Manila Standard - 2016 October 18 - Tuesday

VOL. XXX • NO. 248 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

ASEAN BROTHERS. Brunei Darussalam head of state Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (right) with his Philippine counterpart President Rodrigo Duterte, on a three-day official visit, while the two countries’ national anthems are played one after the other during the welcome ceremony at the Istana Nurul Iman in Bander Seri Begawan. Brunei Informations Department/AFP

Du30 visit hailed as PH-China milestone

By John Paolo Bencito HONG KONG—President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to China this week signals a thawing of ties amid years of tension, and may encourage Beijing’s to invest long term in the Philippines, Chinese experts said.

Describing Duterte’s visit this week as a “milestone” in bilateral ties, the state-owned People’s Daily acknowledged the impact of Duterte’s visit to Beijing after many years of strained relations caused by a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. Zhou Fangyin, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at the Guangdong Institute for International Strategies, told the People’s Daily that the preparations for Duterte’s visit mirror great sincerity—particularly from the Duterte administration—for thawing ties and for Beijing’s vision for a long-term investment in bilateral ties.

Zhou said potential outcomes of the visit might be “increased trade of agricultural produce with China,” as well as “infrastructure construction” that the Philippines needs.

The visit will be an important opportunity that both sides should grasp, and “Duterte possibly has his eyes on cooperation with China in the long run,” Zhou said.

The South China Sea dispute is unlikely to be resolved overnight, and neither country should give up working on the fragile ties, Zhou added.

Wu Shicun, president of the Hong Kong-based National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said “the times have changed” for China-Philippine ties, and he believes “the visit will navigate the relationship out of the record low and move on steadfastly.”

During his five-day trip to Hong Kong last August, former President and Special Envoy to

House divided over Leila’s fate Minority demands filing of criminal raps

By Christine F. Herrera and Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE House committee on justice on Monday remained divided over whether there was enough evidence to recommend charges be filed against Senator Leila de Lima for her alleged role in the proliferation of illegal drugs in the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary.

The disagreement among members of the panel, chaired by Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali, meant they were unable to approve the committee report on their findings after four congressional hearings.

During the day-long executive session, the committee failed to agree on De Lima’s culpability, prompting Umali to suspend the closed-door meeting. Members belonging to the House minority bloc vowed to urge the plenary to overturn the panel’s position if they did not recommend filing criminal charges against De Lima.

Umali said the executive session would

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Gordon panel turns the tables on hitman

By Macon R. Araneta THERE is no proof that President Rodrigo Duterte was involved in the Davao Death Squad as claimed by Edgar Matobato who will be charged with perjury and murder, said Senator Richard Gordon.

Asked if Duterte would be safe when the Senate committee on justice and human rights, which he chairs, and the committee on public order that Senator Panfilo Lacson heads, come out with their report, Gordon replied: “For the moment. That’s my report.

There’s no proof.”

Gordon also said the joint committees failed to establish the existence of the so-called DDS,

contrary to the testimony of Matobato. He said they will come out with the report within the week.

Matobato told the Senate panel that he was an original member and assassin of the DDS, which he said, started with only seven members, originally called the “Lambada Boys.”

He also testified that it was Duterte, then Davao City mayor, who gave them the order to kill suspected criminals and political opponents and personal enemies.

Matobato is out on bail over an illegal possession of firearms case filed against him before a Davao City court in 2014.

Gordon said the joint panel might recommend the filing of Next page

Senator Leila de Lima

Espinosa eyed as witness vs De Lima

By Francisco Tuyay and Rey E. Requejo ONE of the country’s most wanted drug traffickers, Rolando “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr., was arrested in Abu Dhabi Sunday night, leading the Justice Department to suggest that he might be used as a witness in the illegal drug cases against former Justice secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima.

Kerwn Espinosa, tagged as the

TRAFFIC SCHEME. The Metro Manila Development Authority starts Monday to strictly implement the ‘no window hours’ for the number coding scheme, which applies to major thoroughfares like Edsa, C-5, Roxas Blvd., and Alabang-Zapote Road. Under this policy, vehicles are prohibited from traveling across said areas from 7 a.m.

To 7 p.m. on a specific day of the week depending on the last digit of the license plate. Lino Santos twitter.com/ MlaStandard

continue Tuesday so the committee members could vote on the report and send it on to the plenary for approval.

“We dissented. We reject the panel’s position. We believe there is enough evidence to warrant the recommendation of the filing of criminal charges against De Lima and her cohorts,” said House Deputy Minority Leader Danilo Suarez. “We will bring it to the plenary that the House of Representatives recommend the filing of criminal charges against De Lima and those responsible behind the proliferation of illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.” Next page

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top drug lord in Eastern Visayas, was arrested by Abu Dhabi authorities following a tip from overseas Filipino workers at about 10 p.m., Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa said after receiving reports of the arrest.

Dela Rosa said Kerwin, son of Albuera Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, is under the custody of the Abu Dhabi police and will be repatriated to the country once an investigation has been

completed.

Espinosa, along with his father Rolando Sr., was tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte in a matrix of drug trade figures.

PNP Anti-illegal Drugs Group (AIDG) director Sr. Supt Albert Ignatuis Ferro in bringing Espinosa back to Manila, possibly today, on the first available flight, once the paperwork has been cleared with the Abu Dhabi police, Dela Rosa Next page Rolando ‘Kerwin’ Espinosa Jr. said.

Auto ban extended by an hour

Pay hike matters more than other issues—poll

THE government is extending the ban on private vehicles on Edsa by one hour―from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.―to further ease traffic in that artery following the slight improvement in the flow of vehicles there.

That improvement came after the government suspended the so-called window hours in which private vehicles―depending on the last digit in their plate numbers―may still traverse Edsa at certain hours even if these are banned there on a particular day.

Those hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Next page and 7 p.m. onwards.

thestandard.com.ph

INCREASING workers’ pay is the main concern of the Filipinos polled on national issues, according to the results of the latest survey by Pulse Asia Research released on Monday.

Forty-six percent of the survey respondents were most concerned

about the need to increase workers’ pay, the survey said, adding the levels of public concern remained generally unchanged between July and September 2016.

“Nearly half of Filipinos [46 percent] cite increasing workers’ Next page

Super typhoon brewing THE Philippines is preparing for a much stronger typhoon that will be named “Lawin” after “Karen” left the country on Sunday, an official said Monday.

“We’ll be conducting a predisaster risk-assessment meet-

ing, and we are anticipating that Typhoon ‘Lawin’ will be much stronger than ‘Karen’ because it started way outside the Philippine area of responsibility,” Executive Director Ricardo Jalad of the Next page

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Espinosa...

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The younger Espinosa went into hiding for three months even before a warrant of arrest had been issued against him, and reportedly fled to Malaysia.

Dela Rosa said Espinosa was working with a travel agency to extend his stay in Abu Dhabi.

Upon learning that Espinosa was in Abu Dhabi, Dela Rosa said they issued a “red notice” to the Abu Dhabi authorities for his arrest.

“The Abu Dhabu police did not act until the red notice has been issued by the Interpol. Upon receipt of the notice, the team of Ferro immediately secured the supposed hiding place of Kerwin leading to his arrest,” Dela Rosa said.

Ambassador to UAE Constancio Vingno said Espinosa has been in Abu Dhabi since September on a visitor’s visa.

Vingno told the Gulf News that the authorities were also investigating who helped Espinosa get an apartment without a residence visa, and whether he conducted his drug business in Abu Dhabi.

“Should that be the case, that’s another thing. There are consequences to that,” he said.

Following news of Espinosa’s arrest, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the suspected drug lord could be used as a witness in the case against De Lima.

Aguirre said Espinosa may consider spilling the beans on his alleged links to De Lima, who is facing preliminary investigation before the Justice Department for allegedly conspiring with other former officials to collect drug money from high-profile inmates in the New Bilibid Prison.

“If he passes the assessment of the WPP [witness protection program], then we will offer immunity to Kerwin,” Aguirre said.

He cited a photo showing De Lima and Espinosa as possible proof of their close relationship.

Aguirre said Espinosa and De Lima were both named respondents in the drug charges filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas last week by Albuera, Leyte chief of police Chief Insp. Juvie Espinido.

With Sandy Araneta

Pay...

From A1

pay as the national issue which should be immediately addressed by the Duterte administration,” Pulse Asia said.

The polling agency said the other urgent concerns of those polled were creating more jobs (38 percent), controlling inflation (37 percent), fighting corruption in the government (32 percent), reducing poverty (32 percent) and fighting criminality (31 percent).

The third most often mentioned urgent national concerns were promoting peace in the country (20 percent) and enforcing the rule of law (14 percent).

Reducing the amount of taxes paid by citizens (12 percent), protecting the environment (10 percent), controlling rapid population growth (9 percent), and protecting the welfare of Filipino workers abroad (8 percent) made up the fourth cluster of urgent national concerns cited by those polled.

By contrast, those polled were least concerned about terrorism (5 percent), national territorial integrity (5 percent) and Charter change (2 percent), Pulse Asia said.

The leading first-mentioned urgent national concerns were workers’ pay (19 percent), criminality (14 percent) and inflation (13 percent).

In the case of second-mentioned concerns, the top responses were workers’ pay (16 percent), inflation (13 percent), job creation (12 percent), poverty (12 percent) and corruption (11 percent).

Heading the list in the third-mentioned issues were job creation (14 percent), workers’ pay (11 percent), corruption (11 percent), inflation (10 percent), poverty (9 percent) and criminality (9 percent).

Across geographic areas and socio-economic groupings, the only majority urgent national concern was workers’ pay, which was cited by 53 percent of those belonging to the poorest E Class.

In the rest of Luzon and Class D, the most often cited urgent national concerns were workers’ pay (45 percent to 49 percent) and job creation (38 percent). Sandy Araneta

Du30...

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China Fidel V. Ramos met with Wu, an old-time friend who stressed that making the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea open to fisherman from both Beijing and Manila could help reduce the growing tensions between the two nations brought about by their maritime territorial dispute.

However, before these joint explorations are materialized, Wu emphasized that the Philippines should first acknowledge Beijing’s dominion over

News

PH open to Sino-Russia games P RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said he is open to joint military exercises with China and Russia, and reiterated he will no longer allow war games with the United States.

Duterte made the remarks in an interview broadcast Monday with Hong Kong-based Phoenix Television ahead of a four-day visit to Beijing, which begins on Tuesday and is aimed at improving ties that soured over competing claims in the resource-rich South China Sea. Asked if he would consider joint military exercises with China or Russia, Duterte said: “Yes,

I will. I have given enough time for the Americans to play with the Filipino soldiers.”

Duterte also repeated he would no longer allow joint exercises with the United States, the Philippines’ main defense ally and supplier of military hardware.

“This will be the last. It has been programmed. I do not want my soldiers to be humiliated,” Duterte said, in reference to one

set of war games in the Philippines that ended last week.

Duterte has sought to dramatically reshape his nation’s foreign relations since taking office on June 30, by pivoting towards China and Russia while moving away from the United States.

He has been angered by US criticism of his war on crime, which has claimed more than 3,700 lives, and praised China and Russia for showing him “respect.”

But Duterte, signaling his shift is for pragmatic reasons, has also repeatedly ridiculed the United States for what he sees as its weakening economic and military influence

around the world.

Duterte is bringing an entourage of hundreds of businessmen with him to Beijing, and Philippine media have said deals worth billions of dollars are expected to be announced during the trip.

Asked if he would seek to buy military equipment from China during his visit, Duterte told Phoenix Television: “Yes, but not really in (large) numbers.”

Duterte said he would also need small, fast attack boats from China to fight “terrorism.”

“If China does not help us in this endeavor, we will have a hard time fighting terrorism,” he

said without elaborating.

Bilateral relations worsened under Duterte’s predecessor Benigno Aquino, who tried to challenge China’s expansionism in the South China Sea. To counter China, Aquino allowed a much greater American military presence in the Philippines.

He also filed a legal case at a UN-backed tribunal, which ruled in July that China’s claims to most of the sea had no legal basis. China refused to accept the ruling.

Duterte has said he does not want to use the verdict to pressure China. AFP

ZAMBALES EXCAVATIONS. Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, heaves questions to former Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane and incumbent Gov. Amor Deloso during the resumption Monday of a public hearing on the mining operations and illegal excavations in Zambales. The probe aims to determine the extent of damage caused to the environment and the persons to be held accountable for the alleged exploitative activities. Lino Santos

House...

investigation on its own into allegations of De Lima’s involvement in the drug trade in the NBP. “It is not going to happen,” she said. “Because all [these] are just allegations. There is actually no lead yet that would prompt us to initiate our investigation,” she added.

She said, however, that the Ombudsman in the Visayas has received a complaint filed against De Lima for allegedly receiving drug money from Kerwin Espinosa, a suspected drug lord.

Morales said Espinido’s complaint will be submitted to the Ombudsman central office after a fact-finding investigation is completed by the Ombudsman in the Visayas.

Earlier, Dante Jimenez of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption filed a criminal complaint with the Justice Department against De Lima for violating anti-drug laws.

Morales said she would welcome it if the Justice Department sought the Ombudsman’s help to step into the complaint of the VACC. “If it’s necessary and if they (DOJ) believe there is reason to conduct further investigation or for us to conduct a preliminary investigation, then the case will come to us,” she said.

“When the case comes to us and if we believe the fact-finding investigation is exhaustive enough to merit our preliminary investigation if there is any crime committed, then we will follow through with it,” Morales said.

gress has no capability, we do not have the NBI, we do not have the CIDG, we do not have intelligence people to dig deeper into the involvement of any and all of those who may have violated the laws of the country. So we would rather let our co-equal bodies or co-equal branches of government do their job,” Umali said.

Monday’s meeting was suspended after several lawmakers and members of the committee insisted that the panel recommend charges against De Lima.

Suarez said his group will issue a dissenting opinion, and expressed disappointment at the panel’s unwillingness to recommend criminal charges.

“Why the committee is evading recommendation to pursue criminal prosecution against Senator De Lima? All testimonies are pointing to her and now the committee is quiet on her culpability,” Suarez said.

“The minority bloc will issue a dissenting opinion. We cannot afford a report like this,” Suarez said.

The House justice panel held almost seven-hour executive session to discuss the committee report. It has scheduled voting on the report Tuesday morning.

Umali, a Liberal Party (LP) stalwart, denied that the voting did not push through simply because of pressures exerted by Suarez’s group.

“That is not true [Suarez’s group opposition]. We are just tired and the committee report needs some refinements. That is why we decided to reset the vot-

ing tomorrow (Tuesday) after discussing the report in an executive session,” said Umali.

Umali earlier said his panel would not recommend the filing of criminal charges against De Lima, also an LP member.

“We are not judges and we are not all lawyers in the committee and this is a collective decision of the committee, not just mine decision,” said Umali.

Umali said, “Legislative measures that are expected of us because this is a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation.” “...The matter of prosecution is really an executive function...

And since the case has already been filed, what is there for us to recommend has been filed already,” Umali said.

De Lima said Monday that if the panel does not recommend criminal charges against her, then its real objective in holding hearings was to villify her.

But De Lima also said it was difficult to comment on the case at this point because no committee report has been approved.

“Of course, it’s good,” she said when asked about the possibility that the committee report would not include a recommendation that she be charged.

She said the focus of the House investigation was not the problems of the state penitentiary, but on her.

“But what’s the whole point of the inquiry--only to shame me,” she said.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, meanwhile, said her office is not inclined to conduct an

With Rio N. Araja

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council told reporters.

“It will have sufficient time and distance to intensify, so we will exert our best efforts to make the necessary

preparations. It is expected to directly affect the country by Thursday.”

Jalad made his statement even as another disaster official said “Karen” destroyed more than P2 billion worth of agricultural products in Central Luzon alone.

Jalad said “Lawin” was expected to hit Northern Luzon, and that it would cover a larger area than “Karen.”

It was in October 13 that a low pressure area East of Samar developed into a tropical depression and was named “Karen,” which intensified into a tropical storm that same day and further intensified into a typhoon the following day before making landfall in Baler, Aurora, on Oct. 16.

The Department of Social Welfare

and Development said 8,000 families were evacuated in Region 1, 2, 3 and Calabarzon and Region V before “Karen” made landfall.

Jalad said 5,077 families were still inside evacuation centers as of Monday.

He said three people had been reported dead and five missing but reports were still being validated.

Sandy Araneta and Romeo Dizon

the shoal.

After making a state visit to Brunei, Duterte will proceed to China onboard a chartered Philippine Airlines flight PR001, along with members of his Cabinet on Tuesday.

Duterte will be speaking then to members of the Filipino community in Beijing on Wednesday night, to be followed by formal welcoming ceremonies and bilateral talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang confirmed that Duterte will talk with President Xi Jinping as well as meet with Premier Li Keqiang and China’s top legislator, Zhang Dejiang.

Although neither side released details of the visit or possible outcomes, Geng said the two sides “are maintaining close contact about detailed arrangements for the visit and the outcome documents.”

It is hoped that the visit will put the bilateral ties “back on the track of being healthy and stable,” Geng said, adding that the Philippines is a “traditionally amicable neighbor of China.”

Before he was elected president, Duterte promised to use a jet ski to reclaim the disputed reef seized by China. Since taking office in June, he has extended the hand of friendship.

The tough-talking Duterte will

bring up to 400 business leaders including some of the Philippines’ wealthiest tycoons on a four-day visit to Beijing starting on Tuesday. In doing so, he’ll become the first Philippine leader invited to the capital by Chinese President Xi Jinping for oneon-one talks.

“Duterte’s visit is the strongest signal so far that tensions between China and the Philippines have eased off,” said Li Jinming, professor of international relations at Xiamen University’s Research School of Southeast Asian Studies. “He’s right now distancing the country from the US, but some of that is just rhetoric. We don’t

think he will or can cut the US off.

We’d be curious to know how long these icy ties can last. It might just be a temporary thing.”

Duterte’s visit will provide an opportunity for a reset of relations with the Philippines’ biggest trading partner, which have been strained by territorial disputes in the South China Sea where as many as six claimants are vying for fish, oil and gas.

In a speech Sunday, Duterte said he looked forward to exchanging views with Chinese leaders on how to further improve relations, and pledged not to give up on his nation’s claims in the waters. With Bloomberg

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“I dissent from the proposed justice committee report on the investigation of the proliferation of illegal drugs in the NBP. I believe that the committee should include a recommendation [to file] criminal charges against Senator Leila de Lima,” said House Deputy Minority Leader Harry Roque.

The two opposition lawmakers also said it was clear that laws had been violated.

But Umali said that the panel, upon the advice of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, would not recommend the filing of charges against De Lima because the panel did not conduct a full-blown investigation.

De Lima’s allies in the House, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, said this decision showed that the committee had a weak case against the senator.

On the other hand, Umali argued it was not the panel’s function to determine De Lima’s guilt.

He added that there were other accomplices, other culpable government employees like the jail guards that the panel no longer covered in its probe.

“So, we would rather that [the Justice Department] do a complete preliminary investigation so they can charge everyone, rather than us telling them that you charge this [person] and then forget about the others. So it is doing complete staff work. Con-

Super...

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Auto...

From A1 The extension came following a meeting of the members of the Metro Manila Council with the Inter-agency Council on Traffic in Pasig City on Monday in connection with the full implementation of the Number Coding Scheme.

The MMC, composed of the 17 mayors in Metro Manila, is the policy-making body of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

“The MMC and the mayors are supportive of the No Window Scheme, and officially they are now including both Alabang-Zapote and Roxas Boulevard,” said MMDA officer-in-charge Thomas Orbos.

He also said at least 15 main roads in the National Capital Region will be added to the areas covered by the revised Number Coding Scheme beginning next week.

Those roads include Rizal Avenue, Claro M. Recto Avenue, Taft Avenue, Del Pan Street, President Quirino Avenue, Araneta Avenue, Marcos Highway, MacArthur Highway, Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas Avenue, Quezon Avenue, Commonwealth Avenue, Magsaysay Boulevard, Aurora Boulevard, A. Bonifacio Avenue and South Luzon Expressway.

The areas covered by the NoWindow Hours for the Number Coding Scheme are Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Circumferential Road-5 or C-5 Road, AlabangZapote Road, Roxas Boulevard and some roads in Mandaluyong, Makati and Las Piñas.

The MMDA noticed that the travel speed of vehicles along Edsa had increased after it implemented the No Window Scheme in anticipation of the traffic gridlock during the holiday season. Joel E. Zurbano and Darwin G. Amojelar

Gordon...

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perjury—or even murder—charges against him, after he admitted to killing several people in the past.

Gordon said Matobato’s statements were inconsistent and could not be trusted, since he had been caught telling lies.

Gordon recognized that there might be cases of extrajudicial killings but he doubted these were state-sponsored. He said there were also a number of killings from 2010 to 2016 during the time of former President Benigno Aquino III. Senator Leila de Lima said it was premature to come out with the report because the Commission on Human Rights witnesses have not yet been called to testify.

“Why not hear other CHR witnesses?” asked De Lima, who also described as premature any conclusions that the extrajudicial killings were not state-sponsored.

News

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SC tackles FM burial today

By Rey E. Requejo

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HE Supreme Court is expected to resolve today cases seeking to stop the Duterte administration from allowing the burial of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

Court insider revealed that the petitions against the interment of Marcos remains at the heroes’ cemetery will be tackled by the justices during its en banc session today because the status quo ante order it issued last month stopping the Marcos burial lapses today, Oct. 18.

The SC may issue a ruling af-

ter hearing the sides of petitioners and the government in oral arguments last month.

On the eve of the SC ruling, Marcos’ eldest daughter and Ilocor Norte Gov. Imee Marcos led their supporters and gathered for a prayer vigil outside the SC compound in Padre Faura Street, Manila.

Solons vow review of ad valorem tax on new cars

By Maricel V. Cruz THE chairman of the House committee on ways and means on Monday vowed to review a Department of Finance proposal to impose a 40 percent ad valorem tax, or an additional P480,000, for every vehicle priced at P1.2 million.

At a news conference, Quirino Rep. Dakila Cua, the panel chairman, said his committee is deliberating on the DoF proposal that was included in the tax reform package intended to address traffic congestion.

Cua also advised the potential car buyers to already purchase new cars before Congress is able to pass the measure.

“That is a part of our reaction to traffic crisis. If Congress will pass it, better to purchase a vehicle before Congress passes [a law on it],” Cua told reporters after Deputy Speaker and Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. asked him about the matter.

Cua said the House would have to study the viability of the said proposal of the DoF. House Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu backed the proposal to reduce the number of vehicles causing traffic gridlock in major cities in the country as he urged the government to come up with a creative solution to the problem.

“We support the proposal if it will address the traffic problem,” Abu, author of House Bill 1991 seeking to regulate the sale of motor vehicles by requiring proof of parking space or facility in a bid to case traffic in some key cities.

Abu’s “Proof of Parking Space Act” is only applicable in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao and other highly urbanized cities.

The bill of Abu provides that a buyer of motor vehicle must first present a proof of parking space before he or she be allowed to purchase a motor vehicle and register with the Land Transportation Office.

For his part, Andaya also backed the proposal, but stressed the ad valorem tax should not be high.

“I am supportive of the measure, but the amount of tax to be imposed under the proposal is too much. There should be an adjustment,” Andaya said.

Poll delay bill ready for signing MALACAÑANG said on Monday that a bill postponing the barangay election is now awaiting the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte. ”It is already set for postponement, for signature,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a media briefing Monday.

Abella said he will look into speculations that the about 5,000 barangay captains who are on the drug list of President Duterte is delaying the signing of the postponement bill. ”It’s may be procedural that’s delaying the whole thing but definitely, it’s on the pipeline for being postponed,” Abella said.

Barangay election is scheduled for October 31 but the Senate and the House of Representatives passed respective bills—SB No. 1112 and HB No. 3504, respectively, seeking to reset the polls to the fourth Monday of October 2017.

Earlier, President Duterte pushed for the postponement of the barangay election for fear that narco-politicians may use drug money to manipulate the poll results.

On the reports that a case will be filed against government for postponing election, Abella said: “We’ll look to that.”

He said the P6 billion allotted for this year’s barangay election will be put on hold “until such time it’s used.” PNA

The said event concluded the “Kailian March” of Marcos loyalists who supposedly walked their way to Manila from Ilocos Norte last Friday. They passed through Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Bulacan and gathered supporters along the way.

The governor appealed for national unity by allowing his father to be buried at the Libingan.

“I think there’s nothing wrong in expressing our firm stand that Apo Marcos should now be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani along with soldiers, late former president and all those awarded with medals,” Imee Marcos told reporters.

The Ilocos Norte governor ap-

pealed to Filipinos to just support the decision of Duterte.

“To all those opposing [Marcos burial], let’s give this one to the President and to us Ilocanos as one way to forge national unity...

We can expect that all wounds will heal once my father is buried in the Libingan,” she said.

The high tribunal initially issued the SQA last Aug.23, effective for 20 days or until Sept. 12.

However, at the conclusion of oral arguments last Sept.7, the SC extended the order directed at Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya until Oct.18 to allow the resolution of the case on merits.

The six earlier petitions were

filed by groups of Martial Law victims led by former Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and former Commission on Human Rights chairman Etta Rosales; a group led by former senator Heherson Alvarez; a group of University of the Philippines students; and former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao human rights chairman Algamar Latiph.

The petitioners asserted that the planned burial of the late dictator is “illegal and contrary to law, public policy, morals and justice.”

They alleged that allowing the burial of the former leader would violate Republic Act No. 289 and R.A. 10368, or the Human Rights

Victims Reparation and Recognition Act. They also argued that the burial would also violate constitutional provision on state policies.

The government through Solicitor General Jose Calida argued that the interment would not necessarily rewrite the nation’s history and make Marcos a hero as he asked the SC to dismiss the petitions.

Calida pointed out that Marcos, being a former president and duly recognized soldier and war veteran, should be entitled to interment at the Libingan.

He said the Libingan is not exclusive for heroes as the national pantheon under Republic Act No. 289 was never really built.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

A much-awaited decision

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HE Supreme Court will decide today whether or not former President Ferdinand Marcos can be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

Six petitions tried to stop President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier pronouncements that he would allow the interment of the late strongman, whose remains now lie in a mausoleum in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

The petitioners argued that the burial of Marcos at the Libingan would be illegal and contrary to law, public policy, morals and justice.

The government, however, argued that as former president

and duly recognized soldier and war veteran, Marcos is entitled to such a burial.

Interment would not necessarily rewrite history and turn him into a hero.

An extended status quo ante order, which the High Court issued to buy itself time to resolve the case on its merits, expires today.

The issue has festered for many years.

Interment at the Libingan—translated as a Cemetery for Heroes—has become an emotional issue for Filipinos given the memory of martial law. Vociferous objection to the idea of Marcos’ burial there has been all over social media for the last few years.

Meanwhile, President Duterte, during his campaign, said he would allow the

burial to finally put the issue at rest. He won by a decisive plurality anyway. His friend, Marcos’ son, placed second in the still-contested vice presidential race.

Everybody has said his piece on the matter and no further arguments have surfaced. It’s the Supreme Court’s turn to speak, as it is expected today. However it decides, we trust that

the magistrates have weighed all the implications of their decision. They are not described as “erudite” for no reason.

The court is also described as the “court of last resort.”

There is already much discord in this country, and on many fronts. The Marcos issue must be laid to rest. Let us hear the ruling and proceed from there.

Stopping the disappearance of memory

Making peace IF YOU still believe that President Rodrigo Duterte is antiAmerican, you’ve probably never heard of Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez. Or if you do know Babe, then you didn’t know that last week, Romualdez, a columnist in another paper and a longtime ally of the Americans in the Philippines, was offered

by Duterte the ambassadorship to Washington.

Sources in Malacañang have confirmed to me that Duterte met with Romualdez for an hour last Thursday, during which the offer was made. Apparently, Duterte has decided that he wants to send a clear signal that he is not against the Americans, despite the intensifying campaign to drive a wedge between the Philippine president and Wash-

ington in international media and among local anti-Digong politicians.

Romualdez has always been close to the diplomats in the US Embassy in Manila and is particularly tight with the current ambassador, Philip Goldberg.

Tonight, in fact, Romualdez and the Manila Overseas Press Club, of which Babe is an influential member, are hosting a testimonial dinner for the American envoy.

I’ve been told that Romualdez did not say yes to Duterte’s offer but has instead offered to help mend fences with the Americans in an unofficial capacity. Babe, as far as I know, has never worked in government, even if his brother, the late and very much admired Dr. Alberto “Quasi” Romualdez, once served as Joseph Estrada’s health secretary.

But what about Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., the diplomatic Mr. Fix-It of various ad-

ministrations, whose last great accomplishment was running the Apec summit in Manila last year and who was reported to have been given the Washington post by Duterte? Apparently, the president wants to keep Jun

Duterte has decided that he wants to send a clear signal that he is not against the Americans.

Paynor at the home office, to keep doing the job he knows best (that of running international events in Manila); while Digong knows Paynor will do a good

job in Washington, he needs Romualdez more for that post right now.

If Babe goes to Washington, it will be another of those inspired appointments that Duterte is known for, for the most part. I know Ambassador Goldberg, who has had famous runins with Digong, will certainly heave a sigh of relief. *** It’s also silly to insist that Duterte intends to barter away the national patrimony for Chinese aid. After all, what Duterte has been saying all this time is that the arbitral ruling that the Philippines won this year from the court in The Hague is not ever going to be set aside, regardless of how much he wants to befriend our big new superpower neighbor to the northwest.

“I will not bargain anywhere [because] we will continue to insist [on what] is ours,” Duterte told a news conference in Davao City, before he left for Brunei

over the weekend. “I cannot give what is not mine and [that] which I am not empowered to do by any stretch of imagination.”

As far as China is concerned, what Duterte does want is more trade and assistance, especially because he thinks the Chinese will be more amenable to give now that we have a favorable ruling. And what he doesn’t want is to engage in a shooting war with China over the disputed territories because, according to the president, this is a fight that we simply cannot win.

Duterte understands that it will take many years before the dispute with China is resolved, just like similar conflicts with the Chinese took much time (and sometimes very bloody wars) to resolve. This was the lesson that Duterte must have learned in the border disputes that the Chinese had in the past with both the Russians and the Vietnamese.

Ultimately, Russia and VietTurn to A5

LAST Saturday, I watched the play Desaparesidos, Entablado’s rendition of Lualhati Bautista’s novel, adapted and directed by Guelan Luarca-Valera. I must say that the Ateneo de Manila theater group delivered to its audience a very powerful piece of writing and drama. Entablado lived up to its full name —ENterteynment para sa Tao, Bayan, LAnsangan, at DiyOs. The material of Desaparesidos is of course fertile for great theater. Bautista is the most eminent literary chronicler of the martial law years and the national democratic struggle.

But while sympathetic to the revolution and to its protagonists, Lualhati has always been honest—brutally honest, in fact —that it is always painful to see the agony of her characters faced with multiple personal and political dilemmas.

Luarca-Valera’s adaptation gives life to Bautista’s vision and characters. One is transported to the mountains where the NPA gather to surround the cities, to the torture chambers where rape and torture are frequent occurrences (it still happens so the tense must be in the present), to the houses of the revolutionaries and ex-revolutionaries who must contend with the past while living the present.

Desaparesidos characters, the main ones Anna and Roy intensely performed by Delphine Buencamino and Brian Sy, are multidimensional and, through them, the revolution is shown in all its complexity. The struggle comes with a price and one must ask whether it is worth the sacrifice, especially because not much has changed in all these decades. The play reveals the hard choices before revolutionaries; not all are ennobling; some in fact are downright tragic, even evil.

I cried watching the play, remembering the desaparesidos I personally knew—not just those who literally disappeared never to surface again but also those who lost much, their idealism and innocence included, in the struggle. I agree that, regardless of how one answers the question of whether the struggle was worth it, we must honor all those who fought and those who still fight. They must not be allowed to become mere shadows; in their lives, in their sacrifice, there is hope and light Turn to A5

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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

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Opinion

We need a true opposition PRESIDENT Duterte enjoys leader. Democracy can only high trust and satisfaction survive when there’s asset and ratings from both the Social dissent. Without dissent, there Weather Stations and Pulse can only be tyranny. *** Asia. But I ask myself: Do the President Duterte has formed people from all walks of life agree with the killing of over a multi-government task force 3,000 Filipinos allegedly in- to rush the construction of drug rehabilitation centers nationvolved in the drug trade?

It would seem so, Santa Ba- wide. This is to accommodate the thousands of drug dependnana!

Even at the 365 Club now ents who have surrendered.

The first of these rehab centbased at the Holiday Inn Suites in Makati, many of my coffee ers, at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva shop buddies are telling me that Ecija, is almost finished with the President has done very well the help of the private sector.

In fact, local and foreign doduring his first 100 days, especially in his war against illegal nors have pledged to help in drugs. Even the waiter at my the building of these centers. favorite restaurant shares this The cost is enormous. Each facility would cost no less than opinion!

Have Filipinos become so de- P10 million if we count all the sensitized to violence that they doctors and nurses, psychianow agree with all the killings? trists and psychologists that Or have we lost our sense of would be hired.

But the President must realmorality as Christians?

Yes, there are quite a few ize that building rehab centers Filipinos who present them- alone won’t solve the problem of selves as critics of Mr. Duterte drug addiction. I have been vice like Senators Leila de Lima and president at former priest Bob Antonio Trillanes. But they are Garon’s DARE Foundation, and I know the cost of just one drug now damaged goods.

There’s also a small group addict before he can “graduate” of congressmen passing them- from the center. It would cost no selves off as the minority, but less than P100,000 during the their credibility is also ques- first year – and who knows what will come after? While we had tionable.

In social media, whenever donors and subsidy from San somebody dares criticize the Miguel and other big businesses war on drugs, Mr. Duterte’s and from the Dangerous Drugs trolls immediately scramble to Board, we had to refuse more addicts because of the high cost defend the President.

The usual militants and activ- of rehabilitation.

Drug rehabilitation isn’t simists have been silenced because the President has extended his ply just isolating the addict, or hand to the communists and making them read the Bible, or getting them Muslim insurto undergo gents in the counseling, or name of peace. do gardening It seems that or handicrafts. the only ones Democracy The cost of alarmed about a psycholothe killings cannot thrive gist/psychiaare from out- without dissent. trists, other side the coundoctors and tr y—Presinurses is dent Barack enormous Obama, outgoing United Nations Secretary because addicts can become General Ban Ki-moon, Amnes- drug dependents for so many ty International, Human Rights reasons. That “shell” that covWatch and the European Un- ers them must be broken to ion. But Mr. Duterte has either find out why they became adcursed at them or called them dicted to illegal drugs in the first place. fools. *** Even the International CrimiMs. Liza G. Vengco, corponal Court has warned the President that “any person in the rate head of the Rizal CommerPhilippines who engaged in cial Banking Corp., wrote me to mass violence... within the ju- clarify what I wrote in an earlier risdiction of the ICC is poten- column. I said that when some tially liable to prosecution by Chinese businessmen applied for a loan amounting to several milthe Court.”

Considering the limited ju- lions of pesos, the bank would risdiction of the ICC—its man- readily grant them the loan even date is only against genocide, without collateral. This also hapcrimes against humanity and pens in other Chinese banks, war crimes—I doubt that it has not only with RCBC, which is a jurisdiction over what President normal thing to do. Banks know and trust the Chinese borrower.

Duterte has been doing.

All these boil down to two I had written that’s why Chinese basic things happening here: businessmen succeed—they have First is the lack of a credible earned the trust of the banking opposition. Even at the Senate, community.

Thus, I wrote that my late lawmakers seem to have allied themselves with the President or good friend lawyer Leonardo are simply afraid that he would Siguion-Reyna told me that go after them. Santa Banana, when he was a member of the even the “Yellows” in the Sen- RCBC executive committee, he felt uneasy. ate have been cowed!

The RCBC corporate head The second thing is that tragically, we have lost our sense of wrote me that “the decision to values. People laugh and even lend on a clean basis is a comapplaud when Mr. Duterte ut- mercial decision that all banks ters expletives. Have we be- regularly make for clients depending on commercial reacome so depraved?

Former President Fidel V. Ra- sons,” adding that “we can mos, who still considers him- only assume that Atty. Siguionself a member of “Team Phil- Reyna may have felt uneasy ippines” of President Duterte to lend without collateral for —after all, he encouraged the purely business or commercial former Davao City mayor to run reasons, but certainly not for a for President—has not minced violations of banking laws.”

I agree, and say “mea culpa.” words. He says that our ship, slow-moving and with many I didn’t know that banks also gave clean loans depending on leaks, is sinking.

If FVR were younger (he’s the borrower’s purpose. But I now 88 years old, nearing 89), assume it depends on who is he’d make the best opposition borrowing.

Making...

From A4 nam resolved their territorial problems with China by negotiations, after first going to war with the Chinese over them. But it took a lot of time and a lot of talking before those borders were fixed for good.

Of course, Duterte’s problem is that some hawkish Filipinos want their government to “enforce” the favorable ruling, especially because they sincerely believe that the US has got our back. But the basis for this belief is tenuous, at best, simply because Washington and Manila have always viewed the dispute

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

New MMDA ‘no-window hour’ policy on Edsa, C-5 is illegal (Conclusion) THOMAS Orbos, the new general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, eliminated the “window hours” of the number-coding prohibition—the five-hour period from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. when the vehicle ban does not apply—over Edsa and C-5.

The Orbos decree means that private vehicles are banned from these roads the whole day, once a week, depending on the last digit of the license plates of the vehicle concerned, even outside the morning and evening rush hours. His decree also covers Roxas Boulevard and the Alabang-Zapote Road.

Orbos claims that this extreme measure is necessary to decongest both highways.

The insufficient, dangerous, and inefficient public transportation system in Metropolitan Manila, a result of the six-year incompetence of the previous administration, has made private vehicle ownership in the metropolis a necessity rather than a luxury. This is particularly true for the disabled and senior citizens who cannot compete with other commuters seeking a ride to work, to school, or to go home.

Many private vehicle owners would rather use the public transportation system if it were efficient and safe, because private vehicle ownership is a more expensive option. Sadly, they have to resort to private vehicles just to get to work or to school on time, and in one piece.

Orbos, however, has chosen to expel taxpayers from the

principal roadways of the metropolis one whole day a week, and to compel them to use the deplorable public transportation system —something Orbos has probably never experienced because, like other high-ranking government officials, he has several taxpayer-funded vehicles, all exempted from the number-coding regulation, at his disposal.

No MMDA traffic enforcer will stop vehicles bearing government plates, or low-numbered plates like the “8” used by congressmen, or the “10” and “16” used by officials of the judiciary and quasi-judicial agencies. Why is it that these government officials, who are supposed to be servants of the people, have special privileges which ordinary citizens do not enjoy?

Many vehicles roaming the streets of Metropolitan Manila even resort to “special plates” bearing intimidating labels like “Philippine National Police-PNP,” “National Bureau of Investigation,” and similar signages invoking privileged treatment. No MMDA traffic personnel will accost these vehicles for fear of being reprimanded.

A large percentage of operators of commuter vehicles rent “special plates” from PNP officials for use on the days their commuter vehicles are banned on the roadways. What a racket!

Instead of addressing these glaring anomalies involving special license plates, Orbos has opted to punish the ordinary citizen by eliminating the “window hours.” Indeed, Orbos is proving to be more incompetent than Francis Tolentino and Emerson Carlos, his predecessors in the MMDA. In the end, the Orbos decree will keep vehicles off the major

roadways, not because of the last digit of their license plates, but because many motorists who own only one vehicle do not have enough power, privilege, and political patronage to circumvent his decree.

Orbos may argue that his decree applies only to selected highways, and that there are other roads which motorists may use in lieu of Edsa and C-5. That flimsy argument ignores the fact that Edsa and C-5 are the only major roadways available to motorists from the south, especially by those from Las Piñas and Parañaque, who are headed for Quezon City.

Traversing through Makati is not an option because the political dynasty running Binayland does not allow a “window period” over its city roads.

The Orbos decree is antimiddle class because wealthy families can afford to acquire more than one vehicle in order to circumvent the one-day ban— if one vehicle of the family is banned on a particular day, then another vehicle of the family, one with a different last digit on its license plates, can be used on that day. The middle class do not have that privilege.

Banning the vehicles of onecar families once a week, as the Orbos decree wishes to accomplish, may keep those cars off the major roads, but their absence from those roads only provides more room for the other vehicles owned by families which own more than one vehicle.

A “road-users tax” is imposed on every vehicle registered with the Land Transportation Office. With the Orbos decree in force, the “road-users tax” remains in force, but the taxpayer concerned is not allowed to use the roads. That’s a tax imposed on one whose

right was restrained in the first place. Where is the fairness in that?

A right may be curtailed by the State when the curtailment is necessary to protect public health, public safety, or public welfare. That authority is called the police power of the State. According to the Supreme Court, the MMDA is devoid of police power. It has no legislative power, either. What then is the legal basis for the Orbos decree?

Local government ordinances purportedly authorizing the Orbos decree are not enough to validate the repressive measure. Edsa and C-5 are national roads. The adjective “national” obviously means that only Congress, through a legislative act, can impose limitations on the use of national roads.

The Orbos decree compels citizens to use the public transportation system once a week.

Since the public transportation system is insufficient, unsafe, and inefficient, compelling citizens to use the public transportation system is tantamount to impairing their constitutional right to travel.

To all intents and purposes, therefore, the Orbos decree is devoid of legal justification.

It is a patently arbitrary and whimsical act of a new MMDA general manager whose idea of managing vehicular traffic in Metropolitan Manila is to restrict the rights of taxpayers who pay for his salary and his office budget, and in whom sovereignty resides.

Public interest crusaders should consider taking legal action against Orbos and his oppressive decree in the courts, and in the Office of the Ombudsman. Cases in court ought to shake him back to his senses.

MAIL MATTERS

Banks can lend on clean basis WE WRITE with respect to Atty. Emil Jurado’s To The Point column entitled Drug Menace Cannot Be Eradicated which came out in Manila Standard.

In the article, you wrote that Atty. Leonardo Siguion-Reyna got nervous when, as a member of RCBC Executive Committee, he observed that the bank would lend millions of pesos to “some Chinese... without col-

Stopping...

From A4

lateral because that was a violation of banking laws.”

We take strong exception to your statement that RCBC was violating banking laws. Banking laws and regulations, then and now, allow banks to lend to third parties on a clean basis without collateral. The decision to lend on a clean basis is a commercial decision that all banks regularly make for cli-

ents, depending on many commercial reasons.

We can only surmise that Atty. Siguion-Reyna may have felt uneasy to lend without collateral for purely business or commercial reasons, but certainly not for a violation of banking laws.

LIZA G. VENGCO Corporate Affairs Head RCBC

for this nation.

Watching Desaparesidos coincided with a time in my teaching when I ask my political science, constitutional law, and legal philosophy students to do an exercise in remembering. I do this whatever week September 21, the martial law anniversary, falls so that this date will be engraved in my students’ minds and hearts. This year, I asked my students from Xavier University, Ateneo Law School and Ateneo de Manila Loyola Schools, PUP College of Law, and the UP College of Law (my students from DLSU College of Law will do this later in November) to choose a martial law hero/heroine or martyr that interests them or they identify with from the roster of the Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

I then ask them to share the story of that martyr or hero/ heroine. Most did so without drama, just straightforward story-telling; others were more vivid in their portrayals—

sharing poems, singing songs, acting out being tortured and killed, and exhorting the next generation.

I could not help but be overwhelmed by emotions as I sat through these stories—over 200 of them. There were a few martyrs and heroes/heroines whose stories were retold in every class, sometimes twice in the same class. Liliosa Hilao, Larry Ilagan, Edgar Jopson, Lorena Barros, Eman Lacaba, Lean Alejandro, Evella Bontia, Amada Enriquez Alvarez, Nimfa del Rosario, Socorro Parr, Rosalinda Galang Reyes, and Lino Brocka were some of those my students chose frequently.

In my case, as I told my students, my initial choices were Jopson, Lacaba, Romulo Kintanar (he is not yet in the Bantayog roster but I hope someday he will be listed, too), Hashim Salamat and Macling Dalag. All these men shared a common description—literally, they were warriors for their causes and peoples (in the case of the last two); all except Salamat died violently, with

Kintanar killed unjustly by his own comrades.

I admire these martial law martyrs for their courage, commitment, and leadership.

But in the end, I tell my students, because of who I am, it’s the lawyers I choose to be my heroes—Haydee Yorac, William Chua, Larry Ilagan, and Pepe Diokno. I told my PUP students, knowing that some of them have activist backgrounds, that their choice to go to law school is a choice of a battlefield. From now on, their kingdom is that of the word.

Yes, there are many unjust laws but they must now learn to battle that with the law, knowing that the legal struggle always falls short but it is necessary for victory. That’s why they have to study, master the provisions and jurisprudence, do well in the bar, and learn how to argue both sides.

To be warriors of truth, justice and human rights—that’s what all of us lawyers are called to be. And our arms are not swords or guns but ideas and words—of law, jurisprudence, philosophy, insight, and

argument.

Today—October 18, 2016— the Supreme Court of the Philippines is expected to rule on whether or not the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whose regime resulted in a generation of desaparesidos in this country, will be buried in the cemetery of our national heroes .

As I write this, I do not know what the decision will be. And certainly, as a lawyer, I will respect it. But for sure, whatever it will be, it will not lead to the disappearance of memory. It must not lead to that.

In the play Desaparesidos, hope is represented by the next generation, the children of revolutionaries—Lorena (performed so well by my international relations and diplomacy relations student Joy Delos Santos), Malaya and Emman.

As the play ends, they commit to always honor their parents and stop the disappearance of memory. Lets do that today and onwards however the gods of Padre Faura decide.

from different angles.

The Philippines has always considered the dispute an issue of territorial integrity which it feels that American military muscle must resolve in our favor. The US, on the other hand, is only in the South China Sea to ensure that the sea lanes stay open for unimpeded commerce.

Also, the US has its own bilateral ties with China to consider and will never go to war with the Chinese simply because the Philippines thinks so. Despite the long-running saber-rattling between the two countries over our shared waters, war doesn’t seem to be imminent between the superpowers.

I believe Duterte simply wants us to use the ruling on the South China Sea to our advantage, but not to use it as an excuse to go into a war we won’t win. And selling out to the Chinese is the job of Senator Antonio Trillanes, after all, not that of the new president.

Yes, all this talk of selling the country down the Yangtze River

reminds me of the allegations made against Trillanes by former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile in 2012. Maybe one day soon, Enrile’s allegations against Trillanes, who walked out of the Senate in the middle of the senior senator’s philippic against him, will be substantiated—and karma will catch up with him, too.

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A6

News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Companies hike fuel prices anew

By Alena Mae S. Flores DOMESTIC pump prices went up by as much as P0.60 per liter due to increased demand from the United States and China and the decision of both members and non-members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The oil firms raised diesel prices

by P0.60 per liter, gasoline by P0.45 per liter and kerosene by P0.55 per liter effective 6 a.m. Oct. 18.

This is the sixth consecutive increase for gasoline and the fifth for diesel.

The oil companies that issued the price advisories included Seaoil Philippines, Flying V, PTT Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum, Unioil Philippines, and Flying V. Other oil companies are expected to follow suit.

“Phoenix Petroleum will increase the prices of gasoline by P0.45 per liter and diesel by P0.60 per liter effective 6 a.m. Oct. 18, 2016,” the company said in its advisory.

Last Oct. 11, the oil firms implemented a hefty price increase for diesel and kerosene of P1.55 per liter and P0.85 per liter for gasoline due to the increasing global demand.

The oil firms have been moving

forward to make available cleaner fuels to the market.

Petron Corp. last week marked another breakthrough in fuels technology with the introduction of the Blaze 100 Euro 5—the first Euro 5 standard fuel in the country.

Petron launched its Euro 5 compliant fuel after successfully launching a full range of locally-produced Euro 4 fuels almost a year ago. Rival Unioil is also preparing to launch its Euro 5 fuels.

“Petron is proud to introduce another revolutionary fuel specially formulated for Philippine driving conditions,” Petron president and chief executive Ramon Ang said in a statement.

Ang said with the highest octane rating but the lowest sulfur content, Petron Blaze 100 Euro 5 is the best gasoline in the market by far in terms of power, efficiency, and reduced emissions.

“We will continue to innovate and lead in fuels technology so we can put more savings in our customers’ pockets while improving air quality across the nation,” Ang said.

Petron’s Blaze 100 Euro 5 contains significantly less sulfur, 10 ppm (parts per million) compared to other Euro 4 fuels (50 ppm).

MARCOS FOREVER.

Two Marcos loyalists flash the victory sign at the start of the vigil at the Supreme Court for ruling on the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio.

Lino Santos

EO dissolving new Negros region ready

By Sandy Araneta

T

HE newly formed Negros Island Region will soon be dissolved, Malacañang said Monday.

The Executive Order dissolving it is ready for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature at a date still to be announced, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella told a news briefing.

NIR’s creation was endorsed by then Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, who ran for president in the May 2016 elections.

But Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the supposed

P19-billion cost of creating the new region was “not affordable,” given the Duterte administration’s other priorities.

Speaking to reporters in Malacañang last week, Diokno said the Executive Order might be signed “anytime soon,” adding the decision to dissolve the region was made in the last Cabinet meeting on Oct. 3.

Duterte has listened to local

government officials from Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, the two provinces that comprise the region.

But Diokno said Duterte was more convinced by the argument that the new region would be too costly.

“Well, you don’t want to spend P19 billion for such two-province region. In any event, with the federalism, that region will not be created, so it seems useless,” said Diokno.

If the EO is signed, the “status quo” remains, with services provided to Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental by the regions they previously be-

longed to, said Diokno.

Funds meant for the creation of the NIR are not in the proposed 2017 national budget.

Diokno also sought to address concerns that dissolving the region would stunt the development of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, stressing “new technology” would enable the speedy provision of government services to these provinces.

The EO, if signed, will repeal the EO signed by then President Benigno Aquino III on May 29, 2015. It separated Negros Occidental from Western Visayas or Region VI, and Negros Oriental from Central Visayas or Region VII.

Diokno earlier told Duterte the creation of the region would be heavy on the wallet, saying “When we came in, I was confronted with a P19-billion request by various agencies for that new region. I said, that’s not affordable, we have other priorities,” said Diokno.

“The EO on the NIR is not in the budget anymore. It will be repealed.

It’s pending at the Office of the President. Anyway, it will be signed anytime soon,” Diokno said.

Diokno said there was no allocation for the NIR in the 2016 General Appropriations Act or in the 2017 proposed national budget.

Hasten voice call rate cut, NTC told

By Maricel V. Cruz

LONG ARM OF BATO. PNP chief Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa presents to the media former policeman Alexander Pangilinan who was caught over the weekend after fleeing the country and hiding out as resort manager in Thailand. Manny Palmero

DoH backs tax hike on tobacco products THE Department of Health is pushing the proposal of the Department of Finance to increase the taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products by 2018.

DoH Secretary Dr. Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial said the DoF’s plan will further make cigarette products more inaccessible to the public, especially among young people the sin tax or Tobacco Law wants to protect by discouraging them from making smoking a habit or be enticed with it as users.

She added that hiking tax rates on cigarette products is part of the overall strategy in the sin tax law to help fund public health programs, including the expansion of the Philippine Health Insurance System (PhilHealth) to cover millions of indigent Filipinos.

“We are still one of the countries with the lowest cigarette prices in Southeast Asia. The cost of our cigarettes here, I think, is just over a dollar

[per pack]... In Australia, its 50 dollars...,” Dr. Ubial said.

She noted that the projected cigarette tax increase can be carried out even if the number of users will go down (because of tax reform), as the overall collection will still go up because the habitual users will still buy cigarettes at high costs.

It was back in December 2012 when then President Benigno S. Aquino III signed the Sin Tax Reform Bill or Republic Act No. 10351 with the goal of making cigarettes and alcohol products less accessible to the public as well as to provide more revenues for the health programs of the government.

The law is considered to be one of the legacies of the former President who was a smoker himself but had shown the political will in addressing one of the public health concerns in the country. PNA

A PANEL in the House of Representatives has ordered the National Telecommunications Commission to hasten its plan to lower inter-connection charges for voice calls to ensure unlimited calls to all networks will be accessed by the public.

During the first organizational meeting held by the House committee on information and communications technology chaired by Tarlac Rep. Victor Yap, several members aired their complaints against telecommunications services in the country, including slow internet, dropped calls, and costly voice call charges to other networks.

Responding to the query of Cavite Rep. Francis Gerald Abaya, House committee on ICT vice chairman, on how to make the cost of voice call services more competitive, NTC Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios admitted the present inter-connection rates between telcos at P4.00 per

minute drives the cost higher.

Cabarios also revealed NTC plans to lower the inter-connection charges this year or next year.

The NTC explained the existing telcos charge each other a fixed rate of P4.00 per minute for every call they facilitate and process from consumers of different networks.

The amount, which 119 million subscribers pay, is one of the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. Callers pay this amount whenever they make a call, including the dropped calls that occur in the process.

Yap, meanwhile, directed the NTC to look into the immediate lowering of the inter-connection charges.

Telcos present at the meeting (i.e.

Smart and Globe) said they would lower the inter-connection charges once directed by the NTC. They said they would abide by whatever rates the NTC implements.

Labor unfazed by Sino workers

By Vito Barcelo THE Labor group Associated Labor Unions is not worried with the possible influx of Chinese workers competing with Filipino workers for local job opportunities if President Rodrigo Duterte could attract Chinese investors and create quality and permanent jobs for an estimated 10 million jobs.

ALU national executive vice president Gerard Seno expressed hope that Duterte and his Cabinet economic cluster team could attract Chinese infrastructure projects and investments that would ultimately provide decent, quality and permanent jobs for an estimated 10.4 million Filipinos who are currently unemployed.

“Foreign workers are not banned to work in the country. But they are regulated, thus, we are hopeful that President Duterte’s trip to China would bring in job-creating invest-

ments for Filipinos. We trust that President Duterte knows by heart the need to provide decent employment for millions of Filipinos who are desperate for jobs,” he said.

The ALU is the biggest confederation of labor unions in the country with unions in agriculture, services and manufacturing sectors working in public and private enterprises.

As of January 2016 Labor Force Survey, the Philippine Statistics Authority said there were 7.81 million unemployed and 2.46 million underemployed Filipinos.

Though foreign workers are not absolutely banned to work in the country, influx of skills and professions are governed and regulated by Labor Department Order No. 146-15 series of 2015, also known as the Revised Rules for the Issuance of Employment Permits to Foreign Nationals.

Foreign workers with certain ex-

pertise and identified specialized skills are allowed to work in the country and companies in the Philippines are allowed to hire foreign workers if the needed skills, expertise and professions are not available in the local job market.

In any case, the applicant is required by law to individually apply for an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) prior to or upon arrival in the country at any DOLE regional or field office where the intended place of work is.

The application is then subjected to a labor market testing procedure for one month. If there is no objection to the position being applied for, AEP application is granted.

Seno said: “If it is inevitable that there would be new Chinese investors who would be bringing in Chinese workers to build infrastructure projects, they must apply for an Alien Employment Permit issued by the Labor department.

IN BRIEF Biometric system eyed THE Bureau of Immigration will use modern biometrics capture system that would be connected to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) as part of its continued efforts to strengthen border security and to thwart the entry of undesirable aliens into the country.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the project will involve the photo capture of all arriving and departing passengers when being processed at the immigration counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

He said the pictures will then be cross-checked with the photo database of the Interpol to find out if they match the pictures of any of the millions of wanted fugitives, terrorists, sex offenders, and holders of stolen passports from all over the world who are in the Interpol’s database.

Morente said that once the project becomes operational, the Philippines will be the first Southeast Asian country to be connected to the Interpol data system.

The BI chief also said that digital cameras were already installed at BI counters in all three terminals of the Naia and which are now being used by immigration officers in taking pictures of passengers.

“Eventually, our computers at the airport will be equipped with facial recognition capability that will enable us to immediately detect and apprehend an undesirable alien attempting to enter or flee the country,” he said. Vito Barcelo

Parañaque a Meralco Luminary THE City of Parañaque received another recognition, this time a Luminary Award from Manila Electric Co. for being a businessfriendly city in 2015.

Alfredo Panlilio, Meralco senior vice president and head of customer retail services and corporate communications, said Parañaque was also cited for renovating its Comprehensive Land Use Plan while defining specific areas as dedicated industrial, commercial and residential zones for efficient distribution of utilities and infrastructure.

“Parañaque consistently seeks out revenue and employment opportunities for its constituents,” he said.

Panlilio said when Mayor Edwin Olivarez assumed office in 2013, the city’s financial status was unstable. But within two years, when Olivarez led a citywide business process reform, it paved the way for 5,000 new registered businesses.

“The growth of new business has become one of the city’s major sources of income, which propelled Olivarez and city officials to make doing business in Paranaque as easy as possible,” the Meralco stated.

Likewise, the city government adapted the business one-stop shop (BOSS) system, a best practice business registration process that breaks down the previous tedious task into manageable steps.

As a result, Parañaque posted a 28 percent growth in business since BOSS was implemented in 2014, said Panlilio. Joel E. Zurbano

Sports Posadas, 3 others make world tilt WORLD Cupper Lara Posadas and three others topped a 36-game, week-long elimination among national pool members to earn the right to represent the Philippines in the 2016 World Singles Bowling Championships set December 2-9 in Doha, Qatar.

Also making it to the world kegfest are Ivan Dominic Malig, Krizziah Tabora and Raoul Miranda, who is currently playing in the World Cup international finals in Shanghai, China together with Posadas.

Malig topped the men’s elimination with 7,569 pinfalls for an average of 210.53 in 36 games, followed by Miranda with 7,421 (206.14 average).

Posadas ruled the women’s division with 7,074 for an average of 196.50 in 36 games, while Tabora finished second with 7,061 (196.14 average).

Except for youthful Enzo Hernandez, who is studying at the Wichita State University in the United States, 19 bowlers saw action in the eliminations played over different oiling patterns—two long oil, two medium oil and two short oil—at the Coronado Lanes Center and Starmall Edsa in Mandaluyong City.

Four-time World Cup international champion Paeng Nepomuceno, named head coach of the Philippine team by the Philippine Bowling Federation, required all national keglers to vie for the four spots unlike in the past when the country’s representatives were just handpicked.

The Doha competition will be the second WB singles event. The first was staged in Limassol, Cyprus in 2012.

The PBF, which replaced the Philippine Bowling Congress, is provisionally headed by long-time sports official Steve Hontiveros.

Among the PBF organizers are Nepomuceno, ex-World Cup international titlist Bong Coo and regular sports patron Alex Lim.

Centro Escolar grabs lead Games Wednesday

(Olivarez Sports Center) 12 noon- Olivarez vs TIP 2 p.m. - San Lorenzo vs Diliman College

CENTRO Escolar University lived up to its lofty billings as it walloped Technological Institute of the Philippines, 81-65, to grab the solo lead in the 1st Universities and Colleges Basketball League at the Olivarez Sports Center in Parañaque City.

Up against the team many considered as the biggest stumbling block to their title bid, Rod Ebondo came up with a monster performance to lead CEU to third straight win in as many outings.

The 6’6” Congolese center posted 20 points and 20 rebounds as CEU handed TIP its first defeat also in three games.

Like in their 88-60 win over the University of Batangas Brahmans, the Scorpions leaned on a mighty second quarter assault to break the game wide apart, posting a 46-32 halftime lead after taking only a three-point lead (2017) at the end of the first quarter “I am happy with this game today because we were able to execute our game plan very well.

Credit goes to the boys for their effort to win this game,” said CEU head coach Yong Garcia.

Garcia likewise praised Ebondo, who completely outplayed his counterpart from TIP in 6’5” Ikee Akpuru, who only managed 11 points and 8 rebounds, and 6’10” Chris Okoronkwo, who he helped held to only 2 points and four rebounds. Both Akpuru and Okoronkwu are from Nigeria.

A7

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Unfashionable Murray looking good for no. 1

S

HANGHAI —Andy Murray has never been the most fashionable member of tennis’s ‘Big Four’, but he finally looks the part as he zeroes in on the world number one spot.

Winning back-to-back titles in China without dropping a set tells its own story, and underlines the consensus that Murray is currently the world’s best player.

The 29-year-old swept past Roberto Bautista to win his third Shanghai Masters title on Sunday, lifting his sixth trophy in what has been his best season yet.

It could get better for Murray, who can overtake Novak Djokovic at the top of the rankings with wins in Vienna and Paris, provided the Serb doesn’t reach the Paris final.

It hasn’t done Murray any harm that Djokovic has suffered a sud-

den and perplexing dip in form, and that Roger Federer is sidelined by injury.

Rafael Nadal is also a fading force but Murray would be a deserving successor as the last of the four, who have 46 Grand Slam titles between them, to reach number one.

What’s more, Murray, often marked out for his anguished demeanour on court, is growing into the role of eminent tour-leader in the mould of Djokovic and Federer before him.

The one-time gawky kid still berates himself during matches but he is far more comfortable with the

media, giving fulsome and intelligent answers to all questions.

He is also prepared to defend and mentor younger players such as the wayward Nick Kyrgios, whose latest on-court meltdown resulted in a fine in Shanghai.Physically, too, Murray is at his peak, with supreme fitness and acceleration that can shift his now-hulking frame around the court at frightening speeds.

Tough losses He has reached three Slam finals this year, winning his second Wimbledon title and also becoming the first man to successfully defend Olympic singles gold.

Murray hired British coach Jamie Delgado this year and Ivan Lendl’s return to his team in June was quickly followed by victory at Wimbledon. He hasn’t looked back since.

“Winning Wimbledon was really a big boost to my confidence after I had had quite a few tough losses in the Slams the last few years,” he said.

“That kind of gave me a lot more belief in myself that I could win the major competitions again.

It helped motivate me.

“I have obviously quite a different team this year with Ivan and Jamie. Since the French Open, I’ve played the best three months of tennis of my career.”

Obstacles remain and Murray is wary of a return to form by Djokovic, conservatively predicting that February or March represent his best chance of reaching number one.

“I will try and finish this year as strong as I can. And next year if the opportunity is there to reach

Serena pulls out of Finals

Andy Murray of Britain hits a return against Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in their men’s singles finals match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai. AFP

UP bets pull through in badminton opener ANDREI Babad and Adrian Clemente came away with straight-set victories over their respective rivals as the UP aces rolled into the second round of the 2016 Bingo Bonanza National Open Badminton Tournament at the CW Home Depot Ortigas in Pasig Monday.

But while Babad dominated Justin Vanzuela of Jumpsmash Academy of Badminton, 21-8, 21-9, Clemente needed to toughen up at endgame to thwart Elben Concha of Adamson, 21-17, 21-19, and advance in the P1.5 million championship sponsored by Bingo Bonanza Corp.

JC Clarito also overpowered AdU’s Johnrick Macabenta, 21-5,

21-7, but the top HP2 bet will have to raise the level of his game as he faces top seed Kevin Cudiamat in today’s (Tuesday) resumption of the week-long top-ranking event sanctioned by the Philippine Badminton Association headed by president Jejomar Binay and sec-gen Rep. Albee Benitez Cudiamat, which lost last year’s crown to absentee Mark Alcala, and fellow seeded bets No. 2 Frell Gabuelo, third ranked Ros Pedrosa, No. 4 Orlan Ticala, fifth seed R-Jay Ormilla and No. 6 Solomon Padiz Jr. all took opening day byes and will see action today.

In other results, Edwin Dodds of

Letran Calamba held off National U’s Jervin Carlos, 21-19, 21-15; Team Prima/UST’s Cris Sanchez toppled Adrian Ramos, 21-14, 21-11; Ateneo’s Clarence Filart eased out Team Prima’s Marc Lo; and Keoni Asuncion, also of Ateneo, subdued Marvin Nalangan of Precision Badminton, 21-13, 21-15, in the event organized by EventKing Corp. and backed by Victor PCOME as the official equipment, SM Megamall, Smash Pilipinas and the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Meanwhile, Angela Ramos and Mika Aquino open the women’s Open singles as they collide at 10 a.m. today (Tuesday) with Danica

Bolos testing Clydel Pada’s mettle at 11:20 a.m. and Cassandra Lim facing Jellene de Vera at 1:20 p.m.

Defending champion Sarah Joy Barredo heads the 32-player draw with the PBA Smash Pilipinas mainstay clashing with Adamson’s Jhay Macabenta at 11:40 a.m. on Thursday while second seed Mariya Sevilla slugging it out with former Singapore Juniors champion Malvinne Alcala at 2 p.m.

Bianca Carlos, a former champion from Ateneo, also opens her campaign against No. 3 Airah Albo at 1:20 p.m. while No. 4 Charmane Salvador battles Susmita Ramos at 12:20 p.m.

SINGAPORE—US superstar Serena Williams has withdrawn from the elite WTA Finals in Singapore, saying she’s still working to recover from the shoulder troubles that hindered her in 2016.

The WTA announced Williams’ withdrawal from the event that starts on October 23 on their Twitter feed, posting a video of Williams explaining the decision.

It will be the second straight year that Williams is skipping the season finale in Singapore due to injury.

“Hey everyone in Singapore,” Williams said. “I’m really, really bummed that I won’t be able to come compete this year.

“It’s been a really tough year for me just dealing so much with these shoulder injuries. My doctor insists that I stay home and heal it every single day.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion earlier pulled out of two tournaments in China after being knocked out of the semi-finals of the US Open.

That defeat saw Williams’ 186week reign atop the world rankings end as Germany’s Angelique Kerber reached the summit and captured the Flushing Meadows title into the bargain.

Williams claimed just one Grand Slam title in 2016, at Wimbledon. After that, shoulder troubles hampered her in Rio where her hopes of a fifth Olympic gold medal were crushed in the third round.

WTA CEO Steve Simon said in a statement that organisers were “as disappointed as the fans”.

“We wish her a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her back competing, fit and healthy,” he added. AFP

Olympic sprinter’s daughter fatally shot

Tyson Gay

WASHINGTON—The teen daughter of former US Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay was fatally shot early Sunday, police said.

Police say 15-year-old Trinity Gay, a star high school runner herself, was struck by a bullet during a shootout at about 4 a.m. in the parking lot of the Cook Out restaurant and pronounced dead at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital.

Witnesses told police gunfire was exchanged between a gray Dodge Charger and a dark-colored sports car with tinted windows. Authorities found the Dodge and detained two people for questioning as they continue to search for the other vehicle.

Messages of support came to Tyson Gay and his family from the athletics world.

“Sending our thoughts and prayers to TysonLGay and his loved ones as they mourn the tragic and senseless loss of his daughter, Trinity,” USA Track and Field tweeted.

“Condolences to Tyson Gay and his family... 15-year-old girl dies after shooting at Lexington restaurant,” tweeted former Olympic sprint rival Ato Boldon from Trinidad and Tobago.

According to the Lexington HeraldLeader newspaper, Trinity Gay was a sophomore sprint star at Lafayette High School, where her father once ran. She was a fourthgeneration sprinter who placed fourth in last year’s girls 100m state final.

“Our hearts are broken this morning over the loss of Trinity to this tragic and

FEU-Nicanor Reyes makes it four in a row FEU-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation made it four wins in a row, even as NCAA member Emilio Aguinaldo College debuted in style in the 2016 MBL Open basketball tournament at the Trinity University of Asia gym in Quezon City.

FEU-NRMF brought down defending champion Macway Travel Club, 72-65, in what could have been a preview of the coming

number one, then I want to try and take it,” he said.

“But it’s not going to be easy because Novak plays great tennis indoors, and also his record at the beginning of the year is phenomenal in Australia and Indian Wells, Miami.

“It’s going to be a tough thing to achieve that. I’m aware of that. I’m close-ish right now, but it’s going to be really tough still.”

It has been some journey for Murray, who survived the 1996 Dunblane school massacre when he was eight and moved to Spain to further his tennis career when he was 15.

But if he keeps his current trajectory, it won’t be long before he becomes Britain’s first world number one under the ATP’s computerised rankings, which were introduced in 1973. AFP

title showdown between two teams built to win championships.

Fil-Canadian sensation Clay Crellin and veterans Egay Billones and Rene Boy Banzali provided the clutch baskets for the Nino Reyes-managed FEUNRMF. Crellin, the 6’4” forward who played for the Vancouver Balloholics in Canada, scored 13 points highlighted by back-to-

back three-point shots in the third quarter.

Billones and Banzali added 10 points apiece while directing the plays for FEU-NRMF in the tournament sponsored by Smart Sports, Ironcon Builders, Star Bread, Dickies Underwear and Gerry’s Grill.

Cameroonian import Moustapha Arafat contributed eight points while holding his own

against American reinforcement Mike Harry and PBA legend E.J. Feihl of Macway Jeff Sanders was the topscorer for the coach Daniel Martinezmentored Macway with 15 points, nine in the fourth period.

Harry and ex-PBA player Nino Marquez contributed 14 points apiece.

Marquez, one of the more dependable players in the team, had

11 points in the first half, which ended at 38-all.

Earlier, EAC rallied to beat Philippine Air Force, 74-70, in another tensely-fought encounter.

Jethro Mendoza scored nine of his 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Generals of coach Ariel Sison and assistant coach Bong Melocoton rallied from a seven-point deficit to frustrate the Jet Force.

senseless act of violence,” Fayette County School Superintendent Manny Caulk said in a statement to the newspaper.

Tyson Gay is the fastest sprinter in history not to have an Olympic medal after a career nagged by doping disqualifications.

The 2007 world 100- and 200-meter champion and four-time US 100m champion suffered a hamstring injury at the 2008 Olympic trials and did not medal at Beijing.

At the 2012 London Olympics, Gay was on the US 4x100 relay that finished second to Usain Bolt-led Jamaica but the Americans were stripped of the medal in 2014 based on a positive test by Gay in May of 2013 that he blamed on an unnamed third party. AFP

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

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

A8

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

Chieffy named Azkals’ assistant mentor

Sports

Ginebra’s Sol Mercado drives to the basket, leaving Meralco’s Chris Newsome behind in Game 5 of the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. The Kings won, 92-81, to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

Cone: We must keep our poise to get crown

By Jeric Lopez

O

NE more win.

That’s what Barangay Ginebra needs to finally end its eight-year championship drought as it is now on the verge of conquering the 2016 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. With a 3-2 advantage in its the Gin Kings’ favor to finally best-of-seven finale showdown end their long eight-year title with Meralco, odds are now in dry spell.

Ramirez: Pacman will be ready

By Ronnie Nathanielsz SENATOR and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partner, unbeaten Jose Ramirez (18-0, 13 KOs) said the “Fighter of the Decade” is going to be more than ready when he faces WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 5 (Nov. 6, Manila time).

After six rounds of intense sparring last Saturday at the classy “Flash” Elorde Gym inside the Mall of Asia Complex, the 5’ 10” Ramirez told the Manila Standard he has had three weeks of great sparring with Pacquiao.

And while it’s been a tough camp for Pacquiao, Ramirez said the Filipino ring icon is going to be ready.

Ramirez said they had six good rounds of sparring and training last Saturday.

“I have learned a lot the last three weeks I have been here. My speed, my distance and my angles have all benefited from training with Pacquiao over the past three weeks,” said Ramirez, who will face Puerto Rico’s 35-year-old Gabriel “Tito” Bracero (24-3, 5 KOs), for the WBC Continental Americas super lightweight title in Fresno, California on Dec. 10.

Ramirez, who will train at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym for the last five weeks said he will be ready and hopefully will get a chance to fight for a world title in the future.

Bracero is a tough opponent who just fought, and lost a 10-round points’ decision to Paulie Malinaggi.

Seventy-nine percent of teams ahead by 3-2 in a best-of-seven finals went on to win the championship.

But Ginebra coach Tim Cone doesn’t believe in playing the percentages.

“Percentages are there but I don’t believe in that,” said Cone.

“I’ve been on many situations before. I was up 3-2 and still lost the series. We just gotten a 3-2 lead and we haven’t achieved

anything yet.”

Therefore, Cone wants his wards to do what they’ve been doing the past two games wherein they came out on top against the Bolts to be in this situation, on the verge of winning the crown.

“We’re looking at continuing what we’ve been doing and keep our poise to get the championship,” he said.

Ginebra had its best showing

in the finals in the crucial Game 5 Sunday night, taking a 92-81 victory against Meralco.

That was the first convincing victory in the series wherein a team had control throughout and went on to eventually win.

The Gin Kings are now on the brink of finally ending their drought but like Cone said, there’s still plenty of work to be done before they can finally celebrate.

THERE was a familiar animated figure on the bench of the Philippine Azkals in their international friendly matches against Bahrain and North Korea, respectively, at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium a week ago.

Emelio “Chieffy” Caligdong was back not as a player but as an assistant coach of American mentor Thomas Dooley as the national team girds for the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup kicking off next month.

In his last Suzuki Cup outing in 2012, the fleet-footed winger was a “super sub,” scoring the winning goal in the Philippines’ pulsating 1-0 win over Vietnam in the group stage at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The thrilling triumph secured the country’s third straight passage into the semifinals of Southeast Asia’s men’s football championship.

It proved to be an outstanding year for Caligdong, 34, who was cited in 2012 as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men awardees by the Philippine Jaycees, a rare accomplishment for an athlete.

“He (Caligdong) is a perfect fit,” noted Dooley of his new deputy. “Chieffy used to be one of them while the younger players look up to and respect him as a former player so that is good for me. They are familiar with him. What the players cannot tell me directly they can certainly tell him.”

Skipper Phil Younghusband, who was with Caligdong when the Nationals made their maiden semifinal appearance in the Suzuki Cup in 2010, also gave the thumbs-up to his former teammate’s appointment.

“Chieffy will be an asset for the Azkals because of his stature as a former player and the young players certainly look up to him,” Younghusband pointed out.

Dooley bared that one of Caligdong’s assignments was the conditioning of his charges “so he may be a bit overeager at times because he wants to show us what he’s got. So I advise him not to overdo it but do what’s best for them.”

The Barotac Nuevo pride felt honored, excited “but pressured at the same time. I used to play with some of them. As a coach, I have to put a ‘border,’ a little distance between them and myself.”

World-class volleyball erupts at MOA Arena

By Peter Atencio COMPETITION will be tough and hard.

But for many teams joining, the experience gained from playing against world-class spikers will be something to look forward to.

Coaches of Bangkok Glass, Eczacibasi Vitra of Istanbul, Hisamitsu Spring Kobe of Japan and Manila-PSL F2 Logistics sized up the opposition a day before action in the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship presented by PLDT goes full blast Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

“We will do our very best,” said Thai coach Kittipong Pornchartyingcheep during a prematch press conference at the Diamond Hotel.

The Thais are among the teams to beat, considering that they have qualified to the 2015 Asian Women’s Club.

On the other hand, Turkish squad Eczacibasi Vitra barely know the strength of their rivals, so they will have to take things one game at a time.

“We know it’s going to be tough. So, we’ll take it day by day,” said their Italian coach Massimo Barbolini.

Meanwhile, Japanese coach Kumi Nakada believes that there will be many challenges during the course of the week.

PSL F2 Logistics Manila Head coach Moro Branislav (right) and team skippper Rachel Ann Daquis do the clenched fist sign during the press conference at the Diamond Hotel launching the FIVB Women’s World Champioship. Lino Santos

“It’s challenging. So I’m spending a lot of time with the my young players. Many of them are in high school,” said Nakada.

PSL coach Moro Branislav stressed the need for Filipino players to appreciate the experience that they will have throughout the week.

“The experience that the tournament will give them and the tough teams that they will face (are what’s important). There’s a lot of people who want to watch the team play here,” said Branislav.

PSL-F2 Logistics Manila will meet the South American champion Rexona-Sesc Rio in the 6:30 p.m. main offering, and Branislav said the players are looking forward to the game.

The tournament is organized by the Philippine Superliga and Eventcourt with TV5, Petron, Asics, BMW and F2 Logistics as sponsors, Diamond Hotel as official residence and Turkish Airlines as official airlines.

Olympic gold medalist Zhu Ting leads VakifBank Istanbul as they face Hisamitsu Springs Kobe at 10 a.m.

The match will be followed by a showdown between Volero Zurich and Asian titlist Bangkok Glass at 1 pm.

On the other hand, reigning champion Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul tests the strength of European superpower Pomi Casalmaggiore at 4:30 p.m.

Water Defenders sink Jet Spikers BALIPURE picked up its second straight shutout win after an opening game setback, beating Air Force, 25-22, 25-19, 25-21, to force a three-way tie for third in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena in Pasig yesterday.

The Purest Water Defenders rode the momentum of their surprise sweep of the fancied Customs last week, dominating the Open Conference runners-up in the early going of each set and fending off their series of comebacks to complete the romp in 79 minutes.

The win put BaliPure in joint third with Laoag and Pocari at 2-1, behind tormentor UST’s 4-1 and Customs’ 3-1 slates heading to the crucial phase of the single round

Games tomorrow

12:30 p.m. – Air Force vs Army (S Turf) 4 p.m. – Coast Guard vs Air Force (V League) 6 p.m. – UST vs Laoag (V League)

elims of the season-ending conference sponsored by Shakey’s.

The loss, on the other hand, was Air Force’s second straight and third overall against one win, sending the Jet Spikers to the brink with three games left in their schedule in the event backed

by Mikasa as official ball and Accel as official outfitter.

“We still need to work on our communication but the team is starting to jell,” said Morrell, who led BaliPure’s romp with 19 hits, including 17 kills.

Dzi Gervacio backed her up with

eight attack points for a nine-point output and Amy Ahomiro, Kaylee Manns, Mae Tajima and Suzanne Roces combined for 18 hits.

BaliPure actually yielded one attack point to Air Force, 39-40, but had five blocks against the Jet Spikers’ three and rammed in three aces against their rivals’ two.

Jocemer Tapic led Air Force’s charge with 10 hits while the power-hitting Joy Cases added nine and Mae Antipuesto had seven.

Earlier, Champion Supra leaned on Joven Camaganakan, Berlin Paglinawan and Arjay Onia to subdue 100 Plus, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23, 25-14, in a duel of winless teams to stay in the mix in BaliPure import Kate Morrell unloads a spike against Air Force’s Jocemer the Spikers’ Turf Season 2 Third Tapic (17) as Jet Spiker Judy Ann Caballejo (11) tries to provide help during their Shakey’s V-League Reinforced Conference at the Philsports Arena.

Conference, also at Philsports.

San Miguel, Petron win case vs Romero B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

B1

Remittances surged in August

By Julito G. Rada

R

EMITTANCES surged 16.3 percent in August from a year ago, the fastest growth in 29 months and fueling the growth of consumer spending in the third quarter.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla said cash remittances in August hit $2.32 billion, up from $1.95 billion registered a year ago, driven mainly by transfers from land-based workers.

Data showed the August expansion was a sharp reversal from the 5.4-percent decline recorded in July this year. This was also the fastest expansion since the 16.6-percent rise recorded in March 2014.

This brought total cash remittances in the first eight months to $17.64 billion, up 4.6 percent from $16.87 billion a year ago. The 4.6-percent growth in the first eight months already matched the expansion last year and surpassed the conservative 4-percent growth projection by Bangko Sentral.

Bangko Sentral said cash remittances from land-based workers rose 6.5 percent to $13.1 billion, while remittances from sea-based workers fell 1.9 percent to $3.8 billion.

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

Meanwhile, personal remittances, which include non-cash items, also climbed 16 percent in August, the fastest in 29 months, to $2.56 billion from $2.2 billion a year earlier.

This was a sharp turnaround from the 5.4-percent decline a month ago and marked the fastest growth since the 16.9-percent increase in March 2014.

Personal remittances in the first eight months hit $19.482 billion, up 4.4 percent from $18.653 billion in the same period last year.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo earlier expressed optimism the country’s external payments position would remain strong because the sustained robust business process outsourcing revenues were negating the impact of derisking efforts of some financial institutions abroad to the flow of remittances from overseas Filipino workers.

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

ING Bank regional economist Tim Condon said he was expecting remittances growth this year to decelerate to 3.4 percent from around 4 percent in 2015.

“Remittances grew by a very steady 7.3 percent annualized average in 2009-2014.

Growth was 4 percent in 2015 and through July was 3percent. Our forecast for fullyear growth is 3.4 percent,” Condon said.

A recent report by the World Bank said remittances entered a “new normal” of slow growth, estimated at 3.5 percent over the next two years, with the Philippines expected to experience the slowest growth in a decade.

Cash remittances from Filipinos working overseas grew 4.6 percent to a record $25.767 billion in 2015 from $24.628 billion in 2014. The amount accounted for around 10 percent of gross domestic product last year. GDP grew 5.8 percent in 2015 and 6.9 percent in the first half of 2016.

IN BRIEF Redondo taps plant contractors REDONDO Peninsula Energy Inc. signed a construction contract with Azul Torre Construction Inc. and a supply contract with Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co. Ltd. of Korea for the construction of the P63-billion, 600-megawatt coal-fired power plant on Redondo Peninsula, Subic Bay. Manila Electric Co. and Aboitiz Power Corp., the major shareholders of Redondo Peninsula, issued separate disclosures to the stock exchange about the construction contracts.

Therma Power Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp. each own a 25-percent equity interest in RP Energy, while Meralco PowerGen Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Meralco, holds 47 percent.

“Both are lead contractors. Doosan will supply all the plant equipment while Azul Torre will install these equipment at the site and construct the plant,” Meralco senior vice president Angelito Lantin said.

Aboitiz Power president Antonio Moraza last week said RP Energy planned to start construction of the long-delayed Subic coal plant by January. The project is expected to go online by mid 2020. Alena Mae S. Flores

Fitch to withdraw Security Bank rating

BSP orders closure of Sampaguita bank

million, involving 97.5 percent of total deposit accounts.

Julito G. Rada

DEBT watcher Fitch Ratings said it plans to withdraw by middle of November the ratings it gave in July to Security Bank Corp., the country’s sixth-largest lender, because of commercial reasons.

Fitch upgraded on July 18, 2016 the long-term issuer default rating of Security Bank to “BB+” or non-investment grade speculative from “BB,” along with China Banking Corp., Philippine National Bank, and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. with a stable outlook, citing the Philippines’ robust economy and favorable operating environment. The bank’s viability rating and local-currency issuer default rating were also upgraded.

Fitch did not specify the “commercial reasons” that might cause the withdrawal of the ratings.

“Fitch Ratings plans to withdraw the ratings on Security Bank Corp. on or about 16 November 2016, which is approximately 30 days from the date of this commentary, for commercial reasons,” Fitch said.

“Fitch reserves the right in its sole discretion to withdraw or maintain any rating at any time for any reason it deems sufficient. Fitch believes that investors benefit from increased rating coverage by Fitch and is providing approximately 30 days’ notice to the market of the rating withdrawal of Security Bank Corporation,” it said.

Julito G. Rada

THE Monetary Board, the policymaking body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, closed a Laguna-based thrift bank because of the latter’s alleged unhealthy financial condition.

The board in a resolution dated Oct. 13 prohibited Sampaguita Savings Bank Inc. from doing business and directed the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. to proceed with the takeover and liquidation of the bank. As receiver, the state-run PDIC took over the bank the following day.

Sampaguita Savings Bank is a twounit thrift bank with head office located in San Pedro City, Laguna. Its lone branch is located in Biñan City, Laguna.

Sampaguita Savings Bank was owned by Fe Almendrala (34 percent), Alfredo Almendrala Jr. (8 percent), Alfredo Antonio (8 percent), Generoso Espeleta (8 percent), Maria Felicidad Espeleta (8 percent), Victoria Espeleta (7 percent), Rosa Ramirez (7 percent), Amparo Nofuente (6 percent), Maria Remedios Antonio (4 percent), Trinidad Velayo (3 percent), Dioscora Amante (2 percent), and Allan Edison Rogelio (2 percent). The bank’s president is Maria Felicidad Espeleta and its chairman is Amparo Nofuente.

Sampaguita Savings Bank had 341 accounts with total deposit liabilities of P11.4 million as of June 30, 2016. Total insured deposits amounted to P11.1

BDO set to issue US dollar notes BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender controlled by tycoon Henry Sy, plans to issue US dollardenominated fixed-rate senior notes under its medium-term note program for general funding and re-lending purposes.

The bank, however, did not say how much would be raised and when the notes would be issued. “The amount has not been pegged, as of yet, as has been the traditional mode in the past,” a source from the bank said in an emailed statement.

“These will represent direct, unsecured obligations of BDO. The senior notes are expected to be sold through a bookbuilding process to both international and local institutional investors under the Reg S format,” BDO said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday.

Standard Chartered Bank and UBS will act as joint lead managers for the issuance.

Global debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service assigned a provisional investment grade rating of Baa2 to the $2-billion medium-term note program that was established by BDO in 2012.

The rating also applied to BDO branch in Hong Kong. Julito G. Rada

Cyber Bay, PRA settle Manila Bay deal dispute

By Jenniffer B. Austria CYBER Bay Corp. and the Philippine Reclamation Authority signed a compromise agreement to end their dispute over the controversial Manila Bay reclamation project.

Cyber Bay said in a disclosure to the stock exchange that under the compromise agreement, it would receive a portion of reclaimed land from PRA as settlement for its P1.027 billion worth of claims.

The announcement lifted the stock of Cyber Bay, which is now controlled by businessman Ramon Ang, by 22.2 percent Monday to close at P0.66.

“The money claim of P1.027 billion shall be settled through a conveyance of a portion of the PRA reclaimed land to Central Bay’s qualified assignee, as previously approved by the stockholders’ of the company during its annual stockholders’ meeting held on Dec. 22,

2015,” Cyber Bay said.

“The compromise agreement shall take force and effect upon approval by the Commission on Audit and the issuance of COA of an order of judgment to dismiss the money claim of Central Bay in the case docketed as COA CP Case No. 2010-350 and shall bar any future claims arising from or in connection with the amended joint venture agreement dated March 30, 1999,” it said.

The compromised agreement was signed by Cyber Bay’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Central Bay Reclamation and Development Corp. and PRA, as assisted by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel on Oct. 14.

Cyber Bay has been pursuing its claims with the PRA for the reimbursement of all related costs related to the controversial 750-hectare Manila Bay reclamation project worth nearly P11 billion.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market falls; LT tops gainers S

TOCKS fell Monday, as the prospect of a US interest-rate increase and concern over Chinese growth sapped demand for riskier assets.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, shed 31 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 7,358.21.

This reduced total gains this year to 5.8 percent.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also lost 35 points, or 0.8 percent, to settle at 4,367.57, on a value turnover of P6.7 billion. Advancers outnumbered gainers, 94 to 86, while 47 issues were unchanged.

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

by LT Group Inc., the holding company of tycoon Lucio Tan,

which climbed 3.7 percent to P15.62 and Manila Water Company Inc. which went up 2.8 percent to P31.25.

Cyber Bay Corp. surged 22.2 percent to P0.66, after it announced that it signed a compromise deal with state-run Philippine Reclamation Authority over the controversial Manila Bay reclamation project.

Coal miner Semirara Mining and Power Corp. gained 2.7 percent to P126, while property developer Megaworld Corp. traded higher by 2.7 percent to close at P4.25.

Meanwhile, most Asian markets fell Monday following healthy gains at the end of last week, with investors betting the Federal Reserve will hike interest rates before the end of the year.

Shares soared Friday after data showed a first rise in Chinese factory prices for more than four years, fuelling hopes the world’s number two economy is reaching the end of a years-long growth slowdown.

Analysts said comments from Fed boss Janet Yellen Friday suggested the US central bank will lift borrowing costs but at a steady pace.

Yellen said there were plausible ways that running a “high-pressure economy” could help it overcome the damage caused by the global financial crisis.

“If nothing else, this is another

lower-for-longer prescription.

However, these comments do not preclude a 25-basis-point rate hike this year as another step in the normalization process,” Thomas Simons, senior economist at Jefferies LLC in New York, wrote in a note to clients.

Most experts predict a hike by December at the latest and are keeping a close eye on the release this week of US industrial output and inflation data.

The prospect of higher borrowing costs weighed on Asian markets.

Hong Kong fell one percent and Sydney was 0.5 percent lower, while Seoul shed 0.2 percent, Singapore slipped 0.7 percent and Wellington sank 1.1 percent. But Tokyo was 0.2 percent up by the break and Shanghai added 0.1 percent.

With AFP, Bloomberg

URC raising $378m to buy Snack Brands

By Jenniffer B. Austria UNIVERSAL Robina Corp., a leading snacks and beverage manufacturing company in the Philippines, plans to raise A$500m (US$378m) in five-year bullet loan for the acquisition of Snack Brands Australia.

URC senior vice president Bach Johann Sebastian confirmed in a text message the company tapped four banks to handle the transaction. No other details were provided.

URC said in August it would

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 0.92 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 80 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 0.74 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 52 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

AG Finance 3.45 Asia United Bank 48 Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. 107.50 Bank of PI 103.20 China Bank 38 BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. 3.80 Bright Kindle Resources 1.33 COL Financial 16.8 Eastwest Bank 18.82 First Abacus 0.67 I-Remit Inc. 1.83 Manulife Fin. Corp.

671.00 MEDCO Holdings 0.750 Metrobank 83.25 Natl. Reinsurance Corp. 0.87 PB Bank 14 Phil. National Bank 55.00 Philippine trust Co. 220 PSE 260 RCBC `A’ 35.85 Security Bank 215.8 Sun Life Financial 1495.00 Union Bank 75.00 Vantage Equities 1.42

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 148

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 32

20.6 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 79 3.95 4 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5 5.25 12.98 15 2.65 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 0.315 2.18 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

15.32 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 34.1 2.3 1.63 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.37 3.87 8.45 10.04 2.09 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 0.138 1.02 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

Aboitiz Power Corp.

45.65 Agrinurture Inc. 3.91 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.88 Alsons Cons.

1.45 Asiabest Group 15.5 Bogo Medelin 63.05 C. Azuc De Tarlac 164.90 Cemex Holdings 11.12 Century Food 15.58 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 100 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 23.5 Concepcion 60 Crown Asia 2 Da Vinci Capital 6.2 Del Monte 12.18 DNL Industries Inc. 10.980 Emperador 7.37 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.93 EEI 7.25 Euro-Med Lab 1.78 First Gen Corp.

23.5 First Holdings ‘A’ 71.5 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.00 Holcim Philippines Inc. 16.20 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.8 Ionics Inc 2.010 Jollibee Foods Corp.

241.00 Liberty Flour 61.00 LMG Chemicals 2.11 Mabuhay Vinyl 4.1 Manila Water Co. Inc. 30.4 Maxs Group 27.4 Megawide 14.48 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 290.40 MG Holdings 0.245 Panasonic Mfg Phil. Corp. 4.95 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3 Petron Corporation 10.68 Phinma Corporation 11.58 Phinma Energy 2.15 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 5.89 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.46 Pryce Corp. `A’ 3.32 RFM Corporation 4.16 Roxas Holdings 3.29 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 215 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.147 TKC Steel Corp.

1.70 Universal Robina 179 Victorias Milling 4.61 Vitarich Corp.

2.19 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.19

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 5.53 0.0670 84.9 3.5 974 1.66 156 0.710 0.435

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.225 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 4.2 0.030 59.3 1.5 751 1.13 80 0.211 0.179

Abacus Cons. `A’ Aboitiz Equity Alliance Global Inc. Anglo Holdings A Anscor `A’ ATN Holdings A ATN Holdings B Ayala Corp `A’ Cosco Capital DMCI Holdings Filinvest Dev. Corp.

Forum Pacific GT Capital House of Inv. JG Summit Holdings Lopez Holdings Corp.

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

LT Group Metro Pacific Inv. Corp.

Pacifica `A’ San Miguel Corp `A’ Seafront `A’ SM Investments Inc. Solid Group Inc. Top Frontier Unioil Res. & Hldgs Wellex Industries

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97 2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.72 27

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83 1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.39 23

8990 HLDG 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 Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’ Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Realty `A’ Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

0.370 76.50 15.00 1.24 6.01 0.340 0.360 840.5 8.25 12.68 8.12 0.206 1335 6.15 71.15 8 0.78 15.06 7.11 0.0370 81.00 2.29 662.50 1.19 233.600 0.3000 0.2020 7.230 1.05 2.330 0.265 36.850 2.83 5.12 0.570 1.24 1.040 0.152 0.540 53.8 0.740 0.98 1.79 1.16 4.14 0.163 0.400 34.60

High

Low

FINANCIAL 3.5 3.45 48 46.5 108.00 106.80 103.00 102.00 38 37.7 3.95 3.77 1.32 1.25 17 16.6 19.08 18.9 0.72 0.68 1.81 1.81 675.00 675.00 1.030 0.790 83.25 82.3 0.87 0.87 14 14 56.35 54.70 220 150 260 260 35.8 35.7 220 216 1505.00 1505.00 75.20 74.80 1.41 1.41 INDUSTRIAL 46.3 44.5 4.12 3.88 0.97 0.86 1.49 1.41 15.6 14.98 63.1 63.1 167.00 167.00 11.18 10.92 15.6 15.44 100 98 23.5 23.4 60 60 2.07 2.03 6.2 6.13 12.2 12.02 11.100 10.960 7.38 7.28 5.94 5.81 7.33 7.25 1.83 1.83 23.95 23.45 71.7 70.5 12.00 12.00 16.20 16.10 5.96 5.8 2.020 1.980 244.60 236.60 79.80 60.00 1.96 1.96 4.18 4.1 31.35 30 27.4 26.8 15.1 14.48 298.00 283.20 0.255 0.245 4.60 4.50 3.13 3 10.60 10.44 11.54 10.04 2.20 2.14 5.96 5.89 1.47 1.46 3.42 3.32 4.20 4.16 3.39 3.39 219.8 215 0.147 0.144 1.72 1.68 179.1 175.1 4.62 4.62 2.24 2.12 1.23 1.18 HOLDING FIRMS 0.375 0.370 77.00 74.50 15.20 15.02 1.28 1.26 6.01 6.01 0.345 0.330 0.355 0.355 860 838 8.37 8.13 13.20 12.54 8.10 8.05 0.204 0.200 1356 1336 6.27 6.10 71.95 70.35 8 7.88 0.78 0.77 15.64 15 7.24 7.08 0.0380 0.0360 81.00 80.00 2.28 2.28 670.00 662.00 1.20 1.18 233.600 206.400 0.3050 0.3050 0.1930 0.1930 PROPERTY 7.400 7.230 1.12 1.05 2.350 2.210 0.270 0.265 36.850 36.100 2.83 2.74 5.15 5.06 0.580 0.560 1.25 1.25 1.050 1.050 0.152 0.149 0.690 0.550 55 53.3 0.760 0.740 1.00 0.98 1.81 1.77 1.15 1.11 4.3 4.16 0.168 0.160 0.410 0.400 34.60 31.05

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.5 48 107.50 102.50 38 3.78 1.30 16.6 18.98 0.68 1.81 675.00 0.970 82.85 0.87 14 56.10 154 260 35.8 218.8 1505.00 75.00 1.41

0.05 0.00 0.00 -0.70 0.00 -0.02 -0.03 -0.20 0.16 0.01 -0.02 4.00 0.22 -0.40 0.00 0.00 1.10 -66.00 0.00 -0.05 3.00 10.00 0.00 -0.01

11,000 16,700 3,234,720 1,134,030 72,000 91,000 136,000 110,000 243,600 115,000 7,000 40 125,567,000 3,396,210 10,000 136,100 56,160 95,920 340 130,800 906,950 30 20,100 161,000

45.8 3.97 0.95 1.41 15.6 63.1 167.00 10.92 15.5 100 23.5 60 2.07 6.2 12.2 10.960 7.28 5.87 7.30 1.83 23.45 70.95 12.00 16.20 5.92 2.020 236.60 79.80 1.96 4.18 31.25 27.35 14.86 283.20 0.255 4.50 3.12 10.50 11.54 2.20 5.95 1.46 3.4 4.16 3.39 219.8 0.145 1.69 175.5 4.62 2.13 1.23

0.15 0.06 0.07 -0.04 0.10 0.05 2.10 -0.20 -0.08 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.07 0.00 0.02 -0.02 -0.09 -0.06 0.05 0.05 -0.05 -0.55 0.00 0.00 0.12 0.01 -4.40 18.80 -0.15 0.08 0.85 -0.05 0.38 -7.20 0.01 -0.45 0.12 -0.18 -0.04 0.05 0.06 0.00 0.08 0.00 0.10 4.80 0.00 -0.01 -3.50 0.01 -0.06 0.04

1,824,300 3,388,000 8,585,000 2,231,000 8,500 580 100 11,424,800 2,948,000 410 265,300 21,270 622,000 129,200 16,000 2,092,300 712,800 4,947,300 131,900 3,000 561,700 119,860 20,000 24,500 723,000 216,000 305,360 16,610 4,000 38,000 4,746,700 255,600 2,637,700 540,130 1,060,000 50,000 2,712,000 1,517,800 46,400 2,332,000 1,285,200 67,000 388,000 167,000 3,000 200 2,520,000 189,000 1,173,680 20,000 4,059,000 161,000

0.370 75.55 15.12 1.28 6.01 0.345 0.355 845 8.18 12.96 8.10 0.200 1340 6.16 71.30 8 0.77 15.62 7.13 0.0370 81.00 2.28 665.00 1.20 233.600 0.3050 0.1930

0.00 -0.95 0.12 0.04 0.00 0.01 -0.01 4.50 -0.07 0.28 -0.02 -0.01 5.00 0.01 0.15 0.00 -0.01 0.56 0.02 0.00 0.00 -0.01 2.50 0.01 0.00 0.01 -0.01

30,000 1,034,140 3,371,000 20,000 5,300 1,260,000 20,000 339,450 1,005,100 12,512,700 521,400 130,000 124,165 1,500 2,440,300 1,512,200 82,000 8,737,400 16,974,000 17,000,000 80,770 33,000 167,450 312,000 18,860 1,310,000 50,000

7.400 1.11 2.300 0.270 36.200 2.76 5.12 0.570 1.25 1.050 0.150 0.660 53.8 0.750 0.98 1.78 1.15 4.25 0.168 0.410 31.05

0.17 0.06 -0.03 0.01 -0.65 -0.07 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.12 0.00 0.01 0.00 -0.01 -0.01 0.11 0.01 0.01 -3.55

128,800 1,123,000 1,238,000 620,000 28,734,700 1,488,000 75,600 2,256,000 1,000 51,000 5,140,000 69,404,000 522,370 758,000 3,061,000 7,372,000 202,000 50,489,000 58,540,000 70,000 4,900

767,340.00 -13,500,840 -5,650,075.00 2,728,420.00 18,200.00 -766,280.00 743,132.00

-4,104,900.00 -99,413,911.50 1,492,362.50 19,120.00 2,018,585 -100,251,122.00 769,493.50 5,782,685.00 -1,973,300.00 17,300.00 -2,366,810.00

-23,632,674.00 1,145,832.00 51,000 -10,350.00 10,489,170.00 -1,936,551.00 -9,984,238.00 -550,168.00 -914,525.00 -6,343,892.50 -143,646.00 1,022,921.00 -36,385,150.00

1,546,070.00 -1,408,630.00 12,247,990.00 -60,920,124.00 2,727,380.00 3,948,206.00 11,020.00 4,903,650.00 -4,134,070.00 4,380.00 -583,270.00 374,200.00 36,000.00 -105,313,580 -3,411,710.00

-21,048,532.50 -32,019,190.00

134,906,560 3,091,439.00 54,939,074.00 2,711,740.00 8,000.00 -8,368,315.00 -12,768,919.00 -3,205,762.00 51,815,770.00 56,468,898.00

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 1.62 8.59

2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 0.83 5.73

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

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

70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 1.14

0.0098 5.45 17.24 0.330 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 3.06 0.020 0.021 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 0.236 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 1.54 0.012 0.013 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

70 525

33 500

8.21 111 1060 1047

5.88 101 997 1011

84.8

75

6.98

0.8900

15

3.5

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6

1,945,544.50 3,206,230.00

836,158.00 -7,700.00 -260,978,410.00 -2,226,670.00 360,500.00 11,080.00

176,650.00 -4,309,688.00 -460,380.00 -49,500.00 5,299,680.00 7,850.00 -34,961,850.00 170,710.00 19,920.00

Close

Primex Corp.

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

High

3.49 3.37 29.80 28.80 1.62 1.57 3.3 3.25 27.40 26.10 1.07 1.03 1.010 1.000 5.120 5.020 SERVICES 2GO Group’ 7.56 7.96 7.56 ABS-CBN 48 48.4 48 Acesite Hotel 1.27 1.42 1.27 APC Group, Inc. 0.520 0.520 0.520 Bloomberry 5.15 5.30 4.90 Boulevard Holdings 0.0890 0.0900 0.0860 Calata Corp.

3.15 3.32 3 Cebu Air Inc. (5J) 103.8 107.5 103.8 Centro Esc. Univ.

9.52 9.7 9.52 Discovery World 2.5 2.5 2.5 DFNN Inc. 6.60 6.85 6.60 FEUI 992 989 954 Globe Telecom 1835 1889 1839 GMA Network Inc. 6.23 6.25 6.22 Golden Haven 13.96 13.98 13.68 Grand Plaza Hotel 20.00 17.50 16.20 Harbor Star 1.92 2.12 1.95 I.C.T.S.I. 75.1 77.8 75.05 Imperial Res. `A’ 16.74 17.18 16.52 Imperial Res. `B’ 136 136 136 IPeople Inc. `A’ 11.8 11.8 11.7 IP E-Game Ventures Inc. 0.0097 0.0100 0.0095 IPM Holdings 9.23 9.24 9.05 Island Info 0.210 0.215 0.210 ISM Communications 1.4700 1.4900 1.4300 Jackstones 3.67 3.36 3.3 LBC Express 12.68 12.68 12.26 Leisure & Resorts 4.95 5.15 4.95 Liberty Telecom 2.19 2.25 2.15 Lorenzo Shipping 1.03 1.04 1.03 Macroasia Corp.

2.15 2.13 2.10 Manila Broadcasting 25.20 25.00 21.30 Manila Jockey 2 2 2 Melco Crown 3.88 3.9 3.75 Metro Retail 4.88 4.90 4.80 NOW Corp.

3.050 3.080 2.950 Pacific Online Sys. Corp. 11.38 11.38 11.3 PAL Holdings Inc. 5.29 5.29 5.10 Phil. Seven Corp.

147.90 147.00 147.00 Philweb.Com Inc. 9.10 9.20 8.80 PLDT Common 1613.00 1621.00 1590.00 PremiereHorizon 0.405 0.405 0.400 Premium Leisure 1.050 1.070 1.040 Puregold 41.00 41.50 41.00 Robinsons RTL 73.25 73.05 71.20 SBS Phil. Corp.

5.63 5.68 5.61 SSI Group 2.78 2.80 2.75 STI Holdings 0.760 0.770 0.740 Transpacific Broadcast 1.85 1.86 1.86 Travellers 3.22 3.27 3.19 Yehey 4.980 5.240 4.900 MINING & OIL Abra Mining 0.0037 0.0037 0.0036 Apex `A’ 2.96 2.99 2.85 Atlas Cons. `A’ 4.10 4.09 3.94 Basic Energy Corp.

0.203 0.213 0.203 Benguet Corp `B’ 2.1000 2.2300 2.2300 Century Peak Metals Hldgs0.57 0.57 0.57 Coal Asia 0.380 0.400 0.380 Dizon 8.32 8.32 8.12 Ferronickel 1.020 1.060 1.000 Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. 0.265 0.270 0.255 Lepanto `A’ 0.192 0.191 0.188 Lepanto `B’ 0.195 0.198 0.191 Manila Mining `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Manila Mining `B’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. 1.45 1.41 1.38 Nickelasia 7.03 7.19 6.95 Nihao Mineral Resources 2.86 2.89 2.8 Oriental Peninsula Res. 0.8400 0.8600 0.8500 Oriental Pet. `A’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Oriental Pet. `B’ 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 Petroenergy Res. Corp. 4.22 4.10 4.10 Philex `A’ 8.11 8.15 7.88 PhilexPetroleum 3.95 4.26 4.08 Philodrill Corp. `A’ 0.0130 0.0130 0.0120 Semirara Corp.

122.70 127.50 121.00 TA Petroleum 3.15 3.29 3.2 United Paragon 0.0090 0.0097 0.0097 PREFERRED ABS-CBN Holdings Corp. 48.35 48 47.5 Ayala Corp. Pref ‘B2’ 535 535 535 DD Pref 103.6 103.8 103.5 GMA Holdings Inc. 5.98 5.98 5.98 MWIDE PREF 108 113 113 PCOR-Preferred A 1091 1091 1091 PF Pref 2 1025 1020 1018 PNX PREF 3A 108 107.5 107.5 SMC Preferred C 80.5 81 80.5 SMC Preferred F 79 79 78.95 SMC Preferred H 77.5 77.5 77 WARRANTS & BONDS LR Warrant 2.360 2.380 2.350 SME Alterra Capital 3.39 3.55 3.4 Makati Fin. Corp.

3.07 3 3 Italpinas 3.8 3.95 3.83 Xurpas 12.22 12.38 11.94 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS First Metro ETF 122 122.7 121.8

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

FINANCIAL

135,652,254

INDUSTRIAL

67,316,890

HOLDING FIRMS

70,302,654

PROPERTY

255,066,710

SERVICES

176,419,244

MINING & OIL

631,770,994

GRAND TOTAL

1,340,134,617

3.5 29.50 1.61 3.25 26.75 1.04 0.980 5.060

Low

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

3.41 29.00 1.6 3.25 26.10 1.07 1.000 5.120

-0.09 -0.50 -0.01 0.00 -0.65 0.03 0.02 0.06

1,277,000 1,976,600 500,000 170,000 5,866,300 875,000 301,000 4,425,200

7.56 48.1 1.35 0.520 4.90 0.0870 3.3 107 9.7 2.5 6.85 989 1870 6.22 13.96 17.50 2.06 75.05 16.54 136 11.7 0.0099 9.22 0.212 1.4500 3.3 12.26 4.95 2.20 1.03 2.13 23.40 2 3.9 4.89 2.980 11.3 5.10 147.00 8.90 1595.00 0.405 1.060 41.00 71.95 5.67 2.76 0.770 1.86 3.25 5.240

0.00 0.10 0.08 0.00 -0.25 0.00 0.15 3.20 0.18 0.00 0.25 -3.00 35.00 -0.01 0.00 -2.50 0.14 -0.05 -0.20 0.00 -0.10 0.00 -0.01 0.00 -0.02 -0.37 -0.42 0.00 0.01 0.00 -0.02 -1.80 0.00 0.02 0.01 -0.07 -0.08 -0.19 -0.90 -0.20 -18.00 0.00 0.01 0.00 -1.30 0.04 -0.02 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.26

665,700 45,800 196,000 368,000 25,425,200 26,270,000 6,854,000 495,680 2,100 28,000 44,500 1,820 85,195 37,700 70,500 3,100 4,044,000 788,760 15,200 120 600 42,000,000 481,000 14,260,000 1,034,000 169,000 6,200 183,000 547,000 6,000 22,000 21,600 10,000 4,574,000 2,465,000 2,128,000 20,000 107,600 840 2,150,500 161,595 390,000 8,780,000 981,200 2,225,540 180,000 493,000 25,293,000 6,000 662,000 172,000

0.0036 2.99 4.00 0.213 2.2300 0.57 0.380 8.28 1.060 0.260 0.189 0.191 0.0110 0.0110 1.4 7.06 2.89 0.8600 0.0110 0.0110 4.10 8.14 4.16 0.0120 126.00 3.2 0.0097

0.00 0.03 -0.10 0.01 0.13 0.00 0.00 -0.04 0.04 -0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -0.05 0.03 0.03 0.02 0.00 0.00 -0.12 0.03 0.21 0.00 3.30 0.05 0.00

562,000,000 119,000 368,000 390,000 1,000 75,000 330,000 400 28,383,000 340,000 2,540,000 1,520,000 93,000,000 1,800,000 172,000 2,292,500 13,000 31,000

47.8 535 103.6 5.98 113 1091 1018 107.5 81 79 77

-0.55 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.00 0.00 -7.00 -0.50 0.50 0.00 -0.50

470,800 2,000 16,860 100 80 100 1,710 10 18,150 23,860 210

2.350

-0.01

73,000

3.54 3 3.83 11.94

0.15 -0.07 0.03 -0.28

1,947,000 12,000 151,000 1,451,400

121.8

-0.20

42,070

-13,577,045.00 -383,620.00 16,300.00 -67,159,015.00 -2,146,817.00 -56,914.00

73,824,983.00 23,400.00 -166,420.00 18,331,166.00

54,685,530.00

30,300.00 -9,766,150.00

-25,220.00 2,919,120.00 -1,159,000.00 92,660.00 122,010.00 -1,979,734.00 21,702,810.00 -1,491,980.00 -1,874,340.00 -26,928,520.00 5.68 -499,620.00 5,888,920.00 -925,180.00 44,100.00 10,800.00 5,970.00 -1,157,190.00

9,330,260.00

-261,305.00

1,100,000 3,000 1,238,000 -507,095.00 11,946,000 -204,260.00 2,600,000 1,956,240 60,013,931.00 113,000 2,000,000 -4,034,865.00

550,020.00 19,300.00 -7,192,648.00

VALUE 1,779.47 (down) 0.70 1,098,291,507.54 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,514.39 (down) 105.59 1,056,091,041.21 HOLDING FIRMS 7,417.18 (up) 21.62 1,414,756,181.195 PROPERTY 3,220.86 (down) 45.92 1,419.38 (down) 4.75 1,737,722,941.99 SERVICES MINING & OIL 11,268.30 (up) 127.38 1,027,513,114.08 PSEI 7,358.21 (down0 31.09 357,790,944.5865 All Shares Index 4,367.57 (down) 35.12 6,722,265,436.515 Gainers: 94; Losers: 86; Unchanged: 47; Total: 227

acquire 100 percent of Consolidated Snacks Pty. Ltd., the company behind Snack Brands and Australia’s second largest salty snacks player for A$600 million (P21.34 billion), in a bid to accelerate its Asia-Pacific expansion.

Consolidated Snacks is one of Australia’s leading snack manufacturers with a total market share of close to 30 percent and has a wide portfolio of chips including iconic brands Kettles, Thins, CC’s and Cheezels.

URC said with the acquisition, it planned to create a wider footprint in Oceania with SBA providing a solid anchor in the highly competitive Australian FMCG and retailing market.

The deal is also synergistic with URC & Griffin’s, New Zealand’s number one snackfoods company which was acquired by URC in November 2014.

URC also raised P4.38 billion from sale of treasury shares to partially finance the acquisition of Snackbrands Australia. URC sold a total of 22.659 million treasury shares by way of a special block sale priced at P193.45 per share.

SnackBrands Australia’s topline posted a compounded annual growth rate of 7.4 percent in the past four years.

It operates two manufacturing facilities in Sydney which are located in Smithfield and Blacktown.

Converge plans to hold IPO by 2018

By Othel V. Campos CONVERGE ICT Solutions Inc., a multi-service telecommunications company, plans to hold an initial public offering and list in the Philippine Stock Exchange by 2018, a top executive said.

The company said proceeds from the planned IPO would be used to build its own backbone in Mindanao and establish an international gateway.

“This is the plan all along but financial constraints led us to wait for better times to raise the funding we need.

Listing is a way to fund our project, increase our footprint and render prices lower by offering competition,” Converge ICT chief executive Dennis Anthony Uy said.

Converge ICT is 90-percent owned by Clark Communications, which has 24 years of history in serving the cable TV market in the Visayas and dial-up connections in Luzon.

The company recently announced a P2.4-billion subsea cable laying project that will commence by end-2017.

Uy said the subsea cable laying would be a significant part the planned backbone project in Mindanao as this would connect the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The company recently inaugurated a P1.2-billion fiber optic cable connection project to the homes, replacing the outdated copper cables that tended to disrupt communications during bad weather.

Fiber optic to the homes will improve connectivity with better speed and more stable connection at lower price rates, Uy said.

Business

B3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Edsa problem needs a drastic solution

AFFORDABLE HEALTH. United Laboratories Inc. signs a partnership with the PLDT Group and Land Bank of the Philippines that will enable over 700,000 eligible government employees to order and purchase quality and affordable medicines through mobile phones without any outright payment. Signing the partnership deal are (from left) Lito Villanueva, managing director of FINTQ and Voyager Innovations; Vincent Patrick Guerrero, general manager of Ritemed; Cecilia Borromeo, executive vice president and officer-in-charge of LandBank; Manuel Pangilinan, chairman of PLDT Inc. Smart Communications Inc. and Voyager; Clinton Campos Hess, president and CEO of Unilab; Orlando Vea,president and CEO of Voyager; Jose Maria Ochave, senior VP of Unilab; and Liduvino Geron, SVP and branch banking sector head of LandBank.

San Miguel, Petron win case vs Romero

By Darwin G. Amojelar

T

HE Securities and Exchange Commission dismissed a complaint filed by Harbour Centre Port Terminal Inc. against Harbour Centre Port Holdings Inc. and Petron Corp. seeking to nullify the increase in capital stock of Manila North Harbour Port Inc.

The SEC said in its decision dated October 12 that “there is clearly an unmitigated forum shopping on the part of the complainant HCPTI.” It cited a pending case in the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 in which HCPTI was also seeking to void the increase in capital stock in MNHPI.

Miners seeking repeal of EO 79

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales THE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines urged the government to repeal Executive Order No. 79 and condemned the moratorium on new mining projects declared by Environment Secretary Regina Lopez.

President Benigno Aquino III in 2012 issued Executive Order No. 79 which aims to institute reforms in the mining sector.

The order barred new mineral agreements until a legislation rationalizing the existing mining revenue sharing scheme is amended.

“The Aquino administration has sidelined the mining industry through EO 79. The Chamber of Mines have mulled over filing cases against this order but for fear of reprisal from the Aquino administration, we chose to suffer in silence.

But we can no longer do so,” CoMP vice president for legal and policy Ronald Recidoro said.

Recidoro said the order had adversely impeded the growth of the mining industry.

“EO7 9 effectively set the mining industry back at least a decade. The country missed so many investment opportunities. But the more serious effect of the postponement of mining projects is the deprivation of opportunities for employment, livelihood and development in far-flung communities, especially in Mindanao, where they are most needed,” Recidoro said Chamber data showed that an estimated $20 billion worth of new mining projects were in the pipeline., mostly in Mindanao.

The SEC said in the SEC and the Manila RTC cases, “the primordial issue involved is one and the same, i.e. whether or not the increase of the authorized capital stock is null and void, the ultimate objective of which is the revocation and/or recall of the same, including the suspension of its implementation and the effects thereof.”

It said it also dismissed HCPTI’s case because it failed to include MNHPI, the main subject of the case, in the complaint.

“The basic tenet of due process tells us that North Harbour is a party which will stand to be benefitted or be injured by the judgment that may be rendered by the SEC,” the regulator said.

The SEC also ruled that the SEC’s Company Registration and Monitoring Department did not violate any rules when it approved the increase in capital stock of MNHPI from P1 billion to P3 billion.

“Insofar as the 15 December 2014 letter

of Mr. Reghis Romero II alleging intra corporate dispute is concerned, the same parties pertains to the intra-corporate controversy in HCPTI and not in MNHPI,” the SEC said.

The board of directors and stockholders had approved an increase in MNHPI’s authorized capital stock from P1 billion to P3 billion, which the SEC cleared on February 18, 2015.

MNHPI was owned by HCPTI (45.5 percent), HCPHI (19.5 percent) and Petron Corp. (35 percent).

San Miguel Corp. acquired a majority interest in MNHPI after San Miguel Holdings Corp. subscribed to and fully paid for 13 million common shares, resulting in SMHC owning a 43.33-percent equity interest in MNHPI. Along with the 35-percent staked held by San Miguel-owned Petron Corp., the conglomerate now controls a 78.33-percent interest in the port terminal company.

Senator wants energy projects protected

By Alena Mae S. Flores SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian plans to file a bill declaring energy proposals as projects of national significance.

“That’s one of the bills that will be filed. In that bill, by declaring projects of national significance will give prioritization to certain power-related projects,” Gatchalian told reporters.

Gatchalian, who heads the Senate Committee on Energy, said the bill would hopefully shorten the permit process, which has become an important concern among local and foreign investors.

“A concrete example is permitting, we may put a timeframe. We will compel the LGUs (local government units), different departments to cut the requirements of the permits and put a timetable on the permit,” Gatchalian said.

He said the bill would also put pressure on LGUs to get their act together.

“We will put pressure on LGU or LGU groups to move... So i think that is one of the features of the projects of national significance,” he said.

Gatchalian said the bill might also include a one-stop-shop to address the concerns of investors

in the power sector.

“This needs a legislative measure because we’re talking of multiple departments—Energy, Agriculture and Energy... So what we want is to really come up with a sort of one-stop-shop so they will only talk to one agency,” he said.

Gatchalian said the bill would merely be procedural and not focus on incentives such as those already granted by the Board of Investments.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi earlier said the department is pushing for a policy of declaring energy proposals as projects of national significance.

EVEN in the days when it was known as Highway 54, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (Edsa) already had the potential to become a negative influence on life in this country’s premier metropolis— the National Capital Region—and a major source of loss for the NCR and national economies. The Filipino people knew that the loss figure would be very high, but they did not expect it to be as high as the recent Japan International Cooperation Agency estimate of P2.4 billion per day.

The root of the Edsa problem, which the new administration has upgraded to a “crisis” deserving of emergency powers for the new Chief Executive, is the fact that NCR’s premier thoroughfare traverses seven of its 17 components, including the gateways to Northern Luzon (Quezon City), Rizal province (Pasig City) and Southern Luzon (Makati City). In terms of length and position, there is only one thoroughfare capable of serving as an alternative to Edsa, to wit, C-5 (Carlos P. Garcia Avenue). Together with Manila, the seven cities account for close to 75 percent of NCR’s vehicular traffic.

A look at the map of the NCR indicates that only two thoroughfares—Edsa and C-5—run in a north-south direction.

Only two major thoroughfares—Quezon Avenue-Commonwealth Avenue and Ortigas Avenue—run in an east-west direction.

From this fact one can deduce the enormous pressure on Edsa and C-5 for carrying people and goods into, within and out of the metropolis. Edsa and C-5 are simply overworked. They need relief, and quickly.

Unfortunately, relief can come from only two sources. The first has to do with infrastructure. The second factor relates to the use of Edsa for the efficient movement of people and goods. In economic-theory terms, the first is the supply side of the equation and the latter is the demand side.

Economics students are taught that for the attainment of price stability—and socio-political stability as well—the supply and the demand for a thing must be in or close to equilibrium. When disequilibrium is the case, there has to be adjustment on either the supply side or the demand side to bring the market situation back to equilibrium.

Unfortunately, in the context of today’s Edsa, an equilibriumrestoring change in the near-term market equation is not possible without a drastic adjustment on either the supply side or the demand side. The word ‘drastic’ should be noted. The only changes that have been possible on the Edsa supply situation have been the avenue’s maximum-possible widening and the construction of three overhead light-railway lines. There is no further room for Edsa widening; the road engineers have gone as far as they can go.

Given the sustained increase in Edsa traffic over the years, a state of excessive demand was bound to come into being. New private cars and additional buses—from within the metropolis and from the nearby provinces—just keep coming into the market.

Aggressive selling by the car makers working closely with the banks has made car ownership more widely accessible, and lax enforcement of the land-transportation regulations has placed more and more buses and SUVs on Edsa.

To curb the number of cars and buses on Edsa—at least on one day every week—the Metro Manila Development Authority and the transport agencies put in place the number-coding scheme.

That scheme has worked only as far as it goes, i.e., reduced the number of EDSA-using cars one day every week; the situation on the other days of the week remains very bad. From time to time there is talk, within the regulatory agencies and in the media, of forbidding the registration of new private cars, which are the No.1 users of Edsa. Whether that idea will prosper, one cannot say. What is certain is that there has to be a sharp adjustment on the demand side of the Edsa equation.

One of the benefits being touted with regard to the request for emergency powers for the President of the Philippines is the facilitation of the process of right-of-way acquisition. But even if the facilitation came to pass, any new Edsa-related facility is at least three years away. The much-needed first subway line, if started tomorrow, would take at least five years to construct.

Whichever approach is taken toward bringing the Edsa situation to equilibrium—whether from the demand side or the supply side—two things are certain. One is that the Eda standstill is taking a heavy economic and psychological toll on the populations of Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces. The other is that whichever approach is decided upon will have to be drastic in nature. Proponents of cosmetic or half-baked solutions need not apply.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

Upgrading to Sierra I FINALLY got around to upgrading my 11-inch MacBook Air (circa 2014) from El Capitan to Sierra this weekend, crossing the symbolic line between OS X and macOS. It’s still basically the same operating system renamed; you can tell from the version numbers. El Capitan was version OS X 10.11 and Sierra is macOS 10.12.

The upgrade process was painless—I just downloaded Sierra from the Mac App Store and followed the on-screen instructions. From start to finish, the process took roughly 50 minutes.

The one blip in my installation was a suggestion that I upgrade my free Apple iCloud account to a paid subscription. Because Sierra can now save all your files from the Documents folder and the Desktop to your iCloud account ala Dropbox and synch them with your other devices, I would need storage beyond the free 5GB that comes with iCloud. Since I was not ready to pay for extra online storage, and since I am perfectly happy with what I have in Dropbox, I declined.

After the installation was complete, I was also told that I needed to install an earlier version of Java for OS X to run the old version of Photoshop I had installed on my machine. The dialog box came with a link to the download page, so this was no problem at all.

Checking the AppStore’s Updates tab, I also noticed there were updated versions of Keynote, Pages and Numbers, Apple’s built-in presentation, word processing and spreadsheet software. I downloaded and installed these as well.

On the surface, I could see no significant difference between Sierra and El Capitan; there are thankfully no drastic or disruptive changes to the user interface. This doesn’t mean there’s nothing new here.

The marquee addition to Sierra is Siri, the voice-activated natural-language assistant that has been on its iOS platform for iPhones and iPads for some time now.

You can activate Siri by clicking on its icon in the dock or on the menu bar.

In my case, the Siri icon didn’t show on the menu bar, so I had to go to System Preferences > Siri, uncheck “Show Siri in menu bar” and check it again. In System Preferences, you can also designate a hotkey combination to call up Siri.

Note that Siri will not work without an Internet connection.

Not having used Siri before—I don’t use an iPhone or an iPad—I gave her a spin on my Mac. On some questions or commands, Siri performed like a star. These included “What’s the weather like?” (Produced a 10-day forecast from Weather.com) “How hot will it get?) (Produced

the same 10-day forecast with a comment: It should get to about 31 degrees. Hot enough for me!)

“Find a pizzeria nearby.” (Gave me a list of 15 pizzerias within 5.5 kilometers of me) “Find doc files from today.” (Found only this file, that I was working on early Monday morning.)

“How much free space do I have?”

(You have 41.17GB storage available.)

“What time is it in Toronto?” (It’s 5:26 p.m. in Toronto, Canada. Something going on there I should know about?)

Siri stumbled on other questions: “How is the Philippine Stock Exchange doing?” (Produced a list of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite—but not the PSEI) Word recognition seemed slow, at first, but Siri picked up speed when I asked the same questions.

If you are not shy about talking to your computer, Siri could have some practical uses, even at work. For example, you could be working on a report and ask Siri to find the files or the data you need to complete it.

Lifehacker (lifehacker.com) has a big list of Sierra-specific questions you can ask Siri.

Siri isn’t the only thing new on Sierra, but it’s certainly the most interesting.

Other new features include:

Optimized storage and System Cleanup. When you’re low on disk space, Sierra can store files you rarely use in iCloud. It can also clean up duplicate downloads and junk files.

Apple Pay. This lets you shop online with Apple Pay, Apple’s a mobile payment and digital wallet service.

Improved Photos application. Photos now has smart image recognition that can figure out who’s in the picture, where and when it was taken, and even what’s in the picture itself. This lets you quickly see photos of a specific person or search photos by scenery or objects in them.

Watch unlock. You can use your Apple Watch to quickly unlock your Mac without typing your password.

Cross-device copy and pasting. Copy on your iPhone or iPad and paste on your Mac. Cross-device desktop and documents.

Your Mac’s Desktop and Documents folders are now available on iPhone and iPad through iCloud—but again, you might incur extra monthly costs if you need to upgrade your account.

Column archives and blog at: http://www.chinwong.com

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

B4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

Business

Bonds fall, dollar strengthens

B

ONDS fell in Asia and Europe and the dollar strengthened versus the pound after comments by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen clouded the outlook for US monetary policy. European and US equity index futures declined with oil.

Benchmark bond yields in Australia and South Korea climbed to their highest levels since June, while rates in Germany increased after Yellen on Friday triggered a selloff in longer-dated US Treasuries by putting forward an argument for Fed policy to be kept loose. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index held near a seven-month high following the pickup in Treasury yields. Shares fell in most Asian

markets as oil slipped toward $50 a barrel.

Investor sentiment continues to be dominated by shifts in expectations for the scale and timing of US interest-rate increases, while American companies’ earnings are also being watched closely. Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer is due to speak Monday, when American industrial output data are also scheduled. Yellen said there are “plausible ways” that running the

economy hot for a while could repair some damage caused to growth during the recession, indicating a willingness to limit policy tightening as inflation quickens.

“US economic data like inflation for September and home construction, home sales and industrial output figures will be eagerly anticipated for clues about the Fed’s interest rate policy,” said Vasu Menon, vice president for wealth management research at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore.

“Earnings are especially critical at this juncture as US stocks are trading at near-record highs and susceptible to earnings disappointments as valuations look stretched.”

The euro area is due to

report last month’s change in its consumer price index on Monday, while similar figures for the US are scheduled for Tuesday. China may issue data on money supply and lending, ahead of Wednesday’s release of gross domestic product figures for the third quarter. Bank of America Corp. has quarterly results coming, after Citigroup Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. reported better-than-expected earnings on Friday.

The yield on Australia’s 10year sovereign bonds rose by four basis points to 2.31 percent as of 7:30 a.m. London time, while that on similar-maturity notes in South Korea climbed by seven basis points to 1.62 percent.

Germany’s yield increased by

one basis point to a one-month high of 0.07 percent.

The yield on US Treasuries due in a decade declined by two basis points to 1.78 percent, after climbing six basis points on Friday to the highest level in more than four months.

The two-year yield was little changed for a second day after futures prices indicated the chance of a Fed rate hike in 2016 held steady at 66 percent in the last session.

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a gauge of the greenback against 10 major peers, was little changed following a 0.4 percent advance on Friday. The pound weakened 0.1 percent and Australia’s dollar slipped 0.2 percent. Bloomberg

Kyushu rail IPO expects to raise $4b JAPAN’S government is set to raise 416 billion yen ($4 billion) from the initial share sale of state-owned Kyushu Railway Co. after pricing the stock at the top end of a marketed range.

The shares will be sold at 2,600 yen each, compared with the offered range of 2,400 yen to 2,600 yen, according to a filing on Monday. Japan is selling all 160 million shares held by Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency, which fully owns JR Kyushu.

The IPO, set to be the world’s third-biggest this year, is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to encourage citizens to invest some of their 1,700 trillion-yen household savings in the stock market. JR Kyushu’s IPO follows debuts in the 1990s

by East Japan Railway Co. and Central Japan Railway Co. after the breakup of state-run Japan Railways in 1987.

Shares of JR Kyushu, which operates bullet trains, hotels and restaurants on Japan’s third-largest island, are scheduled to list Oct. 25 in Tokyo. Three-quarters of the shares are being sold domestically, with the rest offered to overseas investors. Japan aims to sell more than half the shares to individual investors and held eight of 10 investor presentations on the island of Kyushu.

Nomura Holdings Inc., Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are global coordinators for the IPO, while SMBC Nikko Securities Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will also lead the global offering. Bloomberg

‘NO WASTE FOOD.’ People sit at tables as they take part in the “no-waste brunch” in front of the hotel de ville in Paris on October 16, 2016, an event organized during the National day of the “no waste food.” 1,500 lunches are to be distributed in front of the hotel de ville in Paris to mark the National day of the “no waste food.” AFP

Japan bans all Note 7 phones TOKYO―Japan has barred all Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones from airplanes, mirroring moves by US regulators and a string of carriers that banned the recalled devices over fire risk concerns.

The weekend announcement from Japan’s transport ministry follows an earlier warning that asked airlines to urge passengers not to turn on or charge the smartphones on aircraft.

But aviation authorities went a step further on Saturday, ordering airlines to ban the devices completely, a transport ministry official said.

The South Korean electronics giant has recalled all Note 7 phones, including replacements, following reports of exploding batteries and fires, which have led to numerous injuries. Samsung has also stopped producing the flagship handset.

Japan’s move came after US transport authorities on Friday issued an emergency order banning the phones and saying anyone attempting to travel with the recalled handsets may face fines and have the devices confiscated.

It was not immediately clear what sort of penalties passengers on All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines―the country’s biggest carriers―could face if they were found with the phone.

JAL spokesman Takuya Shimoguchi said customers could choose to board planes without their Note 7 phone or the airline would confiscate it.

But “there have been no clear instructions on punitive measures,” he added.

“We’ll act on a case-by-case basis.”

Korean Air follows government guidelines requiring Note 7s to be turned off in-flight and only transported in carry-on luggage. But it operates a total ban on flights to-and-from the US, Canada and Hong Kong.

South Korea’s Asiana has banned Note 7s from all flights starting Monday.

Australian and New Zealand airlines have banned the phone from all planes. AFP

China’s third-quarter growth declines to 6.6%—AFP poll BEIJING—China’s growth slipped to a seven-year low of 6.6 percent in the third quarter, according to an AFP survey, despite ample stimulus and a red-hot property market in the world’s second-largest economy.

The median forecast for expansion in gross domestic product, based on a poll of 18 economists, represents an easing from the second quarter’s 6.7 percent.

It would be the slowest quarterly growth since the first three months of 2009, in the middle of the global financial crisis.

As the world’s biggest trader

in goods China is crucial to the global economy and its performance affects partners from Australia to Zambia.

GDP expanded 6.9 percent in 2015—its weakest in a quarter of a century—and the government has targeted growth in a range of 6.5-7.0 percent for this year.

The AFP poll forecast China will just meet the goal, with the median full-year prediction at 6.6 percent.

“Our expectation is that growth will continue to slow. The largest headwind on the horizon is the housing sector, which peaked in April 2016 and thus is now in the

correction phase of its cycle,” Brian Jackson of IHS told AFP. Beijing is trying to execute a difficult structural transition away from dependence on lowend exports and heavy industry toward consumption and services, but entrenched interests have slowed progress.

At the same time, authorities have sought to combat a slowdown through hefty fiscal stimulus and loose home-buying policies that have fueled property market booms in urban areas.

“Economic growth in the third quarter was better than market expectations,” Rong Jing, a

Beijing-based analyst with BNP Paribas, told AFP, but pointed to possible risks arising from the real-estate boom.

“The property bubble risk will continue to balloon if the government does not take tightening measures, as it would cause a very negative impact on the economy and the financial system,” she added.

“The biggest restraint this year that prevents monetary easing is the real estate market.”

In recent weeks lawmakers have unveiled tighter home-buying regulations in major cities to cool down galloping property prices.

Recent indicators have painted a mixed picture of China’s economic health.

An official measure of manufacturing activity maintained its strongest level in nearly two years in September while auto sales grew at their fastest rate in three years in the world’s biggest car market.

Data Friday showed that the price of goods at the factory gate rose in China for the first time in more than four years in September, a positive sign for demand after years of dropping prices battered manufacturers and put a damper on growth. AFP

Frankfurt fair shakes up book world FRANKFURT, Germany―There will still be more books than you could ever read, but visitors to this week’s Frankfurt Book Fair will also be invited to don virtual reality goggles, visit an interactive classroom and discover 3Dprinted art as publishers plug into new technology.

Organizers of the world’s largest publishing event say the focus on art and technology is a logical next step as the creative industries become ever more connected.

The fair, which opens on Wednesday and is expected to draw some 275,000 visitors, has always been about “content― regardless of its format,” the event’s vice-president Holger Volland told AFP. Among the main draws at the five-day gathering will be virtual reality experiences, with several exhibitors unveiling projects that plunge visitors into a world that until then only existed on the page.

Taiwanese artist Jimmy Liao’s picture book, “All of My World Is You,” will come to life once visitors slip on a VR headset that will allow them to interact with the main character, a mysterious

young girl, and complete challenges to make her smile.

In the spotlight as guest of honor is the literary culture and language of Flanders and the Netherlands, who have created three separate VR experiences, including one allowing users to alternate between the perspectives of a father and his nine-year-old daughter who are mourning the loss of a family member.

“Literature exists not just on the page,” said Suzanne Meeuwissen of the Dutch Foundation for Literature, a co-initiator of the projects, pointing to recent Nobel Literature Prize winner Bob Dylan as an example.

Virtual reality is a brand new canvas, she said, and “writers and artists are hungry to explore this unfamiliar territory.”

Educational publishers are also tapping into new technology, from text books that can be made interactive with the help of an app to 3D printouts of organs to use in biology lessons.

In the “Classroom of the Future,” visitors can watch students and teachers try out the latest innovations.

It remains to be seen, of course, to what extent all these ideas can generate revenues for publishers and creators, a question that will be a hot topic in Frankfurt.

‘Next Rembrandt’ Such is the focus on creative content across different media that there will even be a “fair within a fair” this year, called Arts+, where artists, architects and museums will talk about the challenges and opportunities of working with digital technology―and show off some results.

Volland described Arts+ as a place to “discuss new business models and synergies between art and technology.”

One of the highlights will be a project called “The next Rembrandt” in which a Dutch team used artificial intelligence and a 3D printer to create a “new” work by the master painter based on a computer algorithm that worked out the average features of a typical Rembrandt subject.

David Hockney, royals But at its heart, the Frankfurt fair is for book lovers and with over 7,000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, visitors will get the chance to discover thousands of new titles in all imagin-

This file photo taken on October 09, 2013 shows fairgoers visiting the Frankfurt Book Fair in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. There will still be more books than you could ever read, but visitors to this week’s Frankfurt Book Fair 2016 will also be invited to don virtual reality goggles, visit an interactive classroom and discover 3D-printed art as publishers plug into new technology. AFP

able genres.

One of the biggest names to attend will be British contemporary artist David Hockney, who will unveil an oversized, 500page book illustrating his life’s work, from the famous sunsoaked swimming pool paintings of the 1960s to his recent

series of iPad drawings.

The signed, limited edition tome is so large that it will come with its own stand and a price tag of 2,000 euros ($2,200).

Adding a touch of royal flair to this year’s event will be Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Belgium’s King Philippe and

Queen Mathilde, who will open the Dutch-Flemish pavilion on Tuesday, on the eve of the official kick-off.

The Frankfurt fair dates back over 500 years, with the first edition taking place shortly after the Gutenberg printing press was invented in nearby Mainz. AFP

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

C1

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

READY FOR ALL SOULS. A flower vendor arranges the flowers she’s selling from her stall in Sampaloc, Manila. The price of flowers have been increasing due to heightened demand ahead of the All Souls’ holiday on Nov. 1. Ey Acasio

Ecija in state of calamity C

ABANATUAN CITY—Governor Czarina Umali on Monday sought the declaration of Nueva Ecija under state of calamity after Typhoon “Karen” destroyed over P1 billion in agriculture.

Umali, who heads the Provin- Management Council, lamented cial Disaster Risk Reduction and that the devastation brought by

“Karen” affected the government’s effort to increase rice production.

Abraham Pascua, PDRRMC spokesperson, said that on top of the P1-billion damage in rice crops were P87.7-million worth of vegetables and high value crops.

The engineering districts, Pas-

cua said, have yet to finalize reports on damage to infrastructure.

But the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council estimated the cost of damage to agriculture at P2.14 billion.

Data from the RDRRMC showed that agricultural losses covered damage to palay and

Planes told to avoid restive Bulusan

By Joel Zurbano THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines on Monday issued a notice to airmen advising them to avoid flying near Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon, which according to the weather bureau, is in abnormal condition and period of unrest.

“Notice to Airmen B3851/16 effective 9:00 am today until 9:00 am Tuesday (Oct. 18) after Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon spewed volcanic ash over 1 kilometer high this morning,” the CAAP stated in its advisory.

The agency issued the warning after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that phreatic explosions occurred over the volcano that remains on alert number 1.

CAAP also advised the pilots flying near the area to exercise extreme caution when passing between Lopez and Masbate airspace.

Volcanic eruption and ash clouds could have significant impacts on aircraft operations, according to CAAP. Notam is a notice distributed by means of telecommunication

containing information concerning the establishment, condition or change in any aeronautical facility, service, procedure or hazard, the timely knowledge of which is essential to personnel concerned with flight operations.

The weather bureau stated that steam explosion produced a 1 to 1.5-kilometer-high ash plume above the summit and drifted toward the southwest.

The volcano sent a kilometerhigh white grayish cloud into the air that lasted for 24 minutes Monday morning, its second this

month, Phivolcs said.

“Though the event was a minor phreatic eruption that is produced by steam the volcano’s restiveness has remained,” said Eduardo Laguerta, Phivolcs’ resident volcanologist.

Bulusan volcano’s eruption on Monday is the second this month after the first on Oct. 6 but it is the 20th eruption since May last year, he said.

Phivolcs’ monitoring instruments recorded 24 volcanic earthquakes during the past 24hour period, its 8 a.m. bulletin said.

high-value crops in the region’s five out of seven provinces, namely Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac.

The palay sector incurred the biggest damage with an initial report of P2,141,252,435.58.

Damage to high-value crops was initially pegged at P149,700.

The RDRRMC also reported

that the agricultural losses, in particular the palay sector in Tarlac was the hit hardest due to floods brought by Typhoon “Karen” with an initial estimated damage at P1.047 billion.

This was followed by Nueva Ecija with an estimated damage to palay at P1.036 billion.

Turn to C2

Ebdane denies selling PH soil FORMER Zambales governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. on Monday denied anew that he sold soil from two mountains in Zambales to the Chinese to be used for reclamation activities at the Scarborough Shoal.

“I cannot sell something that is not mine, I have no authority,” Ebdane told Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.

This was tackled during a joint committee hearing on reported destructive mining operations and illegal excavations in the province.

The hearing was initiated after Senator Panfilo Lacson filed Senate Resolution No. 92, which seeks to investigate the alleged smuggling of soil and rocks to the Chinese for their reclamation activities.

Reports earlier cited mining activities that are practically flattening mountains and dam-

aging a large area of forested highlands in Santa Cruz town.

There were also reports quoting Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso as saying that soil from Zambales were used to reclaim almost 3,500 hectares of the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea. Another report quoted a source from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency as saying the mining firms were smuggling soil and rocks to build a chain of Chinese islands in the West Philippine Sea. Ebdane also denied any reclamation activity by the Chinese at the Scarborough Shoal but claimed that mining operations by the Chinese in the shoal started even before his term as governor.

Deloso for his part said that he could not confirm or deny his earlier claim but said that he had no personal knowledge of the matter. PNA

Aurora governor faces another rap

By Ferdie G. Domingo

IN MORTAL DANGER. A boy reaches out to get alms from a truck driver at a busy Manila intersection. Ey Acasio

BALER, AURORA—The Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon ordered Gov. Gerardo Noveras, who is already facing several charges, to answer the latest graft complaint against him over the use of his own dump trucks in a government project undertaken by a private contractor in Dinalungan town.

In a one-page order signed by director Joaquin Salazar, Noveras and Benguet-based contractor Julio Liis were directed answer the complaint of former provincial engineer Rodante Tolentino and provincial disaster risk reduction and management council head Amado Elson Egargue.

Noveras, along with 10 other Capitol officials, is also facing

charges for the questionable purchase of a P8.5-million pay loader by the provincial government three years ago filed by Egargue and Tolentino.

In their five-page joint complaint-affidavit filed with the Ombudsman for Luzon, Tolentino and Egargue cited that Noveras owned a trucking business known as RB & Triple C’s Trucking Services, including four 10-wheeler dump trucks.

They claimed that on Oct. 28, 2014, Noveras awarded RB with a government project for barangay site development worth P232,441.50 at SitioTambalungan, Barangay Nipoo in Dinalungan. The project involves the hauling of gravel and sand in the project site.

C2

LGUs

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

Estrada: No trike phaseout M

ANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada on Monday said the city government has no plans to immediately phase out fuel-run tricycles, pedicabs and motorized pedicabs in the city as part of the gradual introduction of electric tricycles (E-trikes) beginning next month.

Estrada again made the clarification after a small group of protesters staged a demonstration this morning opposing the E-trike program of the city government.

“Definitely, there is no phaseout. What we just want to do is to replace their conventional tricycles with modern, battery-operated E-trikes, so that they will have more earnings and at the

same time help reduce air pollution in our city,” Estrada said.

Estrada appealed to the 20,000 drivers of tricycles, pedicabs, and kuligligs in Manila not to be swayed by the misinformation being waged by some individuals out to discredit the city government’s social development programs.

Dennis Alcoreza, head of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, also played down the drivers’ apprehensions that the city government will take away their only source of livelihood.

“This is just a gradual imple-

mentation, no immediate phaseout. This is in fact a livelihood project of Mayor Estrada to provide better source of income for our poor tricycle and pedicab drivers,” Estrada said.

Alcoreza added: “E, ngayon nagbabayad sila ng boundary pero ‘ di napapasakanila ‘yung tricycle. Ito [E-trike] after four years, sa kanila na.”

Alcoreza stressed that this “boundary-hulog” program for the E-trikes is affordable even to the poorest drivers because the costs of the project is subsidized by the city government.

The driver-beneficiaries will only pay P150 to 200 a day for four years to own the batterypowered tricycles, he added.

By November, Alcoreza said the E-trike project will only be pilot-tested in three areas: Binondo, Malate, and University Belt; some 280 E-trikes will be initially distributed to the first batch of driver-beneficiaries.

The Manila Electric Co. is presently constructing charging stations/terminals in the selected areas, which will be used for free by the E-trike drivers.

The Estrada administration is

launching its E-trike project in Manila as a means to combat air pollution and improve the livelihood of some 5,000 tricycle drivers in the city and thousands more of “colorum” pedicab drivers who operate without franchises.

The city government has procured an initial fleet of 384 battery-operated vehicles that will be distributed to tricycle drivers through an affordable “boundary-hulog” scheme.

The city government bought the 384 units of E-trikes for more than P145 million or P380,000 each.

QC cites Catholic network RADIO Veritas, the leading faith-based AM station in the Philippines, is among the recipients of the Manuel L. Quezon Gawad Parangal for the Most Outstanding Institution for 2016 by the Quezon City government.

The awarding ceremony will be held at the Crowne Plaza Galleria on Oct. 22, 2016 coinciding with the celebration of the Quezon City’s 77th founding anniversary.

Radio Veritas president Rev. Fr. Anton C.T. Pascual expresses his gratitude to the local government of Quezon City for recognizing its contribution in evangelization and moral transformation of the country.

“Thank you from all of us at Radio Veritas. We are truly humbled to be given such kind of token of recognition. This strengthens us to continue our ideals for spreading the truth and persevere in fulfilling our mission to become the leading Catholic multimedia and information center in the country that caters the needs of the faithful through radio and social media,” Fr. Pascual said.

Started in 2002, Quezon City government has been paying tribute to outstanding individuals and institutions that have contributed not only to the City’s development and reputation but also have served as inspiration to the country as well, through the yearly conferment of its highest award of honor and recognition, the Manuel L. Quezon Gawad Parangal. The conferment was named after the late Manuel L. Quezon, the country’s second president in history.

The station received several recognitions this year for its persistence in fulfilling its mission of spreading the truth and new evangelization through its radio programs.

Radio Veritas received the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas Golden Dove Award for best radio public service announcement in April.

The station was also a recipient of the first SLB Kaisa ng Bayan Award by the Jesuit socio-political group Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan during their 30th anniversary celebration last Feb. 24, 2016.

Trinity University of Asia also chose Veritas 846 as the winner of the Trinitian Award for Values-Oriented Radio Station for the 2016 Platinum Stallion Media Awards.

Meanwhile, the news program “Veritas Pilipinas” won the Hildegarde Award under the Broadcast Journalism - Radio category from St. Scholastica’s College Manila’s 10th Hildegarde Awards for Women in Media and Communication.

Radio Veritas 846 is owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Manila.

Established in 1969, the Ramon Magsaysay recipient Catholic radio station continues to be the leading social communications ministry for truth and evangelization in the country today.

NO SAILING. Passenger and fishing bancas were barred from leaving port over the weekend as Typhoon ‘Karen’ hit Luzon island with yet another typhoon entered the Philippine area of responsibility on Monday. Ey Acasio

Navotas garners ‘unqualified’ CoA endorsement OUT of 17 local government units in the National Capital Region, only Navotas was given the the best possible audit outcome a government office or agency can get, according to the Commission on Audit.

“We are honored and proud to receive an unqualified opinion from CoA. This validates the city government’s efforts to be transparent in its financial operations and position,” Mayor John Rey Tiangco said.

voteños,” Tiangco said.

CoA’s unqualified opinion is crucial for LGUs to secure the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s criteria of Good Financial Housekeeping, a component of the Seal of Good Governance.

Based on CoA’s Guidelines on the Preparation, Submission, and Transmittal of the Annual Audit Report, an unqualified opinion is given when the financial statements

have been prepared using acceptable accounting bases and policies, which have been consistently applied; the statements comply with statutory requirements and relevant regulations; the view presented by the financial statements is consistent with the auditor’s knowledge of the audited entity; and there is adequate disclosure of all material matters relevant to the financial statements. Jun David

‘Endo’ companies face clamp-down

ALWAYS REMEMBERED. A cemetery worker cleans up grave markers in preparation for the All Soul’s Day holiday when the nation remembers their departed loved ones. Ey Acasio

palay and high-value crops were P38.9 million and P149,700, reFrom C1 spectively.

Damage to palay sector in BuIn Aurora where Typhoon lacan, on the other hand, reached “Karen” made a landfall Sun- to P11.36 million. day, the estimated damage to Pampanga’s palay sector were

Ecija...

CoA renders an unqualified opinion if it believes that the financial statements of a government office or agency are presented fairly “in all material respects” and in conformance with the Philippine Public Sector Accounting Standards.

“We will double our efforts to serve our constituents more effectively and efficiently, and to realize our shared vision of an improved quality of life for all Na-

also affected by the floods with some P4.34-million estimated loss.

The RDRRMC said that figures of damage in terms of agriculture are still partial as reports from other flood-affected areas in the region have yet to come.

Meanwhile, a total of 3,864 houses were damaged by Typhoon “Karen” wherein 491 were totally and 3,369 were partially damaged in Aurora while four houses were partially destroyed in Tarlac. PNA

LABOR Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III directed the 17 Regional Offices to cancel or suspend the certificates of registration under Department Order 18-A of contractors and subcontractors practicing illegitimate contracting and subcontracting arrangements, including “endo.”

“All Regional Offices are directed to cancel and suspend the Certificates of Registration of establishments which are violating the law of security of tenure.

This is consistent with the Department’s effort to eliminate illegitimate forms of contractualization,” said Bello.

He added that the DoLE Regional Offices shall assess the contractors and subcontractors in their respective regions to determine which establishments are practicing labor only contracting.

“After the Regional Office conducted the proper proceedings, and they found out which establishments in their area are practicing ‘endo’ or other forms of illegitimate contractualization, I am ordering them to suspend or cancel the Certificate of Registration of these business establishments,” said Bello.

The 17 Regional Offices are also tasked to submit the list of contractors and subcontractors whose Certificate of Registration were suspended or canceled.

Meanwhile, Bello also said that the Department already

sent a letter to the big establishments in priority industries to comply with the law of security of tenure.

“We already sent a letter to big companies and corporation telling them to comply, otherwise we will also cancel their Certificate of Registration,” said Bello.

He added that the said companies are given 15 days to voluntary comply with general labor standards, including the regularization of their contractual workers to avoid the suspension or cancellation of their Certificate of Registration.

Bello said government efforts to end illegitimate forms of contractualization is gaining ground as 10,532 workers were voluntary regularized by 195 employers after consultations and assessment by the DoLE Regional Offices nationwide.

“In just 100 days, 10,532 workers were regularized by their employers. This means that we are on track in our objective to reduce illegitimate contractualization practices and endo by 50 percent by the end of 2016 and abolishing it by 2017,” said Bello.

Bello, citing a report from OIC Director Alvin Curada of the Bureau of Working Conditions, said that the DoLE has adopted two tracks in eliminating illegitimate contractualization, including labor-only contracting and “endo.”

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

World

Standard

TODAY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

C3

They miss life under Kadhafi T

RIPOLI―Five years after an uprising killed Libya’s Moamer Kadhafi, residents in the chaoswracked country’s capital joke they have grown to miss the longtime dictator as the frustrations of daily life mount.

With the loyalists weakened by the anti-IS battle, forces led by a controversial field marshal last month seized key oil terminals to its east, allowing the National Oil Company to resume crude exports.

The eastern parliament parliament in the country’s has thrown its support befar east refusing to cede hind Khalifa Haftar, who presents himself as Libya’s power to it.

On Friday it suffered savior in the face of a growa new blow when a rival ing jihadist threat but is a seized key offices in the hugely divisive figure.

While his army has ousted capital and proclaimed the reinstatement of a third most jihadists from Bengadministration previously hazi, the birthplace of the 2011 uprising, his detracbased in Tripoli.

The turmoil after Kad- tors accuse him of working hafi’s 2011 fall has allowed towards the single goal of the Islamic State jihadist seizing power to establish a group to gain a foothold new military dictatorship.

“Libyans are forced to on Europe’s doorstep after seizing the strongman’s choose between two exhometown of Sirte in June tremes: either chaos with militias and Islamist extremlast year.

Forces loyal to the unity ists as the dominant forces, CYAN MAGENTA BLACKrule,” said Libya government have forYELLOW five or military months been fighting to analyst Mohamed Eljarh.

“No other convincing opexpel the last jihadists from the former IS stronghold, tions are on offer,” added with support from US air Eljarh, of the Rafik Hariri strikes since early August.

Those living in the capital say they are exhausted by power cuts, price hikes and a lack of cash flow as rival authorities and militias battle for control of the fragmented oil-rich country.

“I hate to say it but our life was better under the previous regime,” says Fayza al-Naas, a 42-yearold pharmacist, referring to Kadhafi’s more than four decades of rule.

Today, “we wait for hours outside banks to beg cashiers to give us some of our own money. Everything is three times more expensive.”

A UN-backed unity government has struggled to assert its authority nationwide since arriving in Tripoli in March, with a rival

Center for the Middle East.

Haftar’s forces have fought for more than two years to expel jihadists from second city Benghazi, while pro-GNA forces are caught up in fighting IS in Sirte.

According to Libya expert Mattia Toaldo, these rival forces might then want to extend their influence in other areas of the country and be met with tough local resistance.

“It is hard to think that the country will be stabilized any time soon,” said Toaldo.

“Libyans seem to have swapped a repressive centralized authoritarianism with a more decentralized and chaotic form of authoritarianism, be it under militias or under the rule of general Haftar.”

The persistent chaos has also enabled human traffickers to step up their lucrative trade in the Mediterranean nation, with hundreds of migrants dreaming of Europe drowning off the Libyan coast. AFP

R epu b l i c o f t h e P h i l i p p i n e s

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF ORIENTAL MINDORO C am i l m i l , C al a p a n C i t y 5 2 0 0 , O ri e n t a l Mi n d o ro

Medco Holdings, Inc.

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

TO ALL STOCKHOLDERS:

INVITATION TO BID IB No. GS-2016 -196 and 97 T h e P r o v i n c i a l G o v e r n m e n t o f O riental Mindoro invites PhilGeps registered suppliers D e a l e r s / D i s t r i b u t o r s / I m p o r t e r s) t o A pply for Eligibility and to Bid for the hereunder list of item/s.

Approved Budget F or the Contract (ABC)

Bid Document Fee

Source of Funding

1.Supply and d elivery of C o n s t r u c t i o n Materials and Supplies for use in the Rehab of Old Provincial Hospital B u i l d i n g / Fa c i l i t i e s a t G r e e n h i l l s , I l a y a , C a l a p a n C i t y, O r i e n t a l M i n d o r o .

P h p 4 ,19 8 , 6 8 4 . 0 0

P h p 5 ,000.00

General Fund 2 016

2.Supply & deliver y of Ve h i c l e s ( F o u r (4) A m b u l a n c e) f o r u s e o f Provincial Health Of fice/Oriental Mindoro Provincial Hospital, Naujan Community Hospital, Oriental Mindoro Central District Hospital and Oriental Mindoro Southern District Hospital

Php 6,200,000.00

P h p10 , 0 0 0 . 0 0

General Fu n d

Item/Description

SCREENING. Actress Cobie Smulders attends the fan screening of Paramount Pictures’ “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” on October 16, 2016, in New Orleans. AFP

Oldest giant panda is dead HONG KONG― Visitors to a Hong Kong theme park mourned the world’s oldest captive giant panda Jia Jia Monday, a day after she died there aged 38.

Jia Jia was put down at Ocean Park Sunday after her health rapidly worsened and left her unable to walk without difficulty, the park said.

On Monday there were two buckets of flowers outside the panda enclosure and a sign commemorating Jia Jia’s death.

“Jia Jia was a member of the Ocean Park family who had spent 17 wonderful years with Hong Kong people and she will be deeply missed,” the sign said.

Visitors expressed sadness at the news.

“She was just lovely. So natural.

She was just beautiful,” said one elderly visitor at the park with her granddaughter.

Another visitor who gave her name as Apple said she was disappointed.

“I was waiting to see the panda... (I) didn’t know the panda had died already.”

In a commemorative video from Ocean Park, those who had worked with Jia Jia mourned her loss.

“I wish her to rest in peace and know how much we appreciate all that she has given to us, to the people of Hong Kong and all our visitors,” said Suzanne Gendron, executive director of zoological operations and education at the park, speaking on the memorial video. AFP

Republic of the Philippines CITY OF SAN PEDRO Province of Laguna BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID PR NO. 2016-2878 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna through the 2016 Budget Approved by the Sangguniang Panglungsodintends to apply the sum of Php 4,710,000.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Supply and Delivery of Sports Utility Vehicle for Official Use. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna now invites bids forthe following: QTY UNIT DESCRIPTION 3 units Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) Engine: In-line 4-cylinder, common rail direct injection diesel engine Displacement: 2,999 cc Power kW (PS)/rpm: 163 Ps (120Kw) at 3,200 rpm Torque Nm (Kg-m)/rpm: 380 Nm (38.7kg-m) Fuel Tank: 65 liters capacity Suspension: Front: independent double wishbone with coil springs & stabilizer Rear: five-link coil spring & stabilizer bar Brakes: Front: ventilated discs Rear: solid discs Tires & Wheels: 255/65 R17 aluminum alloy; spare wheel 255/65 R17, aluminum alloy Headlamps: projector type w/ multi-reflector Front foglamps, center roof type ntenna, chrome radiator grille, chrome engine hood Front bumper-upper: coloered key/lower: metallic grey, side view mirror – chrome with turn signal powered w/ folding function, chrome door handle, roof rail w/ 60kgs load capacity Dimension: L=4825mm x W=1860mm xH-1840mm Interior: Instrumemt meters & colored multi-information display (MID, leather seat – 1st row bucket seats w/ back pockets, adjustable headrests & convenience hooks at driver side, 2nd row 60:40 split folding bench type with center armrest & 3 adjustable headrests 3rd row 50:50 split folding bench type w/ 2 adjustable headrests, ne 8” capacitive touchscreen display, CD/CVD/TUNER/Aux-In/ MP3 compatible, Bluetooth & i-Pod connectivity Navigation & Wifi display, tore pressure monitoring system ready with remote control, navigation system, steering wheel audio controls & cruise control, 10” roof mounted DVD monitorw/ remote control, six speakers, 7-person capacity Security & Safety: Dual SRS airbags, child seat tethers for 2nd row x 3, emergency locking retractor seat belt on 1st row (w/ pretensioner & load limiter x 2), 2nd row x 3, 3rd row x 2 side door impact beams, brakes: anti-lock braking system w/ electronic brake force distribution and brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control system, under front skid plate, anti-theft alarm system, engine immobilizer, child-proof rear door locks, LED tye high mount stop lamp, reverese camera, 2-eye reversing system, day & night rear view mirror, rear defogger with timer function wiper – front variable intermittent rear equipped, LED daytime running lights Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed.

Bidders should have completed, within two (2) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

In addition,bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from City Government of San Pedro, Laguna and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:30AM to 9:30 AM only.

Office of the BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on thedate, time and address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php 5,000.00.

ISSUANCE OF ELIGIBILITY AND October 14 – November 2, 2016 BIDDING DOCUMENTS: 8:30AM – 9:30AM BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before the specified date and time.

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF ELIGIBILITY November 2, 2016 REQUIREMENTS AND OPENING OF BIDS: 10:00 AM BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna PRE-BID CONFERENCE: October 19, 2016 BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna Bid opening shall be on the same date and time for deadline of submission of eligibility requirements and submission of bids and shall be conducted at the Office of the BAC Secretariat. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address given above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The City Government of San Pedro, Lagunaassumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bid.

Further, City Government of San Pedro, Laguna, reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Mr. Merlin B. Paala Office of the BAC Secretariat San Pedro City Hall San Pedro, Laguna Telefax No. 847.1722

Only stockholders of record in the books of the Corporation at the close of business on October 24, 2016 (record date) will be entitled to vote at the meeting. Please bring some form of identification, such as passport, driver’s license or company I.D. in order to facilitate registration, which will start at 9:00 a.m.

Manila

Standard

(Sgd.) Pauline C. Tan Asst. Corporate Secretary

TODAY

T h e s c h e d u l e of bidding activities is as follows: 1. Advertisement/Posting of ITB ØBulletin Board of the PGOM ØPGOM Website ØPhilGEPS Website ØNewspaper of General Nationwide Circulation 2. Issuance of Bidding Documents 3. Pre-Bid Conference 4. Deadline of Submission of Bids 5. Opening of Bid in sealed envelope a).Eligibility Requirements and Technical Proposal b).Financial Proposal

: : : : : : :

O c tober 18,2016 O c tober 18,2016 O c tober 18,2016 O c tober 18,2016 O c tober 20 - N ovember 0 8,2016 O c tober 27, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at BAC Office N ovember 0 8, 2016 at 1:3 0 p.m. at BAC Office

: :

November 08, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at BAC Office N ovember 0 8, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at BAC Office

B i d d i n g w i l l b e c o n d u c t e d t h r o u gh open competitive bidding procedures using nond i s c r e t i o n a r y p a s s / f a i l c r i t e r i o n a s specified in R.A. 9184 and its IRR otherwise known as t h e G o v e r n m e n t P r o c u r e m e n t R e f orm Act. T h e c o m p l e t e s e t o f b i d d i n g d o c uments may be purchased at the BAC Secretariat o n O c t o b e r 2 0 , 2 016 t o N o v e m b e r 0 8 , 2 016 a t 8 : 0 0 a . m . t o 4: 0 0 p . m . upon payment of nonr e f u n d a b l e p r i c e o f b i d d o c u m e n t s indicated above.

P r e - B i d C o n f e r e n c e o n O c t o b e r 2 7, 2 016 a t 10 : 0 0 a . m . shall be opened to all interested p a r t i e s , h o w e v e r o n l y t h o s e w h o p urchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference.

31/F, Rufino Pacific Tower 6784 Ayala Ave., Makati City 811-0465 to 66, 840-3549 (fax)

(M S-O C T. 18 , 2016)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 113, PASAY CITY

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION CIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-16-22984-CV BRANCH 109, PASAY CITY

AMANDO RUIZ FLORES Petitioner, -versus-

FOR: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage

HERMINIGILDA MAYORHODA FONTE, ARRIBA-PARCIA, Petitioner, Respondent, x----------------------------------------------x

CIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-16-23585For: Declaration of Nullity of Marriag Under Article 36 of the Family Code

-versus-

ORDER

A l l p a r t i c u l a r s r e l a t i v e t o e l i g i b i l i t y requirements and screening, bid security, performance s e c u r i t y , p r e - b i d c o n f e r e n c e , e v a l uation of bids, post qualification and award of contract s h a l l b e g o v e r n e d b y t h e p r o v i s i o n of R.A. 9184 and its IRR.

A Motion for Leave BERNARD to serve summons by publication was filed by the G. PARCIA, petitioner through her counsel, praying among others, that the summons could Respondent. be served thru publication on the ground that the respondent is no longer x----------------------------------------------x residing at his given address.

T h e P G O M r e s e r v e s t h e r i g h t t o a c c ept or reject bid to annul bidding process, and to reject a l l b i d s a t a n y t i m e p r i o r t o c o n t r act award without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

WHEREFORE, as prayed for, let the summons in this case be served TO: MR. of BERNARD G. PARCIA thru publication in a newspaper general circulation once a week for two Blk. 15, Lot 23, 19-16th Street, consecutive weeks.

(Sgd.) ENGR. ELMER V. DILAY Provincial Engineer BAC Chairman ( M S- O C T. 18 , 2 0 1 6)

PUBLIC INFORMATION SHEET FOR COMMERCIAL PROPAGATION PROPOSAL FOR THE COMMERCIAL PROPAGATION OF Event MIR162 Corn

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

VAB, Pasay City

GREETINGS:

Pasay City, Metro Manila, September 28, 2016.

MR. JULIO R. ICAL Head, BAC Secretariat P r o v i n c i a l C a p i t o l , C a m i l m i l , C a l a pan City T e l . ( 0 4 3 ) 2 8 6 - 7 1 2 0 ( 0 4 3 ) 2 8 6 - 7 4 47

1.

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION

SO ORDERED.

F o r f u r t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n , p l e a s e r e f er to:

Applicant’s Name: Syngenta Philippines, Inc. Applicant’s Address: 12/F Two World Square, #22 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1630 Philippines Telephone Number/ Facsimile Number, E-Mail Address of the Applicant Telephone: +63 (2) 3702100; Fax: +63 (2) 8569260 E-mail: ba_cau.duong@yngenta.com Name of Responsible Officer/Authorized Representative Duong Ba Cau, President and Commercial Unit Head, PH Felipe S. dela Cruz, Jr., Country Regulatory Affairs Manager, SE PH Description of the Regulated Article for Commercial Propagation Corn with Event MIR162 was genetically modified using Agrobacterium tumafaciens-mediated transformation. It contains two novel genes. The first, vip3Aa20 gene derived from Bacillus thuringiensis encodes the insecticidal protein, Vip3Aa20. The second gene, pmi, is present as a selectable marker and encodes the enzyme phosphomannose isomerase derived from Escherichia coli.

MIR162 corn plants confer high level of resistance to common cutworm (Spodoptera litura), and moderate resistance to corn semi-looper (Chrysodeixis eriosoma) and leaf feeding by corn earworm (Helicoverpa armigera). Event MIR162 presents a viable option for insect management in corn production areas.

If to be imported, Country (ies) of Origin of the Regulated Article Brazil and Argentina Brief Summary of Potential Effects on Human and Animal Health and the Environment Based on compositional/nutritional analyses, allergenicity and toxicity studies specifically conducted to assess its safety and from data currently available from scientific literature, MIR162 corn is substantially equivalent to and is as safe as conventional corn. It is essentially the same as its conventional counterpart, except for its built-in resistance against certain Lepidopteran insect pests.

Results of the multi-location field trials for two seasons across major corn growing areas in the Philippines showed that MIR162 corn consistently provided effective protection against common cutworm and showed moderate resistance to corn semi-looper and to leaf feeding by corn earworm. It also produced higher yield compared to its conventional hybrid. The trial also demonstrated that MIR162 corn did not provide effective protection against true army worm and Asiatic corn borer. Similarly, MIR162 corn did not provide protection against major corn diseases like Curvularia leaf spot, Southern corn leaf blight, rust and sooty molds.

Furthermore, NTO (non-target organisms) sampling in MIR162 and non-MIR162 plots showed similar diversity and number of insects collected, which demonstrated that Event MIR162 is specific only to certain Lepidopteran insect pests and will not harm non-target organisms.

Brief Summary of Potential Benefits MIR162 corn hybrids have the ability to resist damage caused by number of Lepidopteran insects, particularly common cutworm, corn semi-looper and corn earworm and can result to increased grain yield per unit area. The use of this technology can reduce insecticidal application, thus reducing cost of production and less contact by farmers to insecticides. In addition, the multi-location trials conducted demonstrated that MIR162 corn did not harm the non-target organisms and will not affect biodiversity and health of human and animals.

Countries Where Approvals Have Been Granted (for FFP; for Commercial Propagation) Event MIR162 corn is approved for use as food and feed in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, European Union, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Paraguay, Philippines, Russian Federation, South Africa, USA, Uruguay and Vietnam. It is approved for use as food in Australia, Belarus, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand and Taiwan. It is also approved for use as feed in Turkey. Event MIR162 is commercially grown in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Paraguay, USA and Uruguay.

The public is hereby invited to submit their comments to the BPI Director (within 60 days from the date of publication) on the Proposed Commercial Propagation of Event MIR162 corn.

Director Bureau of Plant Industry San Andres, Malate, Manila Telephone Number 521-1080 Fax Number 521-1080 E-Mail bpibiotechsecretariat@yahoo.com Approved for Publication: (SGD) VIVENCIO R. MAMARIL, PhD OIC-Director Bureau of Plant Industry Department of Agriculture San Andres, Manila Date:

You are hereby directed to enter your appearance in the abovecase within thirty (30) days from the last issue of publication he (Sgd.) of CARIDAD GRECIA-CUERDO a newspaper general H. circulation in the Philippines once a w two (2) consecutive weeks Judge and answer the Petition filed by pe x-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x Rhoda Arriba-Parcia wherein the petitioner prays that judgm rendered declaring as null and void the marriage between the pe and respondent solemnized on 04 March 2008 in Pasay City SUMMONS ground of psychological incapacity of the respondent to comply w HERMINIGILDA FONTEand furnish a copy thereof to peti essential maritalMAYO obligations Brgy.

Malagab I. Cuartero, counsel, ATTY. JEANIE Capiz S. PULIDO with postal address at G-0 seaview Tower, 2626 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City.

GREETINGS: If you fail to answer within the time fixed, as per the Rules of Co You are hereby required, within thirty days after service petitioner shall take(30) judgment against you of andthis demand from thi summons upon you, tothe filerelief with applied this Court and petition. serve on the plaintiff your in this Answer to the Complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes Moreover, you are reminded of the provision of the IB and a Civil Case Information Statement. If you fail to answer within the time Memorandum on Policy guidelines dated March 12, 2002, to o fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted relief alleged the g restraint in filing a Motion to Dismiss andthe instead applied for in the Complaint. thereof as defenses in the answer. If you fail to answer within th fixed, Court Memorandum shall order theonPublic Moreover, pursuant to the the IBP-OCA PolicyProsecutor guidelines, to investigate w between the parties and but intervene for the dated March 12, 2002, or younot arecollusion expectedexist not to file a Motion to Dismiss see it that the evidence presented fabricated or suppre instead, you are required to to allege the grounds of such Motion is asnot defenses HON.toTINGARAAN U. GUILING, Presiding Judge in your answer. Likewise,Witness you are the expected utilize the deposition-recovery day28 ofof September Court measures under Rules 23, 25, this 26 &19 27thand the Rules of2016.

Civil Procedure.

Failure to resort to deposition by written interrogatories under Rule 25 and (Sgd.) CLEOTILDE P. PAU the request for admission of facts under Rule 27 may be prejudicial to your Officer-In-Charge interest.

(MS-Oct. 1 & 8, 2016) WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court, this 28th day of September, 2016.

(Sgd.) RENATO C. OCZON (Officer-In-Charge/L.R.)

(MS-Oct. 11 & 18, 2016)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES METROPOLITAN TRIAL COURT OF METRO MANILA BRANCH 43 - QUEZON CITY BANFF REALTY & DEV’T. CORP., Plaintiff, -versus-

CIVIL CASE NO. 41672

SPOUSES GRAClELA M. CASTILLO, And ARNEL V. CASTILLO. Defendants. x ---------------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF SALE ON EXECUTION OF REAL PROPERTY WHEREAS, by virtue of the Writ of Execution issued by the HON. ANA MARIE T. MAS, Acting Presiding Judge of the Court dated July 30, 2014, in the above-entitled case for the recovery by way of distraint of the plaintiff Banff Realty & Dev’t. Corp. against the defendants Spouses Graciela M. Castillo and Arnel V. Castillo of the sum of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY SEVEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTY THREE PESOS AND 13/100 (P257,833.13) representing back rentals, attorney’s fee, costs of suit plus expenses and Sheriffs fees and on April 8, 2016 Levy was made by the undersigned thru the Registry of Deeds of Quezon City, on the rights, interests, and participation of said defendants on the real property more particularly described as follows, to wit:

CONDOMINIUM CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. N-63329 It is hereby certified that the unit identified and described as: “RESIDENCIA DE REGINA” 15th Floor RESIDENTIAL

Studio Unit

UNIT NO.

1502

APPROXIMATE TOTAL FLOOR AREA

26.36 (sq.m.)

NOW THEREFORE. by virtue of the said Writ of Execution and in accordance with Rule 39, Section 15, of the Revised Rules of Court, the undersigned Sheriff of Quezon City will sell at public auction to the highest bidder for CASH and in Philippine Currency, on November 3, 2016 at 10:00 o’clock in the morning or soon thereafter at the lobby of the Metropolitan trial Court Branch 43 in the 3rd Floor of Hall of Justice Building, City Hall of Quezon City, Metro Manila, the rights, interests, and participation of the defendants Sps. Graciela M. Castillo and Arnel V. Castillo, in the above-described real property in order to satisfy said writ of execution together with the sheriffs fees and expenses of sale.

All sealed bids with its accompanying transmittal letter address to this office must be submitted to the undersigned on or before the above stated date and hour at which time all sealed bids thus submitted shall be opened.

In the event of public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on November 10, 2016 without further notice.

Prospective bidder or buyers are hereby enjoined to investigate for themselves the title to the property/ies and encumbrances thereof. If any there be.

Quezon City, Metro Manila, September 28, 2016.

FOR THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF OF QUEZON CITY (Sgd.) HERMINIO D. HAPATINGA

(SGD) ENGR. FILEMON I. SIBULO Chairman Bids and Awards Committee (MS-OCT. 18, 2016)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting of Medco Holdings, Inc. will be held on November 23, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Brasserie 21, 21st Floor, Security Bank Centre, 6776 Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

(MS-OCT. 18, 2016)

Sheriff III WARNING: IT IS ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED TO REMOVE, DEFACE OR DESTROY THIS NOTICE OF SALE ON OR BEFORE THE DATE OF SALE, UNDER PENALTY OF THE LAW. Copy furnished: Banff Realty & Dev’t. Corp.

Sps. Graciela M. Castillo and 34 Esteban Abada St., Loyola Heights, Arnel V. Castillo Quezon City Unit 1502 Residencia De Regina 94 Xavierville Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City (MS-Oct. 4,11 & 18, 2016)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

C4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

World

Iraqi forces launch offensive in Mosul A

L-SHURA, Iraq―Iraqi forces launched an offensive Monday to retake Mosul and deal a death blow to the Islamic State group’s “caliphate” in the city where it was declared two years ago.

Some 30,000 federal forces are leading the offensive, backed by a 60-nation US-led coalition, in what is expected to be a long and difficult assault on IS’s last major Iraqi stronghold.

Iraqi forces could be seen readying weapons and ammunitions as columns of armored vehicles headed towards Mosul from the town of Al-Shura, some 45 kilometers south of the city, an AFP photographer said.

The Pentagon described the long-awaited operation as a “decisive moment” in the fight against IS but the US-led coalition’s top commander warned it could last weeks or more.

The beginning of the assault also saw aid groups voice fears for the hundreds of thousands of civilians remaining in the city, with IS expected to use them as human shields.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider alAbadi announced the start of the assault in a televised address in the early hours of Monday.

“Today I declare the start of these victorious operations to free you from the violence and terrorism of Daesh (IS),” Abadi said.

IS seized control of large parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria in mid-2014, declaring a cross-border “caliphate” and committing

widespread atrocities.

But the jihadists have suffered a string of territorial defeats this year in both countries, and the retaking of Mosul would all but end the group’s presence in Iraq as a land-holding force.

Iraqi forces have been closing in on Mosul in recent weeks but the battle launched on Monday could be the toughest yet in the fight against IS. The jihadists are vastly outnumbered, with an estimated 3,000 to 4,500 thought to be in the city and surrounding area.

But they have had months to prepare and will seek to use hitand-run tactics, ambushes, snipers, bombs, berms and trenches to slow down and bleed Iraqi forces.

As the assault began, federal forces moved from their main staging base of Qayyarah, south of Mosul, while peshmerga forces from the autonomous Kurdish region simultaneously advanced from the east.

Around 4,000 Kurdish peshmerga took part in a push to reclaim villages once inhabited by members of the Christian and Kakai minorities, a statement said.

Abadi stressed that only Iraqi police and army would enter the city proper. AFP

ONSTAGE. Musician Roger Waters performs during Desert Trip at the Empire Polo Field on October 16, 2016, in Indio, California. AFP

In Myanmar, 25 dead in ferry disaster YANGON―Searchers have recovered 25 bodies from a ferry that sank in central Myanmar and expect to find scores more corpses as workers begin raising the boat from the riverbed, officials said Monday.

A total of 154 people have been rescued since the boat sank early Saturday on the Chindwin River about 72 kilometers north of the city of Monywa.

Search teams scouring the river, who are now securing the boat with ropes so it can be hauled out by a crane, fear the death toll could go as high as 100.

“Now we have found 25 dead bodies but we are still trying to lift the boat out,” said Sa Willy Frient, the director of the local relief and resettlement department who is overseeing the operation.

Earlier he told AFP the ferry had been filled with “mainly university students and schoolteachers” when it sank at around 5:00 am on Saturday.

“I think around 70 or 80 university students and about 30 schoolteachers, and also doctors,” he added.

The boat was carrying an estimated 240250 people―around 100 more than its capacity―along with heavy cargo, including several motorbikes.

Four of the boat’s staff have been arrested and will face legal action, said Sa Willy Frient. Authorities are still hunting for one crew member and the ferry’s owner.

Survivor Hnin Lei Yee, a 27-year-old schoolteacher, was traveling with her husband and one-year-old daughter to celebrate the Buddhist Thadingyut festival with her family.

Her baby was killed in the disaster. She still does not know her husband’s fate.

“It happened very fast,” she told AFP. “The window was open so I had a chance to get out of the boat.”

“I cannot swim so I had to hold on to a plastic float and finally the rescue boat came to save my life.”

“In the morning, I heard there was a dead child in the hospital and I went there. I saw my daughter dead,” she said, weeping.

Boat accidents are common in Myanmar, where people living along the nation’s long coastline and flood-prone river systems rely heavily on often overcrowded ferries for transport.

At least 21 people, including nine children, died in April after a boat capsized off the coast of Myanmar’s western state of Rakhine.

In March last year 33 people lost their lives off the west coast when an overloaded ferry sank in rough waters.

Sai Khaing Myo Tun, vice president of Myanmar’s teachers’ federation, said more than 30 school staff were thought to have been aboard the ferry that sank on Saturday.

“I am really so sorry,” he said. “This incident has terrified us very much. AFP

Bangladesh speeds up trials of Islamists as it hangs one DHAKA―Bangladesh said Monday it is fasttracking trials of Islamist extremists, hours after a senior leader of a militant group was hanged for a 2005 blast that killed two judges.

Asadul Islam, also known as Arif, was a senior leader of the banned group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which the government has blamed for a deadly siege on an upmarket Dhaka cafe on July 1.

Bangladeshi security forces launched a crackdown against Islamist extremists following the cafe attack, which shook the image of Bangladesh as a moderate Muslim nation.

Since July, police have shot dead nearly 40 suspected extremists including JMB’s new leader Tamim Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen of Bangladeshi descent who allegedly masterminded the cafe carnage.

Bangladesh’s courts have also accelerated the prosecution of Islamist extremists, sparking concern among rights activists who say such actions may be politically motivated.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told AFP the government was “trying to fast-track all the militant-related cases”, including bomb attacks on a court complex outside Dhaka, a cultural function in a northern town and a new

year’s festival in the capital.

Police spokesman A.K.M Shahidur Rahman said there were “at least 64” Islamist extremists on death row and their appeals were being heard in the higher courts.

But Human Rights Watch said there was no conclusive evidence the death penalty acted as a deterrent.

“When terror attacks happen, governments often feel under pressure to show that they are doing something,” South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly told AFP. “What is needed instead is careful investigation to identify and prosecute perpetrators with proper evidence.”

JMB was founded in the late 1990s and seeks to impose sharia law on Bangladesh, a Muslim majority but officially secular nation of 160 million people.

It shot to prominence when it carried out a coordinated bombing attack in August 2005, that involved more than 400 small blasts across the country.

Arif’s body was buried amid tight security in his home town shortly after his execution, local police chief Pankaj Chandra Roy told AFP. AFP

BARBARIANS. A Muslim girl gets caned 23 strokes after being caught in close proximity with her boyfriend in Banda Aceh on October 17. Out of seven couples caught spending time together outside marriage, 13 were caned while one girl was spared after it was discovered that she was pregnant. Indonesia’s Aceh province has gained international infamy for its strict Islamic laws. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

ARTS, CULTURE & MEDIA The National Ballet of China is performing in the Philippines

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

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China’s premier ballet company presents Raise the Red Lantern which is inspired by Su Tong’s novel Wives and Concubines

China’s National Ballet performs at CCP T

HE National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Ministry of Culture of the Peoples Republic of China and the Embassy of China in the Philippines present the National Ballet of China in Raise the Red Lantern on Oct. 27-28, 8 p.m. at the CCP’s Main Theater.

Founded in December 1959, the National Ballet of China gathers all of its outstanding artists from professional academies.

With decades of care and support from the government and friends from all social sectors, the company has never ceased enriching its solid Russian foundations with works of different schools and styles. The company’s repertoire includes classics like Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, Carmen, Onegin, and The Little Mermaid, as well as original creations like The Red Detachment of Women, The New Year Sacrifice, Yellow River, The Peony Pavilion, The Chinese New Year and The Crane Calling. By performing Western ballets and creating works of its own with distinct national characteristics, the company has found a successful path for the development of Chinese ballet. It fuses the classical and the modern, and cultures from all over the world.

For more than 50 years, the company is proud to have made great achievements in talent training and stage productions,

as well as in ballet promotion and education. Numerous ballet dancers, choreographers, musicians and stage artists have won major international awards, and have collaborated with international stars in their respective fields. The company has a repertoire of nearly 200 ballets, several of which are now known as classic Chinese works of art, and have become famous internationally. As a world-renowned company with great international influence, the National Ballet of China serves as a cultural envoy and an important window to the nation, spreading the essence of Chinese culture. Meanwhile, it also endeavors to present high-class performances to the Chinese audience, and to promote the art form in universities and communities, and among children. Feng Ying, a well-known ballerina and ballet mistress in China is currently the Executive Director and the Artistic Director of the company.

A ballet in three acts, Raise the Red Lantern was created and premiered in 2001. Set in the 1920s, it tells the story of a young woman who becomes one

Director Zhang Yimou

Former director Madam Zhao Ruheng

The ballet, which is set in 1920s, is presented in three acts

of the concubines of a wealthy man during the Warlord Era. The ballet is based on Su Tong’s novel Wives and Concubines, and later adapted into film

by Zhang Yimou with the same title.

Led by former director Madam Zhao Ruheng, the company invited a diverse group of world renowned artists, including the film director Zhang Yimou, composer Qigang Chen from France, choreographer Xinpeng Wang from Germany and Wang Yuanyuan, stage designer Zeng Li and the French costume designer Jérôme Kaplan. This international creative team conceived and produced this modern ballet fusing cinema, shadow play, Peking opera and all sorts of Chinese culture elements with western ballet vocabulary.

The Oct. 27 (Diplomat’s Gala) is an invitational concert while the Oct. 28 (Sponsor’s Gala) is free and open to the public.

Tickets to the Oct. 28 concert will be distributed on a first-come-first-served basis at the CCP Box Office starting Oct. 25 (Tuesday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. To claim tickets, please present your ID. Each person is entitled to only two tickets.

For those who wish to have assured seats, special individual sponsorship packages are available.

For more information, call the CCP Sales and Promotions office at (02) 832-3706.

Cinema, shadow play, Peking opera and other Chinese culture elements are fused together in this modern ballet performance

Raise the Red Lantern tells the story of a woman who becomes one of the concubines of a wealthy man during the Warlord era

Experience ‘A Night of Passion’ THE Metro Manila Concert Orchestra (MMCO), on Oct. 22 at the Francisco Santiago Hall will be featured in A Night of Passion, highlighting some of the best works of world masters Giovanni Benedetto Platti, Frederic Chopin, and Franz Liszt.

Abelardo Galang II, a stellar concert pianist based in Berlin, will be the featured soloist.

Galang is a full time artist-educator who has been featured in concerts throughout Europe, extensively in Germany, in the Middle East, Japan, and in the Philippines.

In Berlin, he teaches students in masteral and doctorate studies in music, and in the Philippines he is

a consultant at Philippine Women’s University College of Music.

A Night of Passion is presented

by MMCO, BDO Unibank, Inc., AY Foundation, Inc., and Via Mare in coordination with Soroptimist International of Makati, in celebration of the MMCO 15th Crystal Anniversary, for the benefit of the street children of Payatas.

The Francisco Santiago Hall is located at the BDO South Tower Corporate Center, Makati Avenue corner H. V. de la Costa Street, Makati City.

For inquiries, call MMCO at (02) 216-6487, 727-1657, 0917-5335747, or email stmarieeugenie60@hotmail. com.

Berlin-based concert pianist Abelardo Galang II will be the show’s featured soloist

Life

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

Rellie L. Liwag’s solo show at

ArtistSpace A

RTISTSPACE of the Ayala Museum is proud to present visual artist Aurelia “Rellie” L. Liwag in her much anticipated solo exhibition titled Faces, Bodies and Places II.

The exhibition showcases a collection of oil paintings described by art critic Cid Reyes as “filtered memories, which are given faces, bodies and places.”

As such, the exhibition is said to evoke a sense of pleasure and pain, emotions that are highly personal to the artist.

Highly autobiographical, the show reveals emotive faces of family and friends and a favorite self-portrait— all rendered in pastel or oil paint— in colors that capture the sitter’s personality. Moreover, landscapes,

which were either painted in situ or with an aide-memoire, also form part of the exhibition, with lively scenes that bring viewers from the solitary light towers of Batanes to the small towns and villages of London and Provence in Europe, to the Botanical Gardens of New York. Finally, venerable profiles of saints such as St. Therese Benedicta of the Cross and St. Giuseppe Moscati, complete the collection, giving viewers a glimpse of the actual oil paintings which were commissioned to grace the covers

Autumn in China

Aurelia Liwag’s Provence (Series II) painting is part of her solo exhibition ‘Faces, Bodies and Places II’

of artists Andi Cubi and Gig de Pio. Also, she studied Japanese ink painting in Japan under Harumichi Sakata, and enrolled at the prestigious Art Students League in New York, under Robert Cenedella.

Liwag furthered her skills in painting by also attending workshops under the late American artist Nelson Shanks, founder of Studio Incamminati, and Daniel Greene in North Salem, and in the process, learned timeless techniques in portraiture and Plein Air painting.

In 2010, she held a solo exhibition at the Philippine Center in New York, USA and took part in a three-woman show in the same venue in 2015.

Faces, Bodies and Places II opens at 6 p.m. on Oct. 21. The exhibition runs until Nov. 6.

Liwag’s favorite self-portrait

Juliet by Rellie Liwag

of internationally published biographies of these saints.

After 18 years of living in the USA with her family, Liwag returned to

the Philippines with the resolute mindset of becoming a visual artist.

Upon her return, she studied figurative painting under the mentorship

For more information on the ArtistSpace, please contact Lorraine Datuin, gallery coordinator at (02) 759-8288 or email artistspace@ ayalafoundation.org.

The circus came to town

Grand champions (from left) Sofia Danielle Madriaga, Grace Merari Saw, Angeli Domini Lim and Marco Luis Gonzalez with their parents

The participants at the recent 2016 Global Art Philippines National Competition

Category B grand champion Grace Merari Saw

Category A grand champion Sofia Madriaga

JUGGLERS, trapeze artists, acrobats and tightrope walkers made an appearance through colorful and whimsical drawings in the recently concluded 2016 Global Art Philippines National Competition organized by Global Art Philippines. Held at the SMX Aura in Taguig City, the annual competition was participated in by 200 students from all 12 branches of Global Art in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, General Santos and Pampanga.

Anchored on the theme “The Wonderful World of Circus,” the artworks featured creative expressions from the eyes of the young participants and their unique skills in drawing, painting, coloring and composing visual elements, which are at the core of Global Art’s international art program.

The competition was divided into several categories. Winners per category were named as the “Best of the Best,” but only one was adjudged grand champion, first Runner up and second Runner Up in each category.

Grand champions are Sofia Danielle Madriaga from Global Art Del Monte (Category A, 4-6 years old); Grace Merari Saw from Global Art Ortigas (Category B, 7-9 years old); Angeli Domini Lim from Global Art Davao, (Category C, 10-12 years old); and Marco Luis Gonzales from Global Art Makati (Category D 13 years old and above). Aside from the title of Global Art Phils. champion, trophy and prizes, the winners will also represent Global Art Philippines in the Global Art International Level competition in Guangzhou, China on Dec. 3.

Category D champion Marco Luis Gonzales, 13, started with Global Art five years ago. He said that art enables him to express his emotions and learn other cultures.

“Winning the competition means embracing a new challenge and I feel

Category C grand champion Angeli Domini Lim

more confident because I know my teachers and family are at my back,” said Marco.

For seven-year-old Sofia Danielle Madriaga, Category A champion, her love for art came naturally. Like any first-time participant, she was feeling anxious and was not expecting to win. “She tried joining for the first time and just wanted to enjoy the experience. The opportunity to showcase her talent and winning is very rewarding,” beamed Sofia’s mom Rizie.

Meanwhile, for Angeli Domini Lim, Category C champion, focus and discipline won it for her. “I practiced as much as I can before the competition. Winning at the national level made me more confident now.”

Category B winner Grace Merari Saw prepared for the competition a month ahead by devoting two to four hours a week to practice. “I hoped to win but not as the grand champion.

I thought I would only win the top artist,” Grace said. “The rewarding part is to be a part of the competition where the best students strived to win and I ended up winning the biggest prize. I feel more confident now knowing that when I try my best, there is always a chance.”

Global Art Philippines accepts students as young as 3 years old.

The multi-level programs allow each art enthusiast to learn at their own pace and use their own ideas to create an artwork.

For further information and inquiries on Global Art Philippines and the International Art Competition, visit their main office at Unit 101, Sekai Center, 368 Ortigas Avenue corner Madison Street, Greenhills, San Juan; or call (02) 726-0435.

Like them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/globalartphil or visit www. globalart.com.ph.

Category D grand champion Marco Luis Gonzalez

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

All-in-one Internet, Cable TV, and Video-On-Demand plans

now available F

ILIPINO families can now enjoy convenient and superior entertainment as SKY Cable Corporation offers One SKY, an all-in-one subscription plan that integrates its suite of Internet, cable, and video-on-demand services for a more enriching digital entertainment experience.

One SKY postpaid plans will allow families to access SKYbroadband’s high-speed internet, watch SKYcable’s premium HD cable TV, connect to SKYmobi’s mobile internet for cable shows on the go, and catch SKY On Demand’s live and on-demand video streaming of cable shows and movies.

The launch of One SKY marks SKY Cable’s foray into convergent services for Filipinos in the evolving digital media landscape. As an ABSCBN company, SKY Cable’s introduction of One SKY also complements ABS-CBN’s transformation into an agile digital company.

On SKYcable, Filipino families can bond by watching cable TV channels that cater to every family member. They can also watch channels in high definition like ABS-CBN HD, ANC HD, S+A HD, HBO HD, RTL-CBS Entertainment HD, Cartoon Network HD, and Disney HD, among others.

“We have chosen the channels that are most relevant to Filipinos because we value their viewing habits. This is why we give them exclusive access to high definition channels and give them top-rating channels like NBA Premium HD, which we will offer for plans as low as P1,599 per month,” Claudia Suarez, SKY’s head for consumer product business explained.

Meanwhile, the high-

speed connection powered by SKYbroadband enables families at home to stream shows seamlessly on multiple gadgets via SKY On Demand and explore the internet with no limits.

SKYmobi, SKY’s mobile internet service, provides families with easy access to cable TV shows anytime, anywhere when they are far from home through SKY On Demand, the only online video service in the country that allows users to watch live foreign and cable TV channels on different gadgets for free based on their SKYcable subscription. A selection of popular shows from top cable TV channels are also shown on SKY on Demand after an episode has aired on TV. Families also have an option to enhance their One SKY subscription plan by adding channels individually or in packs via SKY Select and availing of monthly pay-per-view offers.

One SKY plans also grant subscribers exclusive access to HBO GO, HBO’s video-ondemand platform exclusively available in the Philippines through SKY, where viewers can explore HBO’s diverse show lineup including Westworld and Game of Thrones shortly after an episode premieres.

“SKY recognizes the changing habits of the Filipino family, as well as their increasing reliance on internet connectivity for their

Sylvia Sanchez as Gloria, the woman afflicted with the disease

Gloria

diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

Sky Cable chief operating officer March Ventosa during the launch of One Sky, an all-in-one subscription plan from the leading cable provider

daily activities. One SKY is a bundle that offers a seamless connected experience to families through only one subscription,” March Ventosa, SKY Cable chief operating officer said.

He added, “This is how we empower Filipinos and underscore our vision to bring the best content experiences closer to Kapamilya homes.”

One SKY offers postpaid subscription plans starting at P1,599 per month with internet speeds ranging from 8 to 64 Mbps for unlimited home consumption paired with a strong lineup of cable TV channels. For families who are always on the go, mobile internet access via SKYmobi

may also be added for as low as P499 per month.

SKY Cable Corporation is the first to introduce cable television to Filipinos in 1990. Since then, it has been a frontrunner in technology and cable TV content by being the first to design a highly customized viewing experience among subscribers, and offering the most number of HD channels. Its properties now include SKYbroadband, SKY On Demand, and SKYdirect, an affordable directto-home satellite pay TV service available nationwide.

For more information, log on to mysky.com.ph.

MOTHER’S biggest nightmare happened to Gloria (Sylvia Sanchez) when she found out she has Alzheimer’s disease and on the verge of forgetting every memory she has with her children in the ABS-CBN series The Greatest Love.

It was an emotional afternoon for viewers with Gloria finding out that her forgetfulness is caused by Alzheimer’s disease, which would make it even hard for her to resolve her family’s issues.

But her friend Lydia (Ruby Ruiz) won’t leave her side and will give her full support to her best friend. This, despite Gloria’s struggle to keep the truth that Amanda (Dimples Romana), was born after her father Andres raped her.

It also gets even more complicated as Liezel (Andi Eigenmann) finally faces her real father Peter (Nonie Buencamino).

How will their family go back to how it was before? How will Gloria’s illness affect her secrets?

Don’t miss the extraordinary story of a woman’s unconditional, uncompromising, all-encompassing love for her children in The Greatest Love after Doble Kara on ABS-CBN or ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

For updates, like www.facebook.com/ thegreatestlovetv. Catch on the program’s past episodes via iWant TV or viaskyondemand.com. phfor Sky subscribers.

Elevator attendant gets

grand retirement

Host Julius Babao (first from left) and Quezon City Hall’s employees give elevator lady Tita Rondilla (second from left) a special surprise

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Tuesday, October 18, 2016

ACROSS 1 Footnote abbr.

(2 wds.)

5 Drop behind 8 Stole 12 Curio 14 BMW rival 15 Story-telling dance 16 Coliseum 17 Bubble 18 Nile wading bird 19 Linebackers, often 21 Swiss financial hub 23 Tolstoy’s name 24 “— Rheingold” 25 Large green parrot 26 Kind of year 30 Onetime Trevi Fountain coins 32 Earthenware pots 33 Godsends 37 Caboose’s spot 38 Titled ladies 39 Summit 40 Hidden agenda (3 wds.)

42 Like gingersnaps 43 Pillages 44 Arctic canoes 45 — Mahal 48 Some MDs

49 Santa’s helper 50 Chihuahua chums 52 Returned (2 wds.)

57 Rinse off 58 Sourdough strikes 60 Gruff 61 Toddler perch 62 Bona — 63 Mary — Moore 64 Lip, slangily 65 Hostile party 66 Lobby furnishing DOWN 1 Q.E.D. part 2 Trillion, in combos 3 Guinness or Baldwin 4 Bit of chain 5 Jorge — Borges 6 Wood-shaving tool 7 Bird stomachs 8 Hum 9 Cube inventor 10 Mrs. Kramden 11 Harem head of yore 13 Showy lilies 14 Huge hairstyle 20 Sushi fish

22 Mil. branch 24 Enjoyed a repast 26 Town meetings 27 Holly shrub 28 Chair-back piece 29 Wassailers’ tune 30 Sketches 31 Maudlin 33 Stands in line 34 Han Solo’s love 35 Shortage 36 The — the limit!

38 Delivers (2 wds.)

41 Disco dancer (hyph.)

42 Least risky 44 JFK lander 45 Gives a lecture 46 Fridge maker 47 Fast-talks 49 Soothe 51 A few thou 52 Yield territory 53 Super deals 54 A Guthrie 55 Musical symbol 56 Sedgwick of the screen 59 “Blame It on —”

TITA Rondilla has been manning the Quezon City City Hall’s elevator in the last 45 years.

On her last day at work, she received one surprise after another as Mission Possible gave her a grand send-off yesterday with anchor Julius Babao.

Tita is well-known among City Hall employees and visitors as she operates the elevator that brings everybody to their respective floors in the building. She also offers them roasted nuts from her mini business, which has helped augment her income as a single mother with three kids.

Always with a smile, Tita will be missed by

those who take the elevator as she is finally retiring from service. As she reports for her last duty, it’s now the turn of the people in Quezon City City Hall to give back and thank her for more than four decades of selfless service.

The touching surprise for Tita was featured in Mission Possible, 9:30 p.m. yesterday on DZMM Teleradyo on SKYcable ch. 26 and ABS-CBN TVplus, and after Bandila on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (SKYCable ch 167).

If you missed it, you can still watch it via iwantv.com.ph or skyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016

ISAH V. RED

G

MA Network has retaken the lead in nationwide TV ratings, resulting from its stronger performance in all time blocks, according to data from the ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, to which the network subscribes.

For the period Sept. 1 to Oct. 13 (with Oct. 9 to 13 based on overnight data), GMA overtook its closest competitor in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) with an average people audience share of 38.3 percent, besting ABS-CBN’s 37.6 percent.

GMA likewise remained the undisputed ratings leader in viewerrich Urban Luzon, which accounts for 77 percent of all viewers in urban TV homes in the entire country, with

Newly launched ‘Alyas Robin Hood’ starring Dingdong Dantes is one of the top programs in Urban Luzon for the period of Sept.

1 to Oct. 13

Showbiz

Fantasy series ‘Encantadia’ grabs the top spot in the Urban Luzon ratings chart according to AGB Nielsen data

GMA Network regains nationwide TV ratings lead

43.4 percent, ahead of ABS-CBN’s 32.3 percent.

In Mega Manila, another traditionally strong area for GMA representing 59 percent of urban viewers nationwide, the Network kept its total day ratings advantage with 46.1 percent versus ABS-CBN’s 28.2 percent.

In partial October (Oct. 1 to 13), GMA particularly showed a stronger following on weekday evening primetime in NUTAM, with its people audience share reaching 40 percent against ABS-CBN’s 37.3 percent.

In comparison to ABS-CBN, more programs from GMA landed in the partial October list of 30 top-rating shows in Urban Luzon with a total of 18.

The well-loved Kapuso telefantasya Encantadia grabbed the no.1

Based on the latest ratings data, ‘24 Oras’ remains the most watched evening newscast on free TV

spot in the Urban Luzon chart, while emerging as the highest-rating Kapuso program in National Urban Philippines.

The recently launched Alyas Robin Hood, primetime newscast 24 Oras, program Pepito Manaloto, news magazine show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, weekly drama anthology Magpakailanman, and weekend primetime comedy Hay Bahay! were among those in the top 10 programs in Urban Luzon during the covered period.

Other top-rating Kapuso programs were 24 Oras Weekend, Ismol Family, Sunday PinaSaya, Wowowin, Someone to Watch Over Me, Eat Bulaga, Imbestigador, Superstar Duets, #Like, Dear Uge, and Sa Piling ni Nanay.

Nielsen gathers data through a number of sampled homes nationwide in comparison with other ratings service providers.

Nielsen has a nationwide sample size of 3,500 urban and rural homes.

As the leading ratings service provider, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement service boasts a total of 31 clients/subscribers including 8 local TV networks, 4 regional clients, 2 block timers, and 17 media agencies.

GMA subscribes to Nielsen along with TV5 and Aksyon TV, CNN Philippines, Net 25, EbiquityFaulkner CBN Asia and TAPE Inc., and major advertising and media

agencies such as Dentsu Aegis Network (Carat, Mediaforce Vizeum, Dentsu), GroupM (Mediacom, Mindshare, MEC and Maxus), Omnicom Media Group (OMD, PHD and M2M), Zenith Optimedia, and Starcom Mediavest. *** But ABS-CBN maintains it’s still the leader in national ratings covering urban and rural homes.

ABS-CBN, citing data from Kantar Media, by which the network vows its nationwide leardership, continues to be the country’s most watched TV network with a national average audience share of 45.7 percent, or a 12 point lead over GMA’s 33.6 percent from Sept. 1 to Oct. 13 covering both urban and rural homes.

Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population, while the other ratings data supplier AGB Nielsen reportedly has 2,000 homes based in urban areas that represent only 57 percent of the Philippine TV viewing population.

ABS-CBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment company, also led in September with a national average audience share of 46 percent covering urban and rural homes vs. GMA’s 34 percent.

Eight out of the top ten most watched programs last month were produced

by ABS-CBN led by the undisputed number one program in the country, FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano with an average national TV rating of 39.2 percent.

In other areas, ABS-CBN also dominated GMA last month. Kapamilya led the ratings game in Total Luzon with an average audience share of 41 percent

vs. GMA’s 37 percent; in Total Visayas with 55 percent vs. GMA’s 26 percent; in Total Mindanao with 58 percent vs.

GMA’s 28 percent; in Total Balance Luzon with 49 percent vs. GMA’s 35 percent; and in Metro Manila with 37 percent vs. GMA’s 33 percent.

Kantar Media is a TV audience measurement provider with capabilities in gathering viewing data in both digital and analog platforms. It is a multinational market research group that specializes in audience measurement in more than 80 countries, has 26 TV networks, ad agencies, and pan-regional networks subscribing to its ratings services.

Among its local current subscribers are, apart from the Kapamilya network, are Peoples Television Network Inc., The Huddle Room Media Inc., JRA Advertising (J. Romero and Associates), 720 Consumer Connect, Viva Communications Inc., Manprom, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Starcom, Havas Media Ortega, and Media Agency groups IPG Mediabrands (Touch BPN, UM), Dentsu Aegis Network (Dentsu, Mediaforce, Carat), Omnicom Media Group (OMD, PHD and M2M) as well as Group M (Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, and Maxus).

International subscribers to Kantar Media include Turner Broadcasting System Asia, NBCU Global Networks Asia Pte Ltd, Google Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Home Box Office (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Scripps Networks Interactive (Asia) Pte. Ltd., MTV Asia, Fox International Channels, Discovery Networks AsiaPacific Pte Ltd, CSM Media Research (China), AETN All Asia Networks Pte Ltd, Celestial Tiger Entertainment and Sony Pictures International.