Manila Standard - 2016 November 01 - Tuesday

VOL. XXX • NO. 262 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Beauty pageant takes ugly twist

By Nickie Wang PHILIPPINE candidate at the recently concluded Miss Earth pageant was caught on camera making nasty remarks about the new Miss Earth winner, Katherin Espin of Ecuador.

In a 19-second video clip posted on YouTube on Oct. 30

and later shared on Pageontology Facebook page, a social media account solely dedicated to beauty pageant updates, the 21-yearold Filipino-German Imelda Schweighart was caught talking to her supporters right after the coronation night held at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“The winner has fake nose,

fake chin and fake boobs. Miss Earth should be natural,” Schweighart was heard speaking in Filipino.

The clip has been taken down on YouTube but copies of the video are still making rounds on Facebook and Twitter.

In an interview with CNN Next page

FVR quits: China job is done

By John Paolo Bencito

F

ORMER President Fidel V. Ramos on Monday resigned as the country’s special envoy to China after criticizing President Rodrigo Duterte’s repeated tirades against the United States and an apparent tilt towards China.

DOWN-TO-EARTH COMMENT. Miss Philippines Imelda Schweighart finds herself beside Ecuador’s Katherine Elizabeth Espin, the new Miss Earth winner, hours before the former made what some called ‘down-to-earth’ remarks—insulting, according to others—with the video clips still making rounds on Facebook and Twitter. Lino Santos

“The moment the President came back from China from a successful state visit I resigned as special envoy to China because the officials have taken over,” Ramos said in a television interview.

“I’ve done my job to... break the ice and to help restore the ties of goodwill and friendship,” he added.

The Palace, however, said Ramos still had a role to play in Duterte’s talks with China.

“We have not received the resignation. Moreover, it is not true that the former president can no longer have any role in our engagement with China,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a statement.

“His stature and expertise are needed now, more than ever,

to follow up and build on what President Duterte accomplished during his recent visit to China,” he added.

Ramos, whom Duterte credits for handing him the presidency, said in a column for a national broadsheet on Oct. 9 that the government was “losing badly” by prioritizing the war on drugs at the expense of issues such as poverty, living costs, foreign investment and jobs—calling it a “huge disappointment and letdown.”

Sources had earlier told the Manila Standard that Duterte canceled Ramos’ China trip after he advised the incumbent President not to push through with the trip to China if they do not comply with certain conditions. Next page

Drug war: Cops probe mayor’s slay

By John Paolo Bencito THE Philippine National Police on Monday vowed to conduct an impartial investigation of the Oct. 28 shootout in which the mayor of Saudi Ampatuan town and nine bodyguards were killed, after relatives of Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom accused the authorities of a rubout.

“The police who are involved are now undergoing investigation,” PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Dionisio Carlos told radio dzMM. “Such allegations, suspicions should be formally submitted as observations to bolster our ongoing investigation on the possible liabilities of Next page

Quake in Italy: 31 Pinoys Sandigan post eyed for QC judge now out of harm’s way

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THIRTY-ONE Filipinos who were affected by the powerful earthquake in Italy Sunday are now in the custody of the Philippine Embassy in Rome and will be relocated to a nearby town, the Foreign Affairs Department said Monday.

The department said the 31 Filipinos were plucked from the mountainous region that was hit by two earthquakes, first on Aug. 24 and then again on Oct. 30.

“All Filipinos accounted for.

All loaded on a bus provided

by the commune... Transporting them to Perugia out of harm’s way,” the embassy’s Officer Hector Cruz said.

“The Italian Red Cross helped take care of them as well,” the embassy wrote.

The quake struck at 7:40 a.m.

(0640 GMT) near the small mountain town of Norcia, unleashing a shock felt in the capital Rome, where the metro was partially shut down, and even in Venice, 300 kilometers away.

It measured 6.6 on the so-called moment magnitude scale, according to US geologists, while Italian moniNext page tors estimated it at 6.5.

THE judge handling the Maguindanao Massacre case is one of the nominees for associate justice of the Court of Appeals and the Sandiganbayan.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, Branch 221, is aspiring for the position that will be vacant on Dec. 1 when Associate Justice Agnes R. Carpio of the Court of Appeals retires.

She is also aspiring for one of two posts that will be vacant when Sandiganbayan Associate Justices Napoleon Inoturan and Jose R. Hernandez retire.

Solis-Reyes aside, the other aspirants for the posts are Quezon City RTC Judge Angelene Mary V. Quimpo-Sale, Makati RTC Judge Selma P. Alaras, and Pasay City RTC Judge Eugenio Dela Cruz.

Solis-Reyes also applied and was shortlisted for a vacant Court of Appeals post last year.

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has appealed to SolisReyes to continue presiding over the Maguindanao massacre case.

“I told her Judge, don’t drop the case. Please, don’t,” Sereno said but added she could not blame Solis-Reyes for aspiring for a higher Next page position.

Daytime deliveries banned

Undas must be clean, crime-free, public told MALACAÑANG on Monday called on the public to have a clean, orderly and crime-free observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. “As we remember our departed loved ones, we ask everyone to observe the solemnity of the occasion. Let us not bring bladed tools, liquor, loudspeakers,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said.

“As our people enjoy this rare four-day break, there are many who would opt to go to their

provinces. We remind them to secure their houses and make sure they are locked with all appliances unplugged before leaving.”

Filipinos continued to flock to the cemeteries in Metro Manila on Monday, when more than 1,000 police, military personnel and civilian volunteers have been deployed to provide security inside and outside the Manila North Cemetery.

At least one million people were expected to visit the Manila South Cemetery by Tuesday. Next page twitter.com/ MlaStandard

CARE, COMMITMENT. Girl scouts, underlining some of their characteristics, place on the eve of All Saints’ Day, a national holiday in the Philippines, flaglets on tombs of unknown soldiers at the well-manicured Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City, Metro Manila. Lino Santos

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THE government will today start enforcing a ban on the daytime delivery of goods to the shopping malls and commercial centers in Metro Manila to ease traffic as the Christmas season draws near.

“The mall owners agreed to deliver the goods at nighttime from 11 p.m. up to 5 a.m. the next day,” said MMDA Acting Chairman Thomas Orbos.

His agency is a member of the Inter-agency Council on Traffic, the group managing and controlling traffic in the National Capital Region.

Orbos said the ban will be implemented until Jan. 9 next year, Next page

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News

‘Du30, FVR differ on climate tack’ T

HE Palace on Monday acknowledged the criticisms from former President Fidel V. Ramos, who has urged the Senate to ratify the Paris Agreement on Climate Change because any further delays would make the country more vulnerable to typhoons.

“We appreciate former President FVR’s advice. We will be guided by the wisdom of former President FVR,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in a message to reporters.

“It is only in the approach or method [that] the two leaders [Duterte and Ramos] differ on the issue of climate change. Each has

his own style and we have to learn to respect the difference.”

Ramos, who earlier warned Duterte that he was “shooting himself in the mouth” when he insulted the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, said it would benefit the government if the Senate ratified the Paris Agreement.

He said under the agreement, the wealthy countries were supposed to set aside at least $100 billion yearly as financial assistance to developing countries starting 2020 to enable all countries to develop and use renewable energy sources. This allocation was expected to increase with time.

Even the country’s chief economist, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, has said he will explain to Duterte that the Paris Agreement on climate change will not hinder Philippine economic development.

Experts including former Environment Undersecretary Antonio La Viña say the Phil-

ippines’ approval of the agreement will help Duterte fulfill his 10-point agenda.

Duterte had earlier declared he was against ratifying the Paris Agreement that calls on member countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 70 percent.

The Paris Agreement will enter into force on Nov. 4 after it was ratified by more than 55 countries.

The Philippines signed the agreement in April this year.

The country is also set to participate the Marrakesh Climate Change Conference in Morocco this November.

John Paolo Bencito

Daytime...

From A1

but the trucks delivering perishable items like ice cream are exempted.

The government claims that delivery trucks and container vans worsen the traffic in Metro Manila during the last quarter of the year as the Christmas season draws near.

Orbos says the mall operators in Metro Manila have also agreed to submit their traffic management plan, which includes the deployment of their own traffic personnel and to coordinate with traffic officials the management of the vehicles going to and from the shopping centers.

“This show of support from the private sector will definitely help the government solve the traffic problem in Metro Manila,” Orbos said.

MMDA records show that the volume of traffic rises by 15 to 20 percent between November and December. They also show that the “midnight sales” or extended mall business hours contribute to the traffic gridlock in the metropolis during the Christmas season. Joel E. Zurbano

Quake...

From A1

The Oct. 30 quake was described as Italy’s most powerful earthquake in 36 years.

So far, Italy’s national civil protection agency said there had been extensive damage to many historic buildings but no fatalities had been registered some five hours after the quake.

This was in contrast to the earthquake that struck the same region August 24, when nearly 300 people died.

“I can confirm that there are no victims [deaths]. Around 20 people are injured. As far as people are concerned, the situation is positive but many buildings are in a critical state in historic centers and there are problems with electricity and water supplies,” the agency’s chief, Fabrizio Curcio, said in an update on Sunday.

Cruz was part of a Philippine Embassy team that had just visited Norcia last Oct. 27 to check on the status of Filipinos there, who were affected by the Aug. 24 earthquake in Central Italy.

Exactly the same place was hit by a magnitude 6.6 quake at 7:40 a.m Sunday (Oct. 30), sending the Filipinos scrambling to safety like other locals.

Many ended up stranded outside their homes, worried about being trapped in rubble as the quake toppled edifices, and caused an already damaged 14th century church— the Basilica of St. Benedict-to collapse unto itself.

“Now took over from the Italian Red Red Cross...

Traveling with 31 Filipinos to Rome. They are now under the care of the Philippine Embassy,” Cruz said.

The embassy team finally reached Rome at half past 10 Monday morning (Manila time) and Cruz confirmed the 31 Filipinos are safe in embassy custody.

TAGGED. Children visiting Manila South Cemetery are given their name tags with the cellphone

numbers of their parent in case they get lost during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Lino Santos

Undas...

From A1

And in the 54-hectare Manila North Cemetery, one of the biggest and oldest cemeteries in Metro Manila, more than 10,000 people had arrived to visit their departed as of 9 a.m.

Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Cardinal Quevedo said Filipinos should visit their departed on Nov. 2, All Souls’ Day, and not on Nov. 1 which is All Saints’ Day. He said All Souls Day was the time of blessing the dead and blessing the grave.

PNP spokesman Dionard Car-

Sandigan...

From A1

“Her family is under watch.

She has guards, even her children. It is not an easy life.”

Before Solis-Reyes, the case was raffled off to several judges but they inhibited from the case.

The Maguindanao Massacre case accounts for 58 victims and

Drug...

From A1

the policemen,” Carlos added.

Citing initial police reports, Carlos said that anti-narcotics agents had set up a checkpoint at 4:30 a.m. Friday in Barangay Bulatukan, in Makilala, North Cotabato, on the basis of a “very reliable” source that Mayor Dimaukom’s group would be transporting illegal drugs.

Police said they fired only when Dimaukom’s bodyguards opened fire.

Dimaukom and his men were declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.

But relatives of the mayor cast doubt on the police version of events, saying that most fatalities suffered gunshot wounds to the head, and only six firearms—mostly handguns—were collected from the suspects, contradicting the police claim that the group was heavily armed.

Maguindanao Rep. Dodong Mangudadatu also questioned police claims, saying that Dimaukom’s car was parked properly, contrary to versions that there was a shootout.

los said police units had been deployed to provide security and assistance to the people paying their respect to their departed.

Carlos said the National Capital Region Police Office alone had deployed 9,533 police personnel until Nov. 2 to secure cemeteries, bus terminals, airports and seaports and other places where people converge.

The Metro Manila Development Authority deployed around 2,800 personnel to maintain traffic and to respond to emergencies.

MMDA spokeswoman Celine Piolago said the MMDA was implementing the “no-absences and no day-offs” policy to en-

sure they had enough personnel for the long weekend.

She said the number-coding scheme in Metro Manila had been suspended and would resume on Nov. 2.

The Inter-Agency Council on Traffic led by the Transport department had earlier lifted the Number- Coding Scheme in Metro Manila from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1. to help commuters going to and from their provinces.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board inspected buses to ensure their road worthiness.

John Paolo Bencito, Sandy Araneta and Vito Barcelo

195 accused, with 112 already arraigned. The trials are being attended by 12 prosecutors that comprise the third panel of Public Prosecutors, seven private prosecutors and 27 defense lawyers.

The transcripts of stenographic notes have reached 52 volumes, while the records of the cases are 114 volumes thick.

The high court has also issued

special trial guidelines to speed up the reception of evidence while the hearings are continuing and being held three times weekly.

Solis-Reyes, who took over the case on Jan. 5, 2010, has already heard 223 witnesses: 131 prosecution witnesses, 34 defense witnesses and 58 private complainants as of August 2016.

Rey E. Requejo

Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr., spokesman for the PNP Regional Office in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the deaths of Dimaukom and his bodyguards were the result of a legitimate encounter, with police firing back in self-defense.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu urged Dimaukom’s constituents to remain calm as they wait for the official police report on his death and refrain from speculating on the incident.

“We should avoid fomenting animosity towards the PNP amid talks spreading ... [that Dimaukom and his companions] were intentionally killed by policemen. We should talk and react based on reason, not based on emotion,” Mangudadatu said.

Dimaukom, the mayor of Saudi Ampatuan, along with his nine bodyguards was killed after being implicated as one of more than 150 local government officials, judges and police identified by President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this year as being involved in the illegal drug trade.

Dimaukom made a name for himself by funding the con-

struction of a pink mosque in Saudi Ampatuan in a plea for peace in the town which has been wracked by violence.

The mayor earlier met with Duterte, saying that he was not involved in the drug trade and was supportive of Duterte’s campaign.

“Our defense is the truth. If you are not guilty, why should you be afraid?” Dimaukom told the New York Times.

Since taking office in early June, the President has waged a bloody war on drug dealers and users, resulting in the deaths of more than 3,000 drug suspects allegedly at the hands of police.

Police said more than half of the deaths were a result of vigilante killings.

Also on Monday, a top Malaysian official said his country would not adopt the extreme methods employed by Duterte to curb the drug menace.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who visited Davao last Saturday to meet with Duterte, said that while the government wants to reduce drug trafficking, it does not share the President’s hardline approach.

FVR...

From A1

Instead of heeding Ramos’ advice, sources said, Duterte canceled Ramos’ China trip and personally took control of talks with Chinese officials.

A week later, Ramos compared the Philippines under “skipper” Duterte to a leaky and slow-moving ship due to internal strife and disunity.

In a third piece, Ramos urged Duterte to refrain from trying to impress by saying too much.

His fourth and latest column called on Duterte to approve the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and said the President’s diatribes were like “shooting himself in the mouth.”

Earlier, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said that Beijing cannot just take away Manila’s historical rights and the recent victory from the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) against China’s excessive “9-dash line” claim in the South China Sea. “Maybe not now but when we go to another round of talks we will again assert it,” Esperon said about the country’s claim to the West Philippine Sea, after speculation persisted that Duterte had made concessions to the Chinese during his recent state visit to China.

Esperon, however, said it was the President’s sworn duty to defend and protect the country.

Shortly after Duterte’s visit, Malacañang and the Defense department reported that the Chinese Coast Guard was allowing Filipino fishermen to enter the disputed Scarborough Shoal to fish.

The government also reported that warships of the Chinese Navy had already left the shoal, which is just 124 nautical miles off the coast of Masinloc, Zambales.

Esperon said the President’s visit eased tensions between the two countries, which he said was a “win-win” situation.

“It was win-win on both sides, but this is not to say that we have dropped our claim because we have asserted it,” Esperon said.

Esperon also said the President mentioned the UN tribunal’s decision to Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“Although the two presidents were not able to come up with a resolution on the disputed territories, why allow yourselves to be in that confrontational position when you can talk about economic relations [and] trade relations?” he said.

The Palace on Monday fended off criticism that it did not have

Beauty...

From A1

Philippines, Schweighart defended herself, saying she was just talking to her supporters.

“I didn’t mean to insult Miss Ecuador. Actually she said it herself that she underwent surgery. But how I said it was so unmindful while I was saying it,” she said.

Pageant followers said Miss Philippines’ behavior was unbecoming and said she was sourgraping after she failed to make it to the final cut.

On her Instagram, the Palawan born beauty contestant made another remark on the gown Miss Ecuador wore during the finals night. She said in her caption: “Philippines didn’t make it but here’s the gown I was supposed to wear. Made for me by Leo Almodal.”

She later said in an interview with CNN Philippines that she felt offended that the gown was given to Miss Ecuador.

“I’m not bitter. If it’s a crime to tell the truth, I’m sorry,” Schweighart said.

Earlier this month, Schweighart made headlines when she told Miss Austria Kimberley Budinsky on Facebook Live that President Rodrigo Duterte was “doing Hitler stuff in the Philippines.” But she quickly apologized and told the media that she supports the President.

Schweighart relinquished her crown as Miss Philippines Earth on Monday after internet users bashed her for criticizing Espín.

Former beauty queen Lorraine Schuck, executive vice president of Carousel Productions, which owns the Miss Earth franchise in the Philip-

a coherent foreign policy.

“If we are saying that we have an independent foreign policy, it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to do business with other countries. This only means that we are not depending on the United States or any other ally to tell us what to do,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said, reacting to criticism from former Philippine ambassador to the United Nations Lauro Baja, who said the country’s foreign policy was like a pendulum, swinging between the United States and China.

“We have an independent foreign policy. This only means that no one interferes and no one even tells us what to do. It is going to be a foreign policy that is made in the Philippines,” he added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. had earlier said that the Philippines will honor its treaty obligations and agreements with other countries as long as mutual interests between countries converge.

“Any partnership with any country must be based on convergence of interests. In this regard, the highest form of convergence of interests in international relations is expressed through treaties and conventions. We will respect and abide by all our treaty commitments,” Yasay said in Tokyo.

Yasay added that the Philippines is in the process of enhancing engagements with as many countries as possible in pursuit of an independent foreign policy that serves the needs of the people.

He said the country seeks amity with all nations on the basis of a policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom and cooperation.

The Foreign Affairs department on Monday said it could not confirm reports that Australia and Indonesia plan to conduct joint patrols in the South China Sea. In a report from Sydney’s Morning Herald, Indonesian Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said he had proposed a “peace patrol” with Australia in the South China Sea to “bring peace” and combat illegal fishing when the two countries’ defense ministers met in Bali last week.

“It’s a joint patrol or coordinated patrol, it’s the same thing,” Ryamizard told reporters.

“There are no intentions to disrupt the relationship [with China].

It is called a peace patrol, it brings peace. It is about protecting fish in each other’s areas.”

DFA spokesman Charles Jose said that he would have to verify the report. With John Paolo Bencito, Sara Susanne Fabunan pines met with Schweighart and her mother Annabeth Bautista Monday afternoon, shortly before they announced the resignation.

Carousel Productions personnel said Bautista was alarmed at the bashing that Schweighart had been getting after a video of her insulting Espin went viral on social media.

Schweighart failed to make it to the top 16 of Miss Earth 2016, which was eventully won

by Espín along with Miss Earth Air Michelle Gomez of Colombia, Miss Earth Water Stephanie De Zorzi of Venezuela and Miss Earth Fire, Bruna Zanardo of Brazil.

Espín was crowned Miss Earth 2016 at the pageant’s grand coronation night on Saturday at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, succeeding Filipina beauty queen Angelia Ong. While Schweighart failed to make it past the round of 16, Sweden’s Cloie Syquia Skarne, the half-sister of actress and television host KC Concepcion, finished in the Top 8.

Schweighart was gunning for an unprecedented third straight Miss Earth crown for the Philippines after Ong and 2014 titleholder Jamie Herrell.

The 23-year-old Espin, a model and cosmetologist, said she joined the beauty contest to forward her advocacy of instilling in young students the importance of taking care of the environment.

“I chose this because I believe that the best age to teach a person to have environmental conscience is at an early age because on their growing years they will learn to have respect towards the environment which will help to the future generations,” she said

News

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Senator: Be ready for Edca ‘void’

By Macon Araneta SENATE Minority Leader Ralph Recto has said he will “not oppose” President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to “in effect mothball the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement” but the Philippines should be ready to “finance and fill” whatever “logistical void” is left.

He said the vacuum will be felt more in disaster relief operations because in many typhoons in the past, Americans have been the first responders, even sending entire carrier battle groups to help in rescue and reconstruction.

“In this era of climate change, with its powerful typhoons, we need all the help we can get due to our lack of resources to airlift aid to damaged places,” he also said.

Recto said Duterte’s statement that he would “not want to see any military man of any other nation except for the Philippine soldier” in the country should not be read by other nations as “a signal that their troops, even in mercy missions, are no longer allowed to set foot here.”

If Duterte’s latest announcement morphs into policy, Recto said the government should be able to make the distinction, that while it no longer welcomes foreign boots on the ground to fight our wars, it would welcome them still if they’re from workmen doing non-security chores.

“There’s an element of internationalism in doing calamity relief so it is hoped that Duterte’s self-reliant defense posture should not dampen the desire of other countries to send their troops to help us in our time of need,” Recto said.

On Edca, the minority bloc leader said his position is to have it ratified by the Senate.

“And I have issued statements, signed reports and voted for a resolution that the consent of the Senate must first be secured to make it binding.”

“There is a proper way in doing it, but the Senate was bypassed,” Recto said. “I think one of the reasons for Edca’s vulnerability is that it did not get the seal of approval of an institution that was supposed to ratify it.”

PET CEMETERY. A pet owner offers candle and flowers at the Philippine Animals Welfare Society memorial wall dedicated to the deceased pets in Quezon City. Manny Palmero

Close SC decision on FM burial seen

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HERE will likely be a close vote among the magistrates of the Supreme Court when they resolve the petitions over the interment of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani next week, a court insider said Monday.

The source said two different main opinions were submitted during the session of justices last October 18.

One was penned by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, former chief legal counsel of former President Benigno Aquino III, stopping the burial of Marcos at the military cemetery while the second main

opinion was authored by Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, allowing the burial.

“A close voting may be expected,” the source observed, adding that the tribunal had already twice extended the status quo ante order (SQA) it issued last August stopping the Marcos burial.

The SQA, which lapsed last Oct.18, was extended up to next

Tuesday, Nov. 8, when the SC is set to resolve the case.

But the SC justices opted to reset the voting to give them more time to deliberate on the opinions of Caguioa and Peralta.

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

During 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 seven 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 chair Etta Rosales; a group led

by former senator Heherson Alvarez; a group of University of the Philippines students; former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao human rights chair Algamar Latiph; and Senator Leila de Lima.

Marcos’ children—Ilocos Gov. Imee Marcos and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.—have denied the claim of some of the petitioners that the interment of their father at the Libingan is a payment of gratitude for their alleged financial support to the candidacy of President Rodrigo Duterte in the May 2016 polls.

The former senator, who lost in the vice presidential race, believes that the decision of Duterte to allow his father’s burial at Libingan was not a political favor.

Arroyo proposes teachers’ hospital

Labor helps 10,000 OFWs

By Maricel V. Cruz

THE government has extended nearly P500 million in emergency assistance to about 10,233 distressed overseas Filipino workers who were displaced in the Middle East due to the drop in oil prices, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. Bello said that only recently, 2,191 distressed workers availed of the government’s repatriation program from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.

“Our Philippine Overseas Labor Offices in Riyadh, Al Khobar and Jeddah continue to intensify their efforts in disseminating information on the voluntary repatriation program and

FORMER President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria MacapagalArroyo has filed a bill establishing a hospital for teachers and their dependents in recognition of their invaluable contribution to educating the country’s youth.

“We have always recognized the important role of our teachers. They are our unsung heroes because despite the difficulties that confront their profession, they have remained steadfast in molding the values and character of our youth,” Arroyo, a House deputy speaker, said in a statement.

In filing House Bill 2967,

Arroyo batted for the establishment of a Philippine Teachers’ Hospital which will cater to the health concerns of teachers and their dependents.

In her proposal, Arroyo said an initial budget of P300 million is being appropriated for its creation and subsequently included in the annual General Appropriations Act or national budget.

Arroyo said it is generally accepted that teachers are exposed to work-related health risks such as pharyngitis, hypertension, anemia, and hyperacidity, among others. As such, she added, they should be provided with health facilities that will cater to their health needs

By Vito Barcelo

in conducting negotiations with employers,” Bello said.

The program is under the “Bring Them Home Mission” of the department which started last August.

Those repatriated were employees of Mohammad Al Mojil Group of Companies, Saudi Oger Ltd., Saudi Binladin Group, Rakan Trading and Arabtech. These are among the nine companies that laid off workers after being affected by the oil price slump.

Bello said of the 2,191 OFWs repatriated, 1,037 came from Riyadh; 743 from Jeddah; and 411 from Al Khobar.

Each repatriate was also given P26,000 under OWWA’s Expanded Relief Assistance Program.

House consolidates bills on drug rehabs THE House committee on dangerous drugs has approved the creation of a technical working group that will consolidate all 27 proposals pertaining to the creation of drug rehabilitation centers in various areas in the country, including the proposal of Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez seeking to create the Palo Drug Rehabilitation Center.

The committee, headed by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, vowed to fast-

track the crafting of the measure after it approved the TWG creation during its recent hearing prior to the congressional break last Oct. Romualdez stressed the need for Congress to enact a law that will empower the state to put up rehabilitation centers nationwide will put more teeth on President Rodrigo Duterte’s strong campaign to address the worsening drug menace problem in the country. Maricel V. Cruz

EMPTY METROPOLIS. The usually-congested Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, the main thoroughfare traversing Metro Manila, is almost empty of vehicles as Metro Manila residents proceeded to the provinces to pay homage to their departed loved ones. Lino Santos

IN BRIEF Oil firms hike prices OIL companies raised the price of diesel and gasoline by P0.10 per liter effective November 1 to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

Eastern Petroleum and Flying V issued the separate advisories of the price increase but other oil companies are expected to follow suit.

Last October 25, the oil firms are raised gasoline prices

by P0.20 per liter but cut kerosene and diesel prices by P0.15 per liter and P0.10 per liter, respectively.

Oil prices went have been inching up slowly in the past weeks in anticipation of the the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries decision to cut production.

Analysts have varying forecast on how the OPEC action will likely affect oil prices, with some expecting $60 by year-end and others seeing a return to $40.

Alena Mae S. Flores

EU school fair set Nov. 10 THOSE who are looking at taking post-graduate studies abroad will have a chance to know more about schools in the European Union at the European Higher Education Fair Philippines on November 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati.

Organized by the EU Delegation in the Philippines, in cooperation with the Commission on Higher Education, EHEF 2016 will feature 39 top-notch universities from Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom.

EU member-states invest in their higher education systems to help make education affordable for students, whilst maintaining high quality standards, thus the EHEF theme “Sustaining Innovation and Excellence.”

“Universities in EU member-states are known for their strong emphasis on creativity, innovation, cutting-edge technology and support and EHEF will pave the way for Filipino students to experience these diversified and high quality programs, courses, masters and doctorate degrees of EU schools and universities. Europe is also welcoming to foreign students from all over the world, social activities are well programmed to make the students feel at home,” said EU Ambassador Franz Jessen.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

T

From one monster to the next

HE thinking goes that Filipinos begin all over again with each new administration.

Wrong.

An easy example would be the current Duterte administration. The President, the former mayor of Davao City, was swept into power because he appeared different from the politicians we have known—suffered—for long.

Contrary to the well-bred, politically-correct, platitude-spewing

leaders we have had for years, this tough-talking local executive who makes no secret of his disdain for drug addicts, drug dealers and criminals and who does not seem to care what others say about him is a refreshing change.

The fight against corruption is another example. Mr. Duterte’s predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III, launched a six-year journey on what he called the straight and narrow path as a reaction to his own immediate predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose nineyear term was marred with alle-

gations of corruption.

In fact, Mr. Aquino went further and placed Mrs. Arroyo in hospital detention for more than four years, making her the poster child for his so-called crusade.

And now the nation awaits the decision of the Supreme Court on whether or not former president Ferdinand Marcos may be buried at the Libingan ng mg Bayani amid numerous petitions against it.

This issue has festered for many years and has only been brought to the high court’s attention after President Duterte

himself expressed resolve to put it at rest, once and for all.

Poverty continues to be a problem, not only because the number of poor Filipinos has actually increased but because the gap between the rich and the poor now appears wider than ever.

The list goes on.

Filipinos are never truly free from the monsters of our past.

They shape how we are run and governed today. In the same manner, the follies and excesses of the present will determine the ills we will face, or continue to face, well into the next generations.

EAGLE EYES TONY LA VIÑA

Communion of saints and our dearly departed

Back to the ‘boro’ LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES THE “boro,” as Filipino fishermen call it, is back. And hundreds of them have happily returned to their old, rich fishing grounds, coming home with their outrigger boats groaning with the weight of their bountiful catch.

“Boro” is what the subsistence fishermen from Bataan to Ilocos call Scarborough Shoal, also known by its local names of Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag. This is the outcrop of rock surrounding a shallow lagoon more than 200 kilometers from the coast of Luzon to the west, where all manner of fish spawn, live and easily get caught.

It is also the controversial speck of high-tide rock that was suddenly taken over by Chinese ships in 2012. Scarborough was the scene of the lowest point in recent Manila-Beijing relations, when a Philippine Navy ship was

forced to turn back after nearly engaging with much bigger and better-armed Chinese vessels in a lopsided maritime battle, with no American backup in sight.

The return of Filipino fishermen to Scarborough also signals the thawing of our frozen relations with the Chinese. And the best part is, there isn’t even any bilateral agreement that covers the return of the fishermen; the Chinese just left the “boro” after President Rodrigo Duterte visited Beijing, the fishermen simply returned without fear of being caught in the steel nets at the mouth of the lagoon or attacks by water cannon mounted on Chinese ships.

But, of course, there’s the ruling of Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which declared that all fishermen who have traditionally and without interference plied their trade at Scarborough must be allowed to do so. Sadly, with the Chinese refusing to budge from the shoal, there was no way to enforce the arbitral ruling, short of war—something that only the keyboard warriors of the previ-

ous administration considered a real option.

Duterte’s policy of rapprochement with Beijing has immediately borne fruit with the lifting of the Chinese’s Scarborough “blockade.” And everyone who isn’t still blinded by the warlike, pro-American propaganda (as

The return of Filipino fishermen to Scarborough signals the thawing of our frozen relations with the Chinese.

espoused by the Yellow loyalists of former President Noynoy Aquino) should understand the joy and relief now being experienced by the fishermen from

the western coastal communities of Luzon.

Think about it: For four years, our fishermen could not even approach the “boro” because the government in Manila thought it had to act as the spearpoint in America’s supposed imminent war with China over the sea lanes to our west. No one even thought about their plight, even if they were the ones who bore the brunt of the de facto blockade.

Now the Filipino fishermen, as before, can freely go into the lagoon and fish to their heart’s content. What’s not to like? *** To Filipinos, Scarborough Shoal should also represent the second time in recent years that our supposed main defense partner, the United States, did not live up to its end of the mutualsecurity bargain in the South China Sea. The first time the US failed to come to our aid was in 1997, when the Chinese suddenly seized Mischief Reef, which we call Panganiban Reef, 250 kilometers due west of the coast of Palawan.

Since 2014, China has built permanent structures on Panganiban, including an airfield that a commercial Chinese airliner has already visited. Again, as in Scarborough, the US steered clear of the brewing dispute over the seizure of Panganiban, which various administrations since the time of Cory Aquino have vehemently protested.

If the US truly has our back, as it keeps saying, why has it twice not uttered a word about the Chinese incursions in territory that the Philippines has long claimed? Why did Washington push for rotational basing of its troops through the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement to secure forwarddeployment positions against Chinese aggression if it really didn’t have the Philippines’ protection in mind?

The answers to these questions are really simple: The US will not fight China over Filipino territorial claims because such a war is not in the US’ interest.

While pro-Washington Filipinos have always believed that the Turn to A5

IN CALLING the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy a year ago, Pope Francis emphasized that “The Church lives within the communion of the saints.” The Holy Father pointed out that: “In the Eucharist, this communion, which is a gift from God, becomes a spiritual union binding us to the saints and blessed ones whose number is beyond counting.” Today, All Saints’ Day, the Catholic Church reminds us once again that the communion of saints begins here on earth and includes all the baptized, both living and dead. Tomorrow, All Souls’ Day, we are also united with our loved ones who have departed from this earth.

Pope Francis also reminds us that two realities are meant by this expression “communion of saints: communion ‘in holy things’ and among holy persons.’’ The latter meaning should console all believers, “since it reminds us that we are not alone but that there is a communion of life among all those who belong to Christ,” “a communion that is born of faith.”

According to the Pope, the Catholic Church, “is communion with God, intimacy with God, a communion of love with Christ and with the Father in the Holy Spirit, which extends to brotherly communion.” He describes this relationship between Jesus and our Father as “the ‘matrix’ of the bond between us Christians: if we are intimately part of this ‘matrix,’ this fiery furnace of love, then we can truly become of one single heart and one single soul among us. For God’s love burns away our selfishness, our prejudices, our interior and exterior divisions.

The love of God even burns away our sins.”

Pope Francis then points out how the communion of saints “goes beyond earthly life, beyond death and endures for ever”; “it is a spiritual communion born in Baptism and not broken by death, but, thanks to the Risen Christ, is destined to find its fullness in eternal life.”

As for our loved ones who have gone ahead of us, the Turn to A5

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Opinion Imagining federalism: Making haste slowly Conclusion IN HIS study of the failed attempt to shift to Federalism during President Arroyo’s time, Agustin Martin Rodriguez, former executive director of the Ateneo Center for Social Policy, cautions advocates to make haste slowly in any future attempt to push for system change.

“Federal autonomy any time soon will only condemn most local governments to languish in underdevelopment and bad governance. It may even spell the end of local democracy,” he writes in “Rethinking Federalism in the Light of Social Justice.”

“The first task is to make local governance work and stabilize beyond the experimental state before we push it to its next level. Perhaps some will argue that this is overly cautious, but such a change of form of government without any clear basis in experience and without any clear support from the political culture is bound to fail.”

Rodriguez points out that local autonomy as conceived by its framers more than 25 years ago has not realized its full potential.

Unintended consequences In a presentation during the Ayala-UP School Economics Forum last September, Dr. Jorge Tigno of the Ateneo School of Government, noted that Congress had not undertaken the mandated review of the Code since its adoption in 1992.

The law provides that a review should be made “at least once in five years and as often as it deems necessary, with the primary objective of providing a more responsive and accountable local government structure.”

A congressional oversight committee did conduct consultations on possible amendments to the code and submitted an omnibus bill for consideration by both Houses towards the end of the term of President Ramos.

Tigno says improving the current centralized set-up is “better and more cost-effective” and would save the country from “uncertainty and unintended consequences.”

Two years ago, the Asian Development Bank approved a $250 million to the Philippines, with additional funding of $150 million from the Agence Francaise de Developpement for the conduct of the first comprehensive review of the Code.

The ADB said that “weak local tax bases and flaws in the design of transfers make it hard for poorer local governments to deliver the services their constituencies require.

As a result, regional disparities in living standards remain wide. This could be efficiently addressed with a review of the Local Government code.”

The ADB has not come out with the results of the review.

Options on the table The Abueva, Araneta, and PDU30 Core proposals all

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Americans will come to our aid, that will only happen if coming to our aid is in their best interest.

And as far as China’s muscleflexing is concerned, the US has repeatedly made it clear that its interest lies in securing the $5 trillion in annual seaborne cargo that passes over the South China Sea. And when it comes to China, our supposed special status with the US is about as important as our territorial integrity is, to the Americans. Because of so many reasons, including trillions of dollars in American debt paper held by the Chinese, the US will not go to war with Beijing simply because the Philippines

recognize the need for a transition period in implementing federalism at the regional/ state level. They differ only in the length of the transition, the manner by which autonomy is to be adopted by the regions and the number of regions that will be established.

The PDU30 Core proposal hews closely to the Spanish assymetrical autonomy process, drawing up four stages culminating in the establishment of a federal republic without fixing a time frame.

The Abueva proposal has a five- to 10-year transition period but leaves the specific conditions for the formation of the individual states to be provided for by the framers of the charter in the transitory provisions.

The Araneta draft projects a 10- to 20-year transition period for the adoption of the Bayanikasan constitution.

The role of the judiciary needs fleshing out as Abueva and Araneta both propose the creation of a Constitutional Tribunal distinct from the Supreme Court. PDU30 CORE’s presentation is silent on the matter.

Key issues are the division of powers between the central and state governments and the equalization fund which will ensure that less-developed regional states are taken care of until they become financially viable.

What is singularly clear, however, is the intention by the current federalist advocates for an immediate shift to a parliamentary government with a president and a prime minister which will manage the transition to a Federal Republic.

Other issues Apart from the mode of amending or overhauling the Constitution, the proposal to lift term limits, the opening up of closed sectors to foreign investments and ownership, and even the subject of country’s territory are expected to generate heated debates within and without the halls of Congress.

Bangsamoro autonomy and agreements with the communist-led National Democratic Front which may require amendment of the charter will also come into play during deliberations in Congress.

If the draft charter does pass Congress, it will have to hurdle a plebiscite to be held at the same time as the midterm elections in 2019. This will effectively be a referendum on Duterte’s presidency.

The question in many people’s minds is whether President Duterte’s mass support at that time will be as strong as it is today, for him to be able to win over or steamroller the opposition who will dare stand in the way of Federalism.

There is no denying that it will only be President Duterte’s political will and capital which will determine whether federalism will grow to be as strong as the molave or remain as the tikbalang in the collective imagination of its proponents. thinks it should.

The posturing between the two powers—one established, the other emerging—goes way beyond us. Philippine pride notwithstanding, we are just a pawn in this big chess game between China and the US. As for us, unless we start thinking like an independent country with our own self-interest to pursue, we will always remain a pawn. We need to start doing what’s best for us and not worry about pleasing any other country first.

Despite the incessant carping of his critics, Duterte has shown us the way forward. We should pursue a policy that is in our best interest, as well, like working for the return of our fishermen to Scarborough Shoal.

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Orbos is unfit to head the MMDA

SPECIAL REPORT

By Virgilio Galvez

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA THOMAS “Tim” Orbos is unfit to head the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

What does a sensible manager (and we are not talking about Orbos) do when he is tasked to solve the traffic problem in Metropolitan Manila? From a scientific perspective, traffic is a matter of hydraulics—to maintain continuous movement in a given circuit, obstacles must be eliminated. Applying this to the roadways, it’s a matter of finding out why traffic does not move at the pace it should.

In past essays under this column, it was pointed out that Orbos has not even bothered to check out the overlooked causes for the slow pace of traffic in Metropolitan Manila, Edsa in particular.

MMDA traffic enforcers allow slow-moving vehicles to use any lane they please. This slows down traffic behind them, and forces other vehicles to change lanes and risk traffic collisions.

The same can be said for motorcycles. When Francis Tolentino was MMDA head, he created motorcycle lanes on Edsa and Commonwealth Avenue which motorcycles had to use at all times under pain of getting a traffic ticket. Tolentino stopped the motorcycle lanes when he was no longer getting any publicity for it.

Today, motorcycles use any lane they please, thus causing traffic problems. Almost all motorcycle drivers do not obey traffic regulations—they create their own counterflows, and they convert pedestrian lanes at intersections as their wait-

ing station before the light turns green.

Public utility vehicles, jeepneys specifically, are notorious for loading and unloading passengers in violation of traffic regulations. To block competition, many buses occupy more than one lane of Edsa. When buses stop to load passengers, they halt at a diagonal position to prevent other vehicles from getting ahead of them.

Pedicabs are another problem. At Edsa-Quezon Avenue intersection, particularly at the Quezon Avenue sideroad beside the SM mall, pedicabs dominate the area, traveling the one-way lane the wrong way. This causes vehicles to accumulate in the intersection.

Road use mismanagement is visible under the Edsa-Crame f lyover.

Vehicles coming from the south and headed towards Santolan Road must queue using the innermost lane of Edsa. The long line creates a bottleneck in the area. Those left-turning vehicles should access the underpass through the outermost lanes of Edsa so as to allow a smooth f low of traffic at the approach to the f lyover.

Everyday, there is a bottleneck at the northbound half of Edsa across the street separating Poveda School from the Asian Development Bank complex. The cause is a building (yes, a building) constructed underneath the MRT railway.

Although the building has no signs, it consists of three stories and has parking space for several vehicles and motorcycles.

This building has eaten up the innermost lane of the northbound half of Edsa, forcing vehicles to a bottleneck.

The MMDA has not explained what this building is for. Mean-

while, taxpayers must pay for the maintenance of the building and its vast parking space.

Almost all of the sidewalks of major roads in Metropolitan Manila have been converted into parking spaces, thus forcing pedestrians to walk on the streets. As a result, the available road space is reduced, and a traffic problem ensues.

With that summation, again, what should a sensible manager do when he is tasked to solve the traffic problem in Metropolitan Manila? He must get rid of what causes the traffic problem—before resorting to radical solutions.

Instead of getting rid of the foregoing causes of the traffic mess, Orbos resorted to the radical solution of banning vehicles from the metropolitan roads from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. one day each week, depending on the last digit of the vehicle’s license plates. For Orbos, that means less vehicles on the road and, therefore, a problem solved. Really?

The Orbos pseudo-solution will compel private vehicle owners to use the public transportation system at least once a week —something easier said than done. The public transportation system in the metropolis is woefully inadequate, inefficient, and unsafe. Even commuters who resort to private for-hire vehicles from Uber and Grab (and those masquerading as such) are vulnerable to arbitrary charges and physical harm. If that is not troublesome enough, imagine the plight of the disabled, the elderly, and the pregnant.

Evidently, forcing the people to resort to a public transportation system that is inadequate, inefficient, and unsafe, as Orbos wishes to, violates their

constitutional right to travel.

This right is underscored by the fact that motorists who register their vehicles are required to pay a road users’ tax. Why should a motorist pay a tax on a public road he is arbitrarily and unjustly prohibited from using in the first place?

The Orbos ban is also antipoor. Rich persons will simply buy an addiitonal vehicle with a different license plate number, to circumvent the ban. The poor do not have that alternative.

When a public official like Orbos resorts to a radical measure without first resorting to other, less radical solutions, he commits a grave abuse of discretion. His measure may be voided in court, and he may be in for anti-graft raps.

Orbos cannot invoke the police power of the state to justify his new ban because the Supreme Court has ruled that the MMDA has no police power.

The blessings Orbos obtained from the city mayors of Metropolitan Manila to support his radical solution will not save his day. Local governments have no power to restrict the public use of national roads.

Government officials are expected to support Orbos’ radical ban, not because it is a sound measure, but because Orbos has exempted all government vehicles from the coverage of his ban. That means more road space for government officials and their vehicles. Taxpayers will just have to sacrifice and resort to the inadequate, inefficient, and unsafe public transportation system Orbos compels them to use. Aren’t government officials supposed to do the suffering for the taxpayers?

Expect additional discourse on the Orbos road use ban under this column next week.

Magical thinking won’t stop climate change

By Mark Buchanan WORLD leaders have started to generate some real optimism with their efforts to address global climate change. What’s troubling, though, is how far we remain from getting carbon emissions under control—and how much wishful thinking is still required to believe we can do so.

The Paris agreement on climate change has garnered the national signatories needed to go into force on Nov. 4. Some economists see it as a promising framework for cooperation among many different countries, especially if those not pulling their weight suffer penalties such as trade sanctions.

There’s even talk of aiming for the more ambitious goal of keeping global temperatures

Communion...

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Holy Father reminds us of the “deep and indissoluble bond between those who are still pilgrims in this world—us—and those who have crossed the threshold of death and entered eternity.” Thus the Church taught us this eternal truth: “All baptized persons here on earth, the souls in Purgatory and all the blessed who are already in Paradise make one great Family. This communion between earth and heaven is realized especially in intercessory prayer.”

Christians are called to be joyful, to be filled with the joy of having fellow believers walking with us in this journey, sustained by the help of those who are taking the same path toward heaven; and also by the help of those of our loved ones who are in heaven and are praying to Jesus for us. As Father Jeffrey F. Kirby wrote a few days ago in the Crux website: “The baptized are brought together and held in communion as one body

within 1.5 degrees Celsius or less of their pre-industrial level, as opposed to the currently agreed 2 degrees. Meanwhile, another major international deal has been reached to phase out greenhouse gases used in refrigeration systems, and solar energy technology continues its rapid advance.

For all the progress, though, the gap between what needs to happen and what is happening remains large. Worse, it’s growing.

Consider, for example, how far the planet remains from any of the carbon emission trajectories in which—according to the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change—global warming would remain below 2 degrees. Even in the most lenient scenarios, we would have to be cutting net emissions already.

Yet under the pledges countries have made in the Paris framework, emissions will keep increasing sharply through at least 2030.

As climate scientists Kevin Anderson and Glen Peters argue, an element of magical thinking has crept into the IPCC projections. Specifically, they rely heavily on the assumption that new technologies will allow humans to start sucking carbon out of the atmosphere on a grand scale, resulting in large net negative emissions sometime in the second half of this century. This might happen, but we don’t know how to do it yet.

The assumptions about negative emissions amount to a bizarre step in what ought to be a cautious and conservative analysis. The IPCC scenarios

essentially ignore the vast uncertainty surrounding a technology that does not yet exist, and about our ability to ramp it up to the required scale. To eliminate that much atmospheric carbon, as geophysicist Andrew Skuce estimates, we would need an industry roughly three times as big as the entire current fossil fuel industry—and we would need to create it fast, building something like one new large plant to capture and store carbon every day for the next 70 years. Does that sound likely?

Perhaps such wishful thinking is an inevitable symptom of our addiction to fossil fuels— and our fear of the wrenching pain that moving away from them will entail. In reality, if we’re not feeling the change, we’re probably not doing enough. Bloomberg

and are then sent out to be a salt of goodness, light, and a leaven for unity within the entire human family.” Fr. Kirby also pointed out that the communion of saints does not end with the living “holy ones” on earth; “It is not suspended by death, but empowered by it as death nurtures hope and points to heaven.” Hence, the communion of saints also includes our dearly departed, “who have passed from this life into the next” and “who are still in a time of purgation being prepared for eternity, and those who have received their reward in paradise.”

Saint Bernard points out that the saints do not need to be honored or praised. Our devotion to them and the celebration of their feast days, including today’s commemoration, does not add “the slightest thing to what is theirs.” But if we do venerate their memory, its because such celebrations help us immensely. According to Saint Bernard: “Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We long

to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors and the choir of virgins.

In short, we long to be united in happiness with all the saints...

When we commemorate the saints we are inflamed with another yearning: that Christ our life may also appear to us as he appeared to them and that we may one day share in his glory.”

Going now to the celebration tomorrow of All Souls’ Day, Saint Ambrose exhorts us: “Let us die with Christ, to live with Christ.”

From this perspective, death is gain and life is loss.

The good bishop quotes Saint Paul: “For me life is Christ, and death a gain.” Bearing this in mind. we are called to be familiar with death, yes to even desire for death. Death is not a cause for mourning, but in fact is the root of our salvation.

According to Saint Ambrose: “Death is not something

to be avoided, for the Son of God did not think it beneath his dignity, nor did he seek to escape it.

Death was not part of nature; it became part of nature. God did not decree death from the beginning; he prescribed it as a remedy. Human life was condemned because of sin to unremitting labor and unbearable sorrow and so began to experience the burden of wretchedness. There had to be a limit to its evils; death had to restore what life had forfeited. Without the assistance of grace, immortality is more of a burden than a blessing.”

In these days when we celebrate the saints and our dearly departed, Saint Paul’s words in his first letter to the Corinthians are most appropriate: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF MLQU honor frat revived THE once-prestigious Kappa Gamma Phi (Knights of the Golden Fleece) fraternity of the Manuel L. Quezon University is being reorganized by a convenors’ group headed by lawyer Lamberto “Bert” Nanquil, former judge Marino dela Cruz Jr., lawyer Rudegelio Tacorda, counsel Romy Landicho and former National Press Club director Jun Velasco as members.

At a luncheon meeting on Oct. 28 at Tacorda’s law office in Diliman, Quezon City, the group decided to infuse a “brand-new activism” into the fraternity based on scholarship, academic excellence and student leadership—the group’s philosophical anchor, Nanquil said.

Since MLQU’s founding date in l947, the fraternity has been on the forefront of academic excellence in such courses as law, education, public service and journalism.

The fraternity began to flounder with the imposition of Martial Law in the country, when many of its members left the country and the political scene. Among former members were former Justice Secretary Ricardo Puno, former Supreme Court Justice Leonardo Quisumbing, Presidential Executive Assistant Dr. Guillermo de Vega, former Manila Mayor Antonio Vilegas, former RTC Judge Aloysius Alday and former Labor Secretary Amado Gat Inciong.

Members have been requested to contact the secretariat in Cubao and/or Diliman, Quezon City through Atty. Nanquil 09175834750, Atty. Tacorda 09178233351; or executive director Jun Velasco 0906725245.

Dela Rosa dismantles fixed PNP checkpoints P

HILIPPINE National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has ordered regional police directors to dismantle unnecessary checkpoints as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte, adding that the move would also help check corruption among policemen.

Dela Rosa said fixed checkpoints only have a minimal impact in fighting crime because criminals can simply evade them.

“The policy will not be a handicap. That will only be a handi-

cap to the law enforcers who are only interested in mulcting people,” Dela Rosa said. “[Besides,] we can establish mobile checkpoints anytime when needed.”

Metro Manila police director Chief Supt. Oscar Albayalde

agreed that Duterte’s order to dismantle checkpoints should not affect anti-crime operations although Metro Manila remains on Level 3 alert because of the national memorial for the dead, locally called Undas. “[The dismantling of checkpoints] should not affect operations because we can convert them to police visibility measures, like beat patrols and mobile patrols,” Albayalde said.

“As of last night, dinismantle na ang checkpoints after we got a text message from the Directorate for Operations,” he added.

For instance, Albayalde said the 7,714 policemen were deployed in the 99 cemeteries in Metro Manila despite the dismantling of checkpoints.

“In Metro Manila we maintain [the alert] at Level 3 just to ensure our operational readiness and target hardening measures,” Albayalde said in a television interview.

Albayalde reiterated his warning to the people to refrain from bringing to cemeteries banned items such as firearms, alcoholic drinks, gambling materials, loud sound systems, among others.

OFWs: Appoint PH envoy to Saudi

Bulakenyo tops search A YOUNG lad from Bulacan bagged for the second consecutive year the Search for Exemplary Pantawid Pamilya Children Regional title and will compete next month in the national search.

Twelve-year-old Justin Mandac Carangan from Plaridel town bested six other contestants with a performance that pays tribute to the country’s heroes and native dances. Rechelle Antonio from San Manuel, Tarlac placed second and Marc Lester Pangilinan from Minalin, Pampanga finished third.

“The competition is open to Pantawid Pamilya children beneficiaries whose age is from 10 to 14 by Oct. 31, 2016,” DSWD Regional Director Gemma Gabuya said.

“Contestants were judged based on Kilos at Ugali (Behavior and Practice)-20 percent, Talento (Talent)-20 percent, Talino at Talas ng Isip (Intelligence and Wit)-20 percent, Pakikilahok sa Komunidad at Eskwela (Community and School Participation)-20 percent, and Tindig at Pormang Kaya Ko! (Presence and Appearance)-20 percent,” Gabuya added.

MMDA eyes suit vs firm

By Joel E. Zurbano ACTING Chairman Thomas Orbos of the Metro Manila Development Authority said on Monday they are considering filing a case against D.M. Consunji Inc. for the unauthorized demolition work that caused monstrous traffic on major roads leading to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

DMCI is the contractor of two ongoing major projects—Skyway Stage 3 and Naia elevated expressway projects. Both projects are affecting the traffic flow in the southern part of Metro Manila.

“We’ll write them first for them to explain, if need be, seek legal remedy. We don’t know from where or whom they asked for permission, but the mere fact that they caused a lot of inconvenience, we will not just let it go,” said Orbos.

Orbos said the contractor made the demolition despite knowing there will be an influx of passengers going to the airport for a long weekend holiday break in connection with the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. He added the contractor failed to coordinate with the Interagency Council on Traffic (I-ACT) nor the MMDA about the road works.

“We will write formally to inquire and send the letter by Wednesday,” he said.

On Friday, passengers experienced monstrous traffic going to Naia Terminal 3 because, according to the Department of Transportation, the DMCI made the unauthorized demolition of the existing Skyway ramp of the NAIA expressway.

He also advised the public to be vigilant and immediately report to authorities any suspicious items or persons.

Dela Rosa earlier ordered checkpoints nationwide to secure vital installations following the Davao night market bombing in Davao City last month but Duterte said on Saturday that security checkpoints are causing travel delays and should be dismantled.

In the interview, Albayalde said there were also no untoward incidents reported, and he expects the same to continue until Tuesday.

LOVE THROUGH THE AGES. A pair of pigeons take a drink shortly after arriving at the St. Padre Pio Church in Libis, Quezon City where lofts of pigeons congregate along with humans who offer candles at the church because of their inability to visit the graves of departed loved ones. Sonny Espiritu

BI reshuffles 400 immigration officers

By Vito Barcelo MORE than 400 immigration officers were reshuffled at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as part of the bureau’s measure to strengthen security and provide efficient service to the public ahead of the Christmas season.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said some of the immigration officers will be transferred to their newly designated duty assignments in any one of the three terminals of the Naia.

“We have already addressed basic weaknesses or chokepoints in the essential services of the Bureau of Immigration. We are now embarking on a service ef-

ficiency program, especially in the light of the coming holiday season,” Morente said.

The BI chief said the assignments of immigration officers at the Naia will be rotated every three to four months or as the need arises.

“This rotation policy intends to provide new challenges to our personnel as well as prevent fraternization among airport personnel which has been pinpointed as a major source of corruption not only in our bureau but in other government agencies as well,” Morente said.

He also revealed that aside from immigration officers, BI intelligence agents assigned at the Naia will also be reshuffled

in line with the said policy.

Meanwhile, Morente disclosed that a new batch of 40 newly hired immigration officers will be reporting to the NAIA this week to augment the number of BI personnel manning the immigration arrival and departure counters at the premiere port.

He said the fresh recruits have just completed their twomonth training on immigration laws, rules and procedures at the Philippine Immigration Academy in Clark Field, Pampanga and will now be doing their On-the Job training in the said terminals.

Three weeks ago, Morente also issued personnel orders

reassigning to the Naia some 30 immigration officers who were recalled from their posts at the BI main office and other field offices throughout the country.

According to the BI chief, the number of BI personnel at the Naia was beefed up in anticipation of the influx and exodus of international passengers at the airport during the upcoming Christmas holiday season.

“In fact, we have already issued strict orders prohibiting our immigration officers at the Naia from going on leave during the holiday season in order to reduce, if not eliminate, the queues of passengers in our counters during this period,” he added.

AN OVERSEAS Filipino workers group urged President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday to appoint a Philippine ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“President Duterte [has been] in office for almost four months and he already named some of the Philippine envoys to other countries and international bodies. We are urging him to name our ambassador to KSA,” said John Monterona, convenor of the United Overseas Filipinos Worldwide (U-OFW).

There has been no Philippine ambassador to Saudi Arabia since the resignation of former ambassador Ezzadin Tago in June 2016. The highest ranking official at the Philippine embassy is charges de’ affairs Iric Arribas.

Monterona said Philippine and Saudi relations is one of the country’s most important bilateral ties and a permanent envoy must have the necessary expertise and solid experience to concretize the government’s policy to preserve and enhance national security, promote economic security, and protect the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos overseas.

“As far as our relation with the Saudi government is concerned, there are plenty of opportunities in the economic and labor fronts that have yet to be tapped. There are also tough challenges such as the protection and promotion of OFWs rights and welfare that previous PH ambassadors faced difficulties and remains to be the main concerns of OFW advocacy groups in Saudi Arabia,” Monterona opined.

Monitoring the security issues, not just in Saudi Arabia but in the entire Middle East, is also a tough job of the envoy in Saudi Arabia noting the volatile peace and order situation in some of the countries in the Middle East.

CoA questions 10 govt agencies over dividends

By Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Audit has questioned at least 10 government-owned and -controlled corporations over their failure to remit P68 billion in dividends for 10 years.

Those identified violating Republic Act 7656, or the GOCC Dividend Law, were the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. of P27.279 billion; Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp., P23.817 billion; Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., P15.401 billion; National Food Authority, P937.602 million; Philippine Sugar Corp., P441.256 million; Philippine Postal Corp., P356.4 million; Local Water Utilities Administration, P343.191 million; Philippine Rice Research Institute, P82.274 million; Philippine Aerospace Development Corp., P6.84 million, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, none at all.

Based on a 2015 annual financial report, PSALM should have remitted

P29.3 billion in dividends to the government with its net income of P58.7 billion in 2004 to 2014.

It only paid dividends of P2.1 billion from 2004 to 2010.

On the other hand, PDIC underremitted its dividends through the exclusion of “reserves for insurance losses” in its declared incomes from 2004 to 2015.

PDIC declared a net income of P12.97 billion despite having reserves for insurance losses of P37.3 billion.

It should have remitted dividend payments of P25.1 billion. But it only remitted P6.4 billion with a balance of P18.6 billion as of last year.

Also, the gaming corporation under-remitted its dividends from 2011 to 2015 for declaring its income based on gaming revenues of P153.3 billion.

Not included in the GOCC’s declaration was income from “related services” including collections from concessionaires and foreign exchange which totaled P51.9 billion, CoA said.

WESTERN TRADITION. Workers of the Quezon Memorial Circle put up effigies, mimicking the Western tradition of Halloween. Manny Palmero

Sports

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Westbrook fuels OKC past LA L

OS ANGELES—Russell Westbrook pushed the pace all night recording his second consecutive triple-double on Sunday to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 113-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Westbrook posted 33 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds en route to his 39th career triple-double.

Through three games, he is averaging 38.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 11.6 assists.

“That’s what we do,” Westbrook said.

“We have to go. That’s our advantage, we’re athletic. We’re young and we want to run up and down the floor. That’s what we should do.”

Victor Oladipo added 20 points,

Westbrook has carried the Thunder this season by jackhammering the opponent’s defense into pieces. Sunday night was the hapless Lakers’ turn.

The Lakers, who finished with the worst record (17-65) in the Western Conference last season, are now 1-2 on the season.

“He had a masterful game tonight,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said of Westbrook.

“He was getting everyone involved, shooting when the shots were there and playmaking for teammates.

“He showed today why he is one of the top point guards in the world.”

D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle paced the Lakers with 20 points apiece. Randle also grabbed

while Steven Adams scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Thunder (3-0) at the Chesapeake Arena in Oklahoma City.

Westbrook was coming off a sparkling 51 point, 13 rebound, 10 assist performance against the Phoenix Suns. He narrowly missed a triple-double in the season opener against Philadelphia when he collected nine assists.

He is the first player with 100 points, 30 rebounds and 30 assists in the first three games of the season.

Hideki now eyes a major

nine rebounds. Nick Young scored 16 for Los Angeles.

Durant dominates pesky Suns In Phoenix, Kevin Durant scored 37 points and Stephen Curry added 28 as the Golden State Warriors held off the Suns 106-100.

Klay Thompson had 14 points and Draymond Green had 13 rebounds for the Warriors, who trailed by as many as 13 in the first half before limiting the Suns to 43 second-half points.

Golden State stretched their lead to seven points at 101-94 after a Durant alley-oop layup from Andre Iguodala with 1:19 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Suns charged back to within two points on a Jared Dudley layup with 14.8 seconds to play.

Curry hit two free throws with 13 seconds left, and the Warriors denied the Suns any more baskets before the final buzzer. Durant sealed the win on two free throws with seven seconds to go.

T.J. Warren had 26 points and Eric Bledsoe added 21 for the Suns, who have opened the season with three straight losses.

In Los Angeles, Austin Rivers came off the bench to score 19 points, and Blake Griffin tallied 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers won a lowscoring contest over the Utah Jazz 88-75.

Jamal Crawford chipped in 12 points, while DeAndre Jordan contributed 10 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers in their home opener. AFP

Sunrise Sprint spices up 5i50 tilt

Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. AFP

SHANGHAI—Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama set his sights firmly on winning a major after destroying a world-class field to become the first Asian to win a World Golf Championship at the weekend.

“Winning today, I feel has got me closer to being able to compete a lot better in the major tournaments,” said the 24-year-old sensation after winning the WGCHSBC Champions in Shanghai in record-breaking style.

Matsuyama finished on 23 under par to win by seven shots —the biggest margin in the history of the event dubbed “Asia’s Major”—from Henrik Stenson and Daniel Berger, with Rory McIlroy and Bill Haas one shot further back.

“My next goal is, of course, to win a major. I’m going to do all that I can to prepare well for that,” added the quietly spoken Matsuyama.

YE Yang is the only Asian man to have won a major -- the 2009 US PGA Championship.

Matsuyama, with two wins a second in his last three starts, rose to a career high sixth in the world in the new rankings released Monday.

‘Great honour’ His victory in Shanghai means he already leads the 2017 US PGA Tour FedEx Cup points standings.

The WGC-HSBC Champions was his 10th victory and his third on the PGA Tour since turning professional in August 2013, equalling Shigeki Maruyama’s record for the most PGA Tour wins in history by a Japanese player.

“Shigeki Maruyama is a good friend of mine, and he always said that I was going to pass his records,” said Matsuyama. AFP

Djokovic rejuvenated by Murray’s rise PARIS—Novak Djokovic admits that Andy Murray’s dramatic last-gasp assault on his world number one ranking has rejuvenated a season which was limping into mediocrity for the 12-time major winner.

Djokovic has suffered a worrying dip in form since winning his first French Open and completing the career Grand Slam in June.

He had a shock early loss at Wimbledon followed by a firstround exit at the Olympics and

a runners-up spot at the US Open.

But as the 29-year-old prepares to defend the Paris Masters title he has won for the past three years, he insists Murray’s charge for the top has provided the fresh impetus he needs.

“It makes me want to go on court and fight for every point because there is something to win at the end,” Djokovic said, adding he felt “rejuvenated and regenerated”.

If Djokovic reaches next Sunday’s final in Paris he will retain the world number one ranking that he has held for 122 weeks straight, no matter what Murray does in the French capital.

But if he fails to make the championship match, then Murray will become the number one as long as the British star wins the title.

The 29-year-old Briton took a step closer to the top spot on Sunday by winning the Vienna

ATP title.

“Andy is playing maybe the best tennis he’s ever played.

He definitely deserves to be in the position to finish up the year as number one. Whether or not that’s going to happen, it doesn’t depend only on him.

It depends on me as well,” said Djokovic.

“I just try to work on my game these days and I know if I’m on the level I desire, I can challenge anybody or beat anybody.” AFP

A SHORT distance race series, featuring a 750m swim, a 20k bike and a 5k run, will spice up The Bellevue Resort 5i50 Triathlon firing off this Sunday with a huge field expected to vie for top honors at the Bellevue Resort in Panglao Island, Bohol.

Dubbed the Sunrise Sprint, the event is expected to lure beginners wanting to immerse themselves into triathlon racing, a tri warrior who has been off the circuit and out to make a comeback or simply a triathlon enthusiast.

The organizing Sunrise Events, Inc. launched the event in Subic Bay early this year and inspired by the tremendous response, it has included the Sunrise Sprint in this year’s staging of The Bellevue Resort 5150.

“It has been our desire to expand the base of triathlon, which has grown by leaps and bounds through the years. With the Sunrise Sprint, we provide beginners or those on a comeback trail a fun and friendly racing experience,” said SEI founder Fred Uytengsu.

Few more slots are up for grabs in both The Bellevue Resort 5150 and Sunrise Sprint with fee pegged at P4,500 ($95). Participants in the Sunrise Sprint must be at least 15 years old by Dec. 31. For details, visit www. bellevue.5150philippines.com.

Meanwhile, Sam Betten and Dimity Lee Duke gear up for their respective title retention bids in the main event which has drawn top triathletes from Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Europe, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States.

The Australian duo dominated the 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run event last year but will be in for a tougher challenge this time with a crack set of rivals all primed up for a shot at 5150 honors and the $2,000 top prize in both categories of the event hosted for the first time by Bellevue Resort, a world-class resort on the coastline of Panglao Island in Bohol.

Ateneo, UP crowned swim champions

By Peter Atencio

PHILRACOM NOW AN IFHA MEMBER. Philippine Racing Commissioner Bienvenido Niles Jr. (left) is shown with International Conference of Horseracing Authorities Chairman Louis Romanet (center) and Secretary General Andrew Chesser during the 50th IFHA in Paris, where he formally accepted the commission’s inclusion to the 60-nation IFHA. IFHA’s mission is to promote good regulation and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport.

ATENEO de Manila won its third straight crown in the men’s division, while University of the Philippines came up with a strong finish on the final day to regain the women’s crown at the end of the 79th University Athletic Association of the Philippines swimming competitions recently at the Rizal Memorial Swimming pool.

Season MVP Aldo Batungbacal led the way for the Blue Eagles, who dominated the four-day meet with 603 points.

In taking their fourth over-

all crown, Batungbacal won four golds on the final day by winning the 1,500-meter freestyle (16:42.21) and 200-meter breaststroke (2:22.95) titles in recordbreaking fashion.

He also set meet records in the 100-meter breaststroke (1:05.78) and 400-meter individual medley (4:39.98).

In women’s action, Ateneo yielded the throne to the UP Lady Maroons, who captured their 15th crown overall.

Breaststroke specialist Pricilla Aquino led the way in Day 4 for UP, which came from behind to finish with 444 points.

Ateneo settled for second place with 411.

The Lady Eagles still had a consolation when Hannah Dato bagged her third straight MVP award after winning six golds.

Dato did not match her seven-gold total last year after losing to Jaja Cordero of the Lady Maroons in the 200-meter butterfly.

Also delivering the goods for Ateneo was former twotime men’s MVP Jessie Lacuna, who won five individual and two relay golds.

Then, there’s Axel Ngui, who capped his collegiate stint with a gold-medal finish

Hamilton stuns Rosberg in Mexico MEXICO CITY—Defending champion Lewis Hamilton kept alive his title defence with a controlled and near-flawless victory ahead of championship leader and Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in a dramatic Mexican Grand Prix.

The 31-year-old Briton came home comfortably ahead of the German to trim

his advantage to 19 points with two races remaining after a fiery finish to the 71-lap race.

This saw four-time champion Sebastian Vettel lose his temper during a tempestuous exchange following a clash with teenager Max Verstappen of Red Bull—the conflict being settled by the stewards who swiftly handed the Dutchman a five seconds penalty.

Verstappen, who had finished third, had already taken his place in the pre-podium room with the two Mercedes drivers before the stewards’ decision was taken—while Vettel fumed and gave vent to a stream of profanities—but made a hasty retreat when the German came to the room.

But the final fury that followed the battle for third

place taken by Vettel could not overshadow a fine drive

by Hamilton to his second win in succession, his eighth of the season and the 51st of his career.

Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull finished fourth ahead of the relegated Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari and Nico Hulkenberg who was seventh

for Force India.

Valtteri Bottas finished eighth for Williams ahead of his team-mate Felipe Massa and local hero Sergio Perez who claimed the final point in the second Force India.

The Mercedes team’s onetwo victory was a record 17th for the season and it was Hamilton’s 30th win from pole position. AFP

in the 50-meter freestyle.

De La Salle was a far second with 340 points, while UP came through in third place with 194 points.

The Lady Archers survived the Lady Maroons’ onslaught with Catherine Bondad ruling the 50-meter backstroke event, and placing third with 129 points.

Aside from Aquino and Cordero, also emerging victorious for UP are Winona Tee Ten in the 50-meter freestyle and the 4x400meter medley relay team of Mikee Bartolome, Gabriela Torres, Monica Padilla and Joy Rodgers.

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

Chicago Cubs ask: Why not us?

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

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Sports David Ross (3) of the Chicago Cubs is congratulated by Ben Zobrist (18) after Ross hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning against the Cleveland Indians in Game Five of the 2016 World Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. AFP

Pacquiao feeling pressure to win impressively vs foe

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

S

ENATOR and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao admitted that the pressure is on him to put on an impressive performance against WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas, who is 10 years younger, several inches taller and has a three-inch reach advantage.

Pacquiao, who is coming out of a short-lived retirement, aims to become the first senator in boxing history to win a world title when he battles Vargas at the Thomas & Mack

Woo captures jr crown NAM Kyung Woo of Nanuri International School edged Marc Lu of Oro Christian Grace School by one point for the junior individual plum in the recent JGFP Mindanap Inter-school Golf Championships at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro. Woo posted rounds of 53 and 54 points equivalent to one-over 73 and even-par 72 rounds in medal play for a 107 aggregate that was a point better than the 54-52-106 effort of Lu. Woo’s teammate Ham Hong Seok tallied 48-51 for 99 and third place.

Rolando Bregente of Manolo Fortich National School claimed the Aspirants 1 title, Mark Ivan Parilla of San Miguel Elementary School took the Aspirants’ 2 crown, while Sophia Abarcas of Del Monte and Christine Jenn Chua of Oro Christian Grace School topped the Girls’ 3 and Girls’ 2 divisions of the tourney organized by the Junior Golf Foundation of the Philippines.

Bregente chalked up a couple of 49s for 98 and a five-point win over Dong Bin Seo; Parilla (30-42-72) beat Cliff Nuneza of International School by three; Chua (22-2648) finished far ahead of Kaira Rolida of OCGS (12-12-24) and Abarcas won over Kaira Montebon of Abbas Orchard.

San Miguel, composed of Parilla, Wahing Simon and Martin Quinlog, won the Aspirants’ 2 team event, with Abbas Orchard (Montebon ans Juliane Borlongan) topping Girls’ 3 and OCGS (Chua and Rolida) taking the Girls’ 2 plum.

Center in Las Vegas on Nov. 6 (Manila time).

The fight, as well as WBO super bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire’s title defense against unbeaten southpaw

Jessie Magdaleno, will be telecast on pay-per-view over ABS-CBN Sky Sports and Cignal, as well as Solar Sports, who holds the rights to the fights and GMA 7.

Boxing Scene reported that Vargas and his trainer Dewey Cooper are predicting a retirement party, where Pacquiao will be dumped with another defeat, having previously lost in a stunning sixth-round knockout to Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao wants to prove to everyone, including himself, that he’s still one of the best fighters

in the world, pound-for-pound.

“There’s a pressure for me, but I don’t want to think about that, I don’t want to get distracted by that. For me, the pressure encourages me, is a motivation to focus hard, focus on training, work hard,” said Pacquiao promised: “I will do my best. I will not predict the fight, but I’ll do my best to make the Filipino people and the fans happy, and to win the fight. Of course, I don’t want to underestimate him. I respect him because he’s a champion. I have to make sure that I’m 100 per cent conditioned, that that’s still there and

that I’m 100 percent ready for the fight.”

As far as the future, there are numerous opponents being mentioned, including WBC/WBO junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford and the winner of Danny Garcia vs. Keith Thurman, among others.

“I cannot say that right now, because my focus is on the upcoming fight with Vargas on Nov. 5. Sure, it is exciting. I’m excited to show that even as a senator, I can still excel in boxing, that I can still maintain my name at the top,” Pacquiao said.

CHICAGO—For a Chicago Cubs team playing in its first World Series since 1945 and seeking its first title since 1908, overcoming another few unlikely historic baseball feats is no big deal.

Chicago edged Cleveland 3-2 on Sunday at iconic Wrigley Field to pull within 3-2 in Major League Baseball’s best-of-seven final and force a sixth game Tuesday in Cleveland.

The Cubs have America’s record-longest sports title drought, with Cleveland not having taken the trophy since 1948 for baseball’s second-longest championship futility streak.

Only six of 46 teams in World Series history have recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the title, none since the 1985 Kansas city Royals. Ten teams have tried and failed to make the comeback since.

“Why not us?” asks Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, whose solo home run launched a three-run fourth inning for the Cubs on their way to their first World Series win at Wrigley Field since 1945.

“That’s kind of our (motto). I feel like we play our best with our backs against the wall. We went out and took care of business. Hopefully we can get out there and win game six because you never know what can happen in a game seven.”

The Cubs feature a World Series record six players under age 25. They scoff at the notion of the team being “cursed” and don’t pile past failures onto their shoulders even though the longsuffering and devoted fan base carries the suffering of decades as a badge of honor.

“We’re all about writing our own history,” Bryant said. “This team is a special one. There 17 times this year we lost a game and went on to win three in a row. So why can’t we do that now?”

Cubs shortstop Addison Russell sees it much the same way, taking on the challenge of lifting the Cubs above the naysayers and doom predictors whose mantra has been “Wait until next year.”

“We’re making history. Why stop?” Russell said. “This is entertaining to us. It’s fun and we live for this. We see a lot of challenges ahead of us. We embrace them.

It’s what we have been talking about since spring training.”

From practice player to certified Gin King

By Paul Duran IT WON’T be the first time he’ll be playing for Ginebra, but come the PBA’s 42nd season, Jericho de Guzman won’t be just a practice player anymore.

The towering De Guzman couldn’t believe it as he heard his name get called by Commissioner Chito Narvasa during Sunday’s PBA Rookie Draft. The team that picked him was BGSM-his favorite team and the team that took him in for a whole conference as a practice player.

“Sobrang saya ko, ‘di ko ma-explain,” said the elated 6’11’’ Center from College of St. Benilde after the annual

Rookie draft at the Midtown Mall in Robinson’s Ermita.

“Dream come true para sa akin ‘to,” he added as he saw himself wearing the Ginebra cap and jacket after being picked in the second round by Ginebra and no one better to greet him but by Tim Cone himself, who honed his skills during his five months with the team.

“Araw-araw ko pinagdadasal sa Diyos na mapunta ako sa Ginebra, at ngayon nagkatotoo nga,” De Guzman said with a smile.

And the scheme of things just went for De Guzman as Rain or Shine passed just before he was selected by Gine-

bra, a move that would have spelled a different outcome, but for the gentle giant, his prayers were just for him to be picked in the draft.

De Guzman first went to Ginebra’s practices when former coach Richard del Rosario invited him in.

The 27-year-old Tarlac native also bared that he is excited to be with the team again, albeit with him getting to suit up for the storied franchise, not only inside the gym, but inside the court in front of its legion of fans.

“Hindi pa rin talaga nagsi-sink-in masyado, parang dream come true talaga. Parang lumilipad ako,” he said.

The rookies selected are shown with PBA Commissioner Chito Salud after the league’s draft day rites. Paul Duran

Bocaue government to roll out welcome mat for Azkals THE Bocaue municipal government, led by first-time Mayor Joni Villanueva-Tugna, is ready to roll out the welcome mat to the Philippine Azkals and the Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup opening on Nov. 19 at the 20,000-capacity Philippine Sport Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

“We welcome the staging of the AFF Suzuki Cup and the Azkals because this is a huge international sports competition that will draw attention to our town,” Tugna, the daughter of Jesus Is Lord Spiritual Director Bro. Eddie Villanueva, said.

The mayor pointed out that Bocaue is a gateway to neighboring Bulacan towns such as Sta.

Maria, Balagtas and Marilao “and we intend to also solicit the support of these municipalities to fill up the Philippine Sports Stadium for the Suzuki Cup.” She said that the staging of the blue-ribbon regional soccer tournament in Bocaue is timely since it lines up with the municipal government’s plans to turn the town into a key sports and tourism hub in the province.

“We have the Bocaue River where we want to stage water sports like dragon boat rowing while we would also like to highlight our unique Bocaue Bocaue Mayor Joni Villanueva-Tuigna cuisine,” said Tugna, whose The mayor added that her adbrother, Sen. Joel Villanueva, was a former UST varsity player ministration would like to extend any assistance it can to the and avid sports enthusiast.

Philippine Football Federation in promoting and ensuring the success of the Suzuki Cup. Among these areas, she said, was traffic control and coordination to and from the PSS during the Nov. 19, Nov. 22 and Nov. 25 match dates of the Group A competition featuring the host Philippines, defending champion Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.

“We have witnessed how traffic can be congested when the Philippine Arena and Philippine Sports Stadium hold events there so we would like to make our resources available to the Suzuki Cup organizers,” Tugna said.

She also raised the possibility

of harnessing the Bocaue municipal government’s manpower in the security and safety of fans and participants for the duration of the competition.

Although expecting her fourth child with CIBAC partylist Rep. Sherwin Tugna anytime soon, the Bulacan mayor is hopeful that she would be able to be up and about in time for the opening of the Suzuki Cup to witness and root for the Azkals in action.

“We are aware how important these matches are for the country and the Azkals and, God willing, would like to personally be around to watch all of their games at the Philippine Sports Stadium,” Tugna said.

Expressway link starts 2018 B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

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Coconut oil exports plunge 28%

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

E

XPORTS of coconut oil, the country’s top agricultural shipment, plunged 28 percent in the first nine months from a year ago, after the El Niño dry spell reduced harvest in coconut areas.

United Coconut Association of the Philippines executive director Yvonne Agustin said coconut oil exports in January to September, based on preliminary data, reached 472,353 metric tons, down from 655,049 MT in the same period last year.

“The drop in exports was due to the lingering effects of the El Niño phenomenon,” Agustin said.

The dry spell hit the country in the fourth quarter of 2015 until the second quarter of 2016, resulting in lower production of the crops and fisheries subsectors.

Farm production declined 3.5 percent in the first half, data from Philippine Statistics Authority showed. Coconut production alone fell 6.2 percent in the six-month period, a trend that continued in the third quarter.

Agustin said in September alone, coconut oil exports dropped 3 percent to 77,766 MT from last year’s 80,406 MT. Coconut oil, which is used in food, detergents and biofuels, is exported to Europe and the United States.

Agustin said aside from lower production, coconut oil prices affected the industry. Prices of CNO in the foreign market averaged $1,527 per MT in the nine-month period, higher than competitor palm kernel oil at $1,402 per MT. Agustin earlier said the dry weather condition was felt in most coconut areas in the country.

“Copra production has been weak since late last year as El Niño strengthened,” Agustin said.

Agustin said exports of coconut oil were expected to drop 11 percent to 750,000 MT this year from 840,000 MT last year.

“For next year, we still don’t have a target as we usually set one in the last month of the year,” Agustin said.

Coconut oil exports went down 1.5 percent to 843,710 MT in 2015 from 856,973 MT in 2014.

Coconut oil is one of the top agricultural exports of the Philippines. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed coconut oil exports declined 18.3 percent in value terms in the first eight months, from $795 million to $649 million.

About 3.5 million farmers and their families depend on the coconut industry.

PH banks have stable outlook—Moody’s

By Julito G. Rada THE outlook for Philippine banks remains ‘stable’ over the next 12 to 18 months, global debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service said Monday.

Moody’s vice president and senior analyst Alka Anbarasu said in a report Philippine banks’ asset quality would remain broadly stable, backed by stable macroeconomic factors and stable debt servicing metrics of borrowers.

“Profitability remains stable and the banks’ high loss absorbing buffers will provide support for unexpected losses,” he said, adding that “ample domestic liquidity will also support the banks’ funding profiles.”

Moody’s conclusions were contained in its latest report on Philippine banks titled ‘Banking System Outlook ― The Philippines: Robust Fundamen-

tals Drive Stable Outlook.’

It said the stable outlook was based on five drivers, including operating environment (stable); asset quality and capital (stable); funding and liquidity (stable); profitability and efficiency (stable); and systemic support (stable).

Moody’s said while the Philippine government’s (Baa2 stable) capacity to provide support to banks in times of stress had improved in recent years―owing to the country’s strong economic performance and improvements in fiscal management―systemically important banks would likely receive greater support from the government than smaller banks.

Systemically important banks are those lenders whose distress or disorderly failure would cause significant disruptions to the wider financial system and

the economy.

Moody’s said the Philippine government demonstrated a mixed track record of providing support to banks in need.

It said larger universal and commercial banks―mainly the 10 domestic systemically important banks―would be more likely to receive financial assistance or regulatory forbearance if needed, because of the greater impact that their failure would have on the domestic economy.

It said with the operating environment, Philippine banks would continue operating in a stable situation supportive of bank credit growth.

Moody’s said it expected that the Philippines’ gross domestic product to grow 6.5 percent in 2016 and 2017, after than other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Strong domestic consump-

tion and an increased pace of investments, backed by macroeconomic stability, underpin the robust growth expectations, it said.

“Business sentiment remains strong, banking sector credit growth will stay robust, and the economy has demonstrated resilience to global shocks,” Moody’s said.

Moody’s said the country’s growth prospects could be undermined, if there could be a significant shift in the government’s policies.

“Asset quality will remain broadly stable, supported by the aforementioned macroeconomic factors, and the stable debt servicing metrics of borrowers. Household leverage has increased in the past few years, but remains manageable, while the strength of corporate sector balance sheets is robust,” Moody’s said.

IN BRIEF

TV5 tapping foreign, local content partners

TV5 Networks Inc. is in talks with local and foreign companies for more content, its top executive said over the weekend.

“We are really pivoting from a TV network to really a content company.

Hopefully within the week, we’re going to make a big announcement,” TV5 president and chief executive Vincent Reyes said.

Reyes said the company was in talks with local and foreign content providers.

The network earlier terminated its partnership with Viva Communications, which handled the network’s entertainment programs.

Reyes said the new strategy of TV5 was to grow the content, increase the revenue and trim operational expenses.

The company is reducing its employees by 20 percent or 200 people as the network is no longer producing entertainment shows. The network currently has about 1,000 employees.

“The current operational overhead that we had when I took over was just too heavy. It’s too heavy that didn’t make business sense. We have to make a tough decision,” he said.

Reyes said these strategies would help the network achieve its goal to break even by 2019.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Govt wants law on coconut levy

THE Finance Department plans to push for a law that will enable the government to utilize the P74-billion coconut levy for the benefit of coconut farmers and their families.

The move, however, will only push through once the Supreme Court lifted a temporary restraining order on the case.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to unlock over P74 billion in coconut levy to help coconut farmers.

Dominguez, who served as agriculture secretary in the administration of the late President Corazon Aquino, said a law was needed so that the money could be used by farmers in coconut-producing areas for support programs and scholarships.

“I’ve discussed this with the president and we believe that legislation is necessary to utilize the coco levy funds for the benefit of farmers in the coconut areas. The coco levy fund right now is a little bit over P74 billion,” Dominguez told Senator Francis Pangilinan in a recent hearing.

“There is a TRO in the Supreme Court and we will have to wait once it is lifted, and he wants to manage the funds but its utilization can only be by law….and I will support using these funds to provide scholarships, maybe in the state schools and colleges in the areas, and of course other kinds of support for the coconut-producing communities,” Dominguez said.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

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Business

Expressway link starts 2018

By Darwin G. Amojelar

T

HE tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. said it will start the construction of the P23-billion expressway linking North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway by 2018.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. gineering Corp. for the detailed president and chief executive design of the NLEx-SLEx ConRodrigo Franco said it hired the nector Road. services of Snowy Mountain En“We hope the detailed design

would be completed by early next year,” Franco said.

He said actual construction would start 2018 and would be completed by 2020.

The government has 30 months from signing of toll concession agreement to deliver right-ofway access.

The concession agreement on the project is expected to be signed this month.

“We are hoping though that the government can deliver the

RoW in sections to enable us to start sectional construction before the 30-month deadline,” Franco said.

The project is an unsolicited proposal approved by the National Economic and Development Authority under the buildoperate-transfer scheme for the design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of an eight-kilometer elevated toll expressway over the right of way of Philippine National Railways.

The project starts at the junction of NLEx Segment 10 at C-3 Road/5th Ave. in Caloocan City and seamlessly connects to South Luzon Expressway though Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project in Manila.

Franco said the company would invest P15.74 billion in NLEx-SLEx project, while the government would spend P7.46 billion for right-of-way acquisition.

The Public Works Department

will implement the project, with a total estimated cost of P23.2 billion and a concession period of 35 years.

Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp., which is separately constructing the P26.7-billion Skyway Stage 3 Project, will build the five-kilometer common alignment from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila to Buendia in Makati City that will connect to NLEx-SLEx project.

Govt borrowings rise 22% to P307b

By Gabrielle H. Binaday GOVERNMENT borrowings widened by 22 percent in the first eight months from a year ago, after the Treasury actively tapped the domestic debt market to settle maturing obligations and finance the growing budget deficit.

Data showed total government’s borrowings reached P307.8 billion in January to August, up from P252.25 billion recorded in the same period in 2015. The government incurred a budget deficit of P138.4 billion in the eight-month period.

Financing from the foreign market fell 21.2 percent to P82.037 billion, while financing from the local market jumped 52.4 percent to P225.763 billion.

Data showed of the total external gross borrowings, P12.496 billion were coursed through project loans and P28.284 billion through program loans.

Total financing in August dropped 12.2 percent to P28.652 billion from P32.622 billion registered in the same month in 2015.

External gross borrowings in August declined 55.7 percent to P1.454 billion, while domestic gross borrowings fell to P27.198 billion.

The Finance Department earlier said it would maintain its bias for local borrowings to shield the government from external shocks brought about by foreign exchange fluctuations.

The government, based on the Budget Expenditure Source and Financing, intends to borrow P538.373 billion from the local market and P157.071 billion from external sources in 2016.

The national government will also borrow less next year to fund next year’s budget proposal of P3.35 trillion.

The budget proposal submitted by Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno to the House of Representatives showed the government planned to borrow P631.3 billion in 2017.

URBAN PARK. Officials of Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. present a certificate of turnover to the Bonifacio Estate Services Corp. for the maintenance of the BGC Greenway Park. Shown are from (from left) Fort Bonifacio Development chief finance officer, Lourdes Reyes, Ayala Land Inc. group head for strategic landbank management Meean Dy, Fort Bonifacio Development head of commercial operations Manny Blas, Taguig City councilor Edwin Eron, Bonifacio Estate Services Corp. general manager Rodney Medrano, Karla Kangleon and Jan Llamado of BGCitizens and National Bicycle Organization founder and director Benedict Camara.

Meralco unit to pick contractor for 1,200-MW plant

By Alena Mae S. Flores ATIMONAN One Energy Inc., a power producer controlled by Meralco PowerGen Corp., shortlisted three engineering, procurement and construction contractors for the 1,200-megawatt supercritical pulverized coalfired power plant in Atimonan, Quezon.

The company will start talks on project financing soon and select the EPC contractor by the fourth quarter.

“Selection of preferred EPC contractor is targeted in the fourth quarter of 2016. Site prep-

aration is targeted to start in mid2017. Target completion of unit is late 2021,” Meralco PowerGen senior vice president Angelito Lantin said.

MGen is also in talks with “a number of potential partners, all with experience in development, construction and operations of super-critical coal-fired power plants, and a strong appetite for Philippine investments.”

Meralco PowerGen also expects to conclude the selection of a preferred development partner by early 2017.

Atimonan One already signed a 20-year power supply agree-

ment with Meralco for the full output of the power plant. The supply contract is pending approval with the Energy Regulatory Commission.

The project received an environmental compliance certificate from the Environment Department on Oct. 13, 2015, while the certificate of land use conversion for the project was received in March.

Full control of the project area is now complete.

Construction of the resettlement site is ongoing with plans to complete the construction and handover to the affected house-

holds in the first quarter next year to allow main project construction to proceed on schedule.

The Atimonan project is one of several power projects lined up

by Meralco PowerGen totaling 3,000 MW. Meralco president Oscar Reyes earlier said Meralco PowerGen was studying the power generation mix of the country and the role of additional coal-fired power plants.

“Our 3,000-MW aspiration for our power generation portfolio will be built through a mix of brownfield and greenfield developments as well as acquisitions.

We remain committed to be part of the solution to the current power situation to sustain economic growth,” Reyes said.

Reyes said while there were indications of an oversupply scenario by 2021 and 2022, the company was also looking at demand growth that would fuel the need for additional capacity.

“That’s what happened in 1989. Nobody expected that the Philippine economy will shoot up, so there was pent-up demand that was not seen and became visible especially during the Ramos administration, that’s why there were brownouts,” he said.

Albay’s poverty rate goes down to 17.6%

QATAR FLIES TO CLARK. Qatar Airways becomes the first airline to fly a regular Boeing 787 Dreamliner service to and from Clark International Airport, offering exceptional levels of comfort and performance to passengers departing on the Clark-Doha daily flight. Shown welcoming the inaugural flight are Qatar Airways Philippines country manager Paolo Pausini and Clark International Airport Corp. president Alexander Cauguiran.

LEGAZPI CITY ―Poverty incidence among families in Albay dropped by 16.3 percentage points, or from 33.9 percent in 2012 to 17.6 percent in 2015, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The 16.3-percent poverty reduction, as shown in PSA’s annual per capita family income threshold, makes Albay the least poor among Bicol’s six provinces.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said the unprecedented unity of purpose among Albayanos accounted for the substantial poverty reduction and would “sustain the record, now only 1.1 percent below the national average of 16.5 percent.”

He said while the national poverty fell by 3.2 percentage points, Albay posted a 16.3-percent drop.

The PSA report shows that in population terms, Albay’s poverty incidence fell 15.8 percentage points, or from 41 percent in 2012 to 25.2 percent in 2015.

The average national poverty reduction in the same period was just 3.6 percentage points, or from 25.2 percent to 21.6 percent. Thus, Salceda said the large family size among poor people remained a challenge.

The PSA report placed Albay among five provinces with best 2012-2015 poverty reduction performance in the country, along with Apayao, Batanes, Eastern Samar and Davao Oriental.

Trailing Albay’s 17.6-percent record in Bicol were Camarines Sur, with 27.15 percent; Masbate, 35.5 percent; Sorsogon, 31.7 percent; Catanduanes, 33.6 percent; and Camarines Norte, 29.3 percent.

Salceda, who was Albay governor for the past nine years before rejoining Congress, where he is now currently senior vice chair of the House ways and means committee, and vice chair of three other committees, pushed hard to elevate the local economy, particularly through tourism, its most potent and promising industry.

He expressed confidence Albay’s tourism would continue to prosper and hit its goal of five million tourists, $1 billion in investments and 235,000 jobs in ten years, or after the completion of the Bicol International Airport in 2019, and faster modern train system to Legazpi by 2023.

Tourism has been at the frontline of Albay’s economic development program. Foreign visitor arrivals in Albay grew from 8,700 in 2006 to 374,949 in 2015.

BDO’s assets top P2-t mark

By Julito G. Rada BDO Unibank Inc. maintained its position as the country’s largest lender, as total assets breached the P2-trillion mark as of end-June.

Latest data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that of the 41 universal and commercial banks operating in the country, BDO had total assets of P2.040 trillion in the first half.

BDO is a full-service universal bank which has more than 1,000 operating branches and over 3,000 automated teller machines nationwide.

It also has a branch in Hong Kong and 26 overseas remittance and representative offices in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. ranked second with total assets of P1.422 trillion as of end-June. Bank of the Philippine Islands regained the third spot with total assets of P1.295 trillion, relegating the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines to the fourth position with assets of P1.287 trillion.

Completing the top 10 are Philippine National Bank in fifth place with total assets of P678.7 billion; Security Bank Corp., P613.76 billion; Development Bank of the Philippines, P489.18 billion; China Banking Corp., P480.28 billion; Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., P412.54 billion; and Union Bank of the Philippines with P372.84 billion.

Citibank N.A. was the 11th largest bank in the Philippines by assets and the top foreign bank. It was followed by Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corp., Maybank Philippines Inc., Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd., Mizuho Bank Ltd.Manila branch, Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank AG, JP Morgan Chase Bank National Association, ANZ Banking Group Ltd., CTBC Bank (Philippines) Corp. and ING Bank N.V.

Business

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LANDMARK TRADE DEAL.

Agri-Agra Law needs thorough review

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (left) talks with EU Council President Donald Tusk during the signing ceremony of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, at the European Council in Brussels, on October 30, 2016. The EU and Canada finally signed a landmark free trade deal seven years in the making on October 30, 2016, after overcoming lastminute resistance from a small Belgian region that nearly torpedoed the entire agreement. CETA removes 99 percent of customs duties between the two sides, linking the single EU market of 28 nations with the world’s 10th largest economy. AFP

Oil extends decline on Opec dissension

O

IL declined for a second day as Opec’s internal disagreements undermined efforts among major suppliers to reach an agreement in Vienna on trimming output to support prices.

Futures fell as much as 1.1 percent in New York after sliding 2.1 percent at the end of last week. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries ended a meeting on Friday without reaching a deal on country quotas, according to delegates who took part in the discussions. Non-Opec nations finished talks with the group on Saturday without any supply commitments, Brazil’s Oil and Gas Secretary Marcio Felix said.

Brazil attended as an observer.

Oil has fluctuated near $50

Iraq reveals crude output IRAQ published data showing a rare level of detail for its oil production and exports, a week after inviting energy reporters to Baghdad to make a case that the country is pumping more crude than analysts and Opec acknowledge.

The country’s state oil marketing agency released a statement on Sunday showing September production figures for each of the 26 fields it controls, plus a single output figure for the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which manages its crude independently. Previous monthly statements showed just two figures: total production and total exports. The Oil Marketing Co., known as SOMO, also provided detailed data on exports and domestic consumption.

Opec’s second-largest producer says it pumped more than 4.7 million barrels a day last month, several hundred thousand barrels a day more than oil-industry watchers recognize. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries assesses output for its 14 members based on such secondary sources. Iraq wants the group to accept the ministry’s figures before a Nov. 30 meeting at which Opec could limit production for its members.

Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luaibi complained about Opec data at a meeting in September in Algiers. He adopted a milder approach last week, inviting reporters to Baghdad for a tour of the national museum and a detailed discussion of production figures. “We want you to see for yourselves what our production is,” he said on Oct. 23. Bloomberg

a barrel amid uncertainty over whether Opec can implement the first supply cuts in eight years at its official November meeting. As the gathering opened in Vienna last week, Opec Secretary-General Mohammed Barkindo warned of the consequences if producers don’t follow through on an agreement to reduce output. The price recovery has already taken far too long and suppliers can’t risk delaying it further, he said.

“Talks over the weekend make it seem less likely there will be

an agreement on production cuts,” said Ric Spooner, a chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Sydney. “The market has probably made a fair bit of the adjustment, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see oil fall further into the $47 range.”

West Texas Intermediate for December delivery dropped as much as 53 cents to $48.17 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $48.42 at 8:01 a.m. in London. The contract fell $1.02 to $48.70 on Friday. Total volume traded was about 17 percent below the 100-day average. Prices are set for a third monthly gain, up 0.4 percent in October.

Brent for December settlement, which expires Monday, lost as much as 42 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $49.29 a barrel on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe ex-

change after falling 1.5 percent Friday. Front-month prices are up 0.7 percent this month. The global benchmark traded at a premium of 99 cents to WTI. The more-active January contract slid 29 cents to $50.39 a barrel.

Opec agreed in Algiers last month to trim output to a range of 32.5 million to 33 million barrels a day and is due to finalize the deal at its Nov. 30 summit in Vienna. The accord helped push prices to a 15-month high above $50 a barrel earlier this month, although they have subsequently fallen amid doubts the group will follow through on the pledge.

More than 18 hours of talks over two days in the Austrian capital this weekend yielded little more than a promise that the world’s largest producers would keep on talking.

Bloomberg

Japanese shippers merge box business JAPAN’S three biggest shippers agreed to spin off their container operations and merge them to create the world’s sixth-largest box carrier as the global container-shipping industry continues to shrink.

Nippon Yusen KK, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. agreed to merge the box business to create a company that will control 7 percent of the world containershipping trade, according to a joint statement in Tokyo Monday. The combined entity will be formed by July 1 and will have about 2 trillion yen ($19 billion) in sales and will be Asia’s biggest box carrier after China Cosco Shipping Corp.

The global container industry has been going through a turmoil since the 2008 financial crisis brought trading to its knees.

South Korea’s biggest containershipping line Hanjin Shipping Co. filed for bankruptcy protection in August while other container lines like A.P. MoellerMaersk A/S, the world’s biggest, have restructured to cut costs even as rates to move shoes and televisions stay depressed.

“The way the industry is going, combining their operations is a good thing,” said Rahul Kapoor, a director at Drewry Financial Research Services Ltd. in Singapore. “Coming together will make them a good force in the market. China has combined

its two shipping lines. The Japanese need to combine to survive in this environment.”

Nippon Yusen shares surged as much as 11 percent to 224 yen in Tokyo, the biggest intraday jump since May 2013. Kawasaki Kisen jumped as much as 10 percent, the most since March. Mitsui OSK jumped as much as 15 percent, the most since 2008.

“With joint shipping and alliances, the scale of our operations and business styles, we have many things in common,” the shipping lines said in a joint statement. “We thought it would be easier to utilize each others’ strengths this way.”

Bloomberg

THE most recent BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) repost on the banking system’s AgriAgra Law—shorthand for the Central Bank of the Philippines circular mandating lending to the agricultural and agrarian sectors—performance indicates shortfalls in lending by the banks to this country’s farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries. Considering the repeated non-attainment of targets, the time surely has come for a thorough re-examination of the philosophy underlying this piece of monetary policymaking.

With the exception of a handful of agricultural industries— the sugar, coconut and rice industries are the leading examples—the Philippine banking system has been disinclined to extend credit to the agricultural sector (which includes the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program). There are a number of reasons for this.

The most important of these reasons is related to the general creditworthiness of Filipino farmers. With the exception of the industries mentioned above—the sugar and coconut industries are thriving export industries and rice is the most basic of agricultural products—this country’s agricultural industries are small-scale, inadequately organized and geographically dispersed. Philippine banks claim to have difficulty managing— and to derive comparatively high returns from—agricultural loan portfolios. The situation, they claim, is different with lending to manufacturing sector borrowers, which tend to be large and well-structured, and to commercial-sector borrowers, which tend to be located in population centers.

Another reason is the widespread incidence of farmerborrower inability to put up collateral for the credit being sought. In the case of the agrarian reform beneficiaries, the problem has become acute because of the unwillingness of banks – including the rural banks—to accept Certificates of Land Transfer as collateral. The mechanisms established by the government to address the problem—including the Agricultural Guarantee Fund—appear to have not been sufficiently effective in getting the banks to look positively at credit applications from farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries. Lending to these borrowers has been considered just too risky and too cumbersome.

With this as background, the Central Bank of the Philippines—the forerunner of BSP –and the banks decided on what they thought would be a good halfway-house. If the banks were unwilling to receive and process loan applications from the agricultural and agrarian reform sectors, why not allow them to comply with the required lending-to-agriculture percentage by investing in securities evidencing loans to farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries?

This regulatory arrangement is, in fact, what came to pass, and the banks proceeded to partially comply with their Agra-Agri Law obligation by investing in agriculturerelated securities. This has been the situation over the years.

On the part of both the BSP and the banking system, there appears to have been a feeling that this state of affairs has been satisfactory. But the generally pathetic condition of Philippine agriculture—this country continues to be the world’s No. 1 leading rice importer, Philippine sugar consumers import their requirements and many of the trees of the once-mighty Philippine coconut industry are either old or decaying— indicates that the operation of the Agri-Agra Law has fallen far short of expectations. If nothing is done to correct the situation, future BSP reports will be little or no different from the one cited at the beginning of this column.

Under the circumstances, I submit that the time has come for a thorough review of the implementation of the Agri-Agra Law. In such a review, Congress should be involved for purposes of appropriate alleviatory legislation. The academe also should be involved. A committee composed of representatives of BSP, the Bankers Association of the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture, Congress and academe, to undertake a thorough review of the Agri-Agra Law, is what the situation urgently calls for.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

Dirty Cow IMAGINE there was an invisible hole in your wall through which strangers could come and go and gain access to your house and possessions. Imagine further that the hole had been there for nine years and that you found out about it only recently because someone had come upon it quite by accident.

If you use an Android phone or use a Linux computer, chances are you’ve got such a hole in your system.

It’s called “Dirty Cow” because it exploits the copy-on-write mechanism of Linux-based systems, and it’s a bug that’s been sitting there unnoticed for the last nine years.

Officially known as CVE-2016-5195, Dirty Cow is a flaw that allows any local user to gain write access to otherwise read-only memory mappings, giving that user total control of the system.

The bug resides in the Linux kernel, the essential part of any Linux distrubition that is responsible for resource allocation, low-level hardware interfaces, security, simple communications, basic file system management and more.

Dirty Cow was uncovered by Philip Oester, a network administrator and security researcher while capturing HTTP traffic on a server that seemed to have

been hacked.

The security issue has been around since 2007 and is now likely to become more widespread, Oester said, noting that the vulnerability is consistent, easy to exploit, and exists in practically all Linux distributions on millions of computers that go back many years.

“All Linux users need to take this bug very seriously, and patch their systems ASAP,” he said.

Dirty Cow is a serious flaw because Linux is widely used in webservers and is also at the core of Android, Google’s operating system, which is used in some 87 percent of all smart phones worldwide.

Exploitation of the bug does not leave any trace of anything abnormal happening, says an FAQ on the Dirty Cow bug (https://dirtycow.ninja/).

The good news is, most major Linux distributions including Ubuntu, Red Hat and Debian have already patched the vulnerability. That means that your Linux box should be fine, as long as you’ve applied the latest security updates.

To find out which version of the kernel is running on your Ubuntu system, type the following into a terminal window: uname -a

If you’re running a version of Linux older than the ones listed network connected devices, delivering here, you need to update your system and the code would be difficult to do. The real reboot your server: risk is when user-level access exists on a device, as well as the ability to execute 4.8.0-26.28 for Ubuntu 16.10 programs on the device,” he adds.

4.4.0-45.66 for Ubuntu 16.04 LTS The Dirty Cow bug seems to hae the 3.13.0-100.147 for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS greatest potential impact on Android 3.2.0-113.155 for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS phones.

“The situation is different because these To update Ubuntu, type this into the phones have apps running as user-level terminal: programs. As a result, a malicious app could exceed their privileges to obtain sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist- information off the device,” Snelgrove upgrade notes.

Unfortunately, security patches for Writing in the Security Metrics blog, Android phones are unlikely to come security analyst Steven Snelgrove notes very soon, because security updates are that the risk that Dirty Cow presents to handled by different manufaturers rather ordinary users isn’t very high. than directly by Google, and depending “[I]n order to exploit this bug, the on the vendor, OS updates may come attacker must first be able to deliver the regularly or not at all. code on the system. Before they can even While you’re waiting to get a security get close to the kernel stack, the attacker patch for your Android phone, follow the has to first gain access to your system. commonsense rule that should be your From the outside, normal protections default behavior, anyway—don’t install against code execution should prevent software from unknown sources. exploitation of this vulnerability,” he writes.

Column archive and blog at: “In terms of web services and other http://www.chinwong.com

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

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Business

Japan’s retail sales, factory output flat TOKYO―Japan’s factory output and retail sales were flat last month, data showed Monday, painting a bleak picture for the world’s number three economy as the central bank kicks off a policy meeting.

The lukewarm readings come on the heels of disappointing inflation figures last week and point to a tepid expansion in July-September economic growth, analysts said. AFP

Singapore automates food courts

By David Roman and Chanyaporn Chanjaroen

S

Asian stock markets struggle

There, hungry passengers can select their chicken rice or bowl of noodles from a machine, pay with a credit card and collect their food―all with minimal human interaction and in stark contrast with the abundant manpower commonly used in food courts elsewhere on the island.

It’s this kind of automated initiative that’s popping up more frequently across Singapore―from self-driving taxis to face-reading payment systems for rail commuters―as the city state grapples with a rapidly aging population, falling fertility rates and a slump in economic growth. With authorities restricting the inflow of foreign workers after a backlash against immigra- Diners in this file photo sit at a food court in the Tanjong Pagar district of Singapore, on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. Bloomberg tion, Singapore is increasingly machines in a residential area services industry that is highly turning to machines to replace der was selected on price under it’s doing.” the old system, now the agency The food industry has been where locals can buy ready efficient, with no loss in quallow-end manpower.

“Productivity is a vital com- will put a 50 percent weighting targeted because it’s among meals. SPRING says this for- ity of food offerings, and with ponent of growth especially on productivity considerations the least productive in the mat requires 70 percent to 90 high quality jobs,” Singapore’s city-state. It accounts for 0.8 percent less manpower than Deputy Prime Minister Tharfor when labor contribution to and the rest on price.

Driving Productivity percent of gross domestic the typical food stall, and takes man Shanmugaratnam said in growth is declining, especially SPRING may use the pro- product, but employs 160,000 only a few weeks to be built. September. “Younger Singain advanced economies such as Singapore,” said David Mann, ductivity-weighted system on workers, or 4.5 percent of the The agency is looking at setting poreans aspirations are changchief economist for Asia at all future tenders for new cof- local workforce, according to up 10 similar establishments ing, and you can’t find many young people who will do Standard Chartered Plc. “Sin- fee shops, a local term used to SPRING. From 2010 to 2014, over the next 12 months.

All these technological de- low-skill jobs and stay with the gapore has been trying to be describe open-air food courts manpower in the industry on the cutting edge of applying adjacent to public housing. The grew on average 6 percent a velopments may result in job firm for long. Neither can we agency sees it as a key compo- year, higher than in the econ- losses, a reality that Singapor- continue to grow foreign manmore automation.” ean officials are already prepar- power.”

Select Group, the Singapore- nent of plans to increase pro- omy as a whole.

SPRING is working with the ing their citizens for. While the Select Group sees a replacebased operator of the Changi ductivity in Singapore’s food food court, is so satisfied with industry by an annual 2 percent Restaurant Association of Sin- unemployment rate is one of ment of human workers by magapore to encourage more com- the lowest in the world at 2.1 chines, and a higher reliance on the cost reductions achieved so over the next five years.

“Other countries are not un- panies to venture into the ready percent, the number of people electronic payments and digifar, it’s implementing the same system at a site at a new airport der the workforce pressures meals market, providing grants with jobs declined in the third tal communication, as the unterminal due to open next year. that Singapore is under,” Jon- for companies and employees. quarter―only the second time avoidable future of an industry Singapore’s government is athan Galligan, an economist It’s also pushing to boost the that’s happened since the 2009 that has lagged others in Singapore in adopting new technolojust as satisfied. SPRING Sin- with CLSA Ltd., a brokerage number of food vending ma- global financial crisis.

The central bank projects gy, Managing Director Vincent gapore, a state agency respon- and investment company, said chines, replacing manned stalls.

Vending Machines economic growth will be closer Tan said in an interview. sible for promoting local enter- by phone from Singapore.

As a result of these efforts, to the lower end of its 1 percent “Food courts with eight to prises and products, is currently “Other countries have popuconducting trial tenders for two lation trends more in their fa- catering company JR Group to 2 percent forecast range this nine stalls usually need the food centers under a new system vor, so they have less pressure launched in August the first year and only slightly higher in same number of cashiers,” he said. “Now we need just one.” that seeks to reward productivi- to drive productivity. That’s Vendcafe establishment in the 2017.

“We must develop a food Bloomberg ty gains: while the winning bid- why Singapore is doing what country, a cluster of vending

HONG KONG—Asian traders moved cautiously Monday as news that the FBI would further probe Hillary Clinton’s emails fueled fresh uncertainty about the outcome of the US presidential election just eight days before the vote.

Traders globally had broadly expected Democratic candidate and Wall Street favorite Clinton to sweep to victory, with her rival Donald Trump considered a loose cannon.

But FBI chief James Comey’s announcement that he was again looking at her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state sent shudders through trading floors, with US stocks tumbling and the dollar taking a hit.

The sell-off filtered through to Asia, where dealers are also nervously awaiting a series of key events this week, including central bank policy meetings in Japan and the US and the release of US jobs figures Friday.

Trading conditions this week will be “slippery and shifty”, said Stephen Innes, senior trader at forex firm OANDA. “The calendar is full of high-risk events making for a treacherous path to navigate in the lead-up the monumental November 8 US election,” he said in a note.

Tokyo’s Nikkei ended 0.1 percent lower and Shanghai closed 0.1 percent off, while Seoul slipped 0.6 percent and Taipei was 0.2 percent off.

But Hong Kong reversed early gains to sit 0.2 percent higher in the afternoon and Sydney rose 0.6 percent.

AFP

INGAPORE’s latest quest to boost productivity is playing out at a busy food court in the second terminal of Changi Airport.

Middle Earth movies metamorphose New Zealand economy

By Neil Sands WELLINGTON, New Zealand―Peter Jackson’s “Lord Of The Rings” and “Hobbit” series have proved to be as precious to New Zealand’s economy as any magical ring as millions flock to the country for a glimpse of Middle Earth, making tourism the main driver of growth.

For years, coffers have been supplemented mainly by booming sales of dairy products from milk to infant formula.

But the sector is now struggling as oversupply and waning demand from key market China has seen the clamor for “white gold” dry up, fueling fears the country was too reliant on one product.

But with breathtaking shots of sweeping landscapes and majestic mountains, the multiple Oscar-winning blockbusters shone the Hollywood spotlight on the country that has seen visitor numbers swell since the first film was released in 2001.

At its peak, New Zealand’s dairy industry shipped about NZ$17 billion ($12.1 billion) of dairy goods a year, accounting for almost a third of national exports.

Yet while that declined to NZ$12.2 billion in 2015/16, overall economic growth remains a healthy 3.6 percent, which the government says is

the third best in the developed world.

And one reason for that is the slack has been taken up by the tourist industry, which Prime Minister John Key said was now helping underpin the national economy.

“Exceptional growth in the sector has generated around 6,600 new tourism jobs in the year to March 2016, and the industry now accounts for 20.7 percent of export earnings,” Key said this month.

Official data shows international tourists pumped NZ$14.5 billion into the economy last year and visitor numbers, currently 3.4 million, were set to double over the next seven years.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler said the growth had been phenomenal, thanks largely to the way the industry had leveraged the popularity of New Zealand’s film sector.

“Extremely successful Middle Earth campaigns and a deep focus on digital media helped drive significant growth in visitor numbers,” he said.

Wellywood game changer The bulk of movie fans visiting New Zealand are attracted by Jackson’s two Middle Earth trilogies “Rings” and “Hobbit,” which have been described as marathon advertisements for the country’s rugged charms.

This file photo taken on February 25, 2015 shows New Zealand’s highest mountain Mount Cook—also known by it’s Maori name of Aoraki— which sits in the Southern Alps on the South Island at a height of 3,724 meters and a scene reminiscence of the Lord of the Ring’s trilogy. AFP

A survey showed 18 percent of international tourists last year cited “The Hobbit” as the reason they considered a trip to New Zealand.

Even Air New Zealand has got in on the act, employing Jackson to film a special Lord Of The Rings-themed safety video in 2012.

Almost 30 percent visited a Hobbit-related attraction during their stay, including Wellington’s Weta effects workshop or touring film locations.

TNZ is also using New Zealand-made films to promote tourism, with recent examples

including campaigns around the children’s movie “Pete’s Dragon” and the upcoming science fiction feature “Ghost in the Shell.”

The capital, which styles itself “Wellywood,” has been among the chief beneficiaries of the film-related tourist surge kicked off by “Lord of the Rings.”

Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency spokesman Aaron Alexander said the city received global exposure from film premieres attended by stars of the movies and tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans.

“Middle Earth’s been fantastic for New Zealand and Wellington, putting us on the map for a whole new audience in a big way,” he said.

City officials are so keen on film tourism that they have committed NZ$150 million to a movie museum and conference center, due to open in 2019.

The museum―a joint venture involving local council, Jackson and his movie industry associates―will house the director’s extensive movie memorabilia collection.

“It’s a dream product to take to market, it will be a world-

class facility and the team at Weta have a proven track record,” Alexander said.

“It’s got the potential to be a game-changer in terms of triggering the decision to include Wellington on your itinerary.”

While exhibits at the museum will be updated to reflect new movies being made in New Zealand, Alexander said there was every chance tourists’ fascination with Jackson’s Middle Earth epics would endure.

“After all, people are still doing ‘Sound of Music’ tours in Salzburg 50 years down the track,” he said. AFP

LGUs

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

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HOPE AFTER DEATH. Almost 5,000 remembrance markers now dot Boys Scout Rotonda Fatima in Tacloban City, almost three years after the disaster killed around 10,000 people round the country. And many have been set face to face by questions about death: What really happens after death? Is there hope for those who go to their sleep? Can we really be sure there is hope for the dead rising again? Mel Caspe

Politics seen in Ecija dad high-profile slay

By Ferdie G.Domingo

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APAN CITY, Nueva Ecija—Slain city councilor Sonny San Jose was threatened with harm by Mayor Emerson Pascual and his father Rodrigo before he was killed, the former’s brother said in a sworn statement.

Police are looking into politics as one of the motives behind the high-profile killing of San Jose.

In an affidavit executed before the Gapan police, Lauro San Jose said his brother told him the Pascual father-andson warned him verbally and through text messages.

He said his brother could barely sleep because of the numerous death threats he supposedly received from the Pascuals.

But the younger Pascual said his alleged involvement in San Jose’s killing was farthest from the truth.

“If I ordered San Jose’s killing, what would I gain from it?

In the first place, I am not the one to appoint his replacement.

Secondly, they will remain the majority in the SP,” he said.

“Also, if I would order such a dastardly act, why would I do that in my own backyard where I would get embarrassed? Com-

mon sense dictates I would do it somewhere else,” he said.

The elder San Jose, the eldest in a brood of 12 children, made the statement before Sr. Insp. Jaime Ferrer of the Gapan police.

The younger San Jose and his driver Antonio Punzal were killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen on Oct. 19, right on the birthday of the mayor.

His killing was allegedly a gift given to the mayor whose policies the slain councilor was said to have opposed.

San Jose and Punzal were inside the Mini-Game Fowl Farm of businessman Roel Francisco in Barangay Mangino here when motorcycle-riding gunmen barged inside the compound and gunned them down.

They died immediately.

It marked the first time an elected city official was killed under

the Pascual administration.

San Jose is an ally of Pascual’s rival, former mayor Maricel Natividad-Nagaño, wife of San Leonardo Mayor Froilan Nagaño Sr. under whose ticket he won in last May’s elections.

The elder Pascual ran but lost to Natividad-Nagano’s late father, Ernesto Natividad in the 2007 elections.

Lauro said the pro-Natividad councilors have been receiving threats, with one of them being told “We will have a sample in one of you.”

The mayor’s father Rodrigo said the accusations were actually politically instigated. “They know Mayor Emeng [Pascual’s nickname] is well-loved by the people of Gapan so they are trying to destroy him through black propaganda,” he said.

Plaints rise vs abuses in Batangas City port

By Robert A. Evora CALAPAN CITY—Passengers, on a halloween vacation going to their respective island provinces, have complained of rampant and even unabated abuses committed by some shipping lines, port and even arrastre workers taking advantage of passengers stranded in the Batangas City port.

Hundreds of passengers bound for the two Mindoro, Romblon and Panay Island provinces are now stranded in the Batangas City Port due to shortage of roll-on-roll-off (ro-ro) and fast ferry vessels to bring them to their destinations.

Those passengers who could not avail themselves of the terminal building are staying in crowded tents. Most of them have to wait for hours or a full day to avail themselves of trips.

The commuters’ complaint range from poor port service, unseaworthiness of vessels plying the route, rampant overpric-

3 Apayao towns get SGLG citation

OceanaGold wins ‘Kabalikat’ award

By Brenda Jocson OCEANAGOLD (Philippines) Inc. has won the Cagayan Valley regional search for Kabalikat Awards this year in industry category.

An Australian-based mining company, OGPI, which operates its Didipio Gold and Copper Project in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, supports various technical education and skills development programs.

The Annual Kabalikat Awards is conferred the Technical Education and Skills Development partners who invested their resources to technical vocational education and training.

OGPI was awarded primarily due to inclusion of its programs

such as training, assessment, employment and scholarship.

Also an advocate of the Gender and Development Program, 18 percent of of OGPI’s work force is composed of women and won the Golden Award for Women Empowerment.

OGPI has also donated P4,676,400 to TESDA including Kasibu National Agricultural School which was translated into skills training and scholarship, promotion and advocacy, seedlings, personal protective equipment device among others.

In 2014, Delta Earthmoving Inc., an OGPI contractor won the 2014 National Kabalikat Search for being a partner and supportive to Tesda programs.

By Dexter See

SEIZED FIREARMS. 4th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, Jr. leads in destroying

at least 164 assorted firearms turned in from December 2015 to August 2016, prompted by the issuance of a directive from General Headquarters, calling for the disposal of such weapons. PIA

Theologians, Bible scholars ask: Is there life after death?

By Honor Blanco Cabie EVERY November 1 and 2, Christians worldwide celebrate All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day—offering prayers for their loved ones’ eternal and peaceful rest and asking God to forgive their sins of commission and omission while still living.

And each time they attend Mass on holy days of obligation they hear somewhere during the liturgical celebration the priest asking God to remember those who went to their sleep in the hope they would rise again.

Many have been set face to face by questions about death: What really happens after death? Is there

ing of tickets, and discourteous and rude port and arrastre workers.

They also complained of overloading, cancellation and delayed trips of ro-ro and fast ferry vessels, extortlion and even mismanagement of the whole complex of the Batangas International Port.

Also being complained about is the sale of overpriced tickets by persons who claimed to be employees of shipping lines operating in the busy Batangas City port.

Tickets being legally sold in ordinary days by shipping lines operating roll-on-rolloff vessels between P145 and P180 per passengers now cost at P350 each.

He said the ro-ro vessel left Batangas port at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday and arrived Calapan City past 9 in the evening. “Many of the passengers were standing for the whole trip of more than two hours. I think it was overloaded,” Viana told The Standard.

hope for those who go to their sleep?

Can we really be sure there is hope for the dead rising again?

These are questions that many theologians and Bible scholars – from the different denominations that believe in Jesus Christ – try to answer.

They stress that there is resurrection, the most important of

which is that of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Some refer to the lines in Eclesiastes 9: 5, 10, where the Bible says the living know that they will die.

The grave is a symbolic place or condition where any consciousness or human activity or concerns stop.

Some also refer to inspired Scriptural records regarding at

least eight people who returned to life from the dead.

They are: The son of a widow who lived in Zarephath in the north of Israel who was resurrected by the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17: 17-24); a boy was resurrected in the town of Shumen and was restored to his parents by Elijah’s successor Elisha (2 Kings 4: 32-37).

LUNA, Apayao—Three towns of Apayao passed the rigorous assessment of the Department of Interior and Local Government and won the 2016 Seal of Good Local Governance Award.

Senator Sonny Angara and DILG Secretary Ismael Sueno conferred the 2016 Seals of Good Local Governance to Sta. Marcela, Pudtol and Luna on Oct. 27 at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City during the National Conferment Ceremony.

The three towns underwent tedious screening and successfully complied with the requirements and now belong to the only 306 qualified Local Government Units nationwide which have been conferred the “2016 SGLG Award: Pagkilala sa Katapatan at Kahusayan ng Pamahalaang Lokal.”

Marvin Basquez, DILG Provincial Director of Apayao, said roughly 13 percent in the country made it to the 2016 SGLG, an award and incentive program for performing local governments.

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LGUs

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

P35-m aid for ‘Lawin’ victims

By Dexter A. See

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AGUIO CITY—The Department of Labor and Employment has released an initial P35 million in financial assistance for those who were affected by Typhoon “Lawin” in Northern Luzon.

Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the P30 million will cover at least 69,000 families of overseas Filipino workers while the remaining P5 million will be

for emergency employment assistance for some 1,600 workers displaced by the typhoon in Cagayan Valley.

He said labor officials in Re-

gion 2 are now profiling the affected workers.

The initial beneficiaries will be employed in short term but productive jobs under DoLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced workers, a support program for workers and their families who are victims of natural calamities and disasters.

“Although this is just temporary employment, this will provide our workers and their families immediate relief

from the calamity by giving them income, and at the same time enlist them for the rehabilitation, clearing and cleaning of their affected communities,” Bello said.

“Emergency employment can also be created through the repair and restoration of damaged infrastructure or rehabilitation of basic service facilities, including rural works, such as the clearing of canals and waterways and cleanup of public spaces,” Bello added.

Displaced workers who will be hired under the emergency employment program will be paid the prevailing minimum wage rate in the region which is P300 per day, or a total of P3,000 per worker for a 10-day period.

Meanwhile, Bello said representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region are validating the actual number of OFW families affected by the typhoon.

“The P30 million will just be an initial wave of assistance to the surveyed families of OFWs who were affected by the super typhoon. We will be working out the release of more financial assistance to them once concerned government agencies shall have submitted their complete report on the actual number of families affected and the extent of the damage they suffered as well as the kind of assistance they need,” he said.

Estrada deploys ‘mommy enforcers’

By Sandy Araneta

SPOOKY FUN. Children participate in this year’s trick or treat parade in Liliw, Laguna. Roy Tomandao

Mindoro boosts calamansi industry

By Brenda Jocson ONCE tagged as the “Fruit Basket of Oriental Mindoro,” the small municipality of Victoria wants to revitalize its calamansi industry in addition to its already robust production of citrus, durian, marang, lanzones and rambutan.

The municipal government signed a memorandum of agreement with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture and the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology to boost calamansi production in the region.

Victoria Mayor Alfredo Ortega Jr. underscored the need to strengthen linkages among farmers, local government units, non-government agencies, state universities and colleges, civil societies and the private sector to bring back the old glory of the local calamansi industry.

To be implemented for a period of three years, the pilot project aims to enhance the capacity of calamansi farmers in Victoria through an integrated ground-level development intervention.

In 2012, Victoria reached peak production at 7,325.5 metric tons, or 58.58 percent of the total production in the province, and was reported to have the highest average yield of 13.1 metric tons per hectare.

In recent years, however, owing to a lack of appropriate institutional and marketing arrangements as well as valueadding activities for calamansi, the industry faced an oversupply and surplus of fresh produce which, in turn, resulted to heavy post-harvest losses, lower prices and smaller income received by the farmers.

12 brgys post zero malnutrition cases BAGUIO CITY—Twelve barangays in this city were cited by the Cordillera office of the National Nutrition Council for having recorded zero malnutrition cases over the past three years.

Rita Papey, NNC-CAR Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator, said the barangays deserve the recognition because of

their efforts to curb the number of malnutrition cases, particularly underweight problems among pre-school children aged 0-71 months old.

The awardee barangays are as follows: Andres BonifacioCaguioa-Rimando, AbanaoZanduetta-Chugum-KayangOtek, Burnham-Legarda, Gen. Emilio F. Aguinaldo (Lower

Rock Quarry), Lower Gen. Luna, Lower Lourdes Subdivision, Magsaysay Private Road, MRR Queen of Peace, Quezon Hill Proper, Rizal Monument, Imelda Village and South Drive.

Papey said the ability of the 12 barangays to maintain zero underweight cases in their respective areas of jurisdiction for at least three years speaks well

of their excellent monitoring of the health and nutrition of their constituents.

She expressed optimism that more barangays in the city will be able to get zero underweight cases among pre-schoolchildren in the coming years to improve the nutritional status of the city’s constituents. Dexter A. See

AWARE of the hazards children face every day while on the road, Mayor Joseph Estrada has formed a special unit of women traffic enforcers to man traffic and assist school children in Manila’s 72 public elementary schools.

Estrada said these “mommy traffic enforcers” would be deployed outside school grounds with only one primary mission: To help the school children get to school or to their homes safely.

“Our children, the future of our nation, are exposed to road hazards and risks while they go to and from their schools so we thought of tapping the mothers to assist them,” he said.

Estrada, quoting a report from the World Health Organization, said at least 96 children die every day due to road accidents in the Philippines, making it the second most common type of accident in the country for children aged 5-12.

“We can now feel secured knowing that there are ‘mommies’ out there taking care of the safety our school children, their own children,” Estrada said.

“With their motherly love, we are sure they will do their duties with all their heart,” he added.

Dennis Alcoreza, head of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, said an initial batch of 144 “mommy traffic enforcers” will be trained as auxiliary traffic aides, with at least two women enforcers to be deployed in each of the 72 public elementary schools in the city.

TOURIST ATTRACTION.

The municipal government of Medina leads the exploration of a diving site at Duka Bay in Misamis Oriental over the weekend. PIA

Groups hold coastal cleanup in Olongapo City OVER 120 parishioners, seminarians and environmental volunteers conducted a coastal cleanup drive in Olongapo City over the weekend to culminate the month of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of Ecology.

The pro-environment event was initiated to create awareness on the impact of open dumping in waterways, clean up rivers and coastal areas as far as possible and motivate the locals to stop illegal dumping activities.

“We have come here today to bear witness to the trashing of our environment and to affirm our duty to restore and protect it. By cleaning up the Parola area, we renew our responsibility to care for the creation like what St. Francis has taught us,” said Rev. Kenneth Masong of the St. Columban Parish.

Joining the community of St. Columban Parish in the cleanup drive were volunteers from the Franciscan Youth, Our Lady of

the Angels Seminary, Alternative Learning Resource School-Philippines, Mother Earth Foundation and the EcoWaste Coalition.

“The open dumping of garbage, an environmental crime, is not only illegal and irresponsible. It’s also deadly, particularly for the aquatic creatures who bear the brunt of reckless waste disposal. We kill marine animals every time we arbitrarily throw our discards from plastic bags to tiny candy wrappers and cigarette butts on the streets

and waterways,” said Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition.

Lucero cited the death of an endangered green sea turtle in Davao City in October 22 due to infection after ingesting at least 10 types of plastic materials that it mistakenly ate as food.

The cleanup participants urged Olongapo City residents and transients to minimize their waste size and observe ecological waste management at all times.

World

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

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Murder accused ‘sexually assaulted’ HONG KONG―The British banker accused of murdering two Indonesian women in his upscale Hong Kong apartment is a narcissistic sexual sadist who had been abused at school, a court heard Monday.

Rurik Jutting, a 31-yearold Cambridge graduate, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The prosecution rejected the lesser plea.

Jutting is accused of murdering Sumarti Ningsih, 23, and Seneng Mujiasih, 26, two years ago, slashing their throats after saying he would pay them for sex.

He tortured Ningsih inside his apartment for three days before killing her and stuffing her body in a suitcase found on his balcony.

As the trial entered its second week, the defense said Jutting suffered from narcissistic personality disorder and sexual sadism disorder, as well as heavy use of cocaine and alcohol.

He had also experienced bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts, the court heard.

Forensic psychiatrist Richard Latham, called as a defense witness, said Jutting had told him he was abused at the renowned English private school Winchester College.

A report from Latham read out in court said a boy had forced Jutting to perform oral sex on him at school.

“He described it in a way that he was a victim of sexual assault,” Latham said.

Latham said people with narcissistic personality disorder had problems empathizing with others and sought constant praise.

“When that breaks down the consequence is dramatic,” Latham told the court. AFP

China unveils stealth fighter ZHUHAI―China’s newest warplane, the J-20 stealth fighter, will make its first public flight at the Zhuhai Air Show, its manufacturer announced Monday, as Beijing flexes its long-range military muscles.

The J-20, “which military enthusiasts at home and abroad have watched closely”, will make its first public flight demonstration, said Tan Ruisong, the president of China’s state aerospace company AVIC. China trailed the world in aerospace technology 20 years ago, he told a press conference, but was now at the leading edge.

Swift, stealthy, and armed with long-range missiles, the new J20s represent a leap forward in China’s ability to project power in Asia and compete in capabilities with the United States.

Beijing is seeking to modernize and upgrade its military both to protect its borders and project power into regions such as the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway where it has disputes with several neighbors.

China’s only international aerospace exhibition, held biennially in the southern city of Zhuhai, this year boasts its largest-ever display of military hardware and aircraft, with 11 exhibition halls, 430,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor viewing area, and 151 aircraft from 700 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions.

The show will also see the debut of the Y-20 transport aircraft, which can move heavy loads and carry out airlifts to assist military activities.

Chinese-made military assault vehicles, anti-aircraft missile systems, drones and fighter jets stood on display outside the exhibition center.

AVIC chief Tan said his company had business in 80 countries and territories, with annual overseas sales exceeding 80 billion yuan ($11.8 billion). AFP

AFTER THE FESTIVAL. Indian Sadhus or holy men queue to receive blankets during a Sadhu congregation following the Diwali Festival in Amritsar on October 31,2016. Thousands of Sadhus and Sadhvis, female Sadhus, took part in the annual congregation. Sadhus occupy a unique and important place in Hindu society, particularly in villages and small towns more closely tied to traditions. Usually traveling from place to place as they often don’t have a residence, Sadhus live on donations and offerings. AFP

Moroccans mourn crushed fish seller

A

L HOCEIMA―Thousands of Moroccans Sunday attended the funeral of a fishmonger whose gruesome death in a rubbish truck crusher has caused outrage across the North African country, with authorities vowing to punish those responsible.

Mouhcine Fikri, 31, was crushed to death on Friday in the truck in the northern city of AlHoceima as he reportedly tried to protest against a municipal worker seizing and destroying his wares.

An image of his inert body― head and arm sticking out from under the lorry’s crushing mechanism―went viral on social media, sparking calls for protests nationwide including in the capital

Rabat.

Footage online showed thousands of people following the yellow ambulance that carried Fikri’s body through Al-Hoceima in the ethnically Berber Rif region on Sunday.

Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad condemned the incident and vowed that an investigation would be held to “determine the exact circumstances of the tragedy and punish those responsible”.

“No one had the right to treat him like this... We cannot accept officials acting in haste, anger or in conditions that do not respect people’s rights,” he told AFP. The funeral procession was led by a dozen drivers in their cars― including taxis―and marchers waving Berber flags.

The ambulance headed to the area of Imzouren some 20 kilometers southeast of the city, where Fikri was buried in the late afternoon.

The circumstances of his death remained unclear.

But a human rights activist told AFP that the authorities forced the fishmonger to destroy several boxes of swordfish. Catching swordfish using drift nets is illegal.

“The goods were worth a lot of money,” said Fassal Aoussar from

the local branch of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights.

“The salesman threw himself in after his fish and was crushed by the machine,” he said.

“The whole of the Rif is in shock and boiling over.”

Long neglected under the father of the current king, the Rif was at the heart of Morocco’s protest movement for change in 2011, dubbed the February 20 movement.

Protests continued in Al-Hoceima late Sunday, an AFP reporter said, with protesters shouting: “Criminals, assassins, terrorists!”

“The people of the Rif won’t be humiliated!”

The crowd eventually dispersed around 2130 GMT without incident.

Thousands of demonstrators― including activists for Berber

rights–also gathered in Rabat, chanting “We are all Mouhcine!”.

Smaller protests were held in several other Rif towns and, unusually, in Casablanca and Marrakesh.

In a statement on Sunday, the AMDH condemned the state for “having trampled on the dignity of citizens since the ferocious repression of the February 20 movement and keeping the region in a state of tension”.

It warned of a “possible repeat” of the 2011 protests in the Rif, just a week before Morocco starts hosting international climate talks.

King Mohammed VI has ordered a “thorough and exhaustive investigation” into Fikri’s death and the “prosecution of whoever is found responsible”, an interior ministry statement said. AFP

Clinton parries email fallout as polls narrow

HALLOWEEN. This photo taken on October 29, 2016, shows people wearing costumes of US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as they take part in a Halloween parade in Tokyo. Tokyo nursed a giant pumpkin-sized hangover on October 31 after a weekend of Halloween revelry that saw blood-spattered ghouls, fluffy animals and ‘terrifying’ presidential candidates cut loose. AFP

FORT LAUDERDALE―Hillary Clinton battled to contain renewed FBI focus on her emails Sunday as Donald Trump blitzed western states in the tightening race for the White House.

Nine days before the vote, the 69-year-old former secretary of state hit the campaign trail hard in the battleground state of Florida.

Clinton blazed through brunch at an Irish pub, an African-American Baptist church, a soul food restaurant, an early voting site and a rally at a gay nightclub.

Much of her two-day visit to the Sunshine State focused on encouraging early voting. Clinton says a record 200 million Americans have registered to vote, 20 million of whom have already done so.

But her campaign was jolted when FBI boss James Comey announced Friday that his agents are reviewing a newly discovered trove of emails, resurrecting an issue Clinton had hoped was behind her.

The nominee’s response has been to hit out at Comey’s move as “deeply troubling” and to rally supporters to get out and vote, turning the tables on Trump by branding him as unfit to lead the nation.

“When you’re knocked down, what matters is whether you get up again,” she told a packed LGBT rally at a gay nightclub in Wilton Manors, just outside Fort Lauderdale.

“With Donald, it’s always Donald Trump first and everyone else last. He abuses his power, he games the system and doesn’t care who is

left holding the bag,” she added.

Allegations Clinton put the United States at risk by using a private email server while secretary of state were thrust back into the spotlight Friday when Comey revealed a renewed FBI probe into the matter based on a previously unknown trove of emails.

Trump―himself under fire for alleged sexual impropriety and facing misconduct allegations from 12 women―has gleefully seized upon Comey’s move in an attempt to offset his own trailing in most polls.

The Republican campaigned hard Sunday, attending church in Las Vegas, before leading three rallies in Nevada, Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico, whipping up his support base against Clinton.

“We all know about Hillary’s mounting legal troubles, that she has brought onto herself with her serial, willful, purposeful and deliberate criminal conduct,” he told the crowed in New Mexico.

“Hillary Clinton is not the victim, you the American people are the victims of this corrupt system in every single way and folks this is your last chance to save it,” he said to chants of “lock her up.”

The 70-year-old tycoon repeatedly has described her email issue as “the single biggest scandal since Watergate” -- the wrongdoing that brought down Republican president Richard Nixon in 1974. AFP

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

New quake in Italy levels old church

World

SMOG. Indian commuters drive through smog in New Delhi on October 31, 2016, the day after the Diwali festival when New Delhi was shrouded in a thick blanket of

toxic smog after millions of Indians lit firecrackers. Authorities reported record levels of pollution in parts of the capital, when the reading for the pollutants in the atmosphere breached the 1,000 microgram mark for the first time in one neighborhood in south Delhi —10 times the World Health Organization’s recommended level. AFP

Escaped Islamist prisoners shot dead NEW DELHI―Eight suspected Islamists were shot dead by police Monday after they escaped from a high security jail in India by slitting the throat of a prison guard, an official said.

The members of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India had staged an overnight breakout from the prison in Bhopal by attacking a warder in their cell with sharpened prison-issue steel plates.

They then managed to scale several walls inside the prison by tying together bedsheets.

Police said they had been later cornered on the outskirts of the city in the central state of Madhya Pradesh but resisted efforts to take them back into custody.

“We asked them to surrender but they tried to break the police cordon,” Yogesh Choudhary, Bhopal’s inspector general of police, told AFP. “They were unarmed but attempted to attack the police with stones. We had to shoot them,” Choudhary added.

The prisoners had managed to make their way by foot to a village about 15 kilometers south of the center of the city, despite a massive search operation.

The dramatic break-out happened on the night of Diwali, a major Hindu festival when revelers traditionally set off fireworks which can shroud the night skies in mist.

Some of the inmates had been awaiting trial for “terror related activities” for the last three years, although two of them had only been detained since February.

Police insist that there was no breakdown in security at the prison, which has a round the clock electronic surveillance system.

Indian authorities have accused SIMI of carrying out several deadly bombings and having links with Pakistan-based militant groups.

Police blamed the group for the serial bombing of Mumbai commuter trains in 2006 which killed 187 people, as well as bomb blasts in New Delhi.

The government banned the group in 2001 in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

Hundreds of its members have been arrested in the past decade, but the group says it merely propagates “Islamic way of life” for Indian Muslims. AFP

NORCIA―Italy’s most powerful earthquake in 36 years struck the country’s mountainous center Sunday, panicking shell-shocked residents for the third time in two months and flattening a worldfamous 600-year-old basilica.

Remarkably, there were no reports of anyone dying as a result of the 6.6-magnitude quake but more than 3,000 people were left temporarily homeless, the national civil protection agency said.

“We can confirm that we have no information on victims,” said agency head Fabrizio Curcio, adding that 20 people had been injured, relatively lightly.

However “many buildings are in a critical state in historic centers and there are problems with electricity and water supplies,” Curcio told reporters.

The quake struck at 7:40 am (0640 GMT) near Norcia in the region of Umbria, unleashing a shock felt in the capital Rome and even in Venice, 300 kilometers away.

Norcia residents were barred from returning to their homes on safety grounds and, as night fell, hundreds were being transported by bus to nearby Lake Trasimeno, where temporary accommodation in hotels and gymnasiums had been arranged.

It was Italy’s biggest quake since a 6.9-magnitude one struck the south of the country in 1980, leaving 3,000 people dead.

More than 50 powerful aftershocks rumbled throughout the day, some 15 of them between magnitude 4 and 5.

Prime Minister Matteo Renzi reiterated a government pledge to rebuild every damaged house and ensure that dozens of remote communities do not become ghost towns.

“Fatigue must not turn into resignation” he urged, during a short press conference in Rome, adding that an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Monday would discuss the quake situation.

The most important architectural casualty was Norcia’s 14th-century Basilica of Saint Benedict.

Built on the reputed birthplace of the Catholic saint, it had survived dozens of quakes over the centuries. But it had been compromised by other recent tremors and Sunday’s saw it collapse in on itself with only the facade left standing. AFP

Nepal drains risky lake near Everest

K

ATHMANDU―Nepal has successfully drained part of a giant glacial lake near Mount Everest, averting risk of a disastrous flood that could have threatened thousands of lives, officials said Monday.

Scientists say climate change is causing Himalayan glaciers to melt at an alarming rate, creating huge glacial lakes which could burst their banks and devastate mountain communities.

Imja Tsho, located at an altitude of 16,437 feet, just 10 kilometers south of the world’s highest peak, is the fastestgrowing glacial lake in Nepal.

The Himalayan nation was devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake last year, raising alarm about about the risks of flash flooding from glacial lakes.

“Draining the lake was on the priority of the government because of its high risk. We have successfully mitigated a disaster right now,” Top Bahadur Khatri, the project manager of the Community Based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction Project, told AFP. Khatri said that the lake, nearly 150 meters deep, had its water lowered by 3.5 meters after six months of rigorous work―draining more than five million cubic meters of water.

The Nepal government worked together with United Nations Development Program to drain the lake.

A team of 40 Nepal army personnel and more than 100 local high altitude workers worked in shifts since April to complete the project, airlifting or using yaks to transport the equipment.

“A 45-meters-long tunnel was constructed to aid outflow of the lake downstream. We have also installed

a mechanical gate to control the discharge,” said Lieutenant Colonel Bharat Lal Shrestha, who led the army team.

“Because of the wind, snow and thin air, we could work only two or three hours a day. It was a challenging task,” he told AFP. The surface area covered by the lake expanded from 0.4 to 1.01 square kilometers between 1984 and 2009, triggering concerns that it may breach its banks and flood villages downstream.

Experts say that a flood would have a catastrophic impact on the lives of more than 50,000 people living in nearby villages and even in southern districts of the country.

As part of the project, early warning systems have also been installed in villages downstream.

“Our plan is to now replicate the work in other high-risk glacial lakes,” Khatri said.

Nepal is home to some 3,000 glacial lakes.

In 2014 a major international study warned that glaciers in the Everest region could shrink by 70 percent or disappear entirely by the end of the century, owing to climate change.

A study published by the Kathmandu-based International Center for Integrated Mountain Development used satellite imagery to show how Nepal’s glaciers had already shrunk by nearly a quarter between 1977 and 2010. AFP

EPISODE. Becky G performs In the First Live Episode of Univision Networks La Banda at Univision Studios on October 30, 2016, in Miami, Florida. AFP

Pope takes unity bid to Protestant heartland ROME―Pope Francis flies to Sweden Monday on the latest leg of his mission to promote reconciliation and unity within the wider Christian family.

The Argentine pontiff is due in the southern city of Lund for an ecumenical service marking the start of a year of celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

The event will also mark 50 years of reconciliatory dialogue between the Catholic Church and

Lutheranism, a tradition that was once fervently hostile to the authority and teachings of the Vatican.

Just by agreeing to attend, Francis has made a gesture that would have been unimaginable for all but his most recent predecessors.

The popes of the 16th century spent huge amounts of time and energy trying to stifle or reverse the reforming wave launched by the German monk Martin Luther when he nailed his “95 theses” to

the door of a church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517.

Monday’s meeting comes eight months after Francis became the first pope in almost 1,000 years to meet an Orthodox Patriarch.

The current leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics has also reached out to Anglicans.

And ahead of the visit to Sweden, he reiterated the importance he attaches to Christian unity at a time when both believers and

belief itself are under pressure in many parts of the world.

“When Christians are persecuted and murdered, they are chosen because they are Christians, not because they are Lutherans, Calvinists, Anglicans, Catholics or Orthodox,” Francis said in an interview with two Jesuit publications.

“An ecumenism of blood exists.”

He also went out of his way to underline that Catholicism no lon-

ger regards Luther, who was excommunicated, as a heretical figure.

“Luther took a great step by putting the words of God into the hands of the people,” Francis said in an apparent reference to the monk’s efforts to get a German translation of the Bible printed and circulated.

Some Catholic conservatives question whether there is anything about the Reformation worth celebrating. AFP

Life

‘Transfiguration’ by Hans Jensen S. Martin

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

ARTS, CULTURE & MEDIA

By Nickie Wang

D1

A celebration of colors and multimedia art

I

T WAS a riot of colors.

Your eyes could feast on various expressions from sculpture to digital art.

Paintings using acrylic and watercolor pronounced how creative and intuitive the artist behind every artwork.

On the ground floor of the Ayala Museum, dozens of paintings and sculptures and digital artworks were on display for the whole month of October. Student artists created the masterpieces for the annual National Shell Art Competition (NSAC).

As the longest student art competition in the country, NSAC has become a breeding ground for art creators. And now on its 49th year, it continues to serve as venue for passionate young masters who wanted to make a name on the local art scene.

This year’s competition, with the theme “Metamorphosis,” attracted 1,392 student artists who vied for the top prize and for the chance for their works to be exhibited.

“We are preparing for our 50th anniversary next year and we wanted something that has the vibe of coming out, stepping up and evolving.

And metamorphosis seems to be the best word to encapsulate this endeavor,” Lans Bularan, Social Investment and Social Performance manager at Shell, told Manila Standard.

She said “Metamorphosis” is an apt term to describe how student participants evolve into something better while they are in their process of discovering their creative purpose through different art media, such as Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Sculpture, and Digital Fine Arts. She furthered that the competition also encourages aspiring art masters from all over the country to break free from restraints, discover and bring out who they are as individuals and as artists, and to create innovative and relevant artworks that will reflect various facets of humanity and society.

This objective is well aligned with Shell’s mission to develop the youth to become productive individuals while helping the country move toward sustainable progress.

“Our goal is all about nation building.

And we are doing it through art. I’m proud to say that we’re (the) longest-running student art competition in the country and throughout the years, we have paved the way (for) young artists and help them exhibit their works,” Bularan shared.

The careful judging and selection of the winning entries was presided over by acclaimed artists in their respective fields, namely Renato Habulan, Gus Albor, Ivan Roxas, Rodel Tapaya, and Nestor Vinluan for the Oil/ Acrylic category; Lito Carating, Antipas Delotavo, and Pablo Baen Santos for Watercolor; Ral Arrogante, Michael Cacnio, and Junyee for

‘Natuto, Ipamana ay Pauunlarin’ by Joseph Lawrence G. Senense, first prize winner in Oil/Acrylic category

‘Memento Mori: Daddy Rolly’ by Ruscel Lance A. Valenzuela, first place in Sculpture section

Desiree A. Carabio’s ‘Marlon Monroe,’ first place in Digital Fine Arts category

‘Ang Munting Likha’ by Emerson S. Rabbon, first place in Watercolor category

Sculpture; and Pablo Biglang-awa, Norberto Roldan, and Jose Tence Ruiz for Digital Fine Arts.

For Oil/Acrylic, the top spot was clinched by Joseph Lawrence G. Senense from Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology for his work, “Natuto, Ipamana ay Pauunlarin.” Earning the second place award is John Elijah R. Santiago from Ka-

layaan College for his “Three Arrows on Clockwise Rotation,” followed

by John Frances N. Ochoco, from Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology for his “Galaw sa Mundong Pabago-bago.”

The grand prize for the Watercolor category was won by Emerson S. Rabbon from University of Northern Philippines for “Ang Munting Likha.” Chris-

tian Billy E. Bagtas from Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology came second with “Aftermath,” and Francis Eugene E. Andrade from Bulacan State University third place for his work, “Forgotten.”

Besting all other aspirants in the Sculpture category was Ruscel Lance A. Valenzuela from Philippine Women’s University - Manila for his piece,

“Memento Mori: Daddy Rolly.” He was followed by Jesusito C. Borja from University of Rizal System - Angono for his “Word to World (Metamorphosis of Ideas)” bagging the second place, and Eloisa B. Sanson from Philippine Women’s College of Davao in third place for her sculpture “Regeneration.”

For the Digital Fine Arts category, the first spot went to Desiree A. Carabio from the University of the Philippines - Cebu for her work “Marlon Monroe,” followed by Hans Jensen S. Martin from University of the East - Caloocan at second for his “Transfiguration,” and Caprial A. Crisostomo from Technological University of the Philippines in third for her “Two Worlds.”

The top artworks are displayed at the Shell offices and become property of the leading power and energy company.

The works of the finalists, on the other hand, are being sold for the benefit of the student artists.

“As you can see, we have amassed a number of artworks. We are actually looking at building a home for these masterpieces where the public can see how creative and brilliant the artists who have become part of this contest since its inception,” Bularan concluded.

New appointments at Benilde THE De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) recently announced new School of Design and Arts (SDA) appointments for the Academic Year 2016-2017. The new designations were issued by DSL-CSB President Brother Dennis Magbanua FSC, in a memo signed by Vice-Chancellor for Academics Geronio G. Ulayao.

Architect Dottie Asela D. Domingo, OIC-Associate Dean of the Environment Cluster during AY 2015-2016, has been designated as Dean for the SDA. Prior to her involvement with Benilde in 2010, Domingo was a Post Project Acting Department Head, Supervisor of Phinma Property Holdings Corporation, and the Design and Planning Officer of Landco Pacific Corporation.

She earned her BS Architecture degree at the University of the Philippines, and her Masters in Business Administration at Ateneo de Manila-Graduate School of Business.

Maria Sharon Ariola, former chair of the SDA Design Foundation Area, is now Associate Dean of the SDA New Media Cluster. She has handled courses under the Production Design and Multimedia Arts Programs since 2005, and is a researcher and committee member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayad Ad Hoc Panel of Experts.

She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Communication degree and Masters of Arts in Art Studies from the University of the Philippines.

Architect Maria Cynthia Y. Funk, a faculty of the SDA Architecture Program since 2009, is now Associate Dean for the SDA Environment Studies Center.

She was previously the Principal Architect of Ambienti Design and Associates, and has served as Design Principal for several projects.

She earned her Masters in Advanced Architecture at the Institute for Advanced Architecture in Barcelona, Spain.

Life

D2

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

By Pablo A. Tariman

A

T AN age when they are prone to be preoccupied with everything that the golden age of Internet has to offer, these young people turn to music after their regular classes in their respective schools. They are the 30-strong members of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra, the ages of whom range from 9 to 18.

Conductor Jeffrey Solares earlier told this writer that the MSO Junior Orchestra is barely three years old and was a project borne out of a desire to invest on the young. “When you invest in children, you shouldn’t expect to see immediate returns. But with their involvement in the MSO Junior Orchestra, the rewards come many times over.

First, they get trained as musicians, second they get performance opportunities for assorted audiences and they have good chances of joining a professional orchestra depending on their progress as individual musicians.”

But, for the orchestra’s CCP debut on Nov. 5 at 7:30 p.m., the young musicians are playing for a good cause, and that is to raise P1 million for their future home, the MSO Recital Hall at Circuit Lane in Circuit Makati (formerly the Sta. Ana racetrack).

The young musicians performed in one concert in Baguio City in summer this year and the highland audiences were amply rewarded.

By and large, it was a first-rate music treat experienced at some 5,000 ft. above sea level with the good acoustics of the Hill Station hall giving listeners a sensurround experience.

The event had everyone raving about the junior orchestra and its equally exciting young soloists.

The Mozart violin soloists (at one movement each) drew euphoric applause and several rounds of bravos.

Emmanuel John Villarin was highly promising and his musicality was way above musicians his age.

With unusual sonority required of its interpreters, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 is not for kids. It requires more than a solid tone and a kind of musicianship that will allow him to feel the orchestra parts with ease. Musicians agree this concerto is the most immediately scintillating of the five.

Villarin showed palpable confidence even in his cadenza and with the orchestra ending the first movement, showing a great promise for this 12-year-old violinist.

From the quality of their playing in Baguio City, you begin to have more hope for this country even as the political landscape is getting surreal every day of the week.

The profiles of the members of the junior orchestra reflect various interests with love for music as the common denominator.

Probably the youngest in the orchestra is nine-year-old Damodar das Castillo who started playing at age five and whose music favorites range from Shostakovich and Dvorak cello concertos to rock and heavy metal.

Young musicians

in a fundraiser at CCP

LOVE FOR MUSIC. The well-received concert of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra at Hill Station in Baguio City last summer. Photo by Sinag de Leon Concertmaster Jodeline Michaela P. Pecson, 17, started playing the violin at age four and is visibly excited by the orchestra’s CCP debut.

Her music favorites range from the Mendelssohn concerto to Gerard Way, rock and punk roc. She wants to graduate from a good conservatory with the highest honors.

She said, “It is nice to see that all our efforts are finally paying off. The grueling rehearsals in the last two months were indeed challenging and now we are finally playing for CCP audiences. I see the orchestra as one big happy family.”

Playing in the viola section is 17-year-old Angel Joyce Oñedo Esteban who started playing at age 13. She says playing for this event means a lot to her because the young musicians will have their own recital hall. “It is a feelgood experience and I am not likely to forget this. I believe music guides me to become a better person and to be of service to my fellow men. I also believe that music is one of the best tools in which we can inspire humanity to do good things. On the other hand, to learn music is for me a process in which you can discover your young life.”

Members of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra with conductor Jeffrey Solares

The junior orchestra performs in an open air concert at Ayala Triangle to raise P1 million for a recital hall

Computer engineer makes millions selling e-books IN 1999, with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering safely tucked under his belt, Jon Orana marched off the stage and easily landed a job as a programmer for a service provider.

After a year had passed, he became restless and wasn’t sure he was cut out for the job. Feeling trapped in a world of the eight-to-five, he soon got bored with the routine.

The restive spirit of the Adamson University graduate led him to look for other options that would allow him to test his wings in other related fields. A friend who had lent him a book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by best-selling motivational speaker and businessman Robert Kiyosaki, who “teaches people to become millionaires,”

opened his eyes to a brave new world.

Without leaving his full-time job to ensure that he had a stable income that would provide for his security in the meantime, the young professional ventured into trying out whatever Kiyosaki had taught millions of his readers worldwide.

His initial ventures as a small entrepreneur earned him tiny profits, but not enough to make him content. Soon enough, he had to plow back more money into the ventures that before he knew it, he was losing hard-earned revenues, and piling up debts.

That made him realize that he may have too much on his plate, so he decided to say goodbye to his office

Orana’s Negosyo University manifesto. Photo from www.negosyouniversity.com

job to concentrate on what was then a fledgling enterprise that few had heard about: the e-book industry.

In 36 months, he was able to sell 24 million e-books online.

Sensing that the Internet was the wave of the future, Orana began upgrading his skills in the field, and despite his lack of a business background and with no mentors to help him along the way, he stood his ground believing that good fortune was just around the corner.

His success, which did not come by overnight, was enough to prompt him to teach others what he had acquired by dint of hard work and a motivation to get ahead, by engaging in consultancy work and coaching first-time online entrepreneurs.

Through the years, Orana’s homebased business has expanded to include setting up online programs like Internet Business Masterclass, Blog Academy and Money Tree System that have taught over 1000 neophyte online entrepreneurs.

His blog www.eskapology.com now have over 100,000 email subscribers. He has also sold over $1 million of his digital products to an eager, receptive and growing online market.

Hundreds of glowing testimonials continue to flood his mail from satisfied and grateful students of his online courses who attest to the effectiveness and viability of Orana’s innovative ap-

proach in attracting a new generation of entrepreneurs to the wide and lucrative world of business on the Internet. Finding his niche did not come easy, but Orana is a sterling example that one can do it, if one is willing to learn and test the waters.

For someone who claims he “has no high IQ and barely finished his college degree.”

Those interested to attend his ebooks online seminar live in Manila on Nov. 19, Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., can register via email to jon@ eskapology.com or visit www.NegosyoUniversity.com or call his local office at (02) 650-0843.

Jon Orana’s restlessness and intuition led him to leave his stable job to build his e-book empire

For tickets to the Nov. 5 CCP concert of the MSO Junior Orchestra called “Strings Like Teen Spirit!” call TicketWorld at (02) 891-9999. Other engagements of the junior orchestra will be at Raffles-Fairmont Hotel (Nov. 10), UP Town Center (Dec. 17) and Alabang Town Center (Dec. 18).

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Say YES to Confidence with

#TeenWeekPH2016

B

TeenWeek PH’s YouTube channel. The series features the lives of four teens that are facing common struggles that teens go through today. It stars Mika Reyes as Vicky, a hopeless romantic; Martin Padilla as Bon, a teen who loves to dance; and Jaffnah Garcia as Vicky, an aspiring singer.

The TeenWeek PH edutainment videos aim to teach the importance educational and entertaining through of personal grooming to improve the TeenWeek Series, a series of hygiene, health and self-esteem e d u t a i n m e n t videos hosted on through stories about family,

EING a teen can be challenging. Pimples, crushes, and high school drama often come with the program. But that doesn’t mean you should allow these challenges to stop you from doing your best. After all, being a teen also comes with friendship, growth, and self-discovery.

Nicknamed ‘The Enforcer,” Jester Calis, 25, bested 9 other finalists in the 2nd edition of R U Tough Enough search

Cordilleran is

‘Toughest Pinoy’

POLICE enforcers are making a killing, not only in the war against drugs, but also in male beauty contests and physical strength competitions.

Following the win of a good-looking Igorot cop at the recent Misters of Filipinas 2016, another cop from the Cordilleras emerged champion at the 2nd season of KIX Asia’s R U Tough Enough (RUTE) search for the toughest Pinoy at the Atrium of the Block, SM North Edsa.

Jester “The Enforcer” Calis, a 25-yearold, farmer-turned police officer, came out at the top against nine other finalists after various physical challenges testing the limits of their physical strength, mental endurance and emotional resilience. Ian “The Achiver” Banzon, a 28-year-old, physician and athlete, showcased girl power with three other women competitors as she finished a strong second in the nationwide search for the toughest Pinoy.

Calis, who could also enter a male beauty contest with his good looks, drew his strength and mental toughness from the years he was growing up in the mountains, helping carry loads of vegetables to sell in the market. He left his Igorot province folks to pursue education and enter the police service. Calis won P250,000 and other prizes as the R U Tough Enough (RUTE) toughest Pinoy champion.

The rest of the 10 finalists were “The Protector” Alvin Dizer, a Workforce Coordinator; “The Unrelenting” Cesar Hinayon, Jr., a Fitness Trainer; “The Fighter” Cassie Umali, Events Host; “The Transcendor” Ralph David Tiu, a businessman; “The Defyer” Lauren Alexi Lim, Marketing Manager; “The Reborn” Gabriel Carreon, an Engineering graduate; “The Striver” Ronie Ricones, a working student/part time model and “The Supermama” Jennifer Gabriel, a policewoman. They were pitted against each other in a final showdown of endurance; agility, climbing skill and strength by pulling a real deal pickup truck.

Mr. International 2014 and RUTE 2016 ambassador Neil Perez, a police bomb expert, gave Calis the “thumbs up” sign after he presented his fellow cop the “Toughest Pinoy” title. From the overwhelming hundreds of applicants nationwide, the shortlisted aspirants were invited for a closed-door audition on Sept. 24. The success of the 1st R U Tough Enough competition has inspired KIX Asia, the ultimate action-entertainment TV destination, to do a second edition and also looked forward to expand the event into an Asia-wide RUTE search.

Words and photos: Eton B. Concepcion

And, here to help teens make the most out of their teen years by saying yes to confidence is #TeenWeekPH2016. On its 4th year, #TeenWeekPH2016 aims to reach 1 million teens in GMA/NCR, Central Luzon and Calabarzon.

TeenWeek PH is reaching out to more teens in a way that is both

ABS-CBN’S iWant TV FOR PLDT, Smart subscribers KAPAMILYA shows, specials, and movies on iWant TV are available for video-on-demand streaming to PLDT and Smart subscribers as ABSCBN, the country’s leading media and entertainment company, makes its digital shift by making its content and services accessible online for more Filipinos.

ABS-CBN Chairman Eugenio Lopez III and President and CEO Carlo Katigbak signed an agreement with PLDT Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan to enable more Filipinos to enjoy ABS-CBN content using their gadgets or smartphones by subscribing to PLDT or Smart promo packages that offer iWant TV that will be launched in the last quarter of the year.

“The strategic partnership between ABS-CBN and PLDT underscores our vision to make our content available online to more Filipinos,” said Katigbak.

Anna Rodriguez-Dela Cruz, ABSCBN head for content on Mobile and OTT, said that Filipinos could explore a wealth of content on iWant TV, such as specials inspired by Kapamilya teleseryes, local and foreign movies, Asianovelas, and livestreaming.

“Aside from catching up on Kapamilya shows, iWant TV also offers extensions of primetime content that is available only on iWant TV, such as Biyaheng Teleserye, which shows how a teleserye came to be. We also have movies and livestreams of events like digital concerts of ABS-CBN’s One Music PH,” she said.

Dela Cruz also shared that in the

coming months, users can expect iWant TV to roll out original shows.

“We will come out with an original digital series that will be specifically created for iWant TV to cater to a younger market of millennials,” she added.

ABS-CBN’s iWant TV is the first and only over-the-top (OTT) service in the country that delivers content via the internet without a fixed monthly subscription fee. It also continues to innovate by offering users 360° videos.

For its initial offering, users can get an exclusive 360° immersive look of the iconic Pinoy Big Brother house.

In ABS-CBN’s annual stakeholders meeting last May, Katigbak announced that the company is transitioning to an

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

undercover 53 Not her 56 Mica 58 Mad Hatter’s guest 60 Relate 61 Besides 62 Romeo, to Juliet 63 Whirlpool 64 Envelope abbr.

65 Type of jacket DOWN 1 Large volume 2 Statuesque model 3 Pops 4 I knew it!

5 Kerosene, for one (2 wds.)

6 Hombre’s honorific 7 Persia, today 8 Boat with oars 9 PC key 10 Net worth 11 Mr. Feliciano 12 School grad 13 Antarctic sea 19 Megastars, to fans 22 U.K. locale 24 Sturdy lock 25 Spouted, as a whale 26 Wan 27 Kayak’s kin

28 Goose-down garb 29 Yearned deeply 30 Sporty trucks 31 Infra opposite 32 Choir selection 34 French Legion headgear 36 Heavy hydrogen discoverer 38 Caught the bus 39 Noticed 41 Deceitful 42 Weddings 44 Sparsely 45 Mediocre grade

agile digital company with the growth of its mobile and digital television businesses.

ABS-CBN TVplus, the pioneering digital terrestrial television service in the country, has sold 1.5 million units since it was launched in February 2015.

Last year, ABS-CBN launched multichannel network “Chicken Pork Adobo” on Youtube with an initial roster of 90 creators for them to showcase stories in the digital space.

ABS-CBN also revolutionized digital advertising in the country when it rolled out a first-of-its-kind table of digital solutions called the “Digital Marketing Periodic Table of Elements” for advertisers to optimize their digital

Some of the top shows available on iWant TV

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Kind of bore 6 Fries or slaw 10 Cracked 14 Old cattle town 15 Psyche’s suitor 16 Go it alone 17 Lady’s honorific 18 Echo’s beloved 20 Coast Guard off.

21 Many-petaled blossom 23 Judges 24 Part of BYOB 25 Burbank’s sci.

26 Nanny from abroad (2 wds.)

29 Halts (2 wds.)

33 Diminutive 34 Wind catchers 35 Baton Rouge sch.

37 Take on 38 Make over 39 Galaxy unit 40 Shaggy-haired ox 41 Strides along 42 “Uncle Miltie” 43 Evening serenader 45 Peanut butter choice 46 Make haste 47 Harness piece 48 Curry spice 51 Went

friendship and love that will encourage teens to say yes to confidence.

The TeenWeek Series recently premiered via Facebook Live and was hosted by TeenWeek Squad members, Jaz Reyes and Nikko Ramos. They were joined by Sam Concepcion and Alexa Ilacad who spoke about their struggles during their teen years.

Spread the word and help other teens say yes to confidence by inviting them to view the TeenWeek Series on TeenWeekPH’s YouTube channel and following them on social media, TeenWeek PH on Facebook page and @TeenWeekPH on Instagram and Twitter.

47 Above the horizon 48 Quote from 49 Pre-owned 50 Serene 51 Margarita rim 52 Attention getter 53 Honey factory 54 Frosted 55 Just 57 Open meadow 59 Ed Asner’s — Grant

campaigns.

Recently, ABS-CBN Publishing also introduced NoInk, a multimedia reading app that will soon become a pre-installed service on MyPhone units.

ABS-CBN Group CFO Ron Valdueza, ABS-CBN chief financial officer Aldrin Cerrado, ABS-CBN finance head for broadcast, news & current affairs, and access groups Cat Lopez, ABS-CBN head of digital transformation division Mellisa Limcaoco, PLDT executive vice president for consumer business Ariel Fermin, PLDT first vice president for home business Oscar Reyes Jr., and PLDT first vice president for wireless consumer division Katrina Luna-Abelarde also graced the partnership announcement.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2016

Showbiz Maja Salvador

Coco Martin with the child actors of “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano”

ISAH V. RED

T

HOUSANDS of fans across the country trooped to the Smart Araneta Coliseum to witness the gathering of ABS-CBN’s biggest and brightest stars in the FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano : Isang Pamilya Tayo The Anniversary Concert recently.

Cheers and screams filled the Big Dome as the country’s biggest love teams, leading men, and stars joined forces to show their love and gratitude for the teleserye’s phenomenal success.

Fans welcomed the whole cast led

by Coco Martin, who celebrated his birthday that night, with loud applause and deafening shrieks.

The celebration continued with Coco giving a heartfelt tribute to “Da King” Fernando Poe Jr. in his rendition of the OPM classic “Doon Lang.”

Singers Ogie Alcasid, Kyla, Ayen Munji-Laurel, and Vina Morales took the crowd on a trip down memory lane as as they sang the theme songs of ABS-CBN teleseryes starring Coco Martin.

Music also took center stage as Gary Valenciano sang “Huwag Ka Nang Umiyak,” the official soundtrack of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.

The audience also danced and grooved as Maja Salvador, Yassi Pressman, and Bela Padilla fired up the Araneta stage with their dance performances.

The night was also filled with kilig as the Kapamilya love teams of James Reid and Nadine Lustre (JaDine), Elmo Magalona and Janella Salvador (ElNella), and McCoy De Leon and Elisse Joson (McLisse) serenaded the crowd with their song numbers.

The kiligfest continued as the stars of Star Cinema’s The Third Party – Angel Locsin, Zanjoe Marudo, and Sam Milby – spread love in the

‘FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’

Yassi Pressman and Bella Padilla

turns a year old, thousands celebrate

whole venue.

It’s Showtime host Vice Ganda and FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano’s own McNeal “Awra” Briguela proved that they are both “unkabogable” stars in their stand-up comedy act that brought laughter to the audience.

As the show ended, the cast of the top-rating series sent their words of love for the fans for their unwavering support and gave an early Christmas treat to everyone.

Since it started airing on television in September 2015, the drama series has ruled the ratings game as the country’s most watched program.

It was recently commended by the Congress for its efforts in promoting crime awareness and prevention, as well as family values among its viewers. *** GMA Network’s first ever realitysitcom, Pepito Manaloto, remains as the Filipinos’ favorite comedy show.

It continues to reap recognitions from various award-giving bodies here and abroad.

Recently, Pepito Manaloto was the recipient of a Certificate for Creative Excellence (Comedy Category) at the 2016 US International Film & Video Festival. It also won Best Comedy Program in the recently concluded 38th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA).

Michael V. expressed his appreciation to all the men and women who vigorously work hard to make the show possible every week and to all the viewers who have consistently supported their show.

“We got two prestigious awards in three days and all of you to thank!

That’s how dedicated this group is to bring you the kind of entertainment you deserve! Congratulations sa lahat ng bumubuo ng Pepito Manaloto at maraming salamat sa inyong walang sawang pagsubaybay!” the Kapuso comedy star said.

Kapamilya leading men Albert Martinez, Cesar Montano, Paolo Avelino and Richard Yap

Film in Bicol at QC filmfest

“Pepito Manoloto” lead star Michael V The country’s lone Superstar Nora Aunor is a grieving mother in “Hinulid” a QCinema film entry

HINULID (The Sorrows of Sita) was one of the entries at the 2016 QCinema International Film Festival (QCinema) Circle Competition. It is about a grieving mother who tries to hold on to her religious devotions while struggling to accept the tragic death of her son.

Poet and filmmaker Kristian Cordero, from the Bicol region, teamed up with superstar Nora Aunor, another Bikolano, to flesh out the story of Sita Dimaiwat, a steadfast Roman Catholic who lost her son in an incident in Manila.

Sita, an overseas Filipino worker, travels

back to Bicol carrying her son’s ashes.

In mourning, Sita proves that memory is stronger than justice and that even the most broken life can be restored and healed.

Cordero shares that the movie took off from Carlos Ojeda Aureus’ story, The Night Train Does Not Stop Here Anymore.

“Aureus’ stories have moved me in many, many ways and I would always return to his works of fiction, which I consider a living spring of inspiration. I got so moved by his characters because I felt a certain and acute sense of closeness to them because his stories are all set in Naga,” he explains.

Cordero adds, “His stories revolve around people who are very familiar to me. I see and encounter them. These are

priests, old bachelors, battered wives, and colegialas who, at a certain point in their lives, undergo a crisis of faith.”

He shares that some of the elements used in the movie were drawn from the Aureus fiction, including the Bicol-bound train where Sita rides; the Catholic upbringing; the mother-son parallelism akin to the Mary-Jesus relationship; the lessons in astronomy; and the discussions about evil versus good and why evil happens to good people.

But, Cordero still made the movie by introducing his own story that shows fragments of indigenous mysticism and folk religion.

“My point of intervention in the story can be found in the narratives of the Tolong Hinulid, Tandayag, and La

Muerte.’ In a way, Hinulid (The Sorrows of Sita) is a tribute to Aureus and at the same time, I would like to experiment how our Bikol stories in poetry and in fiction can reach certain points of convergences, arrivals, and departures. Like Aureus, I am also an ex-seminarian,” he says.

Tolong Hinulid refers to the three statues of the dead Jesus Christ that are housed in Gainza, Camarines Sur. According to some reports, these religious icons were discovered individually in a river in Bicol.

In the Bikolano folklore, the “Tandayag” is a monstrous wild boar that was vanquished by the hero, Baltog.

“La Muerte” is a folk saint that personifies death. The powers of this saint are often associated with protection, healing, and the peaceful passage to the afterlife of devotees.

Cordero says that Sita’s role was inspired by the story of Naty Angeles, one of the main characters in the Aureus fiction.

“Like Naty, Sita lost her only son in a very tragic incident. Like Naty, Sita will undergo a crisis, a moment where she has to reckon with her faith and fears,” Cordero says.

In Cordero’s story, Sita has to come to terms that tragedies spare no one and that even the most pious is not exempted from feeling the pain of living in a broken world.

He says, “Sita must come to realize that the death of her son does not exclude her but will unite her with all other forms of tragedy and atrocities. In a way, this is very Marian, as she ponders everything in her heart.”