Manila Standard - 2016 September 19 - Monday

SOLONS DEMAND SAFEGUARDS VS ABUSE OF EXTRA POWERS

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VOL. XXX • NO. 219 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

COMMEMORATION. A tourist walks past a mural on a flood-control dike in Guinobatan, Albay on Sunday in preparation for the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the destruction caused by Super Typhoon ‘Reming.’ Danny Pata

3 more hostages freed Indonesians, Norwegian savor freedom after ASG captivity

By Francisco Tuyay and F. Pearl Gajunera

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FREE. MNLF

NORWEGIAN and three Indonesian seamen held hostage in Mindanao were turned over to a government envoy on Sunday after being freed by Abu Sayyaf bandits who had beheaded two captives earlier this year.

Chairman Nur Misuari speaks while freed Norwegian national Kjartan Sekkingstad listens during his turnover to government officials in Sulu on Sunday.

AFP

Kjartan Sekkingstad and the Indonesians, who had been held by Abu Sayyaf militants, were handed over to envoy Jesus Dureza in the town of Indanan on Jolo island, said an Agence France-Presse reporter at the scene.

The transfer took place at the heavily guarded camp of Muslim rebel leader Nur Misuari, whose group assisted in the release, according to the government.

“I am happy to be alive and free,” Sekkingstad said as he was assured by President Rodrigo Duterte that the government will soon bring his captors to justice.

Sekkingstad was abducted from a high-end tourist resort that he managed in September 2015, along with two Canadians who were later beheaded.

It was still unclear if the three freed Indonesians were the same ones kidnapped by armed men off a fishing trawler in Malaysian waters in July. Next page

Hotelier’s kin hit smear drive, ‘love triangle’

UN told: Observe protocol

By Christine F. Herrera and Macon RamosAraneta

THE United Nations rapporteur team must follow protocol if they want to be invited to the Philippines and not course their invitation through the media, Malacañang said on Sunday.

“The United Nations must go through the right process, the right protocol if they want to be invited and not through the media,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar told dzRB radio.

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay slammed the United Nations’ human rights rapporteurs for criticizing Manila’s war on illegal drugs, describing a report by them as “highly-irresponsible.”

“The Duterte administration’s war on drugs, a very urgent and critical domestic matter, is being waged with firm adherence to our established human rights principles,” Yasay said.

He said Duterte “has, time and again, declared his avowed purpose to pursue this war on drugs in accordance with the rule of law and full respect for human rights and has, in fact, urged Next page

THE family of slain hotelier Richard King has condemned the use of the businessman’s death in the Senate investigation of extrajudicial killings led by Senator Leila de Lima, House Deputy Minority Harry Roque said Sunday.

Roque, who used to be counsel for King, said the family “is appalled by the gall of Senator Leila de Lima in dragging the death of

the Crown Regency owner in her attempt to smear the name of President Rodrigo Duterte.”

“The family of Richard King has already undergone enough trauma with his death. They are now being subjected to undue emotion distress because of the vain desire of Senator De Lima to discredit the President,” Roque added.

Roque also said the King family strongly denied the love triangle angle being peddled by De Lima’s witness, self-confessed Davao Death Squad member Edgar MaNext page tobato.

Solons demand safety nets on ‘extra powers’ FOUR lawmakers support emergency powers for President Rodrigo Duterte to fix the worsening traffic in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, but vowed to put in place safeguards to avoid abuses.

Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, one of the authors of a bill that would give emergency powers to the President, TUGADE

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THE Justice Department on Sunday expressed optimism that the recent meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and Indonesian President Joko Widodo will further delay the execution of convicted drug courier Mary Jane Veloso after Widodo declared they will await the judgment on the case against her recruiters in the Philippines.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said he believed Indonesia would not execute Veloso pending the resolution of the criminal case against her alleged recruiters Maria Cristina Sergio and her live-in partner Julius Lacanilao before a court in Nueva Ecija.

“Their judicial process is waiting for the outcome of the case in the Nueva Ecija court,” Next page Aguirre said.

‘Oust Rody’ loose talk —Andanar

NARCO-LIST. President Rodrigo Duterte holds up a document in

By Rio N. Araja, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Christine F. Herrera

‘Indonesia defers move on Veloso’

Camp Melchor, Isabela, on Saturday that he said contained a list of the names of government officials and law enforcers involved in the illegal drug trade.

Lawmaker won’t inhibit from House probe of Leila THE head of the House committee on justice on Sunday said he will not inhibit himself from an investigation whose subject is Senator Leila de Lima’s alleged role in the illegal drugs trade inside and out-

thestandard.com.ph

side the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, a former party mate of De Lima in the Liberal Party Next page

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte strongly believes that the “yellows,” led by former President Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party, are behind a plot to oust him from the presidency, but Communications Secretary Martin Andanar on Sunday said the plot was mere speculation.

He also said the belief that self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato is part of the move to discredit and impeach the President was also speculation.

“There are many speculations. Perhaps the media can tell us your evidence that this [yellow] group is responsible for the chaos happening in the country now,” Andanar told dzRB radio.

Senator Leila de Lima, head of the Senate’s justice committee, presented Matobato as a witness in last week’s hearings in which Matobato described the alleged summary executions in Davao City when Duterte was its mayor.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

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LGUs assured of 80% tax share Locsin accepts UN posting, says Palace VETERAN journalist and former congressman Teodoro Locsin Jr. has accepted the post of Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Malacañang said on Sunday.

“Gentlemen and Ladies of the MPC, the former Congressman Teddyboy Locsin and I were in touch again last night, and he said he is accepting the position of UN Ambassador,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said

on ANC starting 2016; radio anchor of DZRH Executive Session (2014–present); segment anchor of The World Tonight’s TEDitorial (2011–present); former host of Assignment on ABSCBN (1994–2003); publisher and editor-in-chief of the Today newspaper (1993–2005); executive director of The Philippines’ Free Press magazine (1993– present); publisher of The Daily Globe newspaper (1988–1993);

Presidential speech writer (1985– 1992); presidential spokesman, legal counsel and speech writer (1986–1988); lecturer of the US War College (1991); executive assistant to the chairman of Ayala Corp. and Bank of the Philippine Islands (1982–1985); associate of the Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala and Cruz Law offices (1977–1982); and editorial writer of The Philippines’ Free Press (1967–1972). Sandy Araneta

The Abu Sayyaf freed Sekkingstad on Saturday, handing him over to Misuari who is engaged in peace talks with the government and at whose camp he spent the night, Dureza said earlier.

Escorted by a small contingent of Jolo police, Dureza, Misuari, the freed captives and local officials met in a building surrounded by hundreds of Misuari’s fighters from the Moro National Liberation Front before leaving for a military camp, the reporter said.

The military has said that after a medical check-up and debriefing, Sekkingstad would fly to the southern city of Davao to be received by Duterte.

John Ridsdel and Robert Hall, the two Canadians seized with Sekkingstad, were beheaded after a ransom demand of about P300 million was not met. Ridsdel was murdered in April and Hall in June.

Duterte’s spokesman Martin An-

danar said in Manila that “the government maintains the no-ransom policy.”

“Now, if there is a third party like his family that paid, we do not know anything about that,” he told reporters.

Norwegian foreign affairs communications chief Frode Andersen said “the Norwegian government does not pay ransom in this case or any other case.”

However, a spokesman for the Abu Sayyaf was quoted in a local newspaper on Sunday as saying the group received P30 million for the Norwegian.

The Abu Sayyaf is a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network.

It is based in remote Muslimpopulated southern islands and has earned millions of dollars in ransom from kidnappings—often targeting foreigners.

While its leaders have in recent years pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, analysts say the Abu Sayyaf is mainly focused on a lucrative kidnapping business rather

than religious ideology.

The group, which is blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history and is listed by the United States as a terrorist organization, has been the target of a military operation since August.

Brig. Gen. Resituto Padilla, Armed Forces spokesman, confirmed the release of the Indonesian nationals—Lorens Koten, Teodurus Kofung and a certain Emmanuel.

Hours after their release, the three Indonesians were brought to Camp Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital where they underwent a medical exam and debriefing before they were turned over to Dureza.

They will be handed over to retired general Kivlan Zen of the Indonesian military.

It was unclear if a ransom was paid to obtain the release of the Norwegian and three Indonesians at a time when the military is putting intense pressure on the terrorist group.

At present, five Indonesians and five Malaysians, who were abducted by the ASG last week, are still being held captive, possibly in dif-

ferent bunkers in Patikul, Sulu.

The military announced simultaneous land, sea and air operations against the terrorist group.

Maj. Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said amphibious raids were launched on the islands of Pata and Kalinggalang Caluang in Sulu.

Troops confiscated 15 unregistered motorized boats, Tan said.

Police also confiscated a motorized boat in Parang, Sulu that was believed to have been used in the kidnapping of Indonesian and Malaysian tugboat crews in the high seas fronting Tawi-Tawi in recent months.

On state-run radio dzRB, Andanar said no ransom was paid for the release of Sekkingstad.

“The government maintains a no-ransom policy when it comes to kidnappings,” Andanar said.

Andanar also said the intensified pursuit operations against the Abu Sayyaf will continue.

“Of course, this will continue, the war against terrorists. This will not stop,” Andanar said. With AFP, Sandy Araneta

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De Lima pursued her probe in the Senate after she was named by Duterte as being a beneficiary of drug money from the New Bilibid Prison.

“Police Supt. Leonardo Felonia was charged for King’s murder.

Not once was the name of Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte ever mentioned in the course of the investigation,” Roque said.

“The story that seems to be the most popular is that a businesswoman paid ₱20 million to have Richard King killed. She contacted Felonia to look for killers,” he added.

Roque said as a lawyer, he noted Matobato had “major inconsistencies” in his testimony, including saying he was at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) headquarters in 2003 when the task force was actually abolished in 2001.

“This was Senator De Lima’s defense strategy: stage an offense knowing that the truth on her drug dealings will soon be revealed at the House of Representatives next week,” Roque added.

This developed as Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said the inquiry must not be left to politicians whose motives could always be suspect despite their avowal of impartiality.

Also, the members of the House committee on public order and safety have decided to drop the use of the phrase “extrajudicial killing” in all its future hearings, investigations and reports, and will instead use the term “death under investigation” used by the Philippine National Police.

The committee, chaired by Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, approved the motion raised by House Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia who questioned the use of the term “extrajudicial killing” in the absence of capital punishment or death penalty in the country.

“I am really curious what the definition of extrajudicial killing is because extrajudicial would mean outside of the parameters of a judicial killing. But do we have such a thing as judicial killing in the Philippines? As far as I know, the last law that was passed that imposed the death penalty by lethal injection was Republic Act 8177. But this was repealed

by RA 9346. And therefore right now, we don’t have the death penalty in the Philippines. How could we have such a thing as a judicial killing? And yet it is now so commonly used, that even in the Senate, there was an investigation conducted by the committee on justice as regards extrajudicial killing,” Garcia said.

assured the public would provide certain restrictions to guard against abuses.

“Congress would not tolerate an agency or individual exploiting the proposed emergency powers. Surely, the proposal would fast-track the implementation of key infrastructure projects that are critical to attracting foreign investment, helping create quality and decent jobs for many Filipinos and stimulating economic activities,” he said.

“Congress must arm the President with emergency powers,” said Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez, wife of former Leyte representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

Camarines Sur Luis Ray Villafuerte said the emergency powers could swiftly address the sorry state of the country’s infrastructure, land and even air traffic congestion and safety issues.

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, House committee on Metro Manila development in the 16th Congress, also backed the need to end traffic woes, particularly on the main thoroughfare of EDSA. “Let us give the President the power to solve the traffic problem,” he said.

Senator Grace Poe also said emergency powers would only be used to untie the traffic gridlock crippling Metro Manila and other urban areas, and said enough safeguards would be in place to prevent possible abuses.

“It is clear to me [the proposal for emergency powers] only encompasses the solution to traffic.

As what I have said, the oversight would focus on that. I believe we have enough safeguards,” said Poe, chairman of the Senate committee on public services.

“I am with the people that we should immediately act on traffic problems. I will not allow the emergency powers to be abused,” Poe added.

Poe said contracts and transactions entered into by government must be transparent.

The Senate is set to resume hearings on the emergency powers sought by the administration to solve the transporation crisis on Sept. 22.

Local government units and various transport agencies involved in

traffic management will be invited to the hearing, Poe said.

The proposed emergency powers bill seeks to address the traffic crisis by expediting procurement processes for transportation projects and establishing a single traffic authority.

The duration the emergency powers may be used could be at least two years, depending on the plans and programs needed to be carried out to address the traffic mess, unless sooner withdrawn by Congress.

A congressional oversight committee will be established to be composed of five members each from the Senate and the House of Representatives.

An advocacy group for road protection has asked senators to reject the confirmation of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, saying he was “unfit and unqualified” for the position.

“We decided to write the Commission since being part of the republican system of checks and balances, it has the power to disapprove a nomination if deemed that the nominee could not exercise his functions appropriately to the detriment of public interest,” said Ray Junia, chairman of the Road Users Protection Advocates (RUPA) in a letter sent to Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III. Junia said despite Tugade’s promise to solve the traffic in 100 days, traffic in Metro Manila has actually become worse.

Junia also painted some of Tugade’s suggestions—like installing cable cars over the length of Laguna de Bay—were “fantastic and incredible” and cast doubts on his mental health.

Some House officials also accused Tugade and his men of favoring contractors that they once served.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez particularly called the attention of Tugade and Undersecretary Noel Kintanar in the Metro Rail Transit-Light Railway Transit Common Station project since both were former executives of the contractors involved in the project.

“I have to be very straightforward with my concern. This concerns the Ayalas. Two of the executives— Secretary Tugade and Usec Kintanar are from Ayala firms or have done business with the Ayalas. They might favor the Ayalas’ business interests. That’s not right,” Suarez said.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez also expressed similar concerns and grilled Kintanar, who previously served as assistant vice president of Ayala Corp.; Undersecretary for Air Operations Bobby Lim, who was formerly country manager of the International Air Transport Association; and Undersecretary for Land Transport Anneli Lontoc.

At the House hearing Friday, Tugade told lawmakers that stakeholders are set to sign an agreement on technical issues concerning the common station that will connect the existing MRT 3, LRT 1 and forthcoming MRT 7 at the Edsa North Avenue Intersection in Quezon City.

But Suarez said he was concerned when Tugade said MRT 7 had been detached from the MRT 3 and LRT 1.

“The three stations are supposed to converge. That’s why it is called common station. Why separate the MRT 7? Because by detaching the MRT 7, commuters are forced to pass by Trinoma mall, owned by the Ayalas, before they could transfer to another station,” Suarez said.

Alvarez said Tugade and his officials did not need emergency powers to address the concerns that the President wanted resolved in the first 100 days.

Alvarez warned Tugade that just like in the previous administrations, some officials had prioritized the interests of their former “principals.”

He cited as example former Energy Secretary and Executive Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, who worked for the Ayalas and served under former President Benigno Aquino III and also under Aquino, former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, who worked for businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“Let us not fool ourselves. In every administration, private corporations put their people in departments covering their business.

Whose interests are you serving?” the Speaker said.

San Miguel Corp. also has stakes in MRT and Tugade, according to National Economic and Development Authority Director General Ernesto Pernia, wanted to allow SMC-Ramon Ang-owned Manila North Harbour Port Inc. to engage in international trade that port stakeholders were opposing since MNHPI has an existing exclusive contract with the Philippine Ports Authority to operate only in domestic trade.

sponsible on their part to solely rely on such allegations based on ‘information’ from unnamed sources without proper substantiation,” Yasay said, referring to the report by he Special Rapporteur for Extra-judicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions and the Special Rapporteur for the Right to Health.

He said the rapporteurs’ failure

to act “in accordance with existing procedures in engaging and cooperating with member states” drew the ire of Duterte.

“The president is understandably extremely disappointed and frustrated with this action of the special rapporteurs in arbitrarily concluding that these drug-related killings were done by, or at the instance of, law enforcers,” Yasay

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in a message to the Malacañang Press Corps.

According to Wikipedia, Locsin is a Philippine politician, lawyer and former journalist who served as congressman for the first district of Makati from 2001 to 2010.

Locsin now does the editorial segment “Teditorial” for ANC’s nightly newscast The World Tonight.

Wikipedia cited Locsin’s career as follows: Host of #NoFilter

UN...

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civil rights organizations to immediately provide evidence of extrajudicial killings.

“Media reports may serve as their lead, but such reports do not constitute prima facie evidence of fact. It is highly irre-

By Christine F. Herrera

H

OUSE Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Sunday under a federal form of government, the regions or states would retain around 80 percent of the taxes that would allow them to chart their own progress.

Alvarez said the regions will be empowered to manage their natural resources and adopt their own development policies.

“We have the right also to create opportunities for our people and we will have the chance to chart our own destinies,” he added.

In a federal system, Alvarez said Manila will no longer dictate if a region would prosper or remain poor.

“We would be the ones to decide whether we would grow or remain poor. But that would depend of course on the officials we would put into office,” he said.

In a federal system, each region or state can enact its own laws in accordance with the culture, tradition and belief of the people in the region, which may be different from the other regions, Alvarez said.

Alvarez made this observations when he swore in Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo as regional president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) along with more than 500 other new members of the ruling party in the region.

“You have two very important tasks: one is to help the President in his advocacy for federalism, and second, in the campaign of the President against drugs,” Alvarez said in remarks before the new par-

ty members at the Negros Region Convention Center.

Among the new party members are mayors, councilors and barangay officials from various towns on Negros island.

Alvarez emphasized that a shift to a federal form of government is crucial to spur the socio-economic development of each region or state.

He said the present unitary form of government was imposed by foreign colonial powers to allow them to maintain control of the country under a strong central government.

Alvarez said the Duterte administration offers the best opportunity to shift to a federal form of government.

The House leader said the President has chosen to change the Constitution through Congress acting as constituent assembly, instead of through a constitutional convention, to save funds that could be used for other purposes.

“In a constituent assembly we don’t have to spend as much. Besides, the senators and congressmen were also elected into office.

We will constitute ourselves into an assembly to revise the present Constitution,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez believes that the proposed draft of the new constitution may be completed and submitted to the people in a plebiscite for ratification by mid-term election in 2019.

Lawmaker...

He said the probe was something he had to do.

“I have always been objective in what I do,” Umali said.

“I’m chairman of the committee on justice, so I’m sure there are several forces [for and against], so I will just have to be fair to everyone and give everyone his due.”

Umali said it took him time to organize his committee and thus the delay. So far, he said, he already had 12 of the 55 members and two of the six vice chairmen to man the panel.

The hearing on De Lima’s case is slated on Sept. 20.

The first to be presented would be Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who will be asked to update the committee on the progress of his department’s investigation on the case.

Umali said De Lima had been invited to the Sept. 20 hearing, but that he did not know if De Lima had responded to the invitation since he was “in the province.” Christine F. Herrera

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and her fraternity brother, also denied giving De Lima’s case special treatment and justified the twomonth delay in holding the hearings on it.

Umali, who abandoned the Liberal Party and switched to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, said he had no choice but to proceed with the House probe considering that no less than the House leaders, led by House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Deputy Speakers and House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez, had principally authored the resolution seeking the inquiry on De Lima.

“I don’t find any reason for me to inhibit. Maybe if I [were] not objective, if I [were] biased, but that is not me,” Umali told dzBB radio.

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“So I believe that Indonesia will still keep an indefinite action on the case of Mary Jane precisely because of the Nueva Ecija case.”

Aguirre said there was even the possibility that Veloso would be released depending on the outcome of the case against her recruiters.

“For example, if the Nueva

Ecija court rules that Mary Jane is indeed a victim, then Mary Jane could be released,” Aguirre said.

Veloso claims that she was duped by Sergio and Lacanilao into bringing her drug-laden luggage to Indonesia in 2010, where she was arrested at the Yogyakarta airport.

But her death sentence was temporarily put on hold on April 29, 2015, after then President Aquino appealed to Widodo. Rey E. Requejo

Matobato told the Senate panel he was one of the hitmen of the Davao Death Squad that was established by Duterte, and their only job was to kill suspected criminals and the personal enemies of the Duterte family.

He said it was Duterte who ordered the killings of thousands of people, and that some of those killings were ordered by presidential son and Davao City Vice Mayor Paulo Duterte.

“We have no information on who’s really behind all of these things. These are all speculation,” Andanar said.

Senator Alan Cayetano, Duterte’s defeated running mate, claims Matobato is being used by the LP to remove Duterte so that Vice President Leni Robredo, who belongs to that party, can take over.

Last week, Duterte virtually blamed Aquino and his allies for their alleged effort to destroy his reputation in the international community following his attacks on US President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Duterte has repeatedly lambasted the US and the UN for what he calls interference in his policies, particularly their criticism of the summary killings arising from his administration’s war on drugs.

Sandy Araneta

said.

He said the Philippines was not pulling out of the United Nations, and that it was committed to the organization despite its “frustrations.”

Yasay’s statement was made in reaction to the statement by President Rodrigo Duterte that the Philippines would “separate” from the UN after the world body criticized

his war on illicit drugs.

Yasay also appealed for support from the global community.

“We call on the global community to support us, not to simply provide lip service in eradicating this urgent international problem towards uplifting the quality of life of the community and families and assure a bright future for their children.” Sandy Araneta

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News

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

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Health tests eyed for 20m Pinoys

By Macon Araneta

T

HE Department of Health has adopted a new strategy to health agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte as it braces to ensure the mandatory check-up of 20 million Filipinos by December 25.

The gameplan, A.C.H.I.E.V.E, stand for the following: Advance primary care and quality; Cover all Filipinos against financial health risk; Harness power of strategic human resource; Invest in digital health and data for decision-making; Enforce standard, accountability and transparency;

Value clients and patients; and Elicit multi-sector, multi-stakeholder support for health.

“At the end of the day, when universal health insurance leads to pro-poor utilization, non-reliance on out-of-pocket payment, and zero health related impoverishment; when promotion,

prevention, and comprehensive services in functional service delivery networks lead to better and equitable health outcomes and overwhelming public satisfaction; and when efficient and effective utilization of meager resources enable attainment of our Sustainable Development Goals, then we can safely say that we have ACHIEVED Kalusugan Para sa Lahat through the Duterte Health Agenda!” said Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial.

Ubial noted that a simple, basic check-up can lead to the early detection of several illnesses.

“For example cataract, malnourishment, underweight, un-

derheight—physically, you can see that, and you can intervene already. That’s basic check up, basically, me, I’ve been a public health worker, I can diagnose leprosy just by looking at the patient. I don’t need a high-tech gadget or a microscope to diagnose that,” said Ubial.

Not all Filipinos today have access to professional health workers, Ubial said.

During the previous administration, she said about 30 percent Filipinos do not have regular access to a health facility.

The DOH unveiled last September 15 the Duterte Health Agenda at the National Health Summit

in Pasay City underscoring the theme “Strengthening Partnerships to Achieve All for Health Towards Health for All.” The Duterte Health Agenda offers three promises to the Filipino people and charts the roadmap on how these goals will turn into reality.

Ubial said fhe first goal is for all Filipinos attaining their best health outcomes, living longer a healthy age with few illnesses and preventing premature deaths from the scourges of stressful daily living and emerging public health threats like drug addiction and Zika.

She said the second goal is for all

Filipinos, especially the poorest of the poor, to gain freedom from high cost of medical care, prevent financial ruin and to be liberated from profit-oriented health services.

The third and final goal, Ubial said, is for all Filipinos to have a satisfactory experience when they access health services, where they feel respected and valued, and finally become in charge of their own health care.

“DOH believes that our goals for the health system cannot be achieved without the support of our local partners and stakeholders including the people themselves who should be empowered to chart their own health,” she said.

Alvarez pushes Subic port to decongest MM THE Subic Container Port offers an alternative solution to ease the traffic congestion in Metro Manila, according to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Pushing for the modernization of the Subic port, Alvarez, who is also the secretary-general of President Rodrigo Duterte’s political party PDP-Laban, said the use of the port must be optimized to clear the traffic jams that have led to productivity losses of at least P2.4 million a day in Metro Manila.

Alvarez said expanding the volume of the Subic international seaport is a “good idea” that will benefit not just Metro Manila but will spur economic growth in Central and Northern Luzon as well.

SCP has a capacity of 600,000 containers, but as of last year, the volume it received was only around 123,000.

This means the port can easily absorb northbound cargoes, as shown by a study made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Jica said there is also cost advantage ranging from $100 to $200 per container for shippers from Pampanga and Zambales to ship through Subic instead of passing through Manila ports.

The study showed there is a capacity shortage of 14 million containers for the Pacific Region, with Singapore already reaching its limit and Hong Kong remaining severely silted.

For his part, former House Speaker and now Quezon City Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said developing Subic port to its fullest was “a great idea.”

Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, vice chairman of the House committee on appropriations, added that

the proposal will translate to more economic activities in Subic and in neighboring areas.

“This means more jobs and more opportunities. These can hopefully translate to social development to that part of the country,” he said.

“This plan, coupled with increased infrastructure spending particularly on interconnecting roads, alternative highways like C6 and bridges across the island of Luzon will definitely solve a lot of urban management, environmental and economic issues,” Vargas added.

SCP is a significant component of the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development (SCAD) strategy, which includes the construction of the Subic-ClarkTarlac Expressway (SCTex), and the Clark International Airport to form a global logistics hub and international gateway for Central Luzon.

Earlier, experts also noted existing road networks leading to and from Manila North Harbor can no longer accommodate the high volume of cargoes, resulting to a perennial traffic congestion in the areas.

The Metro Manila Development Authority has identified seven choke points along Edsa and the roads leading to Manila North Harbor, namely the Circumferential Road-3 (C-3 Road), A. Mabini Street, Dagat-Dagatan Avenue, North Bay Boulevard and Radial Road 10 (R-10), as among the priority trafficprone areas where emergency powers for Duterte will be needed the most.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III said goods and commodities intended for Central and Northern Luzon no longer need to pass through Metro Manila if Subic’s operations are optimized.

SHOW OFF. Workers begin decorating a giant shoe statue along the Marikina River Bank in Marikina, acclaimed as shoe capital of the Philippines and home to the world’s largest pair of shoes. Manny Palmero

NorMin cops target illegal gambling

By Lance Baconguis CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY— Northern Mindanao Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Noel Constantino issued an order Saturday directing all police unit commanders to crack down on all forms of illegal gambling across the region.

“PNP Chief PDGen Ronald dela Rosa has already made several public pronouncements that the PNP will wage war next against illegal gambling after the war on illegal

Teo takes part in Viet expo

TOURISM Secretary Wanda Teo led Philippine participants in the 12th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2016), Vietnam’s foremost tourism trade event, held at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre.

The travel expo was held on September 8 to 10, 2016.

“In addition to promoting our country as a short-haul destination, we learned new things about the policies discussed during the Ministerial meeting and our participation during the ITE HCMC and how it grew to be the largest travel event in the country’s Mekong region. This event mainly promotes leisure tourism, luxury travel, MICE, medical and aesthetics tourism, spa and wellness and even education tourism in Vietnam as well as neighboring countries like Cambodia and Laos,” Teo said.

drugs. Thus, we will not wait for the directive from National Headquarters which is already forthcoming but we will start now and gradually with increasing intensity launch our all-out campaign against illegal gambling in Northern Mindanao,” Constantino said.

An oversight committee will monitor the compliance of all major unit commanders, Chiefs of Police and Station Commanders to this directive.

“Those who will not take action

will be administratively relieved, replaced and subjected to investigation,” Constantino added.

The order also directed local police units to notify their respective local government executives about the directive and launch an information campaign to discourage the general public from supporting illegal gambling in their areas.

PRO10 spokesperson PSupt Surki Sereñas said that with the campaign against illegal drugs still ongoing, “a portion of the police force will

be dedicated to this purpose while other personnel still sustaining the campaign against illegal drugs dubbed as Project Double Barrel.”

“This crackdown is also undertaken in the light of reports that in some areas, there are drug lords who are also financiers of illegal gambling operations. The crackdown on illegal gambling operations will also deprive the drug lords the money they derive from illegal gambling,” PCSupt Constantino added.

HEROES, TOO.

Three days before the 44th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by former President Ferdinand Marcos, members of the Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan held a brief program at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in Quezon City to honor the heroes and martyrs who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the struggle for democracy and civil liberties. Ey Acasio

Peace has price tag, Recto says SENATOR Ralph Recto said the government should start “running the numbers” on the financial cost of an all-out peace with Moro and Communist rebels, which may include “transforming the Red army into a Green army” that will guard the country’s diminishing forestlands.

The minority leader said parallel to talks between the government negotiators and their counterparts in the various Moro secessionist groups and the National Democratic Front “is the conduct of a study that will compute the cost of transitioning former combatants to civilian life.”

Recto said “this might be seen by others as putting the cart before the horse, but for this great opportunity for peace to succeed,” government should anticipate what it would require to realize peace in our time.

“On the part of the government, there should be strategic thinking on forward budget estimates on the cost of demobilization. So our panel will know the parameters that can be offered. We have to start drawing up scenarios,” he said.

“Whatever the bottomline is

in terms of financing, I know that it will be less than the cost of war,” Recto said. “Yes, pounding swords into plowshares is less costly but we must know the exact figures.”

Recto cited, as an example, the challenge of “demobilizing combatants” as a major point of discussion in any peace negotiation plus the creation of a mechanism that will ensure that peace is sustained.

Other potential expenditures which can be the subject of “forward estimates” are social reform projects needed to uproot the causes of insurgency, Recto said.

He said the Senate minority “squarely backs the ongoing multiple peace initiatives” of the Duterte administration and “is ready to contribute to its success, especially on how to finance the end of war and the start of peace.”

Recto said one area which the GPH-NDF panel can consider in the future is how “to eventually deputize the parts of the New People’s Army [NPA]” as guardians of the forest, “on the possibility of the Red army becoming a Green army.” Macon Araneta

ATN wraps up seminar on trade practices ALL Transport Network, one of the country’s leading international freight forwarder and logistics providers, recently hosted talk and seminar on global best practices for its stakeholders called “The Executive Approach,” which was held at the One Shang Place in

Mandaluyong City.

The seminar was about increasing efficiency and effectiveness— an in-depth presentation on import/export and international trade laws, rules and practices.

“The Asean Economic Community is envisioned as “a stable,

prosperous and highly competitive Asean economic region in which there is a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities,” said ATN’s guest speaker

Cris John D. Garcia, Bureau of Customs chairman under Private Public Partnership and founding trustee of Super Green Lane Plus Association of the Philippines.

Garcia guided the audience through the entire importation procedure including Basic Im-

port and Export; Import Rules and Regulations; Freight and Ancillary Cost; Other Shipping Charges; Valuation, Customs Duty and Tax; and International Freight Billing and Tax. He also gave them tips and ideas about the Bureau of Custom’s goals and mindset.

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Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

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EDITORIAL

Speaking with one voice

P

RESIDENT Duterte acknowledged for the first time Saturday that Abu Sayyaf bandits are seeking to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia, linking the notorious kidnap gang to Islamic State terrorists.

At a speech to soldiers at a military camp in Gamu, Isabela, Duterte said several units of the Abu Sayyaf in Mindanao have pledged allegiance to the IS. “They are hungry for a fight to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia. Caliphate is a kingdom for the Muslims,” Duterte said.

“The problem is that they

Adelle Chua, Editor

do not talk on the basis of what school you can give them,” he said referring to previous local services the militants have asked for.

“It’s either the caliphate or nothing.”

It was the first time Duterte confirmed suspicions that the terrorist Islamic State has established a presence in the country through the Abu

Sayyaf bandits who have sworn allegiance to the global jihadist network.

It also seemed to be the next step in the dramatic turnaround in the Duterte administration’s policy toward the Sulu-based kidnap gang, from a willingness to talk in June to an all-out war to crush them

by August, punctuated by threats from the President himself that he would eat the bandits alive.

The military offensive against the Abu Sayyaf started in late August after the bandits beheaded an 18-year-old Filipino in Sulu

after his family failed to pay the P1-million ransom demand. Earlier this year, the bandits had also beheaded two Canadian hostages for the same reason.

Although the military has reported killing some 32 bandits in ongoing operations in Sulu, it seems apparent that they are nowhere near the President’s order to wipe them out, and could be in for more casualties against an enemy who knows the terrain.

Complicating the government’s task is the threat of terrorist attacks such as the one in a Davao City night market that killed

15 people and wounded 69 others on September 2.

But perhaps the most worrisome aspect is the government’s discordant response to the Abu Sayyaf threat, with the President saying one thing, and his people saying another.

Despite the President’s latest declaration about the IS, the Defense Department continues to deny a formal link between the international terrorist group and the Abu Sayyaf, saying the bandits are “IS-inspired” but not “ISsupported.”

The Palace also insists that no ransom was paid for

Norwegian hostage Kjartan Sekkingstad, who was released on Saturday. But as early as Aug. 24, the President had told a Davao City press conference that the Abu Sayyaf was guilty of bad faith, because a P50million ransom had already been paid.

The lack of a decisive military victory in Sulu thus far, despite the numeric superiority of the Armed Forces, is already a reason for concern. The lack of a cohesive government response in which everyone is on the same page and speaks with one voice can only make matters worse

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Lifting the local film industry

PENSEES

the chief quality required of the President of the Philippines. No matter that so many may chafe at Digong’s inveterate cursing and his pointless provocation of the US and our allies, I do not know of too many Filipinos who look forward to yet another round of Yellow Governance. Leni Robredo is a wonderful person and a friend. But she has unfortunately allied herself with a tribe wearing despised colors! Neither is a military coup a welcome prospect. A nation that is given to exaggerating the supposed ills of martial law is not going to take upon itself a Thailand-style “rule by top brass”!

By all means, let there be no let up in the purge of the nation: Drug manufacturers, peddlers and pushers are a scourge. But the bishops of the Philippines are right: You cannot hold out to a troubled nation the promise of a heap of bullet-riddled corpses.

Rather, the human flourishing of all, including those who can be turned away from a life of Turn to A5

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Coherence in government

FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO GOVERNMENT has to get its act together—and I use “government” as Britons do, to refer to the President and his Cabinet.

There are ample manifestations of the discordance that is confusing not only the nation but is dangerously sending mixed signals to the international community as well. Why did President Digong absent himself from a high-level session at which he was expected to be present in one of his latest trips? Perfecto Yasay, who appears to be inextricably trapped in some mental maze, offered a pathetically paltry explanation: migraine.

The President himself stood his ground and insisted that his absence was a matter of principle.

Still, some in his information bureau offered the explanation that he was under the weather.

That is just one instance of discordance, more grating than that produced by a bankrupt orchestra. Recently, on national TV, the nation heard the President say that the Americans had to leave Mindanao. Next day,

UNTIL the recent string of success of “Ma Rosa” at the 69th Cannes film awards and the Lav Diaz-directed “Ang Babaeng Humayo” at the Venice film festival, many considered the local movie industry to be in a moribund state.

Jaclyn Jose played Ma Rosa, an impoverished mother arrested by crooked cops for selling drugs in a depressed Manila neighborhood. This won Cannes’ best actress award. This was then followed by Lav Diaz winning the Golden Lion statuette at Venice. This underscores that films made by Filipinos in a local setting can compete with the best in the international arena. Jaclyn’s prized Palme d’Or is Europe’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Oscar.

Meanwhile, “Ang Babaeng Humayo” has been nominated for the Oscars, Hollywood’s Olympiad in film competition.

It is against this backdrop that Buhay Party-List Representative Lito Atienza filed House Bill 2624, proposing a tax holiday for movies made by Filipinos to spur local film production. Rep. Atienza filed the measure in August this year to encourage local producers and directors to keep cameras rolling to generate employment. The bill is actually a twin proposal that also calls for tax exemption of imported film equipment to lower the cost of production.

Atienza noted that local film production during the era of directors Manuel Conde and Bert Avellana was at 300 a year. This dropped to just 50 annually after the demise of the two movie icons despite occasional huge returns of recent Tagalog movies at the box office.

These were movies revolving in romance, comedy or action film genre. Until Brillante Mendoza and Lav Diaz came on the scene and won honors in Cannes and Venice, the critically acclaimed movies didn’t do too well at the box office. But then, films like “Heneral Luna” changed all that and proved Filipinos can be drawn to theaters as long as the film’s theme and plot had resonance in the current political landscape. “Heneral” somehow struck a familiar chord in the rivalry of key Filipino figures in history like Emilio Aguinaldo and Antonio Luna with today’s internecine politics.

House Bill 2624 has all the

some of his men advised Filipinos not take the presidential pronouncement literally—it was not an order to leave; it was rather concern for their safety.

And later, once more the perpetually confounded Yasay announced that he was leaving for Washington to tell the Americans that the President never said that the Americans had to leave Mindanao.

We are dealing with more than an occasional gaffe or a slip-up here. It has, in less than one hundred days, happened with disturbing frequency and has been handled so dismally.

It raises very serious questions: When government cannot speak with one voice, does it have one mind? And this raises the question of rationally formulated and coherently implemented policy. There is no doubt: the government is admirably directing plenty of its resources at eradicating a menace that, unknown to most of us, has reached truly monstrous proportions—humongous not only

What is needed is to give the President the support he needs— and the correction that can only be salutary to him and to the government, as well as to lead him to that degree of wisdom that makes him docile to counsel and heedful of sound advice.

in the number of peddlers and pushers, but also in its reach: implicating as it apparently does people in the highest of places, and indicting those who had the chance to, but did nothing about it. But the government cannot be obsessed with a single item on the agenda. The problems of the nation are myriad, and nothing much seems to have improved in regard to the horrendous traffic that has left Manila virtually prostrate. Art Tugade sounds so convincing, but he still has to deliver. My taxi ride from NAIA 3 to my hotel takes twice—sometime thrice—the time it takes to fly from Tuguegarao to Manila!

This is no time to talk of coups and impeachments. What is needed is to give Digong the support he needs—and the correction that can only be salutary to him and to the government, as well as to lead him to that degree of wisdom that makes him docile to counsel and heedful of sound advice. He is tough, without a doubt, but being a toughie is not

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Opinion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

The right balance on infrastructure spending

By Noah Smith THE big guns are coming out in the battle over infrastructure spending. Larry Summers, a celebrated Harvard economist and veteran policy adviser, has a new article making the case for spending more. Ed Glaeser, a brilliant and versatile colleague of Summers’ who studies urban economics, has an article making the opposite case.

Though both make many good points, I think Summers has the upper hand.

First, there’s one type of infrastructure spending that everyone should agree we need: repair and maintenance.

Although Glaeser talks at length about high-speed rail and other new infrastructure, which may not payoff, even he recognizes that maintaining existing transportation networks is likely to yield high returns: “A well-known 1988 Congressional Budget Office survey found that spending to maintain current highways in good shape produces returns of 30 percent to 40 percent.”

This return is unlikely to be lower now than in 1988.

The US’s system of roads, railways and bridges is largely the same now as then. But the economy supported by that system is much larger, in per capita terms. Since the economic value provided by our existing infrastructure is a lot bigger than before, the payoff of keeping those roads and railways in good working order has gone up as well. In fact, since there has

been an explosion in truck transportation since the late 1980s, roads probably create a lot more economic value per mile than they did back when the CBO did its calculations.

Of course, costs have gone up, too. As I’ve written before, it’s very hard to calculate both the costs and the benefits of infrastructure investment. But remember, the alternative to repairing our roads, bridges and rails is to let them decay until they can’t be used. The payoff from infrastructure repair is avoiding the loss the US economy would take if it suddenly became much harder to transport goods because potholed roads, fallen bridges and rusted railways. Since that loss would be big, the return to repairing existing infrastructure tends to be very high.

The second reason I think Summers gets the better of the debate is that his argument is more tailored to the US’s present situation. Much of Glaeser’s argument against infrastructure is timeless in nature. He discusses the inefficiency of government procurement and spending choices, and the need for some infrastructure to be built and maintained at the local instead of the federal level. Although these are certainly true, they’re no more true now than in the past. Meanwhile, Glaeser’s main cautionary tale about infrastructure spending is Japan in the 1990s: “Japan has invested enormously in infrastructure…

The New York Times reported

that, between 1991 and late 2008, the country spent $6.3 trillion on “construction-related public investment”…But while these trillions in spending may have kept some people working, no one can look at the Japanese numbers and conclude that the money has ramped up the growth rate. Moreover, the largesse is part of the reason that the nation now labors under a crushing public debt.

Glaeser is absolutely right about 1990s Japan. But he’s wrong to use it as an analogy for the US in the 2010s. As Glaeser himself points out, the rate of return on infrastructure varies a lot depending on the country, the time period and the type of infrastructure. One country can spend too much while another spends too little.

And when we compare 1990s Japan to the US today, we see two very different situations.

Summers cites a recent McKinsey Global Institute report that clearly highlights the difference.

Japan now spends about 4 percent of its gross domestic product on infrastructure. This is in contrast to the 2.4 percent of GDP spent by the US, which is much more spread-out— Japan is smaller than California —and hence probably needs to spend proportionally more on transportation.

McKinsey also calculates how much each country will have to spend on infrastructure in order to meet its economic needs during the next 15 years in order to avoid a substantial growth slowdown. It estimates

that Japan is overspending by 1.5 percent of GDP, while the US is underspending by 0.7 percent. Here’s a picture of some of their findings (a negative value indicates more needs to be spent): So according to McKinsey, countries such as Japan and Australia are overdoing it, while the US and the UK aren’t spending enough. Glaeser’s analogy isn’t a good one.

Of course, spending more isn’t the only thing the US needs to do to improve its infrastructure. Costs are way too high, and these need to be brought down—an undertaking that will probably take decades.

The McKinsey report also acknowledges this problem, and recommends improvements to the financing, contracting and approval processes.

But just because the U.S. has a cost problem when building infrastructure doesn’t mean it should spend less. It should spend more, while simultaneously looking for ways to improve efficiency and quality. The first priority is to repair what exists.

Yes, it’s possible to spend too much on infrastructure, but the US faces the opposite problem.

Bloomberg

OUT OF THE BOX RITA LINDA V. JIMENO Atty. Jimeno’s column will resume next week.

MAIL MATTERS

I never met correspondent MY GOD, what is happening to the Philippine media?

On Thursday, as the Senate heard a bill proposing the creation of the Department of Fisheries, separating the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources from the Department of Agriculture, I received a text from Undersecretary Fred Serrano.

Serrano told me that proponents of the Department of Fisheries were distributing a news clipping which quoted me as saying that I fully supported the creation of the new department.

I was not able to read the story or check it on the internet because I was traveling from Catarman, Northern Samar to Borongan, Eastern Samar and the internet signal was very weak.

Last night in Borongan, however, I was able to check the story written by Manila Standard correspondent A. Perez Rimando, who I suspect could be related to a friend who used to write for Tempo where I was one of the editors in the 1990s, AP Rimando.

I almost fell off my seat when I read the story.

Here are excerpts of the story which said that I supported the creation of a fisheries agency: “PAGA DI A N CITY—Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol urged the House of Representatives to prioritize the passage of a bill PIÑOL creating a separate Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Piñol, in a recent visit to the Zamboanga del Sur capital, explained the creation of a Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ‘will ensure the strengthening of Philippine waters and marine resources and the rights of local fisher folk.’

He stressed that such a new agency will be able to ‘regulate the ocean, marine life and other bodies of water within its jurisdiction, along the lines of conservation of marine and fisheries resource, both inland and off-shore.’”

Lifting...

From A4 elements close to Atienza’s heart. Himself a former performing artist with the world famous Bayanihan Dance Troupe, Lito as a three-term Manila mayor helped revive the Manila film festival started by then-Mayor Antonio Villegas, he laments that culture and sports were relegated to the background when the Commission on Higher Education was changed to the Department of Education. Sure, culture and sports are still in the DepEd sphere, but they are not given enough attention which probably explains why the country’s athletes are not doing well in Olympic competitions.

Although he welcomed the silver medal finish of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz in the recent Rio Olympics, Atienza said Filipino boxers could have done better with the proper training and

Coherence...

From A4 peddling death and addiction should be the goal. But let the government formulate for us all clear and unequivocal plans and policies. What do we really want a constitutional revision for? If it is federalism that is the purpose, what do we envision will be achieved by such a transformation? How does one eliminate dynasties that threaten to stymie the noble purpose of bringing government closer to the people by moving it farther

This is a completely false and manufact ured story.

I have never been to Pagadian City since I became Secretary of Agriculture and I was never interviewed by the correspondent named A. Perez Rimando.

Worse, he made direct quotes making it appear that I supported the creation of a new department, a position which is contrary to what I have already declared that a separate department would just be an added bureaucracy and expense.

I could not believe that this upstart could just freely quote a Cabinet official and come up with a story which involves policies.

Early on, especially during the campaign, I expressed support to the proposal of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano that a separate fisheries department should be created.

In fact, I mentioned this in pass-

government aid. Athletes like Diaz, and boxer Mansueto Velasco also a silver medalist in the Atlanta Olympics, were given millions of pesos cash awards only after they won. During training under the most adverse conditions and when it’s needed the most, athletes receive only meal allowances, which are a pittance.

Case against Arroyo dismissed In another development, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the graft charges against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her husband Mike Arroyo in the NBN-ZTE case for insufficient evidence. The prosecution, according to the Sandiganbayan, failed to prove the couple’s vested interest in the allegedly anomalous deal with China in a government contract that would place the entire government information network under a broadband that might be hacked by the Chinese. GMA herself canceled the deal.

away from a distant capital?

What point is there to alienating the United Nations? We have just won a significant legal battle on the basis of a law crafted and promoted by the United Nations.

Many of its agencies have aided the country—and are still doing so—in countless ways. There is a limit to what it can do, of course, because that is just the nature of international law. No one can run the international community like one runs the city of Davao, because states recognize no princes! States have to agree—and agreement always

ing in the book “Feeding Millions” which was published shortly before the elections.

After seeing the problems created by compartmentalized functions of agencies involved in food production, I decided to take a closer look and adopted a position which calls for convergence, rather than separation.

I have made my official position on the issue public in many occasions, especially during the program “Biyaheng Bukid” on DZRH. I suspect that he was used and paid by those pushing for the creation of the new Department because copies of the story were distributed during the hearing.

This is an outrageous journalism scandal and I am calling on the editors of Manila Standard to address this issue.

I will also confer with my lawyers for the filing of charges against this reporter.

EMMANUEL F. PIÑOL Secretary Department of Agriculture

Earlier, the former President was also granted bail after four years under hospital detention. The Sandiganbayan found the plunder case against her in connection with the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds weak. Mrs. Arroyo has returned to her duties as congresswoman representing her district in Pampanga.

At the outset, many saw the two cases filed against Arroyo as clearly harassment by a vengeful President Aquino who looked at her appointment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona inimical to the interest of the Aquino-Cojuangco clan in retaining Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac. Corona died after his impeachment by the Senate tribunal while Arroyo was under detention at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center during which her own case was heard only a few times in a four-year period.

takes time. And so it should be most welcome to us that many States have agreed with us that China is wrong and that we are right, because the tribunal has ruled in our favor. And I find it confusing that we should be cozying up to one that has bullied us, hosed our fishermen, kept us out of our fishing grounds, while send packing those who have stood by us. Is the US protecting its interests? Of course it is—as China is, and as Putin will protect Russia’s. This is not the best possible world. Only God can give us that. But if, while fur-

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thering its interests, the US can protect ours and shield us from the intimidation of neighborhood bullies, why should we evict American troops now?

The President needs the support of the nation. He needs good counsel. And he needs Divine inspiration to learn to listen to counsel. But those who surround him should be capable of proffering wisdom, and of that, I am not too sure! rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

The economics of rice LAST Wednesday, we discussed the inevitability of the expiration of our World Trade Organization-sanctioned quantitative restrictions on the importation of rice, a device that was intended to make our palay farmers “catch up” with the competition from other countries which produce and export the staple within a free market international order. And how we remain uncompetitive despite three extensions of the QR spanning all of 22 years.

There are certain facts about palay farming and rice production that we ought to bear in mind: first, that palay farming is water-intensive. It takes 5,000 liters of water (imagine 5,000 Coke litro bottles) to produce 1 kilo of this specie of grass called palay. Without adequate irrigation, production will be niggardly.

Of the roughly 4.5 million hectares currently devoted to palay, only 1.6 million hectares are irrigated. The rest depend on rain for their water needs. And since rainfall is pronounced only during certain times of the year, rain-fed lands produce only one crop per year. Irrigated land produces two crops, or double the annual production of palay in the non-irrigated areas.

The problem is water. Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, even Myanmar have extensive water sources. The Mekong River, The Tonle Sap, the Chao Phrya and the Irrawady supply almost inexhaustible volumes of water for their rice paddies. We rely on narrow rivers, the best of which are the Chico and Cagayan river up north, and the Pampanga rivers and its tributaries in the central plains. If we tap them enough, the mighty Agusan River and the Rio Grande in Mindanao could yet provide additional sources of irrigation.

And so much water, this time in the form of rain which floods our paddies at the worst time (harvest), and strong winds occasioned by our typhoon-prone Eastern Visayas, Bicol and Luzon can also damage our farms extensively. On September 26, 2011 for instance, Typhoon Pepeng with its strong rains inundated Central Luzon with flash floods just two weeks before our poor farmers were scheduled to harvest their palay. In a single day, we lost a million tons of palay, or 600,000 metric tons (12 million sacks) of rice. Just one night of typhoon fury.

Then there are the seeds our farmers use. Inbred seeds are cheap but they produce on irrigated land, around 3.5 tons or 70-75 cavans of palay per hectare. That’s at most 45 sacks of rice. Hybrid seeds cost more than double, but they can produce, Why then using modern protocols including more fertilizers, can’t we use at least double, sometimes triple. In China we are the same told that their hybrid technology can now produce technologies? as much as 10 to 12 tons per hectare.

Why then can’t we use the same technologies?

One, agrarian reform has cut down land sizes to small plots, which cannot be modernized adequately. No economies of scale. Carabao farming, at best the hand tractor, which is fuel-costly.

Two, financing. Where does the marginal farmer get the needed capital to buy equipment, seeds, fertilizers? (Thank God the DOF’s Sonny Dominguez, who used to be agriculture secretary under President Cory, scuttled the merger of Land Bank and DBP, and hopefully the Land Bank will start being a real agricultural bank, farmer-friendly, instead of acting like a huge commercial bank).

And then there is the matter of converting palay into rice.

Our mills are fairly modern, especially in Luzon, but our farmers’ drying methods leave so much wastage. “Solar” drying is the norm, which means laying out the palay in the roads to dry in the sun, but where some 5 percent to 7 percent are broken or lost. (If we produce 18 million tons of palay, the drying wastage is about a million tons, or some 600,000 tons of rice, which is about 18 days of our national consumption needs).

And speaking of demand for rice, the average Filipino eats 130 kilos per year, while the average Japanese consumes 68 kilos per year. That’s a lot of carbo-loading, not good for diabetes-prone Filipinos, but then what other “lamang tiyan” do our poor have? Vegetables and fish are quite expensive as well. So the poor man’s diet is rice and dried fish, or bagoong, or in the case of urban dwellers, rice plus MSG-laced instant noodles.

(Which is why so many of our poor are diabetic, with kidney problems to boot).

Two generations ago, Visayans and Mindanaoans could do with white corn grits or even balinghoy (cassava) and cardaba (bananas) for staple food. But Masagana 99 made rice affordable then, and the next generation of Visayans and Mindanaoans already got used to rice, and only rice. Now however, rice has become more expensive, and there is little demand for corn grits or the lowly kamote.

And then again, the availability of land versus the demand for food. The Philippines is all of 30 million hectares, mountains included, in 7,101 scattered islands. And it has to feed 104 million people.

Thailand, by contrast has close to 51 million hectares of land, in virtually one contiguous whole, and because of serious population management started in the 1970s, it has a population of only 66 million. Bigger land, less mouths to feed.

Vietnam’s demographics are closer to the Philippines by comparison: 33 million hectares and 91 million people. But it has the Mekong River, which is a virtual ocean compared to all our rivers combined. Because of the unlimited water carrying topsoil enriched by floodwaters coming from China and Laos, Vietnamese paddy farmers are Asia’s most efficient: 6.5 tons per hectare, almost double the Filipino average yield.

This is why National Economic and Development Authority chieftain Doc Ernie Pernia, and almost all economists, whether from the UP School of Economics or the Ateneo and De La Salle, have given up on our competitive potential in rice. As Doc Ernie says, “it’s going to be better for consumers and it’s going to exert pressure on farmers and others involved in the rice industry to not get into a vicious cycle where nothing gets done.”

Neda further advocates that farmers should diversify crops and explore other “strategic” products that may be exported, that will give them better incomes” once the QR is lifted next year.

That is why they are economists. Allocating scarce resources in the most optimal way is what the science is all about. Increasing farm incomes rather than getting perpetually hooked on the “politics of rice” is what makes sense to them.

News

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Higher tax break pushed

By Rio N. Araja

D

EPUTY Speaker and Marikina City Rep. Miro Quimbo on Sunday vowed to push for higher income tax exemption to benefit poor and middle-income earners.

Under Republic Act 9504, only workers who are earning the statutory minimum wage are tax-exempt.

Quimbo, former chairman of the House committee on ways and means, said he is pushing

for tax exemption for annual income tax of up to P300,000 while increasing the highest tax bracket to P10 million.

According to Quimbo, the country has 9,495,547 tax filers with an annual income of

P300,000 and below.

“With this proposal, almost 10 million taxpayers will finally be liberated from decades of suffering. Since 1997, the ordinary Filipino has been paying for the highest tax rates in Asia. It’s time to set them free,” he said.

The current income tax brackets were set in 1997 under the National Internal Revenue Code wherein earnings of P500,000 a year and above suffer deductions of 32 percent, prompting observations that average income earners suffer the most under the scheme.

“Having an annual income of P300,000 or below for a family of five is barely enough to make ends meet with food expenses, rent and education for at least three children. This does not

factor in emergencies, which destabilizes their finances,” Quimbo said.

“They may not qualify as poor if we apply the official poverty definitions, but these are people who are just making ends meet and are highly vulnerable to economic shocks or crises,” the lawmaker added.

PwC Philippines tax partner Lawrence Biscocho, in an earlier interview, said tax reform is crucial to empowering poor and middle-class Filipinos as increases their take-home money even when their gross pay stays the same.

“With more disposable income, people can get to buy more of their necessities. This is good for the taxpayers and also for the economy,” Biscocho said.

EDUCATIONAL TOUR. Pupils enjoy watching the lake inside the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Skyway bans trucks in elevated sections

Solons: Employ disabled soldiers

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SOLDIERS who have been wounded in battle and discharged from service due to disability could be tapped as 911 dispatchers as soon as round-the-clock public safety answering points (PSAPs) have been approved and rolled out, lawmakers said Sunday.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Johnny Pimentel, Malabon Rep. Federico Sandavor and Western Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento have jointly filed House Bill No. 2743 or the Warning, Alert and Response Network (WARN) 911 Act. The bill seeks to establish the 911 hotline as the perpetual repository of emergency calls down to the barangay level.

“We want anybody who dials 911 from any point in the Philippines from any landline or cellular phone—whether postpaid or prepaid, with or without call load or credits—or payphones, to be able to make a distress call that is routed right away to the PSAP nearest to the caller,” Pimentel said.

“Soldiers released from service on account of combat-related injury, including those who are wheelchairbound, would be accorded priority training and employment as 911 dispatchers,” added Pimentel, who is a member of the House committee on national defense and security.

ALL trucks will be prohibited from plying Skyway’s elevated sections starting November 16 in a bid to address road safety concerns and improve the flow of traffic within the Skyway System and the soonto-be-opened Naia Expressway, its operator said.

San Miguel Corp.-led Skyway O&M (SOMCO) said trucks,

which tend to be overloaded or have been modified to carry heavier loads, pose a significant risk for other motorists, particularly on the elevated section of Skyway.

Two major accidents involving reconfigured delivery trucks of a softdrinks company have been reported recently along Skyway’s elevated section, causing heavy traffic along the busy thoroughfare.

Meanwhile, long queues of

buses, public utility vehicles, UV Express vans and trucks at toll entry and exit points have been identified as largely contributing to traffic buildup on the elevated and at-grade sections of the Skyway system.

To address this, PUVs and trucks will be required to use radio frequency identification stickers for faster toll processing, SOMCO said.

The RFID toll collection system, a cashless transaction already in place and used by mostly private vehicles, will greatly increase throughput time for trucks and PUVs at toll plazas.

RFID stickers are given to motorists free of charge but they need to make an initial load of P500 for Class 1 vehicles (cars and jeepneys) and P1,000 for Class 2 vehicles.

Sen. Binay wants clear nuke power policy set

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Nancy Binay has urged the Department of Energy to set a clear policy direction on the usage of nuclear energy as a source of electricity for the country and to set a dialog with all stakeholders to discuss proposals to open the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.

“Let us talk what will be our policy towards nuclear energy. This visit to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant is the first step to see if it’s a potential source of energy,” said Binay, who is vice chairman of the Senate Energy Committee.

Binay and other lawmakers visited the mothballed facility on Friday.

The Philippines is highly dependent on electricity produced by coal and diesel, with more than half of the power supply coming from fossil fuels. Only 30 percent of the country’s power supply comes from natural gas plants and 10 percent from renewable sources which include geothermal, wind, hydropower, and solar energy.

The DOE said that in 2015, the country imported more than 17 million metric tons of coal, with Indonesia supplying the bulk of it.

Power generation accounted for 79.77 percent of the 22 million MT of coal consumed last year.

The country’s electricity demand is expected to reach around 30,000 megawatts by 2030, the department said.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier said the country needs to add about 1100 MW per year, prompting calls to look for alternative sources of electricity in the country, especially that several places in the country experience brownouts and outages.

Binay said that if needed, the Senate can help in the formulation of the country’s nuclear power policy.

“Having seen the facility was a great help to us. As a legislator, it’s a good thing that we talk about it in the Senate,” Binay said.

“I think it’s finally high time that we decide what to do with the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant—are we going to use it or permanently close it down?” she added.

CoA questions meal budget for inmates

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Audit has called the attention of the Makati City government for spending P4.4 million in meal subsidy in 2015 for city jail inmates under the supervision of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

In a 2015 audit report released on Sept. 15, CoA said the city government reimbursed the BJMP’s city jail warden, adding that such practice was questionable due to “doubts on the propriety of utilization.”

Under the 2015 national budget, BJMP already received P1.5 billion as subsistence allowance to feed 85,224 prisoners for a year at P50 per inmate per day.

But the Makati city government allocated appropriated an additional P8.2 million for “food supplies expense” for its city jail.

CoA said another P30 was added to the meal allowance of each inmate.

“This disbursement procedure has exposed the funds to possible misuse or misappropriation considering that funds are already provided by BJMP for the meal expenses of the inmates.

Reimbursement by the jail warden of food expenses incurred, although supported with documents, is tainted with doubt as to propriety of utilization,” the report read.

The state auditors said the city failed to present official receipts and certification of the total number of inmates.

“In as much as funds are appropriated for food supplies expense in the regular budget of the city, we deem that it is appropriate to transfer the same directly to BJMP. This will allow proper recording of the fund transfer and disbursement in accordance with existing laws,” CoA said.

NUKE POWER. Senator Nancy Binay and members of the media listen to the briefing of cheaper

electricity advocate and former Rep. Mark Cojuangco inside the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant's condenser system facility in Morong, Bataan.

5 NPA rebel returnees surrender six M-16 rifles in Surigao

By Lance Baconguis CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY— Five members of the New People's Army have surrendered over the weekend at Brgy. St. Christine in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.

The rebels, who were members of the NPA’s Municipal Revolutionary Committee, turned over six M-16 rifles.

“To the five former NPAs, thank you for finally giving peace a chance. We are happy that all of you will finally en-

joy living a peaceful life with your families. We will facilitate all the support that shall be given to you to help you reintegrate in your respective communities,” said Lt. Col. Harold Akaz, commanding officer of the 75th Infantry

Battalion.

The five returnees will be given support from the Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the provincial government of Surigao del Sur to help them start a new life.

For his part, 4th Infantry Di-

vision commander Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. said the rebels have responded to the call of President Rodrigo Duterte for national healing as the government pursues peace talks with the communists.

“We in the Armed Forces are

truly grateful to your decision in giving what is best for our country—the dream of achieving lasting peace that every Filipinos deserve.

We welcome those who may wish or decide to immediately experience peace and be with their families,” Madrigal added.

Sports

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Tragedy shadows Paralympic games R

IO DE JANEIRO—Rio on Sunday closes a Paralympic Games that many feared would be a fiasco but which turned into a triumph, though marred in the final hours by the death of an Iranian cyclist.

Eleven days of competition where China dominated the medals table, followed by Britain, Ukraine and the United States, were ending Sunday with the last few events, including marathons and wheelchair rugby.

At the closing ceremony in Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana football stadium Brazilian officials were officially to hand over to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The upbeat mood in Rio however was darkened late Saturday by the death of Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad, 48.

The athlete, who wore a prosthesis on his left leg, fell during a mountainous descent in the road race and died before he could be treated in hospital.

Philip Craven, the International Paralympic Committee president, called the tragedy “truly heart-breaking.”

The Iranian flag flew at half mast in the Athletes’ Village and a minute’s silence was planned at the closing ceremony.

Nevertheless, Rio was expected to put on a dazzling show at the Maracana, featuring Brazil’s rich music and dance culture to celebrate a far better Paralympics than many had believed possible.

“This will be a time for celebration..., a final act,” said the ceremony’s producer Flavio Machado, who promised “many Brazilian musicians on stage.”

- Defying expectations The Japanese say that the Rio Games have set a high standard for them to follow.

“We have been impressed by our experience across both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and inspired by the passion of the Carioca,” said Toshiro Muto, CEO of the Tokyo 2020 Organiz-

House honors Frayna as PH’s 1st female GM

ing Committee, referring to Rio residents by their nickname.

There had been fears that this wouldn’t be at all how the Rio Games ended.

Even before they started, the Rio organizers’ woeful finances in the wake of the August Olympics and a stunning lack of interest in tickets raised fears of failure.

Then on the eve of the Paralympics, the Brazilian Senate pushed president Dilma Rousseff out of office in a bitter impeachment battle that left the country more distracted than ever. Her replacement and fierce enemy Michel Temer came to the opening ceremony on September 7 and was booed by the crowd.

There were also international tensions over a ban imposed by the International Paralympic Committee on the entire Russian team because of alleged state doping.

But then things got better. The opening ceremony moved viewers with its exuberant set design and the unrestrained joy of the parading athletes.

And while the stadiums and arenas were initially empty, the rhythm soon picked up, with noisy and passionate Brazilian fans providing world class atmosphere. AFP

LEGAZPI CITY—The House of Representatives will honor on Monday the Philippines’ first-ever female Chess Grandmaster, Janelle Mae Frayna of Albay, in special rites deserving of the historic title she recently clinched at the 42nd Chess Olympiad in Baku, Azerbaijan.

In a recent session, the House lawmakers unanimously passed Resolution No. 12, congratulating and commending Frayna, based on a resolution filed by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, immediately following her victory. The new chess grandmaster comes from his district.

Salceda said Congress has scheduled a special ceremony on Monday where House Speakers Pantaleon Alvarez will honor and present Frayna a “specially engraved enrolled bill at the rostrum of Congress, in the presence of all Bicolano lawmakers and in the company of her family.”

Frayna, a 20-year-old BS Psychology student of the Far Eastern University, drew with International Master Davaademberel NominErdene of Mongolia, and amassed the required 6.0 points on four wins, four draws and one loss. She had a

Shin seeks 2nd straight ICTSI crown MICAH Shin hopes to ride the momentum of his breakthrough victory at Luisita as he goes for a second straight crown to close out the Philippine Golf Tour season, heading the elite field at the ICTSI Tournament Players Championship at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong starting Wednesday.

The 19-year-old Shin bucked a late mishap to edge Tony Lascuña by two and end a threeyear quest for a first pro crown in the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open over the weekend, making him the marked player when the PGT season winds up with the P3.5 million championship sponsored by ICTSI at the fabled WW’s East.

“It took me three years to win and I hope I can do it again,” said the reed-thin Korean-American, whose pro campaign has been marred by late-round collapses until he put together a near-solid 65 in the third round at Luisita and hung tough the rest of the way.

But to complete a back-toback feat, Shin will need a lot of effort plus luck to defuse the expected charge of his rivals, particularly Lascuña, Jay Bayron and Clyde Mondilla, who will not only be going all-out for the TPC crown but also for the Order of Merit title in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

The Music Run listup ongoing THE Music Run by Philam Vitality is ending 2016 with all the greatest hits, and everyone’s invited!

The 5KM fun run returns in the wake of last year’s phenomenal Philippine debut, and is set to rock McKinley West on Dec. 3.

Super Early Bird registrations for The Music Run opened to strong response on Sept. 9 via Ticket World.

Hailed as one of Asia’s most popular running events, it is the ultimate 5K running and music festival. The event features an immersive musical experience that takes runners through 5 different genre-themed zones – rock, pop, old school, hip hop, and dance.

During the actual run, Music Runners are welcomed to the world’s loudest running Sound Track -- a fully amplified course against the raucous glory of a crowd-sourced playlist on a unique Spotify voting mechanism before the event, making participants feel one with the music. It is sponsored by Philam Vitality, Philam Life, BPI-Philam, AirAsia, Oakley, Citibank, Saucony, and Takbo.ph.

For more information, please visit The Music Run by Philam Vitality website, Facebook page, or YouTube Channel.

LOTTO RESULTS

Music Runners were welcomed to the world’s loudest running Sound Track -- a fully amplified course against the raucous glory of a crowdsourced playlist on a unique Spotify voting mechanism before last year’s event, making participants feel one with the music.

Nadal helps Spain back to world group NEW DELHI—Tennis star Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez clinched the Davis Cup World Group playoff tie for Spain with a hard-fought doubles win over India in New Delhi on Saturday.

Nadal and Lopez, who won the doubles gold at the recent Rio Olympics, helped Spain take an unassailable 3-0 lead to enter the elite group after a two-year gap.

World number four Nadal shrugged off early rustiness as the Spanish pair served past the Indian duo of Leander Paes and Saketh Myneni 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 in three hours and 23 minutes.

Nadal missed the opening singles match on Friday following a reported stomach ache as Feliciano Lopez and David Ferrer put Spain in firm control of the tie with their respective wins.

But the 14-time Grand Slam winner made his presence felt in the doubles encounter at Delhi’s RK Khanna Tennis Stadium.

“We are happy to be back in the world group and that’s the most important thing. That’s where we think we need to be with a lot of our players in the top hundred,” Nadal told reporters.

2281 rating at the end of the competition. She bested three male Grandmasters, one of whom has an international master title, and two other lady competitors with international master tile during the week-long competitions.

Frayna became an international Chess Grandmaster even younger than Eugene Torre, the first Filipino International Grandmaster who won the title in 1974 in Nice, France, at age 22. The new grandmaster is also a candidate for cum laude honors at FEU. She is the daughter of Engr. George Guillermo Frayna, chief of the Housing Division of the Planning Department of Legazpi City, and wife, Corazon Sonia Bermas-Frayna.

Salceda noted that Frayna’s win not only empowers women to excel in sports, even in a male-dominated one like chess, but also encourages the youth to strive hard to attain their goals even at a younger age.

“Her pioneering and historic achievement in the field of chess is a source of pride and inspiration to all Filipinos and a testament to the world of our admirable spirit of competitiveness and excellence,” he stressed.

“That was our goal and we did it. The team here and all the players who are not here have made their contributions and everybody is happy.”

Nadal’s early struggle with his game saw the visitors lose the first set after being broken twice by an inspired home pair who had the raucous crowd behind them.

The Spanish duo were also run in close in the second set but a crucial break in the 10th game proved to be a turning point for the visitors.

The tie-break win was enough to get the best out of Nadal, who showed flashes of his brilliance to entertain the capacity crowd.

India’s Paes and Myneni fought valiantly against their opponents, never allowing the Spanish pair to breathe easy in the marathon battle.

The 43-year-old Paes with his neat serve and volley showed why he is known to be a dangerous doubles player.

“He played a great match. It was a pleasure to play him in his country. One of the biggest stars of doubles and one of the best players in the history of doubles,” said Nadal. AFP

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Five for five FANTASY FANATIC JIMBO GULLE

IT’S about six weeks left before the start of the NBA 2016-2017 season, and fantasy basketball leagues and drafts are starting in earnest. End-October can’t come soon enough for most hoops heads, but we have to use this time before then to research on players and get a leg up on the competition.

With that in mind, here are five players (and their substitutes) that you could consider for your fantasy teams at each position; each “starter” has the potential to give your team first- to third-round value, and you need a lot of players to give you top-50 value to win your leagues.

Point Guard: Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix Suns) – Most other fantasy managers will stay away from “Mini-LeBron” because he’s been injured in two of his last three seasons, but Bledsoe has recently been cleared for 5-on-5 scrimmaging since he blew out his left knee in December 2015. In just 31 games played that year, “Bledshow” flirted with top-20 value in standard leagues (20.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, 1.5 three-pointers, 3.5 turnovers

per game) and, good health willing, should have no problem justifying the third-round pick that it costs to draft him once the top PG options are off the board.

Substitute: Goran Dragic (Miami Heat) – With Dwyane Wade now in Chicago, the Slovenian Dragon should be the engine of the Miami offense and get all he can handle as he and Hassan Whiteside form the Heat’s 1-2 punch (and Chris Bosh’s ability to play is still in limbo).

Shooting Guard: Evan Fournier (Orlando Magic) – With Victor Oladipo shipped to Oklahoma City in the Serge Ibaka trade, Fournier (who recently vacationed in the Philippines) has the starting twoguard spot in Orlando to himself.

According to Rotoworld projections, the Frenchman could average 17.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2 treys a game this season – numbers that are eye-popping for a guy who’s still ranked criminally low (215) on Yahoo.

Substitute: Zach Lavine (Minnesota Timberwolves) – Fantasy experts are still split about how high the reigning Slam Dunk champion should be drafted, but it’s clear that as a vital member of the Wolves’ young core, he will get all the minutes he can handle under new coach Tom Thibodeau, who is noted for running his starters to the ground.

Small Forward: Jae Crowder

(Boston Celtics) – Some call him the C’s new Paul Pierce, but Crowder is still flying under the radar despite a breakout year in 2015 that made Knicks president Phil Jackson regret not taking him in a trade with Boston. Take him with confidence after the fourth round of drafts with an eye on his projected stats (15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocks and 1.8 3-pointers on 44 percent shooting).

Substitute: Otto Porter (Washington Wizards) – New Washington coach Scott Brooks is a “big believer” in Porter, who is emerging as a prototypical “3-and-D” wingman in the Wizards’ attack. Even Yahoo rates him higher than Crowder by a wide margin (41 to 116), but it can easily be the reverse.

Power Forward: Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic) – With the addition of Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo from Toronto, the Magic frontcourt got a little more crowded, so Gordon might shift from the four (where he spent most of his minutes last season) to the wing, where new Orlando coach Frank Vogel says he’ll deploy him. Gordon has responded by saying he’ll be more offensive-minded this year, so look for him to produce something along the lines of 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks and 0.9 treys a game.

Substitute: Enes Kanter (Okla-

homa City Thunder) – With Kevin Durant off to Golden State, somebody has to help Russell Westbrook and Oladipo score buckets, and Kanter proved last postseason that he can coexist with “Stache Brother” Steven Adams on the frontcourt while providing double-digit points and rebounds with good percentages.

Center: Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – The Serbian emerged from the three-headed rotation at the slot to start 55 games for Denver, and now coach Michael Malone has proclaimed he is building the team around him. His estimated numbers (15.3 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.5 blocks and 0.5 3-pointers on 53 percent shooting) this season show he has the potential to be a “super sophomore” worth drafting from the third round onward.

Substitute: Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers) – Another outstanding rookie who Larry “Legend” Bird says is the best shooter on the Pacers, Turner is also undervalued on Yahoo (105) when most fantasy sites have him ranked as high as the top 40. Once the top-ranked centers are gone from the draft board, lock in on the Indiana big man and don’t look back. *** Comments, reactions and suggestions are all welcome at jimbo. gulle@yahoo.com.

Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

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Sports

Blackwater’s Juami Tiongson penetrates the middle, leaving SMB’s Alex Cabagnot behind as he scores on a layup in a PBA Governors’ Cup game won by the Beermen, 107-101.

SMB gains more momentum

By Jeric Lopez

S

AN Miguel Beer gained more momentum heading into the postseason by tripping Blackwater, 107101, in the last eliminationround playdate of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Alonte Sports Center in Binan Laguna Sunday night.

Alvarez wins WBO middle title

By Ronnie Nathanielsz HUGELY popular Mexican fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez scored a smashing ninth-round TKO over Britain’s Liam Smith to win the World Boxing Organization junior middleweight crown before a record-breaking crowd of 51,240 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Sunday morning (Manila time).

The crowd was bigger than the 50,944 fans who watched eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao score a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey in a defense of his WBO world welterweight title in 2010 and the 41,734, who returned to the venue to see the Pacman dismantle Antonio Margarito in a WBC super welterweight title showdown in 2012.

Regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, the Mexican challenger dropped Smith in both the 7th and 8th rounds before nailing the British champion with a horrendous left to the body that sent Smith to the canvas in a crumpled heap in the ninth round.

A jubilant Alvarez jumped on the ropes in the corner and raised his hands in triumph as his fans showed their adulation.

With the impressive win, the 26-year-old Alvarez improved to 481-1 with 34 knockouts, while Smith, who had eight straight knockouts suffered his first loss to drop to 23-1-1.

Though returning import Elijah Millsap fouled out with less than three minutes left, he still finished with a game-high 25 points, to lead San Miguel, while Arwind Santos was in fiery form, scoring 19 points and hauling seven rebounds.

San Miguel Beer, which will have a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals, stayed at No. 3 after finishing the eliminations with an 8-3 record.

“Though it’s a no-bearing for us, I told them we should still play with pride and effort,” said San Miguel coach Leo Austria.

early, was tested in the middle of the game and then methodically broke down the inexperienced Elite in the fourth to come out on top.

The quarterfinals-bound Beermen came out firing, establishing a double-digit lead, 32-20, at the end of one. They continued the assault and led by 17 points in the second, but Blackwater ended the period on a 9-0 run to inch within just six, 50-44, at the break.

The two teams remained neck-to-neck the entire third with Blackwater even lead-

ing by a single point briefly.

Still, the Beermen carried a slim 78-75 edge into the payoff period.

In the fourth, the defending champions flexed their muscled systematically, starting the quarter with a 10-2 run to restore a double-digit lead, 8877, with around seven minutes remaining in the game and they never looked back.

Millsap, who played for the Beermen in the 2013 version of this tournament where he led the team to a runner-up finish, replaced the ineffective Mike

Singletary, looking for some unfinished business with San Miguel.

The scores: San Miguel 107 - Millsap 25, Santos 19, Fajardo 18, Cabagnot 17, Tubid 15, Lassiter 3, De Ocampo 2, Espinas 2, Reyes 2, Ross 2, Semerad 2, Abdeen 0, Arana 0, Heruela 0.

Blackwater 101 - Dela Cruz 23, King 18, Pinto 13, Miranda 12, Lastimosa 11, Pascual 10, Sumang 8, Gamalinda 2, Sena 2, Tiongson 2, Eguilos 0, Reyes 0.

Quarters: 32-20, 50-44, 7875, 107-101

Mbala, Rivero, Teng carry Archers past Bulldogs

By Peter Atencio

B

EN Mbala and rookie Ricci Rivero came up with huge efforts that carried the La Salle Green Archers to a 75-66 stopping of the National University Bulldogs Sunday in the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Mbala was in foul trouble in the one score from inside the paint for fourth quarter, but he protected the almost three minutes in the final shaded lane and did not let any- phase of the fourth quarter.

Games Wednesday (Mall of Asia Arena) 2 p.m. UE vs UP 4 p.m. Adamson vs NU The 6’7” Cameroonian’s monster game yielded 16 points and 15 rebounds, propelling the Green Archers to their fourth straight victory.

“We expected this kind of game from them. We met them before in the off-season. We know that this

was going down the wire,” said La Salle coach Aldin Ayo. Ricci, the younger brother of Prince Rivero, had only six points.

But his baskets and brief presence on the floor proved to be timely, as the Green Archers stayed close with NU with his penetrations in the third period. He then moved the Taft-based Archers out of range with his lone basket in the fourth.

The Bulldogs, led by Matt Salem and J-Jay Alejandro with 15 and 14 points, respectively,

focused their time and energy in trying to stop the prolific Jeron Teng, who still shot 23 points for La Salle.

The Bulldogs lost an eight-point lead in the last two minutes of the third as Ayo let Teng’s teammates do the other things for the team.

The Green Archers began pulling away, sparked by split charities from Mbala and Andrei Caracut, and then on a couple of driving layups from Ricci Rivero in the last 28 seconds.

Anton, Milo to banner PH in Gymkhana Prix

Carlos Anton (inset) and Milo Rivera will be the top guns to look out for in the 2016 Taiwan Auto Gymkhana Prix.

PSC, athletes to ink contracts THE Philippine Sports Commission will enter into contracts with the national athletes and their coaches in order for the agency to monitor the progress of the preparation of every member of the national team getting ready to participate in national and international meets.

PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez explained that this process does not mean that they are trying

The top seed is at stake as TNT KaTropa and Barangay Ginebra are figuring in a dog fight.

Should TNT win, San Miguel will be seeded No. 2, while if Ginebra triumphs, the Beermen will remain at No. 3.

San Miguel Beer will either face Alaska or NLEX in the quarters depending on its final placing.

A disappointing campaign and season finally came to a close for Blackwater as it ended up with a dismal 1-10 slate, punctuated by nine straight losses.

San Miguel Beer dominated

to professionalize the training of national athletes.

A meeting over their plans is set with the national sports association on Sept. 20.

“Ang focus ng meeting ay kung saan tayo puwedeng magkasundo. Magko-contract kami with athletes and coaches. Puwede sila mag-coach sa iba pero priority nila dapat ang national team,” said Ramirez. Peter Atencio

AFTER more than a 10-year absence, the Philippines will once again take part in the prestigious 2016 Taiwan Auto Gymkhana Prix to be held on Sept. 24 and 25 at TaiChung, Taiwan.

This Federation Internationale del’Automobile zone event will showcase 32 of the best slalom and gymkhana drivers from all over the world, led by Japanese racing legends and Subaru development drivers Tetsuya Yamano and Masaki Nishihara.

The competitive grid will prove to be a tall challenge, but the Automobile Association Philippines is optimistic that the Philippine contingent, composed of multi-titled racing luminaries Carlos Anton and Milo Rivera, will be a tough pair to beat.

Six-time National hillclimb and two-time Philippine Touring Car champion Carlos Anton will ban-

ner the country for the third time after representing the Philippines in the said event Taiwan (2004) and Indonesia (2005), while former karting champion, reigning three-time National Slalom king, and FIA Young Driver Ambassador Rivera will have his debut international gymkhana stint.

“Both drivers are continuously proven champions in the national and international level and we believe that they will pose a threat to the competition and can bring the Gymkhana title to our country,” said AAP Motorsports Operations Manager Mark Desales.

The two-day event will have two major parts: an individual slalom race on the first day and a knockoutformat teams/country championship on the second.

Both individually and as a team, Anton and Rivera will surely be the top guns to look out for.

Banatao upsets Commendador in national duathlon JARWYN Banatao of Baguio City scored a huge upset over early favorite Emmanuel Comendador of Bohol, with a superb bike performance leaving his pursuers going into Transition 2 with a 4-minute gap and clearing the finish line solo during Sunday’s National Duathlon Championships hosted by the City of Iloilo.

Earlier in the race, Banatao was in a tight spot with Comendador and Requi Trupa in the first 8.5 Km run leg, but managed to break away from everyone in the 40 Km bike segment and finished the final 6.5 km run leg strongly timing 2 hours and 17 seconds.

Comendador, who suffered from stomach

cramps as he tried to cut Banatao’s lead in the bike leg, finished 2nd with a time of 2:04:28. Third place went to Jolan Olmilla of Cebu with 2:04:59.

On the distaff side in the event sponsored by the City Government of Iloilo, Green Triathlon, Gatorade, Standard Insurance, Asian Centre for Insulation Philippines,

Global Power, Sarabia Manor Hotel, GEA Marketing Bike Shop, Planet Cycle, ABS-CBN Iloilo, Petron and Globe Telecom, Mirasol Abad survived a serious challenge from Miscelle Gilbuena to retain her crown with a winning time of 2:22:47.

Gilbuena won the silver in 2:23:36 while Iloilo’s Alexandra Dumaran fin-

ished in 2:30:13 for the bronze.

On the sprint distance Junior Elite race (19-under), national aquathlon champion Andrew Kim Remolino scored a photo finish win over John Caleb Barlin for the gold, while on the girls’ side, Karen Andrea Manayon won easily over Kyla Mari Gomez by a margin of almost 13 minutes.

Slow remittances not a concern B3

IN BRIEF BSP returns to profit

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas posted a net income after tax of P10.95 billion in the first seven months of 2016, a turnaround from the P3.55-billion net loss it incurred a year ago.

Data showed that interest income jumped 26 percent to P27.06 billion from P21.47 billion a year earlier. Miscellaneous income rose 33 percent to P17.96 billion from P13.51 billion.

Gains on foreign exchange fluctuations rose 105 percent to P6.50 billion from P3.17 billion in the first seven months of 2015.

There was also a 2.7-percent decline in expenses in the period to P40.57 billion from P41.69 billion.

The biggest loss of Bangko Sentral was recorded in 2012 at P95.38 billion.

However, prudent management led to a significant decline in losses in 2013 to P17.51 billion, P10.11 billion in 2014 and P3.90 billion in 2015.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said earlier that “if exchange rate improves and strengthens, which means the economy is improving, BSP incurs losses. But if the peso depreciates, BSP profits.” The peso as of July 29 closed at 47.11 against the US dollar. Julito G. Rada

Methanol used as fuel

THE Independent Philippine Petroleum Companies Association has expressed concern over the alleged adulteration of gasoline products with methyl alcohol, which can destroy automotive engines.

IPPCA president Fernando Martinez said during a Senate hearing that about “30 to 40 percent in some gasoline stations are infiltrated with methanol.”

“The reason for that is because methanol is now cheaper than gasoline. So these kinds of adulteration for the sake of getting more, unfortunately got mixed,” Martinez said.

Martinez cited allegations that adulteration occurred when gasoline products were being transported to the retail stations.

“There are allegations like it’s during transport and there are syndicates that exchange or adulterate a tank lorry and it is unfair for the brand for the owners of the brand, for the retailers,” he said. Alena Mae S. Flores

PH slips in health index

THE Philippines slipped three notches to rank 9th place among 15 Asia-Pacific countries in the latest Healthy Living Index Survey commissioned by Philippine American And General Life Insurance Co. The country scored 61 points out of possible 100 in the 2016 Health Living Index, the third wave of AIA landmark survey of over 10, 000 adults across 15 markets in Asia Pacific.

The survey said the Philippines healthy living index was “not improving” after scoring 61 this year, down from the previous score of 63 in the past five years.

The survey results showed the country had awareness but lacked improvement due to health conditions.

“The lack of improvement in the Philippines’ Healthy Living Index score is alarming and it is important to know why. As the real life company committed to addressing the real life needs of our customers, we are actively helping Filipinos attain total wellness by being not only financially prepared but also by staying active so they can live longer, healthier and better lives,” said Philam Life chief executive Ariel Cantos.

Results showed 80 percent of adults in the Philippines said their health was not as good as five years ago. Gabrielle H. Binaday

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

B1

Major developers eyeing Mactan airport property

By Jenniffer B. Austria

F

OREIGN and local developers including Ayala Land Inc. and SM Prime Holdings Inc. have expressed interest in developing a five-hectare property adjacent to the Mactan Cebu International Airport into a mixed-use real estate project.

Louie Ferrer, president of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., the operator of Mactan Cebu International Airport, said the company presented the master plan for the prized property to various real estate companies.

GMR Megawide expects to complete the selection process for a real estate partner over the next two months.

GMR Megawide is a Filipino-Indian venture that won the contract to expand and operate MCIA. Under the plan, the five-hectare property will be leased to the winning

bidder, which in turn will develop the property beside the airport into commercial development with hotels, malls, casino and parking areas.

Ferrer said the winning bidder needed to obtain a gaming license from state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. for the casino portion of the project.

The mixed-use development should be completed by 2018, in time for the first phase of the modernization of MCIA. The five-hectare property is a part of the 25-year contract for the ex-

pansion of the Mactan Cebu International Airport which GMR Megawide bagged in 2013 when it submitted a winning bid of P14.4 billion.

The contract involved the renovation of Terminal 1 of Mactan Cebu Airport and the design, financing, construction and operation of Terminal 2.

Construction of Terminal 2 started in 2015, which would increase the airport’s overall passenger capacity to 12.5 million passengers a year from 8 million in 2015.

The expansion will also enable MCIA to host more flights from Cebu.

MCIA hosts a daily service to Dubai via Emirates, a non-stop service to Los Angeles with Philippine Airlines, a direct flight to Fujian province in China via Xiamen Airlines and a daily service service to Taipei with Eva Air. Domestic services also rose with both Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines increasing the number of sched-

uled flights.

GMR Megawide said it was also interested in bidding for other airport projects the Duterte administration would bid out, including the P108billion bundled airport projects and the P74.56-billion privatization contract of Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Megawide set a net profit guidance of P1.9 billion this year, up 26.6 percent from P1.5 billion in 2015.

Net income in the first half jumped 49 percent to P1.2 billion from P790 million a year ago, on the back of record revenues.

Consolidated revenues in January to June climbed 77 percent to P10.07 billion, with revenues from construction accounting for P9.17 billion or 91 percent of total revenues.

New contracts in the first six months reached P12.40 billion, bringing its total order book to P42.29 billion.

B2

Business

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market seen falling below 7,500

By Jenniffer B. Austria

S

TOCKS are expected to continue moving south this week, as investors will likely remain on the sidelines ahead of the US Federal Reserve meeting.

“We maintain our view of the sideways to downward bias trend in the local market until a certain decision from the Fed meeting arises,” BDO Unibank chief investment strategist Jonathan Ravelas said over the weekend.

“However, with the increasing pipeline of infrastructure projects, including the recently approved NAIA public-private partnership project, we might see some select stocks to buck the trend,” Ravelas said.

Analysts said while traders had very low expectation of an interest rate hike in Septem-

ber, they would still look for clues on how the US Fed viewed recent economic data.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, ended lower by 0.4 percent last week to close at 7,553.75 points on Sept. 16, on volatile trading while the allshare index gained 0.5 percent to settle at 4,558.17.

Reports that remittances from Filipinos working overseas, which fuel domestic consumption, fell 5.4 percent in July, the sharpest drop this year, also affected the domestic market, which bucked the uptrend on Wall Street and other Asian bourses.

The six major sub-indices ended mixed last week, with mining and oil, services, property and holding firms posting week-on-week declines, while financial and industrial sectors registering week-on-week gains.

Luis Limlingan, managing director of Regina Capital Development Corp., said last week’s volatile trading was a clear indication that the corrective press on PSEi was still too

strong and that rallies should be used to unload positions.

“A consolidation above the 7,500 level needs to be established to stabilize prices and eventually offer another rebound,” Limlingan said.

Limlingan said a break below 7,500-point level could trigger a stronger corrective wave towards 7,400 to 7,280 level.

Overseas investors remained on the selling mode last week, as the bourse registered P4.2 billion in net foreign selling, slightly lower than the previous week’s net foreign selling of P7.2 billion.

Top gainers last week were Filinvest Development Corp. which climbed 6.9 percent to P7.75, Petron Corp. which jumped 6.2 percent to P10.20 and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. which advanced 5.5 percent to P36.95.

Heavy losers were PLDT Inc. which dropped 7.4 percent to P1.666, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. which went down by 6.8 percent to P6.51 and GT Capital Holdings Inc. which dipped 5.3 percent to P1,401.

GT Capital allots P4.4b to buy two companies GT Capital Holdings Inc., the investment company of tycoon George Ty, is allocating P4.4 billion to fund strategic investments.

GT Capital said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it had identified two potential acquisition targets which were currently in the early stage of evaluation.

The acquisitions may be within the company’s core businesses such as infrastructure and financial services, or outside existing portfolio. The conglomer-

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

SEPTEMBER 13-16, 2016 Close Volume

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

3.53 48 111.00 105.80 38.1 3.85 1.38 16.4 20.4 6.80 0.7 1.9 580.00 1.000 86.15 0.89 14.08 23.20 56.35 99.95 396 274.4 36.95 248.6 1410.00 73.25 1.47

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

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

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

Liberty Flour LMG Chemicals Mabuhay Vinyl Macay Holdings Manila Water Co. Inc. Maxs Group Megawide Mla. Elect. Co `A’ MG Holdings Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

Petron Corporation Phil H2O Phinma Corporation Phinma Energy Phoenix Petroleum Phils.

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

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

44.75 3.29 1.03 1.62 16.88 52.05 200.00 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 2 4.45 29.45 29.3 29 14.9 311.80 0.265 3.08 10.20 3.44 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 4.64 2.63 33.00 1.28

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

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

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

0.385 75.10 16.20 1.21 6.13 0.365 0.365 854.5 1001.00 8.15 11.36 6.5 6.1 7.75 0.214 1401 6.35 77.20 3.9 5.2 5.3 8.07 0.84 16.84 0.490 6.51 0.0350 1.190 2.050 2.70 81.95 2.27 660.00 1.27 0.98 217.800 0.3200 0.2090 0.275

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

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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind.

7.330 6.20 1.27 2.750 0.280 37.050 2.83 5.1 0.560 0.98 0.990 0.169 0.590 58.8 0.790 0.143 1.00 1.86 1.14 4.01 4.55 0.186

Value

FINANCIAL 55,770.00 5,057,360.00 1,204,681,018 744,849,535.00 4,123,205.00 1,781,880.00 596,570.00 14,696,980.00 46,290,145.00 42,195 137,680 278,990.00 741,650.00 63,758,190.00 1,228,781,655.50 70,140.00 4,362,124.00 30,475.00 10,739,517.00 136,411.00 1,596,670.00 3,129,434.00 112,522,380 2,382,408,086.00 169,380 34,414,628.00 263,520.00 INDUSTRIAL 5,779,400 259,481,140.00 6,042,000 11,624,720.00 93,908,000 104,561,560.00 7,093,000 11,583,540.00 58,000 1,001,578.00 80 4,237.50 100 20,000.00 33,079,000 387,427,608.00 6,657,400 110,797,806 3,400 421,939.00 1,777,000 42,576,910.00 1,042,620 59,432,147 1,238,000 2,595,750.00 4,798,500 30,134,943.00 273,100 3,190,328.00 42,693,500 484,324,096.00 52,702,200 370,287,261.00 62,869,000 373,709,005.00 4,235,100 32,494,901.00 13,000 23,620.00 6,587,600 163,721,110.00 883,870 63,176,915.00 800 9,896.00 801,800 13,136,558.00 8,847,200 55,013,105.00 1,783,000 3,957,060.00 2,085,620 512,754,866.00 1,980 99,000.00 111,000 220,820.00 177,000 781,080.00 6,100 162,885.00 8,360,600 242,452,730.00 2,500,100 72,427,320.00 14,189,300 215,797,692.00 765,240 237,548,884.00 22,440,000 6,004,350.00 34,019,000 104,047,180.00 26,387,300 260,837,030.00 1,000 3,440.00 118,800 1,369,070.00 2,080,000 4,529,560.00 2,061,800 12,293,501.00 1,156,000 1,785,240.00 321,000 1,119,930.00 510,000 2,136,720.00 4,000 9,000.00 7,000 22,400.00 14,090 3,077,766.00 321,000 985,030 173,580,000 29,490,120.00 2,907,000 5,086,830.00 8,886,930 1,637,883,268 50,000 220,700.00 111,610,000 268,575,250.00 600 19,825.00 17,000 21,350.00 HOLDING FIRMS 1,390,000 534,700.00 11,131,990 830,228,122.00 17,021,700 276,869,064.00 219,000 273,320.00 50,400 312,459.00 19,130,000 7,130,500.00 2,340,000 865,000.00 1,661,580 1,420,226,495 160 193,215.00 11,543,200 94,580,065.00 23,026,500 266,619,902.00 547,920 3,534,400.00 700 4,270.00 3,029,500 22,922,898.00 1,160,000 238,330.00 1,219,670 1,757,055,080.00 50,700 317,743.00 11,337,180 853,428,807.50 1,000 3,900.00 1,700 8,946.00 3,800 20,140.00 22,474,000 181,431,457.00 3,061,000 2,550,080.00 11,505,000 193,729,202.00 40,000 19,600.00 213,265,000 956,826,783.00 27,100,000 953,200.00 1,000 1,190.00 2,123,000 4,317,070.00 70,000 188,270.00 666,660 54,111,018.00 478,000 1,085,060.00 2,099,020 1,397,397,675.00 391,000 489,210.00 209,000 207,250.00 51,550 11,127,788.00 11,562,000 6,067,500.00 2,600,000 541,010.00 1,690,000 475,650.00 PROPERTY 8,134,600 61,111,515.00 8,100 49,951.00 4,459,000 5,680,100.00 20,134,000 54,525,740.00 52,590,000 15,705,650.00 149,191,500 4,668,528,265.00 20,977,000 59,682,860.00 247,000 1,263,247.00 49,607,000 29,574,610.00 11,000 11,290.00 109,000 109,290.00 140,880,000 23,317,420.00 14,627,000 8,693,160.00 3,292,900 191,159,054.50 834,000 643,440.00 460,000 66,170.00 26,915,000 27,018,040.00 30,329,000 55,994,740.00 508,000 577,340.00 9,000 36,090.00 159,834,000 728,907,680.00 1,053,860,000 194,437,010.00 16,000 105,900 10,999,070 7,145,010 108,500 479,000 436,000 896,900 2,274,900 6,200 196,000 141,000 1,220 64,974,000 14,246,180 79,000 309,700 1,300 189,500 1,420 3,310 11,520 3,168,800 9,749,580 120 469,430 180,000

SEPTEMBER 5-9, 2016 Close Volume Value 3.58 47.8 111.50 104.90 38 3.97 1.43 16.66 20.7 6.85 0.71 1.97 620.00 1.010 84.5 0.89 14.2 23.55 57.50 95.8

299,000 125,300 11,576,410 9,500,760 822,600 102,000 1,799,000 274,300 1,975,500 10,300 182,000 221,000 2,840 301,208,000 18,235,990 300,000 843,600 10,700 777,540 7,320

1,055,300.00 5,929,725.00 1,287,082,641 999,739,232.00 31,322,595.00 395,510.00 2,519,930.00 4,528,558.00 40,803,820.00 70,573 127,860 421,190.00 1,741,150.00 348,737,610.00 1,544,488,947.50 270,000.00 12,048,992.00 251,985.00 44,718,848.00 709,340.50

274 35 248 1412.00 73.60 1.47

46,750 1,271,000 16,322,370 640 566,800 67,000

12,878,738.00 43,325,205 3,850,847,456.00 889,000 41,712,401.00 98,560.00

44.5 3.11 1.35 1.66 17.42 55.85 205.00 11.96 16.96 127 24.2 58.35 2.1 6.1 12 11.400 6.70 5.80 8.19 1.74 24.8 72.5 12.20 16.44 6.5 2.240 236.00 50.00 2.01 4.2 27.95 29 30 15.8 307.00 0.270 3.06 9.60 3.01 11.52 2.17 5.97 1.59 3.54 4.17

7,147,600 2,676,000 152,217,000 14,187,000 591,700 2,810 110 38,425,700 11,485,500 5,890 5,394,600 15,230 2,942,000 2,326,900 226,500 29,563,900 9,827,100 62,663,500 5,837,200 24,000 22,461,300 705,480 2,600 1,960,600 3,081,900 6,500,000 3,200,330 4,480 18,000 252,000 5,400 19,023,200 5,815,300 40,982,700 739,670 48,870,000 5,905,000 36,083,000 1,000 27,000 6,442,000 3,719,200 1,896,000 847,000 405,000

323,313,895.00 8,467,730.00 184,998,020.00 24,606,600.00 9,620,918.00 150,080.50 22,100.00 460,870,816.00 194,869,424 737,139.00 130,126,150.00 879,494 6,164,300.00 14,304,471.00 2,766,332.00 324,444,310.00 70,691,155.00 366,075,220.00 47,374,615.00 43,100.00 562,055,470.00 51,789,937.50 31,788.00 32,333,412.00 19,886,985.00 14,509,030.00 779,163,178.00 212,200.00 36,220.00 1,092,090.00 145,945.00 546,816,655.00 176,347,290.00 597,941,080.00 230,354,414.00 13,317,850.00 19,024,220.00 356,539,487.00 3,010.00 311,772.00 14,060,030.00 22,354,538.00 2,982,560.00 2,909,750.00 1,690,650.00

3.45 220 3.05 0.159 1.81 180.2 4.58 2.33

31,000 45,800 422,000 20,220,000 4,814,000 6,670,780 5,984,000 212,460,000

102,480.00 9,882,544.00 1,287,340 3,180,250.00 8,891,150.00 1,210,029,186 25,864,620.00 500,595,260.00

1.25

692,000

853,800.00

0.390 73.60 16.30 1.23 6.20 0.385 0.380 853 1050.00 8.19 11.74 6.39 6.1 7.25 0.216 1480 6.30 75.20

6,890,000 9,234,520 27,498,500 789,000 127,200 16,380,000 90,000 2,472,720 125 13,648,600 28,604,700 23,000 800 2,756,600 620,000 1,274,415 12,700 14,732,440

2,649,600.00 677,721,602.50 455,892,698.00 1,001,990.00 787,815.00 6,214,400.00 34,300.00 2,112,443,375 127,055.00 112,885,140.00 336,449,004.00 146,970.00 4,880.00 19,860,954.00 128,960.00 1,897,554,055.00 80,047.00 1,106,942,744.00

5.4 5.31 8.1 0.84 16.74

2,500 6,800 10,634,700 2,041,000 27,003,400

13,500.00 36,108.00 85,434,366.00 1,684,670.00 459,406,974.00

7 0.0360 1.190 2.020 2.59 80.00 2.26 668.50 1.28 1.03 214.000 0.3250 0.2090 0.285

236,071,600 54,800,000 487,000 5,488,000 10,000 2,068,030 5,000 2,149,930 800,000 155,000 38,180 28,530,000 1,360,000 3,830,000

1,635,438,432.00 1,974,100.00 599,140.00 8,184,960.00 25,900.00 170,186,533.50 11,590.00 1,445,855,535.00 1,024,980.00 153,390.00 8,145,472.00 9,528,100.00 275,760.00 822,170.00

7.840 6.40 1.30 2.920 0.295 38.000 2.94 5.12 0.620 1.04 1.000 0.167 0.600 58 0.780 0.143 1.02 1.82 1.18

566,400 150,400 22,513,000 39,546,000 37,950,000 54,327,800 5,485,000 136,700 43,063,000 31,300 1,000 652,410,000 20,560,000 2,178,510 580,000 50,000 28,878,000 40,603,000 361,000

4,317,326.00 967,085.00 30,476,020.00 125,501,270.00 11,350,500.00 2,099,878,770.00 16,156,550.00 699,901.00 26,706,820.00 34,470.00 1,000.00 117,578,440.00 12,495,240.00 127,247,442.50 455,230.00 7,160.00 29,702,900.00 74,592,830.00 416,270.00

4.55 0.188

280,286,000 1,296,036,050.00 1,078,040,000 173,879,130.00

STOCKS

SEPTEMBER 13-16, 2016 Close Volume

Phil. Estates Corp.

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

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

0.2750 0.420 37.00 3.28 30.20 1.61 3.33 27.10 1.07 7.11 1.030 5.450

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

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

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

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

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 11.7 0.0100 9.25 0.255 1.4000 3.43 12.4 4.12 2.13 1.03 2.21 21.25 0.600 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 1.94 3.36 0.355 5.550

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0039 2.68 3.95 0.218 2.2000 2.1800 0.58 0.400 8.50 0.850 0.270 0.204 0.207 0.0110 0.0120 1.66 6.42 2.97 0.5100 1.0000 0.0110 0.0110 4.00 8.45 3.22 0.0110 110.80 3.19 0.0099

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred G SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

49.4 531 540 105 119.5 541 6.01 1.03 112.8 1091 1160 1040 104 115 78 82 78.5 80.3 80.65 79 78.5 78.5 2.18

LR Warrant

2.320

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

3.2 3.6 4.61 14.12

First Metro ETF

124.9

SEPTEMBER 5-9, 2016 Close Volume Value

Value

3,590,000 30,000 12,000 1,478,000 12,113,400 467,000 298,000 81,185,200 43,849,000 21,100 2,182,000 46,597,900

931,400.00 12,650.00 437,290.00 4,835,990.00 366,417,405.00 760,230.00 986,210.00 2,210,504,755.00 48,069,390.00 149,215.00 2,249,320.00 248,396,781.00 SERVICES 352,600 2,551,042.00 98,300 4,842,020.00 62,000 84,730.00 3,708,000 2,101,430.00 20,500 108,750 70,003,600 368,375,233.00 762,040,000 74,608,940.00 12,070,000 44,682,410.00 1,259,400 148,540,961.00 19,600 196,870.00 27,000 62,660 2,867,200 17,782,690.00 1,000 3,100.00 41,600 39,332,800.00 589,450 1,165,656,265 1,507,500 9,402,821.00 416,100 5,689,146.00 52,000 1,055,600 23,469,000 38,224,260.00 7,910,320 613,061,699.50 58,900 1,116,110 200 30,724 15,200 176,400.00 3,302,400,000 41,867,300.00 1,748,500 16,162,379.00 92,510,000 23,930,900.00 2,917,000 4,154,270.00 374,000 1,292,440.00 6,300 77,860.00 8,937,000 35,440,540 881,000 1,888,200.00 122,000 127,020.00 48,000 106,560.00 2,500 48,088 155,000 89,930.00 47,000 93,220.00 57,166,000 233,179,580.00 9,642,600 52,985,637.00 10,984,000 38,334,900.00 71,500 808,610.00 114,800 620,938 80,000 224,810.00 1,560,190 211,124,286.00 7,006,400 42,578,728.00 1,211,930 2,061,299,700.00 3,830,000 1,614,400.00 111,138,000 111,795,450.00 10,074,200 443,518,650.00 8,775,670 681,572,433.00 1,757,500 10,359,259.00 20,822,000 63,614,090.00 14,762,000 8,627,550.00 3,000 5,660.00 2,544,000 8,561,950.00 1,010,000 355,200.00 127,700 679,655.00 MINING & OIL 431,000,000 1,654,600.00 1,168,000 3,268,790.00 1,057,000 4,146,820.00 170,000 35,580.00 58,000 123,970.00 32,000 71,280.00 1,118,000 656,190.00 1,050,000 428,700.00 35,100 292,212.00 19,480,000 16,393,040.00 1,000,000 273,600.00 21,420,000 4,364,280.00 3,590,000 740,090.00 14,200,000 205,700.00 22,900,000 274,800.00 1,670,000 2,741,020.00 25,251,500 169,037,576.00 403,000 1,235,800.00 1,000 510.00 1,815,000 1,814,300.00 18,000,000 183,300.00 3,700,000 40,700.00 466,000 1,863,350.00 1,907,400 16,189,621.00 21,898,000 70,287,230.00 193,200,000 2,317,200.00 1,985,730 218,062,303.00 214,000 679,300.00 24,900,000 244,440.00 PREFERRED 655,300 32,438,910.00 3,120 1,653,980.00 3,050 1,647,480 193,140 20,248,744.00 9,960 1,175,310.00 21,770 10,446,550.00 2,635,500 15,813,424.00 1,931,000 1,975,930 13,020 1,458,264.00 8,380 9,142,670.00 1,115 1,293,150.00 2,890 2,994,060.00 20,000 2,082,120.00 200 23,000.00 63,460 5,016,485.50 28,960 2,369,343 29,350 2,301,935.00 280,680 22,423,846.50 408,580 32,875,376.50 161,520 12,902,714.00 185,870 14,625,830.00 113,910 8,979,555.00 8,000 15,800.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 1,690,860 2,676,370.00 SME 18,407,000 60,292,890.00 76,000 281,850.00 450,000 2,098,200.00 9,745,500 135,828,746.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 196,710 24,510,049.00

0.2950 0.430 37.60 3.35 30.00 1.66 3.25 26.90 1.09 7 1.020 5.300

660,000 420,000 6,600 3,081,000 9,429,100 1,530,000 84,000 110,250,300 151,589,000 20,900 15,026,000 45,108,000

179,450.00 181,000.00 257,065.00 10,254,620.00 287,338,385.00 2,557,840.00 276,570.00 3,053,743,220.00 169,590,020.00 144,017.00 16,183,690.00 247,635,009.00

7.25 49.1 1.28 0.580 5.5 5.35 0.0990 3.91 120.2 10 2.35 5.50 3.10 946 1980 6.26 14.00 20.30 1.71 79 19.00 151 11.5 0.0110 9.24 0.275 1.4100 3.65 12.4 4.01 2.15 1.10 2.21 19.50 0.580 1.99 3.99 5.55 3.620 11.34 5.60 2.7 139.00 6.06 1800.00 0.440 1.000 44.00 77.00 6.14 3.10 0.590

519,300 203,200 207,000 4,480,000 19,300 125,036,900 1,035,840,000 60,261,000 2,145,190 30,900 72,000 998,400 5,000 1,330 356,895 692,500 827,100 35,600 32,959,000 7,854,820 253,500 770 19,900 862,000,000 4,499,100 90,360,000 5,804,000 854,000 10,300 34,141,000 1,198,000 136,000 241,000 5,700 430,000 97,000 33,399,700 47,554,400 14,312,000 285,800 100,400 460,000 494,540 15,043,400 128,839,635 8,700,000 205,769,000 14,267,500 6,477,100 3,001,600 15,462,000 16,172,000

3,794,862.00 10,015,840.00 268,350.00 2,608,110.00 102,846 664,740,358.00 106,123,530.00 239,404,500.00 256,539,245.00 308,850.00 164,680 5,446,850.00 15,230.00 1,273,900.00 717,952,000 4,357,125.00 12,026,732.00 725,840 60,369,480.00 634,393,878.00 5,042,350 116,273 226,422.00 8,717,800.00 41,928,598.00 25,919,050.00 8,242,860.00 3,058,470.00 127,104.00 139,563,160 2,592,280.00 146,910.00 540,780.00 116,515 249,830.00 192,810.00 131,642,872.00 266,829,160.00 52,067,560.00 3,226,016.00 566,971 1,312,120.00 66,741,420.00 98,255,356.00 1,078,080,705.00 3,811,550.00 193,404,310.00 632,080,215.00 507,485,567.50 18,110,462.00 48,927,230.00 9,668,280.00

3.4 0.345 5.580

2,287,000 810,000 408,800

7,810,880.00 279,450.00 2,263,418.00

0.0039 3.00 3.95 0.220 2.2000 2.4000 0.59 0.410 8.60 0.860 0.270 0.206 0.218 0.0120 0.0120 1.66 6.85 3.02 0.5200 0.9900 0.0110 0.0110 4.10 8.61 3.05 0.0120 110.50 3.2 0.0100

782,000,000 1,313,000 322,000 450,000 190,000 12,000 8,073,000 1,950,000 52,500 95,304,000 2,350,000 57,050,000 2,400,000 348,200,000 4,400,000 3,052,000 35,694,100 4,201,000 175,000 817,000 91,200,000 3,700,000 61,000 4,732,800 10,769,000 58,400,000 2,462,410 296,000 351,200,000

3,048,600.00 3,953,020.00 1,487,790.00 96,600.00 410,290.00 27,700.00 4,978,730.00 791,400.00 444,091.00 81,271,300.00 634,950.00 11,875,840.00 510,080.00 3,931,700.00 73,600.00 5,000,330.00 234,283,768.00 12,650,410.00 88,750.00 803,190.00 957,500.00 40,700.00 247,080.00 40,430,884.00 33,658,750.00 698,400.00 277,044,482.00 961,830.00 3,458,280.00

49.05 528.5 541 105 118 542 6 1.03 112 1091 1155 1036 110 110 79.5 81.7 78.4 79 79.9 79 78.6 79 2.18

917,000 485,720 320 180,320 69,690 11,490 524,400 9,034,000 8,670 2,795 3,810 7,980 480 4,000 69,780 1,024,010 112,380 53,910 114,020 113,800 1,857,380 275,310 10,000

44,928,180.00 8,382,715.00 169,920 18,874,991.00 8,223,420.00 6,166,590.00 3,172,285.00 9,294,690 949,866.00 3,037,880.00 4,355,900.00 8,226,765.00 52,800.00 455,000.00 5,450,560.00 83,614,133 2,076,446.00 4,254,897.00 9,110,759.00 9,016,420.00 145,453,479.00 21,736,243.00 20,960.00

2.360

2,764,000

6,667,540.00

4.09 3.68 4.87 15.16

6,097,000 115,000 1,703,600 7,430,600

25,690,620.00 431,690.00 8,095,731.00 113,583,960.00

125

222,580

28,196,760.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS IP E-Game Ventures Inc. MRC Allied Ind. Boulevard Holdings Abra Mining Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Philodrill Corp. `A’ Swift Foods, Inc. Megaworld Ayala Land `B’ Crown Equities Inc.

VOLUME 3,302,400,000 1,053,860,000 762,040,000 431,000,000 213,265,000 193,200,000 173,580,000 159,834,000 149,191,500 140,880,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ Security Bank SM Prime Holdings PLDT Common GT Capital Universal Robina Ayala Corp `A’ SM Investments Inc. Metrobank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc.

VALUE 4,668,528,265.00 2,382,408,086.00 2,210,504,755.00 2,061,299,700.00 1,757,055,080.00 1,637,883,268.00 1,420,226,495.00 1,397,397,675.00 1,228,781,655.50 1,204,681,018.00

ate said no definitive agreements were signed to date.

“As part of its strategies, GT Capital intends to further strengthen its market position in the existing businesses through targeted investments that leverage its existing expertise, market insights, partnership, brand value and customer recognition,” GT Capital said.

“These include investments in the sectors where GT Capital companies are already present such as infrastructure and financial services. Beyond its existing business interests, GT Capital is also actively considering and evaluating new business initiatives in areas that complement GT Capital’s existing portfolio and where GT Capital will be able to contribute strategic direction, expertise and resources,” it said.

The conglomerate currently has business interests in abanking, automotive assembly, importation, dealership, and financing, property development, life and non-life insurance and infrastructure.

Funding for the strategic acquisitions will primarily come from the planned P12billion preferred shares offering in October.

GT Capital will issue 12 million preferred shares at an offer price of P1,000 per share. The perpetual preferred shares are cumulative, non-voting, non-participating, non-convertible and peso-denominated. Jenniffer B. Austria

Megawide planning to sell shares INFRASTRUCTURE company Megawide Construction Corp. plans to re-issue via private placement the 410.842 million shares it bought back from the Sy family, an executive said over the weekend.

The share sale could raise up to P6.12 billion in proceeds based on Megawide’s closing price of P14.90 Friday. This will enable the company to register a P2billion gain from the P4.12 billion it spent when it purchased the shares from the Sy family in July.

Megawide chief finance officer Oliver Tan said in an interview following the company’s annual shareholders meeting the share sale could happen within the year, depending on market conditions.

Tan said the re-issuance of shares aimed to expand the company’s investor base and improve the liquidity of the stock.

The company prefers to conduct the sale through private placement instead of public offering because of the regulatory process that needed to be accomplished before it could conduct the share sale.

Several local and foreign investors had expressed interest in acquiring the stake previously owned by Sybase Equity Investments Corp., a privately held company owned by the Sy family, which was equivalent to an 18-percent stake in the company.

Sybase which was a cornerstone investor of Megawide when it conducted an initial public offering in 2011 decided to divest from the construction firm as the latter planned to venture into power generation. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

B3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Slow remittances not a concern Globe expands network capacity

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. is accelerating the expansion of its network infrastructure as it expects revenues from data to overtake the declining earnings from texts and voice calls.

Globe president Ernest Cu said the company was aggressively fast-tracking a multipronged network infrastructure and capacity build to provide a better internet services to subscribers.

Cu expects the activation of around 250 long-term evolution sites this month and over 500 to 700 LTE sites across the country by the end of 2016.

Majority of the company’s LTE 700 sites will cover major business districts and highlyurbanized and populated areas in the country, including Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao.

Cu added the company would upgrade corporate sites with the deployment of fiberoptic technology.

“This year alone, at least 61 sites are being upgraded, with 455 sites scheduled for next year,” Cu said.

Globe’s aggressive network expansion is in preparation for the increase in data usage due to higher penetration of smartphone devices in the country. “[Before] data only accounted for 20 percent of our mobile revenue, today its already half that goes to show how important it is,” Globe chief commercial officer Alberto de Larrazabal told reporters.

Larazzabal expects data revenue to grow a “little bit” faster than text and voice call revenues this year.

By Julito G. Rada

B

ANGKO Sentral ng Pillipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said the country’s external payments position will remain strong as robust business process outsourcing revenues offsset slowing remittances from migrant Filipino workers.

Guinigundo made the assessment after Bangko Sentral data Thursday showed that money sent home by migrant Filipino workers in July fell 5.4 percent to $2.13 billion from $2.253 billion a year ago.

It was the biggest decline in eight months or since the 6.2-percent fall in November last year.

However, cash remittances in the first seven months still grew 3 percent to $15.323 billion from

$14.87 billion on year.

“We are seeing the continuing narrative of derisking, upsetting the otherwise normal flow of remittances. In fact, even the Arab Monetary Fund, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have documented various cases of derisking in the Middle East jurisdictions,” Guinigundo said over the weekend.

He said what exacerbated the

situation was the weak oil prices in the global markets, dampening the propensity of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other oil-producing markets to provide jobs to Filipino overseas workers.

“While there is a likelihood that this might continue and affect (overseas Filipino workers) remittances this year, the more than 18-percent growth in BPO revenues for the first six months of 2016 could somehow cushion the soft remittance flows,” Guinigundo said.

Remittances and BPO revenues provide steady inflows which boost private consumption. Together, these account for nearly $50-billion worth of inflows every year.

Guinigundo said earlier that

derisking or the closure of the accounts of some banks abroad was heightened by anti-money laundering concerns, counterterrorism and cybercrimes. He said derisking was already occurring even before the $81-million money laundering scam broke out in the country in February this year.

He said Bangko Sentral was not worried but the issue remained a concern, prompting the regulator to continue monitoring because a large part of the country’s external payments position continued to depend on the level of remittances.

Data showed that the 5.4-percent decline in remittances in July was also triggered by lower deployment of skilled workers abroad.

Central housing agency pushed

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

AYALA LAND EXHIBIT. Ayala land Inc. launches an exhibit presenting the company’s sustainable estates at the Fountain Area of Tower One and Exchange Plaza in Makati City. The exhibit, entitled ‘Life Reimagined: An Ayala Land Sustainable Estates Exhibit,’ features the company’s integrated, mixed-use communities nationwide and will run from September 16 to 30, 2016. Shown at the opening of the exhibit are (from left) Manny Blas, vice president and estate head of Makati and Bonifacio Global City; Bernard Vincent Dy, president and chief executive of Ayala Land; and Aniceto Bisnar Jr., vice president and head of Visayas-Mindanao operations.

Govt okays grid study for FirstPac coal plant

European autos eye lower tariffs

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Trade Department is closely studying a position paper authored by the European automotive brands in the Philippines that proposes the inclusion of tariff lines in the ongoing Philippine-European Union Free Trade Agreement talks.

“Since their intended market is a niche market of high-end automobile, we will review their position,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said over the weekend, as he underscored the need to allow the local automotive program to prosper.

He said the Philippine government was bent on increasing the local content of domestically-produced vehicles through an incentives program that would encourage local manufacturers to produce at least 200,000 units of vehicles

THE Energy Department approved the conduct of a grid impact study for Global Luzon Energy Development Corp., now controlled

by First Pacific Co. Ltd., on its 670 megawatt coal-fired power project in Luna, La Union province.

The grid impact study will allow the company, a subsidiary of Global Business Power Corp., to determine the impact of the project to the transmission network in Luzon.

The two-by-335 MW coal-fired power generating facility is being built in Barangays Carisquis and Nalvo Sur, Luna, La Union.

Global Luzon has signed a power sales agreement with Manila Electric Co. for the supply of 600 MW from the plant. Meralco through Meralco PowerGen Corp., its power generation arm, owns a 14-percent stake in Global Business Power.

“Yes, (it’s our first power project in Luzon). Construction is third quarter 2018 and operation first quarter 2022,” Global Business Power president Rolando Bacani said earlier.

“We need to build higher-capacity units so that we can offer lower prices and bring down the cost of electricity. The largest unit that the Visayas Grid can accept now is only 150 MW,” he said.

Global Business Power diclosed plans of expanding its power generation footprint of coal plants to Luzon last year.

GREEN LIGHT

THERE are three generally known dispute settlement modes in the Philippines. These are arbitration, conciliation and mediation. Arbitration is the “referral of a dispute to an impartial person for determination on the basis of evidence and arguments of the parties, which decision is enforceable upon parties” (Azucena, 2010).

Arbitration, as a dispute settlement mode, is either compulsory or voluntary. Similar to arbitration, conciliation and mediation modes are facilitated by a third person. Unlike in arbitration, in conciliation and mediation, the third party facilitates the discussion of the conflict, assists the disputants to amicably come up with a mu-

By Othel V. Campos

within six years.

The group of European automotive brands led by Volkswagen Philippines met with the European Commission on September 16, 2016 to address the lukewarm response of the Trade Department Volkswagen president John Philip Orbeta said the commission had sought updates and recommendations for the next round of negotiations in the third quarter in Manila.

“In terms of actions in the past, there was no encouragement (from the government). We want to put this on record that we are placing this as a policy issue,” he said.

The group submitted a month ago a position paper to the Board of Investments, the investment arm of the Trade Department, seeking lower tariff for European automotive units.

It said European brands were at a gross disadvantage compared with Japanese and Asian brands whose tariff were effectively slashed to zero percent.

European cars are still subject to 30 percent duties.

“There should be more options for consumers, that’s the argument we’re working on. All we want is a level playing field.

Give us the same treatment that you give the Japanese and other countries,” said Orbeta.

He cited the observation of several quarters that the Philippine government’s lack of interest to assist the European automotive sector could be “grounds for filing complaints with the World Trade Organization.”

The European group sees the current situation as anti-competitive and expects to bring up the topic during consultations with the EC.

A LAWMAKER over the weekend said he will push for the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide affordable housing to the poor.

Party-list group 1-PACMAN’s Rep. Michael Romero said the creation of DHUD would address the issue of backlogs in mass housing projects of the government.

“To date, there are housing backlogs that need to be addressed and the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development will concentrate government’s efforts to resolve this,” Romero said.

The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council estimated the backlog at 1.4 million units this year.

Under the proposed bill, the powers of HUDCC and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board would be consolidated under the DHUD to give the new department more teeth in policy making.

Romero noted that HUDCC, with its oversight function and overall coordinator of government policies for the housing sector, had limited resources and authority. The HLURB, meanwhile, has a bigger role in providing town planning assistance to local governments, real estate management and regulations and adjudication of cases involving buyers in subdivisions and condominiums, and disputes of homeowners associations.

“The HLURB has vast powers while the HUDCC chair has limited authority in policy making. The DHUD will address this weakness,” Romero said.

The bill also mandates key shelter agencies National Housing Authority, Home Guaranty Corp., National Home Mortgage Finance Corp., Home Development Mutual Fund, and Social Housing Finance Corp. to operate under their present mandate but will be attached to DHUD for policy and program coordination.

Labor-management disputes

DIVINA M. EDRALIN Part 1

Preliminary report from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration showed that the number of deployed land-based workers dropped 10.3 percent in the first seven months to 235,895, while that of sea-based workers fell 44.4 percent to 134,360.

About 80 percent of cash remittances in July came from the United States, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Japan, Qatar, Kuwait, Hong Kong and Germany.

Personal remittances, which include non-cash items, declined 5.4 percent in July to $2.35 billion from $2.49 billion a year ago. The figure brought personal remittances in the first seven months to $16.92 billion, still up 2.9 percent from $16.44 billion in the same period last year.

tually acceptable and beneficial solution to their issues, without the imposing nature of an arbitrator/arbiter.

A mediator or conciliator is expected to encourage parties to keep an open mind on the issues at hand for them to understand not only their perspective, but also that of the adverse party, with the ultimate goal of the process in mind (Caraan, 2012).

Studying styles/approaches An interesting aspect in the dynamics of dispute settlement between labor and management which I studied, is the styles/approaches as well as their traits/ qualities and ethical behavior used by conciliators-mediatorsarbitrators to settle the dispute as perceived by the parties.

In this regard, I would like to share with you the results of

the survey I conducted among 77 purposively selected respondents representing labor and management who have experienced conciliation-mediationarbitration in the settlement of their disputes in the past years.

My survey findings reveal that the respondents perceived that the Conciliator-MediatorArbitrator use four different styles/approaches in settling labor-management disputes in varying frequencies. These styles are enabling, equipping, engaging, and empowering.

Settling disagreements The respondents claimed that they experienced more often the “enabling style” where the Conciliator-Mediator-Arbitrator shares or explains general information related to framing the issue/s and the context of

the dispute. This style also involves actively providing information, as well as guidelines, and structures to facilitate the resolution of the dispute for the parties’ mutual benefit.

The second approach more often experienced by the disputing parties is “equipping” where the conciliator-mediatorarbitrator creates an atmosphere of trust for continuing open communication. This also involves giving feedback on what progress both parties have done and to think of other creative ways to arrive at the resolution of the dispute.

The third style they often experienced during the dispute settlement is “engaging.”

This is where the ConciliatorMediator-Arbitrator focuses on increasing both parties’

commitment to mutually resolve the dispute for a winwin solution, while maintaining respect and having the patience to arrive at a decision. This involves their active listening to the intrinsic motivation of the disputing parties.

The style respondents perceived to be used less often is “empowering.” In this approach, the Conciliator-Mediator-Arbitrator honors the inherent power and champions the independence of the parties, and provides inputs to facilitate the decision-making process of the disputing parties. As one labor union representative said: “The dispute settlement style of the Conciliator-MediatorArbitrator is very crucial. We feel that we are always at a disadvantage position compared to

management. We do not have adequate resources to prolong a labor dispute, especially when it involves the termination of an employee.”

(To be continued in next week’s column.)

A full professor, Dr. Edralin teaches Human Behavior, Strategic Human Resource Management, Labor Relations and Research. She is also a management consultant of SME’s, schools, and NGOs. She may be reached at divina.edralin@ dlsu.edu.ph.

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

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

B4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Business

Chevron narrows bids for Asian energy assets C

HINA General Nuclear Power Corp., the country’s biggest nuclear power operator, has been invited to make a second-round bid for Chevron Corp.’s Asian geothermal energy assets, which could fetch $3 billion, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Jakarta-based PT Medco Power Indonesia is considering joining a separate shortlisted consortium that includes Japanese trading house Marubeni Corp. and Philippine energy producer Aboitiz Power Corp., said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. Citigroup Inc., Chevron’s adviser on the sale, will call for second-round bids later this month, the people said.

Chevron, the largest US oil producer

after Exxon Mobil Corp., has slashed jobs, canceled drilling projects and sought assets sales to counter a slump in energy prices.

The San Ramon, California-based company is aiming to sell its main Asian geothermal holdings, which generate energy from the earth’s heat, in Indonesia and the Philippines.

Chevron’s Indonesia Salak field, one of the world’s largest geothermal operations, supplies a power plant that has 377 megawatts of total capacity, according to its website. It also has a 40 percent stake in Philippine Geothermal Production Co. Bidding Partners “Medco Group is considering partnering with a Japanese company and a Philippine company,” Medco Power president director Fazil Alfitri said by phone Friday. He declined to name the potential partners.

Representatives for Marubeni, Aboitiz and Citigroup declined to comment, while a representative for China General Nuclear didn’t respond to a Bloomberg inquiry. A Singapore-based spokesman for Chevron said the company doesn’t comment on

market rumor or speculation concerning mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures of its assets.

Aboitiz said earlier this month that it partnered with Marubeni, while Medco said in August the Indonesian firm had submitted a bid to buy a stake in the Chevron assets.

Sovereign fund China Investment Corp., Malaysia’s power producer Malakoff Corp., Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp. and Ormat Technologies Inc. were among companies that considered making offers, people familiar with the situation said in April.

Asset Sales Chevron has said it plans to raise $5 billion to $10 billion through next year from sales including the geothermal unit and assets in Hawaii, Canada, Myanmar and South Africa.

In July, the company reported its third straight quarterly loss, the longest slump since at least 1989, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The industry is struggling with a persistent glut of oil that’s sunk prices and forced companies to shrink drilling programs and cut spending. Bloomberg

CHATUCHAK WEEKEND MARKET. A Thai woman prepares her shop in Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok on September 18, 2016.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the world’s largest weekend markets. It covers an area of 27 acres altogether divided into 27 sdections and contains more than 15,000 booths selling goods from every part of Thailand. AFP

US Fed likely to leave rates unchanged again WASHINGTON―Two months ago, disagreements at the heart of the US Federal Reserve spilled out into the open, with policymakers squaring off over the near-term threat of inflation.

And yet as the Federal Open Market Committee prepares to meet again next Tuesday and Wednesday to review interest rate policy, widespread expectations are that, for a sixth consecutive meeting, the US central bank will leave rates untouched.

Since the last FOMC meeting seven weeks ago, the US economy in the third quarter appears to be weaker than Fed Chair Janet Yellen expected when she said last month that the case for a rate

hike had “strengthened.” The producer price index was flat and retail sales slowed in August after a flat July. Signs of inflation were scant.

The key US federal funds rate has been at or close to zero for a decade. The Fed’s hawkish voting members believe an increase should come soon to prevent overheating while its doves believe this risks interrupting a slow recovery.

“At one level, maybe the doves are beating the hawks, but the facts are that the data are supporting staying put,” said Jared Bernstein, former chief economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden.

Other major central banks are

also wrestling with weak growth.

Also on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Bank of Japan will met to review its so-far ineffective stimulus efforts. The European Central Bank, which like the BoJ has resorted to negative interest rates, left its policies unchanged this month.

While likely holding the federal funds rate at 0.25-0.50 percent on Wednesday, the Fed could signal in stronger terms that a rate hike is coming, if for no other reason than to prevent complacency in the markets.

But ahead of the meeting, FOMC members have remained publicly at odds over what they should do.

A week ago, Boston Fed Presi-

dent Eric Rosengren suggested that US had reached full employment and that “gradual tightening” could be advisable.

Days later Fed Governor Lael Brainard said the rate hikers’ case was the “less compelling” because the downside risks outweighed the possibility of an upside shock.

Her fellow Fed governor Daniel Tarullo simply predicted next week’s talks would be “robust” while the outgoing Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said they would be “serious.”

The flow of economic data in the seven weeks since the last FOMC meeting is with the doves. AFP

Samsung sells shares in 4 firms

SEOUL―Samsung Electronics said Sunday it had sold shares it held in four technology companies, including US chipmaker Rambus and Japan’s Sharp, to free up money and focus on its main business.

The South Korean tech giant also sold shares in Dutch semiconductor equipment maker ASLM and US hard drive maker Seagate, it said in a statement.

Samsung―the world’s top smartphone maker which also manufactures memory chips, TVs and home appliances―has for years bought shares in other tech firms in semiconductor or display panel industries. AFP

With Tony Shale, Chief Executive Officer, Asia, Euromoney Institutional Investor

THE EUROMONEY INVESTMENT FORUM 2016 ONE gets a lot of negative vibe when perusing the front page of broadsheets lately. There’s the drug menace, killings, a bombing, and political accusations and tirades flying left and right.

Every change in administration always brings some form of hope or optimism, especially in how business is being done in the country, and this administration is no different.

Coming from the very-first business conference held in Davao in the days after the assumption to the presidency of Rodrigo Roa Duterte, businessmen are generally optimistic about what lies ahead, not just for big business which is a given, but more so for small to medium-scale enterprises or SMEs which is close to the heart of the President.

Thus, conferences or forums of the sort are like pockets of fresh air in an otherwise stale and smoggy hegemony.

One such “pocket” would have been the most-recent Philippine Investment Forum at the Shangrila at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, organized by Euromoney, the world’s leading organizer of conferences for cross-border investment and capital markets for portfolio and direct investors, financial intermediaries, corporations, governments, banks and financial institutions. This conference was touted to be one of the first for international investors and business leaders under the new administration.

I had the privilege to be interviewed as a keynote by no less than Tony B. Shale (left), CEO of Euromoney Asia, where we discussed President Duterte’s 10-point social and economic agenda from the standpoint of First Pacific Company Limited and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation which I represented.

Both First Pacific and Metro Pacific have key investments in natural resources, telecommunications, power and energy, water, infrastructure, media, food and agribusiness, as well as hospitals and healthcare. Both First Pacific and Metro Pacific share the optimism of all that more investment opportunities are expected to come in with the change in administration.

Our discussion tackled such issues as the viability and sustainability of mining under this administration; forecasts for power and energy, infrastructure, water, and telecommunications; as well as a brief sidebar on food and agriculture. Of course, all of these had to be considered under the proposed over-arching federal form of government which we also discussed.

The Euromoney Investment Forum, now on its 5th year, gathered over 600 participants who were eager to listen to the President’s economic team present its strategic plan for business and investment for the next six years.

Mr. Rod Franco, President and Chief Executive Officer, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation and Manila North Tollways Corporation and William Pesek, Executive Editor, Barron’s Asia

Dutch natural gas field depleted in 17 years THE HAGUE—The Groningen natural gas field, the largest in the European Union, is running out of reserves, with an estimated 17 years left before stocks will be depleted, The Netherlands announced on Friday.

“Dutch natural gas is nearly finished,” said Peter Hein van Mulligen, chief economist at the country’s Central Statistics Bureau.

“Since natural gas was discovered in 1959 in Groningen, we’ve used up some 80 percent of our reserves. If the rate of extraction stays the same, we’ll be out of gas in 17 years from now,”

Van Mulligen said in a video, posted on the CBS website.

A drop in natural gas prices and the Dutch government’s decision over the last two years to scale down natural gas extraction in its earthquake-prone northern province, have also led to a substantial decline in profit, the CBS economist said.

In 2013, the government made around 13 billion euros ($14.5 billion) from natural gas, but that dropped to around 5.0 billion euros last year.

The Hague announced in June it was planning to cut the Gron-

ingen gas field’s production by another 11.1 percent―from a current 27 billion cubic meters to 24 billion cubic meters―over the next five years.

A final decision is expected in October.

The decision to turn down the gas taps “is part of our approach over the last few years to reduce safety risks to Groningen’s residents and buildings,” Economics Minister Henk Kamp said at the time.

However, during an exceptionally cold winter or “if strictly necessary”, gas production could be pushed up, he added.

The cutbacks come after a series of tremors rocked the northern Groningen province as a result of the collapse of empty underground gas pockets, scaring residents and damaging historical buildings in the area.

Although the earthquakes are of a low magnitude, they often happen close to the earth’s surface.

After Norway, the Netherlands by 2014 was western Europe’s second-largest natural gas exporter and income from natural gas constituted 2.6 percent of the country’s total revenue, according to the CBS. AFP

With Meralco CEO, Oscar Reyes; Gunther Matschuck, GermanPhilippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; former DFA Sec. Albert Del Rosario and Lydia Echauz

LGUs

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

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ROWERS. A regatta boat race was one of the highlights of the closing activities of the Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City on Saturday morning. Leni Graces

DepEd to hire science, math tutors—Briones D

EPARTMENT of Education Secretary Leonor Briones announced that many teaching items for science and math still need to be filled.

Briones said the demand for more K-12 educators was still high despite the employment of 195,302 teachers between 2010 and 2016.

“We have a challenge in hiring Math and Science teachers. . . [We need] a huge army of teachers, we’ll recruit more,” she recently told the members of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations during the department’s presentation of its proposed budget for 2017.

Briones also reported that the department prevented the anticipated massive displacement of teachers following the full implementation of the K-12 basic education. After the creation of 36,461 teaching items for the senior high school (SHS) program, DepEd hired 3,950 displaced faculty of higher education institutions, 928 of which have availed themselves of the department’s “Green Lane” for speedy employment.

“We lack teachers. We are not

displacing teachers,” she disclosed.

DepEd offers above entry-level salary grades to graduates of science and technology courses under the Junior Level Science Scholarships of the Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute. As of June 21, 2016, 502 qualified in the scholarship, with 472 scholars availing themselves of the grant.

The Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10612, s. 2014, mandates the DepEd to ensure qualified graduates of the scholarship job placements as Special Science Teachers with salary grade level 13.

DepEd-hired scholar-graduates

will also receive a teacher-training program that will enable them to take the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

Graduates of science, math, or engineering courses without LET certification, graduates of technical-vocational courses with necessary Technical Education and Skills Development Authority certifications, and practitioners with expertise in specialized learning areas offered by the K-12 program are also encouraged to apply as part-time SHS teachers.

Of the DepEd’s P567.56 billion proposed budget for 2017, P15.5 billion will be allotted to hiring 53,831 teachers. Meanwhile, P65.4 billion will fund the con-

struction of 47,492 classrooms (including 10,000 classrooms for replacement); P43.9 billion will build 17,562 laboratories; P7.3 billion will provide 7,260 TechVoc tools and equipment packages; P6.9 billion will finance 30,697 ICT packages (with maintenance and other operating expenses); P4.5 billion will purchase 8,833 science and math equipment packages; P4 billion will hire 13,266 non-teaching items; P3 billion will buy 55.8 million learning materials; and P2.5 billion will procure 51,492 sets of school seats (including 19,000 sets of seats as counterpart to LGU) as part of the additional basic resources to support the needs of the K-12 curriculum.

Greenpeace: Negros can run on renewables THE Negros Island Region bids fair to become an entirely renewable energy region.

At the forum on Negros Clean Energy at the Sangguniang Panlungsod session hall in Bacolod City Thursday, Reuben Muni, climate and energy campaigner of Greenpeace, said the NIR still has many opportunities to maximize the use of solar rooftops.

A present, five companies operating seven plants in Negros Occidental have a solar generation capacity of 341.5 megawatts, the highest in the Philippines.

San Carlos Sun Power Inc. has a 59-MW solar facility in San Carlos City; Helios Solar Energy, a 132.5MW farm in Cadiz City, the largest in Southeast Asia; Citicor Power, a 25-MW project in Silay City; Ne-

gros Island Solar Power, 48-MW and 32-MW farms in Manapla and La Carlota, respectively; and San Carlos Solar Energy, a 45-MW facility, also in San Carlos City.

“We believe that Negros can eventually become an entirely renewable region. If not totally solar, at least a combination of various green energy sources like wind and hydro,” Muni said.

The Department of Energy said the influx of solar power farms in Negros has caused line congestion contributory to frequent interruptions.

“We have to understand that the problem with brownouts in the province is not an issue of generation, but rather an issue of transmission because according to solar experts we lag behind in transmission rehabilitation,” Muni added. PNA

CULINARY. A cooking contest was held at the Kalilang sa Metro held in observance of Eid’l Adha at Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on Friday. Revoli Cortez

Tagum choir wins CSC tilt Real superheroes teach—Estrada

THE Tagum City Chamber Chorale kept their championship title in the 6th Government Chorale Competition held on September 16 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The contest is part of the monthlong celebration of the 116th Anniversary of the Philippine Civil Service this September as sanctioned by the Civil Service Commission.

Tagum’s group won a plaque and a P200,000 cash prize. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez also added another P100,000 cash incentive.

The chorale group composed of regular and casual employees of the local government also bagged the awards for best arrangement of competition song for their rendi-

tion of Joey Ayala’s “Karaniwang Tao” as arranged by John August Pamintuan and best regional entry for Mindanao.

It was also the group’s interpretation of the songs “Pater Noster,” the latin version of the Our Father, and “Dogalen a Mabaso,” a folksong of the Maranao, that captivated the ears of the judges.

Mayor Allan Rellon congratulated the 30-man chorale for bringing honor to the city for the second year, confirming Tagum City’s label as the Music Capital of the South. The Tagum chorale also bagged the championship prize last year in the same competition sanctioned by the Civil Service Commission. PIA

MANILA Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Saturday honored school teachers as “real superheroes,” pledging to give them more incentives in celebration of National Teachers Month.

“Real superheroes don’t wear capes, they teach,” Estrada said.

It is not enough to praise the good deeds and sacrifices of school teachers, he said, since they need all the support they could get in developing globally minded citizens, nurturing families, strengthening communities and building the nation.

“As long as I am the city mayor, I will work hard to provide all the

needs of our dear beloved teachers because they are not in the profession for the income,” he said, acknowledging the crucial role teachers play in shaping the young generation.

During Estrada’s term, the monthly allowance of Manila public school teachers increased from P2,000 to P3,000.

Last April, he distributed computer tablets with installed instructional materials to some 11,000 teachers of Manila to further improve their work.

The mayor also shouldered the expenses for the teachers’ recent leadership training seminars and

conventions, which amounted to P1.14 million.

The city government has also allocated nearly P2 billion to its Special Educational Fund (SEF) for the construction and renovation of school infrastructure and the procurement of educational equipment and supplies.

Former President Benigno Aquino III has declared September 5 to October 5 as National Teachers Month to honor the teaching profession. October 5 is also World Teachers Day as proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. PNA

2nd Brgy Assembly Day set on Oct. 9

By John Paolo Bencito THE country’s more than 42,000 barangays will celebrate the second Barangay Assembly Day this year on October 9, the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced.

The department revealed that the second barangay assembly day will be part of the 25th anniversary of the Local Government Code celebration.

Proclamation 260 issued in 2011 declared the last Saturday of March and the second Sunday of October 2011 and every year thereafter as barangay assembly days.

DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno said the October observance with the theme “Para sa Isang Tunay na Pagbabago, Mag-MASID, Makisali at Makiisa sa Isang Maka-MASAng Asembleya, shall include the discussion of issues affecting the barangay such as the illegal drug problem, the peace and order situation, disaster preparedness and solid waste management, among others.

In a directive, Sueno enjoined barangay officials to discuss their compliance to other DILG memo circulars such as the implementation of the MASA-MASID program of the DILG or Mamamayang Ayaw Sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Iligal na Droga, allocation of a portion of the annual budget for antiillegal drug programs, projects and activities and strengthening of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils.

He said barangay chairmen and their councils are expected to deliver their state of the barangay addresses and present their accomplishments and financial reports for the first semester of 2016.

Sueno also instructed barangay officials to invite members of faith-based groups within the barangay such as the Ugnayanng Barangay at Simbahan, civil society and other community organizations to attend the assembly and rally their support and involvement in project monitoring and evaluation and advocating good local governance.

Barangay officials are also directed to announce the event by hanging posters and banners in conspicuous places like the barangay hall, plaza, main streets, public market or talipapa, or transport terminals. They may also generate participation in the assembly through medical and dental missions, tyangge or bazaars and cultural presentations.

The DILG, through its National Barangay Operations Office (NBOO), spearheads the preparations for the national barangay assembly twice every year.

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

LGUs

ARMM cleans up coastlines O

FFICIALS of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DENRARMM) on Saturday lauded residents of two coastal villages for helping environment workers clean up their shoreline.

RESPONSE. The Mariveles Sangguniang Bayan led by Vice Mayor Lito Rubia held a committee meeting to address the complaints of the homeowners association of Camaya Hills

Subdivision in Barangay Camaya regarding their water supply and some amenities. Councilors Harry Golocan, Tito Catipon, Angel Sunga and Joey Carandang were present. Butch Gunio

Philex, Maynilad cite rescue team

By Dexter A. See TUBA—Philex Mining Corp. and its sister company, Maynilad Water Services Inc., recognized a team of miners and safety personnel from Padcal mine that retrieved the bodies of construction workers who died in a cofferdam in Quezon province when a flash flood swamped their worksite.

“We commend you for your bravery in risking your lives during the rescue operations,” Eulalio Austin Jr., CEO and president of Philex Mining, told the nine-member team in simple ceremonies at the administration grounds of Padcal mine, in Barangay Camp 3, Tuba recently.“You have proved once more your resilience as miners.”

All the members of the awardwinning Philex Rescue Team (PRT), led by Roosevelt Rosalin, manager of Padcal’s safety/ loss control department, received certificates of recognition from Maynilad, a water-services provider to Metro Manila’s West Zone and some parts of Cavite, which also gave them P70,000.

Another cash token of P100,000 was given by Philex Mining.

The rescuers arrived back in Padcal on August 27 after a twoweek search-and-rescue effort and retrieval operations in the town of General Nakar, where the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System was building the 13-kilometer Sumag River Diversion Tunnel and other infrastructure projects.

Abel Wandagan Sr., assistant team leader and underground safety supervisor at the safety/ loss control department, said it was an emotional and dangerous operation for him and his companions because they were friends with some victims and the tunnel was almost full of wa-

ter, giving them very little room for maneuver.

Wandagan revealed that two of the six workers who died were miners in Padcal, which Philex Mining has been operating since 1958. Another dead worker grew up in the Padcal mine camp, where his mother used to teach at the Saint Louis High SchoolPhilex, in Barangay Ampucao, Itogon.

Rosalin said the team retrieved four bodies separately on Aug. 19, 20, 21 and 22 from the diversion tunnel, where the workers were swept from the cofferdam temporarily built by an MWSS contractor building the diversion tunnel in General Nakar’s Sitio Sumag, Barangay Umiray.

He identified the four fatalities as Ferdie Sanadan, Roland Sanchez, Zenith Sicat and Danny Harnois. Sanadan and Harnois were former Philex miners, while Sanchez hailed from Padcal.

Media reports, meanwhile, said last month that pilot Miguel Logronio and aircraft mechanic Jay Gregorio died when bad weather caused their helicopter to crash on August 23 in the mountainous part of Quezon province while they were on their way to fetch the PRT from Sitio Sumag.

The 600-meter Sumag River Diversion Tunnel would connect the Sumag River to the UmirayAngatTransbasin Tunnel, in Bulacan, which leads to the Angat Dam, a concrete reservoir embankment that supplies water to Metro Manila.

The cofferdam, which was built inside the diversion tunnel to give construction workers room to work without interference of water, collapsed on August 13 after it was swamped by a deluge of water brought about by monsoon rains.

Man nabbed for killing woman, 10-year-old son

By Romeo Dizon CAMP OLIVAS—The lone suspect in the killing of a mother and her son was arrested by the police authorities 20 hours after the murder was committed in Lubao, Pampanga recently.

The suspect was identified as Ronnel Canilao, 24, a resident of Barangay San Jose Gumi, Lubao.

Canilao told investigators he was under the influence of alcohol when he committed the crime.

Charges of robbery with homicide and rape with murder are now being prepared against the

suspect by the police authorities.

Canilao, who is known to the victims, killed Jenny Garcia, 41 and her son Dwayne Joss Garcia, 10 years old, after a birthday party held at the residence of the victims in same barangay.

Jenny, a teacher, sustained several stab wounds in different parts of her body while Dwayne succumbed to multiple lacerations in the neck. A bladed weapon was recovered by the police authorities.

Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, PRO in Central Luzon, lauded the Lubao police authorities for the immediate solution of the crime.

Cebu orders firms to install CCTVs

THE Cebu City government will require private establishments, subdivisions and condominiums to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in their premises starting next month to ensure security in the city.

The installation is mandated by Cebu City Ordinance (CO) 2381, known as the CCTV law of the city, which was approved in January 2014. The implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the ordinance were approved in January this year and took effect in May after it was published in local newspapers on April 14.

All businesses required to in-

stall CCTVs were given a 120day grace period, which will lapse by the end of this month.

Among the companies compelled to install the devices are high-risk establishments such as banks, pawnshops, jewelry stores, money courier and wiretransfer firms, hotels, and games and amusement centers.

Other areas considered highrisk are nightclubs, KTV (karaoke television) and resto bars, spas and massage parlors.

Also covered by the IRR are lending companies, money changers, shopping malls, gas stations, coffee shops, internet ca-

fes and retail shops with an annual income of P5 million or higher.

Private schools, hospitals, parking lots, wet and dry markets and factories are also required to install CCTVs. Corresponding penalties will be imposed on violators of the ordinance.

For the first offense, a fine of P2,000 will be meted to managers or operators of business establishments and the homeowners’ association president or representative in the case of residential areas.

A fine of P3,000 and P5,000 will be imposed on second- and thirdtime offenders, respectively. PNA

On Friday, residents of the coastal barangays of Datu Odin Sinsuat and Datu Blah Sinsuat in Maguindanao province also helped inform other villagers of the need to clean their coastlines.

DENR-ARMM officials and employees trooped to the coastal villages and cleaned the 3.6-kilometer shoreline.

An environment official said the cleanup was in support of the environment protection thrusts of ARMM Regional Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

Mayor Datu Ombra Sinsuat of Datu Odin Sinsuat town said the local officials will pass an ordinance to continue the cleanup drive initiated by the DENR. “They used to be uncooperative but were challenged by the sight of outsiders doing the cleaning for them,” said DENR-ARMM regional secretary Forester Kahal Kedtag, who led his staff in the cleanup drive.

Kedtag recalled that villagers came out of their homes with brooms and sticks to remove debris along the coast that attracts excursionists from nearby towns.

Children, mothers and fathers helped collect nonbiodegradable wastes on the beach and in the sea. PNA

POSE. A couple of local tourists take souvenir photos outside the Manila Yacht Club docking pier. Ey Acasio

Domogan slams deferment of demolition BAGUIO CITY—Mayor Mauricio Domogan criticized the officials of the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP) for failing to consult the local government before requesting the deferment of the demolition of the more than 58 illegal structures within the premises of the Baguio-Ifugao-Benguet-ApayaoKalinga (BIBAK) property on Harrison Road.

Domogan said the latest request of the PCUP to defer the demolition of the illegal BIBAK structures scheduled this week without hearing the side of the local government was unfair and unjust because the new set of PCUP officials have been misled into believing the complaints of the informal settlers.

“The matter has already been

passed upon by former PCUP officials and the new set of PCUP officers should have studied the problem before coming out with the deferment request,” he stressed.

While the local government can just ignore the deferment request and pursue the demolition of the illegal structures, the mayor claimed there was still a need for the city to submit its comprehensive answer to the request and argue that the squatters are not registered as members of the urban poor, and that the structures built are being used for business purposes.

Domogan claimed the informal settlers are already confused on what to do because they again filed a petition for a temporary restraining order

before the local courts when a similar petition was earlier dismissed by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 5 that stated that the informal settlers have no right to be in the government property without the appropriate titles to the land and the required building permits for their structures.

According to him, some of the informal settlers have approached him and signified their intention to allow the dismantling of their structures but some of their colleagues disagreed with their plan and instead decided to fight it out with the city through all legal and administrative means.

It can be recalled that no less than PCUP Chairman Herminigildo Panganiban and two com-

missioners conducted an investigation on the reported squatting within the 5,000-square meter property and found that the informal settlers were not members of the urban poor and that the area was a health hazard because it was unsanitary.

Domogan said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ruled on the issue in favor of the local government and it is being fully supported by the Regional Development Council in the Cordillera that passed a resolution supporting the removal of the illegal structures so the place can be used for its prescribed purpose of providing a temporary shelter for students from different parts of the region who study in the city.

Dexter A. See

World

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

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Merkel faces polls setback B

ERLIN―Berlin residents voted in state elections Sunday in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces new gains by the anti-migrant AfD party as a wave of protest voting against her welcome to refugees was expected to hit the hip, multicultural capital.

The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party has mobilized xenophobic and antiIslam sentiment to win opposition seats in nine out of 16 states in Germany and is especially strong in the ex-communist east.

Fresh gains in long-divided Berlin―where the AfD has polled 14 percent, a year ahead of national elections―would spell another setback for Merkel, whose open-door policy brought one million asylum-seekers to Germany last year.

More than 70,000 of them

came to Berlin, most still housed in refugee shelters including the cavernous hangars of the Nazibuilt former Tempelhof airport, once the hub for the Cold Warera Berlin airlift.

Merkel―who was booed with “get lost” cries by right-wing activists at a campaign event with her party’s candidate Frank Henkel this week―conceded that it was hard to reach the “protest voters” who have turned their backs on mainstream parties.

“And still we have to try, again and again, because I think we

must not give up on people who are casting protest votes,” she said on RBB Berlin public radio.

On Saturday, in another tacit acknowledgement of the negative reaction to her migrant policy among some voters, she said she wanted to drop her “we can do it” rallying cry, much used last year to illustrate her welcoming stance on migrants.

“It’s become a simple slogan, an almost meaningless formula,” she told the Wirtschaftswoche financial weekly in an interview, adding: “Some feel provoked [by the expression] which of course was not the idea.”

Polls opened in Berlin at 0600 GMT and are due to close 10 hours later.

A strong showing for the AfD―which was founded, originally as a euro-skeptic fringe party, just over three years ago―

would hurt all major parties and continue a long-term fragmentation of the political spectrum.

Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats have a national majority but in Berlin serve as junior coalition partners to the centre-left Social Democrats of Mayor Michael Mueller, traditionally the strongest party in the city of 3.5 million.

As Mueller has said he does not want to stay in a coalition with the CDU, Merkel’s party may be cast out of the Berlin government altogether while the SPD instead teams up with the ecologist Greens and the far-left Die Linke party.

In a city famously dubbed “poor but sexy” by its previous mayor, the openly gay bon vivant Klaus Wowereit, the election campaign has been dominated not just by migrant policies but

also widespread frustration over poor public services.

With little industry and an above the German average jobless rate of 10 percent, Europe’s techno party capital is chronically broke and known for its crumbling schools, late trains and shambolic city offices.

Often seen as an amusingly chaotic exception in an otherwise orderly and punctual Germany, Berlin became a national laughing stock for a grand airport project that is now five years behind schedule and three times over budget.

A shortage of affordable housing has also become a hot-button issue as property prices and rents have shot up with an influx of 50,000 newcomers every year.

The top candidate meant to fix the mess is the SPD’s Mueller, 51, who took over mid-term

from Wowereit almost two years ago and is now seeking a popular mandate.

His main opponent is the CDU’s Henkel, 52, who is running on a law-and-order platform that has seen mass police raids against anti-capitalist squatters, promises to clear streets and parks of drug dealers and demands to equip police with stun guns.

- ‘Misanthropic, racist’ -As the election has neared, the rise of the AfD has come to the fore again as a top concern, with Henkel telling the hecklers this week that “I can’t stand a party that tolerates racists in its leadership”.

The AfD, breaking a taboo in post-war German politics, has an openly anti-immigration platform, similar to France’s National Front or far-right populists in Austria and the Netherlands. AFP

Syrian troops Putin backers forecast to win in elections attack after coalition strike BEIRUT―Syrian troops counterattacked against the Islamic State group around a key eastern airbase Sunday after a US-led coalition air strike killed scores of soldiers, forcing a retreat, military sources said.

The Pentagon said that coalition pilots had believed they were hitting IS and had halted the raid as soon as Damascus ally Moscow informed commanders that army positions were coming under attack.

But Damascus reacted angrily to the deadly strike, which forced troops to pull back from two strategic hilltops overlooking the besieged airbase on the outskirts of the city of Deir Ezzor.

“The Syrian army has returned to the offensive,” a military source told AFP on Sunday.

“After the American raids, it withdrew from several positions but now it has gone back on the attack.”

A second military source inside Deir Ezzor airbase said that troops had already regained some of the lost ground.

“The army has retaken most of its positions on Jabal Therdeh with Russian and Syrian air support,” the source said, referring to one of the two hills lost on Saturday.

“The two countries’ air forces bombed the area around the airbase, neighborhoods held by the jihadists and the road linking Deir Ezzor to Mayadeen,” an IS-held town 45 kilometers to the southeast, the source added.

Retaking the heights around the airbase is vital for the army as control of them would allow IS to fire on all aircraft trying to take off or land.

The airbase and adjacent government-held neighborhoods of the Deir Ezzor city have been under siege since 2012 and have been dependent on resupply by air.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 30 jihadists were killed in Sunday’s counterattack by the army.

The Britain-based monitoring group said 90 soldiers were killed in Saturday’s air strike, sharply higher than the death toll of 62 given by Moscow on Saturday.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, voiced regret for the loss of life.

“If we determine that we did indeed strike Syrian military personnel, that was not our intention. And we of course regret the loss of life,” she said. AFP

MOSCOW―Russians on Sunday voted in parliamentary polls, with parties loyal to President Vladimir Putin set to maintain their dominance despite the Kremlin making a show of cleaning up the vote after mass protests last time around.

The nationwide elections follow several years of tumult that have seen the country annex Crimea from Ukraine, lurch into its worst stand-off with the West since the Cold War, plunge into economic crisis and launch a military campaign in Syria.

But Putin’s ratings remain high at around 80 percent and, with the Kremlin in tight control of the media and public discourse, authorities appear to be banking on a troublefree vote paving the way for him to cruise to a fourth term as president at polls in 2018.

Despite the dramatic events that have rocked the country, the campaign for the State Duma―widely seen as a rubber-stamp body that has slavishly toed the Kremlin line―was dubbed the most boring in recent memory by observers and high levels of voter apathy suggest that turnout could be low.

“The campaign wasn’t interesting,” said 70-year-old Alexander, voting in Moscow on Sunday morning. “They all promise a lot but they’re treading a familiar path.”

He said he turned out “so that others don’t decide for me,” voting for the small Pensioners’ Party for Justice.

Another elderly voter, 75-yearold Valentina Panteleyeva said she backed the ruling United Russia party because Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin “has done a lot for us.”

Forty-year-old civil servant Svetlana said she voted for pro-business Party of Growth led by the Kremlin’s business ombudsman “because there are people there I respect.”

Polling stations for the vote― which also elects regional leaders in some areas―opened at 8 am across the country’s 11 time zones and will

ELECTIONS. Prisoners vote in Russia’s elections at Moscow’s Butyrka pre-trial detention facility on September 18. AFP close in Russia’s European exclave Kaliningrad at 1800 GMT Sunday.

For the first time residents of the Russia-annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea are among the roughly 110 million voters eligible to cast their ballots for the 450-seat Duma, in polls condemned as illegal by Ukraine.

“I call on you to come to polling stations, to vote, to express your position,” Putin said in a final appeal to voters last week.

“Make your choice, vote for Russia.”

On Saturday, he endorsed ruling party United Russia despite campaigning being banned on the day

before the vote.

“I created United Russia as a party, so there is no commentary needed here,” he said when asked by journalists who he is going to vote for.

United Russia looks set to scoop the largest chunk of the vote ahead of others loyal to the Kremlin like the Communists and the ultra-nationalist Liberal Democratic Party.

But looming large for the authorities is the memory of mass protests that followed the last legislative vote in 2011, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets over evidence of ballot stuffing in the biggest challenge to Putin’s dominance since he took charge in 2000.

17 Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir

CELEBRATION. Guests attend the Opening Celebration Of CATCH LA on September 17, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Turbulence at South African Airways JOHANNESBURG―Spiraling debt, massive losses and a widely-criticized boss.

For many, the problems besetting South African Airways, the stateowned national airline, are emblematic of issues roiling President Jacob Zuma’s government and fueling unease among foreign investors.

SAA is “on the brink of disaster”, Mmusi Maimane, head of the opposition Democratic Alli-

Ingredients for discontent are there again now, with the country mired in the longest recession of Putin’s 16-year rule due to low oil prices and the Western sanctions over Ukraine.

But the Kremlin has cracked down on the right to demonstrate and stoked the nationalism unleashed by the seizure of Crimea and subsequent stand-off with the West to boost its popularity.

In a bid to bolster this vote’s legitimacy the scandal-tainted former election chief was replaced by a human rights advocate who has looked to eliminate the most blatant cases of electoral fraud. AFP

ance party, said in a blunt summary of the situation this week.

The airline was going through “serious challenges, including governance and financial difficulties,” agreed Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, who says that without government support SAA is technically insolvent.

Financial reports presented to parliament on Thursday―some of them two years late―paint a

grim picture: in 2014-2015, the airline made a 4.7-billion-rand ($330-million) loss.

While the scale of the problem is beyond question, the cause of the rot is subject to fierce political debate.

Gordhan this month approved an application for a loan guarantee worth 4.7 billion rand―bringing the total in state guarantees to the airline up to 19 billion rand―with

a strict list of requirements.

“It will not be business as usual,” said Gordhan, who is seen as engaged in a battle with Zuma over the treasury’s control of economic policy.

SAA has been compelled to publish its overdue annual reports, name a chief financial officer as the position was vacant since November, close unprofitable routes and aggressively cut costs. AFP

SRINAGAR―Heavily armed militants killed 17 soldiers in a pre-dawn raid Sunday on an army base in Indian-administered Kashmir, the worst such attack for years in the disputed Himalayan region.

The rebels attacked the army brigade headquarters housing hundreds of soldiers in the town of Uri, close to the de facto border with Pakistan. They were armed with grenades and automatic rifles, an army official said on condition of anonymity.

Four militants were also killed during the gun battle with security forces that saw tents and other temporary shelters for the soldiers catch fire, the army said in a statement.

The encounter resulted in “heavy casualties. We salute the sacrifice of 17 soldiers who were martyred in the operation,” the statement said.

The raid was the worst such attack for many years in the territory, where an armed rebellion against Indian rule erupted in 1989.

Rebels stormed an army camp in the Uri area in Decem-

ber 2014, killing 11 soldiers and police officers.

Soldiers are now searching the base, 100 kilometers west of the region’s main city of Srinagar, for any more militants, the statement said.

Several injured soldiers have been airlifted to a military hospital in Srinagar, according to an army officer. Large numbers of soldiers are stationed at Uri after finishing their tour of duty of the disputed Muslim-majority region.

The region is in the grip of deadly unrest that has lasted for more than two months. Protesting residents are clashing almost daily with security forces in the worst such violence since 2010.

At least 87 civilians have been killed and thousands injured in the protests against Indian rule, sparked by the killing of a popular rebel leader in a gun battle with soldiers on July 8.

The government has been coming under growing pressure over the level of casualties during the protests and over the security forces’ use of shotguns loaded with pellets which can blind demonstrators. AFP

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

World

SNATCHERS. This photo taken on September 15, 2016, shows seagulls stealing chips from a harbor-side restaurant table in Sydney. The silver gulls, a native Australian species, have become aggressive towards diners at harborside restaurants and beaches, with diners complaining that the birds snatch food from their plates while they are eating. AFP

Explosion hurts 27 in New York N

EW YORK―A deliberate explosion rocked one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of New York on Saturday night, injuring 29 people, one seriously, a week after America’s financial capital marked the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The blast occurred in Chelsea around 8:30 pm on West 23rd Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, at a typically bustling time of the weekend in an area packed with bars, restaurants and luxury apartment blocks.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said there was no known link to terror at this stage, albeit as police investigated 27th Street for

a reported secondary device, scrambling to reassure the city’s 8.4 million residents.

The explosion comes two days before world leaders led by President Barack Obama gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, a time when parts of Manhattan grind to a standstill under draconian security measures.

“There is no evidence at this point of a terror connection to

this incident, this is preliminary information,” de Blasio told a late-night news conference.

“There is no specific and credible threat against New York City at this point in time, from any terror organization,” he added.

AFP reporters saw a massive police presence at the crime scene, where they were joined

by FBI and counter-terrorism squads, as police helicopters circled overhead and sirens wailed.

Obama was “apprised” of the explosion and would receive updates on the situation as they become available, a White House official said.

Of the 29 people who sustained injuries, 24 have been taken to hospital with various degrees of

scrapes and abrasions from glass and metal, said Fire Department commissioner Daniel Nigro.

Witnesses living three blocks away told AFP they heard a large boom from their fifth floor apartment, followed by quiet, then the sound of sirens.

A photograph shared by New York’s local NY1 television station showed shattered glass in a doorway, apparently caused by the blast. CNN and ABC television said an apparent pressure cooker device was also found at 27th Street.

Public officials were tightlipped on the cause of the blast, saying it was still under investigation but confirmed it had not been a gas leak. AFP

Man stabs eight in Minnesota mall WASHINGTON―A man making “some references to Allah” stabbed and injured eight people in a shopping mall in the US state of Minnesota Saturday night, before being shot dead by an off-duty officer, police said.

The suspect “asked at least one person if they were Muslim before he assaulted them,” Blair Anderson, the police chief in the city of St. Cloud where the attack took place, told journalists.

But he emphasized that the assailant’s motivation remained unclear and said “whether that was a terrorist attack or not, I’m not willing to say that right now because we just don’t know.”

The attack came as 29 people were injured in a deliberate explosion in a busy New York neighborhood Saturday. Mayor Bill de Blasio said there was no known link to terror at this stage.

Anderson said the armed suspect entered the Crossroads Center mall in St. Cloud―a city of about 67,000 people some

Illegal loggers sparing forests

Aleppo turning to perilous fuels ALEPPO―In a destroyed building in Syria’s Aleppo, neighbors Abu Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrahim desperately rummaged through rubble and debris in search of scraps of plastic to turn into fuel.

Residents of the rebel-held eastern districts of the city have struggled to keep their cars running or their electricity on since government forces first besieged their neighborhoods this summer.

“There’s no more fuel on the market, no heating oil, no petrol, no gas,” said Abu Ahmed, 40.

“So we’ve decided to turn to alternatives,” he added, with plastic as the raw material in a dangerous and primitive process of extracting fuel to fire up electricity generators.

Fierce clashes south of Aleppo this summer damaged the only power plant that served eastern parts of the city, leaving

250,000 residents without electricity since July.

In their native Sakhur district, Abu Ahmed and Mohammed packed plastic objects into black barrels, which were then sealed and heated on a wooden fire.

The plastic melts and produces a gas that is piped and cooled, resulting in a yellow liquid used as diesel by the desperate residents of eastern Aleppo.

“We found out about this by looking on the Internet and seeing how residents of Ghouta produce diesel, so we are copying them,” Abu Ahmed said, referring to another rebel-controlled and besieged area near Damascus.

Food and fuel shortages have combined to make life a daily grind for residents of Aleppo, where many districts have to survive on three hours of generator-powered electricity a day -- and some make do with none at all. AFP

ARRIVAL. US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive on stage during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Phoenix Awards Dinner on September 17 in Washington, DC. AFP

Cannabis brings new hope to crumbling US city ADELANTO―Two years ago, the city of Adelanto, a crumbling outpost in California’s Mojave desert, was facing a bleak future as it teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and struggled with double-digit unemployment.

“We were about to vanish, to be incorporated into another

city,” says councilman John “Bug” Woodard Jr. “The place was dying and in total despair.”

Today, however, the oncedesolate town is firmly back on the map, having joined a handful of communities in California in embracing large-scale commercial cannabis cultivation―a

110 km northwest of Minneapolis―and attacked at least eight people.

The lone suspect was wearing a private security uniform and had at least one knife, and “made some references to Allah,” the police chief said.

“That suspect was confronted by an off-duty police officer and summarily shot and killed,” he said.

Anderson said the eight people injured were taken to a hospital, where one is expected to remain.

The suspect had a history of minor traffic violations, Anderson said, adding that police do not currently have reason to believe the attack was connected to any other incident.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said she had been briefed about the Minnesota stabbing as well as Saturday’s explosions in New York and a pipe bomb blast hours earlier in a trash can in New Jersey in which no one was injured. AFP

move that smells of success as the state prepares to vote in November on legalizing the use of recreational marijuana.

Though California already allows the use of medical marijuana, the initiative to fully legalize the drug―seen as likely to succeed― is expected to transform the most

populous state in the US and one of the world’s largest economies into a new epicenter for cannabis, bringing in billions in revenue.

According to the Arcview Group, a cannabis investment and research firm based in California, medical and recreational marijuana sales are expected to

more than double to $6.5 billion in the Golden State by 2020 if the drug becomes fully legal after November.

Nationwide, the legal cannabis market―which stood at about $5.7 billion in 2015―is projected to reach more than $23 billion by 2020, according to Arcview. AFP

SUKADA, Indonesia―The forest around Manjau in Borneo once reverberated with the scream of chainsaws, as gangs of illegal loggers felled ancient hardwood trees for sale to timber merchants downstream.

But many loggers in the remote Indonesian village are hanging up their chainsaws in return for affordable health care, through a community incentive scheme that aims to save lives and protect Borneo’s fragile rain forests.

This strategy is set to be rolled out elsewhere in Indonesia, where impoverished communities often reliant on illegal industries for survival are putting enormous strain on the environment.

In western Borneo, where the approach was first pioneered, logging had long been the lifeblood of many communities, providing quick cash whenever it was desperately needed for weddings or health emergencies A single Bornean ironwood―a rare, slow-growing giant prized for its durable timber―could fetch hundreds of dollars at a lumber mill, a small fortune for local villagers. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

SIP & SAVOR

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

D1

Namban teishoku (fried chicken steak in sweet and sour sauce)

THE JOYCE OF EATING JOYCE BABE PAÑARES

I

N 1886, as the Meiji restoration opened Japan to the world, the first Yayoi-ken restaurant was set up by Tamijiro Shioi in Tokyo’s Kayaba-cho area.

Serving superb Western cuisine at only one yen per set, the much-loved restaurant introduced a brand new food culture to the Japanese people.

Many high-level government officials dined at Yayoi-ken, including one of the founders of the Japanese Imperial Army, General Iwao Oyama.

More than a century later, Shioi’s greatgrandson Tatsuo Shioi now runs Plenus Company Ltd. established in 1976 and one of Japan’s largest food service companies now. Plenus operates a total of about 3,000 restaurants, of which more than 400 are branches of its Yayoi brand.

Whereas the original Yayoi-ken carried Western dishes, the first modern Yayoi branch in Tokyo introduced the teishoku – Japan’s popular set meals – to the rest of the world, with presence in Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, and the United States. In March this year, it opened its first branch in the United States in Palo Alto, California, bringing the total number of Yayoi restaurants worldwide to 452.

And last week, Plenus opened its first Yayoi restaurant in the Philippines, a franchise at SM Megamall run by managing directors Yvonne Yao and Jacqueline Gobling. The duo tried Yayoi for the first time during a visit to Fukuoka a few years back.

“We have always been passionate about food, and we believe Yayoi offers authentic, flavorful Japanese cuisine and we are very excited about it,” Gobling said.

“Our target is to open 15 branches over the next five years. Yayoi is such a big hit in Japan, and we are confident it will be received well here, too,” Yao said, adding that Yayoi-Philippines’ second branch at SM Mall of Asia is set to open early next year, signaling their aggressive expansion in the country.

Teishoku dining is based on the ichijū-sansai (one soup, three sides) traditional meals offered at Zen temples, which include a main dish, soup, rice, and pickles. The concept eventually spread throughout Japan and transformed into the convenient meal sets found at local eateries and restaurants such as Yayoi today.

“A teishoku set combines a variety of individual items and dishes for complete and well-balanced nutrition. It is also served fast, so if you are a businessman who is in a hurry but wants to eat good food, you can just grab a chair here at Yayoi,” Yao said.

Juicy hamburger steak drizzled with teriyaki sauce and topped with shimeji mushrooms, served with rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables

One Soup,

Three Sides, and An iPad Yao said a set meal at Yayoi (which guests order from an Ipad menu) usually takes 15 minutes to serve.

Among Yayoi’s bestsellers are the namban teishoku (fried chicken steak in sweet and sour sauce topper with the restaurant’s own tartar sauce); mix toji teishoku (breaded pork loin, fried shrimp, and sukiyaki beef simmered in special sauce and egg); saba shio teishoku (salt-grilled mackerel); sukiyaki teishoku (beef hot-pot with assorted vegetables served with udon noodles); and hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice served with a side of dashi broth, Nagoya-style).

(However, and maybe because they were jampacked on their opening day, invited guests had to wait for more than 30 minutes for their meals.

The slow-cooked egg that was supposed to be served as alternative dip for the sukiyaki beef was also overcooked. Birth pains.)

Yayoi also has side dishes that can be ordered a la carte, including asari sakamuchi (fresh clams steamed in sake); edamame (lightly boiled salted soybeans); tamago yaki (Japanese-style omelette roll); and ontama salad (mixed greens

topped with parmesan cheese, slow-cooked egg and served with either sesame, Ceasar or shoyubased vinaigrette dressing). For dessert, one can try their matcha anmitsu (green tea ice cream with azuki beans and fruit cocktail served with black sugar syrup) or ohagi (steamed sticky rice ball smothered in sweet azuki beans).

But perhaps the real star of Yayoi’s teishoku meals is the humble Japanese rice – the kinme variety, which is refined using a new milling method and is said to be white rice with all the benefits of brown rice. The new technology removes the husk but maintains the important fiber and proteins, thus one can enjoy the sweet, rich taste of white rice while benefiting from the abundant nutrients of brown rice.

Yayoi accounts for over one percent of all of Japan’s rice consumption, and Plenus has built a research and development facility dedicated solely to its kinme rice. And as the younger Shioi said in a previous interview: Without rice, there is no teishoku.

For feedback, send comments to joyce.panares@gmail.com

Matcha anmitsu (green tea ice cream with azuki beans and fruit cocktail)

Mix toji teishoku (breaded pork loin, fried shrimp and sukiyaki beef simmered in special sauce and egg)

Carmen’s Best helps you to move on, have bourbon for breakfast

Samples of Carmen’s Best’s He’s Not Worth It, Secret Breakfast, Turkish Baklava, Vietnamese Coffee and Milk Tea ice cream flavors

WHEN high-end ice cream label Carmen’s Best was established five years ago, it only had four flavors—Malted Milk, Butter Pecan, Brazilian Coffee and Salted Caramel—which, for a starting lineup, were rather unconventional.

Today, Francisco “Paco” Magsaysay’s ice cream brand has over 40 flavors—most of which are unique. There’s also the classic Dark Chocolate and Strawberry variants, among others.

One intriguing flavor is He’s Not Worth It. Launched only a year ago, this Mississippi mudpie-inspired ice cream was created when Magsaysay spoke with a group of girls in a coffee shop. He related that one of the girls shared how she ate three pints of ice cream when she broke up with her boyfriend.

Magsaysay then asked the girl what flavor he should concoct. She answered, “It has to be chocolate and has to have a lot of syrup.” The “post-breakup” ice cream flavor was then born.

“Each of our ice cream has a story, we don’t just come up with the flavor that we don’t really like or there’s no connection to us,” says Magsaysay.

He’s Not Worth It is one of the three Carmen’s Best Ice Cream that Magsaysay wants to “highlight.”

“Why do I say highlight? It’s because when I talk to people, many don’t know that we have those flavors and I always assume that people check the website for the different flavors, but apparently they don’t check them as much,” explains the ice cream founder.

Also featured are Secret Breakfast and Turkish Baklava.

Secret Breakfast was inspired by Magsaysay’s favorite Secret Breakfast ice cream of the Humphry Slocombe ice cream parlor in San Francisco, USA. This flavor is made of popular breakfast item, corn flakes, with a surprise kick courtesy of generous amount of bourbon.

Turkish Baklava, on the other hand, was inspired by Magsaysay’s favorite treat in college, the Middle Eastern dessert baklava.

Carmen’s Best’s Turkish Baklava incorporates melt-in-your-mouth chunks of this paper-thin filo pastry with nuts and honey. According to Magsaysay, the Filipino who makes the baklava used in their ice cream is a housewife living in Istanbul, Turkey.

Magsaysay also introduced two new Carmen’s Best Ice Cream flavors inspired

by popular beverages: Vietnamese Coffee and Milk Tea. Vietnamese Coffee ice cream is just how Vietnamese coffee is served: made with Vietnamese coffee beans and condensed milk. Magsaysay says the staff that makes this flavor was trained by a Vietnamese national on how to properly steep the coffee beans before mixing it into the ice cream.

Meanwhile, the Milk Tea ice cream flavor reignites Filipinos’ love for milk tea— which swept the nation a few years ago.

Magsaysay’s business was named after his only daughter, Carmen, now 18 years old.

“We started five years ago, so we started the ice cream when she was 13.

I remember about a year after we incorporated Carmen’s Best, we were having breakfast, and I told her, ‘Oh by the way, I incorporated a company named Carmen’s Best’,” shared Magsaysay.

Carmen thought her father was joking.

Since then, Carmen’s Best continues to grow and is now available in most supermarkets nationwide, served in three restaurants in Hong Kong, and offered at all Philippine Airlines’ business class longhaul flights. Michelle Buencamino

Life

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

‘Jewel in the Palace’

star is Hurom Slow Juicer ambassador

L

EE YOUNG-AE is back. Filipinos might know her better as Dae Jang Geum, the character she plays in Jewel in the Palace. It was the first Korean teleserye that captured the hearts of Filipinos everywhere started a trend that continues to this day. After the tremendous success of this series, Young Ae chose to step back from the limelight, but this year she is returning to a new drama, which has caused much excitement in the entertainment world and among her fans. Along with her acting comeback, she has become the ambassador of Hurom Slow Juicer.

“I’ve used Hurom for a long time and I feel better and healthier than before,” declares Young-Ae. “There are two ways to make a juice, blending and slow squeezing. To get more nutrition, I love to use Hurom’s slow-squeezing method.

Because when you squeeze ingredients slowly, it maximizes nutrition.”

With the new production currently underway, she’s definitely going to need it. Young-Ae is starring in Saimdang, the Herstory, a historical drama that will flit back and forth between past and present. She plays the titular character Saimdang, who was a poet and artist in the Joseon dynasty as well as another character, a modern-day historian who investigates the life of Saimdang. It is set to air in Korea in October.

When she retired from showbiz a decade ago, she concentrated on home life.

Being a health conscious mom, she has extended this to her household. “I make fruit and veggie juice with Hurom for myself and my family. My kids don’t like fruits and vegetables,” she admits, which

Hurom is more than just a juicer.

Depending on the model, there are many preparations you can do with Hurom such as almond milk, and yes, like Young Ae’s mother, you can even make fresh noodles. The third generation’s 2016 New Hurom HAA-Series even has an attachment where you can make healthy pure fruit sherbets and ice cream.

Young-Ae has one of the most beautiful and ageless faces in Korea.

She is as well known for her beauty as she is for her charity. Recently, she donated $50000.00 to the earthquake victims in Ecuador and also paid for a Vietnamese child’s brain tumor s u r g e r y.

Truly beautiful inside and out, she is also a U NESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural

is a common problem among parents. “But if I make fruit and veggie juice with Hurom, they love it.”

In a commercial that aired on Korean TV, Young Ae is shown juicing apples and carrots on a Hurom juicer for her son, and he drinks it up happily, none the wiser that it’s packed with nutrition. In other ads she is seen holding a juicing party with friends and another one, where she pours her fresh juice in bottles and takes them to work. “I make different juices every day,” she says referring to Hurom recipe book.

“But my mom loves to make soy noodle The new Hurom HAAwith the Hurom slow series lets users make fruit juicer.” sherbets and ice cream

Oliviers&Co.’s

This form of liquid gold tastes of grassy artichoke, green apple, and a touch of cucumber harvested from 100 percent Frantoio olives exclusive to Montespertoli near Florence.

From the Guadalaquirir valley in Spain, the Castillo de Canena was born from Picual olives in the Jaén province, fed by the waters of a flowing river by the family property. A mere 1000 liters were produced of this limited edition olive oil that has an intense flavor with aromatic notes of fresh grass and mustard. This oil perfectly matches the flavors of a homecooked chicken meal paired with potatoes, artichokes, and eggplants.

Similar to the art of bottling fine wine, Oliviers&Co. practices this act of romantic expression into its Grand Cru collection. A Capela Dos Olivais hails from Madural, Verdeal and Cobrancosa olives. Its floral taste works perfectly with desserts, such as a warm apple pie or strawberry sorbet. The Veralda from Croatia contains grassy notes of cypress and tomato leaf ideally paired with a pork tomato dish and green salads, while the Mayol is a floral-tasting oil made from the Palma de Majorque in Baleares Island, with notes of tea leaves and flowers suitable for a delicately flavored jasmine rice.

Discover the extraordinary flavors and fragrances of the 2016 Olive Oils now available in all Oliviers&Co. boutiques.

O r gan ization) ambassador.

With all of this activity and her foray back into the business, how does she keep healthy and fit? “Drinking Hurom juice, that’s my health secret,” she says with a smile.

Hurom Slow Juicers are available at Abenson, Anson Link, Duty Free, Gourdo’s, Rustan’s, Landmark, Metro Gaisano, Royal Duty Free, S&R, SM Appliance, SM Home, True Value, and Western Appliances.

To learn more about Hurom Slow Juicers, visit www. hurom.com, follow @HuromPHofficial on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or contact directly to hotlines (02) 926-8038 or 926-8009.

Freeze moments with the new McFreeze

finest harvest yet this year OLIVIERS&CO., the renowned France-based olive oil company that’s been elevating Filipino dishes in kitchens nationwide, introduces this year’s harvest that celebrates the culinary art.

Amassing to its already noble catalog of gourmet olive oils, condiments and seasonings, the 2016 Olive Oil Collection carries more than 25 exceptional Grand Cru olive oils, 16 of which hits the shelves of Oliviers&Co. boutiques in the Philippines located at Central Square, Bonifacio High Street and Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center.

Freshly harvested from olive groves located throughout the Mediterranean, the ingredients are sourced by its rigor and uncompromising standards, distinct in flavor origins and profiles.

Oliviers&Co. hasn’t produced a more exceptional collection that offers an artist’s pallet of aromas and flavors in over 10 years, rendering this Grand Cru the crème de la crème.

The Rameaux D’Or or The Gold Harvest, highlights the perfected crafts stemming from the hard work of passionate olive oil producers. These precious elixirs spring from premium quality ingredients selected from the renowned olive groves located in Tuscany. Notably, the Il Fornacino is a Gold Medal Winner at the New York International Olive Oil Competition for 2016.

Korean actress Lee Young-Ae reveals that drinking Hurom juice is her health secret

O&CO’s extra virgin olive oil

The 2016 Grand Cru olive oil collection

Oliviers&Co (O&CO) is exclusively distributed by Specialty Food Retailers, Inc. (SFRI), a member of The SSI Group, Inc.

CUSTOMERS all over the country can now experience a refreshing twist to their favorite soft drinks as McFreeze is now available in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Select stores nationwide offer McFreeze in its two flavors, Frozen Coke and Frozen Royal.

The delicious and refreshing taste of McFreeze gives off a light feeling and leaves room for more.

Both f lavors are sure to complement feel-good moments that Filipinos want to cherish.

Available during breakfast and regular hours, McFreeze can help customers hold on to their favorite light-hearted moments, whether enjoyed on its own or with the limited-time offer Shake Shake Fries in BBQ, Creamy Cheddar, or the newest flavor, Garlic Butter.

Sip a McFreeze and share your story on McDo PH on Facebook, or tag @ McDo_PH on Twitter or Instagram.

For the list of stores that offer McFreeze, visit www.mcdonalds.com.ph/ content/page/mcfreeze.

D3

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

T

HIS month, GMA Network brings to light another one-of-akind Afternoon Prime series that will forge a connection with the hearts of the televiewers with Oh, My Mama!

Showbiz scion Inah de Belen (third from right) in her first staring role as Maricel Reyes in ‘Oh, My Mama!’

This series is the TV adaptation of the 1981 movie with the same title headlined

by Diamond Star Maricel Soriano. It tells the story of a teenager who suddenly takes on the role of a mother to five street children while in search for her father’s love.

Newest Kapuso leading lady Inah de Belen takes up the challenge on playing her first lead role as she breathes life to Maricel Reyes, a 17-yearold teenager who longs for the affection of her dad. As she searches for her father, Maricel crosses paths with a syndicate group that kidnaps children to be used as beggars.

To date, this is the most challenging role for Inah since she is tackling a mother role.

“My role is very challenging kasi I’m going to deal with kids and I should learn how to act like a mother. My character also is searching for the love of her parent. So yung irony niya, kailangan ko maipakita.

Even if I feel pressured, I can use that. That’s my motivation since I want challenge,” she shared.

Adding color to her journey is the arrogant Julio Sta. Ana portrayed by Jake Vargas, who will help Maricel and the children escape the faction and will help Maricel in raising them up.

Extraordinary story

of love and family For the Kapuso actor, he cannot contain his excitement to take on his role since it is another milestone for him. “I am excited to play Julio kasi bago ito sa akin. Offbeat yung role ko rito kasi maangas ang character ko at member ako ng sindikato. Wala akong takot gumawa ng mga masasamang bagay and then eventually magiging tatay-tatayan ako ng mga bata,” Jake said.

Completing the love triangle is Jeric Gonzales who plays Zach Ynares, a chick magnet who will fall in love with Maricel.

Jeric shares that he is thrilled

to represent a role that’s completely different to his personality. “Challenge sa akin maging si Zach kasi mayabang siya rito at mayaman. Malayo kasi sa personality ko yun. But at the same time, looking forward ako to work kasi it’s a whole new adventure for me. At tsaka masaya akong katrabaho silang lahat,” the Kapuso actor said.

Joining them are versatile actors Gladys Reyes as Inday Bartolome; Ryan Eigenmann as Efren Ynares; Epi Quizon as Gordon Reyes; Yul Servo as Robert Reyes; Francine Prieto as Patricia Ynares; Arthur

Solinap as Rick Rosales; Eunice Lagusad as Sara Bartolome; Ash Ortega as Ariana Gutierrez; Phytos Ramirez as Justin; Jenny Miller as Sabrina Cruz.

Adding star power to this series is the special participation of seasoned actress Sheryl Cruz as Julia Domingo.

The five kids who will become Inah’s children in the series are Therese Malvar as Peewee; Jhiz Deocareza as Bayani; Bryce Eusebio as Bimbo; Sofia Pablo as Nicole and David Remo as Tito.

Find out the adventures of Maricel as she continues to

search for the affection of her father. Can Maricel accomplish her role as a mother to the children despite her young age?

Catch the unique story of Maricel in Oh, My Mama!, Monday to Friday, beginning today after Eat Bulaga on GMA Afternoon Prime.

Get the latest updates about Oh, My Mama! from the official Facebook page of GMA Drama www.facebook. com/GMADrama, twitter account @GMADrama and the GMA Network website www.

GMANetwork.com.

Jake Vargas as Julio Sta. Ana, an arrogant young man who has a soft heart for young kids

Max says Carla won’t mind her love scenes with Tom MAX Collins believes that Carla Abellana would not mind her intimate scenes with the former’s real-life boyfriend Tom Rodriguez in their new GMA soap opera titled, Someone to Watch over Me, which also stars Lovi Poe. “We’re not close but whenever our paths cross at various showbiz functions or on the hallways of GMA, Carla and I greet each other,” she says. “I know that she’s professional and is aware that it’s just pure work.

Doing those delicate scenes with Tom is part of the job, so to speak. This early, I assure that she has nothing to be worried about. One look at Carla and I had a feeling that she’s a smart and open-minded individual. An actress herself, I’m certain that she won’t get jealous or mad because of this.”

Tom informed her that everything’s okay with Carla.

In fact, she is supportive of their new prime time offering.

“Yes, he told me that! Coming from him, it felt a lot easier.

At least, I’m more at peace

now. Definitely, I don’t want to have any problem with Carla.

I’m happy to know that she is supportive of our show. Perhaps, one of these days, when we get to bump into each other once more, I will personally extend my gratitude to her.”

When it comes to her own love life, the 24-year-old star is more at ease now after her admittance that she’s in a fouryear relationship with Kapuso hunk Pancho Magno.

“It’s really different now that we made it public. Before, we were denying. We just always said that we were exclusively dating. But at this point, it feels much better. In the first place, we’re proud of our relationship.”

What does she like best about her boyfriend?

“You know, he creates an impression that he’s a snob or boastful but in truth, Pancho’s a very nice guy, inside and out.”

Any wedding plans?

“Oh, not at this point I suppose!

Pancho and I aren’t ready yet to start a family. For one, we still have dreams to fulfill, career-

wise. We’re thankful that we have respective workloads as of now. Our schedules are busy. So, we focus more on that.”

The lovely star has a good reason why she prioritizes her job as of now.

“I’m helping my family, and

From left: TOFARM’s Rommel Cunanan, Trustee and former Program Director of NAMCYA, Ms. Luchi Roque, TOFARM’s Chief Advocate Dr. Milagros O. How, Ballet Philippines’ Jed Balsamo and former music director of the PPO, Oliver Ochanine

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, September 19, 2016

ACROSS 1 Skillful 5 “— Street Blues” 10 Single time 14 1939 Lugosi role 15 Beatles song, e.g.

16 Cheer on 17 Pasta-sauce brand 18 Weather prognosticator (2 wds.)

20 Rims 22 Snoop 23 Ticket info 24 Bridge expert 26 Building boom cause?

27 Growled 30 Trying 34 Makes a new offer 35 Orbison and Acuff 36 Trail behind 37 “There’ll be — — time ...”

38 Steinway product 40 Insult 41 Herr in Madras 42 Linoleum square 43 Clean one’s desk 45 Throb 47 Mustiest

48 It has long arms 49 Too big a hurry 50 It won’t hold water 53 Helium or neon 54 Walking — — 58 Weeds, wild shrubs, etc.

61 Eat graciously 62 Centurion’s route 63 Tendon 64 Wednesday’s god 65 Large amounts 66 Impatient 67 Appraise DOWN 1 Kind of straits 2 Mild oath 3 80-day traveler 4 John Wayne classic (2 wds.)

5 Accept an ovation 6 Split to join 7 Festoon 8 Floating flower 9 Cave-dwelling fish 10 Moons’ tracks 11 Denials 12 Ember 13 To be, to Balzac 19 Pulls hard

21 25 26 27 28

Pancho knows that! I want to secure their future first before I attend to my personal happiness.

I admire my boyfriend for his understanding when it comes to this aspect. So, we don’t really need to rush things,” ends Max. *****

Auction shout Lull Tests for parts Get a grip on Hindu statesman 29 Seething 30 Na+ or Cl31 Stan’s cohort 32 Handles roughly 33 Marsh stalker 35 Funny Charlotte — 39 Dot in the Seine 40 Grandeur 42 Candle

44 Its HQ is Brussels 46 Pack rats 47 Mouths off 49 Frequent often 50 Interview wear 51 A big fan of 52 TV genie portrayer 53 Toothy smile 55 Verdi opus 56 — — for the money 57 Mr. Magritte 59 Youth org.

60 Road map info

After the highly-successful ToFarm Film Festival comes the maiden ToFarm Songwriting Competition. As part of her continuous quest in creating awareness and recognition for her advocacy in agriculture, Dr. Milagros How, executive vice president of Universal Harvester, Inc., is so proud to find another medium that is geared towards said goal.

“Filipinos are born with an innate musical talent.

Our OPMs are written from the heart in both lyrics and tune as we portray lives and everyday experiences through songs. Music is a universal language. Our songs contain and express our emotions, dreams, ambitions, frustrations, struggles and triumphs. With the musical compositions that we will harvest in the first ToFarm Songwriting tilt, we hope to discover musical wonders that would highlight the diligence, hard work, perseverance, resilience, tenacity and optimism of our

local farmers,” she avers.

With its theme, “Planting the Seeds of Change”, the competition is open to all amateur and professional songwriters.

Entries will be accepted from September 10 to November 18, 2016.

“We encourage them to come up with different song genres, but not limited to folk/acoustic, rock, jazz, R & B, country, pop, inspirational and fusion,” states. Rommel Cunanan, project director. “Nine grand finalists will be chosen by the screening committee which will be announced on Dec. 5. The winning entries will be assigned to an arranger and performing artist for live performance onstage at the Finals Night on Feb. 6, 2017.”

Attractive prizes await the winners.

“The 2nd runner-up will get P100,000 while the 1st runnerup, P200,000 and the Grand Winner, a whopping P300,000.

Each finalist will automatically receive P40,000 and a plaque.

We also have a People’s Choice award that will be given P75,000!” adds Dr. How.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

Showbiz HEROIC OUTLAW.

Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes is a highly skilled archer in the local adaption of Robin Hood

Megan Young plays Alyas Robin Hood’s love interest in the new series

The

king is back on primetime

Andrea Torres is Venus, Alyas Robin Hood’s partner in his quest for justice and truth

K

APUSO Primetime King Dingdong Dantes is back on TV as he headlines GMA Network’s newest series Alyas Robin Hood beginning tonight. The series dramatically showcases an inspiring truth that in each one of us is a hero, able to be of service for the welfare of other people.

A combination of action, drama, adventure and comedy, Alyas Robin Hood revolves around the life of Pepe de Jesus (Dingdong), a man who finds absolution in doing service to his community. Known to be a prodigal son-turned-bar passer-turned-urban poor advocate, Pepe was framed up for the murder of his own father and was put behind bars. Believed to have perished after a violent prison break, Pepe searches for the real culprit of the devastating death of his father and at the same time he redeems his own name under an assumed identity, Alyas Robin Hood.

With the help of a few people he trusts, Pepe as Alyas Robin Hood mediates to prevent crimes from happening, thus helping the oppressed as he

slowly finds out the truth about who his real enemies are.

Dingdong will surely hook the viewers onto their TV screens as he embodies Alyas Robin Hood while doing action-packed scenes.

Meanwhile, the Kapuso actor shared his excitement to depict his new character that aims to give inspiration.

“Maganda ‘yung feeling na nagiging part ka ng pagsolve ng isang problem sa lugar ninyo, tumutulong ka sa community. Pero ang mas mahalaga, siyempre, ay ‘yung paghahanap sa katotohanan. I think, isa ‘yun sa main na gustong ma-achieve ng character sa kuwento—malaman kung saan nagmula, sino ang may kagagawan ng lahat. Medyo komplikado.”

Apart from portraying another striking performance, he also shares his enthusiasm to work with the country’s esteemed actors to date. “Ang gagaling ng mga kasama ko dito. Mula sa international best actors and actresses, talagang mga mahal ko sa industriya ang makakasama ko dito. Understatement ang excited. Sobrang inspired ako ngayon.”

Alyas Robin Hood also stars Kapuso actress Andrea Torres and 2013 Miss World Megan Young.

In the beginning of Pepe’s journey, he will meet the love of his life, Sarri Acosta (Megan), a pediatrician who shares the same values with him in helping out the less fortunate. However, because of the murder allegation, Pepe is shunned in Sarri’s life.

Along the way, he also encounters Venus (Andrea), who tries to help him in his quest for justice and truth. Pepe, in return, will intuitively make her change her point of view when it comes to stealing and being selfish.

Joining them are respected TV and movie actors: seasoned actress Ms. Cherie Gil as Maggie Balbuena, Dean’s mother who is a powerful PR practitioner who dreams of lording over the city by supporting the political aspirations of his son; award-winning actor Sid Lucero as Dean Balbuena, a corrupt politician who is responsible for the death of Pepe’s father and Pepe’s arch rival with Sarri; and 2016 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Ms. Jaclyn Jose as Judy de Jesus, Pepe’s understanding mother.

The show also features the special participation of multiawarded actor Christopher “Boyet” De Leon as Jose de Jesus, Pepe’s father who from early on tried to teach his sons to avoid conflicts.

Playing equally vital roles in the series are Paolo Contis as Daniel Acosta, Sarri’s older brother and an honest and incorruptible police officer; Gary Estrada as Caloy, Pepe’s older brother; Dennis Padilla as Wilson Chan, a casino businessman who is also Maggie’s partner in her dream for his son’s political career; John Feir as Armando Estanislao, a businessman who deals in seemingly shady business but is actually legit and generous; Tanya Gomez as Adelita Mayuga, a corrupt barangay captain who is one of Wilson’s pawns in the city; Gio Alvarez as Jerico Sumilang, Pepe’s best friend; Lindsay de Vera as Lizzy de Jesus, Pepe’s niece and a daughter to Caloy and Judy; Dave Bornea as Julian Balbuena, Maggie’s second child and Dean’s half-brother and Caprice Cayetano as Jessica Sumilang, Jerico’s daughter. Completing the powerhouse cast are Rey “PJ” Abellana as Leandro, the father of Venus and Ces Quesada as Cha, the morally challenged vice mayor of the city.

Alyas Robin Hood is under the helm of director Dominic Zapata. He said that he is enthusiastic on how Alyas Robin Hood will leave a mark on Philippine TV. “For this show, we always push the story deeper. Kaya naman the team promises that we will create something that you will all be proud of.

Something that will make a mark,” he shared.

Alyas Robin Hood premieres tonight and airs after Encantadia, Monday to Friday on GMA Telebabad.

Get the latest updates of Alyas Robin Hood from the official website of GMA Network www. gmanetwork.com and official Facebook page of GMA Networkwww.facebook. com/GMANetwork.

‘Sinungaling Mong Puso’ stars in Naga’s Peñafrancia Festival Actor Rafael Rosell headlines the Kapuso show at the SM City in Naga

AFTER recently joining Mindanaoans in three of the region’s biggest festivals, GMA Network is one with the entire Bicolanos in observing this year’s Peñafrancia Festival, bringing the lead stars of Afternoon Prime program Sinungaling Mong Puso to Naga City today.

Rhian Ramos, Rafael Rosell, and Kiko Estrada will banner the Kapuso Mall Show at the SM City Naga Open Parking at 6 p.m.

Exciting games, production numbers, and other surprises await all fans.

“GMA Network is one with our Kapusong Bicolano in celebrating this year’s Peñafrancia Festival.

We are happy to bring the cast of one of the country’s leading drama programs closer to their Bicolano fans. Rest assured that GMA Regional TV will always make a way to connect with our loyal viewers all over the country,” says Oliver Amoroso, officer-in-charge of GMA’s Regional TV Department.

The Peñafrancia Festival is one of the country’s greatest displays of Marian devotion, gathering Bicolanos, pilgrims, and tourists alike in paying homage to Our Lady of Peñafrancia—the principal patroness and Queen of Bicol who is addressed by Bicolanos as Iná (mother).

To know more about the Network’s regional events, follow GMA on Facebook at www. facebook.com/gmanetwork and GMA Regional TV at www.facebook.com/ GMARegionalTV and on Twitter and Instagram via @GMARegionalTV.