes “S”1 and “Z”2 attached to the Application be treated as confidential and be not disclosed to any other party or entity.

On 06 May 2016, PEDC filed a “Compliance with Motion to Admit” dated 05 May 2016 in compliance with the directive of the Commission during pre-filing conference to submit the complete issue of the Daily Tribune where the instant Application was published. Likewise, PEDC submitted the Official Receipt No. 0006723 dated 29 April 2016 evidencing payment of filing fees and prayed that the same be admitted by the Commission.

7.

Applicant ANTECO is an electric cooperative duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at Brgy. Funda-Dalipe, San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. It is a franchised electric utility servicing its member-consumers in the Province of Antique, specifically the Municipalities of Anini-y, Tobias Fornier, Hamtic, San Jose, Sibalom, San Remegio, Belison, Patnongon, Valderrama, Bugasong, Laua-an, Barbaza, Tibiao, Culasi, Sebaste and the Island Municipality of Caluya.

4.

Prior to the execution of the EPPA, in November 2013, a competitive selection process was undertaken by ANTECO, through the PanayGuimaras Power Supply Consortium (PPSC), using the Swiss Challenge method.

Salient Features of the EPPA Type of Plant

8.

6.

As indicated above, PEDC agreed to supply and deliver, and ANTECO agreed to take and pay for electricity supplied by PEDC at a contracted capacity of 8 MW (the “Contracted Capacity”), at 100% load factor, commencing on the Commercial Operation Date of the Expansion Plant (i.e., the date when the Expansion Plant has been completed, inspected, tested, and is ready to commence operation as confirmed in a written communication from Seller to Buyer, which date should not be later than 26 July 2016 or such later date as the parties may agree upon in writing), at an Electricity Fee (Schedule 4 of the EPPA) computed as follows: Load Factor :

1 2

100%

Electricity Fee =

Energy Fees + Fuel Cost

Energy Fees =

Tariff Fee x E

Tariff Fee

=

CRF +

Fuel Cost

=

Cost of Coal 1000

Cost of Coal

=

Project Brief of the Expansion Plant.

Projected Cash flows of PEDC.

Fuel Cost

=

Cost of Coal

=

Cost of Coal 1000

x Consumption Rate

x

Forex

x

En

Moreover, upon completion of the commissioning of the Expansion Plant, ANTECO shall take the proportionate net electrical output of the Expansion Plant delivered by PEDC during the Pre-Commercial Operation Period on a firm basis, subject to the payment of Electricity Fees computed as follows:

Load Factor : 100% Electricity Fee =

Energy Fees + Fuel Cost

x

Forex

x

En

Projected Rate Impact at Commercial Operation, as follows: Without PEDC EPPA With PEDC EPPA GENERATION RATE INCREASE/(DECREASE) (rounded off figure)

Rate, PhP/kWh 6.70 5.90 (0.80)

14. The foregoing agreed terms, among others, are embodied in the EPPA, a copy of which is attached to this Application as Annex “A” and made an integral part hereof.

Energy Fees =

75% x Tariff Fee x E

Tariff Fee

CRF +

=

18. Considering that ANTECO is in need of additional supply of power beginning 2016, it is imperative that ANTECO obtain this Honorable Commission’s approval of the EPPA with PEDC. 19. The supply of additional 8 MW from the Expansion Plant to ANTECO (and ultimately, to its consumers) will not only secure the power requirements of ANTECO but also lessen ANTECO II’s exposure to the volatility of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices and reduce its dependence on the Negros-Panay submarine cable.

20. Under the terms of the EPPA, among the conditions precedent to the performance by ANTECO and PEDC of their respective obligations thereunder is the approval of this Application by the Honorable Commission.

21. Thus, for PEDC to be able to deliver and ANTECO to be able to receive power from PEDC as early as the Testing and Commissioning and the PreCommercial Operation Period of the Expansion Plant, it is imperative that a provisional authority be granted for the EPPA to allow PEDC to deliver and ANTECO to receive power during these periods.

22. As mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs, should the Honorable Commission grant a provisional authority for PEDC to deliver and ANTECO to receive power during Testing and Commissioning, there will be an indicative net reduction in its generation cost of PhP1.73 per kWh during this period. Should a provisional authority be given for the Pre-Commercial Operation Period, there will be an indicative net reduction in its generation cost of PhP1.27 per kWh during this period.

Compliance with Pre-Filing Requirements 23. Applicants manifest their compliance with the pre-filing requirements mandated under Rule 3, Section 4(e) of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2011, or the “EPIRA”, and Rule 6 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedures, as evidenced by the following attachments: 23.1. Affidavit of Service re: service of the Application with Annexes to the Sangguniang Bayan of San Jose de Buenavista, a copy of which is attached hereto as Annex “B”; 23.2. Affidavit of Service re: service of the Application with Annexes to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Antique, a copy of which is attached as Annex “C”; 23.3. Affidavit of Publication stating that the instant Application had been published in a newspaper of general circulation, a copy of which is attached as Annex “D”; 23.4. Newspaper issue where the Application appeared, as published, a copy of which is attached as Annex “E”; 23.5. A copy of the Board Resolution authorizing ANTECO to jointly file the instant application with PEDC, which is herein attached as Annex “F”; 23.6. A copy of the Board Resolution authorizing PEDC to jointly file the instant application with ANTECO, which is herein attached as Annex “G”; and

24. ANTECO and PEDC prays that the Commission will: Fuel Cost

=

Cost of Coal

=

Cost of Coal 1000

x Consumption Rate

x

Forex

x

En

a)

Upon initial review of the instant Application and pending trial on the merits, issue a provisional authority for the terms of the 14 April 2015 EPPA between PEDC and ANTECO, thereby authorizing PEDC to charge and collect from ANTECO the respective Electricity Fees corresponding to the (1) Testing and Commissioning, (2) Pre-Commercial Operation Period, and (3) Commercial Operation Date, and authorizing ANTECO to pass the full amount thereof to its consumers;

b)

After trial on the merits, issue a permanent approval of the terms of the 14 April 2015 EPPA between PEDC and ANTECO, thereby authorizing PEDC to charge and collect from ANTECO the respective Electricity Fees corresponding to the (1) Testing and Commissioning, (2) Pre-Commercial Operation Period, and (3) Commercial Operation Date, and authorizing ANTECO to pass the full amount thereof to its consumers.

c)

Grant such other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for.

Where: CRF PhpO&M PhCPIc

= Capital Recovery Fee = Php 2.3096 per kWh = Peso-based O&M Fee = Php 0.2736 per kWh = Philippine Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current month as published by the National Statistics Coordination Board, www.nscb.gov.oh = Base Philippine CPI = 138.30 May 14 PhCPIb USDO&M = USD-based O&M Fee = $ 0.0092 per kWh = US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the USCPIC Current Month as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov = Base US CPI = 237.07 May 14 USCPIb Reference exchange rate (in Php per USD) on the Forex meter reading date, as published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), www.bsp.gov.ph E = in kWh, Minimum Contracted Energy (MCE) or Actual Energy Delivered, whichever is higher Base Coal Price = Base reference coal price = $ 56.33 USD per MT Newcastlec = Preceding quarter’s average coal price for 6,700kcal/ kg ADB per the Global CoaI Newcastle Physical Trading Index, www.globalcoal.com (in USD/MTl) Base Newcastle Index = $ 77.31 USD per MT NewcastleB Transport Cost = Cost of freight, insurance, brokerage, taxes, and othercosts in USD per MT Consumption Rate = 0.68 kg/kWh, escalated at a rate of 1.5% per year or actual, whichever is lower En = Nominated Energy of Buyer to Seller in kWh 9.

The EPPA thus proposes separate rates on the power delivered by PEDC to ANTECO, depending on the stage of the plant development (i.e., during Testing and Commissioning, during the Pre-Commercial Operation Period, or on Commercial Operation Date).

10. The cost of fuel shall be on a pass through basis in all stages (i.e., during Testing and Commissioning, during the Pre-Commercial Operation Period, or on Commercial Operation Date). In deriving Fuel Cost, the actual consumption rate of coal or up to the consumption cap, whichever is lower, shall always be multiplied by the actual energy delivered. x Consumption Rate

Rate, PhP/kWh Without PEDC EPPA 6.70 With PEDC EPPA 4-97 GENERATION RATE INCREASE/(DECREASE) (1.73) (rounded off figure) Projected Rate Impact during 2016 Pre-Commercial Operations, as follows: Rate, PhP/kWh Without PEDC EPPA 6.70 With PEDC EPPA 5-44 GENERATION RATE INCREASE/(DECREASE) (1.27) (rounded off figure)

23.7. Proof of payment of filing fees, a copy of which is attached as Annex “H”.

The delivery point shall mean the physical point(s) at which ANTECO receives power from PEDC where billing meters to measure electricity energy flowing to ANTECO’s electric system are installed The allowable scheduled and unscheduled outages are forty (40) days per year.

Outages

Projected Rate Impact during 2016 Testing and Commissioning, as follows:

Allegations in Support of the Praver for Provisional Authority

Pre-Commercial Operations at 100% Load Factor

In addition, subject to availability of capacity of the Expansion Plant, PEDC is given priority to supply ANTECO any additional capacity requirements it may have, subject to mutually acceptable terms and conditions.

Minimum Energy Off-Take Billing Month Minimum Contracted Energy kWh January 5,952,000 February 5,952,000 March 5,376,000 March (Leap Year) 5,568,000 April 5,952,000 May 5,760,000 June 5,952,000 July 5,760,000 August 5,952,000 September 5,952,000 October 5,760,000 November 5,952,000 December 5,760,000 Delivery Point

13. As seen in the Rate Impact below, for the duration of the term of the EPPA between PEDC and ANTECO, the simulated delivered price thereunder would result in an overall savings of PhP1.73/kWh, PhP1.27/kWh, and PhP0.80/kWh during Testing and Commissioning Period, Pre-Commercial Operations Period, and Commercial Operations Period, respectively.

16. The current demand of ANTECO is 18.15MW. To meet this demand, ANTECO sources 11MW of its electric power requirements from PEDC’s Existing Plant, lMW from Green Core Geothermal, Inc., and 1.5MW from Salcon Island Power Corp. It also sources about 4.65MW from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (“WESM”) during peak hours.

= Capital Recovery Fee = Php 2.3096 per kWh = Peso-based O&M Fee = Php 0.2736 per kWh = Philippine Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current month as published by the National Statistics Coordination Board, www.nscb.gov.oh = Base Philippine CPI = 138.30 May 14 PhCPIb USDO&M = USD-based O&M Fee = $ 0.0092 per kWh = US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items forthe USCPIC Current Month as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov = Base US CPI = 237.07 May 14 USCPIb Reference exchange rate (in Php per USD) on the Forex meter reading date, as published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), www.bsp.gov.ph E = in kWh, Minimum Contracted Energy (MCE) or Actual Energy Delivered, whichever is higher Base Coal Price = Base reference coal price = $ 56.33 USD per MT Newcastlec = Preceding quarter’s average coal price for 6,700kcal/ kg ADB per the Global CoaI Newcastle Physical Trading Index, www.globalcoal.com (in USD/MTl) Base Newcastle Index = $ 77.31 USD per MT NewcastleB Transport Cost = Cost of freight, insurance, brokerage, taxes, and other costs in USD per MT Consumption Rate = 0.68kg/kWh, escalated at a rate of 1.5% per year or actual, whichever is lower En = Nominated Energy of Buyer to Seller in kWh

The salient features of the EPPA are indicated below: Coal-fired power plant expansion located in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City Installed Capacity 1 x 150 MW Cooperation Period Twenty Five (25) years commencing on the Commercial Operation Date and ending on the 25th year anniversary of such commencement date Commercial Operation Date When the Expansion Plant has been completed, inspected, tested and is ready to commence operation as confirmed in a written communication from PEDC to ANTECO, which date should not be later than 26 July 2016 or such later date as PEDC and ANTECO may agree upon in writing Contracted Capacity 8 MW

CRF +

=

CRF PhpO&M PhCPIc

The initial offer/bid of PEDC was published in two separate newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines, each newspaper publishing the notice for two consecutive weeks. Since, the consortium did not receive any offers or challenges despite the time given for other generation companies to submit their offers, PPSC awarded the supply contract of the consortium to PEDC. As a result of the award by the consortium, each cooperative member, including ANTECO executed separate EPPAs with PEDG. 5.

50% x Tariff Fee x E

Tariff Fee

Where:

Statement of Facts and of the Case Pursuant to Rule 20 (B) of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission (“ERC”), this Application is submitted to this Honorable Commission for its review and approval of the Electric Power Purchase Agreement dated 14 April 2015 between PEDC as Seller and ANTECO as Buyer (the “EPPA”).

Energy Fees + Fuel Cost

Energy Fees =

12. It should be pointed out however that during testing and commissioning, the Parties agreed that PEDC would deliver to ANTECO the proportionate net electrical output of the Power Plant on a non-firm basis and subject to the payment of the applicable Electricity Fees. However, once testing has been completed but prior to Commercial Operations, the proportionate net electrical output of the Power Plant shall be delivered by PEDC and shall be taken by ANTECO on a firm basis and subject to the payment of the applicable Electricity Fees.

17. It is expected that ANTECO’s current demand will increase to over 19.71MW by 2016 and 19.79MW by 2017 based on ANTECO’s load forecast.

Applicant PEDC is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with principal office address at Brgy.

Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City. PEDC owns and operates a 2x82 MW coal-fired power plant (“Existing Plant”) located in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City. It has embarked on an expansion project through the construction of a 1x150 MW coal-fired power plant (“Expansion Plant”) in the same location.

3.

Electricity Fee =

dent Rodrigo Duterte’s resolve to end labor contractual and end-of-contract schemes.

Organized by Labor and Trade Departments, the high-level meeting presented views on the issues surrounding the trilateral relationship among the workers, the service providers and the principals or companies.

The Trade Department offered a ‘winwin structure’ for workers, service providers and the companies.

15. Should the Honorable Commission approve the Electricity Fees under the EPPA, there will be an indicative decrease in generation cost of PhP0.80 per kWh on the Commercial Operation Date.

Load Factor : 100%

Parties to the Case

2.

Nonetheless, during Testing and Commissioning of the Expansion Plant, PEDC will deliver to ANTECO on a non-firm basis electric power, subject to the payment of Electricity Fees for actual energy taken by ANTECO computed as follows:

Testing and Commissioning at 100% Load Factor

In the said Application, ANTECO and PEDC alleged the following: 1.

increase in unemployment.

Several exporters this early have threatened to close shop if the the wage proposal was approved.

“It is daunting scenario if investors will be scared away because of wage issues.” Lopez said. He said wage hike issues should be tackled by regional triparite wage councils.

The consultation also discussed workers’ right to security of tenure, following Presi-

Where:

ERC CASE NO. 2016-096 RC

ANTIQUE ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND PANAY ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Applicants. x-----------------------------------------------------x

A study by National Economic and Development Authority said a proposed across-the-board pay increase of P125 would have inflationary effects.

Inflation is estimated to rise 5.5 percent from less than 2 percent in August if the suggested wage hike is imposed.

The same study said the salary increase would result in a one percentage point drop in the country’s gross domestic product and a one percentage point

11. It should be noted that the expenses to be incurred by PEDC for the testing and commissioning the Expansion Plant during Testing and Commissioning and the Pre-Commercial Operation Period was not included in the rate agreed upon in the EPPA inasmuch as the Parties agreed on a tariff formula for energy delivered during Testing and Commissioning as well as during the PreCommercial Operation Period which PEDC intended to serve as recovery for testing and commissioning costs to be incurred by PEDC for the commissioning cost of the Expansion Plant.

The Commission has set the Application for initial hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on 06 October 2016 (Thursday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at ANTECO’s Principal Office, at Brgy.

Funda-Dalipe, San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the Applicants conclude the presentation of their evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from the Applicants that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing.

The Applicants are hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 27th day of July, 2016 at Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO Standard – Sept. 17 & 24, 2016

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

B4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

Gadgets / Games APPLE, SAMSUNG

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during a media event at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California. AFP

face strong competition

Sleek new gadget ENERGIZER Philippines Inc., makers of the longest-lasting and durable batteries and flashlights, introduced its new line of LED Pen Lights. This sleek lighting gadget comes in handy especially for today’s medical professionals and personnel.

This innovation is Energizer’s response to the needs of people in the medical field.

This lighting tool resembles a silver ballpen with a push button at one to switch the light on and off. This makes for easy maneuverability when being used. Its ease of use comes in handy for doctors, nurses, or medical emergency personnel when assessing critical medical situations.

The Pen Light produces a light output of 35 lumens and can reach as far as 23 meters away.

This will allow the user untrammeled visibility that is often crucial when making medical assessments in small body cavities like the eyes, ears, throat, or nostrils.

The Pen Light can last for 20 hours of continuous use with two AAA Energizer® MAX® batteries. Its slim, sleek design allows the user to slip it in a coat or shirt pocket or fit easily in any sized bag.

More importantly, its stainless metallic case protects it from damage even when dropped from distance of one meter.

“We have successfully developed a stylish, useful and conven-

ient companion for these particular experts. This Pen Light is intended for functional use when doctors, nurses and others, do their hospital ward rounds or further clinical duties,” said Martin Luis Valenzuela, Brand Activation Manager of EPI. Energizer LED Pen Light is now available in selected stores. To get more information and news, follow Energizer on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/energizerPH/ and visit their website at http://www.energizer. com.ph/Energizerv2/.

Multi-tasking with Haier ASIDE from being tedious, laundry work takes precious time away from the things that matter most—family.

This is true, even with a washing machine. Many modern homes still use a two-tub semi-automatic washing machine with a washer separate from the spin dryer.

While the dryer adds efficiency, the process of waiting for the wash to end then transferring wet and heavy clothes to the dryer can interrupt chores as well as quality time. The process doubles with more clothes to wash.

This is what larger capacities, a single tub for washing and drying, and fully automatic operation aim to address.

Fully automatic top load washing machines offer such advantages to lessen strain and add comfort to doing laundry.

All you have to do is toss your laundry in and pick your wash and dry settings. You then get to have more time to do

Redefining washing experience

other household work, as well as have fun with your loved ones.

“Running the household and taking care of the family takes a lot of multitasking skills, and that is what our appliances can help us,” said Marvin Fetilo, Haier Philippines’ Product Manager for washing machines. “Fully automatic top load washing machines redefine your washing experience so you exert less effort, worry less about your family’s clothes, and do more with your time.”

Efficient and versatile Top load washers from Haier come with eight washing programs and ten water levels to accommodate the type and volume of your laundry. The time delay function further lets you soak your clothes for a specified period of time before starting the wash cycle.

Compared to semi-automatic units, Haier’s washing machines clean more clothes with an 8kg to 10kg capacity, making them ideal for an entire household’s dirty laundry. They also use a double-pole stainless-steel basket to match the washer’s high-speed spins and powerful Storm Wash cleaning capacity.

Haier’s top loading washers are available at Robinsons stores nationwide. The suggested retail price of the HWM80–P1201 unit is P13,998, while the HWM100– P1201 unit is P15,998. Both models come with a twoyear warranty on parts and labor. For more information, please visit www.haier.com/ph/.

B

EIJING—The global launch of the iPhone 7 on Friday is crucial to Apple’s fortunes in China, but both it and its biggest rival Samsung, hit by a recall over exploding batteries, are struggling in the face of upstart local competitors.

The US and South Korean firms were relegated to fourth and fifth place respectively in the Asian giant’s smartphone market in the first half of this year, according to consultancy Canalys.

Ahead of them came three Chinese firms, leader Huawei with a 16 percent share, then two companies little known elsewhere, Vivo and Oppo.

Apple faces “a lot of challenges and pressures” in China from local manufacturers who are “developing medium- to high-end handsets and offer a lot of flagship products”, said Canalys China analyst Jessie Ding.

The iPhone 7which comes with an improved camera, a water resistant body and minus an earphone jack—“doesn’t have many innovative features”, she said, pointing out that its double camera function was available on a Huawei smartphone six months ago, and it lacks wireless charging capabilities.

In its most recent quarterly results, Apple said Greater China dropped from second to third place among its markets in the April-June period—when market research firm IDC says its iPhone sales collapsed by 32 percent year-on-year.

For its part, Samsung has had to recall 2.5 million of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 handsets after faulty batteries caused some to explode during charging.

The company has handled the issue badly, said Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics, with slow decision-making, poor communications and a lack of coordination, and its image

risks suffering.

“Brand loyalty is not as strong in China as in other markets,” he told AFP. “It’s a very crowded, fragmented market and fiercely competitive, with rivals undercutting each other with price and design. So it’s not a market you can afford to falter in.”

Low-priced Chinese competitors have been “particularly troublesome” for Samsung, which has in the past sought to offer phones across all price ranges, he added.

It has responded by trying to focus on the mid- and high-end sector with improved models, which could make the recall especially damaging.

And now, he added, “the Chinese companies are producing higher-end smartphones as well—and with a large degree of success.

“In the last three or four years, local Chinese brands have been on a roll, fuelled by a swell of national pride in ‘brand China’.”

Aggressive marketing

Chinese manufacturers’ great advantage remains price: Huawei’s P9 boasts similar capabilities to the iPhone 7 but is almost a third cheaper.

There is no official ranking of smartphone sales in China, and several different consultancies put out figures.

Oppo—an unknown in the West—has experienced a meteoric rise since it launched in 2011, and according to Counterpoint Research, it became China’s number one smartphone brand in June, when its market share jumped to 23 percent.

It is aiming squarely for the low end of the market.

“Oppo has adopted a simple but effective strategy, going after the offline market... using aggressive marketing, promotions and sponsorships... beyond tier-2 and tier-3 cities,” said Counterpoint Research director Neil Shah.

Vivo, part of BKK Electronics, the same conglomerate that owns Oppo—employs similar methods, investing heavily in marketing to build up its brand image, and on a vast distribution network that extends to China’s smaller and poorer cities and towns.

Blocked services

Apple still benefits from its luxury image and “the strong loyalty of its long-time users” in China, said Fu Liang, an independent analyst based in Beijing.

“The enduring image of Apple brand products as well as existing customer loyalty will continue very strongly,” he said.

But the Californian firm sometimes has to contend with the country’s Communist authorities, despite regular visits from chief executive Tim Cook, who has made two so far this year and promised in August to open a large research and development centre in the country.

Apple’s iTunes Movies and iBooks services launched in China earlier this year, but were then promptly blocked by Beijing.

The firm has sometimes been targeted by state-owned Chinese media on issues of customer service, and they have prominently reported alleged security vulnerabilities on Apple devices.

More broadly, said Mawston of Strategy Analytics, “Samsung —and Apple—face similar challenges in China.

“There are serious distribution challenges, the fact that Chinese consumers tend to favour Chinese brands, as well as Chinese-language software that links well with Chinese social networks.” AFP

HP boosts lineup of hybrid, Intel-powered laptops WITH the versatility of a tablet and performance exceeding some desktops, hybrid laptops will be playing a big role in the future of computing.

Traditional PC growth has been on the decline for the past years while demand for Hybrids, HP’s term for 2 in 1s, is growing year after year. As more and more users live mobile lives, they also want a PC that is portable for both work and personal use.

HP Philippines reaffirms its commitment to provide users with devices that best suit their lifestyle, as it introduced its latest lineup of hybrid laptops powered by newest Intel Processors—THE HP PAVILION X360, HP PAVILION X2, ELITE X2 AND HP X2.

360 DEGREES OF VERSATILITY WITH THE HP PAVILION X360 It’s time to rethink how you use a laptop and try something radi-

cally new. The Pavilion X360 lets you seamlessly shift between four modes for an entertainment experience that gets you closer to your screen than ever before. The 360 degree geared hinge gets you in the perfect position to work, watch, play and go. The Pavilion x360 is powered by the Intel® Pentium® N3710 Processor(2b) running Windows 10 Home.

Write reports, update your blog and listening to your favorite songs in the traditional Laptop mode.

Stand mode is perfect for watching movies and making those video calls. Tent mode is great for playing with photos, apps and games.

Finally, check your newsfeed, read a book and browse on-the-go more comfortably via Tablet mode.

With a choice of 11.6-inch or 13.3inch diagonal HD(33) IPS UWVA WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-to-edge glass (1366 x 768)

the 360 offers the highest quality viewing experience, implementing a variety of the latest display technologies such as OLED displays.

Cameras are now more than just a webcam – they enable easier and faster login, collaboration, improved security, and more. HP also embraces new technologies like Windows Hello, Wide View and pop-up privacy cameras.

HP ELITE X2: PRODUCTIVITY MEETS CONVENIENCE The HP Elite x2 is an incredibly versatile tablet that offers the productivity of a full notebook with the convenience of a tablet perfectly designed for the mobile professional.

A premium design from HP, the Elite x2 is crafted from milled CNC aluminum with a focus on aesthetics. At just 8.1 mm thin, the tablet weighs less than 840g and has a built-in kickstand with 150

degrees of adjustability, allowing a user to set the device upright for viewing and keyboard typing or laying it back for on-screen typing. The device’s 12-inch diagonal anti-glare HD diagonal display has a 3:2 aspect ratio and automatically adjusts to different lighting conditions.

Performance is paramount for mobile profe ssionals, which is why the Elite x2 has l o n g battery life, features Windows 10 and is built with a 6th generation Intel® Core™ M vPro™ processor optimized for high performance with power efficiency and SSD technology, enabling a fanless, virtually silent computing

experience with no moving parts.

HP X2 DETACHABLE: GO BEYOND LAPTOP AND TABLET HP x2 is a simple detachable PC that gives you all the essentials and four different modes.

It opens up new possibilities at an affordable price.

Pavilion x360

The X2 runs on Windows 10 powered by an Intel Atom™ x5Z8350 (1.44 GHz, up to 1.92 GHz, 2 MB cache, 4 cores).

HP PAVILION X2: FOUR VERSATILE MODES FOR THE PRICE OF ONE When life demands flexibility, you need a PC that can keep up.

The Pavilion X2 is designed to fit your lifestyle giving you four modes for the price of one.

The Pavilion X2 is powered by the Intel Atom™ Z8300with Intel HD Graphics (1.44GHz, 2MBcache, 4 cores) with 2GB DDR3L running Windows 10 Home 64. It has a 25.7 cm (10.1”) diagonal IPSWXGA anti-glare WLEDback lit touchscreen (1280x800).

These HP hybrids are available at lazada.com.ph.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

C1

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

DAYBREAK. A new day of blessings dawns on Oro shore in Cagayan de Oro City. Roland Jumawan

GSIS emergency loans now open THE Government Service Insurance System has opened its emergency loan facility to members and pensioners in Dagupan City, Pangasinan and in Dinalupihan, Bataan who are affected by the recent monsoon rains and heavy floods.

GSIS has set aside P227 million for its 7,114 members and 944 pensioners who may apply for the loan until September 29.

Active members are qualified borrowers if they are residing or working in the two calamity-declared areas, are not on leave of absence without pay, have no arrears in paying premium contributions, and have no unpaid loans for more than six months.

Those applying for the first time may avail of a P20,000 loan, while those with existing emergency loans may borrow up to P40,000, from which their outstanding balance will be deducted.

Pensioners must apply in person at any GSIS office to avail of the P20,000 emergency loan.

If they are also active members (for having reentered in the government service), they may ap-

ply for the loan only once.

Emergency loans are payable in 36 equal monthly installments at six percent interest per annum computed in advance. It is covered by a loan redemption insurance, which deems the loan fully paid in case of the borrower’s demise, provided that loan repayment is up to date.

Active members may apply through the GSIS wireless automated processing system (GWAPS) kiosk in all branches and extension offices; provincial capitols; city halls; selected municipal offices; large government agencies such as the Department of Education; Robinsons Malls; and selected SM City branches in North Edsa, Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and SM Aura in Taguig.

Loan proceeds are electronically credited to the borrower’s GSIS electronic card or Unified Multipurpose Identification card.

For more information, visit the GSIS website, www.gsis. gov.ph; email, gsiscares@gsis. gov.ph; or call the GSIS Contact Center at 847-4747

Maguindanao farms bananas

By A. Perez Rimando

C

OTABATO CITY—A P7-billion giant Cavendish banana plantation project of Al-Sahar Agri Ventures Inc. recently started operating in four municipalities of Maguindanao, lawyer Ishak Mastura, chairman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s Regional Board of Investments, said.

and the private sector in the delivery of infrastructure and basic services.

The first one was the city’s 3S Plus in Public Service Program, which became one of the bases for the joint memorandum circular signed by DILG and Departments of Trade and Industry and Information and Communication Technology.

DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno said LGU P4 allows private sector participation in the provision

Next page

POEA: R9 OFWs exempted from tax ZAMBOANGA CITY—Tax exemptions have been granted by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to returning overseas Filipino workers in the Zambonga Peninsula under its “Balik Manggagawa” program, POEA region IX director Marietta Bellotindos said.

Bellotindos said a Balik Man-

ggagawa was a “registered OFW who would return to the same employer and jobsite and hired through the government placement branch.”

She said Labor Secretary Silvestro Bello III earlier approved Resolution 2 passed by the POEA governing board headed by Administrator Hans

DILG expands Valenzuela’s LGU P4 THE city government of Valenzuela announced that the Department of the Interior and Local Government has adopted its “LGU P4” or or “Public-Private Partnership for the People Initiative for Local Governments” as a national policy.

In a statement, the publicprivate partnership is the second governance practice of Valenzuela that was broadened by the DILG to strengthen partnerships between the local governments

Mastura said Al-Sahar’s banana plantation project, so far the biggest private investment in the 22-year-old region, covers a total land area of close to 3,000 hectares in Talayan, Buldon, Mangudadatu, and Barira towns.

Al-Sahar is an affiliate of the Unifrutti Group which also manages other

of infrastructure and social services that will be carried out by the local government.

Mayor Rex Gatchalian in a forum organized by the DILGLocal Government Authority last month, presented before a delegation composed of representatives from the academe, local government and national government agencies the success story of the city in applying the PPP model in implementing urban renewal initiatives for the

benefit of the people.

Valenzuela City started engaging in PPP when the City Ordinance 140, Series of 2014 or the city‟s “Joint Venture Ordinance” was promulgated in July 2014. Gatchalian mentioned two landmark LGU-initiated PPP projects--the construction and operation of the Valenzuela Town Center inside the Valenzuela People’s Park and the rehabilitation of the 22-year-old Marulas Public Market. Jun David

ENGAGEMENT. Balanga City Mayor Francis Garcia and Vice Mayor Vianca Venzon-Gozon share a light moment with their constituents during Learning Barangay Week, a program to empower Barangay Cupang West residents. Butch Gunio

Leo Cacdac.

Bellotindos announced that among the tax exemptions granted to the returning OFWs in Zamboanga Peninsula and other regions of the country include “the payment of travel tax and terminal fee” even as they will “no longer be required to secure overseas employment certificate.”

The POEA regional chief stressed that “with the exemptions, returning OFWs can spend and enjoy more their vacation with their own families, instead of utilizing their precious time processing necessary documents like the OEC with the POEA branches in regional capitals of the country.

Parking banned on Rizal Avenue

By Sandy Araneta MANILA Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Thursday declared the 6.5-kilometer Rizal Avenue, formerly called Avenida Rizal, as a “no parking zone.”

Estrada made this move following a road clearing that revealed the extent of illegal parking on one of the city’s main arteries.

During a road clearing operation on a three-kilometer portion of Rizal Avenue from Carriedo to Abad Santos Avenue, the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau (MTPB) arrested a supposed collector for illegally collecting fees from vehicle owners who park on Rizal Avenue, particularly near the San Lazaro Hospital.

A total of 30 tricycles, five motorcycles, 15 light vehicles, and two “kuligligs” or motorized pedicabs were also towed away by MTPB traffic enforcers during the early morning operation.

The collector, said to be an employee of Tokagawa Global Corp., claimed to have a certification from the MTPB allowing him to collect parking fees.

But MTPB chief Dennis Alcoreza said parking is absolutely not allowed in any part of Rizal Avenue.

Alcoreza said the subject area is not part of the parking operation contract Tokagawa Global Corp. has entered into with former mayor Alfredo Lim in 2012.

Estrada has nullified the deal, citing the observation of the Commission on Audit that it is disadvantageous to the government.

The commission also ordered Tokagawa and its partner Matsuyama Corp. to turn over the parking operations to the city government.

But Tokagawa went to court and the case is still being heard.

The 25-year deal allows Tokagawa to charge parking fees from motorists in designated areas and 20 percent of the proceeds go to the city government.

The parking deal is the subject of graft charges filed by journalist Ricardo Santos Cruz before the Office of the Ombudsman against Lim, Tokagawa vice president Rorie Cariaga, and Matsuyama managing officer Napoleon Ibalio.

“They are the promoters,” Alcoreza said of Tokagawa.

The MTPB chief added that Estrada has authorized him to arrest anyone collecting illegal parking fees and those protecting this money-making racket in Manila.

Since June, the mayor has intensified the city government’s road and sidewalk clearing operations, driving away more than 3,000 illegal vendors and removing countless obstructions and illegal structures.

Estrada said it was time the precious road space that has been occupied by illegal vendors was cleared to ease traffic congestion.

C2

LGUs

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

BFAR R3 builds 22 fishports

By Romeo Dizon

S

AN FERNANDO—The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Central Luzon is constructing 22 community fishing ports worth P65 million throughout the region to help fishermen earn more for their families.

The community fishing ports, each measuring about 1,000 square meters and amounting to P3 million, are located in Aurora, Zambales, and Bataan, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Central Luzon regional director Wilfredo Cruz said.

Once finished, all the catches of the fishermen will be delivered to the ports for retailers and whole sellers at unified prices.

Cruz said that most community fishing ports are now under construction, especially those in San Luis, Dinaluhan in Aurora and San Felipe and Cabangan in Zambales, while those in Bataan province will be built soon. All 22 ports will be operational next year, he said.

To make sure the fishermen succeed, Cruz said, the bureau will teach them marketing, management, account-

ing and planning.

Under the Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol’s program, the local governments will first run the ports until the fishermen learn how to run them through cooperatives.

Farmers and fishermen are fully supported by the government both financially through production inputs to make up for their neglect under the past administration.

Hydro plants to water farms

By Dexter A. See LA TRINIDAD—The Cordillera office of the National Irrigation Administration wants hydropower developers to incorporate irrigation in their plans to maximize the use of the rich water resources of the region in spurring the growth of agriculture.

Engineer John Socalo, NIACAR regional irrigation manager, said it would benefit the region if hydropower plant developers integrated irrigation components to maximize the water in the river systems to help spur the economic activities in their proposed areas of operation.

“Farmers in the lowlands need abundant water for irrigation, especially during the dry months, so it is best for hydropower developers to maximize the use of their systems for irrigation and the supply of potable water,” Socalo stressed.

The NIA-CAR official cited as one of the best examples the Magat River Irrigation System which supplies power and irrigation to thousands of farmers in various parts of Ifugao and the Cagayan Valley provinces.

Further, Socalo also noted the operation of the one-megawatt mini-hydropower plant near the Upper Chico River Irrigation System canals in Tabuk City, Kalinga which makes use of the water from the irrigation canals to generate power.

By doing so, he explained, hydropower developers will lessen the agency’s obligation to construct irrigation projects for farmers.

Aside from being supplied with water, host communities will get a share of the profits of the power plants.

REFRESHED. A family enjoys swimming at Hagimit Falls in Samal, Davao. Teddy Pelaez

LRMC, DENR clean up estero Baguio to host food showdown LRT-1 operator Light Rail Manila Corp. has partnered with the Department of Enviroment and Natural Resources and its partner agencies in their AdoptAn-Estero Water Body Program.

Through its Live for the Rivers Movement Coalition initiative, LRMC will lead the cleaning and rehabilitation of Estero de Tripa de Gallina, which surrounds its headquarters in Pasay City.

The interagency body is also composed of the Environmental Management Bureau, the city government of Pasay, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the National Capital Region branches of the

public works, interior and science departments.

“We acknowledge the deteriorated condition of the estero and we are working together on its rehabilitation for the benefit of the communities surrounding it,” said LRMC president and CEO Jesus Francisco.

Francisco added that while the coalition’s efforts will directly affect the families near the estero, the benefits will be more far-reaching as Tripa de Gallina is one of the 47 tributaries of Pasig River.

“Rivers nourish the farmlands that produce the food we eat, which is why we need to make sure our waterways are always clean. Apart from improving

the quality of life of the communities along the estero, the coalition also wants to ensure the safety of our food sources through this initiative.”

A comprehensive program will clean up Estero de Tripa de Gallina, specifically the half-kilometer portion running through the LRMC depot in Pasay City.

Apart from continuous assessment of the water quality of the estero, the Live for the Rivers Coalition will also conduct symposia with the affected universities and communities on solid waste management. A grand cleanup day is also slated for September 24 tapping the residents as manpower.

Market day tourism eyed in Region 6 THE Department of Tourism’s Western Visayas regional office in Iloilo City is piloting Market Day Tourism in public markets in the city and in Guimaras in November.

DoT regional director Atty.

Helen Catalbas said Guimaras helps make tourism in Iloilo City more attractive and competitive and both local government units

complement each other because Guimaras is a major food producer for the city consumers.

The island province also supplies tourism-related establishments in Iloilo City.

Catalbas said Guimaras may not host a big volume of tourists but it is one of the primary sources of food and other fresh

resources served to tourists in the city.

The province is not just the source of the sweetest mangos in Western Visayas but also the provider of poultry products, pork and beef, fishes and a variety of fruits.

It also serves as a leisure attraction for residents and tour-

ists of Iloilo City, she said.

Catalbas also urged the local government units of Guimaras to keep an account of the products it supplies to Iloilo City to measure the effect of tourism in the city to the economy of the province.

DOT VI Market Day Tourism is launched in partnership with the municipality of Jordan. PNA

BAGUIO CITY—More than 6,000 culinary professionals and students will compete in over 70 categories in the prestigious 10th National Food Showdown the city will host on Oct. 19-21, 2016.

The showdown is part of the 13th Hotel and Restaurant Tourism Weekend celebrated by the HRAB from September 5 to October 21.

The theme of this year’s showdown is “Bringing the Farm to the Table” which promotes organically grown fresh vegetables that will be sourced from local farmers from different parts of the Cordillera.

Ann Ramos, Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio Secretariat head, said the contest categories are food and beverage preparation, event planning and organization, floral arrangement, desertmaking and others.

Anthony de Leon, HRAB president and general manager of the Baguio Country Club, said 70 percent of the partici-

pants in the competitions are students taking culinary-related courses, while 30 percent are culinary professionals.

Malou Galiste, HRAB executive director, and BCC assistant general manager, said the contestants are winners in culinary competitions in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and the National Capital Region.

Well-known national and international chefs from the different parts of the country will make up the panel of judges.

Winners of the different competitions will join international culinary arts competitions such as the Singapore Food Expo and similar activities in the United States and other parts of the world.

De Leon called on local residents and visitors to support the organizers of the National Food Showdown in the city to guarantee the success of one of the prestigious culinary arts competition in the country.

Dexter A. See

Maguindanao...

gional investments amounted to only P1.8 billion, but this year’s investment figure is expected to further increase “since more private ventures are in the pipeline.”

The ARMM Bureau of Public Information reported that current projects in the region include a P1.3-billion oil plantation, a P400-million napier grass biomass fuel production project and a P200-million modernization and expansion of a cassava starch factory.

The region’s information bureau noted that since ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman officially assumed office in 2013, he has always promoted a business climate conducive to investments by introducing reforms leading to good governance.

According to Mastura, “RBOI has always been assisting investors by familiarizing them with the business environment” and providing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives and bureaucratic assistance.

From C1

REWARD. Fishermen inspect their catch for the day along the seashore in Barangay Pagudpun, San Fernando City, La Union in a bright and calm moment after Typhoon ‘Ferdie’ left the country.

Christine Junio

ARMM companies, such as La Frutera Inc., Wao Development Corp. and Mount Kalatungan Agri Ventures Inc. Mastura said the new company initially created 3,900 jobs for local residents.

Ed Bullecer, Al-Sahar director, stressed that his firm is in the ARMM, considered the country’s most depressed, disadvantaged and underserved area, “to help uplift the lives of local inhabitants and help propel its socio-economic growth and development.”

The Al-Sahar executive considered Muslim Mindanao “as the best agri-related investment destination in the country due to its fertile and vast lands, low cost of doing business and strong support from local leaders despite security issues.”

Bullecer noted that before the coming of Al-Sahar, re-

World

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

C3

‘HK tortured journalists’

H

ONG KONG—Hong Kong journalists covering violent protests in the rebel Chinese village of Wukan said they were detained and beaten by police as state press slammed “foreign media” for stoking the tensions.

Wukan, a 13,000-strong fishing village in the southern province of Guangdong, became a symbol of resistance against corruption after a mass uprising over allegedly illegal land grabs propelled it onto global front pages in 2011.

Lin Zulian, who played a key role in those protests, was detained in June and sentenced to three years in

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE ELECTRIC POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT (EPPA) BETWEEN ILOILO I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND PANAY ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

prison last week.

Chinese authorities said they had detained 13 residents Tuesday for “disturbing public order”, which triggered a new round of protests.

Online footage running in Hong Kong local media and reported to be filmed by villagers showed them throwing bricks and stones at police with riot shields. Images also showed bloodied =

USDO&M

= USD-based O&M Fee

USCPIc

= US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current Month as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov = Base US CPI

Forex

= Reference exchange rate (in Php per USD) on the meter reading date, as published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), www.bsp.gov.ph

=

Applicants, x-----------------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING 7.

= Base Newcastle Index

Transport Cost

= Cost of freight, insurance, brokerage, taxes, and other costs in USD per MT

=

= Nominated Energy of Buyer to Seller in kWh

Electricity Fee = Energy Fees + Fuel Cost

The salient features of the EPPA are indicated below: Coal-fired power plant expansion located in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City

Installed Capacity

1 x 150 MW

Cooperation Period

Twenty Five (25) years commencing on the Commercial Operation Date and ending on the 25th year anniversary of such commencement date When the Expansion Plant has been completed, inspected, tested and is ready to commence operation as confirmed in a written communication from PEDC to ILECO I, which date should not be later than 26 July 2016 or such later date as PEDC and ILECO I may agree upon in writing

January February March March (Leap Year) April May June July August September October November December

As indicated above, PEDC agreed to supply and deliver, and ILECO I agreed to take and pay for electricity supplied by PEDC at a contracted capacity of 8 MW (the “Contracted Capacity”), at 100% load factor, commencing on the Commercial Operation Date of the Expansion Plant (i.e., the date when the Expansion Plant has been completed, inspected, tested, and is ready to commence operation as confirmed in a written communication from Seller to Buyer, which date should not be later than 26 July 2016 or such later date as the parties may agree upon in writing), at an Electricity Fee (Schedule 4 of the EPPA) computed as follows: Load Factor: 100% Energy Fees

+

Fuel Cost

x

E

Tariff Fee

=

CRF (USDO&M

+

( PhpO&M

x

x

USCPIc USCPIb

PhCFc ) + PhCPIb

x

Forex )

Fuel Cost

= Cost of Coal 1,000

x Consumption x Rate

Forex

Cost of Coal

= ( Base Coal Price

x Newcastlec ) + Newcastleb

Transport Cost

Where:

x En

CRF

= Capital Recovery Fee

= Php 2,3096 per kWh

PhpO&M

= Peso-based O&M Fee

=

PhCPIc

= Philippine Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current month as published by the National Statistics Coordination Board, www.nscb.gov.ph

PhCPIb

= Base Philippine CPI

=

= CRF

+

(PhpO&M

=

(USDO&M

x

USCPIC USCPIb

x

Forex)

Cost of Coal = 1,000

Consumption x Rate x

= ( Base Coal Price

x NewcastleC ) + NewcastleB

Forex

+

En

Transport Cost

Php 0.2736 per kWh

138.30

May-14

Php 2.3096 per kWh

PhpO&M

= Peso-based O&M Fee =

Php 0.2736 per kWh

PhCPIc

= Philippine Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current month as published by the National Statistics Coordination Board, www.nscb.gov.ph = Base Philippine CPl = 138.30 May-14

USDO&M

= USD-based O&M Fee

USCPIC

= US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current Month as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov

$ 0.0092 per kWh

USCPIb

= Base US CPI

Forex

= Reference exchange rate (in Php per USD) on the meter reading date, as published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), www.bsp.gov.ph

E

= in kWh, Minimum Contracted Energy (MCE) or Actual Energy Delivered, whichever is higher

Base Coal Price

= Base reference coal price = $ 56.33 USD per MT

NewcastleC

= Preceding quarter’s average coal price for 6,700kcal/kg ADB per the Gloabl Coal Newcastle Physical Trading Index, www.elobalcoal.com (in USD/MTI = Base Newcastle Index = $ 77.31 USD per MT

237.07

May-14

= Cost of freight, insurance, brokerage, taxes, and other costs in USD per MT 0.68kg/kWh, escalated at a rate of 1.5% per year or actual, whichever is lower

= Nominated Energy of Buyer to Seller in kWh

Moreover, upon completion of the commissioning of the Expansion Plant, ILECO I shall take the proportionate net electrical output of the Expansion Plant delivered by PEDC during the Pre-Commercial Operation Period on a firm basis, subject to the payment of Electricity Fees computed as follows: Load Factor: 100% Electricity Fee

= Energy Fees

+ Fuel Cost

Energy Fees

= 75%

x

Tariff Fee

= CRF (USDO&M

Fuel Cost Cost of Coal

Tariff Fee

x

E

+ ( PhpO&M

x

PhCPIc + PhCPIb

x USCPIc USCPIb

x

Forex)

Cost of Coal = 1,000

Consumption x Rate x

= ( Base Coal Price

x NewcastleC ) + NewcastleB

Forex

x

En

Transport Cost

= Capital Recovery Fee

=

Php 2.3096 per kWh

= Peso-based O&M Fee =

Php 0.2736 per kWh

PhCPIc

= Philippine Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current month as published by the National Statistics Coordination Board, www.nscb.gov.ph = Base Philippine CPl = 138.30 May-14

USDO&M

= USD-based O&M Fee

USCPIC

= US Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all items for the Current Month as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov

USCPIb

= Base US CPI

Forex

= Reference exchange rate (in Php per USD) on the meter reading date, as published by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), www.bsp.gov.ph

E

= in kWh, Minimum Contracted Energy (MCE) or Actual Energy Delivered, whichever is higher

Base Coal Price

= Base reference coal price = $ 56.33 USD per MT

NewcastleC

= Preceding quarter’s average coal price for 6,700kcal/kg ADB per the Gloabl Coal Newcastle Physical Trading Index, www.elobalcoal.com (in USD/MTI = Base Newcastle Index = $ 77.31 USD per MT

NewcastleB Transport Cost

En

May-14

= Cost of freight, insurance, brokerage, taxes, and other costs in USD per MT

Consumption Rate =

9.

$ 0.0092 per kWh

237.07

Rate, PhP/kWh 5.75 5.29

Without PEDC EPPA With PEDC EPPA GENERATION RATE INCREASE/ (DECREASE) (rounded off figure)

(0.46)

Projected Rate Impact at Commercial Operation, as follows: Rate, PhP/kWh 5.75 5.47

Without PEDC EPPA With PEDC EPPA GENERATION RATE INCREASE/(DECREASE) (rounded off figure)

(0.28)

16. The current demand of ILECO I is 46.129 MW. To meet this demand, ILECO I sources 3.5 MW of its electric power requirements from PEDC’s Existing Plant, 18 MW from Green Core Geothermal, Inc. (“GCGI”), 8 MW from Panay Power Corporation and 4 MW from Salcon Island Power Corp. It also sources about 12.629 MW from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (“WESM”) during peak hours.

18. Considering that ILECO I is in need of additional supply of power beginning 2016, it is imperative that ILECO I obtain this Honorable Commission’s approval of the EPPA with PEDC. 19. The supply of additional 8 MW from the Expansion Plant to ILECO I (and ultimately, to its consumers) will not only secure the power requirements of ILECO I but also lessen ILECO I’s exposure to the volatility of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) prices and reduce its dependence on the Negros-Panay submarine cable.

20. Under the terms of the EPPA, among the conditions precedent to the performance by ILECO I and PEDC of their respective obligations thereunder is the approval of this Application by the Honorable Commission.

21. Thus, for PEDC to be able to deliver and ILECO I to be able to receive power from PEDC as early as the Testing and Commissioning and the PreCommercial Operation Period of the Expansion Plant, it is imperative that a provisional authority be granted for the EPPA to allow PEDC to deliver and ILECO I to receive power during these periods.

22. As mentioned in the foregoing paragraphs, should the Honorable Commission grant a provisional authority for PEDC to deliver and ILECO I to receive power during Testing and Commissioning, there will be an indicative net reduction in its generation cost of PhP0.63 per kWh during this period. Should a provisional authority be given for the Pre-Commercial Operation Period, there will be an indicative net reduction in its generation cost of PhP0.46 per kWh during this period.

Compliance with Pre-Filing Requirements 23. Applicants manifest their compliance with the pre-filing requirements mandated under Rule 3, Section 4(e) of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2011, or the “EPIRA”, and Rule 6 of the 2006 ERC Rules of Practice and Procedures, as evidenced by the following attachments: 23.1. Affidavit of Service re: service of the Application with Annexes to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Iloilo City, a copy of which is attached as Annex “B”; 23.2. Affidavit of Service re: service of the Application with Annexes to the Sangguniang Bayan of Tigbuan, a copy of which is attached hereto as Annex “C”;

23.5. Newspaper issue where the Application appeared, as published, a copy of which is attached as Annex “F”;

PhpO&M

=

Projected Rate Impact during 2016 Pre-Commercial Operations, as follows:

23.4. Affidavit of Publication stating that the instant Application had been published in a newspaper of general circulation, a copy of which is attached as Annex “E”;

CRF

=

(0.63)

23.3. Affidavit of Service re: service of the Application with Annexes to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Iloilo, a copy of which is attached as Annex “D”;

Where:

PhCPIb

Rate, PhP/kWh 5.75 5.12

Without PEDC EPPA With PEDC EPPA GENERATION RATE INCREASE/(DECREASE) (rounded off figure)

17. It is expected that ILECO I’s current demand will increase to over 49 MW by 2016 and 52 MW by 2017 based on ILECO I’s load forecast.

=

=

Projected Rate Impact during 2016 Testing and Commissioning, as follows:

Allegations in Support of the Prayer for Provisional Authority

= Capital Recovery Fee

=

13. As seen in the Rate Impact below, for the duration of the term of the EPPA between PEDC and ILECO I, the simulated delivered price thereunder would result in an overall savings of PhP0.63, PhP0.46, and PhP0.28 during Testing and Commissioning Period, Pre-Commercial Operations Period, and Commercial Operations Period, respectively.

15. Should the Honorable Commission approve the Electricity Fees under the EPPA, there will be an indicative decrease in generation cost of PhP0.28 per kWh on the Commercial Operation Date.

Pre-Commercial Operations at 100% Load Factor

The allowable scheduled and unscheduled outages are forty (40) days per year.

Tariff Fee

E

CRF

En 8.

The delivery point shall mean the physical point(s) at which ILECO I receives power from PEDC where billing meters to measure electricity energy flowing to ILECO I’s electric system are installed

=

x

PhCPlc ) + PhCPlb

Consumption Rate =

Minimum Contracted Energy, kWh 5,952,000 5,952,000 5,376,000 5,568,000 5,952,000 5,760,000 5,952,000 5,760,000 5,952,000 5,952,000 5,760,000 5,952,000 5,760,000

Billing Month

=

Tariff Fee

Transport Cost

In addition, subject to availability of capacity of the Expansion Plant, PEDC is given priority to supply ILECO I any additional capacity requirements it may have, subject to mutually acceptable terms and conditions.

Energy Fees

x

NewcastleB

8 MW

Electricity Fee

= 50%

PhCPIb

Salient Features of the EPPA

6.

Energy Fees

by ILECO I on a firm basis and subject to the payment of the applicable Electricity Fees.

14. The foregoing agreed terms, among others, are embodied in the EPPA, a copy of which is attached to this Application as Annex “A” and made an integral part hereof.

Where:

Prior to the execution of the EPPA, in November 2013, a competitive selection process was undertaken by ILECO I, through the Panay-Guimaras Power Supply Consortium (PPSC), using the Swiss Challenge method. The initial offer/bid of PEDC was published in two separate newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines, each newspaper publishing the notice for two consecutive weeks. Since, the consortium did not receive any offers or challenges despite the time given for other generation companies to submit their offers, PPSC awarded the supply contract of the consortium to PEDC. As a result of the award by the consortium, each cooperative member, including ILECO I executed separate EPPAs with PEDC.

Outages

Fuel Cost

Fuel Cost

Statement of Facts and of the Case

Delivery Point

+

Cost of Coal

Pursuant to Rule 20 (B) of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Energy Regulatory Commission (“ERC”), this Application is submitted to this Honorable Commission for its review and approval of the Electric Power Purchase Agreement dated 14 April 2015 between PEDC as Seller and ILECO I as Buyer (the “EPPA”).

Minimum Energy Off-Take

= Energy Fees

Tariff Fee

Applicant PEDC is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines with principal office address at Brgy.

Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City. PEDC owns and operates a 2x82 MW coal-fired power plant (“Existing Plant”) located in Brgy. Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City. It has embarked on an expansion project through the construction of a 1x150 MW coal-fired power plant (“Expansion Plant”) in the same location.

Contracted Capacity

Tariff Fee

into a villager’s house where he and another two Hong Kong reporters were on Wednesday evening.

“At least 20 people knocked on the door, broke it down and requested us to kneel down. One of the reporters didn’t manage to kneel down and was shoved to the floor. Another reporter was punched and I was slapped twice,” the unnamed male reporter said. AFP

77.31 USD per MT

Nonetheless, during Testing and Commissioning of the Expansion Plant, PEDC will deliver to ILECO I on a non-firm basis electric power, subject to the payment of Electricity Fees for actual energy taken by ILECO I computed as follows: Load Factor: 100%

Commercial Operation Date

$

Testing and Commissioning at 100% Load Factor

Applicant ILECO I is an electric cooperative duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal office address at Brgy. Namucon, Tigbauan, Iloilo. It is a franchised electric utility servicing its member-consumers in the Province of Iloilo, specifically the Municipalities of Alimodian, Cabatuan, Guimbal, Igbaras, Leganes, Leon, Maasin, Miagao, Oton, Pavia, San Joaquin, Sta. Barbara, San Miguel, Tigbauan, and Tubungan.

Type of Plant

56.33 USD per MT

NewcastleB

1.

5.

$

= Preceding quarter’s average coal price for 6,700kcal/kg ADB per the Global Coal Newcastle Physical Trading Index, www.globalcoal.com (in USD/MT)

In the said Application, ILECO I and PEDC alleged the following:

4.

=

Newcastlec

En

Notice is hereby given that on 29 April 2016, the Iloilo I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ILECO I) and Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) filed an Application for approval of the electric power purchase agreement (EPPA), with prayer for the issuance of provisional authority.

3.

May-14

Consumption Rate = 0.68kg/kWh, escalated at a rate of 1.5% per year or actual, whichever is lower

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

2.

237.07

= in kWh, Minimum Contracted Energy (MCE) or Actual Energy Delivered, whichever is higher

Base Coal Price = Base reference coal price

ILOILO I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND PANAY ENERGY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

$ 0.0092 per kWh

USCPIb

E

ERC CASE NO. 2016-097 RC

villagers, with reports police had fired tear gas and rubber bullets.

Law enforcement officers were “hitting the villagers, even the old”, wrote one resident, Zou Shaobing, on a micro-blog.

Reporters were also then targeted.

A reporter from Hong Kong’s liberal Ming Pao newspaper told local broadcaster Cable TV a group had broken

0.68kg/kWh, escalated at a rate of 1.5% per year or actual, whichever is lower

= Nominated Energy of Buyer to Seller in kWh

The EPPA thus proposes separate rates on the power delivered by PEDC to ILECO I, depending on the stage of the plant development (i.e., during Testing and Commissioning, during the Pre-Commercial Operation Period, or on Commercial Operation Date).

10. The cost of fuel shall be on a pass through basis in all stages (i.e., during Testing and Commissioning, during the Pre-Commercial Operation Period, or on Commercial Operation Date). In deriving Fuel Cost, the actual consumption rate of coal or up to the consumption cap, whichever is lower, shall always be multiplied by the actual energy delivered.

11. It should be noted that the expenses to be incurred by PEDC for the testing and commissioning the Expansion Plant during Testing and Commissioning and the Pre-Commercial Operation Period were not included in the rate agreed upon in the EPPA inasmuch as the Parties agreed on a tariff formula for energy delivered during Testing and Commissioning as well as the Pre-Commercial Period which PEDC intended to serve as recovery for testing and commissioning costs to be incurred by PEDC for the commissioning cost of the Expansion Plant.

12. It should also be pointed out however that during testing and commissioning, the Parties agreed that PEDC would deliver to ILECO I the proportionate net electrical output of the Power Plant on a non-firm basis and subject to the payment of the applicable Electricity Fees. However, once testing has been completed but prior to Commercial Operations, the proportionate net electrical output of the Power Plant shall be delivered by PEDC and shall be taken

23.6. A copy of the Board Resolution authorizing ILECO I to jointly file the instant application with PEDC, which is herein attached as Annex “G”; 23.7. A copy of the Board Resolution authorizing PEDC to jointly file the instant application with ILECO I, which is herein attached as Annex “H”; and 23.8. Proof of payment of filing fees, a copy of which is attached as Annex “I”.

24. ILECO I and PEDC pray that the Commission will: a) Upon initial review of the instant Application and pending trial on the merits, issue a provisional authority for the terms of the 14 April 2015 EPPA between PEDC and ILECO I, thereby authorizing PEDC to charge and collect from ILECO I the respective Electricity Fees corresponding to the (1) Testing and Commissioning, (2) Pre- Commercial Operation Period, and (3) Commercial Operation Date, and authorizing ILECO I to pass the full amount thereof to its consumers; b) After trial on the merits, issue a permanent approval of the terms of the 14 April 2015 EPPA between PEDC and ILECO I, thereby authorizing PEDC to charge and collect from ILECO I the respective Electricity Fees corresponding to the (1) Testing and Commissioning, (2) Pre- Commercial Operation Period, and (3) Commercial Operation Date, and authorizing ILECO I to pass the full amount thereof to its consumers; and c) Grant such other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for.

The Commission has set the Application for initial hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference and evidentiary hearing on 05 October 2016 (Wednesday) at two o’clock in the afternoon (2:00 P.M.) at the ILECO I’s Main Office’ in Brgy.

Namucon, Tigbauan, Iloilo.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the Applicants conclude the presentation of their evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from the Applicants that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing.

The Applicants are hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 3rd day of August, 2016 at Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO Standard – Sept. 17 & 24, 2016

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World

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

Mexicans tell Nieto: Resign now

MEXICO CITY—Thousands of people protested in Mexico City on Thursday, demanding that President Enrique Pena Nieto resign over his handling of drug violence, corruption and his meeting with Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Mexican authorities are investigating a bus driver’s allegations that gunmen abducted 15 passengers this week in the violence-plagued northern state of Tamaulipas, an official said Thursday.

If confirmed, Monday’s incident would be the latest mass abduction to hit Mexico, a country plagued by a relentless wave of murders and disappearances linked to drug gangs.

Demonstrators held a sign reading “Pena Nieto INEPT, RESIGN for the good of Mexico!” and waved blackened flags of Mexico on the eve of the country’s Independence Day. They marched across the capital toward the Zocalo square, where the president traditionally stands on a balcony of the National Palace the night before the holiday to replicate the “grito,” or shout of independence, made in 1810.

Riot police stood near the Zocalo to block access to protesters, who marched under the rallying cry “resign now.”

Parents of 43 students missing since September 26, 2014 joined the protest, with people angry at the government’s failure to solve the case, almost two years after they were abducted by police and allegedly killed by a drug cartel.

Some shouted “Pena out!” while one sign read: “We’re missing 43. State crime!”

“We don’t have a reason to shout ‘viva Mexico.’ ... There are thousands of injustices,” said Cristina Bautista, mother of one of the missing trainee teachers. AFP

Tanzania debris is MH370

KUALA LUMPUR—A piece of aircraft wreckage found in June off Tanzania has been confirmed as coming from the doomed airliner MH370, Malaysia said on Thursday.

The debris, found on Pemba Island off the Tanzanian coast, is the latest piece of wreckage to be linked to the Malaysia Airlines jet, whose disappearance remains a mystery.

Malaysia’s transport ministry said the piece of debris, which had been taken to Australia for expert analysis, was found to have part numbers, date stamps and other identifiers confirming it came from the Malaysia Airlines jet.

“As such, the experts have concluded that the debris, an outboard flap, originated from the aircraft 9M-MRO, also known as MH370,” a ministry statement said.

“Further examination of the debris will continue in hopes that evidence may be uncovered which may provide new insight into the circumstances surrounding flight MH370.”

Authorities had earlier said the piece of debris was “highly likely” to have come from MH370. However, the confirmation appears to have so far shed no fresh light on the plane’s fate.

The Malaysia Airlines jet was carrying 239 passengers and crew when it disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

It is believed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean, but an extensive deep-sea hunt off Australia’s west coast is drawing to a close with nothing found yet.

However, several pieces of debris that apparently drifted thousands of kilometers toward the African coast have been identified as definitely or probably from the Boeing 777.

Those finds have confirmed the plane went down but have so far shed no light on why and have fuelled questions over whether the official search is focused in the right area.

The Australian-led operation is scouring the seafloor within a remote 120,000-squarekilometer (46,000-square-mile) belt of the Indian Ocean where authorities believe the passenger jet went down.

The search is nearly finished, however, and families are bracing for it to be called off.

An American amateur investigator, Blaine Gibson, handed other possible MH370 debris to Australian officials on Monday, saying several pieces were blackened by flames, raising the prospect of a flash fire on board.

Gibson, a lawyer, who has travelled the world trying to solve the MH370 mystery, told Australian reporters the debris had washed up in Madagascar. AFP

HEADS UP. A model walks the runway at the Marc Bouwer fashion show during New York Fashion Week September 2016 at The Museum of the City of New York on Thursday in New York City. AFP

Clinton resumes campaign WASHINGTON--Hillary Clinton returned to the White House campaign trail Thursday seeking to regain the momentum lost to Donald Trump, especially in the country’s key battleground states, during her battle with pneumonia.

The former secretary of state, 68, signaled she was raring to go, quickly going on the attack against her Republican rival at a rally in North Carolina and later in Washington at a celebration marking Hispanic Heritage Month.

But Trump didn’t skip a beat, pummeling her economic record and that of President Barack Obama--and releasing new medical records showing the 70-year-old billionaire real estate mogul to be in “excellent physical health.”

The presidential hopefuls are going to pound the pavement in the 10 days to come before their first of three highly anticipated debates on September 26 in New York.

“It’s great to be back on the campaign trail,” Clinton told cheering supporters in Greensboro, North Carolina--a key battleground state.

“With two months to go until election day, sitting at home is the last place I wanted to be,” she added.

“The heat is on.”

She announced stops for next week in states where Trump has started closing the gap, including Florida--a must-win for both candidates.

Her cough was gone, but her voice still seemed scratchy at times.

Clinton fell ill Sunday during a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York, where she was seen stumbling limp-legged into her vehicle, an episode that raised tough questions about her overall health and her campaign’s transparency.

With the candidates’ wellbeing suddenly at the forefront of the campaign, Clinton looked to head off further scrutiny by releasing new medical records Wednesday indicating that she was “fit to serve” as president.

The disclosure came as the media-savvy Trump, 70, teased new health data of his own during the taping of a nationally televised medical chat show, before publishing it Thursday in full.

The one-page letter from his longtime doctor lists various lab results, including for cholesterol, blood pressure and liver and thyroid function--all deemed to be within the normal range.

While Trump was shown to be slightly overweight, his doctor Harold Bornstein declared the Republican nominee to be “in excellent physical health.” AFP

EU: Defense unity, border security B

RATISLAVA-EU leaders meet without Britain in Bratislava on Friday to chart their post-Brexit future, focusing on defense cooperation and border security in a bid to heal deep divisions in particular over migration.

The 27 leaders hold a special summit in Bratislava castle overlooking the Danube in the Slovak capital, to launch a roadmap meant to be agreed in Rome in March next year on the 60th anniversary of the EU’s founding treaty.

With Europe still reeling from the worst migrant crisis since World War II, deadly terror attacks and fallout from the 2008 financial meltdown, the leaders are hoping to show they can learn lessons from Britain’s seismic vote to leave.

But they remain split about the answers.

Post-Brexit London Fashion week starts LONDON—London Fashion Week opened on Friday with shows by Burberry, J.W. Anderson and Topshop UNIQUE, with the industry putting on a brave face amid concerns over the impact of Brexit.

Many designers wanted to stay in the European Union, and there are fears about the impact of leaving on exports, costs and London’s ability to attract design talent.

The EU accounted for 70 percent of British textiles and apparel exports in 2014, worth £5.8 billion, according to the UK Fashion and Textile Association.

“London is a fashion, business, creative and cultural capital. It is a great place to live and work and is open for business,” said Caroline Rush, the chief executive of the British Fashion Council.

“We are seeing strong retail sales and consumer spending at home, our brands continue to perform well in export markets and London is still home to the best talent in the global fashion industry,” she said.

Retail sales suffered only a slight dip in August after a strong July, while analysts said the weaker pound since the referendum had boosted sales of luxury items by foreign tourists by mak-

ing them cheaper.

But high street giant Next is among those warning that prices may rise as the weak currency makes it more expensive to import goods from overseas suppliers.

Prime Minister Theresa May marked London Fashion Week with a reception on Thursday at 10 Downing Street, where she played down the notion that Brexit would be bad for the industry.

“From our home grown startups to international fashion houses--every business in the industry will play a major role in ensuring we make a success of Brexit.

“By taking advantage of the opportunities that leaving the EU gives us and playing to our strengths as a great trading nation--we can build a build a fairer economy that works for all, not just the privileged few,” she said.

Over the next five days, an array of up-and-coming designers, highstreet names and luxury brands will seek to banish the Brexit blues with shows across the capital.

They include Versus and Mm6, diffusion lines of international brands Versace and Maison Margiela, Kering-owned Christopher Kane, Paul Smith, Roksanda and Mulberry. AFP

EU President Donald Tusk said on the summit eve that the leaders must “have a sober and brutally honest assessment of the situation.”

He said he will present a roadmap he hopes will be a first step to show EU citizens that “we have learned the lessons from Brexit” and can restore stability.

In a sign of the tensions over migration, Luxembourg’s foreign minister this week called for Hungary to be suspended from the bloc for treating refugees like “animals”.

Yet European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker insisted in his

main annual speech on Wednesday that the EU was “not at risk”, as he proposed a host of economic and security measures.

His proposal for a European military headquarters underscores how defense cooperation has become something for the 27 leaders to rally around when they can’t agree on anything else.

Stepping into the fray, France and Germany, the EU’s power couple, have prepared plans for a “more active” defense policy to restore confidence shaken by terror attacks, the migrant crisis and globalization. AFP

Life YOUTH

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

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Tennis star Rafael Nadal

Dutch footballer Gregory van der Wiel

Rafael Nadal

at pop-up tennis tournament in Paris

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OMMY Hilfiger continued to celebrate its global brand ambassadorship with iconic tennis star Rafael Nadal at a pop-up tennis tournament in Paris, followed by a VIP cocktail party. Bringing a signature Tommy Hilfiger twist to the event, Nadal joined in a game of “Football Tennis,” a unique fusion of the two sports.

The event was held at the courtyard of the brand’s French headquarters on Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, where a spectacular set-up was specially installed for the occasion.

Spanish model Andrés Velencoso

Swapping his tennis racquet for an oversized tennis-football, the 14-time Grand Slam winner faced off against acclaimed Dutch footballer Gregory van der Wiel, who currently plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain, and

Spanish model Andrés Velencoso.

Presenter and actress Justine Fraioli led the tournament from the umpire’s seat and former Paris-Saint Germain goalkeeper, Jérôme Alonzo, officiated the match.

“Our partnership with Rafael brings one of the greatest athletes of this generation into our Tommy family,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “Rafael really exemplifies our brand spirit: fun, cool, and never too serious. We’re excited to bring our ‘tennis with a twist’ event to Paris, and share the playful concept with our fans in the city.”

Highlighting the Tommy Hilfiger Tailored collection, all three players were dressed in suits from the THFLEX Rafael Nadal Edition capsule collection, which fuses sartorial tailoring and performance fabrics made for modern movement. Van der Wiel wore a navy blue double-breasted suit; Velencoso wore a gray singlebreasted suit; and Nadal wore a light grey single-breasted suit.

The limited-edition THFLEX Rafael Nadal Edition capsule collection is currently available at Tommy Hilfiger stores worldwide, on tommy.com, and at select locations across France.

This was the fourth pop-up tennis tournament hosted by Tommy Hilfiger: the initial match took place in Bryant Park, New York in August 2015 to launch the global brand ambassadorship with Rafael Nadal for Tommy Hilfiger Tailored, underwear and fragrance.

In the Philippines, Tommy Hilfiger is located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 5, Newport Mall, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La (Childrenswear only), Shangri-La Plaza Mall and Abreeza Mall Davao. Follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.

Violinist Chino Gutierrez’s message to President Duterte

By Pablo A. Tariman VIOLINIST Joaquin Maria “Chino” Gutierrez is all of 26 years old, but, believe it or not, he has been making music for close to two decades.

You can sense his evolution as a musician as he talks about his Sept. 17 program at the BDO Francisco Santiago Hall with pianist Mary Anne Espina. “I’ll be playing a variety of works from Mozart to Paganini. I chose them all for their free flowing and engaging yet by no means simplistic nature. They’re all works you can lose yourself in, whether as a performer or listener, which is the main reason I titled this concert In the Zone.”

There is a Mozart sonata in the first half, a Faure sonata and a Tchaikovsky number, all of which hold special meaning for him. “The Mozart is an old favorite of mine; it’s very noble and graceful, deceptively simple, but if played wrong can be painfully boring. The Fauré, on the other hand, is a new favorite. It embodies the free-flowing yet dynamic character which is central to the concert.”

One thing he looks forward to is being reunited with pianist Mary Anne Espina with whom he has been playing together for around nine years.

“Come to think of it, that makes for a lot of collaborations. We are familiar with each other’s instincts and playing style, and have developed a closeness through the years that translates itself to solid rapport during performances.

We have good energy on stage and our chemistry is real. She’s a superb pianist, a very fast learner, and does not back off from big or difficult projects—a quality which I appreciate because I am pretty bold myself, and not averse to taking on challenges or trying out new things. Our collaboration for this concert is taking place after a space of six years of not having performed together. It feels safe and exhilarating at the same time—safe because of the familiarity, but exhilarating because we have both grown musically in so many ways that our music-making now has a different flavor and feel to it.”

At his age now, he enjoys performing more than ever. “As regards my technique, all the teachers I’ve worked with say there’s nothing more to worry

Joachim Violin Competition), I witnessed up close the incredibly high standards of playing that all the contestants were adhering to. I mean, any one of the contestants could have emerged the winner. Everyone was that good. I was surprised—even shocked—when fantastic violinists were eliminated before the semi-finals. In the final analysis, winning was just a matter of being the person that the judges were looking for at that particular time. It was really a matter of taste. I was able to confirm this during the jury consultations after the competition. A Rumanian juror said she loved my interpretation of the Bach Chaconne; it was exactly the way she would have played it. On the other hand, an Italian juror belonging to the ‘old school’ said he didn’t agree with it because he wanted a steady tempo from start to finish. In the end, it all comes down to playing what you believe in, and if you can pull it off and the judges happen to agree with your interpretation, that’s great. If not, you know you played music that was honest and you’re still a damn good musician anyway.”

He is still feeling his way on how the 26-year-old violinist Joaquin Maria ‘Chino’ Gutierrez believes that classical music is a relevant element in a society arts will thrive under a new president and second in the National Music Competi- it is too early to give a verdict. Neverthetion for Young Artists. less, he has a message to the new head At 10, he bagged the top prize and of state: “Mr. President, classical music made his orchesmay seem galtral debut at the axies away from Cultural Center drugs and crime. of the PhilipBut I assure you Classical music may pines with Lalo’s - it is just as relSymphonie Esevant. As Pablo seem galaxies away from pagnole. He was Picasso once drugs and crime but it is easily accepted said: ‘Art washat Munich’s es away the dust just as relevant prestigious State of everyday life.’

Academy of MuPlease, give our sic and Theater, classical musiwhere pedacians a chance to gogue Jens Ellermann instantly classi- flourish and be competitive in the interfied him as “a major talent.” national scene. Simply put: make funds Chino is also an archery enthusiast Last year, he was good enough to more readily available for studies both about; my technique is now secure. It’s by the prospect of more performances, qualify for the 2015 Joseph Joaquim In- locally and abroad, and help them secure so liberating not to have to worry about more collaborations, sharing my music ternational Violin Competitions where better instruments. Give them the wings the million and one technical details with more audiences.” over 200 contestants applied. Only 39 to fly, and they will bring our country every so often. Of course, there’s the Indeed, he started quite early and qualified and one of them was Gutier- places.” usual cleaning and polishing which a made significant impressions enough rez. Although he didn’t make it in the Joaquin Maria “Chino” Gutierrez violinist has to do on a daily basis, but I for the late conductor Oscar Yatco to top finalists, he learned substantial les- with pianist Mary Anne Espina perbelieve I’ve entered a phase where mak- call him the Cecile Licad of the violin. sons that made him realize just being forms at the BDO Francisco Santiago ing music and unleashing one’s creativHe was only 7 when he took his first good is not enough.

Hall in Makati City at 7:30 p.m. toity are now the top priority. I am excited violin lesson, and two years later placed He recalled: “At the JJV (Joseph night. For tickets, call 09151892998 or

Life

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

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to learn

HESE days, many still think of preschool education as nothing but supervised play. Unknown to many, this primary education actually has lasting effects.

“Well-designed preschool education programs produce long-term improvements in school success, including higher achievement test scores, lower rates of grade repetition and special education, and higher educational attainment,” W. Stephen Barnett, Ph.D. said in his 2008 research at the National Institute for Early Education Research Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

With this in mind, the non-sectarian church-related educational institution Hope Christian High School makes sure that children enrolled in its preschool program learn cognitive skills and concepts as they participate in play activities.

Play experiences help in the development of young children’s big muscles and gross motor skills. Indoor and outdoor activities allow kids to learn cooperative playing, sharing, taking turns, and following rules and instructions among others.

Math and Science concepts are learned through manipulative materi-

als, self-discovery and exploration of their environment.

Educational Field Trips are also part of the curriculum to expose children to learning and discovery outside the classroom. For instance, children get to experience life on a farm and see farm animals up close.

Hope Christian High School’s PreSchool puts a strong emphasis on Christian values and follows an international curriculum. They have seven learning centers that use both English and Chinese instruction. They keep the teacher-student ratio small to be able to attend to the needs of individual students. In addition, the school boasts of fully air-conditioned classrooms and facilities, an outdoor playground and an indoor playroom, a gymnasium, and a daycare program.

Hope Christian High School is located at 1242 Benavidez St. Sta. Cruz, Manila. For inquiries and more information, call (02) 310-8071 to 75 or visit www.hchs.edu.ph.

Hope Christian High School’s Preschool program teaches children cognitive skills and concepts as they participate in play activities

Children experience farm life during school field trips

Collaborative building

Students planting monggo seeds

Digital can mean forever

IRL (IN REAL LIFE) MENCHU AQUINO SARMIENTO “NO child has an inherent right to a smart phone,” Dr. Anna Tuazon, a clinical developmental psychologist at the MedMom Institute for Child Development in Pasig, assures anxious and harried parents. Internet access, no matter how snail-paced, has never been easier and there are trolls or worse lurking out there that might prey upon our children.

Expect even elementary school kids to have a hysterical fit should you give them a mobile that has still a keypad.

Useless to reason that this could suffice since you just want them to be able to reach you, and vice versa, in case of an emergency. Dr. Tuazon affirms that the very young are better off interacting with caring significant humans than with electronic screens. Happy is the rare parent whose angel child readily gives her all his passwords to every device and account!

As our children grow older, it is expedient to find a balance between protecting them and their fitting in. The most rudimentary phones are useless for chatting online with a possibly pervy stranger or trading compromising Instagram pictures which may return to haunt them years ahead, after they graduate and go job-hunting. Digital can be forever with apps that override Snapchat. Unlike video games, real life does not have a reset button.

Sexting and sharing full frontal nudies is more common than we care to realize. The author personally knows of a congressman who under an assumed name, gets off on sending photos of his

Dr. Anna Tuazon posits that parents should not give their young children a smart phone

junk to U.P. students less than a third his age. Yes, there are monsters and Pinoy Anthony Wieners in our midst.

“Why does your phone look like the cell phone of a yaya?” a preschool social climber asked an elder whose device was priced in the low four digits. Making sure your kid is not left out can be tricky. The current Pokemon Go craze has given a new social cachet to those who capture their pocket monsters abroad. Which just goes to show what some parents will do to make sure their kids do not just fit in, but are the leaders of the pack, and the coolest of the cool. The darker side for vulnerable kids and adults alike is Facebook depression— when no one likes your post and all your gazillion other friends seem to be eating amazing food and having a great time without you.

Recent studies have shown that over half of Filipino teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying or online harassment. Last year’s Pabebe Girl Palaban YouTube video, which went viral created an inordinate storm of insults and even violent

threats (e.g. Sarap ilunod sa kubeta...

Nakakasuka—dapat patayin…) from the millions who viewed it, as well as derisively lipsynched spoofs by celebrities. Because Filipinos are such voracious consumers of social media, the DepEd’s Child Protection Policy of 2012 now includes an online safety curriculum and lesson plans.

Most teen victims of cyberbullying will not ask their parents or teachers for help because they are just too ashamed. Dr. Tuazon tells alarmed parents of a phenomenon called “catfishing” where a third party secretly listens in on a chat with the aim of catching something juicily confidential and potentially damaging, with which the clueless first party has entrusted the duplicitous second party who’s in on the deception. Here is a prime teaching moment for values, morals, ethics, human decency and just plain good manners and right conduct.

There are risks but there are also benefits to using social media, as Dr. Tuazon points out, “All media is just a tool. Used properly, it can facilitate socialization and communication, and enhance learning opportunities.” The complexity of video game consoles and strategies pose valid cognitive challenges. Where there is sex and violence, parents should be involved to help the still immature teen to contextualize these. However, she draws the line at the notorious Grand Theft Auto and its spin-offs. Such heinous games should never be in children’s hands.

Parents must also exercise caution in their own social media use. Dr. Tuazon warns against the overly enthusiastic posting of photos of their children’s activities, and details such as where they go to school, family nicknames, vacation plans etc. In a state of nationwide lawlessness and emergency, imagine how easy it would be for criminal elements to use such information to gain the trust of our children for their own nefarious ends. So where digital and other forms of safety for our children are concerned, the safest bottom line is still: “Never talk to strangers.”

SISFU President Dr. Melva Diamante (sixth from left) and SISFU School of Business and Computing Associate Dean Amir Tohid (rightmost) with De Monfort University graduates (from left) Pamela Almero, Beatriz Galang, Karen Herico, Samantha Tanaleon, Karen Ebihara, Dara Romualdez, Marjory Mallorca and Jenina Gonzales

Filipinos graduate with honors

NINE Filipino students successfully completed their management and marketing course at De Montfort University (DMU) of Leicester, United Kingdom and attended the graduation rites presided by its Philippine partner-institution, Southville International School affiliated with Foreign Universities (SISFU).

The business degree program of the DMU School of Strategic Management and Marketing is the culmination of a three-year course in business management and marketing taken up by the students and which started with the Higher National Diploma from Pearson Qualification, also in the United Kingdom.

The new graduates consider their graduation as an important event that has given them a deep sense of fulfillment and further inspired them to face with confidence the many challenges of the global marketplace with the knowledge and skills they have acquired from Pearson and DMU. They said that they are all set to embark on their chosen career paths through the jobs they currently hold and that they are eager to start another chapter in their professional life.

Pamela Almero, summa cum laude of the class, has plans to go abroad for a stint with an international company before pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree.

Dara Romualdez has been offered a job at an international company even before she graduated, while Karen Herico is set to fly to Dubai to join her father in the field of agri-business.

Marjory Mallorca and Janina Gonzales said that they were ready to work in their respective family enterprises, where they are expected to make their own marks.

Beatriz Galang plans to go back to Oman and join the marketing department of an oil company, while Francesca Pineda is leaving for the United States to work. Samantha Tanaleon will pursue a master’s degree after working with a finance company. .

Karen Ebihara, who attained the highest grade in her class during the final year of the DMU program, will soon undertake further studies to become an academician.

SISFU is the only local educational institution that offers British and Australian degrees in the Philippines.

Among the degree and diploma courses it offers are Business Management, Finance and Accounting, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Culinary Arts, and Master of Business Administration.

For more information, visit the SISFU website www.southville.edu.ph.or call (632) 820-6774.

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

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O HELP unemployed Pasay City beneficiaries uplift their lives, the Rotary Club of Southeast Pasay through ‘Isang Gunting, Isang Suklay’ livelihood project of host Ricky Reyes will conduct a free hair-cutting seminar.

Asia’s Queen of Song Pilita Corales sings to businessman and philanthropist Hans Sy and the kids of Childhaus Foundation

‘Isang Gunting.Isang Suklay’ project for Pasay City beneficiaries

7 titles at stake at Misters of Filipinas 2016 THE country’s hottest and most prestigious male pageant officially started as Misters of Filipinas 2016 presented to the media 27 desirable and dynamic candidates at One Canvas Events Place in Makati City recently.

The 27 aspirants who will vie for the seven titles at stake include Filipino overseas representatives Jam Acero of Australia, Franc Canson of Italy and Jeremiah Nicolas of Melbourne. The titles are Mister International Philippines, Manhunt International Philippines, Mister Globe Philippines, Man of the World Philippines, Man of the Year Philippines, Mister Southeast Asian Philippines and the newest addition Mister Supranational Philippines.

Three candidates from the original selection of 30 were disallowed to continue for various reasons that did not conform to the strict policies of the Prime Event Productions Philippines Foundation Inc (PEPPS), founder of the pageant headed by its president Carlo Morris Galang.

Misters of Filipinas seeks to find Filipino men who can bring honor to the country as well as to empower them by providing a platform for social responsibility.

PEPPS has so far succeeded in giving honor to the Philippines through June Macasaet and Neil Perez who brought home the Manhunt International and Mister International titles in 2012 and 2014, respectively, and the latest in Karan Singhdole winning at the Man of the Year 2016 pageant in Indonesia.

The finals of Misters of Filipinas 2016 will be tomorrow at Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila.

Tickets are available at ticketworld.com. ph. Eton B. Concepcion

MCAD commemorates teacher month with ‘Titser’ IN HONOR of National Teachers Month, the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) is hosting a special screening of Titser, a Filipino drama series about the issues of Philippine education, until Sept. 28 at the MCAD Multimedia Room.

The show aims to tackle underlying problems of our academic system: the lack of books, chairs and classrooms, corruption in procurement, and high dropout rates.

Michelle, a high school valedictorian from a poor barrio, dreams to become an educator.

However, her only option after she

graduates is to work as a housemaid.

Rosa, Michelle’s best friend and class salutatorian, ends up as a single mother. Fate, tragedy, and the dedication of Michelle and Rosa lead them both to twists and turns amidst financial and social instability.

Written by Bayan Ko creator Nessa Valdellon, and directed by indie filmmaker and Ateneo Filipino Department Head Dr. Alvin Yapan, Titser stars Love Poe as Michelle Maturan, Mara Lopez as Rosa, and Agot Isidro as Teacher Sandra.

The special screening was launched in partnership with GMA News TV,

and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

MCAD likewise recently showcased Not One Less, a Chinese film, which focused on 13-year old We Minzhi, who was suddenly entrusted to lead her classmates in the absence of their mentor.

For inquiries on schedules and reservations, call 230-5100 local 3897 or email mcad@benilde.edu.ph.

MCAD is at the Ground Floor, School of Design and Arts (SDA) Building, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), Dominga Street, Malate, Manila.

Actress Lovi Poe in ‘Titser,’ a moving series that tackles the underlying problems of the country’s academic system

Gotta watch ‘em all! New Pokémon returns to Cartoon Network WITH the Pokémon Go craze still going strong, Cartoon Network, the no. 1 kids’ network, premieres new episodes of Pokémon XY Kalos Quest.

In this season, Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum explores the all-new region of Kalos. Full of neverbefore-seen Pokémons, Ash and his partner Pikachu travel around encountering new friends and battling rivals. Meanwhile, Ash continues to challenge gym leaders in the hopes of entering the prestigious Kalos League.

With Clemont and Bonnie from Lumiose City, as well as his childhood friend Serena, Ash and

With Pokemon Go unexpectedly becoming a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, Cartoon Network brings the lovable Pikachu and his Poke monster friends back on TV

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, September 17, 2016

ACROSS 1 Alps’ Mont — 6 Fragment 11 Legume holder 14 Comforter stuffing 15 Tara’s Scarlett 16 King beater 17 Forest clearing 18 Brawl weapons 19 I-90 20 Steal or do eggs 22 Tackled moguls 24 Skies 28 Bank jobs 29 Finally (2 wds.)

30 “Uncle Miltie” 32 Sci-fi classic 33 Track’s Jesse — 35 Bugged out 39 Deli sandwich 40 Cow chow 41 La — Tar Pits 42 Low voice 43 Citation 45 Hangs in the sun 46 Meat-locker units 48 Say yes 50 Gem surfaces 53 Dead end 54 Examines a palm 55 Sheet of plywood

At the launch, Reyes told the beneficiaries to do good to empower themselves for a brighter future.

Graduates of the seminar will be given a chance to work with Reyes in his GRR salons and can be endorsed to other beauty shops as well.

Childhaus celebrated its 13th year anniversary meaningfully with the unveiling of the Tree of Hope ni Kuya Hans. Asia’s Queen of Songs Pilita Corrales rendered “A Million Thanks to You” to Hans Sy for his unwavering support to Childhaus.

FGO Foundation under herbalist and inventor Fely Guy Ong celebrated its 27th year yesterday at the Victory Central Mall in Caloocan City. FGO promotes natural healing through its flagship product, the Krystall Herbal Oil advocating the Chinese philosophy’s Yin & Yang where everything should be balanced.

In “Showbiz Express,” Aster Amoyo talks to balladeer Mark Bautista.

All these and more in today’s Gandang Ricky Reyes Todo na Toh (GRR TNT), 9 to 10 a.m. on GMA News TV.

57 List shortener 58 Spam, maybe 60 More than dislike 65 Grasshopper’s rebuker 66 Summa cum — 67 Soft leather 68 Chiang — -shek 69 Boneless fish 70 Overpraised DOWN 1 Entreat 2 Not like Abner, actually 3 Tooth-fillers’ org.

4 Jarrett of NASCAR 5 Crinkled fabrics 6 Furniture purchases 7 Trendy 8 Headlong 9 Matisse piece 10 Lot 11 Notre Dame’s city 12 Two quartets 13 Heroic exploits 21 Aware of 23 Garlicky sausage 24 — yoga 25 Lucy’s sidekick

26 Put on guard 27 Hit the bricks 28 Paycheck abbr.

30 Droplets 31 “Watermark” chanteuse 34 Whoopee!

36 City, canal and lake 37 Terrarium plants 38 Likes and dislikes 43 Rx givers 44 Flimsy, as an excuse 47 Back to normal

49 Make ripples 50 Lose it 51 Insurance giant 52 They have spines 53 Mooring site 55 Radio’s — Harvey 56 Staffer 59 — tai cocktail 61 Shopper’s find 62 Not square 63 Tribute in verse 64 Embarrassed

Pikachu uncover secrets of the powerful Mega Evolution as they journey around Kalos.

Will Ash and his friends witness Pokémons evolve into their ultimate form? Find out on Pokémon XY Kalos Quest, weekdays at 9:15 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. and weekends at 6:45 p.m. only on Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network is available on SKYCable Channel 43, SKYCable HD Channel 178, Cignal Channel 35, Cignal HD Channel 110, Destiny Cable (Digital) Channel 43, Destiny Cable (Analog) Channel 51 and Cable Link Channel 26, Dream Satellite Channel 15.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2016

Showbiz

L

ove Marie’s artistic exploration

By Nickie Wang

R

IGHT on the heels of her successful solo exhibit early this year, Love Marie Ongpauco-Escudero, or more popularly known as Heart Evangelista in showbiz, is fast becoming the poster girl of the local art scene with yet another successful art exhibit billed Carry your HeArt. It’s her fifth solo exhibit since she started dipping her toes into the contemporary art scene two years ago.

In 2014, Love Marie surprised the public when she held her first painting exhibit at Art Space, Ayala Museum. Thereafter, she collaborated with fashion designer Mark Bumgarner, poet and lifestyle editor Arnel Patawaran, young designer Rocio Olbes and premium travel and carry-on luggage manufacturer, Rimowa.

Since then, Love Marie’s artistic and philosophical side has been made public and people couldn’t help but adore how exquisite her collections are and admire how she pours her heart into every masterpiece she creates.

As she continues sharing her exceptional gifts through collaboration and art exhibits, she became the first Filipina to hold an exhibit at Chan Hampe Galleries in Raffles Hotel, Singapore. And today, Love Marie challenges herself through the use of a new canvas – luxury bags.

Like any great piece of artwork, hand painting a bag was not entirely her plan. One faithful day, she tried to cover a smudge on her bag by painting over it. The result?

The bag turned into a unique piece of artwork that bears her signature style.

Using the same principle, Love Marie adds another dimension of luxury, exclusivity and uniqueness to each handbag in her Carry your HeArt exhibit.

“I’m thankful to my clients for entrusting me with such an incredible piece. In return, I promised them something different, truly unique, and something they can proudly claim as being the only one to have it” she told Manila Standard.

In Carry your HeArt, Love Marie’s contemplative composition features familiar symbols like flowers, fish, birds and female figures to express a range of emotions. The paintings, specifically the color pallette she used in every masterpiece, evoke a sense of transience and permeability. As she describes it, “It’s my transition from feeling blue to being all happy. I’m really in transition wearing different hats.”

The exhibit, which ran from Sept.

4 to 9 at Volkswagen Showroon in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, featured a total of 49 exquisite luxury bags (partially owned by her) painstakingly painted by the 31-year-old artist. Each piece took her at least five hours to finish.

“A lot of people ask me why I keep on painting girls and women; they represent a certain kind of emotion I was feeling at a certain time. But the flowers and the birds, I just enjoy painting them. It’s therapeutic for me,” she said.

Inspired by artists like Gustav Klimt, who is known for using fascinating symbolism like gold leaf details and a romantic palette, and Frida Kahlo, a Mexican painter known for her selfportraits, Love Marie embarks on this journey none of her contemporaries would be able to surpass or even equal. Her exhibit in 2014 was sold out in an hour, and again to an international market in Singapore in 2015, her collection was sold out, too.

“I’m just fortunate to be given an opportunity to showcase my work and my deep passion to create personalized pieces of art. I am full of emotions and idea and my mind never sleeps. I realized that I am an artist, a painter since I was a child. And I’m going to pursue this passion for the rest of my life,” she mused.

Although painting takes a lot her time during weekends, she considers painting purely as a passion and not an entirely different career. Hence, she doesn’t force herself to paint when she doesn’t feel like it.

Currently, Love Marie is experimenting on wild and muted colors. That will be the theme for her next collection, an installment to her LM (Love Marie) series that showcased her fascination with floral shapes and designs.

“Some people think that a colorful painting is a happy painting. They tend to look at things superficially. But paintings and their symbolism can mean a lot of things. And that’s people should watch out for in my next exhibit,” she concluded.

CARRY YOUR HEART. (Clockwise) Actress and artist Love Marie Ongpauco-Escudero, a.k.a Heart Evangelista, holds her fifth solo exhibit at the Volkswagen Showroom in BGC; Love Marie’s husband Sen. Chiz Escudero shows full support during the exhibit’s opening on Sept. 4; Two of the exquisite luxury handbags on display at the exhibit that showcase her affinity for female figures. Sonny Espiritu

CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’ features K-Pop legend Big Bang THIS month’s Talk Asia, CNN Seoul Correspondent Paula Hancocks catches up with Big Bang for an in-depth interview at S-Factory in Sungsu-dong, Seoul, where the group’s 10th anniversary exhibition is taking place.

From reminiscing over the last ten years to forecasting ahead to the next decade, each member of the group shares their memories of the long journey that brought them to the top of K-pop.

Talk Asia airs on CNN International today, 7:30 p.m. ; 12:30 p.m. tomorrow; and 11 a.m. on Sunday.

On CNN ‘Talk Asia,’ correspondent Paula Hancocks interviews the South Korean boy band Big Bang, who has risen to global stardom spearheading the spread of K-pop throughout Asia