Manila Standard - 2016 October 10 - Monday

VOL. XXX • NO. 240 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WAR ON CRIMES. Policemen conduct ‘Oplan Tokhang’, a house-to-house campaign on illegal drugs, at an informal settlers’ community in Manila on Oct. 6, 2016. President Rodrigo Duterte told all his critics to ‘go to hell’ on October 6 after a poll showed Filipinos overwhelmingly endorsed his war on crimes. AFP

‘Serial killer’ tag draws Palace flak

By Sandy Araneta

Duterte version of RH law in offing

T

HE Palace on Sunday slammed the French newspaper Libération for calling President Rodrigo Duterte “a serial killer” as the death toll continued to rise in his bloody war on drugs.

“I think it’s irresponsible. It’s irresponsible the way they have said it and the way they carelessly used these words and their media power to think the Philippines in such a way,” said presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella in an interview with radio dzMM. Duterte, despite his volatile rhetoric, has always underscored that all government agencies must follow the rule of law, even with problems as drastic as il-

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE National Economic and Development Authority is planning to draft an executive order that will spell out President Rodrigo Duterte’s “strong position” to carry out the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law. “The EO is basically a statement of the President—what his stand is, and how he feels about something, and he will show his strong position on the importance of RH implementation,” Economic and Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said.

Pernia said the draft EO is being prepared in coordination with the Health department.

Pernia, who is also the director general of Neda, said because the RH law has not been fully implemented, it is challenging to meet the administration’s target to reduce the rate of poverty to 17 percent by 2022.

“If we cannot implement the

Next page

Amnesty for 434 Reds ‘just a matter of time’

By Sandy Araneta

The French newspaper Liberation’s front page, October 7, 2016 issue.

Next page

GOVERNMENT peace negotiators have already submitted a draft amnesty proclamation to the Office of the President before leaving for talks with communist rebels in Oslo on Thursday, Oct. 6.

In a statement released Sunday, panel member Angela Librado Trinidad said they had in their possession a stamped receipt of their endorsement letter together

Ban on ‘conflicted’ Cabinet men eyed IS-linked Sayyaf man By Christine F. Herrera falls in QC A MALAY-Indonesian member of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group was nabbed on Saturday by police operatives in a slum in Quezon City, a report said Sunday.

A statement released by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group identified the suspect as Amin Aklam.

Chief Inspector Roque Merdigia said Aklam was arrested around 4 a.m. after his team swooped down on a house on Cotabato Street in Culiat village.

“Aklam is a Malaysian national affiliated with international terrorists,” Merdigia said.

Next page

legal drugs, which have affected 40,000 barangays, Abella said.

“Well, in fact, 97 percent of the barangays have actually been affected. Ninety-seven percent of barangays, can you imagine that?

[There are] 45,000 barangays all over the Philippines… For the longest time, the drug problem was not given attention. Now, it has grown so much so that drastic measures have to be taken.

AFTER grilling Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and his men for possible conflicts of interest, the House is pushing for a bill that would ban all Cabinet officials from forming or joining companies in industries related to the agency under which they

served for three years after they leave government.

“This will prevent such officials from continuing to exert undue influence on both government and industry after they have already left government service,” said Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, who filed House Bill 3758.

Castelo said conflicts of inter-

est became a raging issue in recent House hearings on a proposal to grant President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers to address the traffic crisis.

In those hearings, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Minority Leader Danilo Suarez noted that several newly appointed officials Next page

Bribes turned NBP into drug lords’ heaven LEILA de Lima made the National Bilibid Prison a “heaven for drug lords” who gave her P800,000 to P1 million in bribes in return when she was Justice secretary, Rep. Vicente Veloso said Sunday.

He told dzBB that the new revelation was contained in the “suptwitter.com/ MlaStandard

plemental affidavit” submitted by former Bureau of Corrections chief and now National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Rafael Ragos, who has been summoned to Monday’s hearing in the House.

Veloso, the vice chairman of the House committee on justice,

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

54 actors on drug list—cops THE National Capital Region Police Office on Sunday disclosed that there are 54 celebrities included in their updated list of drug users and pushers.

NCRPO director Chief Supt.

Oscar Albayalde said the names on the list were based on information provided by actresses Sabrina M. and Krista Miller, who were both arrested for possession of illegal drugs.

Albayalde declined to name the celebrities, however, saying they were being subjected to validation.

Most of the celebrities on the list were using shabu, cocaine and party drugs, he said.

The list, he added, is growing.

“Every time we make arrests, more names are being included because they were all telling us the persons they transact with,” he said.

The NCRPO chief said, however, that actor Mark Anthony Next page

Tax reform plan scary, solon says

with the draft proclamation, received by the Office of the Executive Secretary.

The draft proclamation covers 434 detained leaders and alleged members of the National Democratic Front and its political party and army—the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army.

The NDF earlier also included in the list 81 detained rebels who

THE chairman of the House ways and means committee on Sunday described as “scary” the Palace-proposed tax reforms that would impose excise taxes on petroleum products and remove the tax exemptions on senior citizens and 13th-month salaries.

“The planned tax imposition on petroleum products is scary and at first glance would add to the burden of the taxpayers,” Rep. Dakila Carlo Cua said.

Next page

Next page

AGAINST PERVERTS.

Addressing several students of the Adamson University in Manila, embattled Senator Leila de Lima goes ballistic, describing her critics as ‘perverts.’ De Lima also stressed the need to respect human rights.

N. ARAGA

said some inmates also shelled out P1 million for De Lima to obtain her “pardon” that never materialized.

He made his statement even as De Lima said President Rodrigo Duterte neglecting the country’s other pressing problems due to his obsession to destroy her. Next page

thestandard.com.ph

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circ@manilastandardtoday.com

A2

News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

UN, EU pledge steady aid Team PH losing badly —FVR

By John Paolo Bencito THE country is losing badly with the sharp, unnecessary tirades President Rodrigo Duterte made during his first 100 days in office, former President Fidel Ramos said over the weekend.

“In the overall assessment by this writer, we find our Team Philippines losing in the first 100 days of Du30’s administration — and losing badly. This is a huge disappointment and let-down to many of us,” said Ramos, who convinced Duterte to seek the presidency, in his opinion column for a daily broadsheet.

He said the tough-talking Duterte could have “hit the ground running” to meet people’s expectations better “instead of being stuck in unending controversies about extrajudicial killings of drug suspects and in his ability at using cuss-words and insults instead of civilized language.”

Ramos cited as example Duterte’s rhetorics against US President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, as well as the President’s pronouncement that there will be no more joint military exercises with Washington.

Duterte...

‘Serial...

From A1

But the President says, despite his colorful language, that in practice, everything has to be done with regularity,” Abella said.

Libération, a newspaper in France, published a banner story Saturday about Duterte’s anti-drug campaign that has left over 3,000 people dead.

Written by Arnaud Vaulerin, the four-page article also touched on Duterte’s expletive-laced tirades against US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis, his comments referencing the mass murder of Jews under Adolf Hitler’s command and his alleged ties to a hit squad in Davao City.

Abella, however, argued that the true state of the country is not reflected by foreign news reports, but by the public’s confidence in Duterte.

“The best picture, the best mirror of what’s happening in the Philippines, is the public, the citizens who are affected. So far, the response that we see, they have a very high appreciation of what the President is doing,” he said.

54...

From A1

Fernandez, who was arrested with almost one kilo of marijuana last week in Pampanga, was not included in the list of celebrities.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said Sunday more barangay officials were getting involved in the illegal drug trade in the last three years.

Based on the data consolidated

by PDEA, 65 barangay officials,

Amnesty...

Duterte has earned a net satisfaction rating of +64 or “very good” despite the controversies marring his three months in office, according to a recent Social Weather Stations survey.

Abella also said that based on Duterte’s inaugural speech “what he wants is a comfortable life for all.”

Duterte’s three-point agenda is to reduce poverty, create peace within the country’s borders, and to address crime and corruption and drugs.

Abella also played down the deaths in Duterte’s war on drugs.

“We must see the big picture here,” he said, suggesting that many people still do not see how serious the problem of illegal drugs has become.

On Sunday, actress Agot Isidro made waves on the internet by calling Duterte a “psychopath,” after the President dared the European Union and the United States to go ahead and withdraw aid from the Philippines.

Duterte made the statement in reaction to a warning from Vice President Leni Robredo that the President’s tirades could strain diplomatic ties and eventually cut the flow of international aid to the Philippines.

But Duterte said the country can

survive without foreign assistance and added that he would be the first to go hungry and die of hunger, but would “never, never compromise” the Filipino’s integrity.

In response, Isidro posted this message in a mix of Filipino and English on her Facebook page: “First of all, nobody is picking a fight with you. As a matter of fact, you are the one starting the fight.

“Second, the country where you were elected by 16 million out of 100+ million people is Third World.

You talk like the Philippines is a superpower. And excuse me, we don’t want to go hungry. You go ahead.

Don’t drag us into it. So many people are already hungry and you want to starve them further.

“Third, I know a psychiatrist.

Have yourself examined. You’re not bipolar. You are a pyschopath.”

Isidro’s post received more that 12,000 likes and was shared more than 4,300 times as of Sunday.

The post drew strong reactions from both the President’s supporters and critics.

Fellow singer-actress Mitch Valdes commented, “Took the words out of my mouth Agot. Why do I have to suffer just because of your pricked ego?”

Singer Jim Paredes also shared

Isidro’s post with this comment, “This is the kind of advise Duterte should be listening to. Thank you for saying it, Agot!”

But, Mocha Uson, a Duterte supporter, responded to Isidro’s tirade by posting: “RESPECT begets RESPECT” in a meme of a screenshot of the controversial post side by side with another post of Agot in June that shows her in a photo with Vice President Leni Robredo that was captioned, “Tonight’s Agenda.

A thanksgiving reunion for newly elected VP Leni Robredo together with her supporters.”

Earlier, Isidro also posted: “If you need violence to enforce your ideas, your ideas are worthless.”

Abella said the post was Isidro’s opinion, but also “revealed the kind of attitude that the President is addressing—dependency on foreign aid.”

“He wants the Filipino people to gain true independence, economically, mentally and socially,” Abella said in a text message.

“While Ms Isidro is entitled to her own opinion we need to really hear what the President is calling Filipinos to do, which is be free from dependence on foreign aid, which is what the lady is fearful we will lose,” Abella said.

composed of six barangay chairmen and 59 barangay kagawads, were arrested for drug-related offenses in 2015.

“This is 18.18 percent higher than CY 2014 where 55 village officials (10 barangay chairmen and 45 barangay kagawad) were arrested for violating the anti-drug law and the highest since 2013,” said PDEA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña.

“It is alarming that an increasing number of barangay officials are getting involved in illegal drug activities. It is a shame that they are

the highest elected officials in their communities but they are the ones pushing illegal drugs, instead of taking care of the welfare of their constituents,” the PDEA chief said.

From January to October 2, 2016, 11 barangay chairmen and 40 barangay kagawads, or 51 barangay officials were arrested for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

In the past two weeks, PDEA, in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies arrested two barangay captains in Zamboanga del Norte

and Camarines Norte and four barangay kagawad in Lanao del Sur, Romblon, Butuan City and Oriental Mindoro. Lamberto Villa, a barangay chairman was killed after he shot it out with lawmen in his house, which was being used as a drug den in San Carlos City, police said.

Congress has agreed to reschedule the 2016 barangay elections to next year, following Duterte’s concern that drug money could seep into the electoral process and allow narco-barangay officials to stay in their posts. PNA

“I see no reason why we cannot do it the way we are accelerating the peace process,” he added.

The draft proclamation now under review at the Palace covers only the updated list of detained rebels submitted on Sept. 15 by now NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili.

Trinidad said that aside from the amnesty, the government is reconstituting the Presidential Committee on Bail, Recognizance, and Pardon to facilitate the immediate release of prisoners on humanitarian grounds.

This is in compliance with the commitment of the government panel to recommend to the President the immediate release of these prisoners.

“The guidelines have already been signed by the secretaries of the three departments [Departments of Justice, Defense, and Interior and Local Government] and is on its way to the Office of the President for review and signing,” she said.

Negotiators from both sides

reported Sunday that they have agreed on common frameworks and outlines of the last three substantive agenda that will comprise the final peace agreement with communist guerrillas.

The common frameworks and outlines were completed after marathon sessions conducted several working groups and committees.

The report of the committees and groups will be submitted to the negotiating panels on both sides, which were to meet Sunday to discuss the agreements for approval before closing the second round of peace talks in Asker, Norway, a suburb near Oslo.

“The efforts extended [by the working groups and committees] of both panels are commendable.

Exhibiting a great amount of patience, they literally worked round the clock and refused to be stymied by minor differences of opinions,” Bello said.

“It was a roller-coaster ride but in the end, both parties reached

their desired destination. Sharing a common vision, they were willing to walk the extra mile just to move the peace process forward,” Bello added.

As expected, the longest session was reserved for the discussion on the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (Caser) which would eventually tackle the most contentious issues such as agrarian reform, national industrialization and foreign policy.

The agreed outcomes for Caser include: • Rural equality and development to achieve food self-sufficiency; • A sovereign, self-reliant and industrialized national economy; • Protected and rehabilitated environment, just compensation for affected populations, and sustainable development; • Social, economic and cultural rights of the working people upheld and discrimination eliminated; • Sustainable living incomes for all;

maximum security compound like “a little Las Vegas” due to the concerts being held there with De Lima’s imprimatur.

“P1 million was [Justice] Secretary De Lima’s cut from the P3-million income from the concert,” Colangco said.

He said the P1 million was on top of the P3 million monthly “PR payola” that he was transmitting to De Lima out of the illegal drug business.

Colangco, who owns Herbert C. Productions, said his talent manager Renante Diaz was the one turning over the cash to De Lima’s bagmen.

Kidnapping convict former Chief Inspector Rodolfo Magleo said De Lima made the illegal “shabu business” a legal business.

“De Lima made the Philippines the drug trade center. Taiwanese, Chinese, Malaysian and other foreign drug lords transacted business with Filipino drug lords,” Magleo said.

For every P1 million that De Lima received for every concert, Colangco said, he was allowed to bring in four 10-wheeler truckloads of beer in can, 30 golf carts, generators and other contraband. hristine F. Herrera and Macon Ramos-Araneta

From A1

From A1

RH law fully, that will be problematic because to be able to achieve the 17-percent poverty incidence by the end of the term of this President, it will have to be a combination of strong economic growth, lots of jobs, complemented by the full implementation of the RH law so that the poor are able to limit or space their child bearing,” Pernia said.

Pernia said the implementation of RH law will eventually aid in the reduction of poverty, noting that his simulation shows that reducing the size of poor families to three children would bring down the incidence of poverty from 26 percent to 23 percent, based purely on one demographic effect.

He said that if the poorest 40 percent, the bottom two quintiles, were able to achieve their desired family size, then poverty rate would have gone down close to 20 percent.

The EO being drafted is in response to some constraints in the full implementation of the RH law, such as the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court to stop the distribution and sale of implanted contraceptives.

“This is the problem with our judiciary, they take our sweet time,” Pernia said. “They dont realize how serious it is to have a TRO like this because… 11 woman die of pregnancy and birth-related causes [daily]. And this could have been prevented if the TRO were not in effect.”

it wanted already released based on humanitarian grounds.

The draft proclamation will also include NDF consultants who were already released on bail and are now participating in the peace negotiations.

During the opening session of the second round of talks in Oslo, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said they understand fully the concerns raised by the NDF panel over the continued detention of their members and activists.

But he said the amnesty has to go through the process, which includes a review by and concurrence of Congress, after the President has signed it.

Government panel chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said the release of the detained rebels would just be a matter of time.

“During the first 100 days they should have been aggressive and determined in other matters,” De Lima told reporters after a mass held for her by the La Sallian brothers at the De La Salle University.

“They have just been focused on the war on drugs. There are many pressing needs, pressing concerns like the economy, poverty and other things.”

But Veloso on Sunday disputed De Lima’s claims that Duterte

was using the House probe to get back at her for initiating the Senate probe on extra-judicial killings allegedly being carried out on Duterte’s orders.

He said there was more than enough evidence to link De Lima to the trade on illegal drugs at the NBP when she was Justice secretary. ‘‘The maximum security compound, instead of being the most dreaded place at the NBP, was like heaven for the inmates during De Lima’s watch, Veloso said.

He recounted the previous testimony of high-value inmate and drug lord Herbert Colangco who testified that De Lima made the

Ban...

logistics business.

Judan, along with Arben Santos, Undersecretary for maritime affairs of the Maritime Industry or Marina, worked together and were shareholders in Southwest Maritime Group.

Santos was also a partner of now Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi in the roll-on roll-off or Ro-Ro business until Cusi was appointed to the Cabinet and relinquished ownership of Starlite Ferries to Santos.

Santos was a close associate of businessman Ramon Ang, who now owns the Manila North Harbour Port Inc. where the inter-island vessels dock, including Santos’ Starlite Ferries’ fleet.

During the hearing of the House committee on appropriations, Alvarez warned Tugade that just like in the previous administrations, some officials were giving priority to 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?”

Alvarez said.

The Ayalas, Pangilinan and Ang have ongoing multibillion stakes in big-ticket infrastructure projects.

Castelo said while former Customs commissioner Alberto Lina is facing charges of conflict of interest before the Ombudsman, he could not be covered by the three-year ban once the bill was approved by Congress as the proposed measure would not be retroactive.

From A1

in the Department of Transportation had conflicts of interest, having been in the transport sector before their appointment in government.

Among those who have been questioned during the hearings were Tugade, whose family is engaged in the transport and logistics business; Undersecretary for Railway Noel Kintanar; Undersecretary for Air Operations Bobby Lim, and Undersecretary for Maritime Affairs Felipe Judan.

“Kintanar was assistant vice president of Ayala Corporation and was instrumental in Ayala’s acquisition of rail projects under the previous administration,” he said.

On the other hand, Lim is the former country manager of the International Air Transport Association while Judan is in the shipping and

Bribes...

From A1

Tax...

From A1

“So we have to be really careful and study its repercussion on our taxpayers.”

He said he would rather that the government abandoned the plan to remove the exemption of senior citizens from the value-added tax.

Cua said his panel was still validating the data submitted by Finance after House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the House would reject its tax-reform package for being anti-poor.

As of Sunday, not one lawmaker was interested in being the author of the Finance-proposed tax bill.

Cua said the P10 billion in revenues that the government had been losing as a result of the VAT exemption of senior citizens was due to the “abuses” being committed by some senior citizens and estab-

lishments that are required to remit the VAT to the Treasury.

“The figure did not come from the [Finance Department]. It came from an independent group that told me around P10 billion is lost due to abuses,” Cua said.

“It is not only senior citizens but also establishments that abuse the exemption. But this we have yet to validate,” Cua told dzBB without elaborating.

“It has to be a non-emotional decision. It has to be a decision based on research.”

Finance also plans to raise the excise tax on gasoline to P10 per liter from P4.35, and the zero tax on diesel and other petroleum products to P6 per liter.

The proposal covers the restructuring of the excise tax on automobiles except for buses, trucks, cargo vans, jeeps, jeepney substitutes and special purpose vehicles.

Christine F. Herrera

T

HE Palace on Sunday welcomed the commitment of the European Union and the United Nations to continue giving aid to the Philippines in spite of President Rodrigo Duterte’s dare that they stop doing so.

“We welcome the steadfast commitment of the EU and the UN to the Philippines,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a text message to reporters.

“Our partnership go beyond differences in policies.”

Reports on Saturday said that despite being told by Duterte earlier this week that it “better choose purgatory because hell is filled up,” the EU is extending P9 billion in assistance to the country for energy-related measures.

The UN also has no plans to stop assistance despite constant drubbing from Duterte, who has said the Philippines will survive without foreign aid.

On Friday the EU and the Philippines’ Department of Energy launched the Access to Sustainable Energy Program, which is aimed at providing electricity to 90 percent of Philippine households through the maximized use of renewable energy.

“We see that the Philippines and the EU are sharing many objectives on issues such as climate change, sustainable energy, pro-poor agenda and trying to lift people out of poverty,” EU Ambassador Franz Jensen was quoted as saying in a press briefing in Manila.

Jensen said the P9-billion financing agreement will run for three to four years, depending on “how fast the money is being spent and being used by the communities”.

On Friday, UN Resident Coordinator and Development Program Resident Representative in the Philippines Ola Almgren was reported to have said relations between the world body and Manila remained undamaged.

“We need to look at the broader aspect of the Philippines’ role in the UN and the work that we do here to judge that,” Almgren said.

“I remain firm in my belief that the relationship will continue in as good a level as it has been in the past.”

Almgren said there was no way the UN would stop giving aid and expressed confidence “the partnership between the UN and the Philippines will remain strong as it has been as we go forward”.

“The Philippines is a member-state of the UN since the very beginning. It’s a question of what has been the contribution of the Philippines to the UN and that contribution has been fantastic ever since the beginning of the UN and even in recent years,” Almgren said.

Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the United States, EU and UN over their criticism of his war on drugs.

On Oct. 3, he said President Barack Obama should “go to hell” following his criticism of his crackdown on illegal drugs that has seen thousands of suspected drug dealers and users killed. Sandy Araneta

IS-link...

From A1

“He stands accused of kidnapping and frustrated murder in a case now pending in a Regional Trial Court in Jolo.”

Merdigia said Aklam was in the Interior and Defense Departments’ list of most-wanted persons.

He said the people who were with Aklam during his arrest “were invited for verification.”

Florante S. Solmerin

News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

A3

High ratings good for Cha-Cha

By Christine F. Herrera

C

AMARINES Sur. Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte has urged President Rodrigo Duterte to capitalize on his record satisfaction ratings to free 10-million Filipinos from poverty by pushing for structural reforms via Charter Change to shift to the federal system of government.

Villafuerte said the shift to federalism is the only “antidote” to the overconcentration of political power and economic growth in so-called “imperial Manila” at the expense of the country’s other regions.

According to Villafuerte, the President’s high ratings in the latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations show that he continues to enjoy the people’s massive support.

He said Duterte can co use his widespread popularity to realize his administration’s goal of reversing uneven or inequitable growth and finally ushering in genuine countryside development.

“Federalism will shift to

high gear his ambitious, yet doable, agenda of freeing 10-million Filipinos from poverty and transforming our country into an upper middle income economy six years from now, and into a high income one by 2040,” Villafuerte said.

An SWS survey conducted from September 24 to 27 among 1,200 respondents across the country yielded a high net satisfaction rating of +64 percent for Duterte, with only 11 percent dissatisfied with his performance and 13 percent undecided.

The survey result was the highest among all post-Edsa 1986 presidents, with the exception of former President Ramos

who scored +66 in 1992.

The survey firm described Duterte’s rating as “very good,” which was bested only by two percentage points in September 1992 when Ramos got a +66 percent satisfaction rating.

“The President should cash-in on his very high ratings on his performance by actively promoting federalism and supporting initiatives to shift to this system,” said Villafuerte, who was among the first legislators to push the federal system of government.

Villafuerte earlier acknowledged the resolute efforts of the Duterte administration to implement reforms in its first 100 days in office and called for sustained multisectoral support behind the government’s ambitious inclusive-growth agenda of lifting 10-million Filipinos from poverty in the next six years.

The Bicol lawmaker, who was a former local chief executive like Duterte, also appealed to all sectors not to be carried away by the undue political noise as he claimed even international institutions remain bullish on the Philippine economy continuing on its upward trajectory―and

possibly even surpassing preliminary growth forecasts―if the government could go ahead on its plan to fill the major backlog in infrastructure and socioeconomic investments it had inherited from the previous administration.

“Finally, we have a one-of-akind leader who is not hesitant to implement out-of-the box solutions to the problems that have battered our countrymen in the past administrations,” Villafuerte said.

“Rather than focus on what he says, why don’t we just focus on what he does because he needs all the support we can give him so that he can fix the things that were neglected in the past. What is important is that Mr. Duterte gets things done―and fast,” Villafuerte added.

Villafuerte noted that global financial institutions such as the World Bank remains highly optimistic on economic projections for the Philippines under the Duterte presidency and have even pointed out that the country remains one of the fastest-growing economies in East Asia and the Pacific despite the weak global economy.

The World Bank also said “the

Philippine economy may surpass the forecasts if authorities can ramp up spending on public infrastructure as planned.”

Villafuerte, who was a threeterm governor of CamSur, has long been a strong advocate of federalism, which he said should be pushed in the early years of the Duterte administration to remove any suspicions of a hidden political agenda.

He said Duterte’s vow to create economic zones and spur development outside Metro Manila should serve as a strong impetus to Congress to give its full backing to the shift to a federal form of government.

Villafuerte said the Duterteplanned economic zones should preferably be put up in provinces where there are coasts, like what they did in Thailand and Indonesia, in order “to spur growth and development strategically and geographically.”

Currently, over 50 percent of economic zones are located in either Metro Manila or neighboring provinces like Cavite, Laguna and Batangas, he said.

A former chairman of the League of Provinces of the Phil-

ippines (LPP), Villafuerte said the switch to a federal government is crucial to attracting private investments and accelerating growth in the countryside under the Duterte presidency “because federalism alone could ensure full autonomy for provinces and cities in charting their respective growth paths, which, in turn, would foster a healthy competition among these LGUs (local government units) in wooing investments from both foreign and local business groups.”

Villafuerte had sought the creation of a “grand coalition” across the political divide in Congress to help push federalism at the onset of the Duterte presidency.

“Now is the best time to tackle Charter Change and the switch to Federalism at the onset of the Duterte presidency minus any suspicion of a hidden political agenda,” he had said.

He said the creation of a federal government would decongest Metro Manila and finally stem the unbridled migration of fresh college graduates and young workers from the countryside to the national capital.

‘Stop coastal reclamations’

By Sandy Araneta FISHERMEN and farmers from different regions on Sunday called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to stop all coastal reclamations and conversion projects that are damaging the environment and threatening the livelihood of the fisherfolk.

During a dialogue, hundreds of fisherfolk representing different regions presented the cost of these projects in the coastal communities and fishing waters.

The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya said millions of fisherfolk nationwide are under the growing threat of effacement due to widespread water-based conversion and reclamation projects funded by private firms with guaranteed support from the state.

“We came here all the way from Bicol Region to directly present to [DENR] Secretary Gina Lopez our concerns regarding the impending destruction of Ragay Gulf courtesy of state-sponsored eco-tourism projects that are embedded with total fish ban,” said the Protect the Fishers and Save Ragay Gulf Movement.

Ragay Gulf encompasses Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon and provinces of Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon and Masbate.

About 97 percent of its population is fisherfolk and farmers which depend on the rich marine resources of Ragay Gulf.

The Philippine Reclamation Authority through its National Reclamation Plan approved the 102 reclamation projects nationwide covering 38, 272 hectares of fishing waters and coastal communities.

More than two-thirds or 38 of reclamation projects are found in Manila Bay which covers al-

most 26,000 hectares of water.

The fisherfolk also reported the intrusion of local and foreign commercial fishing fleets into their 15-kilometer municipal fishing grounds. Large commercial fishing fleets damage the reefs and exploit the marine resources.

The Save Laguna Lake Movement lashed out at the Laguna Lake Development Authority for its alleged incompetence to stop the ongoing reclamation activities in various municipalities situated along the 90-thousand hectare brackish lake.

“The LLDA said it has already ordered suspension in all reclamation activities in the Laguna de Bay. But we, the residents living along the lake continue to endure the stinky smell of the various waste dumped and filled in the lake,” Ronnie Molera, spokesperson of SLLM, said during the dialogue.

After the fisherfolk presented their clamor, the DENR guaranteed that they will study the demands and will release a Memorandum Order for the moratorium of all conversion projects at the minimum of 2 years. Also in their pledged memorandum is to prohibit large commercial fishing fleets from entering the 15-kilometer municipal fishing zone.

“We are delighted by the dialogue’s outcome. We will expect the DENR’s memorandum to be released and implemented as soon as possible. Our marine resources face serious environmental degradation courtesy of development aggression that plunders our seas.

DENR should ensure that it will prohibit a genuine environmental protection policies to preserve our environment and on top of it, to save our fishers from demolition of their communities,” Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya chairperson said.

SUMMER SCENE. Playful boys frolicking in the water conjure up an image of summer but the real situation is far from pleasant as they are taking a plunge into the murky, polluted waters of Manila Bay, unmindful of a swimming prohibition imposed by the Department of Health. Manny Palmero

Coco fund bill nearing Senate approval

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Cynthia Villar said the bill that will allow 3.5-million coconut farmers to finally benefit from the P100-billion coconut levy fund will soon be enacted.

Villar commended the Committee on Agriculture and Food now chaired by Senator Francis Pangilinan for prioritizing the bill, which reached plenary debates in the 16th Congress but failed to pass third reading due to issues on how the funds will be invested.

Villar, vice chairman of the agriculture committee, vouched

for investing the funds in government securities to ensure the money is safe unlike other high-risk instruments.

She said the bill is meant to ensure that the coco levy trust fund will provide additional support to the coconut farmers.

A unique feature of Senate Bill 139 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act authored by Villar, is a provision mandating the Philippine Coconut Authority to continue with its regular programs and projects.

“PCA as the assigned agency that supports the coconut in-

dustry, will be funded with not less than P5 billion annually by the General Appropriations Act. The coco levy fund will not be touched to fund PCA because doing so will defeat the purpose of providing additional support to farmers,” she stressed.

The Villar proposal also included earmarking for the PCA budget. In consultation with the agency, the P5-billion budget will be distributed as follows: P1 billion for Personnel Services and Administration and P4 billion for Projects (infrastructure, 25 percent; planting, replanting, fertili-

zation and development of seedling nurseries, 15 percent; shared facilities program, 15 percent; research and development, 10 percent; opening of new markets, 10 percent; and palm oil, 5 percent).

Villar said earmarking was also provided in Republic Act 10659 or the Sugarcane Industry Development Act of 2015 covering funding for socialized credit, scholarship grants, infrastructure support programs, among others.

The senator suggested an inter-cropping training program for coconut farmers to augment their income.

MMDA chief takes on myriad traffic woes STRESSING that the myriad problems in Metro Manila require everyone’s support and cooperation, Metro Manila Development Authority chairman and general manager Tim Orbos appealed to various civil clubs and the public to do their part anchored on the “shared burden, shared responsibility principle.”

Addressing the officers of the Regional Ambassadors Club at the Makati Sports Club over the weekend, Orbos urged the public to embrace a culture of “attitudinal and mindset change” in dealing with traffic, garbage, flooding, illegal parking and vending even as he assured that tactical and strategic plans and solutions are being done to address these problems.

This was what Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade meant all along that we need to change our mindset in dealing with the traffic problem, Orbos said.

“We cannot do it alone in government and for the metropolis which

has 12.5-million residents and a high of 15-million people during daytime with about 2.3-million vehicles traversing the streets especially Edsa and 30,000 new added every month, we simply needs everyone’s support and understanding,” said Orbos.

Since traffic is everybody’s problem that affects everyone, he encouraged all sectors to be part of the solution and every little input and contribution such as observing traffic and parking rules will go a long way in easing the burden of majority.

Among the suggestions of Orbos when it comes to “attitudinal change” include planning travel trips ahead by hitting the road two hours ahead, carpooling, less use of hazard lights while parking that normally cause traffic, reporting choke points and proper and disciplined driving.

In driving his point to add solution to the traffic problem, Orbos even cited Senator Grace Poe about her proposal to declare an early va-

cation for all students in December as among the temporary solutions at the recent Senate hearing for the grant of emergency powers to President Duterte to address the traffic problem in the metropolis.

“When December comes, I encourage everyone to plan ahead their Christmas parties and we have ongoing talks with mall owners to help in declogging traffic in their respective areas as this will also affect their customers and their sales,” Orbos said.

Citing findings of experts from Singapore who were in Manila recently, Orbos said the Singaporeans noted that it would take a longer time to fix the system to eliminate traffic.

On traffic enforcement, Orbos said that on any given day, there are about 2,300 MMDA traffic enforcers augmented by at least 800 HPG men from all over the country and only a handful 40 Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board keeping an eye on 12,000 buses mostly colorum driven by un-

disciplined drivers.

He assured the public that the 100day old administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and DOTr Secretary Tugade together with MMDA, the Metro Manila Council and the PNP’s Highway Patrol Group are doing the following measures to address the traffic problem namely: Moving out of all bus terminals along EDSA those northbound and southbound that will remove 10,000 buses; Unified and synchronized traffic enforcement systems in the metropolic to include fines, traffic lights and enforcements; and, Implementation of the Left side bus lane.

Orbos said there are other good news coming from the transport sector under the Duterte administration with the additional construction of airport runway, opening of the NAIA Expressway Phase II project, as well as soon to be completed Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 and the LET Line 2 East Extension project.

MMDA chairman Tim Orbos

A4

Opinion

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Room for improvement

U

NLIKE one Cabinet official who compared President Rodrigo Duterte to Jesus Christ, we prefer to take a somewhat more hard-nosed approach in assessing this administration’s progress after its first 100 days in office.

Much has already been said about the President’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs, in which about 3,000 suspected pushers and addicts have been killed since he took power. The campaign has drawn international condemnation over the summary execution of hundreds of suspects who have not had the benefit of a trial and the deaths of innocents—includ-

Adelle Chua, Editor

ing children—who are caught in the crossfire.

The international backlash has, in turn, triggered a torrent of expletives and anti-Western rhetoric from the President, who threatened to downgrade the country’s alliance with the United States in favor of China, and who has dared international donors to cut off their aid to the Philippines if they are un-

happy with the human rights situation here.

On the other hand, a large majority or 84 percent of Filipinos, according to the Sept. 24 to 27 Social Weather Stations survey, say they are satisfied with the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs. Law enforcement officials, however, ought to take note of another finding, that 71 percent of the 1,200 respondents in the nationwide survey, believed it was “very important” for drug suspects to be caught alive.

In any case, the sentiment of the majority, as of now, appears to be that some action, no matter how drastic, is better than none.

The same cannot be said for this administration’s feeble attempts to meet Duterte’s promise to fix the mess in public transportation, which now qualifies as a form of torture.

After 100 days, the only thing the Transportation department has to show is pending legislation in Congress to grant the President emergency powers to deal with the problem, and a handful of promises.

And as far as promises go, these are pretty meager.

The Land Transportation Office, for example, has promised to issue drivers licenses that are good for five years, up from the current three—but says these will be

in the form of paper receipts, not plastic cards, which it hopes to distribute by the second quarter.

But we do not put much stock in the promises of the LTO, an agency so corrupt and inefficient during the previous administration that it charged motorists and drivers for license plates and drivers licenses that they never released.

Under a new administration that promised change, the Transportation department has been an unacceptable laggard, doing precious little in the first 100 days to actually ease the travails of commuters and drivers stuck in soul-sapping traffic in Metro Manila, improve the

operations of the MRT or address the injustice suffered by millions of drivers and vehicle owners who pay the LTO hardearned money to get only a slip of paper and some vague promises in return.

Unlike the Cabinet member who said he followed Duterte like the fishermen of Galilee followed Jesus, we are more like the doubting Thomas— the apostle who insisted on examining Jesus’ crucifixion wounds before believing in his resurrection. Unlike Thomas, however, we have already seen the gaping wounds in public service; what this government needs to do is move faster to heal them.

Debates benefit from voters’ easy questions

By Jonathan Bernstein

PENSEES

Human rights and legitimacy

FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO CAUSES need advocates, but the problem is that the line between the advocates and their advocacies is often blurred with the result that hang-ups one may have with them result in an unsound rejection of the cause. That is sad; it is unfortunate; sometimes it is disastrous!

Chico Gascon is chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, a PNoy appointee to be sure, and his yellow shade, one may dislike, but that is no reason to reject the demand that human rights be respected—as our Constitution and our international commitments ordain!

Lately, human rights—or at least, the concept—has received a severe thrashing. It is, we have been told, the antithesis to resolute government. The choir picks up the refrain: It is a stumbling block to the longawaited change, and finally, the orchestra of trolls brings it all to a crescendo: Pakana ng mga Dilaw ang human rights. I do not like the dilaws either, and I

not wont to look to supernatural am convinced that PNoy headed provenance for authority, how a student government from the day he assumed office until the then is the state’s use of force day he left, without fanfare be—such as the force brought to No matter one’s cause he was deserving of none! bear on the profiteers in the dislike for Chito But I do not like it either that we drugs trade—legitimized? Raare turning to be a hysterical national consent—that is the only Gascon or Leila tion, swaying to the rhythm of a plausible substitute for any Disingle baton in this recklessness vine conferral of authority. It de Lima, there about human rights. should be clear that “rational is utterly no The disjunction is straightforconsent” is not necessarily the ward: either a government is levote of the majority, for the majustification for gitimate or it is one that is forced jority may be very irrational on a people. Submission is no indeed. Stupidity multiplies rejecting their badge of legitimacy. If anything exponentially. Unfortunately, advocacy of at all, it bespeaks of an irresistinsight does not diffuse itself ible, overpowering force. So it as speedily! Consent on the human rights, is that an occupying power can basis of rational grounds and whatever their force a population into abject warrants—and on the basis of submission—but the capitulaclaims made and claims rationintentions or tion of the defenders will not ally vindicated—this is what legitimize the occupation. Ex makes for rational consent. It is motives might injuria non oritur jus…No right this kind of consensus that albe. comes from wrong! The Cory lows for a common definition administration was extra-constiof a situation and a common tutional, but, in the terms of the resolve on a course of action after possible objections are adAmerican Declaration of Indedressed, once more, rationally. pendence, it was an exercise supposedly in sovereignty by which themselves a new government.

In other words, legitimacy If, in our secular age, we are is born from the rational exthe people decided to take upon

change between the members of a political community that alone can produce the agreement that has binding force, hence the reference to the “juris-generative” power of communicative action. The latter is inconceivable without human rights, the most basic of which —provided one is alive, of course—is the right to participate in that exchange by which we, as members of the political community, arrive at the norms that we take as binding on us all. That everyone has the right to speak, that all relevant questions must be entertained, that every challenge must be acknowledged and properly addressed, that no one be systematically excluded, that all be accorded the listening that allows discourse to proceed—these are the elemental demands of human rights. Quite obviously, all other rights that discourse presupposes—the right to life, to free speech, etc.—make as elemental a claim.

Turn to A5

THE town-hall format for the second presidential debate will let undecided voters ask the questions.

I’m looking forward to it.

Journalists are often tempted to ask “gotcha” questions about flip-flops or, even worse, questions about the polls and campaign events that tell us nothing about how the candidates would act as president. Regular voters are far more likely to ask about policy. That’s a good thing!

Seth Masket at Mischiefs of Faction argues against giving undecided voters so much control over the agenda. True, truly undecided voters are a small and atypical group at this point in the campaign, and they score relatively poorly on tests of political knowledge.

But town-hall debates have been successful.

Take the one in 2012 between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney. Voters asked 10 questions. Seven were about policy. Some were inelegantly worded, but each introduced a good topic. Here are some examples: Jobs: “What can you say to reassure me, but more importantly my parents, that I will be able to sufficiently support myself after I graduate?”

Another question focused on outsourcing.

What would happen to middle-class tax deductions and credits under a tax-reform plan to lower rates and eliminate tax preferences?

Immigration policy: “What do you plan on doing with immigrants without their green cards that are currently living here as productive members of society?”

Benghazi: “Who was it that denied enhanced security and why?”

Romney was asked how he would differ from George W. Bush, and Obama was asked by a somewhat disappointed voter what he had done to Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

ManilaStandard

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

ONLINE MEMBER

PPI

Chairman Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager OIC-Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Adelle Chua Honor B. Cabie Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion Editor Night Editor Art Director Chief Photographer

Opinion Christmas trees IT’S 75 days before Christmas, and I noticed that some department stores in Makati have already started sprucing up their facades with Christmas lights.

Starting the season early, but then that is the norm in a country where the year-end holiday season is celebrated the longest in the whole wide world.

I will digress from the usual heavy stuff and focus on Christmas in this article.

The other day, I read an article about how the Intramuros Administration under the Department of Tourism will begin the season by a Christmas tree lighting event on November 18. Many Metro Manilans look forward to the tree lighting ceremony at the Araneta Center, an annual tradition started by the owners of that Quezon City commercial hacienda.

Through the years, they have fashioned a tree using various materials and designs, with the usual claim that it is the country’s tallest tree.

There is hardly any Filipino home that has no Christmas tree for the holidays. Humble though the abode may be, even a small tree with a single strand of decorative lights cheer up the environment, with the kids waiting for the gifts that would surround it as they count the days before these are opened.

But a Christmas tree in Intramuros? The administrators of that walled city (is there one already, by the way?) should be a bit more conversant with its

history.

I nt ra mu ros was the citadel of our Spanish colonialists, while the Christmas tree came to these islands from the US of A, whose tradition of the tree was in turn influenced by Northern Europe.

First adopted as a symbol of the yuletide season by the Germans, the tradition spread first among royalty in neighboring Scandinavia and later to Great Britain.

King George III’s German-born wife Charlotte introduced it to Britons in 1800, and Queen Victoria as a child grew up with a Christmas tree in her room.

When she later married Prince Albert, her German cousin, the custom became quite widespread.

When the Americans sashayed to Baguio to escape the terrible heat and humidity of our lowlands, and found to their delight that temperate trees grew there through what we now call the Benguet pine, they started pruning tall trees and using the tree tops for Christmas trees. In time, concretization replaced the pine trees of Baguio and the lovely scent that greeted us when we climb Kennon was replaced by noxious fumes. In utter defeat at how they despoiled the environment, Baguio City later built an anomaly—a concrete Christmas tree in the Session Road rotunda to symbolize the desecrated city.

The Spaniards were not Christmas tree practitioners, and kept to LITO the tradition BANAYO of the “belen,” depicting the birth of Infanta Jesus in a manger. Ubiquitously perched atop the belen was a star, the symbol of Noel, which spelled differently, is the French name for Christmas. For Filipinos thus, the symbols of Christmas or Pasko, from the Spanish “pascua”, became the belen and the star. That star was the origin of what we call the “parol,” which is “farol” or lantern in Spanish.

And how creatively our artisans designed and produced the “parol.” From papel de japoncovered bamboo strips, thence to colored cellophane, to the hardy polyvinyl of later days, to the longer-lasting capiz shells, Filipinos have made the most beautiful Christmas lanterns in the world. Pampangos particularly take pride in how they create the most artistic and the most ingeniously lighted Christmas lanterns in the world. It is in fact one potential export item we can, and should market to various countries.

A giant Christmas tree in Intramuros? Que horror, the doñas and the señoras ought to exclaim.

Perhaps a well-crafted belen at Plaza Roma, and all the streets lit up with Philippinemade parols would be best for

SO I SEE

Intramuros, which is about the only heritage attraction we have in all of Metro Manila.

And having said that, congratulations are in order for the joint efforts of former DoT Secretary Mon Jimenez, his Intramuros Administrator Marco Sardillo, and his TIEZA administrator Guiller Asido for improving Intramuros extensively during their watch. The redevelopment of Intramuros started with then secretary, now Senator Dick Gordon, thence carried on with meticulously detailed implementation by Sardillo, funded

by TIEZA under Asido at the behest of Mon Jimenez.

This is one project that should be continued and seen to fruition by the new secretary, Wanda Teo and whoever she and the president will assign as her support administrators for TIEZA and IA. But for beginners, please spare Intramuros from a giant Christmas tree this coming holiday season. Get San Fernando artisans to come up with their beautiful giant parols, and get Manila schoolchildren to make small parols for the lampposts and buildings within. *** Today is the National Day of Taiwan, the famous Double Ten celebration.

Our felicitations to the people and the government of Taiwan, and its representative in the Philippines, Dr. Gary Song Huan Lin, who heads the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office.

Building a better World Bank, not a bigger one

By Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Lawrence H. Summers & Andres Velasco FINANCE and development ministers from around the world, who are gathered in Washington this week, will consider whether the World Bank needs more resources—a new infusion of capital to permit more lending and new contributions from traditional richcountry donors to help the poorest countries.

But a bigger World Bank is not necessarily a better one, and any consideration of new money for it or for the regionally based multilateral development banks demands a fundamental look at their mandates and operations in the face of new development challenges in today’s global landscape.

We were pleased to lead a distinguished panel of experts, including former finance and development officials from around the world, in a yearlong examination of the role of these banks in meeting this century’s challenges. The panel’s newly released report concludes that the world has changed dramatically, but the mandates and operations of the MDBs, as they are known, have not kept pace.

Climate change is perhaps the most important challenge facing the world in the years ahead, and managing its ill effects requires steering more capital, especially global private capital, toward greener infrastructure investments. Similarly, the growing resistance to antibiotics and the possibility of fastmoving pandemics pose a huge risk to health and require new technologies and innovative ways of supporting new initiatives.

Helping the millions of refugees and people displaced by conflict in countries such as Syria and South Sudan is another major challenge requiring not just humanitarian assistance but investments in their futures through education and jobs—the kind of work the MDBs have long supported in sta-

Human...

From A4 No, it cannot be correct then that human rights are the antithesis of government. Human rights, rather, are the presupposition of legitimacy in govern-

Debates...

From A4 earn a second term. Both are softballs that no journalist would ask. Any decent candidate would have a ready response allowing them to brag about their records and plans.

But that doesn’t make them bad questions, since it matters what the candidates choose to brag about.

Easy questions usually introduce better debate topics than tough ones. Reporters shy

ble settings, but have no simple way to finance for displaced populations.

Multilateral development banks are rare in combining impressive technical and fiduciary capability with financial heft and international convening power. But history, habit and staff skills have wedded them largely to the traditional and well-developed instrument of the country-based loan, which for today’s climate and other transnational problems is an inflexible and often inappropriate instrument.

And with the next pandemic or the next wave of refugees, the MDBs as a group should no longer be hamstrung by debates over what constitutes a poor country; nor should they lose time to delayed donor conferences leading to publicly announced pledges that are rarely fully honored. To respond quickly and at an appropriate scale they need dedicated contingency funds and more innovative financing. But within the current MDB system these problems are currently addressed primarily through small ad-hoc special funds and one-time budgetary set asides.

We worry that this weekend’s discussions at the World Bank will focus narrowly on how to stretch the balance sheet to finance more lending—with higher future loan “disbursements” being the measure of “success.” Instead, the case for expanding the World Bank’s scale of operations must come with a new vision for the MDB system as a whole and a new priority at the World Bank, the oldest and most global of all these institutions.

We propose that ministers, including those representing the newborn Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and New Development Bank, consider clearer future mandates for the different banks. The aim would be to raise more resources, but also to tap the assets and capital resources they already have in new ways and deploy them more flexibly, undoing the rigid rules and

institutional silos that bog them down in the face of urgent needs.

We urge shareholding governments to give the World Bank specific instructions to support research and deployment of new energy and health technologies, to foster the nascent “green bond” market, and to issue loans and guarantees on terms that encourage borrowers to take on the upfront costs of climate mitigation.

Environmental sustainability should be at the heart of what the World Bank does in the future. This may well require a scaling up of resources, but these should be linked with stronger performance under this new mandate. We also support an updated system of governance at the World Bank; developing countries, which now constitute over half the global economy, should be adequately represented in decisions about financing and implementing the sustainability priority.

For the regional banks we see an increase in their operations in support of infrastructure as crucial. They have a key role in closing the trillion-dollar financing gap between current investment levels and what developing countries need to build the framework for modern, diversified economies. The Paris climate agreement, now close to ratification by enough countries to become effective, envisages steering $100 billion a year toward “green” infrastructure projects that protect the planet (for example, mass-transit systems that take cars off the road), as well as the investments in education, agriculture and water that bolster climate resilience in developing countries.

Considerable ambition and fresh thinking are required to equip the multilateral banks for this century’s new development challenges. We believe world governments that control the MDB system are able to muster such ambition. Doing so will mark a critical step in safeguarding and further extending the benefits of development progress in this century. Bloomberg

ment, and the guarantee of the legitimacy of norms. No matter one’s dislike for Chito Gascon (and I personally see no reason to dislike him) or for Leila de Lima (who has given many so many reasons to dislike her!), there is utterly no justification

for rejecting their advocacy of human rights, whatever their intentions or motives might be. To sideline human rights, one must be willing to sideline equally the question of legitimacy. But the moment one goes that far, one has not only stripped the forest

bare. One has cut down the very last tree standing! And beyond that, there is only a howling wilderness!

away from asking the obvious, including on policy, since they know basically what the candidates will say. But many voters haven’t heard the responses, or realize the candidates even have positions on certain policies.

Since the voters’ queries aren’t typically worded as well as journalists’ questions, it’s helpful for the professional moderators to be ready with follow-ups. The best followups, however, often come from the candidates, who (if normal-

ly prepared) know what their George H.W. Bush and Bill opponents are leaving out or Clinton. embellishing.

Easy questions, focused on The most famous town-hall policy: Excellent. question ever came in 1992, Bloomberg the first time the format was tried, when a voter asked how the “national debt” was affectBACK ing the candidates personally.

CHANNEL In one sense, that’s an awful question: Federal budget defiALEJANDRO cits aren’t necessarily harmDEL ROSARIO ful at all, and the voter probably meant “bad economy” Ambassador Del Rosario’s rather than deficit. But it elic- column will resume soon. ited very useful answers from

rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@yahoo.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

OUT OF THE BOX RITA LINDA V. JIMENO

World peace and Korea WORLD peace is walking on eggshells. And I am not saying this because terrorism has gripped the world since 9/11. Neither am I saying this because, on the domestic scene, the Philippines has been fighting many wars: the war against communist insurgency, the war in Mindanao, and now, the war against drugs as the rest of the world looks on and assesses how this could affect them.

The precariousness of world peace came to mind when I attended the Global Peace Conference in Seoul, Korea last week. Korea is now the only divided country in the world and it is not by its people’s choice. In fact, if the people had their way, they would rather unify as the separation of the North and South has separated thousands of families who have not seen each other for decades. The continuing division of the Korean peninsula into North and South poses a serious threat to peace, not only in Korea itself, but in the whole of Asia and even the world.

Dr. Inteck Seo, the president of Global Peace Foundation Korea, said that Korea’s destiny is necessarily connected to the world’s destiny. How so? First, the question: how did Korea come to be divided, anyway? Korea was unified as one country for centuries under the Joseon Dynasty.

Its people shared the same culture and language. Korea’s troubles began in 1910 when Japan colonized it. As World War II drew to a close in 1945 and with Japan’s defeat, the Allied Powers knew they had to take over Japan including its occupied territories such as Korea and the Philippines.

Since the United States was set to take over Japan and the Philippine territory, it was initially reluctant to administer Korea as well. Thus, when the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the Soviets declared war on Japan too and sent amphibious troops that landed along the coasts of Northern Korea. Five days before Japan’s surrender, US officials delineated the US occupation zone in East Asia. Without consulting the Korean people, they arbitrarIf war breaks ily cut Korea roughly in half, with the capital out yet again of Seoul and the Southin Korea, we ern portion falling under US administration can all be sure while the North fell that the world’s under USSR’s. A nationwide election was superpowers supposed to have been and their allies arranged by the trust administrators to rewill again take unify Korea but neither sides, drawing the US nor the Soviets trusted each other. The many nations US wanted the entire in.

Korea to be under a democracy while the Soviets wanted it to be communist. South Korea declared itself a nation in 1948 while the Soviets appointed Kim Il-sung, a major in the Soviet Red Army, as the leader of the North.

Kim quelled political opposition and tried to reunify Korea under a communist regime by invading South Korea. This sparked a three-year war where the Philippines even sent troops to help liberate South Korea from Communist invasion. Since then, with the North firmly held by three generations of the Kim family, peace in Korea has been shaky.

North Korea has been flexing its muscles and threatening peace in the region by building nuclear arms and firing nuclear missiles every so often.

Why should the division of the two Koreas and its ongoing war concern us and the world? The Philippines and the nations surrounding Korea are close enough to suffer devastation should a nuclear war erupt. The rest of the world too cannot remain uninvolved as history tells us that World Wars began with seemingly local and isolated events. WWI was sparked by the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand in Serbia. Austria demanded that the perpetrator be handed over. When this didn’t happen, Austria invaded Serbia. Then, Serbia’s ally, Russia, ran to its defense. About the same time, Germany invaded Belgium and headed for France. Because Britain, France and Russia had a mutual defense pact, as did Germany and Austria, the hostilities between Austria and Russia drew the other allies in.

In the case of WWII, the Germans invaded first, Czechoslovakia, and then Poland. Britain and France had given guarantees to Poland and had no option than to declare war on Germany. Then Germany invaded Denmark and Norway and attacked France, Belgium, Holland and Luxemburg, starting the real world war, with all allies and interested parties participating.

Given history, Korea’s problem is every one’s concern.

If war breaks out yet again in Korea, we can all be sure that the world’s superpowers and their allies will again take sides, drawing many nations in. This is an event we—the peoples of the world—should not allow because a nuclear war can eliminate populations and peoples in just hours or even minutes. It is imperative that everyone—nations and peoples—to exert pressure on North Korea and its allies toward reunification.

Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph

A6

News

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Erap: Drug tests for brgy officials

By Sandy Araneta IN SUPPORT of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against drugs, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada announced on Sunday that the city government will soon conduct mandatory drug testing on all its elected barangay officials.

Estrada warned that those who will be found positive for drug use will be charged with criminal and administrative cases, aside from dismissal from service.

“We will do that from barangay chairmen down to the barangay kagawad (councilors). There will be no exemptions,” he said.

Estrada’s decision was prompted by Friday’s antidrug operation in Islamic Center, Quiapo where incumbent Barangay 648 chairman Faiz Macabato was killed after fighting it out with policemen who were about to serve an arrest warrant on his drug suspect-brother.

“It is a betrayal of public trust. People elected them. Do you think they are worthy of their positions if they’re drug

addicts?” he said.

“We won’t be lenient on any barangay officials who are into drugs. They have no excuses,” Estrada added.

Estrada, along with the 36-member Sangguniang Panglunsod, which includes Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna, already subjected themselves to a surprise drug test at the city hall on August 18. None of them tested positive.

It was the first time in recent years that a city mayor voluntarily submitted himself to a drug test, and was also the first to be conducted at the Manila City Hall.

Estrada said there will be no sacred cows in his own anti-narcotics war.

“May this be a warning to them. There is no sacred cow in our anti-drug campaign. We are not afraid of anyone,” he said.

Estrada said he was not surprised that Macabato had been protecting his brother as the barangay captain was among those who have not submitted a list of drug users and pushers in their respective jurisdictions to the city hall.

CAREFREE. Parents watch their children play in Rizal Park on Sunday . Manny Palmero

‘LPGMA solon guilty of illegal gas refilling’

By Rey E. Requejo

A

REGIONAL trial court in Malabon City has found a party-list lawmaker guilty of unauthorized refilling of cooking gas cylinders belonging to oil giants Pilipinas Shell Petroleum, Petron and Total Gas.

In a 16-page decision, Presiding Judge Ofelia Contreras-Soriano ruled that government prosecutors were able to present sufficient evidence to warrant the conviction of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers’ Association (LPGMA) party-list Rep. Arnel Ty for violating Batas Pambansa No. 33 which

deals with prohibited acts involving petroleum products inimical to public interests and national security, including “short-selling and adulteration of petroleum and petroleum products.”

Ty, who owns Republic Gas Corp. (Regasco) refilling plant, was sentenced by the trial court

to pay a fine of P50,000 with subsidiary imprisonment in case of insolvency.

The lower court also ordered the cancellation of Regasco’s license to operate and the forfeiture in favor of the government of the petroleum products seized from its warehouse.

The court rejected Ty’s arguments that the empty and underfilled branded cylinders seized from their warehouse were actually part of its marketing strategy of offering their own brand in exchange for partially consumed LPG of other brands.

The court said the accused failed

to provide logical explanation for the presence of the filled LPG tanks of Shell, Petron and Total Gas, which were likewise seized from the warehouse.

“It is highly doubtful that the volume of the confiscated filled branded LPG cylinders constitutes the number of converted clients,” the court said.

“No consumer in his right mind would trade off a newly purchased or filled LPG gas cylinder for another brand which is being offered for a lesser price,” it added.

The court also noted that Ty even admitted that Regasco has no written authorization from the De-

partment of Energy to refill LPG for Shell, Petron, Total Gas and Caltex (now Chevron).

The prosecution presented as witness National Bureau of Investigation agent Marvin de Jemil who led a test-buy operation in Regasco’s refilling plant on February 6, 2004 following a letter of complaint from lawyer requesting the conduct of an investigation of Regasco’s for alleged violation of the provisions of BP 33.

De Jemil recounted that he himself witnessed the actual refilling of empty LPG cylinders of Petron Gasul and Shellance by Regasco crew.

‘Consult citizens in budget debate’

By Rio N. Araja SIQUIJOR Rep. Ramon Rocamora is pushing for a greater and stronger citizen’s participation in the deliberation of P3.35-trillion budget for 2017.

He filed an omnibus amendment that would include a provision for an assembly of people’s and citizens’ organizations to propose projects and elect representatives to local poverty reduction action teams.

“If we want to enshrine citizen’s participation as a cornerstone of our country’s budgetary process, the only way to do that is to ensure that somehow, the basic sectors are part of the process to craft programs and identify projects to be implemented,” Rocamora said.

When Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno submitted the 2017 budget proposal, Rocamora said the bottom-up budgeting program under the Aquino administration was replaced by the assistance to disadvantaged municipalities program.

The ADM program’s implementing guidelines, however, would just need the concurrence of an accredited civil society organization for submission of the mayor.

“Our basic sectors must not merely concur. They should be part of the decision-making process,” he said.

Under Rocamora’s proposal, the LPRATs shall identify projects for the ADM program of the department’s of Interior and the Local Government, Social Welfare and Development, Environment and Natural Resources and Health, among others.

Angara: End abuses vs seniors

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Juan Edgardo Angara is pushing for the passage of a bill that aims to put an end to any form of senior citizen abuse by providing stiffer penalties and strengthening institutional support for elderly victims.

“It is our duty to provide proper and adequate protection for our over six-million senior citizens. It must be stressed that senior citizen abuse is not a private matter but a public and serious one which should be a concern of the entire society,” said Angara, one of the authors of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act. “Respect for our elders has been one of the hallmarks of Philippine culture and society. Sadly, incidents of senior citizen abuse still persist in our country,” he added.

Under Senate Bill 1012 or the Anti-Senior Citizen Abuse Act of 2016, senior citizen abuse refers to “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress to a senior citizen.”

These include physical, sexual, pyschological and economic abuse as well as neglect or failure to feed or provide shelter and health care to senior citizens.

Angara cited a study by the University of the Philippines which showed that children of senior citizens are the number one perpetrators of abuse, followed by spouses and then grandchildren.

Aquino bats for mental health plan

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRACTICE. Members of the Aviation Security Group, together with the Search and Rescue Unit Foundation, conduct a drill on how to rescue injured personnel during a mock assault. N. Araga

DoH trains police, LGUs to screen drug addicts

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Department of Health-Mimaropa has trained health workers, local government officials and members of the Philippine National Police on the screening, assessment and referral of drug dependents.

Regional health director Eduardo Janairo cited the need to maximize and provide an immediate response system to ensure medical support amid the increasing number of drug users who are voluntarily surrendering to authorities.

“Once they submitted themselves and have been processed accordingly, they must direct-

ly undergo a wellness treatment in order for them not to have a relapse. Delay in their rehabilitation might cause them to return to their regular drug habits,” he said.

DoH data showed Oriental Mindoro has the largest number of drug surrenderees in the region with a total of 9,147; followed by Occidental Mindoro with 3,188; Palawan with 4,175; Romblon with 819; and Marinduque with 745.

According to Janairo, health workers all over the region, including local government units and members of the PNP who are directly involved in the facilitation and referral of drug rehabilation, will undergo an orienta-

tion in order for them to handle the situation efficiently.

“We are in the process of developing an after care program for these drug dependents because it is more essential than the treatment process. In addition, there are only six DoH-accredited physicians in Mimaropa who are trained in drug dependence evaluation,” he said.

“DoH-Mimaropa, in collaboration with LGUs, has been fast-tracking the organization of rehabilitation centers in the whole region which will be opened this year to accommodate those needing drug treatment and rehabilitation,” Janairo added.

SENATOR Paolo Benigno Aquino IV has pushed for the creation of a mental health program for the youth to reduce the rate of suicide attempts and drug use among young Filipinos.

“We should provide troubled youth with professional support and a place of refuge so they don’t resort to drugs or even suicide,” Aquino said in Senate Bill No. 657 or the Adolescents and Youth Mental Health Program Act. According to a 2015 report of the Dangerous Drugs Board, around 49 percent of first-time drug users belong to the age group of 15 to19 years old.

The World Health Organization also found that in 2011, at least 16 percent of Filipino students aged 13 to 15 had contemplated suicide, while 13 percent had attempted suicide.

Sports

A7

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10 , 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Rosberg twists knife with win

S

UZUKA—Nico Rosberg romped to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, piling more pressure on Lewis Hamilton as he closes in on a first Formula One world title.

Race winner Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team’s German driver Nico Rosberg (center) jumps on the podium, as second place winner Red Bull Racing’s Belgian-Dutch driver Max Verstappen (left) watches, after the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix race in Suzuka. AFP

Rosberg claimed his first Suzuka win from pole as Hamilton took third after a horror start, the German stretching his lead over his Mercedes rival to 33 points with just four races left this season.

“Woooooooh!” cried Rosberg over team radio after his ninth victory of 2016 and his fourth in the last five races.

“Thanks a lot, guys. An Amazing weekend and congrats on winning the constructors (championship),” he added after he and Hamilton wrapped up a third successive team title for Mercedes.

“It’s 33 points, but I’m not focused on that. There’s still a long way to go so I’m just keeping my head down.”

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen held off a furious challenge from world champion Hamilton in the final few laps to take second place, five seconds back, after his runner-up finish in Malaysia

last weekend.

The Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen came home fourth and fifth after both drivers turned the air blue over the radio, complaining about backmarkers.

Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo, who inherited victory in Sepang after Hamilton’s engine caught fire, took sixth ahead of the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg.

Williams drivers Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas finished ninth and 10th on a one-stop strategy.

Hamilton, who has now failed to win since Hockenheim at the end of July, almost fought back to take second as the Briton tried to duck around Verstappen coming into the chicane on the last lap.

But the Dutch teenager blocked off the inside, forcing the Mercedes to lock up

Lucena scores near sweep in Cebuana net tilt

DanceSport National meet set at Philsports THE DanceSport Council of the Philippines is set to host the 20th DSCPI National Championship on Saturday at the Philsports Multi-Purpose Arena, Pasig City.

DSCPI President Becky Garcia said there are 298 athletes all over the Philippines competing in the ranking competition supported by Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Board, Flawless, Calata Corporation, Vitug Beach Resort, Ballare Events Studio, Dance Vision Arena, Studio 116 Dance School, Retro DCG-FM 105.9 and The Greenery Bulacan.

“I’m very much happy to announce the growing number of participants in our DanceSports competition,” says Garcia. “We believe that we can discover fresh potential talents there.”

Tickets are available at the DanceSport Training Center, Philsports Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City and at the entrance of the Philsports Multi-Purpose Arena.

For other inquiries, call Anna or Lorien at 637-2314.

Parañaque City Edwin Olivarez makes the ceremonial toss during the opening of the Universities and Colleges Basketball League last Saturday at the Olivarez Coliseum in Sucat, Parañaque.

Centro Escolar favored against San Lorenzo THREE more teams debut today with multi-titled Centro Escolar University out to flaunt its might in the Universities and Colleges Basketball League at the Olivarez Coliseum in Sucat, Paranague.

Led by the vastly improving Rod Ebondo and Samboy de Leon, the Scorpions collide with the Colegio de San Lorenzo Griffins at 2 p.m. with the former going for an auspicious start.

Games Today

(Olivarez College gym) 12 noon – UB vs Diliman College 2 p.m. – CEU vs CDSL

With a good mix of veteran and promising players, the Scorpions have been installed heavy favorites after ruling NAASCU for several years before joining the new collegiate league that offers televised games to its members.

Yong Garcia, who inher-

Lastimosa carries Elite to 5th place KUALA LUMPUR—Carlo Lastimosa provided the much-needed spark off the bench as Blackwater thumped Chinese TaipeiDacin Tigers, 80-71 to salvage fifth place in the 2016 Seri Mutiara Champions Cup Sunday at the MABA Stadium.

The six-foot Lastimosa banged in 13 of his teamhigh 20 points in the last period, where the Elite managed to pull away after engaging in a neck-andneck battle with the Taiwanese.

The vastly-improved shooting guard’s floater in traffic with 40 seconds left to play gave Blackwater a 78-70 cushion.

Blackwater coach Leo Isaac said the team’s experience playing against Asian club teams with big imports will serve the team well since the Elite are looking forward to coming out strong in next season’s Philippine Cup. “Maganda itong tournament na preparasyon para sa next season namin,” Black-

and slip onto an escape road.

Rosberg, whose Finnish father Keke won the 1982 Formula One title, failed to convert pole position into victory in Japan the past two years, both times losing out to Hamilton.

But he got away cleanly this time, while Hamilton fell to eighth, radioing to the pits: “Sorry, guys.”

“No stress, Lewis,” came the reply before Hamilton began a rousing charge through the field to try and make up places.

Rosberg’s progress was untroubled, however, twisting the knife with a masterful drive as Hamilton’s miserable run continued.

“I got everything right,” said Rosberg, who has been quickest all weekend in Japan.

“I’m well aware of the points: 33 points —it’s better that way than the other way round but it’s still Lewis and he’s going to be going for it in the last four races.”

Hamilton, who controversially hinted at sabotage from within the Mercedes team after his third engine failure of the year last week, cut a forlorn figure on the podium, the 100th of his career. AFP

water coach Leo Isaac said.

The Elite concluded their campaign with an even 2-2 card overall.

They registered their first win at the expense of Australia Perth Cockburn Cougars, 73-64 at the close of the preliminary round on Friday night.

Newly acquired forward Raymond Aguilar finished with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while starting slotman James Sena added 17.

Rookie Art Dela Cruz chipped in 10 points and six steals, to go along with five assists.

Blackwater is expected to bolster its roster as it is set to pick first in this year’s PBA Rookie Draft set on Oct. 30.

The Elite, who only won seven games in the 41st season, will also be picking first in the special draft, which will feature members of Gilas 5.0 led by Mac Belo, Miko Tolomia, Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks, Roger Pogoy, Russell Escoto, among others.

ited the coaching job from Egay Macaraya, however, shrugged off the favorite tag, saying they are still in the process of getting to know each other.

Besides that, the Boni Garcia-mentored Griffins boast of 6’9” Joshua Calizo and 6’6” JonJon Gabriel.

But whether Calizo and Gabriel are good as advertised will be known when they go up against the 6’6” Ebondo

who led the CafeFrance to the PBA Development League title last year.

Clashing at 12 noon are Diliman College and University of Batangas with the latter out to bounce from a 69-54 loss to Technological Institute of the Philippines in the opener last Saturday.

The opening day was highlighted by Bulacan State University’s stunning 96-91 win over Olivarez College.

BACOOR City’s Rainier Angelo Selmar prevented a near sweep by Lucena City at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series as the host city dominated 7 out of the 9 events contested.

Selmar came up with back-to-back victories in the tournament, part of a nation-wide grassroots tennis developmental program that started 10 years ago.

Selmar captured the 12-under boys’ crown with a three-set win over Luis Salvacion from Lucena, 6-4, 4-6, 12-10, and added the 14-under title as he repeated over the same foe, 6-3, 6-3, in the finals of the tournament that has Dunlop as the official ball.

Local bet Angelica Alcala led the domination

by Lucena City’s young netters as she duplicated Selmar’s feat, winning the 14-under and 16-under girls’ age groups, beating Julia Ignacio, 5-2, 6-2, in the 14-under finals, and following it up with an even more impressive 6-0, 6-1 victory over Lila Salvacion for the 16-under title.

Alcala narrowly missed out winning a third title as she bowed earlier to Ignacio in the 12-under finals match, 2-6, 3-6.

“Again, I am happy to see unfamiliar names in this leg as it shows that there are indeed good potentials in the provinces as long as you give them the opportunity to show their skills. The series has been giving these provincial players exactly that opportunity to play in regular and organized tournaments,” said Cebuana Lhuillier President /CEO and current PHILTA Chairman Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Other local winners were Kaye Alcala in the 18-under girls’ group as she swept aside Tayabas, Quezon’s Maylina Borbor, 6-3, 6-2, in their championship matchup, and RJ Virrey, who annexed the boys’ 18-under title with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Ranz Javier.

Rose: Victim consented to sex

ROSE

LOS ANGELES—NBA star Derrick Rose told a Los Angeles jury on Friday that his ex-girlfriend opened the door in her pajamas and invited him and two of his friends into her apartment for what he assumed would be a sexual encounter.

Rose gave a starkly different account Friday than the one the alleged victim told during earlier testimony in the $21 million sexual assault lawsuit brought against Rose by the woman.

Rose testified that he met the plaintiff, whose identity has been kept anonymous thus far, at a club in 2011 and had a “non-exclusive sexual relationship” with her for about a year and a half.

The eight-member jury must decide whether the woman, or Rose and co-defendants Ryan Allen and Randall Hampton, are telling the truth about the events on the night of August 26, 2013 at Rose’s Beverly Hills house and later at the woman’s apartment near downtown Los Angeles.

Rose told the jury Friday that the woman had sex with Hampton earlier at Rose’s house and then hours later the trio went to her apartment.

In her own testimony, the woman denied having sex with Hampton in the backyard of Rose’s house and said she did not invite them back to her place where the alleged assault took place.

Rose reiterated the defendants’ claim that the woman invited them to her house and the sex was consensual.

“In my mind, she consented to every other time (the two of us) had sex, so why wouldn’t she this time,” Rose testified.

Rose said when the woman opened the door to her home she was wearing pajamas and “we followed her in.”

No criminal charges have been filed against

Rose or the others but the Los Angeles police have said they are investigating the incident.

Rose’s lawyer Mark Baute has painted the lawsuit as a “fake case” in which the woman was seeking a “lottery hit” of a financial payout.

The 30-year-old woman testified earlier Friday that she didn’t sue for money and said that she never gave Rose, Hampton or Allen consent to have sex with her after a boozy night of heavy drinking.

“I did not give them anything,” she said.

Lawyers for the woman allege that the defendants slipped a drug into her tequila drink at the Beverly Hills gathering, then showed up at her apartment and had sex with her while she was unconscious.

The woman said she had dated Rose sporadically beginning in 2011, but that the basketball star had broken off their relationship about two months prior to the alleged assault. AFP

LOTTO RESULTS

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

Sports

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

A8

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

NLEX aims to reach next level

By Jeric Lopez

Meralco Bolts import Allen Durham (in white) tries to dribble past Barangay Ginebra counterpart Justin Brownlee (32). The Bolts and the Gin Kings are battling for the championship of the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup.

AFTER failing to get past the quarterfinals the past conferences the NLEX Road Warriors are looking to veteran coach Yeng Guiao to led them to the next level in the Philippine Basketball Association.

With Guiao leaving the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters just several days ago, the Road Warriors are already pondering the future they will have under the fiery tactician.

NLEX governor Mon Fernandez expressed his vote of confidence for the team’s new man at the helm.

He believes that the impact of the seven-time PBA champion coach will be felt right away by the Road Warriors.

“With his championship experience and passion for the sport, we are certain that Coach Yeng (Guiao) will take our team to another level,” he said.

Aside from his contributions on the court, Fernandez said that they are looking for Guiao to also make a solid impact off the playing court.

“We look forward to a very fruitful partnership with Coach Yeng, not only in the field of basketball but also in the socio-economic initiatives of our company,” said Fernandez adding that Guiao will also be active in the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities.

Meanwhile, Meralco is looking to go ahead 2-0 in its best-ofseven championship series against Barangay Ginebra in the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.

UST rules the sands at SM MOA U

NIVERSITY of Santo Tomas dominated the competition at the Sands SM

By The Bay by completing a golden double in the UAAP Season 79 beach volleyball tournament winning both the women’s and men’s divisions yesterday.

Last second Arong shot lifts FEU over NU Games Wednesday (at the MOA Arena) 2 p.m. Adamson vs UP 4 p.m. UST vs FEU

MONBERT Arong whispered a prayer, unloaded a jumper from the right corner and rejoiced as it found its mark in the last 3.7 seconds yesterday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 5’11” Arong’s basket propelled the defending champion Far Eastern University Tamaraws to a 57-56 triumph over the National University Bulldogs in the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

The 21-year-old cager from Olango Island, Cebu said he had been mumbling the words from a Bible verse in the final minute, and this inspired him to score 60 percent from the three-point range, which was way above his usual 25 percent clip.

His winning shot came off a pass from Raymar Jose following an inbound and sent FEU to its sixth win in eight matches.

“God is kind to me. During the last few seconds I kept thinking of the Bible verse: I can do things for Christ who strengthens me. I was confident I would make the shot,” said Arong, who referred to the scripture found in Philippians 4:13. Peter Atencio

The Tigresses became the most successful squad in UAAP beach volleyball competition, as Cherry Rondina and Jem Gutierrez powered the España-based squad to a fourth title with a 21-17, 21-10 win over Far Eastern University’s Bernadeth Pons and Kyla Atienza in the championship decider.

UST actually missed registering a perfect season after dropping Game 2, 21-17, 17-21, 13-15, earlier in day, but Rondina and Gutierrez won’t be denied in reclaiming the throne.

“Last year is over and done with. It’s another chapter this year,” said Rondina,

onships, tying FEU and National University for the most number of crowns.

As a consolation for the Tamaraws, Barrica, who replaced Richard Solis at the start of the step-ladder semifinals, was named the Rookie of the Year.

“They (FEU) showed their heart. They suffered the cramps in Game 2 but continued to compete. That’s a really painful experience. I have utmost respect for them.

They’re young. Their time will come,” said Guzman.

The triumph ended the Tigers’ heartbreak of being bridesmaids for the last three seasons.

“That’s what motivated us to push further to get what we wanted,” said Guzman.

UST banked on a strong start in the second frame of Game 3, as Rondina scored the first five points of the set and nailed the championship-clinching set to seal the deal.

Rondina praised her new partner Gutierrez for a job well done all-season long.

“Ate Jem (Gutierrez) is very cooperative even though she is my senior,” said Rondina, who was paired with RJ Rivera when the Tigresses won the crown in her rookie season in 2014.

Azkals coach Dooley to try different combinations

By Peter Atencio HEAD coach Thomas Dooley will have a chance to experiment with the composition of the Philippine Azkals national men’s football team.

More players will be given enough playing time when the Azkals clash with North Korea in a friendly encounter at 8 p.m. tonight at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium.

“We want to try different players in different positions. Because, if something happens, we can adjust,” said Dooley following a pre-match huddle with North Korean coach Jorn Andersen, who is Danish.

Dooley cited Fil-German, Kevin Ingresso and he took note of his versatility in the field.

“I want to see him score more goals. It’s important for him to be playing behind. He can distribute the ball better,” said Dooley.

The friendly comes three days after the

Azkals took a 1-3 loss to the visiting Bahrain side last Friday.

Aadem Khabir scored at the beginning of the first and second half for Bahrain while Marzooq Alromaihi claimed the third goal.

It was newcomer Mike Ott who scored his first goal for the Azkals.

The Azkals are getting ready for their stint in the AFF Suzuki Cup, which gets going on November 19, with the Philippine side taking Singapore at Philippine Sports Sta-

dium.

Dooley is excited with their friendly wth North Korea, considering that Andersen was his classmate in a coaching course, and when they were just starting out way back in 2001.

The Azkals are expected to have Fil-German Stephan Schröck in the roster.

The versatile Schrock has accounted for four goals for the Azkals in 22 appearances for the Philippines.

Tigresses try to extend win streak Games today

12:30 p.m. – Air Force vs Cignal (S Turf) 4 p.m. – Pocari vs Coast Guard 6 p.m. – UP vs UST

BRUTAL ACTION. Racing-Metro’s Fijian second row Leone Nakarawa (center) losses his grip on the ball after being tackled by Stade Francais players during the French Top 14 rugby union match between Racing 92 and Stade Francais on October 8 at the Yves-du-Manoir stadium in Colombes, northwest of Paris. AFP

Bellevue Resort hosts 5i50 BELLEVUE Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol gears up for its first triathlon venture – the Bellevue Resort 5i50 Triathlon set Nov. 6 with a crack international field clashing for top honors in various divisions of the grueling swimbike-run event.

Australians Sam Betten and Dimity Lee-Duke have confirmed participation in the blue-ribbon event, which they ruled in last year’s staging of the 1.5k swim,

a product of Compostela National High School in Cebu who won her second MVP award in three years.

“After I got a new coaching staff and a new partner our coaches told us to open a new book. The opening and early pages were our training. This championship is our last page,” she said.

The Growling Tigers were successful in hacking out a 9-0 season sweep, as MVP KR Guzman and Anthony Arbasto downed the hard-fighting Tamaraws pair of Jude Garcia and Jeremiah Barrica, 2116, 21-16, in Game 2.

UST has now won three men’s champi-

40k bike and 10k run championship. But the duo will be up against a formidable field, which includes compatriots Alexander Polizzi and Michelle Duffield, New Zealand’s Amelia Rose Watkinson and local based Dan Brown and top Filipina elite Monica Torres.

Registration is ongoing with limited slots up for grabs for early bird and the 5+1 promo. For details visit www. bellevue.5150philippines.com.

THE amazing Tigresses of University of Santo Tomas hope to ride the momentum of their unbeaten run marked by two shock reversals as they shoot for a fourth straight win and at least a playoff for a semifinal berth against University of the Philippines in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig today, Monday.

The Tigresses swept their first three games, including a four-set win over Open Conference runner-up Air Force and another four-setter over an import-backed BaliPure side late Saturday, putting the team with a gritty all-Filipino crew closer to a semifinal stint in the season-ending conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s.

EJ Laure continued to dish out top form and unleashed a superb 23-hit game as the Tigresses bucked the 25-point effort of American Kathy Morrell to subdue the BaliPure Water Defenders, 21-25, 25-21, 25-23, 25-13, and regain the solo lead.

Carla Sandoval backed her up with 12 hits while Pam Lastimosa, slowly getting back into the groove after a long layoff due to injure, fired 11 points and top blocker Marivic Meneses added 10 hits, including four blocks.

The victory firmed up UST’s bid in the short tournament backed by Mikasa as official ball and Accel as official outfitter with the Tigresses expecting a tougher challenge from the Lady Maroons, who bounced back from a straight-set setback to the Customs Transformers with a sweep of winless Coast Guard.

Gametime is at 6 p.m.

UP coach Jerry Yee will again bank on his talented crew of Diana Carlos, Nicole Tiamzon Kathy Bersola, Justine Dorog and Marian Buitre with Rose Mary Cailing hoping to settle down and provide the plays for the team’s top spikers.

Pocari Sweat, meanwhile, tries to recover from its tough five-set loss to Air Force last Wednesday as it faces Coast Guard at 4 p.m. Both matches will be aired live over ABS-CBN Sports + Action Channel 17 or 23 and via streaming on www.sports.abs-cbn.com and on www.v-league,ph, according to the organizing Sports Vision.

Chicago Cubs post 5-2 victory over San Francisco Giants PITCHERS Kyle Hendricks and Travis Wood produced on the mound and at the plate Saturday to propel the Chicago Cubs to a 5-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants and a commanding lead in their Major League Baseball playoff series.

The Cubs, in search of their first World Series win in more than a century, lead the best-of-five National

League Division Series 2-0 and will try to book their spot in the NL Championship Series in game three in San Francisco on Monday.

Wood, who took over on the mound after starter Hendricks was hit on the forearm by a line drive off the bat of Angel Pagan in the fourth inning, earned the victory – and also became the first relief pitcher since 1924 to belt a home

run in the post-season.

In all the Cubs used six pitchers. Aroldis Chapman retired three straight Giants in the ninth, striking out two for his second save in as many games.

“Obviously the bullpen today was unbelievable,” said Hendricks. “They won that game.”

Before departing, Hendricks delivered a two-run single to spark the Cubs’

three-run second inning.

Jason Heyward belted a leadoff double in the second. Javier Baez walked and Willson Contreras lined a base hit to right to load the bases with none out.

Hendricks, a .138 hitter during the regular season, singled to shallow center to score Heyward and Baez.

Contreras reached third on Dexter Fowler’s sac-

rifice and came home on Kris Bryant’s base hit.

That gave made it 4-0 for the Cubs, who had put one run on the board in the first inning after Fowler doubled and scored on Ben Zobrist’s two-out single.

San Francisco responded with two runs in the third, pulling struggling starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija early for a pinch hitter. AFP

Business

Govt eyes China infra funds B3

Ortigas to allot P50b for Greenhills project

By Jenniffer B. Austria

O

RTIGAS & Co., a property developer now jointly owned by the Zobel, Sy and Ortigas groups, is spending P50 billion to redevelop its crown jewel Greenhills Shopping Center, a top executive said over the weekend.

Ortigas & Co. president Jaime Ysmael said in a recent interview the first two phases of the Greenhills redevelopment project would involve P10 billion in capital expenditures, primarily to build a residential tower, a shopping center and office component.

Ysmael said the redevelopment would be implemented in several stages, so as not to disrupt the revenue

stream and operations of its tenants.

He said the company would also have to wait for the leases of their tenants to expire.

“The Greenhills redevelopment master plan has been completed. We will start development of phase 0 and 1 next year which will entail the redevelopment of a portion of Greenhills Shopping Center into a mixed-use

play,” Ysmael said.

Ysmael said while the“tiangge” portion of the shopping center would be relocated, Ortigas & Co. would the keep the concept of Greenhills Shopping Center.

“We will still keep the tiangge concept because it what made Greenhills famous and it is a good business. So we will keep that concept which will make the development quite unique,” Ysmael said.

Aside from Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas & Co is also completing the master plan for other prime properties, including Capital Commons, a 10-hectare mixed-use development located along Meralco Ave.; Circulo Verde, a 12 hectare masterplanned development along Calle

Industrial in Quezon City; Fonterra Verde, an 18.5-hectare development project at the corner of Ortigas Ave. and C-5; and Tiendesitas which is also situated along C-5 in Pasig.

“This year will be the year of master planning and next year we will start launching the projects,” Ysmael said.

The company said it was looking to add commercial spaces at Capitol Commons by expanding existing the Estancia Mall and developing cinemas.

A new Unimart Supermarket is also slated to open in Capitol Commons early next year.

Capitol Commons currently has three residential towers and three more will be added over the next five of years, depending on the demand.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

B1

IN BRIEF PH plans to create 12m jobs by 2022 THE government needs to generate at least 12 million jobs before President Rodrigo Duterte ends his six-year term in office in 2022 to resolve the unemployment rate, the National Economic and Planning Authority said over the weekend.

Economic Planning Secretary and Neda director-general Ernesto Pernia said the country must generate at least 2 million jobs annually “to mop up the unemployed and those who are incoming into the labor force.”

Pernia said addressing the unemployment and underemployment issues would eventually lead to the reduction in poverty incidence.

The Duterte administration aims to cut the poverty incidence rate by 1.5 percentage points every year to 17 percent by 2022.

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the unemployment rate dipped to 5.4 percent in July 2016. Gabrielle H. Binaday

Govt set to endorse new tax perks bill THE government expects to save as much as P40 billion in revenues annually, once the fiscal incentives are adjusted under the proposed tax reform program.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the Trade and Finance Departments were planning to file the harmonized set of incentives by yearend.

“I think there will be savings of about P30 [billion] to P40 billion from the adjustment of fiscal incentives if the government will put a cap on certain perks,” he said.

Both departments have yet to discuss the status of income tax holiday.

The Trade Department said that in all the years that the ITH was offered as a part of the incentive package to investors, it had not truly benefited the companies as it normally took about three to four years before a company posted a profit.

After the six-year period or a maximum of 8 years of ITH, companies are then required to pay the regular corporate income tax rate of 32 percent. There were proposals for the gradual phase-out of income tax holiday within a span of three years. Othel V. Campos

BoI wants to delist mass housing sector

ARCHITECTS’ SUPPORT. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez (seated, left) and representatives from the United Architects of the Philippines led by officers Ramon Abiera, Michael Baluarte, Eugene Gan and Kaydee Marie Velasco, sign a memorandum of understanding that manifests UAP’s cooperation and technical assistance for the Department of Trade and Industry in the areas of product standards, consumer protection, information drive and consumer awareness. UAP is an integrated and accredited organization of architects in the country.

Okada opens Manila casino in December TIGER Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the local unit of Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada’s Universal Entertainment Corp., delayed by one month the opening of its $2.4-billion integrated casino and entertainment facility in Parañaque City.

Tiger Resort said in a statement Okada Manila would now open in December, instead of the earlier target opening of November.

“Okada Manila is well on its way to completing the first phase which covers 22 hectares of the overall 44-hectare casino and other major attractions, will take place in December,” Tiger Resort said.

“The company is also in the process of carefully considering the optimal timing for opening other facilities, amenities.

Relevant disclosures will be provided in a timely manner,” it said.

Universal Entertainment Corp., the holding company of Okada which is listed at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, hinted last week that the opening of Okada Manila might be delayed due to “ “worsethan-expected weather conditions.”

“Okada Manila has not markedly lagged behind the original plan although the progress has differed somewhat from the plan, affected by worse-than-expected weather conditions,” Universal Entertainment said.

“In view of policy actions by the Philippine government and the economic environment in the near-term, we are now in the process of carefully considering the optimal timing for opening the facility towards delivering maximized share holder value,” it said.

Tiger Resort president Steve Wolstenholme said last month phase 1 of the project was on track to open this year and construction was 85-percent completed.

Jenniffer B. Austria

DoTC reluctant on Davao port project

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Transportation Department may cancel the bidding of the P19billion Davao Sasa Port Modernization Project because of cost and capacity issues.

“I visited it and then in the last meeting of the PPA [Philippine Ports Authority] board, I told them to take a look, reevaluate it, and if it’s necessary to modernize it on the basis of the previous plan—P4 billion, then let’ s do it,” Transportation Undersecretary for maritime sector Felipe Judan said.

Judan said the P19-billion project cost of the Davao Sasa project was not “justifiable” because of the small traffic volume.

He said there were other existing ports in Davao such as the Davao In-

ternational Container Terminal Port.

“It will not increase the output. Why you will spend so much. So, it’s better to improve it to make it more efficient on existing volume,” Judan said.

He said the Davao Sasa project could still be pursued under publicprivate partnership, but at a lower cost.

“Instead of just becoming cargo, it can also be a tourism port because there’s RoRo,” Judan said, referring to roll-on, roll-off vessels.

Judan said the agency was coordinating with the National Economic and Development Authority about the new proposal.

“So, hopefully this will develop good,” Judan said.

The Transportation Department recently pre-qualified Asian Terminals Inc., International Container

Terminal Services Inc., Bollore Africa Logistics, Singapore-based Portek International Pte. Ltd. and San Miguel Corp. for the Davao Sasa Port project.

Sasa Port is actually designed for break bulk cargo vessels, which is vital to the economy of Davao City.

About 500,000 metric tons of steel, wheat, fertilizer, motor vehicles, heavy equipment and other cargo not suitable for containers went through Sasa Port in 2014, according to PPA data.

The Davao Integrated Port and Stevedoring Services Corp., an operator at the Sasa port, said the the current capacity of Sasa stood at 700,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.

The yearly volume handled by DIPSSCOR, a subsidiary of ICTSI, was only 300,000 TEUs.

HOMEGROWN PRODUCTS.

Avida Land teams up with Rags2Riches and EchoStore to give the public an opportunity to appreciate Filipino homegrown crafts by featuring multipurpose furnishings skillfully produced

by Rags2Riches artisans. Shown are (from left) Rags2Riches sales and marketing manager Matt Pardinas, Avida Land sales and marketing manager Anne Baylon-Jara and Echo Store founder and president Pacita Chit Juan. Lino Santos

THE Board of Investments plans to remove the incentives enjoyed by mass housing projects in Metro Manila from the 2017 Investments Priorities Plan.

A government official said the housing sector strongly opposed the proposal which was the subject of heated discussions in the BoI. “Several projects are in the pipeline for Metro Manila considering that there is still backlog in low cost, economic and socialized housing and no efficient mass transport system,” the official said.

“We hope to convince BoI to keep it [incentives] in the 2017-2019 IPP and come up with programs that will ensure growth of input sectors like cement, rebars, paint, roofing materials, doors, electrical, among others, to continue to address the new housing needs and backlog,” the official said.

The 2014-2016 IPP did not set geographical restrictions on housing projects but placed a cap of P450,000 to P3 million as selling price per unit for a housing project to get a three-year income tax holiday.

Industry groups such as the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations Inc. and the Socialized Housing Development Association will file their position papers to the proposed BoI measure. Othel V. Campos

B2

Business

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market likely to trade sideways S

TOCKS are expected to move sideways this week, as the possibility of an interest rate hike in the United States before the end of the year remains following the release of new jobs report.

The long-awaited US jobs report did little to sway traders from bets the Federal Reserve will boost rates this year. Data showed the US labor market is settling into a pace that will support higher borrowing costs.

The US economy created 156,000 jobs last month, lower than the estimated 175,000.

“Market movement this week might be dictated by the result of the US jobs addition in September. Uptick may depend on whether the data turned out to be unfavorable for the Federal Reserve in raising interest rates this

December,” F. Yap Securities said.

“Nevertheless, traders still see lower chance of an interest rate hike, even as some Fed officials already warned them not to rule out the possibility of a hike next month. On top of that, OPEC members are also set to meet in Istanbul [on October 8 to 13], the outcome of which could possibly take its toll on crude futures prices,” it said.

F. Yap Securities expects trading to trade within a range of 7,580 to 7,720 points this week.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, fell 0.7 percent over last week’s five-day market trading to close at 7.578.28 on Friday, while the broader all-share index went down by 0.6 percent to 4,504.51.

Major subindices ended mixed with holding firms, mining and oil and industrial posting week-on-week gains while financials, property and services registered week-onweek declines.

Foreign investors were net sellers of P655 million last week, as total foreign selling

reached P18.18 billion while foreign buying amounted to P17.52 billion.

Top gainers last week were PhilWeb Corp. which surged 29.4 percent to P7.69, Semirara Minng and Power Corp. which climbed 5.8 percent to P120.50 and Manila Water Co. Inc. which rose 5.3 percent to P30.85.

Gaming company PhilWeb reported that its majority shareholder RVO Group of Companies of businessman Robert Ongpin has agreed to sell its entire 63.79-percent stake in the company to Gregorio Araneta Inc. owned by businessman Gregorio Araneta for P2 billion.

Heavy losers were Globe Telecom Inc. which dropped 10.7 percent to P1,821 and PLDT Inc. which fell 6 percent to P1,610.

The Office of Solicitor General, representing the Philippine Competition Commission, last week asked the Court of Appeals to render the P70-billion deal between the country’s biggest telecommunication firms as void due to the lack of proper notification.

With Bloomberg

Villar investing P2.2b in Boracay

By Jenniffer B. Austria BILLIONAIRE Manuel Villar is investing P2.2 billion to develop a mixed-use development on a 6.5-hectare property in Boracay, the country’s premier tourist destination.

Vista Residences, a unit of Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc., the property company established by Villar, said Costa Vista Boracay would have six midrise residential towers, a hotel, private villas, a pavilion with viewing deck, pool, convention

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

OCTOBER 3-7, 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 Citystate Savings 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

3.65 48 109.00 103.30 38 3.80 1.34 8.62 16.6 18.88 6.63 0.74 1.83 698.00 0.790 84 0.88 14.4 22.50 57.50 100.9 230 269.6 35.8 223 1470.00 75.15 1.44

65,000 364,000 9,509,690 5,852,690 322,200 534,000 199,000 2,600 595,800 4,547,200 7,900 8,256,000 29,000 1,020 40,037,000 20,421,320 269,000 180,800 11,900 435,390 430 1,630 12,800 900,300 6,605,070 600 763,210 323,050

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

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

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

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

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

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

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vivant Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

45.7 3.89 0.87 1.6 16.08 50.2 164.90 11.8 16.32 135.2 117 23.65 60 2.08 6.45 12.28 11.540 7.24 5.90 7.40 1.75 24.45 71.85 13.00 16.40 6.04 2.180 245.80 55.00 2.16 4.11 27.50 30.85 28.5 15.7 308.60 0.260 4.57 3.18 10.60 3 11.60 2.23 5.97 1.52 3.77 4.20 2.2 3.38 216 217.6 0.148 1.81 184.3 4.61 2.38 34.40 1.19

5,376,200 15,220,000 10,399,000 4,102,000 6,100 5,000 1,220 15,887,100 5,087,100 70 1,830 1,892,900 439,070 1,828,000 38,025,200 302,600 11,296,700 7,144,100 29,238,600 2,556,000 28,000 12,707,700 592,520 7,000 346,900 2,747,200 3,770,000 2,498,060 1,310 55,000 163,000 2,200 16,602,100 1,292,500 6,700,500 486,910 910,000 31,000 10,947,000 37,215,000 39,000 37,300 3,522,000 5,456,500 1,588,000 1,435,000 3,852,000 16,000 57,000 458,850 1,300 34,450,000 6,815,000 5,455,400 88,000 33,030,000 900 753,000

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

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

MJCI Investments Inc. 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

0.370 77.00 15.80 1.20 6.10 0.355 0.360 860 1010.00 8.36 12.70 6.5 8.17 0.206 1410 6.27 75.10 3.83 5.4 5.31 8.24 0.79 14.46 7.4 3.08 0.0370 1.160 1.930 2.54 81.40 2.3 675.00 1.21 0.91 233.800 0.3100 0.2020 0.275

3,980,000 6,444,240 15,837,900 76,000 50,200 7,690,000 740,000 1,193,710 10 6,604,100 31,040,500 36,400 1,185,800 420,000 1,132,170 8,700 5,575,410 13,000 3,800 300 4,328,200 1,717,000 32,400,200 185,401,700 2,000 563,700,000 102,000 4,426,000 47,000 359,810 26,000 1,358,260 1,143,000 497,000 125,700 5,420,000 490,000 740,000

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’ Interport `B’ Keppel Properties Megaworld

7.380 6.80 1.15 2.560 0.265 38.100 2.9 5.15 0.580 1.20 1.000 0.160 0.560 55.95 0.750 0.138 1.00 1.79 1.17 4.21 4.20 4.5

2,899,100 29,000 138,221,000 6,877,000 10,600,000 53,444,100 4,906,000 604,500 14,552,200 1,666,000 288,000 83,390,000 18,821,000 1,704,200 2,934,000 490,000 13,523,000 103,878,000 479,000 8,000 3,000 195,531,000

Value FINANCIAL 230,870.00 17,255,905.00 1,044,761,416 612,973,179.00 12,259,490.00 2,024,240.00 265,990.00 23,210.00 9,609,304.00 88,992,471.00 53,499 6,120,580 53,210.00 668,395.00 37,925,280.00 1,732,207,633.50 240,220.00 2,590,898.00 267,750.00 25,242,540.50 41,656.50 388,064.00 3,361,726.00 32,189,245 1,508,134,848.00 877,480 57,446,365.50 296,004.00 INDUSTRIAL 245,221,740.00 58,106,430.00 9,287,060.00 6,663,120.00 96,080.00 251,100.00 194,527.00 188,919,034.00 83,325,556 9,464.00 211,434.00 44,628,425.00 26,088,816 3,822,110.00 260,953,168.00 3,696,188.00 130,173,862.00 51,925,061.00 173,705,624.00 19,381,607.00 49,210.00 312,659,265.00 42,653,220.00 91,106.00 5,690,266.00 16,707,887.00 8,283,330.00 622,627,676.00 70,425.00 114,500.00 691,630.00 59,860.00 512,003,635.00 36,412,620.00 105,029,510.00 150,360,342.00 232,550.00 141,370.00 34,077,630.00 393,301,596.00 117,040.00 430,606.00 7,882,270.00 32,532,905.00 2,449,960.00 5,422,680.00 16,171,310.00 35,260.00 183,230.00 99,837,544.00 282,200.00 5,094,190.00 12,376,430.00 1,003,004,687 387,270.00 76,443,460.00 28,485.00 908,960.00 HOLDING FIRMS 1,466,650.00 492,402,959.00 251,399,522.00 91,220.00 305,429.00 2,699,950.00 266,350.00 1,034,090,650 10,100.00 54,898,476.00 393,441,682.00 234,709.00 9,639,580.00 85,020.00 1,597,495,755.00 53,777.00 420,811,668.50 56,490.00 20,216.00 1,593.00 35,658,966.00 1,365,300.00 475,406,012.00 1,344,514,437.00 6,160.00 21,962,700.00 118,490.00 8,603,900.00 121,030.00 29,256,352.50 60,020.00 918,159,270.00 1,383,860.00 453,980.00 28,686,406.00 1,710,700.00 97,850.00 198,400.00 PROPERTY 21,442,272.00 192,880.00 161,484,450.00 17,507,140.00 2,809,350.00 2,080,405,100.00 14,441,750.00 3,081,887.00 9,966,620.00 2,127,650.00 294,160.00 13,717,100.00 10,760,950.00 97,773,939.00 2,204,920.00 68,440.00 13,610,020.00 188,615,010.00 558,490.00 34,070.00 12,600.00 909,537,600.00

Close

SEPTEMBER 26-30, 2016 Volume Value

3.45 47.3 109.80 105.00 38 3.77 1.42 9 1.2 20 6.64 0.7 1.86 640.00 0.930 85.3 0.91 14.4 22.00 58.30 101.3 246.8 268.8 35.9 241.6 1450.00 73.35 1.46

57,000 185,800 18,906,060 4,275,520 410,600 385,000 612,000 2,400 1,024,100 2,303,900 63,200 71,000 181,000 240 24,149,000 22,054,800 220,000 68,400 56,000 347,130 1,050 2,380 2,110 2,459,600 5,714,550 1,490 1,192,280 30,000

200,370.00 8,853,565.00 2,015,142,749 448,167,798.00 15,609,825.00 1,446,700.00 816,930.00 21,581.00 16,545,166.00 46,954,680.00 428,722 49,700 335,840.00 150,990.00 22,435,860.00 1,885,566,449.00 199,340.00 981,082.00 1,244,175.00 20,247,944.50 103,761.50 581,808.00 569,340.00 87,996,325 1,401,328,482.00 2,137,545 87,430,707.00 43,750.00

45.65 3.66 0.92 1.61 16.2 50.3 180.00 12 16.2

9,159,600 7,044,000 10,673,000 4,687,000 40,100 3,780 70 68,763,300 9,700,000

417,790,475.00 24,727,830.00 10,113,240.00 7,603,750.00 640,134.00 191,355.00 12,600.00 837,937,174.00 158,712,420

109 23.6 58.05 2.09 6.02 12.1 11.400 7.25 5.91 7.75 1.74 25.05 72.85 12.98 16.40 6.1 2.170 247.00 43.00 2.14 4.36 27.85 29.3 28.7 15.88 310.40 0.260 4.55 3.19 10.18

3,740 3,007,600 641,270 3,121,000 1,392,900 202,800 24,319,600 8,260,400 58,309,000 1,956,000 1,000 14,680,500 779,410 67,900 559,100 4,854,100 2,603,000 2,155,660 5,460 13,000 362,000 1,700 12,076,400 1,419,000 23,017,700 480,880 4,040,000 11,000 7,948,000 24,334,700

434,929.00 71,499,980.00 37,076,047 6,629,000.00 8,365,272.00 2,448,782.00 277,384,028.00 59,566,759.00 348,298,470.00 15,370,804.00 1,740.00 368,360,385.00 55,235,705.50 832,656.00 9,200,170.00 29,703,299.00 5,665,820.00 534,451,370.00 284,464.00 26,300.00 1,603,990.00 47,050.00 355,219,610.00 41,048,005.00 360,672,336.00 149,380,390.00 1,031,650.00 49,800.00 24,070,090.00 245,989,265.00

11.60 2.27 6.00 1.55 3.7 4.20 2.21 3.39 217

51,100 3,947,000 2,408,000 646,000 483,000 1,131,000 2,000 37,000 3,650

591,740.00 8,958,800.00 14,465,289.00 989,470.00 1,770,540.00 4,739,210.00 4,420.00 119,360.00 798,650.00

0.150 1.74 178 4.65 2.34 32.00 1.20

125,400,000 1,532,000 8,714,180 56,000 37,839,000 700 962,000

19,257,170.00 2,676,810.00 1,577,856,505 255,140.00 88,382,100.00 22,600.00 1,177,940.00

0.370 75.75 15.90 1.22 6.10 0.355 0.360 857 1014.00 8.29 12.06 6.3 8.06 0.208 1440 6.32 74.50 4 5.84 5.3 8.28 0.81 15.3 7.1 3.08 0.0370 1.160 1.980 2.60 81.60 2.31 673.50 1.20 1.00 227.000 0.3150 0.2030 0.260

3,850,000 8,007,450 23,117,800 138,000 95,600 9,150,000 3,310,000 1,911,500 60 11,095,700 36,667,500 170,300 1,442,100 460,000 1,033,970 88,600 12,460,970 4,000 400 900 14,813,100 796,000 30,403,700 174,028,100 1,000 111,200,000 122,000 10,305,000 43,000 682,510 12,000 1,536,220 1,857,000 460,000 20,100 4,520,000 940,000 4,860,000

1,437,000.00 609,065,237.50 369,061,188.00 167,350.00 580,416.00 3,295,000.00 1,206,400.00 1,643,717,145 60,685.00 91,853,332.00 442,061,956.00 1,089,918.00 11,823,689.00 93,880.00 1,514,655,120.00 549,286.00 924,021,692.50 15,760.00 2,343.00 4,774.00 120,498,404.00 637,260.00 482,659,562.00 1,233,691,875.00 3,080.00 4,139,400.00 142,490.00 20,630,790.00 113,300.00 55,690,000.50 27,720.00 1,023,076,165.00 2,263,020.00 435,560.00 4,603,334.00 1,418,400.00 187,010.00 1,288,050.00

7.460

1,557,900

11,619,658.00

1.13 2.650 0.265 39.250 2.98 5.14 0.580 1.24 1.050 0.169 0.590 58.5 0.750 0.143 1.01 1.83 1.18

34,030,000 8,520,000 5,990,000 44,466,000 3,318,000 67,500 12,888,000 2,704,300 996,000 297,430,000 9,041,000 1,425,700 1,029,000 2,230,000 38,274,000 98,223,000 374,000

40,194,520.00 21,897,040.00 1,630,400.00 1,726,499,140.00 9,660,660.00 342,975.00 7,461,260.00 3,475,340.00 1,064,500.00 51,560,110.00 5,317,640.00 83,806,070.00 782,230.00 318,890.00 38,437,940.00 184,280,690.00 434,920.00

4.20 4.72

19,000 182,356,000

79,800.00 865,131,080.00

STOCKS

OCTOBER 3-7, 2016 Close Volume

MRC Allied Ind. 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

0.195 0.2750 0.405 33.70 3.93 31.20 1.6 3.3 28.20 1.08 6.99 1.020 5.310

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

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

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

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

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

7.69 48.5 1.26 0.540 11.96 5.21 4.53 0.0940 3.34 108 9.76 2.77 6.86 3.16 958 1821 6.32 14.42 20.00 2.08 80 19.54 140 11.7 0.0099 9.24 0.238 1.4900 3.66 12.76 5.40 2.26 1.07 2.22 19.06 2 3.83 5.15 5.18 3.450 11.42 5.70 2.54 8.74 140.00 7.69 1610.00 0.430 1.030 42.00 76.00 6.06 2.87 0.710 1.87 3.23 0.365 5.300

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

0.0036 3.08 4.12 0.220 2.1000 2.1800 0.58 0.410 8.38 1.040 0.275 0.186 0.193 0.0110 0.0110 1.45 7.08 2.88 0.4800 0.8700 0.0110 0.0110 4.20 8.33 3.85 0.0130 120.50 3.4 0.0096

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

Ayala Corp. Pref `B1’ Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ DD PREF First Gen G FPH Pref C GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort MWIDE PREF 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

48.5 540 545 103.8 118.6 505 541 6.01 1.04 110 1157 108 113.9 76.4 81 78 78.5 80 79 78 77.6 2.39

LR Warrant

2.380

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

3.1 3.23 4.5 14.48

First Metro ETF

125.2

Value

Close

744,650,000 250,000 250,000 1,500 20,955,000 13,784,900 600,000 593,000 40,508,100 46,054,000 800 2,246,000 18,929,700

155,639,700.00 64,950.00 102,100.00 51,140.00 89,611,850.00 441,430,165.00 986,660.00 1,944,430.00 1,137,591,385.00 48,789,370.00 5,424.00 2,249,990.00 100,624,633.00 SERVICES 1,430,000 10,782,262.00 88,300 4,308,920.00 13,000 16,870.00 2,214,000 1,214,530.00 5,400 57,644.00 17,400 92,274 38,876,000 176,101,110.00 249,004,000 33,547,110.00 26,059,000 89,033,350.00 6,317,170 678,643,692.00 56,000 538,292.00 91,000 241,750 1,240,400 8,533,476.00 5,000 15,350.00 710 689,880.00 564,320 1,088,704,990 1,008,100 6,309,594.00 921,000 13,328,024.00 1,300 26,170 96,494,000 214,637,060.00 5,917,130 467,921,714.50 179,100 3,567,557 130 18,361 6,500 75,848.00 143,500,000 1,445,420.00 2,428,000 22,421,830.00 217,990,000 54,035,110.00 7,798,000 11,641,760.00 504,000 1,804,460.00 1,173,500 14,154,468.00 8,440,900 45,144,450 11,576,600 28,879,860.00 127,000 134,460.00 115,000 252,090.00 108,300 2,264,960 90,000 178,600.00 22,422,000 86,254,120.00 5,556,700 28,723,824.00 24,768,200 130,735,379.00 10,855,000 36,941,680.00 94,800 1,079,870.00 152,500 854,048 36,000 91,240.00 200 1,784.00 4,660 648,130.00 51,271,600 397,199,231.00 1,004,035 1,651,619,565.00 38,530,000 16,311,800.00 38,178,000 38,768,880.00 4,320,200 185,838,755.00 4,451,400 340,397,517.50 1,844,500 11,112,280.00 7,096,000 20,488,390.00 149,590,000 103,105,140.00 3,000 5,310.00 1,868,000 6,049,640.00 530,000 188,650.00 95,900 507,177.00 MINING & OIL 6,551,000,000 23,772,000.00 2,499,000 7,447,260.00 351,000 1,469,730.00 17,640,000 4,139,960.00 177,000 372,880.00 141,000 300,700.00 1,078,000 629,530.00 2,120,000 858,250.00 31,000 260,786.00 451,124,000 475,951,940.00 990,000 264,100.00 48,770,000 9,291,320.00 8,080,000 1,581,640.00 81,400,000 906,700.00 8,200,000 90,200.00 7,305,000 10,912,640.00 68,966,800 511,212,087.00 552,000 1,588,540.00 776,000 386,060.00 1,717,000 1,470,910.00 118,500,000 1,281,600.00 1,700,000 18,800.00 38,000 156,610.00 7,287,400 60,991,636.00 42,762,000 166,540,950.00 131,800,000 1,617,000.00 4,491,420 532,908,168.00 909,000 3,071,780.00 20,019,100 203,100.00 PREFERRED 2,020,500 39,719,480.00 4,550 2,455,765.00 14,160 7,647,800 227,640 23,546,488.00 18,120 2,149,032.00 5,400 2,727,060.00 18,260 9,880,230.00 1,106,400 6,658,367.00 7,816,000 8,069,660 110 12,220.00 3,205 3,439,930.00 3,200 345,730.00 230 26,206.00 9,700 748,900.00 151,720 12,329,940 34,800 2,671,300.00 47,200 3,703,310.00 79,780 6,311,529.00 46,280 3,656,120.00 107,670 8,399,620.00 445,420 34,684,776.50 24,000 55,500.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 1,643,000 3,988,040.00 SME 8,218,000 26,782,710.00 104,000 335,800.00 444,000 1,999,380.00 8,746,500 126,347,006.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 36,940 4,648,895.00

SEPTEMBER 26-30, 2016 Volume Value

0.227 0.2750 0.405 35.90 4.18 31.00 1.68 3.31 28.15 1.03 7.14 1.000 5.390

949,260,000 180,000 953,000 6,100 20,553,000 16,681,900 742,000 366,000 69,948,500 26,392,000 1,100 2,031,000 47,007,200

210,764,980.00 47,050.00 433,950.00 205,125.00 82,970,040.00 510,059,715.00 1,240,090.00 1,208,430.00 1,942,383,760.00 27,377,910.00 7,608.00 2,038,460.00 247,388,317.00

7.37 49.4 1.25 0.570 10.78 5.72 4.56 0.0970 3.27 113 10.12 2.58 6.90

242,100 168,800 38,000 1,400,000 1,100 105,700 149,321,100 476,020,000 35,340,000 5,915,450 8,100 570,000 477,500

1,777,289.00 8,272,750.00 48,280.00 775,900.00 12,090.00 566,768 715,146,193.00 46,436,090.00 120,480,640.00 670,744,866.00 80,924.00 1,601,950 3,244,912.00

953 2040 6.29 13.98 21.55 1.82 77 18.64 150 11.7 0.0100 9.24 0.235 1.4100 3.65 10.82 5.51 2.24 1.05

20 366,980 734,400 222,700 29,900 9,404,000 9,185,450 36,100 670 4,200 254,000,000 2,449,100 161,330,000 3,428,000 612,000 7,800 44,054,900 2,876,000 16,000

19,050.00 766,729,680 4,618,020.00 3,056,464.00 644,345 16,936,060.00 713,726,555.00 673,126 94,116 49,084.00 2,479,700.00 22,619,905.00 38,753,220.00 4,944,770.00 2,294,160.00 92,680.00 227,184,002 6,492,180.00 16,900.00

19.06 2.04 3.91

2,400 39,000 87,129,000

45,766 76,040.00 346,851,640.00

5.64 3.440 11.48 5.64 2.56 9.9 141.00 5.94 1712.00 0.410 1.020 42.50 75.05 6.02 2.85 0.640 1.89 3.29 0.365 5.260

14,068,400 10,673,000 71,900 103,000 47,000 19,000 104,460 2,789,200 369,890 3,600,000 79,511,000 7,602,400 4,353,040 281,700 13,366,000 61,745,000 68,000 3,138,000 400,000 307,200

78,762,396.00 37,223,110.00 819,786.00 578,245 121,230.00 187,380.00 15,533,437.00 16,528,804.00 635,275,860.00 1,485,750.00 80,975,420.00 325,924,935.00 335,580,792.00 1,696,690.00 38,411,460.00 39,878,410.00 122,950.00 10,226,490.00 138,250.00 1,613,865.00

0.0038 3.05 4.27 0.211 2.1000 2.0500 0.61 0.400 8.35 1.000 0.270 0.191 0.195 0.0110 0.0110 1.46 7.2 2.92 0.5400 0.9000 0.0100 0.0120 4.20 8.68 3.69 0.0120 113.90 3.2 0.0097

180,532,200 5,820,000 1,069,000 740,000 216,000 204,000 4,997,000 2,300,000 907,400 448,711,000 760,000 253,950,000 36,740,000 139,700,000 700,000 15,860,000 114,369,400 802,000 199,000 3,130,000 338,000,000 26,620,000 105,400 9,691,900 25,452,000 382,000,000 3,436,520 557,000 33,800,000

672,900.00 18,546,690.00 4,519,440.00 153,240.00 435,360.00 426,720.00 2,934,650.00 928,350.00 7,255,776.00 422,630,900.00 202,750.00 47,749,220.00 6,993,790.00 1,536,700.00 7,700.00 22,159,120.00 806,842,589.00 2,316,830.00 100,550.00 2,808,700.00 3,549,400.00 296,100.00 441,350.00 84,303,733.00 89,636,200.00 4,423,000.00 389,350,358.00 1,833,510.00 326,730.00

49 540 540 103.6

715,300 1,330 19,300 473,830

34,975,915.00 718,120.00 10,335,500 49,447,768.00

515 560 6.01 1.03 113 1045 108 113 77.5 81 76.5 80.5 80 79 78.4 77.9

1,000 22,780 705,300 4,829,000 46,800 10,575 6,610 4,000 28,200 177,800 302,350 171,700 512,230 779,980 295,870 2,248,890

515,000.00 12,558,925.00 4,257,711.00 4,975,990 5,279,240.00 10,973,550.00 713,880.00 446,500.00 2,192,161.00 14,470,141 23,232,250.00 13,739,555.00 41,203,752.50 61,704,749.00 23,169,456.00 175,906,372.50

2.590

7,814,000

20,756,020.00

3.3 3.2 4.65 14.6

12,517,000 10,000 355,000 4,768,200

39,224,250.00 31,800.00 1,661,870.00 67,955,568.00

125.8

40,170

5,037,677.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Abra Mining MRC Allied Ind. Pacifica `A’ Ferronickel Boulevard Holdings Island Info Megaworld Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

STI Holdings IP E-Game Ventures Inc.

VOLUME 6,551,000,000 744,650,000 563,700,000 451,124,000 249,004,000 217,990,000 195,531,000 185,401,700 149,590,000 143,500,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ Metrobank PLDT Common GT Capital Security Bank Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

SM Prime Holdings Globe Telecom Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Ayala Corp `A’

VALUE 2,080,405,100.00 1,732,207,633.50 1,651,619,565.00 1,597,495,755.00 1,508,134,848.00 1,344,514,437.00 1,137,591,385.00 1,088,704,990 1,044,761,416 1,034,090,650

center and a retail development.

“Costa Vista Boracay is another strategic step in expanding our presence in Boracay Island, bringing Vista Residences’ expertise in one of the most popular world beach destinations,” said Villar, who serves as Vista Land chairman.

“We are taking advantage of the increasing number of tourist arrivals and the favorable macroeconomic condition of the Philippines. This will be attractive for both end-users and investors who are looking for either a home or a source of rental income,” he said.

Vista Residences president Elizabeth Kalaw said in an interview the mid-rise towers would offer a total of 1,000 studio and two-bedroom units, with sizes ranging from 24 to 48.6 square meters.

Units cost between P3.6 million and P7.5 million.

Kalaw said the project would include a convention center with a capacity of 800 to 1,000 guests and a 200room hotel and several private villas.

Vista Residences sales, marketing and residential leasing head Nova Noval said unit owners would also have the option to let the company manage the leasing of their units, so they do not have to worry about maintenance and marketing.

AirAsia launching flights to Taipei

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget airline said it will operate direct flights to Taipei from Manila and Cebu starting next month.

Air Asia Philippines said over the weekend the daily Manila-Taipei service would begin on Nov. 21, while the three-times-weekly CebuTaipei service would start Nov. 25.

“In anticipation of the influx of tourists and travelers to Taipei following the recent easing of visa rules for Filipinos, we are thrilled to announce that AirAsia is launching direct flights to Taipei from our hubs in Manila and Cebu this November with promo fares now available online and through our partner travel agents nationwide,” AirAsia Philippines chief executive Dexter Comendador said.

Taiwan eased its visa rules for Filipinos, along with citizens of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and India.

The Taiwan Economic Cultural Office said in a statement passport holders from the Philippines, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam who are permanent residents of Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Schengen Agreement signatories, the United Kingdom or the United States, or hold a visa or a resident card from one of these countries that is either valid or expired within 10 years from the date of expected arrival in Taiwan, would now be eligible to apply online for a Taiwan travel authorization certificate, free of charge.

The airline is offering promotional fares from as low as P888 for Cebu-Taipei with travel period between Nov. 25, 2016 and March 25, 2017.

Business

B3

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Govt eyes China infra funds T

Duterte to assist banana growers

HE Philippines’ new government plans to court Chinese investment to fund an ambitious infrastructure program, the latest sign of warming ties between the two nations that have been at loggerheads over territorial claims in the South China Sea.

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said the government will address the issues affecting the country’s banana industry, noting that lawless groups are hampering farming in Mindanao.

“The greatest challenge of the banana growers in the Philippines is really the law and order. If it’s not taxation of the communists, it’s extortion of the roving bandits in Mindanao,” Duterte said during the closing ceremonies of the 2016 Banana Congress held in Davao City last week.

The two-day Congress served as a venue for the participants to share information on best practices in pests and disease management, value chain development, technology updates, maximizing benefits from trade and tariff agreements and market standards compliance.

“It’s either we succeed on the (peace) talks or we don’t move at all. Because it is limited, there cannot be full use of the land until we have the peace that we all desire. Having said that, we are open to all issues that you (banana stakeholders) might want to, the government to intervene,” Duterte added.

Earlier, banana industry stakeholders urged the government to immediately address the insurgency issued in Mindanao.

Some of the industry stakeholders, particularly big banana plantations, have been seeking government support in fighting extortionists from the communist rebel group New Peoples Army who are demanding revolutionary taxes.

Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association executive director Stephen Antig earlier said Dole-Stanfilco, a multinational banana company operating in Tagbina, Surigao del Sur, shut down its operations indefinitely after it was repeatedly by the NPA for refusing to pay revolutionary taxes.

“The last administration hardly spoke to them,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said in an interview in the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington on Friday. “Now we are going to talk to them.”

“It’s time for us to lower the tensions,” he said. “You know the Chinese, they don’t like to lose face. Just as long as they don’t lose face it’s OK to continue ar-

guing with them.”

Since sweeping to victory in May elections, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has raised eyebrows with repeated attacks on traditional ally the US and by calling for greater cooperation with China. Southeast Asian nations had in the past pushed for a united front against China, which prefers that disputes be settled through one-on-one talks.

In July, an international tribunal ruled that China’s claims were unlawful in a case brought by the Philippines―a decision Beijing refused to recognize.

China has been expanding its regional clout through investing in infrastructure projects and plans to revive an ancient trading route stretching from Asia to Europe dubbed ‘One Belt, One Road.’

“We would like to direct them towards the infrastructure program that we are embarking upon, and you know we welcome them,” said Dominguez.

He’s eyeing investment from the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the government will submit to the Philippine senate its application

to join the bank over coming days.

That’s going to be a big source of funding for infrastructure spending.

On the wider economy, the finance official played down investor concerns. The peso is trading near a seven-year low while stocks had the biggest outflow in a year in September, prompted in part by Duterte’s expletive-laden outbursts.

Among targets, President Barack Obama, who Duterte warned “you can go to hell” and that he may eventually “break up with America.” He has also told off both the European Union and the United Nations for their criticisms of his violent anti-drug

IN BRIEF Monetary Board closes Isabela bank THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, shuttered another financially-ailing rural bank based in Isabela province, making it the 16th lender closed since the start of the year.

The board prohibited Rural Bank of Luna (Isabela) Inc. from doing business in the Philippines and directed Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. as receiver to proceed with the takeover and liquidation of the bank.

The state-run PDIC took over the bank and its branch, assets, records and affairs on Oct. 7.

Records show that Rural Bank is based in Harana, Luna, Isabela. Its lone branch is located at Sta. Maria, Isabela.

A bank that has been placed under liquidation will not be re-opened and permitted to resume banking business. Julito G. Rada

Higher inflation due to base effects

CREEK CLEANUP. About 450 volunteers from various sectors led by Light Rail Manila Corp. clean a portion of the seven-kilometer Estero de

Tripa de Gallina in Pasay City. Shown at the initiative are (from left) LRMC health, safety, environment and quality director Val Reyes; Barangay captains Rolando Flores, Alma Pichay, and Herminia Flores; LRMC president and chief executive Jesus Francisco; Department of Environment and Natural Resources National Capital Region director Vizminda Osorio and Radio DJ Papa Jack.

Akamai report notes improvement in PH internet services US-BASED Akamai Technologies Inc. has noted a marked improvement in Philippine internet services in its State of the Internet report for the second quarter of 2016.

The leading content delivery network services provider for media and software delivery and cloud security solution found the Philippines now recording an average connection speed (IPv4) of 4.3 Mbps on fixed broadband.

This marked an improvement of 24 percent quarter-on-quarter and 54 percent year-on-year.

Akamai said the country’s average peak connection speed reg-

campaign that’s left more than 3,000 people dead.

Dominguez has said economic policies have been clear and consistent. S&P Global Ratings in September warned of “rising uncertainties surrounding the stability, predictability, and accountability” under the new government.

Gross domestic product increased 7 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, data in August showed, close on the heels of India’s 7.1 percent growth. The $292-billion economy is forecast to expand 6.4 percent this year, the quickest pace in Southeast Asia, according economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Bloomberg

istered at 32.9 Mbps at peak for a growth of 9.8 percent on quarter and 28 percent on year.

The Philippines, the report said, had the strongest growth among Asia Pacific countries in terms of “above 4 Mbps broadband adoption.” The country is now at 33 percent adoption in this category, which signified a growth rate of 79 percent on quarter and 116 percent on year.

On the other hand, on the “above 10 Mbps broadband adoption” category, of which the Philippines adoption rate is now at 5 percent, a sharp growth for the country was reported at 86

REYNALDO C. LUGTU, JR.

GREEN LIGHT

THE biggest news in the venture capital world recently is that Grab, the ride-sharing app in Southeast Asia, has raised $750 million in fresh capital. On the other hand, its rival Uber late last year raised a staggering $2.1 billion in Series G funding.

Addressing social ills and needs Venture capital funding activities continue to point to an upward trend— fueling ventures from cybersecurity to entertainment apps. But why can’t we address social needs and ills with similar resources and much gusto?

Abject poverty, crime, lack of security, and homelessness continue to beset not only poor countries, but also affluent nations. Imagine the impact of a raft of resources if it was invested in addressing such social inadequacies on the lives of scores of people?

Generating social and environmental impact We should be glad that we don’t need to envisage such backdrop. It’s already happening and is on the rise— it’s called impact investing.

According to Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), impact investing is investing made into companies, organizations and funds with the intention to generate social and environ-

percent on quarter and 683 percent on year.

Akamai also cited the significant improvement in the “>15 mbps broadband adoption” category of which the country is now at 2.1 percent adoption.

This adoption rate represented an improvement of 109 percent on quarter and 872 percent on year.

The report noted that the Philippines and Indonesia now had enough unique IPv4 addresses connecting to Akamai AKAMAI for the >15 mbps broadband adoption category to qualify for their inclusion in the metric.

Meanwhile, the Philippines

ranked sixth in mobile internet speed in countries in the Asia Pacific region.

The report documented the Philippines’ average and average peak connection speeds for mobile internet and found the country’s average speed at 8.5 Mbps and its peak mobile speed at an impressive 105.1 Mbps.

Each quarter, the firm headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts publishes the State of the Internet Report based on the data gathered by its globally distributed Intelligent PlatformTM. The platform allows the company to gather massive amounts

of data on many metrics including Internet connection speeds, network connectivity/availability issues, and IPv6 adoption progress, as well as traffic patterns across leading web properties and digital media providers.

Akamai said the Philippines hopes to enjoy faster speeds soon as the country’s two major telcos, Philippine Long distance Telephone Co. and Globe Telecom Inc., announced in the second quarter the procurement of an additional wireless spectrum that is expected to enable faster internet service at lower costs for wireless, or mobile, connectivity.

Rise of impact investing mental impact alongside a financial return.

A celebrated example of impact investing is how LeapFrog Investments, a private equity investment company and a founding member of the GIIN Investors’ Council, is investing in emerging markets financial services, focusing on investments for emerging consumers in Africa and Asia. It has attracted over $1 billion from global investors since its inception in 2007.

Providing insurance to the rejected Recently in January this year, in collaboration with Prudential Financial, LeapFrog Investments launched a $350-million investment partnership to provide life insurance to the underinsured in leading economies in Africa, including Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.

LeapFrog invested in companies like BIMA, which has swiftly grown to deliver insurance and medical services through mobile networks across Asia and Africa, reaching 20 million underinsured people. It has supported the ten-fold growth of AllLife, a leading provider of life insurance to people who are HIV positive, profitably and in large numbers, who are otherwise rejected by conventional insurance

companies.

Today, LeapFrog invested companies reach over 51 million people across 21 markets, who are previously shunned by traditional insurers. More than 36 million of those people earn less than $10 a day, most are accessing insurance, savings, pensions or credit for the first time.

These couldn’t have been achieved without impact investing.

Investing in socially responsible firms How it works is that it requires investors to consider a company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, or the sense of duty to positively impact society as a whole, before investing with that company. It includes many different forms of capital and investment vehicles, the bulk of which is done by institutional investors.

But increasingly a range of socially responsible financial services firms, investor networks, and web-based investment platforms offer individuals an opportunity to participate in it. One a is in micro-financing, which can provide small business owners in emerging nations with start-up or expansion capital.

Impact investing doesn’t need to

be always profitable—investors often factor in social impact or gains. Notwithstanding, a 2013 study by GIIN and JP Morgan found that over 90 percent of impact investors reported that their investments were meeting or surpassing their projections.

Investing in social enterprises In the Philippines, Impact Investment Exchange Asia (“IIX”) launched its Impact Accelerator program in November 2014, an intensive in-country program designed to accelerate earlystage social enterprises (Ses) that have high potentials to create positive social and environmental impact at scale.

It has received 55 applications from enterprises spanning geographically diverse locations and across a broad sector scope, including agriculture, energy, water, livelihoods, education and healthcare. Last year, it awarded support to four SEs engaged in employing indigenous communities and underprivileged women, reduction of waste water and production of housing infrastructure using environmentally friendly materials.

Putting their money in social responsibility The future of impact investing has never been brighter, especially among

FINANCE Undersecretary Gil Beltran said over the weekend the higher inflation rate recorded in September this year was a result of base effects.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed inflation rose to 2.3 percent in September 2016, a 0.5 percentage point increase from the 1.8-percent inflation in August.

This apparent surge was largely a result of base effects: Inflation rate in September of last year was only 0.4 percent,” Beltran said.

Beltran also noted that September’s inflation rate was still within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

He said inflation would likely remain above 2 percent in the short-term after commodity prices rose at a faster pace in August and September.

the younger generations, such as millennials, who want to give back to society; hence, this trend is likely to expand as these investors gain more influence in the market. In fact, analysts such as the Monitor Institute and JP Morgan predict that impact investing could reach up to an astounding US$500 billion per year by 2020.

The growing prominence of these types of investments has accelerated a powerful change in the business community since investors engage specifically in philanthropy are now able to get more involved. As more people realize the social and financial benefits of impact investing, more companies and individuals will put their money in social responsibility.

The author is a senior executive in the information and communications technology sector. He is the Vice Chairman of the ICT Committee of the Management Association of the Philippines. He teaches strategic management in the MBA Program of the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University. He may be emailed at reylugtu@reylugtu.com or visit his website at www.reylugtu. com.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the DLSU administration and faculty.

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

B4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

Business

Traders skeptical of pound’s recovery AFTER a dramatically dismal week for the pound punctuated by a flash crash in Asia, traders doubt it will shake off its tag of the worst-performing major currency in 2016.

They’re negative because sterling is held hostage by the prospects of a hard Brexit and its impact on the UK economy.

That adds to concern over how the third-most traded currency pair, the pound-dollar, could crash and bounce back with no apparent explanation beyond speculation that computerdriven trading was to blame.

The pound’s weekly decline against the euro was the worst since 2009, beating the 3.4-percent drop during the week when Britain voted to leave the European Union this past June. The selloff Friday, when investors were spooked by a 6.1-percent plunge in two minutes, only hastened a decline that kicked off earlier in the week when Prime Minister Theresa May signaled a crackdown on immigration should take precedence over access to the bloc’s single market.

“There’s not a lot of upside” for sterling, said Ryan Myerberg, a portfolio manager at Janus Capital in London. “Extreme moves like the one we had overnight on Friday are obviously surprising, but there is a context of a country that is having a lot of political issues. We have a lot of uncertainty around what’s going to happen with Brexit and the relationship with Europe.”

Sterling slid 1.4 percent to $1.2434 on Friday. The drop of 4.2 percent in the week was the most since that ending June 24, when the Brexit vote results were published. The pound weakened 3.8 percent to 90.01 pence per euro since Sept. 30, its largest weekly depreciation versus the single currency since January 2009.

Hedge funds and other large speculators increased their netshort futures positions in the pound to a record, according to data going back to 1992, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission said this week. A short futures position profits from a decline in the currency.

Bloomberg

ANNUAL MEETING. IMF director of research Maurice Obstfeld (from left), Central Bank of Colombia Governor Jose Uribe, Bank of Russia First Deputy Governor Ksenia Yudaeva, South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago and Banks of Thailand Governor Veerathai Santiprabhob participate in a panel discussion on emerging markets’ response to recent exchange rate pressures at the 2016 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group at The World Bank Building on October 8, 2016 in Washington, DC. AFP

Japan may still cut rates, says Kuroda J

APAN’S central bank still has room to increase monetary stimulus and doesn’t intend to reduce its bond-buying program soon, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said in an interview.

“For the time being, we keep the long-term interest rate around zero. If necessary, we could reduce the target rate of the 10-year Japanese government bond even lower than zero percent,” Kuroda said on Saturday, speaking with Bloomberg Television’s Francine Lacqua. “If necessary, we can reduce both the short end and long end of interest rates.”

Kuroda spoke weeks after he led the Bank of Japan to shift its stimulus program away from pre-set government bond purchases to a yield-targeting approach, officially known as quantitative and qualitative monetary easing with yield curve control. Taking a page out of the 1940s US Federal Reserve’s playbook, the bank now targets 10-year bond yields,

fixed at about 0 percent.

Speaking later on Saturday at the Brookings Institution, Kuroda said by committing to continue expanding the monetary base until inflation stabilizes above 2 percent, the BoJ “aims to work on people’s perceptions of inflation in a more forceful manner.” Asset purchases could go up or down to manage the yield curve, he said.

The remarks come as top global finance officials meeting in Washington repeated their call for governments to unleash new spending and push through reforms to reinvigorate world growth amid signs that the impact of monetary policy is waning.

While Kuroda said he’s confident the policy to control the yield curve will succeed, there may be times when rates miss the target. “I don’t say that we can completely control the 10-year interest rate,” he said in the Bloomberg interview. “But from our experience, we can basically influence and manage the long-term interest rate to be around zero percent.”

If the bank achieves its 2 percent inflation target, “then gradually the 10-year JGB rate would go up.”

“If necessary, we can make new measures

to cap the long-term interest rate to go beyond our current target,” he said. “We even have new measures to introduce, which could avoid interest rate to go beyond the level we are targeting.”

Japan’s central bank also built on its record of pioneering new strategies by pledging to overshoot its 2 percent inflation target before it ever stops increasing the supply of money. Kuroda has repeatedly painted the Sept. 21 decision as a strengthening in monetary easing.

Even so, one former BoJ official who has been a close adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe criticized last month’s move away from quantitative expansion as a setback, given continuing deflationary pressures. Another senior Abe aide, Etsuro Honda, has applauded the new approach, though days ago called on the BoJ to expand easing at the next meeting, which ends Nov. 1.

Kuroda has characterized the new framework as a more sustainable one, suggesting to some analysts that BoJ easing is set to stay for years to come, and potentially beyond his tenure. The 71-year-old governor has about 18 months left in his term. Bloomberg

Qatar buys 100 Boeing planes WA S H I N G T O N ― Q a t a r Airways announced a large airplane order with Boeing Friday that includes up to $6.9 billion in single-aisle planes following delays in a rival Airbus offering.

Under the agreement, Qatar will buy 30 new-generation Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777s, both wide-body aircraft, for $11.7 billion, the companies announced.

Qatar Airways also signed a letter of intent to purchase up to 60 narrow-body Boeing 737 aircraft. The deal is worth as much as $18.6 billion all together.

The order for the 737s follows unusual public criticism of Airbus earlier this year by Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al-Baker over delays in deliveries of the single-aisle Airbus A320neo due to problems with its engine.

The order would help meet growing demand for air travel, Al-Baker said Friday.

But the decision to go with Boeing was also prompted by “ongoing issues” with Boeing rival Airbus, Al-Baker acknowledged, appearing with Boeing executives and US and Qatar government officials at a news conference in Washington.

“Boeing has started building airplanes before everybody else,” he said. “They make the best airplanes, even if their competitors will not like me saying this.”

Al-Baker later emphasized that his company would continue to work with Airbus and take delivery of the A320 planes when they are ready.

We are not “pointing fingers or trying to embarrass Airbus,” he told AFP. “We have close relations with Airbus and we are continuing to receive aircraft orders.”

“The decision for us to buy Boeing airplanes is to get them for certain missions which today Airbus aircraft are not able to do,” he added. “We will maintain all of our commitments to Airbus.”

The contract for the 737 marks the first time Qatar Airways has ordered single-aisle planes from Boeing in more than 15 years, the companies said.

Al-Baker threatened to cancel the Airbus order in April due to problems with the engine and other difficulties, resulting in an “unacceptable” delay in delivering six planes.

“We always in Qatar Airways have a plan B,” he said at the time.

Qatar Airways cancelled an order for one of the Airbus planes in June. AFP

South Africa basks in the continent’s first solar-powered airport

By Beatrice Debut GEORGE, South Africa―At first glance there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the regional airport in George, a town of just 150,000 residents on South Africa’s south coast.

In fact though, the small site is Africa’s first “green” airport to be powered by the sun.

The control tower, escalators, check-in desks, baggage carousels, restaurants and ATMs―every service here depends on a small solar power station, located a few hundred meters away in a field of dandelions next to a runway.

Its 2,000 solar panels produce up to 750 kW every day, easily surpassing the 400 kW needed to run the airport.

The excess is fed back into the municipal power grid, and a computer screen in the terminal informs passengers: “Within this month (September), 274 households were supplied through this system with green electricity.”

For environmentally-conscious travelers keen to reduce their carbon footprint, it’s a welcome development.

“Planes have such a big carbon print,” said passenger Brent Petersen, 33, in George. “If we compensate, that’s cool.”

George Airport was originally built in apartheid-era South Africa in 1977 to make getting home

easier for PW Botha, a government minister at the time and later president.

It now serves as a transit hub for shipments of homegrown flowers and oysters, as well as golfers visiting one of the region’s many courses. Some 700,000 passengers pass through its doors each year.

The solar plant, launched in September 2015, is the second solar-run airport in the world after Cochin airport in southern India.

Nestled between the Indian Ocean on one side and the majestic Outeniqua Mountains on the other, George was a surprising location for the first attempt at a solar-powered airport in South Africa.

Ambitious project The town’s weather is unpredictable: in the space of half an hour, the temperature can plummet by 10 degrees celsius, the blue skies quickly replaced by a steady drizzle.

But so far, so good: even on overcast days, the plant still produces some power.

At night or when necessary, the system automatically switches over to the traditional power grid.

“The thinking was if we put (the solar system) in the worst unpredictable weather, it will absolutely work in any other airport in the country,” the airport’s maintenance director Marclen Stallenberg told AFP. The environmental value of

This photo taken on September 26, 2016 at the George airport, South Africa, shows solar panels. Africa gets is first solar-powered airport in George, with a plant that converts solar energy into direct current electricity using solar panels. The operation produces up to 750 kilowatts a day and powers 41 percent of the airport, with the aim to convert to 100 percent function by the end of the year. AFP

the ambitious project is already evident.

Since solar became the airport’s main source of power, the hub has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 1,229 tons―the equivalent of 103,934 liters of fuel.

The electricity bill has been cut by 40 percent in the space of a year, “which is a plus for me on the budget,” said airport manager

Brenda Voster.

Voster says it will take another five to 10 years to pay off the initial 16-million rand ($1.2 million) cost.

Meanwhile, regular power cuts, which in recent years have plagued Africa’s most developed economy, are a thing of the past, she adds.

Heavily dependent on coal,

which is the source of 90 percent of the country’s electricity, South Africa is looking to diversify its options to avoid power cuts.

Robyn Spence, who works at Dollar car hire company at the airport, said they “had to replace quite a few computers” fried by electricity surges caused by power cuts last year―no longer an issue with the solar system.

Untapped potential But not all the retailers at the airport are feeling the benefits yet.

Lelona Madlingozi, a kitchen manager at Illy restaurant in the main terminal, said they had two power cuts lasting about three hours each just a month earlier.

“We could not sell anything in the shop,” she said.

Restaurants, said the airport, are not one of the essential services prioritized during power cuts.

Expanding the use of renewable energy is a key focus for management firm, Airports Company South Africa, said its president Skhumbuzo Macozoma.

The company’s goal is to achieve “carbon neutrality,” or net zero carbon emissions, by 2030.

In a country with an estimated average of 8.5 hours of sunshine a day throughout the year, solar’s untapped potential looks huge.

After the success in George, the airports in Kimberley―South Africa’s diamond capital―and Upington near the Namibian border have also gone green, with three other regional airports next in line.

George Airport now plans on increasing the capacity of the small power station by an extra 250 kW and will soon install batteries capable of conserving energy generated during the day for use at night. AFP

LGUs

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

C1

BALLAD. Two lovers share the transport sparked by the shifting shades of the musical dancing fountains in the Rizal Park in Manila. Lino Santos

DILG not hiring barangay OICs

By John Paolo Bencito THE Department of the Interior and Local Government has not authorized any organization to recommend or endorse individuals for officersin-charge to replace barangay leaders whose terms will end this year.

DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno said his office received reports that an organization called the National Interfaith Council of the Philippines is allegedly recruiting aspiring barangay captains in the name of the department.

“Do not be deceived by any group or individual using the DILG to give false hopes for being OICs in the barangays,” Sueno said.

“The DILG is not in any way connected to Nicophil nor have we authorized it to recommend OIC barangay captains,” he added.

Earlier, the DILG secretary

said he had no objection to appointing OIC-barangay captains in case the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 31 is postponed.

The President is yet to sign the law postponing the barangay and SK polls.

Sueno said the council is allegedly seeking 50,000 OIC applicants nationwide to fill up positions in the barangays.

The group is reportedly asking interested applicants to email their resume to neccnicophil@gmail.com until October 9.

“I have asked the Philippine National Police to look into these reports and to gather more incriminating evidence to warrant the filing of a case against these hoodwinkers,” he said.

Sueno also urged the public to report to the DILG and regional offices any information about groups that are giving false promises of becoming barangay OICs.

Diño wants to run Bataan ecozone

By Butch Gunio

S

UBIC BAY FREEPORT—Newly appointed Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Martin Diño is eyeing to strengthen and widen trade in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone by maximizing the Subic port and developing more business districts for investors.

“We need to maximize the use of the container terminal here to bring in more business and help solve the congestion in Manila ports,” Diño told the media when he assumed office on October 3.

“At the same time, we should find ways to accommodate more investments because the available area for further development

in Subic is now very much limited,” he added.

Diño noted that the capacity of the New Container Terminal 1 and 2 in the Subic Bay Freeport “is more than enough to handle all the containers originating from and bound for Central and Northern Luzon.”

However, he said there was a

Freeport Zone, Subic a land and water area of some 67,452 hectares. Of this, the fenced area where much development has taken place is approximately 14,000 hectares, including a portion of the Redondo Peninsula.

However, beyond the fenced area, only about 2,800 hectares or about 20 percent are developable, while the remaining 11,200 hectares or about 80 percent of land and water area are high slopes, forests and protected areas.

To address the problem of land scarcity in Subic, Diño said, the SBMA will initiate multi-lateral dialogues with the City of Olongapo, the municipalities of Morong and Hermosa in Bataan, and the town of San Antonio in Zambales to identify areas for possible development.

Safety standards for e-vehicles urged

‘Disaster response maximizes resources’ DISASTER response means maximizing available equipment and techniques to save the greatest number of persons and properties, an expert in disaster survival told employees of the Department of the Interior and Local Government recently.

In times of disaster, don’t use a thing that you don’t know how to manipulate. Don’t perform a useless maneuver. DILG people, you have your Oplan Listo. Everything is there. We have to be alert, we have to be on our toes, Dr. Ted Esguerra of dzMM Teleradyo said.

At a one-day Lecture on Practical Tips for Disaster Preparedness recently at the DILG-Napolcom Center in Quezon City, Undersecretary Austere Panadero said being prepared matters, especially as a DILG employee, considering that the DILG central office building itself is located near a fault line.

We cannot control disasters, but we must be prepared for them, Panadero added.

Resource speakers in the forum were Esguerra and Fire Chief Inspector Cesar Patrocinio Jr. of the Bureau of Fire Protection. John Paolo Bencito

need to develop a bigger logistics area to cater to the needs of the growing number of port users.

“This is why we need to explore the transfer of the Bataan Technology Park Inc. to the management of the SBMA,” Diño said. “We can spur the development of the entire area of BTPI into a central business district for shippers, logistics and other related industries, as the Subic Bay Freeport is already running out of developable lands.”

The 380-hectare BTPI is in Barangay Sabang in Morong, about 30 minutes away from the Subic Bay Freeport’s central business district.

Once a UN High Commission’s Refugee Processing Center, the BTPI is ideal for light and customized manufacturing industries.

Proclamation 532 gave the Subic Special Economic and

GRACE. Ms. Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio winner Miss Karen Marie Mabalo (middle) is flanked by first runner-up Marie Christina Pacleb (second from left); second runner-up Maria Nerissa Shawyer (leftmost); third runner-up Maria Christine Ortega (second from right); and fourth runner-up Maria Camille Dalmacio (rightmost). Various colleges in Northern Luzon competed in the Hotel and Restaurant Tourism Week’s hotelier and restaurant events. David Chan

PCSO aid offices open on Saturdays THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office announced that its charity assistance department at the Lung Center of the Philippines and its ASAP help desks in hospitals will be open on Saturdays starting October 8.

PCSO chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz said the board continues to improve its op-

erations, particularly the Individual Medical Assistance Program to help more indigent patients seeking financial assistance for health/ medical related cases and provide more efficient service to the Filipino people.

Patients who have urgent cases and those in hospitals due for discharge on weekends need not wait until

Monday for their papers to be processed, Corpuz said.

PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan and director Atty. Loreto Ata vowed to improve the services of the office in the days to come.

Millions of Filipinos have benefitted from the aid program of PCSO, and more will benefit from the extended working days.

THE winning supplier of 3,000 electric tricycles for the Asian Development Bank and the Department of Energy’s etrike project—Bemac Electric Transportation Philippines— urged the government to help set standards for the manufacture of electric vehicles and their key components such as the motor, the controller, the battery, as well as related infrastructure like charging stations.

The safety of electric vehicles was questioned a few months back when an e-jeepney burned while traversing Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City and when the e-jeepney fleet operating within Araneta Center allegedly burned due to an overheating charger.

The company said the defective EVs were not its products.

In a talk on sustainable energy at UP College of Engineering, Yvonne Palomar Castro, vice president for sales, marketing and after sales of, said “we anticipated all these concerns and our product standards exceed the ADB-DoE requirements. It will take time to educate the public about the viability of EVs as public transport and we cannot

afford to have such mishaps from happening.”

Castro explained that “the vehicle control unit and battery management system of each of our EVs are designed to stop such malfunctions from happening.

Bemac’s lithium ion battery was tested against extreme temperature, puncture and pressure tests and in tandem with our VCU we can basically control the amount of current coming in so that overcharging will not happen.”

A Bemac EV will stop charging even if it remains plugged in an electrical outlet after it reaches its programmed charging limit, she further said.

A battery management system should be a prerequisite before an EV should be allowed to run on roads, she added. “It doesn’t matter if your EV is using lead acid or lithium ion, a BMS is its first line of defense from accidental electrical malfunctions,” Castro said.

“The reason why the electrical and battery components of some electric vehicles on the road overheated is basically the lack of control mechanisms to stop these incidents from occurring,” she concluded. Edgardo S. Tugade

C2

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

LGUs

Soil fertility boosts Philex yield

By Dexter A. See TUBA, Benguet—To attract more distributors of its organic coffee and vegetable products, the Philex Group Foundation Inc. is taking measures such as soil enrichment to increase its harvest.

The foundation recently hired experts to teach its farmerbeneficiaries the proper way of mixing decayed plants, such as leaves and grasses, for the improvement of soil nutrients.

“The expansion of our market for these products and for processed meat has been our focus for the medium term,” Paul Buenconsejo, PGFI executive director, said. “One of the most important steps is to have more distributors for our products.”

Buenconsejo said the mediumterm goal, from 2014 to 2018, is to further increase the number of distributors for organic coffee currently at eight and for organic vegetables, totaling seven.

He added that the foundation targets an annual processed meat production of 2.5 3 tons and has penetrated the BaguioBenguet market for morcon meat roll stuffed with sausage, carrots, pickles, cheese and egg.

Current production is expected to exceed two tons by end-October, compared to three tons sold in the whole of 2015.

PGFI’s other processed meat products are chicken-pork roll, chicken inasal (barbecue), chicken wanton lumpia (spring roll), beef ball fritters, pork patties, chicken nuggets, meatloaf, rellenong manok (stuffed, roasted chicken), sisig (chopped pig’s face, snout included, and ears), and ground pork.

Buenconsejo said his team continues to hire experts to train the farmers in Sitios Balayan, Mangga, and Torre, all in Barangay Camp 3, Tuba, and in Sitio Sta. Fe, in the Itogon barangay of Ampucao. (Tuba and Itogon are the host towns of Philex Mining Corp.’s Padcal operations in Benguet province.)

“We teach them traditional and organic farming, including pruning,” he stressed, since the coffee shrubs yield a kilo of beans per harvest season from December to March. The foundation’s farmer-beneficiaries tend to about 6,000 coffee shrubs. The.001 kilo per shrub yield rate needs much improvement, Buenconsejo said.

Holy Carabao Holistic Farms, one of PGFI’s sellers of organic vegetables and coffee for the Manila market including S&R and Rustan’s, is known for its non-genetically modified organisms products farmed in healthy soil without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

“But we need more,” Buenconsejo said. “Although the market for organic produce is still small and mostly composed of expatriates, we believe this has good potential for growth, as the number of health-conscious consumers is increasing.”

For its organic vegetables lettuce (romaine, baby red romaine, and iceberg), red sugar beets, French beans, radish, potato, carrots, spinach, wombok (Chinese cabbage), flowering pechay (cabbage) the foundation aims to sell more than 3,500 kilos by end-October, higher than the 3,000 sold in all of 2015.

Buenconsejo said he expects the farmers to hit the target, but “this will depend mostly on the increase in soil nutrients.”

Thus, the farmers were trained in organic composting, making organic pesticides, and plotting five times a month for one year between 2014 and 2015.

Incorporated in Sept. 2010, the PGFI has been tasked to provide livelihood programs for Philex Mining beneficiaries in the host and neighboring communities of the Padcal operations. Its marketing arm, Px Community Foods and Marketing Inc., was established in the same year.

WEEDS. Barges are hampered by water lilies that multiply in the rainy season and clog the Pasig River near the C-5 Road. Sonny Espiritu

DoLE R-2 employs 177 Isabela farmers

By Jessica M. Bacud

T

UGUEGARAO CITY—The Department of Labor and Employment-Regional Office 2 provided emergency employment to 177 farm tenants and laborers displaced by farm mechanization in Roxas, Isabela.

The DoLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program under the bottom-up budgeting released ₱1,189,796 to finance the em-

ployment of Simimbaan, San Antonio and San Rafael farmers for six months.

“The work of the 177 was replaced by mechanical rice

planters and harvesters,” Dr. Jonathan Calderon, municipal mayor of Roxas, said.

“In behalf of my constituents I would like to extend my warm gratitude to DoLE 2 and hope that this partnership would continue until poverty is eradicated,” Calderon added.

For six months, the farmers will declog drainage canals, weed and sweep barangay roads and green the environment by planting ornamental plants and seedling trees along roads of each barangay of Roxas, the mayor said.

The beneficiaries will be provided complete uniforms, gear and personal protective equipment and will be given Social Security System protection.

The DILEEP contributes to poverty alleviation and reduces risks of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized workers either through emergency employment and promotion of entrepreneurship and community enterprises.

It has two components namely: Kabuhayan or Livelihood Program and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/

Displaced Workers (Tupad) or emergency employment.

The livelihood program is a grant assistance for the purchase of equipment, tools and jigs, and raw materials, among others.

The Tupad is a communitybased (municipality or barangay) package of assistance that provides emergency employment to displaced workers, the underemployed and unemployed poor for a minimum 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.

‘Crime prevention begins at home’

By John Paolo Bencito

BLUEPRINT. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Interior Secretary Noor Hafizullah Abdullah (white polo) addresses a press conference dubbed as ‘Tapatan sa ARMM’ on Thursday in his office in the ARMM Compound in Cotabato City. As the new secretary of the said department, Abdullah laid out the roadmap of his first 100 days in the office. He said the roadmap strengthened and empowered the internal organization, fostered successful programs, projects and activities, and enhanced the local governments’ functionality. Omar Mangorsi

The Department of the Interior and Local Government emphasized the role of community leaders in crime prevention on the nationwide simultaneous barangay assembly day on Sunday.

“The fight against drugs, crime and corruption is not the government’s alone. It is time for the citizens to do their part and become a partner for change,” Secretary Ismael Sueno said.

“Let your voice be heard.

Show your concern for your community and your country,” he added.

The DILG Secretary earlier said the government’s campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption will be the center of discussion between barangay officials and their constituents during the said assembly.

Proclamation 260 issued on Sept. 30, 2011 declared the last Saturday of March and the second Sunday of October 2011 as barangay assembly days.

Sueno said that as early as September, the Department directed local government units to prepare for the first barangay assembly day to be held under the Duterte administration.

DoH: Zero dengue deaths in Aurora Sinos donate building

By Ferdie G. Domingo to Davao high school BALER, Aurora—Of the seven provinces in Central Luzon, only this province has registered zero deaths from dengue, the Department of Health reported.

Latest statistics released by the DoH regional office showed that for the past two years, Aurora has not recorded a single fatality of the 707 dengue cases from January 2015 up to Sept.

10, 2016.

Over the 20-month period, 42 deaths were so far recorded, including 18 in Bulacan, 12 in Pampanga, four each in Bataan and Nueva Ecija, three in Zambales and one in Tarlac.

Pampanga had the highest death toll in 2016 with 10 followed by Bulacan with eight and Bataan and Nueva Ecija with four each. Aside from Aurora, Tarlac

and Zambales had zero deaths this year.

Last year, Aurora, Bataan and Nueva Ecija had zero deaths while Bulacan had 10, Zambales three, Pampanga two and Tarlac one.

DoH regional director Leonita Gorgolon said that all over the region, they have monitored 24,606 dengue incidence for the past 20 months.

Gorgolon said of these, some 9,927 cases were monitored in 2016, representing a 32-percent decrease from the 14,679 cases in 2015.

For the past 20 months, Bulacan had the highest dengue incidence with 6,341 cases followed by Pampanga (5,749), Tarlac (4,876), Nueva Ecija (3,092), Bataan (2,238), Zambales (1,603) and Aurora’s 707.

Last year, Bulacan was tops

with 4,493 dengue cases, Tarlac (3,643), Pampanga (2,613), Nueva Ecija (1,869), Zambales (981), Bataan (709), Aurora (371).

For this year, Pampanga led in dengue cases with 3,136 followed

by Bulacan with 1,848 cases, Bataan (1,529), Tarlac (1,233), Nueva Ecija (1,223), Zambales (622) and Aurora (336).

Percentage-wise, Bataan the highest increase in dengue incidence with 116 percent (709 to 1,529), followed by Pampanga with a 20 percent increase (2,613 to 3,136).

The other provinces posted decreases in dengue cases notably Tarlac with a 66 Aurora reduction in dengue cases (3,643 to 1,233), Bulacan with 59 Aurora (4,493 to 1,848), Zambales with 37 percent (981 to 622), Nueva Ecija with 35 percent (1,869 to 1,223) and Aurora at nine percent (371 to 336).

THE Department of Education regional office in Davao lauded the Filipino-Chinese community and Chinese philanthropist Huang Ru Lun for donating a three-story building to Erico Nograles National High School.

On Tuesday night during the China National Day Celebration at SMX Convention Center, the barangay officials of Barangay 76-A Bucana signed a memorandum of agreement for the donation with the Century Golden Resources Group (China) represented by Wilson Techico, vice president of Uni Orient Inc. and the chairman-emeritus of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Association of the Philippines.

The three-story school building has 15 classrooms.

“We thank you so much, dear donors. If we put our acts together we will ensure our children the best education they can get,” said Jenielito Atillo, the department’s Region 11 spokesman.

“This kind of help is really a big offer of assistance to DepEd and we do hope that the school would really take good care of the facility,” the DepEd spokesman said.

The aid from the Chinese, Atillo said, shows that education is global necessity.

He added that the donation is a concrete manifestation or realization of an old adage that “it will take a village to educate a child.

The DepEd believes that the education of the children is not only a duty of the government but also of the private sector.”

World

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

C3

Intolerance rising in Indonesia Y

OGYAKARTA―A handful of Muslim transgender women wash their faces, put on white robes and begin to pray, an act of quiet defiance after their study centre in Indonesia was shut by hardliners.

Al Fatah, which claimed to be the world’s only Islamic boarding school for transgender students, was long regarded as a symbol of the tolerant brand of Islam widely practiced in the world’s most populous Muslimmajority country.

But several months ago, amid a sudden backlash against les-

bian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, a local hardline group called Islamic Jihad Front forced the school to close.

Despite the risk of retaliation, a small group of former students continue to quietly gather at the school building in the city of Yogyakarta every week to pray and study Islam.

“We want to prove that Islam accepts transgenders, that Islam is a blessing for all mankind,” Shinta Ratri, the leader of the prayer group, told AFP. The closing of the school, which was founded in 2008, is one of the most visible signs of an alarming wave of intolerance sweeping across Yogyakarta― the country’s cultural heartland which had long been regarded as an open-minded, accepting city.

In recent times Islamic hardliners have halted a festival focusing on women’s issues and have targeted the Christian minority, seeking to close down

churches and stop their community work.

Local police have sometimes been accused of standing back and letting hardliners carry out acts of intolerance, or even of working with them to do so.

“Unfortunately in recent years, intolerant groups have been imposing their rigid beliefs on people,” said Agnes Dwi Rusjiyati, the local coordinator of activist group Bhinneka Tunggal Ika National Alliance.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, Indonesia’s national motto, means “Unity in Diversity”, and is intended to show that the vast ar-

chipelago takes strength from the myriad different ethnic, cultural and religious groups living within its borders.

But there has been a growing pushback against this long-cherished belief.

Observers say the trend in Yogyakarta is an acute example of creeping conservatism across the country, that has targeted everything from the gay community, to drinking alcohol and pornography.

The Indonesian constitution officially recognizes six different religions. Most of its 255 million inhabitants practise a

moderate form of Islam, often infused with influences from local ethnic groups, and no one believes the country is likely to be transformed into a state ruled by sharia law.

But critics say the influence of fringe hard-line groups, and the authorities’ unwillingness to tackle them for fear of being labeled anti-Islamic, has fueled a dangerous increase in intolerance.

The targeting of the transgender community around Yogyakarta, who were previously allowed, by and large, to quietly get on with their lives, stands out as an example of this disturbing trend. AFP

War killing many civilians in Yemen SANAA―Nineteen months into Yemen’s war in which civilians have paid the heaviest price, an air strike has killed over 140 people at a funeral ceremony in the capital Sanaa.

The United Nations says the conflict has killed more than 6,600 people—almost twothirds of them civilians—and displaced at least three million since a Saudi-led Arab coalition backing the internationally recognized Yemeni government launched military operations in March 2015.

UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville said Tuesday that from March 2015 through September 30, 4,014 civilians had died and nearly 7,000 had been injured.

Casualties climbed steeply in August and September, following the collapse of a ceasefire, with the coalition held responsible for six times as many civilian deaths and injuries as the rebel forces, Colville said.

The coalition said it is ready to investigate together with the United States the air strike Saturday on the funeral ceremony

in the capital.

President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi’s government is battling Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels and allied forces who have seized control of large parts of Yemen since 2014 and still hold swathes of territory including Sanaa.

The following is a list of alleged human rights violations in the Yemeni conflict and incidents in which civilians have been targeted.

On August 15, a coalition air strike killed 19 people at a hospital in northern Yemen that is aided by the French charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF). It was the fourth strike on an MSF-backed site in a year, the group says, and raised concern in Washington, which supports the coalition.

The coalition, which says it does not deliberately target civilians, vowed to conduct an internal investigation, as UN chief Ban Ki-moon stressed that attacks on hospitals, medical personnel or civilians were “a serious violation of international humanitarian law.” AFP

CRIME SCENE. Police officers gather at a crime scene on the 2700 block of Cypress Avenue, where two police officers were killed and another was

injured after responding to a domestic disturbance in Palm Springs, California, on October 8, 2016. The shooting occurred after two officers went to a home after receiving a report from a female caller that her adult son was causing a disturbance, police chief Bryan Reyes told journalists. AFP

Leftists fight for survival in Lithuania VILNIUS―Lithuanians fed up with economic inequality and mass emigration began voting in round one of a tight general election Sunday, which could see the governing Social Democrats lose power.

Russia’s latest deployment of nuclear-capable Iskander missiles to its neighboring Kaliningrad exclave rattled nerves just a day ahead of the vote.

But the reassurance provided

by NATO’s beefed up presence

in the Baltic state―a move that all major parties endorse― means that voters are more worried about their wallets than security.

Wage growth and job creation have been key rallying cries for candidates in this eurozone state of 2.9 million people, plagued by an exodus of workers seeking higher wages, many of them in Britain.

Since Lithuania joined the EU in 2004, nearly half the estimat-

ed 370,000 people who have left went to Britain, where uproar over eastern European immigration was seen as a key factor in the Brexit vote to leave the bloc.

Opinion polls show two parties running close behind Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius’s leftist Social Democrats, which have 15.6 percent support.

The centrist Lithuanian Peasant and Green’s Union would take 14 percent, while the conservative Homeland Union enjoy

13.7 percent backing, local pollsters Spinter Tyrimai found.

Five to eight parties are expected to pass the five percent threshold to enter parliament, signaling complicated coalition talks.

Butkevicius, 57, has promised further hikes in the minimum wage and public sector salaries, but a new labour law which makes it easier to hire and fire employees could eat away his party’s slim lead. AFP

Success sought for film BUSAN―Makoto Shinkai’s animated hit “Your Name” has conquered Japan. Now the director hopes the world will fall for its charms.

“It is a unique film and has been a unique sensation,” said Shinkai, speaking before his film screened at the 21st Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, the premier event of its kind in Asia.

“It’s hard for us to believe that it’s been viewed by more than 10 million people in Japan―mostly the young generation―and hopefully we can see the same result around the world.”

“Your Name” is a touching fantasy-romance set around the lives of two high school students who swap bodies when they dream, and who try to alter history.

It has topped the box office charts in Japan for the past six weeks, with a total take coming into the weekend of $126 million, according to industry figures. That’s moved the film past “Godzilla Resurgence” as the number one box office hit in Japan this year. AFP

ONSTAGE. Sir Paul McCartney performs at the Empire Polo Field on October 8, 2016, in Indio, California. AFP

C4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

World

SELFIE. Women take a selfie with an art installation “Mirror” created by Slovak artist Robert Farkal during “The White Night”, a night-time art festival in Bratislava, Slovakia, on October 8, 2016. AFP

Trump campaign in crisis W

ASHINGTON—Donald Trump’s lewd videotaped remarks about women threw his White House campaign and the Republican Party in crisis Saturday, just 30 days from the election and on the eve of his second debate with rival Hillary Clinton.

Trump nevertheless rejected growing calls from elected members of his own party to step aside over the 2005 remarks, insisting there is “zero chance I’ll quit” the presidential race.

“We’ll remember this day for

a long time,” David Gergen, who has served as adviser to four US presidents, told CNN. “A civil war is breaking out in the Republican ranks.”

In the early evening hours, a defiant Trump stepped outside of his

Trump Tower skyscraper in New York, brandishing his fist to cheers from dozens of supporters.

Asked if he was staying in the race, he responded: “100 percent.”

Trump’s own wife Melania said she was offended by her husband’s “unacceptable and offensive” comments boasting about his ability to grope women as he pleases, caught on a hot mike just months after the two married in the real estate magnate’s third marriage.

But she urged American voters to support him.

“I hope people will accept his apology, as I have, and focus on the important issues facing our nation and the world,” Melania Trump said in a statement.

The videotape, released Friday

by The Washington Post, forced a rare apology from a campaign already peppered by controversies over Trump’s treatment of women, roiling his Republican Party.

The Republican National Committee appeared to have halted part of its “Victory” program to elect Trump, with the RNC asking a vendor to “put a

hold” on mail production, the Politico news website reported.

CNN said the RNC was considering ending a joint fund-raising agreement with the Trump campaign.

Trump called the disclosure a “distraction,” defiantly attacking the Clintons for husband Bill Clinton’s past infidelities, and hinting strongly he would say more on the topic during Sunday’s debate in St Louis, Missouri.

At a campaign event, Bill Clinton was heckled by an ap-

parent Trump supporter who told him “You’re a rapist!” But the ex-president brushed it off as an attempt by Republicans to “make it up” after the backlash over Trump’s comments.

Trump denied his campaign was in crisis and predicted the controversy would blow over.

“The media and establishment want me out of the race so badly - I WILL NEVER DROP OUT OF THE RACE, WILL NEVER LET MY SUPPORTERS DOWN! #MAGA,” he said on Twitter.

Many risk death from overwork TOKYO―More than one in five Japanese companies have employees who work such long hours they are at serious risk of death, according to a new government survey into the country’s notoriously strenuous working culture.

Hundreds of deaths related to overwork―from strokes, heart attacks and suicide―are reported every year in Japan, along with a host of serious health problems, sparking lawsuits and calls to tackle the problem.

The survey was part of the nation’s first white paper on “karoshi”, or death from overwork, endorsed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet on Friday.

While the popular image of Japanese salarymen toiling long hours for the company before taking the last train home is changing, many still spend far

more hours at the workplace than their counterparts in other modern economies.

According to the paper, 22.7 percent of companies polled between December 2015 and January 2016 said some of their employees logged more than 80 hours of overtime a month―the official threshold at which the prospect of death from work becomes serious.

The report added that about 21.3 percent of Japanese employees work 49 or more hours each week on average, well above the 16.4 percent reported in the US, 12.5 percent in Britain and 10.4 in France.

The survey concluded that Japanese employees also reported feeling high levels of stress related to their work, pushing officials to call on companies to improve working conditions. AFP

Albania destroys marijuana fields KRUJA―Small mountainous Albania was for decades Europe’s most isolated country, but now, 26 years after toppling communism, it has emerged with the unwanted distinction of being the continent’s top marijuana producer.

In the north-central mountains of Kruja, Ilir is one of Albania’s many poor farmers who have turned to growing the illegal crop.

“I am not committing a crime, it’s desperation that has led me to grow cannabis,” he says..

“I barely survive,” adds the 50-year-old, trying to defend his switch to a cannabis grower after he returned from Greece, where he had emigrated, as the

economic crisis there forced him to go back home.

In the lucrative European market, the money for marijuana is attractive.

Two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of weed sell for 600 euros ($670)―the price of roughly one ton of wheat.

Albania has also become a major transit route for South American cocaine as well as Afghan heroin bound for Europe, adding to the international pressure on the government in Tirana, which wants to join the European Union, to track down and destroy the cannabis fields dotting the remote countryside. AFP

WAITING. An Indian vendor arranges bananas for sale as she waits for customers at a wholesale flower market in Chennai on October 9, 2016. AFP

Rocket site activity fuels test concerns SEOUL―Analysis published Sunday of recent satellite images fueled concerns that North Korea may be on the brink of another nuclear test or long-range rocket launch.

Speculation that Pyongyang is preparing such a show of force has been linked to Monday’s an-

niversary of the founding of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party.

Past nuclear tests and missile launches have often coincided with key political dates. Its fifth nuclear test last month was conducted on the anniversary of North Korea’s founding as a state, The latest satellite imagery

analysis posted by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University noted increased activity at the North’s Sohae satellite launch station.

The pictures taken on October 1 showed crates on the launch pad next to the gantry tower, vehicles near the fuel and oxidizer build-

ings, and work continuing on the facility’s vertical engine test stand.

“However, since both the gantry tower and the assembly structures on the launch pad are covered, it is unclear whether this activity is related to launch preparations or other operations,” the analysts noted. AFP

Life

GREEN AND GOLD.

Performers liven up the crowd that graced the official launch of international premium beer Heineken—popular for its green bottle and gold liquid content—in the Philippines.

SIP & SAVOR

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

D1

NOW BREWING

Heineken opens the world to

Filipino beer lovers H

EINEKEN, the world’s number one international premium beer, has successfully made its way to the Philippines.

Known for its iconic green bottle and the smooth, refreshing gold liquid that it contains, Heineken is also known for its creation of beer experiences that are meant to excite and surprise the Filipino consumer.

Heineken’s official launch, held recently at the World Trade Center, spun its “Open Your World” message into an engaging experience for Filipinos to live beyond their boundaries, inspiring them to open up to new places, new people and new experiences.

Featured at the launch were bar setups from iconic locations around the world (Amsterdam, Tokyo, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Ibiza) where guests got

AB Heineken Philippines Managing Director Cyril Charzat and Asia Brewery COO Michael Tan offer a toast launching the premium beer brand

a first-hand experience of what it was like to enjoy an ice-cold Heineken beer in one of these cities. This was made more enjoyable by the unique entertainment provided and food representing each location, featuring break-dancers from the streets of Brooklyn to a sushi chef serving up fresh fare to the guests, among others.

In opening the world to the Philippines, Heineken stands by its belief that

the world is packed with possibilities and opens fresh connections for Filipino consumers that can potentially enliven and thrill them.

The event was attended by a myriad of guests, ranging from artists to radio DJs, sportsmen to industry titans, and Asia Brewery Heineken Philippines’ (ABHP) executives and staff who were excited to bring this flagship product to the country.

The guests were welcomed by Cyril

Take a side trip to Braska THERE’S nothing like a hearty warm soup on a rainy day.

Take a side trip to Braska Restaurant, Amélie Hotel Manila’s cosmopolitan Filipino restaurant, to savor these heartwarming dishes.

Braska introduces its Side Trip menu featuring new off-menu items created by its talented chefs.

Side Trip includes suggested dishes from valued guests and the chef’s creations. One of the Side Trip dishes to look forward to is a steaming bowl of Kansi—one of Bacolod City’s must-haves, which is like a cross between sinigang and bulalo soup.

Another signature dish from the Visayas included in Braska’s menu is Batchoy—originating from La Paz, Iloilo City, its thick, flavorful broth with noodles and meat, topped with egg and chicharon is a favorite across the country.

Amelie Hotel Manila is located at 1667 J. Bocobo, Malate, Manila.

For inquiries and reservations, please email inquiry@ameliehotelmanila.com or visit www.ameliehotelmanila.com .

A steaming bowl of La Paz, Iloilo’s Batchoy is perfect for rainy days

Bar setups from iconic locations around the world

From left: Chris Aguilar, Francesco Aguilar, Boom Gonzales and Anton del Rosario indulging in a glass of Heineken

Charzat, ABHP managing director, and Michael Tan, Asia Brewery Inc’s chief operating officer.

Present in 192 countries, Heineken is truly the world’s premium beer. First brewed from humble beginnings in Amsterdam in 1864, the Heineken brand, as we know it today, was born in 1873 and has grown to encompass the globe.

From the Netherlands to Brazil, South Africa to the Solomon Islands, Heineken

is now proud and excited to have the opportunity to engage with Filipinos and provide them with a high quality beer.

As Heineken opens the world to Filipinos, there will be a constant flow of unique innovations entering the market that will enable them to explore new experiences they constantly seek, while pushing the boundaries in the beer category to delight local consumers with the perfect product experience.

Braska offers Bacolod City’s popular fare Kansi as part of its Side Trip menu

Life

D2

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

A delectable GRIND

THE JOYCE OF EATING JOYCE BABE PAÑARES

W

HAT looks like charcoal served with American coleslaw and hazelnut romesco sauce?

It is Grind Bistro’s Nutty Black Chicken, an original concept of Steven Carl, who has served as executive chef and food and beverage director of an international hotel for more than two decades before settling down in the Philippines with his wife, Cristina Imperial, six years ago.

“We only had a few days to go before opening our first branch in May this year, and my friends kept telling me that I needed to have fried chicken in the menu. But when I tried my version with buttermilk batter, it tasted okay but I was not going for just okay. I wanted something fantastic,” he said in an interview at Grind Bistro’s flagship branch located at Net Park building in Bonifacio Global City.

“It came to me in a dream. Black chicken was the way to go. When I told my staff about the concept, they all looked at me like I lost it,” he added.

The key to making his dream a reality was squid ink tempura batter, which Carl said was perfect in keeping the chicken moist and giving it his desired ebony color. The sweet chili glaze gave the dish an Asian twist and kick, while the romesco, a nut and red pepper-based sauce that originated from Catalonia in Northeast Spain, provided additional flavor and texture.

Carl’s willingness to take a gamble on his dream paid off: while Grind Bistro is known for its American burgers and steaks, the Nutty Black Chicken (P595) became the restaurant’s second best-selling dish.

“Our whole idea was if we could make it, we will. And we won’t take shortcuts in making our dishes,” said Cristina, who beamed with pride as she named the 20 flavors of their homemade ice cream, which include bourbon caramel vanilla, halo-halo, peanut brittle, matcha green tea and salted caramel, among others. Aside from the desserts, Grind also makes its own bread, chips, and most of its sauces.

“Since these are homemade, you can just imagine the intensity of the preparation work that goes into our food. But that’s how Steven’s family has always cooked – from scratch and using the freshest local produce. That way you really bring out the flavors of your food,” she added.

Another crowd favorite is the restaurant’s Poke Nachos (P495), a Hawaiian dish inspired by the couple’s stay in Maui several years ago. Poke, which is the Hawaiian verb for “to slice” or “to cut,” is a raw fish salad served as appetizer, traditionally. Grind uses ahi (yellowfin) tuna marinated in soy, chili and sesame, and topped with local chevre or goat’s cheese, orange and wasabi tobiko (fish roe), and pico de gallo made with fresh tomato, onion and jalapeño.

Homemade taro and sweet potato nachos with Hawaiian poke (marinated yellowfin tuna), goat cheese and wasabi fish roe

Grind’s 100 percent USDA beef burger and chocolate milkshake for kids and kids-at-heart Steven Carl’s dream comes to life with his Nutty Black Chicken with romesco sauce

Spaghetti with three large meatballs, parmesan, pesto and homemade ricotta

The nachos are all homemade using taro and sweet potato.

As Grind is an American diner on the upscale side, its 300-gram USDA prime New York steak costs P2,050, while its 400-gram house-aged rib eye will set a guest off at P2,400. The restaurant offers four sauces to choose from, namely the French red wine-based bordelaise, green peppercorn, chimichurri and basil pesto, while choices for steak toppings include mushrooms, onion jam, bacon marmalade and blue cheese butter. For an extra P300, one can order foie gras to go with the steak, but the occasion better be worth it for that extra-sinful combination.

For its mains, there’s the eponymous Grind burger (P395), made from 100-percent USDA beef and served with homemade brioche, vine-ripe tomato, iceberg lettuce, sweet onion, American cheese and the restaurant’s secret sauce; Cuban sandwich (P395) with pork cooked sous vide or under vacuum for 18 hours, dijon mustard blend, homemade pickles and

Emmental cheese served with sides of mojo aioli and salted saba chips; truffled penne carbonara (P495) topped with pancetta—an Italian bacon made of pork belly meat that is salt cured and spiced with black pepper; and 180-gram salmon fillet (P650) cooked in soy sauce, miso, ginger, and lemon syrup and served with wakame (edible seaweed) and edamame (salted immature soybeans in a pod).

In less than six months since the launching of their BGC restaurant, the couple has already opened two more branches—one at SM North in Quezon City and another at SM Aura in Taguig.

For Carl, their success validates their decision to serve dishes that use only fresh and wholesome products.

“I am a man who respects my food, and Grind reflects that philosophy of not taking shortcuts even if it means more work for us,” Carl said.

For feedback, send comments to joyce.panares@gmail.com

Delta’s Master Sommelier picks 2017’s best pours

Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson selects the 2017 on-board wine menu for Delta One’s flights and calls the lineup ‘the best one ever.’

SAMPLING 17 champagne varieties for breakfast? It’s all in a day’s work for Delta’s Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson who, earlier this month, thoughtfully hand selected the airline’s 2017 on-board line up.

Robinson’s wine selection—a yearround process that includes tastings in the air and on the ground – culminates annually at the Atlanta General Offices where, this year, she tasted from a selection of more than 1,300 wines.

The wines represent global varietals from major wine labels and small boutique wineries alike and featured many of the key wine producing regions of the world including Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and South Africa as well as California and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

While Robinson looks out for great wines throughout the year and keeps track of candidates that she believes would be great for the wine program, many were also submitted by wine makers eager to vie for a spot on one of Delta’s premium wine lists.

For Robinson, creating a wine experience on board is a labor of love. By tasting with the fine-tuned palate required to match the on-board environment, she narrowed down the wines, which will be featured from March 2017 through February 2018. The

wines will be offered on all Delta One flights, including international transoceanic flights and flights between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport/ San Francisco International Airport, with special selections for premium markets. Additionally, a South American wine program will be featured on board to support Delta’s continued focus in Latin America.

“The 2017 Delta One line-up is going to be the best one ever,” she said. “I didn’t think we could top last year, but we have some absolute benchmark blue chip wines that people will be putting in their cellars if they’re wine collectors – it’s that good. We have some real emerging and cutting edge wines that will be the talk of the town and also some wines that are on trend like a dry rosé for summer.”

Following her selection process, Delta hosted a wine auction for employees, giving them an opportunity to bid on lots curated by Robinson to benefit the Delta Care Fund. This year, the auction raised $35,000, which will be used to provide assistance to eligible Delta employees, retirees and their survivors who suffer a severe financial hardship from an unforeseen and unavoidable crisis, including loss due to a disaster or catastrophic event.

Delta One customers can currently

enjoy summer-inspired dishes with a glass of red or white wine from the 2016 wine program, now rotating seasonally on the same schedule as the airline’s menus.

Robinson has been the brains behind Delta’s wine selections since 2007 and is one of only 30 women worldwide to hold the title of Master Sommelier. She is the only woman ever designated as the Best Sommelier in the U.S. by the Sommelier Society of America and is the winner of three James Beard awards. She is an honors graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and in 2004 was also named Wine and Spirits Professional of The Year by Bon Appétit.

To enhance the on-board customer experience, Delta partnered with Robinson to launch its Sky Sommelier program in 2012. The program is an online series of learning courses designed for flight attendants to increase knowledge and enhance skills around Delta’s wines and their onboard presentation.

Through the course, flight attendants learn how to bring the wine experience to life for Delta’s customers. Since inception, more than 1,000 flight attendants have graduated from the course, which was originally open to international flight attendant leaders. Later this year, Delta will open the program to all 22,000 flight attendants.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

T

HEABS-CBN afternoon series The Greatest Love joined the campaign to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. It recently held “Remembering Our Greatest Love: An Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Forum.”

Alzheimer’s Disease awareness campaign launched

The cast of ‘The Greatest Love’ with Dr. Darwin Dasig (center), a neurologist by profession and currently the president of the Dementia Society of the Philippines

Kapamilya stars Sylvia Sanchez, Dimples Romana, Matt Evans, Arron Villaflor, Ruby Ruiz, and Alex Medina, as well as the program’s production staff and creative team all came together to better understand the disease and use their influence to spread understanding of it. Neurologist Dr. Darwin Dasig, president of the Dementia Society of the Philippines (DSP) also spoke at the forum to shed light on the disease.

The program launched its campaign before the end of September, which is designated as Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month, to share the misconceptions about the diseases and impart the experiences of families that are affected by it.

In The Greatest Love, Gloria (Sylvia) loses pieces of her memory after she is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Meanwhile, Sylvia turned emotional as she narrated her experience spending some time with an Alzheimer’s patient as her preparation for the role.

“I hope it does not happen to me. It’s frightening. Hopefully there is someone who loves me just as much and will take care of me,” said the veteran actress.

Highest rated series premiere on AXN since 2012 THE premiere of MacGyver had the highest ratings for a drama series on AXN since 2012. The highly anticipated action series premiered on Sept. 29 at 9:45 p.m. and emerged as the no.1 show for English general entertainment channels in the Philippines.

Paying homage to the original series, MacGyver stars Lucas Till as a 20-something Angus “Mac” MacGyver who creates a clandestine organization within the U.S. government where he uses his extraordinary talent for unconventional problem solving and vast scientific knowledge to save lives.

‘Película’ at Greenbelt 3 Cinemas

“MacGyver is such a beloved franchise and we are not surprised at how well-received it is,” said Virginia Lim, senior vice president and head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia. “Our viewers have come to expect action, adventure and compelling stories from the AXN brand, and MacGyver delivers it all.”

During MacGyver’s premiere, AXN dominated at no.1 among 22 English general entertainment channels with a 53 percent share.

MacGyver also stars George Eads and Sandrine Holt. The executive producer is Lee David Zlotoff (original series creator), with Henry Winkler

SUCCESSFUL REBOOT. ‘MacGyver’ debuts with high ratings, in fact, it has the highest ratings for a drama series on AXN in the last 4 years

(original series executive producer), Catch up on the first episode of Peter Lenkov and James Wan. MacGyver on http://www.axn-asia.

MacGyver airs every Thursday at com/programs/macgyver/videos/ 9.45 p.m. first and exclusive on AXN. macgyver-episode-1.

October shows at Hard Rock Café

OPM singer Nyoy Volante (top) and seasoned show band Side A (right) liven up the Hard Rock concert stage this October

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, October 10, 2016

ACROSS 1 Kind of muffin 5 — — upswing 9 Warrior princess 13 Counting-rhyme start 14 Seltzers 16 Donnybrook 17 Tremor 19 Diva’s rendition 20 Mao — -tung 21 VI halved 22 ABA member 24 Eccentric 25 Mai — (rum drink) 26 Gorgeous woman 29 Not subject to change 33 Pablo’s girl 34 Subscription length 35 Liverpool poky 37 Freight amts.

38 Undergrad digs 39 Furrow maker 40 Submarine outlet 42 Huron neighbor 43 Smile upon 45 Groupie 47 Blows away 48 Carthage loc.

49 Found a roost 50 Colorful horses

53 — Ysidro 54 Mobster’s piece 57 Jostle 58 “Not likely!”

(4 wds.)

61 Lectern 62 Spoken for 63 Look searchingly 64 Beatles’ “Penny —” 65 Glazier’s unit 66 Part of PGA DOWN 1 Totally exhausted 2 Sports “zebras” 3 Poker stake 4 PBS “Science Guy” 5 Fossilize, perhaps 6 Ideal, to pitchers (hyph.)

7 Bother 8 Ocean compound 9 Radiology job (hyph.)

10 Ireland 11 Roulette color 12 — — moment’s notice 15 Hockey team 18 Lasso 23 1914 headline

24 Really liked, man!

26 Like Yul Brynner 27 Fix firmly 28 Place to see a train?

29 Weird 30 Not apt to bite 31 Sighed with delight 32 Baggy 34 Time long gone 36 Reduced 38 Motor City 41 Walter Scott novel

Boy Abunda, meanwhile, shared in a VTR his experiences dealing with his mother who has dementia. The forum’s participants also turned emotional when an ABS-CBN employee recounted the challenges she and Alzheimer’s diseaseafflicted mother have to face.

As the program ended, Dr. Dasig thanked the show’s production team for using the program as an effective and realistic portrayal of the life of Alzheimer’s disease patients and their families.

Meanwhile, more viewers are tuning in to the program now that Gloria’s long-kept secret – that Lizelle (Andi Eigenmann) has a different father – has been revealed. According to data from Kantar Media, it recorded its all-time high national TV rating of 16.6 percent versus Sa Piling ni Nanay (14percent) on Sept. 29.

The Greatest Love airs after Doble Kara on ABS-CBN or ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167). For updates, likewww. facebook.com/thegreatestlovetv. Catch on the program’s past episodes via iWant TV or via skyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.

43 Get, pricewise 44 Destiny 46 Over and over 47 Jerry’s ex 49 Forest quaker 50 Cougar 51 Library ID 52 Cold spell 54 Turns right 55 Nay opposites 56 Sea bird 57 Close friend 59 APB datum 60 Sauna site

COME and see the exciting shows at Hard Rock Café (HRC) this month.

Leading the pack of performers is the country’s premier band Side A – set to perform center stage on Oct. 15 and 22. Acoustic balladeer Nyoy Volante performs on Oct. 21 and 28.

Hard rockers can look forward to unforgettable evenings of great music with Side A and Nyoy as they dish out their greatest hits live plus a sampling of today’s hottest chart-toppers, homegrown favorites, and most well-loved party anthems. Other featured artists at HRC this month are Part 3 (Sundays and Fridays), Kudos Love 80s (Mondays), Red Picasso (Tuesdays), Arpie & The Multivitamins (Wednesdays), Access All Areas (Thursdays), and Verse 2 (Saturdays).

All shows start at 9:00 p.m.

THE yearly Spanish Film Festival, now on its 15th year, showcases the best of contemporary Spanish and Latin American films exclusive at Ayala Malls Cinemas’ Greenbelt 3 until Oct. 16.

Twenty films are featured in this year’s edition from Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Venezuela.

The festival kicked off on Oct. 5 with the screening of Truman, a bitter comedy directed by a notable Spanish film maker Cesc Gay, which garnered best film, best director, best original screenplay, best actor and supporting actor in the 2016 30th Goya Awards. It also raked other awards from International award giving body.

The other films are Perdiendo el Norte, Techo y comida (Food and Shelter), Much Ado about Nothing, Azul y no tan rosa (My Straight Son), Anacleto (Spy Time), A Esmorga, Cien años de perdón, The Clan, My Big Night, Isla Bonita, El Rayo, Palm Trees in the Snow, Sidetracked, La Tropa de Trapo, Embrace of the Serpent, A Perfect Day to Fly, Land and Shade, Sacromonte, Los Sabios de la Tribu, and B, la película.

Instituto Cervantes and the Embassy of Spain are collaborating with the Embassy of Colombia to feature La Noche del Cine Colombiano, first time in the long running Spanish Film Festival.

The Colombian Night will put on the spotlight on two of its best films: El Abrazo de la Serpiente (Embrace of the Serpent) and La Tierra y la Sombra (Land and Shade) on Oct. 10.

Get a movie treat by following the Ayala Malls Cinemas Instagram page (@ iloveAyalaMallsCinemas) and regram our Pelicula Spanish Film Fest posts with the hash tags #PeliculaAyalaMallsCinemas #iloveAyalaMallsCinemas to win free tickets to La Noche del Cine Colombiano on Oct. 10.

Watch all entries of the Spanish Film Festival at Greenbelt 3 for only P100 per film, and get a chance to win a round-trip ticket to Spain. Tickets can be purchased at www.sureseats.com or at the Greenbelt 3 cinemas ticket booth.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2016

Showbiz

Alden Richards

hosts 21st Asian Television Awards

A

FTER his successful concert at the Kallang Theatre in July, Phenomenal Star and Philippines’ Pambansang Bae Alden Richards will be back in Singapore to host the 21st Asian Television Awards at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Center on Dec. 2.

Alden will be joining Adrian Pang, Stephanie Richards is best known as one half of the Carrington and Baki Zainal as hosts of Asian phenomenal ALDUB love team with Maine TV industry’s most significant and celebrated Mendoza in the longest-running and undisputed event that recognizes excellence in programming, Philippine noontime show Eat Bulaga. production and performance.

“It is truly an honor to be hosting this year’s

Asian Television Awards and celebrate the best television content that Asia has to offer.” said Alden.

The delayed telecast of the 21st Asian TV Awards will be on Dec. 11, 9.30 p.m., on GMA News TV. Alden Richards goes international after being selected to host the region’s most prestigious TV event

13th Lasallian Scholarum Awards for Kapuso AN INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed documentary produced by GMA News TV program Reel Time, and a GMA News Online feature story on the Pinoy culture of anti-intellectualism won at the 13th Lasallian Scholarum Awards on Oct. 3 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel.

Reel Time’s “Isang Paa sa Hukay “ took home the “Outstanding Televised Feature Story On Youth And Education”.

The winning documentary featured the story of children working on a small-scale mining industry in Camarines Norte, and how they dive into narrow shafts using air compressor to support their breathing just to mine very little pieces of gold.

Meanwhile, GMA News Online’s article “Smart-Shaming and Our Pinoy Culture of Anti-Intellectualism,” written by Julia Jasmine Madrazo-Sta. Romana, won as Outstanding Online Feature. Published in July last year, the article discussed the seeming prevalence of Pinoy culture that sees “high intelligence as a negative trait.”

The Lasallian Scholarum Awards recognizes outstanding coverage of youth and education stories by professional and campus journalists. This year’s panel of judges included Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. Trustee Raissa Hechanova Posadas, acclaimed filmmaker and former Executive Director of Rock Ed Philippines Pepe Diokno, Move.ph founder Alexandra Madrigal Eduque, and DLSU University Dean of Student Affairs Fritzie Ian De Vera.

Reel Time’s “Isang Paa sa Hukay” earlier won the Gold Camera Award at the 2016 US International Film & Video Festival; was named Best Program in “Promoting Children’s Rights” under the Humanity category at the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD)’s World Television Awards; and took home the bronze award in the Human Concerns category at the New York Festivals.

Receiving the Scholarum Award for ‘Reel Time’ is Executive Producer Jayson Bernard Santos (center). With him are ‘I-Witness’ Executive Producer and 2014 Scholarum winner Cris Sto. Domingo (left) and DLSU Office for Strategic Communications Executive Director Johannes Leo Badillo (right).