Manila Standard - 2016 November 14 - Monday

‘New threats emerge’ Narco-terrorism, rebellion call for suspension of habeas writ—Palace

By John Paolo Bencito, Sandy Araneta, Rey E. Requejo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

D

RUG money is now funding the protracted rebellion and new threats in Mindanao, a senior Cabinet official said Sunday, citing intelligence reports.

In an interview, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo used these reports to defend President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, saying this would be an effective measure to curb the spread of criminality.

“In the sense that we’ve been identifying all those involved [in

the illegal drug trade], yes we’re making headway. But… we haven’t stopped it altogether,” Panelo told the ANC news channel.

“There have been intelligence reports that drug money is being used to fund or finance the rebellion in Mindanao, as well as the terrorism by the Abu Sayyaf.

Therefore under the Constitution,

in case of invasion or rebellion, the President… can suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus,” Panelo said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, said that the President raised the possibility of suspending the writ of habeas corpus because of threats monitored in certain parts of Mindanao, but

did not offer any specifics.

“I believe it is due to the continuing lawlessness in central Mindanao and the kidnapping in the high seas in Basilan and Sulu,” Lorenzana told Manila Standard in a text message.

On Friday night, Duterte said he may be forced to suspend the Next page

Trump picking team amid 4th protest day NEW YORK—President-elect Donald Trump huddled with advisers inside his Manhattan residence over the weekend, plotting his next moves as thousands of demonstrators besieged Trump Tower and marched through other US cities in a fourth day of protests.

Trump appeared to be making some headway in forming a new administration.

Campaign manager Kellyanne Conway told reporters his appointment of a White House chief of staff was “imminent” and that Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus was among the candidates for the key post.

Trump has sought to strike a conciliatory tone since his election sent a shockwave around the world, announcing Friday he no longer intended to completely scrap Barack Obama’s signature health care law, Obamacare.

VOL. XXX • NO. 275 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

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PROTESTS SPREAD. Protesters hold signs as they march past The Venetian Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip on Nov. 12, 2016 in Nevada. The election of Trump as president has sparked protests in cities across the United States. AFP

De Lima twits DoJ Espinosa case seen to scare witness away over ‘false evidence’ ByandMacon R. Araneta Rey E. Requejo SENATOR Leila De Lima said Sunday she had no illusions about what she was up against because “Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II can exhaust his powers and tap government resources to manufacture false evidence designed to link me to the illegal drug trade.”

She was reacting to the reports the Justice department would issue a subpoena against her in connection with her alleged involve-

ment in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary.

“You and I know that he does not have a license to abuse his authority to smear my reputation and slander my integrity,” De Lima said.

“I am up against the government’s deliberate efforts to undermine the accomplishments of the Next page

SENATOR Richard Gordon on Sunday warned that the killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa by a police raiding team inside his prison cell in the Baybay City subprovincial jail could scare off other witnesses in the government’s war on illegal drugs.

“We were robbed of justice.

Who’ll testify if he will just get killed? The people will be the los-

ers,” said Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights.

Gordon earlier filed a resolution calling for an investigation into the recent series of deaths of drug suspects during police operations, under police custody and detention, and outside legitimate police duty.

He said his proposed measure intends to make members of the Philippine National Police more accountable and responsible in fulfilling their constitutional duty

to serve and protect the people.

After hearing the testimonies of the police officials involved in the operation, Gordon said he was convinced that Espinosa’s death was a case of extrajudicial killing.

“The police really have a lot to explain,” Gordon added. “First, the procedures were wrong. Second, it looked like the intention wasn’t to arrest but to kill Espinosa.”

Espinosa surrendered to the PNP last August after his name

Du30 maiden budget Ex-MMDA up for scrutiny today head weighs THE Senate begins today the floor debates on President Rodrigo Duterte’s maiden national budget―a P3.3-trillion spending request, with billions in lump sums that the Senate’s minority leader has insisted “can still be itemized.”

Ralph Recto claims there is a “bipartisan consensus” to demand the “unbundling” of many lumpsum allocations “in the interest of transparency, fast implementation and accountability.”

“Itemization,” Recto said, “is the antidote to the underspending” that hounded the previous administration, with one estimate pegging at P1 trillion the amount of appropriations “not spent in time or in full.”

“By knowing where funds will go, who will implement it and the details of what will be implemented, the projects will be delivered on time and the people win,” Recto said.

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Bar exams’ 2nd Sunday turns black

in on traffic

REP. Bayani Fernando on Sunday urged the Metro Manila Development Authority to fix the worsening traffic problem in Metro Manila ahead of the grant of emergency powers to President Rodrigo Duterte to fix the same problem.

Fernando, a former MMDA chairman, said the agency had the mandate to lead traffic management efforts for the entire Next page Metro Manila.

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was included in a list of government officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

At the time, he claimed to know some 30 lawmakers and police commanders involved in illegal drugs. He subsequently left police custody and returned to work, but was arrested on Oct. 5 over illegal drugs and weapons charges.

The Justice department said the National Bureau of Investigation would conduct a fair investigation of Espinosa’s killing. Next page

By Rey E. Requejo

BARRISTERS’ PROTEST. Bar candidates, lawyers, law students, law Professors and paralegals wear ‘BLACK to BLOCK’ the hero’s burial for the former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Other Bar examinees turned out wearing their school colors on the second Sunday of examinations at the UST in Manila. Norman Cruz

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THE second Sunday of the 2016 Bar examinations was marked by a protest by a group of human rights lawyers who objected to the Supreme Court decision allowing the burial of strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

While the National Union of Next page

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

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Nuke plant revival needs thorough study S

ENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday opposed the plan to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the absence of a clear and well-researched national nuclear policy.

Gatchalian, head of the Senate committee on energy, urged the Energy department to first commission a feasibility study on the prospects of using nuclear power in the Philippines before going ahead with the construction or refurbishment of any nuclear plant, including the Bataan plant.

“We cannot jump into nuclear energy on a piecemeal basis,” Gatchalian said.

“This feasibility study on nuclear power will be critical to objectively assessing the merits of adding nuclear power to our energy mix.

“We need to do our homework first before pulling the trigger on the BNPP or any other nuclear project.”

Earlier, Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said scientists, not bureaucrats, must approve

Bar...

Espinosa...

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People’s Lawyers (NUPL) called for a “Black Sunday” protest against the Court’s controversial decision by wearing black shirts, the over 6,000 Bar examinees did not heed the call, and most of them instead opted to wear their respective law school colors.

Nonetheless, the NUPL and other groups like Samahan ng Mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda), Karapatan and Karma proceeded with their “Black to Block” protest action.

The lawyers and activists and victims of Martial Law held up banners saying “Respect and uphold the rule of law,” “Never forget” and “No hero’s burial for the dictator” as the Bar takers and their supporters made their way to the venue at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) in España, Manila.

Police did not allow protesters led by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and former lawmaker Neri Colmenares to stay in front of the UST gate, and they had to go on the other side of España to hold their program. Colmenares was among the petitioners in the Supreme Court case.

Earlier, the NUPL called on the law graduates taking the exams to wear black shirts on Sunday.

The group said law graduates have a duty to use their knowledge and skills to defend justice in spite of “the Supreme Court decision; the lawyers who [like Marcos the dictator] legalize cronyism, corruption, human rights abuses, tyranny, oppression and exploitation by using or abusing the law; the seemingly partisan and abstract court decisions; the twisted laws during the Martial Law era and beyond.”

“Studying the law, taking the Bar, and becoming a lawyer, becomes relevant and meaningful only when it serves justice, takes notice of the judgment of history, confirms self-evident truths, and sides with the oppressed: in short, when the knowledge and skills learned in law school are used to ensure that justice is achieved,” the group said.

The country needs good lawyers, especially now that “the law is being downtrodden and diminished by skewed reinterpretation,” the group added.

The NUPL said their black protest represents not only their grief over the Supreme Court ruling but also their commitment to help change the stance of those favoring the burial for Marcos.

“We wear black today while you take your Bar to mourn and protest the way justice has been diminished again with no compunction. But we also wear black to signify that we will not forget this dark night in our legal history,” they said.

“Our rage is as dark as the night; our memory just as long. We will continue to rage as we mourn.

But we will help change things.

Who knows, we might, with the power of the people scorned, even be able to put sense in the heads of the gods and show their way clear.”

Lastly, the NUPL advised the Bar takers to do well because from their ranks will come new lawyers “who will exorcise the demons in our midst, dead or living. Your people—and Lady Justice—are waiting for you.”

Marcos was a known recordholder in the Bar exams, topping the 1939 bar exam while in jail for the murder of his father’s political rival Julio Nalundasan.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the NBI would pursue all angles in the probe, including the possible murder angle, despite pronouncements by President Rodrigo Duterte siding with the team from PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group involved in the incident.

“That is the personal feeling of the President. But as head of the DoJ, which has the NBI as its attached agency, I think it’s just appropriate for me to order the parallel investigation,” Aguirre said.

He said NBI director Dante Gierran is personally heading the investigation that started last week.

The Justice secretary also wel-

Trump...

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“This will prove to be a great time in the lives of ALL Americans.

We will unite and we will win, win, win!” he tweeted Saturday.

Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, blamed FBI director James Comey for her defeat, telling campaign donors his reopening in late October of a probe into her e-mail “stopped our momentum,” US media reported.

Meanwhile, a swelling crowd of more than 5,000 people marched toward Trump Tower in Manhattan amid cries of “Trump is NOT my president.”

In Los Angeles, as many as 10,000 people turned out for a march in the city’s downtown after a night of protests that ended in several hundred arrests.

Thousands more marched peacefully in Chicago.

Trump Tower has been the epicenter of furious activity as the Trump team fleshes out his cabinet picks and works to fill hundreds of other top government jobs.

“He’s receiving many visitors,” Conway said. “These are exciting times.”

Among those seen entering the

Du30...

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While it was ideal that lump sums “be fleshed out” in the general appropriations bill, “we can settle for a system in which the projects to be funded by a lump sum allocation be listed by agencies immediately after the budget has been enacted.

“This is just for this year because it’s their first budget, and they didn’t have enough time to prepare it because seven weeks after the inaugural last June 30, it was already submitted to Congress. But for 2018, it should be detailed.

“Itemizing the budget, to the extent that can be allowed, makes it FOI-compliant. To make the budget terrific, make it specific.”

De Lima...

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previous administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.”

De Lima said the Duterte administration was singularly motivated to demonize its political opponents instead of confronting the illegal drug menace.

“Sadly, we have a Justice secretary who has a propensity for untruthful and thoughtless statements, for feeding us with lies and deceits, and for resorting to fabrication and forgery,” De Lima said.

“These are what we have seen so far in the last four months since this

the rehabilitation of the Bataan power plant.

“It should be a science-based decision, and not because someone has a light bulb moment and then immediately orders that the plant be switched on,” Recto said.

“If restarting the plant would require another P50 billion, then it is but proper that all financial transactions related to the project must be placed under the glare of a powerful spotlight.”

Gatchalian said any feasibility study should be done by independent international experts in geology, nuclear physics, engineering and other key fields to assess the prospects of nuclear power in the Philip-

pines, with environmental and community safety as the main concern.

In the absence of compelling positive findings from the BNPP study, Gatchalian said, it would be more prudent to invest the $1 billion required to refurbish the plant in the exploration and development of untapped indigenous energy sources.

“One billion dollars is a lot of money,” Gatchalian said.

“We have to make sure that we are investing this substantial sum in cost-efficient energy ventures which are guaranteed to make significant contributions to the long-term stability of our energy supply.” Macon Ramos-Araneta and Alena Mae S. Flores

comed the move of the Supreme Court to look into the circumstances of the issuance of the search warrant by a Basey, Samar court against the mayor who was already in jail.

“There are two schools of thought. One is that Mayor Espinosa was already in a controlled environment so there was no need for such search warrant anymore.

The other one is that the issuance of the warrant in such a case could still be justified—especially in cases wherein some jail authorities are in cahoots with inmates and since the searchers and the jailers are not from the same unit,” he said.

“But I don’t want to speculate, so it’s better to wait for the results of these investigations,” he added.

In its order issued last Friday, the Supreme Court tapped its Of-

fice of the Court Administrator to determine the necessity of issuing a search warrant directed against persons already in custody in a government detention facility.

Before he died, Espinosa had executed an affidavit naming the government officials who allegedly protected their drug trade and benefitted from it.

Aguirre had earlier said he was considering the mayor as a state witness.

Espinosa reportedly implicated Senator Leila de Lima and several congressmen and police officials as among those who received drug money for protecting his son Kerwin’s drug operations.

Because of this, Aguirre said De Lima should inhibit herself from the Senate inquiry on Espinosa’s killing.

tower Saturday were Nigel Farage, whose UK Independence Party backed the Brexit vote that stunned Britons just as Trump’s victory did many Americans. Conway said his meeting with Trump was “very productive.”

“They absolutely had an opportunity to talk about freedom and winning and what this all means for the world,” she said.

Also entering the building was the provocative documentary filmmaker Michael Moore—whose impromptu effort to meet with Trump was blocked by Secret Service agents.

Marion Marechal-Le Pen, a rising star in France’s far-right National Front and niece to its leader, Marine Le Pen, said Saturday she had contacted the Trump team about working with them.

Although Trump’s election has set off alarm bells in many world capitals, it has been warmly welcomed by Europe’s surging farright movements.

Around the world, Trump’s every move is being scrutinized for clues to how the political novice will govern.

His U-turn on Obamacare— which candidate Trump had branded a “disaster”—was prompted by

his White House meeting with the outgoing president a day earlier.

Trump told The Wall Street Journal he may maintain some of the program’s more popular elements, such as a ban on insurance companies denying coverage because of so-called pre-existing health conditions.

This marked one of several moves by Trump and his advisers away from his more sweeping campaign positions.

Asked by ˆ whether he would, as threatened, name a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton over her use of a private email server as secretary of state, Trump deflected, saying his priorities were “health care, jobs, border control, tax reform.”

Not long ago Trump was leading crowds in chants of “Lock her up!”

Trump surrogate Newt Gingrich also cast doubt on whether Trump would make Mexico fund his proposed border wall—another rallying cry.

“He’ll spend a lot of time controlling the border. He may not spend very much time trying to get Mexico to pay for it, but it was a great campaign device,” Gingrich was reported as saying by The Washington Post.

Recto cited the case of the proposed P135- billion capital outlays budget of the Department of Education “which should be specified in order to avoid the massive delays in school building construction in the past three years.”

He said the exact location “of where the 47,492 new classrooms will be built, the 20,385 rooms to be repaired and the 17,652 vocational buildings to be constructed next year should be listed.”

The same “elaboration,” he said, must be applied to the P5.4-billion farm-to-market budget of the Department of Agriculture, “which is not only a pittance but is P2 billion less than the budget for this year.”

If the National Irrigation Administration says it will bring water to 29,181 hectares of new farmlands,

then the budget must say where, Recto said.

He said the towns covered by the P3.7-billion proposed budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for “forest rehabilitation” must be identified in advance.

Another big-ticket item bereft of details was the “mega P34.6-billion Local Government Support Fund or LGSF. “This supposedly displaced the Bottom Up Budgeting which has P19 billion this year. Now it has been super-sized. At least the BUB was detailed. In the case of the LGSF, though there are broad rules, the grant, to a large extent, is still discretionary.”

There were more items that could be “bettered if accompanied with details,” Recto said.

administration assumed office.”

The more they spoke, De Lima said, the more their lies were exposed.

Since Day One, she said, the Duterte administration had not provided solid evidence to substantiate their accusations other than spewing out malicious conjectures and manufactured lies. “All they are good at is to talk and lambaste me in public,” De Lima said.

“But more people are now seeing through this administration’s real motive, and that is to keep me from talking about their continued disregard to human rights and dignity in the war against drugs.”

Earlier, De Lima said she was no longer surprised when the Duterte

administration filed trumped-up charges against her.

She said the filing of charges was fast becoming a bad habit of the current administration like their propensity for manufacturing lies.

She said they just would not quit until they had destroyed her.

She said even the testimonial and documentary evidence presented during the House hearing on which the NBI had based its charges had shown nothing but lies and fairy tales linking her to the drug trade.

“At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I repeat that I stand by my innocence because I only speak the truth,” De Lima said.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Tsunami warning up after 7.4 quake WELLINGTON, New Zealand— New Zealand issued a tsunami warning for southern coastal areas Monday, following a powerful 7.4 earthquake near the South Island city of Christchurch around midnight.

“A tsunami is possible,” the national civil defense organization, which is in charge of New Zealand’s emergency management, said in a bulletin.

“The first wave activity may not be the most significant,” it said, adding tsumanmi activity would continue for several hours.

However, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a warning following the quake and there were no immediate reports of casualties.

“Based on all available data a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected,” reported the center.

The New Zealand government’s GeoNet website said the quake was “felt widely” throughout the country and warned citizens to watch out for aftershocks.

Tamsin Edensor, a mother of two in Christchurch, said the shaking lasted a “long” time.

“We were asleep and woken to the house shaking, it kept going and going and felt like it was going to build up,” she told AFP. She said there was no sign of damage on her street and the power was still on, adding that she was worried about towns and villages closer to the epicenter.

“We’re getting aftershocks at the moment. We’re going to stock up on water supplies just in case.”

In September, a strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of New Zealand, generating a small tsunami, but no significant damage or injuries were reported.

In February 2011, a 6.3 earthquake left 185 people dead in the South Island city of Christhurch.

New Zealand is on the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, which form part of the so-called “Ring of Fire,” and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year. AFP

‘New...

well of the efforts of the PNP to curb criminality,” Lacson said over radio dzBB Sunday.

While the President has the power to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, Lacson said he was certain the move would be questioned before the Supreme Court.

At the same time, Lacson said the killing by the Abu Sayyaf of a German woman and abduction of her companion from their yacht last week was “an isolated case.”

“The military says it is winning against the Abu Sayyaf. If they make that the reason for suspending the writ of habeas corpus, it’s like saying the military is losing to the Abu Sayyaf,” he added in Filipino.

Lacson said although suspension of the writ can only run 60 days at most, “a lot of things can already happen within that span of time.”

Numerous warrants of arrest could suddenly be issued as a result, he added.

But Lacson said he has learned not to take Duterte’s statements literally and said his declaration could have been a form of “psy war” against the criminals.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II played down reports that Duterte might suspend the writ of habeas corpus, saying it was probably hyperbole to scare drug traffickers.

“That is the nature of the President. He is fond of hyperbole but he really doesn’t intend to do those [warnings]. Maybe he was just thinking out loud when he said that he will go as far as suspending the writ of habeas corpus if the drug syndicates won’t stop,” Aguirre said in a phone interview.

The Justice secretary said the President, being a lawyer, is aware of the legal requisites for suspending the writ of habeas corpus, which protects the rights of citizens against unlawful or arbitrary detention by the government.

“The President is aware that he cannot just declare such suspension of the writ of habeas corpus just because of state of lawlessness. There has to be either actual rebellion or invasion of the country,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre said the President knew about this limitation in the aftermath of the deadly bombing in Davao City last September that left 15 killed and dozens injured.

“You cannot say that there was rebellion at that time. There was also no invasion in Mindanao at that time,” he said.

Duterte critic Senator Leila de Lima agreed with Lacson that the President should stop toying with the idea of suspending the writ of habeas corpus, saying it was a desperate attempt to legitimize his administration’s “flawed” war on illegal drugs.

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writ of habeas corpus if lawlessness in Mindanao continues.

The writ of habeas corpus grants a person the right to question in court any instance of unlawful detention.

The President, under the 1987 Constitution, may suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus only in cases of invasion or rebellion and when public safety requires it.

The country is still under a state of lawless violence, after the deadly Davao night market bombing in September that claimed 15 lives and injured more than 60 others.

Panelo admitted that the country’s slow judicial system is one of the reasons the President is considering suspending the writ of habeas corpus.

“If you have 10,000 people involved in the drug menace, you have to file cases against them and you need to secure warrants of arrest as well as search warrants. Now, you have a problem there, it will take you an eternity,” Panelo said.

The Palace official said that Duterte might not proceed with his plan is if lawless elements “would surrender to the authorities.”

He also said suspending the writ of habeas corpus proved effective in curbing criminality during the Marcos regime.

“During Marcos’ time, the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus was suspended and it was effective during that time to fight the communist rebellion and other criminal elements.”

Panelo added that Duterte was considering suspending the writ if “there is no other available remedy,” adding that he was unlikely to declare Martial Law. But Senator Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said the Supreme Court would surely shoot down the idea because the Duterte administration would be contradicting itself.

“It doesn’t speak well of the PNP’s war against illegal drugs and criminality,” said Lacson in response to a question about the possible suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

Such a move, he said, would mean the police are losing the war against illegal drugs and criminality amid their declaration that crime went down 49 percent.

“Because the police said, and we believe them since they showed us the statistics, that the index crimes dropped by more than 40 percent.

But now they’re talking about the need to suspend the writ of habeas corpus due to a state of lawlessness.

That’s a big blow. It doesn’t speak

Ex-MMDA...

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“There is a need for emergency powers, but in our haste to conceptualize solutions to the traffic crisis we forget that there are already systems in place. All we have to do is to maximize its potential,” Fernando said.

He made his statement even as an official said the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group will be deployed starting Monday in some parts of Commonwealth Avenue, C-5 Road and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway.

PNP-HPG Spokeswoman Elizabeth Velasquez said the deployment will be made following the announcement that the MMDA’s

traffic enforcers will be the ones to take care of the traffic problem along the stretch of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue.

Fernando said the traffic situation in Metro Manila had reached crisis proportions.

He said the emergency powers to be given Duterte would be too broad and too complex and could take too much time to implement, while it was now urgent to solve the traffic problem. ”The emergency powers bill also proposes an approach that would reorganize the existing government agencies and instrumentalities responsible for traffic management, and build from the ground a cohesive organization to again consume more time and resources,” Fernando said. Rio N. Araja, with PNA

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

A3

Du30’s Peru trip confirmed—Palace P ties that were arranged by the Apec and Peru,” Andanar said.

But, Andanar clarified that the President’s travel plans may still change if more important matters would come up before the Apec Summit, that would require Duterte to attend to.

“It can change tomorrow. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Maybe there could be other activities that could just spring up and activities that are more important than activities in Peru,” he said.

Last Friday, Duterte said he was thinking about skipping the Apec summit because he hates long-haul flights.

By Sandy Araneta

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has changed his mind, opting to attend the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Peru next week. On Friday, he was considering opting out of the trip that would pave the way for another meeting with leaders of three superpowers after the Asean meeting in China.

“For now, it [his Peru trip] is confirmed,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Martin Andanar told the staterun radio station dzRB. Duterte’s trip will include

meetings with leaders of countries who will be attending the summit.

“It’s all about meeting the different leaders of the world. And, also being present in the activi-

Duterte will also have a twohour stopover in New Zealand to take a rest, according to Andanar.

As of Sunday, Duterte has not disclosed any plans in New Zealand.

“We don’t know if there will be an activity with the Filipino community or with other officials of government of New Zealand and it remains to be seen,” Andanar said.

The Apec summit will be held in Lima, Peru from November 19 to 20.

Duterte said last Friday he was considering skipping the Apec Summit in Peru next week because he hates long-haul flights.

It would be Duterte’s first time

to attend the annual meeting of Pacific Rim leaders, which also include US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“If my presence is dispensable, I’d rather not kasi malayo [It’s far]... I hate long-hauls,” Duterte said.

Duterte said Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., was convincing him to push through with the trip to Lima.

The estimated travel time from Manila to Lima is about 19 and a half hours for direct flights. It could take longer should the president’s plane make stopovers.

Duterte said he could fly to Peru via New Zealand, while another route would require a stop in either New York or Miami in the US. “It’s a long way across the globe. It’s a long-haul, it will kill you by the time you reach [Peru],” he said.

Duterte in Apec would bring him in close quarters with Obama, whom he had repeatedly criticized over the US government’s censure of his bloody war on drugs.

The President has been as vocal about his desire to strengthen ties with China and Russia as he moves to lessen the Philippines’ dependence on its long-time ally, the US.

Duterte, Aguirre top NBI guest list PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will be the guest of honor and speaker in today’s celebration of the National Bureau of Investigation’s 80th Founding Anniversary.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II will also join the celebration and introduced the President during the program to be held at the NBI gym beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Other invited guests include officials from other agencies under the Department of Justice, law enforcement agencies and representatives from a number of embassies of foreign governments.

The anniversary activities on Monday begins with a Thanksgiving Mass at the NBI Chapel at 8:00 a.m., after which there will be a Wreath Laying at the Wall of Honor at 9:30 a.m. that was established in memory of the heroism of NBI Agents and Special Investigators who have died in the line of duty.

The anniversary program that begins at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon will be the highlight of the celebration where Duterte will deliver his Anniversary message.

Sandy Araneta

ON MEDIA KILLINGS. While the Freedom of Information Executive Order arms Philippine media workers with the capability to investigate corruption and abuse, President Rodrigo Duterte’s Administrative Order No. 1 creating the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) protects them against intimidation and violence. PTFoMS Executive Director Usec. Joel Sy Egco (3rd from left) formally hands over the inventory of cases involving media killings to Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra who represented the President while PTFoMS and PCO officials look on.

Manila hospital gets new hi-tech machine MANILA Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada has acquired a state-ofthe-art CT scan machine for the city-run Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center.

Estrada led the blessing and inauguration of the new P36-million, 16-slice Somatom CT scan machine, the latest addition to the long list of brand new medical equipment he has purchased to upgrade the six public hospitals of the city.

“Nowhere in Metro Manila

can you see sophisticated medical equipment in a public hospital like we have here. And Manileños can use this for free,” Estrada said.

Estrada said he understands the predicament of poor patients when availing expensive but needed medical tests and procedures such as CT scan.

“How much is the CT scan in private hospitals? The cheapest is around P5,000, and this is too much for most of the poor families here in

Manila,” he pointed out.

Dr. Roy Vizcarra, head of the Radiology Department of GABMMC, said the new 16-slice CT scan machine will replace the old two-slice machine they have been using for years.

GABMMC is a 150-200 bed capacity district hospital in Delpan Street, Tondo. Constructed in 1998, it provides high quality specialized health services and was recently renovated and re-

ANTI-CRIME PROGRAM. Philippine Constitution Association president

Martin Romualdez (center) receives a plaque of appreciation from Bernard Ranger Corella (right) president and founding chairman of Guardians Philippines International Inc. and Army Col. Danilo Ayap for supporting the anti-crime programs of the Guardian Brotherhood. The event was the 21st anniversary and 8th National Convention of Guardians held at Lyceum of Alabang in Muntinlupa City. Ver Noveno

equipped by the city government.

“Normally a CT scan procedure is about P10,000 to P12,000… but we give it to our patients for free, whatever the cost, they don’t pay anything,” Vizcarra said.

The 16-slice CT scan machine, according to Vizcarra, is more accurate and faster in producing 3D images, enabling doctors to detect a patient’s illness at an early stage and with more clarity.

The machine can detect diseas-

es such as aneurysm, appendicitis, liver tumor, lung, liver, and pancreatic cancers; kidney stones and tuberculosis and other infections, among others, and can also be used in “staging” almost all types of cancers.

The CT scan machine can also do virtual colonoscopy (VC), a medical imaging procedure used to diagnose colon and bowel disease, including polyps, diverticulosis and cancer, he added. Sandy Araneta

High court clears disbarred lawyer THE Supreme Court has reinstated a lawyer in the Roll of Attorneys and allowed him to continue his legal practice after he showed remorse for more than a decade after being disbarred for violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility.

In a resolution promulgated on Oct. 18, 2016, the Court en banc however gave lawyer Mosib Ali Bubong a stern warning that a repetition of the same or similar act will be dealt with more severely.

Bubong, then the Register of Deeds of Marawi, was disbarred in 2005 for violating Rule 6.02 of the CPR when he took advantage of his position as Register of Deeds and employed his knowledge of the rules governing land registration for the benefit of his relatives.

The Court agreed with the recommendation of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to reinstate Bubong, stressing that “[p]enalties, such as disbarment, are imposed not to punish but to correct offenders,” adding that “[t]he goal

of disciplinary proceedings is restoration and not retribution.”

The Court found that Bubong had established by clear and convincing evidence that he is worthy to be reinstated as a member of the Bar. It held that sufficient time had elapsed from the imposition of the penalty to ensure a period of reformation, adding that Bubong’s claim of remorse and reformation was supported by various certifications, letters, and resolutions attesting to his good moral character and his fitness to be reinstated as a member of the Bar. The Court noted that during his disbarment, Bubong has committed himself to public service in his community as he continued to be active in his IBP Chapter by providing financial assistance to the bereaved family of its deceased members. It also noted that he is the corporate secretary of a non-stock, non-government organization which manages and operates a non-formal Arabic school in his community. PNA

10-year passport, driver’s license price buster, says solon

By Rio N. Araja THE extension of the validity period of passports and driver’s licenses should not make them more expensive, Camarines Sur Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. said on Sunday.

Andaya, a deputy speaker and

author of the bills prescribing a 10-year passport and a five-year license to drive, said “lengthening the legal life of such important documents should not spark an increase in their processing fees.”

“Longer expiry dates do not mean that we should up price,”

he said.

He cited “cost recovery, not the profit motive,” as the “established basic principle” in setting the fees and charges.

“The idea is just for the government to recoup all the expenses in processing the permit,

which may include the cost of equipment procured to ensure fast delivery,” he said.

“These are basic documents citizens must have and as such must be affordable.”

The renewal of a non-professional driver’s license costs P526,

while the fee for the renewal of a passport is P1,200 for at least seven working days of processing time and P950 for one to be released in 15 working days.

According to Andaya, the income statements of the Land Transportation Office and De-

partment of Foreign Affairs showed a rising revenue stream, mostly generated from the issuance of driver’s licenses and passports, respectively.

Under House Bill 2827, he said by lengthening the validity period of the passports, red tape is cut.

A4

Opinion

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

The nuclear option

E

NERGY Secretary Alfonso Cusi last week announced that President Rodrigo Duterte had given him the go-signal to look into the feasibility of powering up the 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, which had been mothballed over safety concerns during the late 1980s.

The plant, which has never been operated, has cost taxpayers some $2.3 billion, and about P50 million a year to maintain.

As the government’s top official on energy concerns, Cusi has made no bones about his support for commissioning the BNPP and for pursuing nuclear energy as a source of power.

In making the announcement, Cusi seemed to contradict the

Adelle Chua, Editor

President’s recent statement that he did not want to pursue nuclear power during his term.

“He did not change his mind. I explained to him what the country needs,” Cusi said of the President.

“I gave him assurance that we will not do it recklessly…We are going to follow the strict measures of the [International Atomic Energy Agency],” Cusi said.

The President’s ambivalence

seems to be emblematic of how divisive the issue of nuclear power continues to be.

On the one side, there is a strong, pro-nuclear lobby led by the likes of former Pangasinan Rep. Mark Cojuangco, who argue rather convincingly that nuclear energy is cheap, safe, and more environmentally sound than other sources such as coal.

On the other hand, there is great public concern over the safety of nuclear power, in the wake of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima.

There is also a strong antinuclear lobby from the left that argues that commissioning the BNPP would be unsafe, expensive and unwise.

Outside of a few studies, little has been done to erase the public perception that thousands of defects had been found in the BNPP, or that it was built near an active fault line,

making it vulnerable to earthquake damage.

Little, too, has been done to adequately address the problem of radioactive waste, and how this can be stored in an environmentally sound manner that protects nearby communities from accidents—or even terrorist attacks.

Moreover, politics has made it almost impossible to assess the pros and cons objectively. Built during the Marcos years, the BNPP was mothballed by President Corazon Aquino, who took power in 1986 following the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos. The Chernobyl disaster in Russia just a few months later sealed the BNPP’s fate—and the overpriced power plant was held up as an example of corruption during the Marcos years.

Interest in the BNPP revived in 2007, however, when the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute asked the

IAEA for help in a feasibility study on rehabilitating the plant.

The National Power Corp., which owns the plant, tapped the Korean Electric Power Co. to assess the viability of using the aging plant to generate electricity.

The study concluded that it would take $1 billion spread over four years to restore the BNPP, and that 80 percent of the plant and equipment needed overhauling, while the rest had to be replaced.

Since then, it has been a back and forth between those who support opening the plant and those who oppose it.

The one thing that both sides seem to agree upon is the need for an independent, science-based review of the BNPP, one that is removed from politics and vested interests.

Senate minority leader Ralph Recto is correct when he says that any decision to open the plant

should be based on an unassailable study whose conclusion is that the moribund plant can be safely resurrected beyond a reasonable doubt.

“It should be a science-based decision, and not because someone has a light bulb moment and then immediately orders that the plant be switched on,” Recto said.

In this regard, the IAEA recommendations from 2008 might be instructive. The technical evaluation, the IAEA team said, must be done by a group of nuclear power experts. The reported Korean seller of the equipment should never be allowed to certify its own product.

Lastly, the government should encourage experts to openly share their views on the issue. There should be no blackout on informed discussion.

That certainly sounds like a good starting point.

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

What’s in it for us?

PENSEES

ly of their foliage. Many posted pictures of the city looking like it were fall in the temperate climes of the world—rather than a town that sizzles in the summer in the torrid zone of our globe. But the greenery is back. Nature gives us second chances, in fact very much more than second chances. And in our lives together, we inevitably hurt each other, our good will and best intentions notwithstanding. We hurt people we love, and there is no doubt that we love them, but no doubt either that the wounds we inflict are real. If we were to hold back on mercy, relations would never be mended and then we would never really rise from our falls. In fact, it is rightly said that one of the cruelest things one can do another is to deny the other the chance to redeem himself. It is mercy really that allows us to “move on!”

Turn to A5

Turn to A5

The Jubilee Year draws to a close

FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO IT WAS in an African church that Pope Francis opened the First Holy Door, after he had proclaimed an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy. That was an eloquent gesture: not in Rome (although Holy Doors of course were opened there too, especially in the Patriarchal Basilicas) that is the usual setting for Papal liturgy and ritual, but in Africa where mercy has to be a reality—and urgently, as in other places of the world. Soon, bishops followed suit and there were many Jubilee Doors opened in the Philippines too. But really, apart from that, what did we do in the Philippines to mark the Jubilee Year? Of course, there were many acts of mercy and compassion. Outstanding among them in the wake of Super Typhoon “Lawin” was the “Be a Hero-Donate a Yero” project of the Cathedral Parish led

by Fr. Gerard Ariston Perez. It called on the capable to donate

WITH Donald Trump as the incoming President of the United States, there is one simple question Filipinos should be asking: What’s in it for us?

My friend in Manila sent me a text message last Wednesday saying, “Tito Lito, you were right, Trump na ito!” At the time, it was clear that all Trump needed was to inch out Hillary in two states and the battle was won. Towards noon our time, it was all over.

America and most of the world were suddenly discombobulated. Western media, CNN particularly, was in shock, in a state of denial. The New York Times, Nate Silver, the Huffington Post, the pollsters were proven wrong—they didn’t see it coming.

To be sure, my friend who complimented me about being right on Trump didn’t know that there were moments I myself doubted Clinton could lose. Three weeks before, in the aftermath of the video clip where Donald was caught bragging about how he fondled women, I thought it was over for the Manhattan billionaire.

This was America where women could get really offended by such sexist remarks.

Even Speaker Paul Ryan had begun to distance himself from his party’s nominee.

But like the bouncing ball, Trump got over it, and when Hillary’s e-mail problems were resuscitated by the FBI, it evened the outcome once more.

Remember the Duterte campaign? How we all fretted when that Australian rape joke happened? Victory was already within grasp, in fact, quite imminent as far as we figured when in a moment of extreme candor in the wee hours of the morning, candidate Duterte recalled the story of the hostage victim when he was a young mayor.

Everyone and his mother jumped in for the “kill” on our candidate, and we were admittedly nervous. So we took a Metro Manila dipstick the week after the remarks were made public. It was just three weeks before Election Day, and the poll numbers dipped by

GI sheets, and the needy, rendered homeless by the record cataclysm, received ten GI sheets each with enough umbrella and ordinary nails. Equally merciful were other NGOs and volunteer organizations, the likes of Red Cross, ABS-CBN Foundation and many others who speedily came to our succor, we, wounded and prostrate Cagayanos. Meralco and other electric cooperatives sent equipment and men to restore electricity quickly—and they did, to the great and everlasting gratitude of the people.

I did my part, by leading the Coro de San Jacinto, the choir I have directed for the past eleven years, in a round of dioceses and parishes for a choral celebration of the Year of Mercy. But really, this extraordinary event passed rather uneventfully throughout the country, and that is truly a pity!

The icon of the Jubilee Year had one eye shared by Father and

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The seriousness of the menace does not make mercy a dispensable nicety.

Son. Not only did it convey the message that Jesus is the Face of the Father’s Mercy, the very incarnation of His Love. He sees with the very same merciful eye as does the Father. And that particular message should speak eloquently to us in the Philippines in our troubled times. The government is rightly vexed about the proliferation of drugs and the

BenjaminPhilip PhilipG.G.Romualdez Romualdez Benjamin FormerChief ChiefJustice JusticeReynato ReynatoS.S.Puno Puno Former AnitaF.F.Grefal Grefal Anita BaldwinR.R.Felipe Felipe Baldwin EdgarM. M.Valmorida Valmorida Edgar

shocking revelations made that the national penitentiary was hardly a place of penitence as it was a den of profiteers furthering criminal activity justly enrage us all. This is no time for half-measures. But being deadset on enforcing the law cannot mean increasing the number of the dead! One death deliberately brought about is already too much. There is no way that the Church can be faithful to its prophetic mission and acquiesce to the ruthlessness with which suspects are tracked down and extirpated. It is not merciful. It is not human.

The seriousness of the menace does not make mercy a dispensable nicety. Mercy is never something we can do without, not even put on hold.

Mercy is the character of the universe by which we are given fresh chances. The trees all over Tuguegarao and neighboring towns were stripped entire-

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EmilP.P.Jurado Jurado Chairman ChairmanEmeritus, Emeritus,Editorial EditorialBoard Board Emil

Opinion EVERYMAN

By Kevin Timothy San Agustin A FEW days ago, 14 brave souls, in a 9-5 vote, decided that there was no legal impediment for former World War 2 veteran, Former National Defense Secretary and Former President Ferdinand Marcos to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

No date has been set for the date and time of the burial, though there are reports that the Marcos family is already coordinating with the authorities in charge of Libingan to fix the details.

In the wake of this decision, reactions have been strong and quite plentiful.

Whether for or against, the people are passionate about this issue. While the intention (at least ostensibly) was to heal, I don’t think anyone would son forgive or forget.

So who’s to blame?

A family who would want its patriarch to be remembered as a hero? A president who campaigned on this issue and promised that he would push for said burial?

The Legislature and former presidents who wrote the laws the administrative regulations that allowed the same? The (in)famous former President? The 14 men and women in black who were dutybound to rue upon the issue before them?

Or, we, the sovereign Filipino people?

Let’s examine the role of the institutions involved here.

The Legislative branch makes the laws, the Executive implements them, and the Judiciary resolves issues and controversies before it.

In 1948, President Elpidio Quirino signed “An Act Providing for the Construction of a National Pantheon for Presidents of the Philippines, National Heroes, and Patriots of the Country.” In 1954, the Pantheon not yet existing was renamed Libingan ng mga Bayani. In 1967, President Marcos reserved 142 hectares of land within Fort Bonifacio, the current site of the Libingan. In 1986, Edsa happened, former President Aquino rose to power.

In 1993, then-President Corazon Aquino, with then AFP Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos, issued Armed Forces regulation G 161-373.

In September 1989, Marcos, while on his deathbed, wanted to go home to the Philippines. This was not allowed by then-President Corazon Aquino. The Supreme Court upheld this with a vote of 8-7. The Honorable Supreme Court said: “This case is unique. It should not create a precedent, for the case of a dictator forced out of office and into exile after causing twenty years of political, economic and social havoc in the country and who within the short space of three years seeks to

What’s...

From A4 only two points. Even that uncalled-for remark from US Ambassador Philip Goldberg didn’t harm our candidate mortally.

But in the Duterte campaign, the numbers were not as close. He had trumped Grace, and Binay was sinking.

Mar was gaining on account of Poe’s woes, but there was very little time left for him to catch up on Duterte’s speeding train. We had the momentum, the wind beneath our wings, and the competition was just waddling.

In Trump versus Clinton, it was a cliffhanger down the wire. And yet if one believed the pollsters and the rather unfathomable way the American electoral system worked, it seemed like there was no way Trump could get the 270 magic electoral vote number. But deep inside, I knew there was something in the American psyche that the pollsters couldn’t adequately plumb.

Like in the Philippines, there was a pent-up frustration at a system that did not seem to work.

Obama promised change, but after eight years, the change wasn’t as palpable as people thought it would be. Plus ca change, plus ca reste la meme chose.

Just as in the Philippines, the poor and the lower middle class, whose numbers were legion, have waited patiently for decades since Edsa Uno for always-promised reforms that never materialized, never uplifted them from their daily misery. What’s in it for us,

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Checks and balances return, is in a class by itself.”

In 1992, then-President Fidel V. Ramos entered into an agreement with the family of former President Marcos that his remains could be brought home to the Philippines, provided that the remains be flown straight to Ilocos. He would be given military honors befitting a major in our Armed Forces, but he would not be allowed to be paraded in Manila, and that the burial would be done in Ilocos, not in the Libingan.

Something all lawyers and law students know very well: for every rule, there is always an exception. Worse, sometimes the rule and/or the exceptions are struck down, usually for violating the equalprotection clause. More on this a bit later.

The Supreme Court said he had the qualifications and none of the disqualifications. So where are these qualifications and disqualifications found? Where should they be found? Answers: In the law(s) and regulations providing for the Libingan.

So should former President Marcos be disqualified? A lot of Filipinos definitely think not. The rules say he’s entitled, but so many people feel against it.

It would be a bit too late if this issue would have changed your mind on whom to vote for president. What is not too late is acting through our representatives in both Houses of Congress—an entire branch of government. If there’s something wrong with laws, it is our representatives’ job to fix them.

But what if the representatives agree, wouldn’t this go back to the President for his approval or veto? Two words: Veto override. It requires two thirds of the members of each house, but if people feel that strongly about it, and their representatives represent their constituents, then it is an available remedy.

And if the representatives refuse to listen—two magic numbers—10 and 3 (and majority). (Twelve and 3 if Constitution, but since it’s just a law, 10 and 3). Ten percent of all registered voters with at least 3 percent of every legislative district can petition an initiative to amend the law (an exception can be added). This will then be submitted for a referendum where a majority vote would be required.

These options of course take time, money and resources. So what now?

The big I. While the president has a lot of latitude in the exercise of his or her power to execute the laws, this power is not absolute.

In fact, by mere “betrayal of public trust,” a president can be removed from office.

One final legal point—equal protecthey asked, and the answer was nada. Duterte did well in Davao, and his message of change seemed real, if raw.

In America, the numbers of the disenchanted weren’t as many, but they were enough to make Trump sneak a win against the lady who mouthed the same platitudes, the same promises Obama said eight years before that mesmerized the electorate to vote for its first African-American president.

I haven’t stepped foot on the US of A for the last ten years, but keeping in touch through the internet, just as many Filipinos do, I sensed that just as a belittled Duterte would sweep the race here, a Trump would well…trump the establishment candidate.

Now we, and the rest of the world can just sit and wait…vamos a ver. Let us see how Trump will perform.

President Duterte seems to be hitting the right notes in what he is doing, and saying, never mind the discomfiture of many. He offended Obama, he sashayed into the anxious embrace of Xi Jinping, he wowed Abe. Did he know deep inside that Donald would make it?

Why, he even named my friend Joey Antonio special envoy to Washington. And our local real estate developer had used the Trump name to brand some of his high-end towers.

Of course Duterte also named another friend, Babes Romualdez as special envoy when they were in Tokyo. Babes had a hotline to the US Embassy, which bet heavily on a continuation of the Obama era into another first in US political history, a woman

The Jubilee...

From A4

The mercy that the Jubilee Year celebrated is the mercy that the world will always need, without which it is truly lost. In our country that means, above all, recognizing that the very concept of “expendable human life” or “unsalvageable human material” is abhorrent

tion. As mentioned earlier, one of the most fundamental rights of any person, not just here in the Philippines, is that the law should treat all persons equally, absent any substantial classification that is germane to the purpose of law.

So what is the point of discussing all this legal gobbledygook?

Most, if not all key points made here, are supported by the Constitution. Yes, it is long, difficult to understand, and practically impossible to memorize in its entirety. Nonetheless, it is something that every Filipino should have read and understood.

Second, we must remember we each have a role to play. The branches of government, the constitutional bodies, the bill of rights, are all well and good, but those institutions alone don’t mean anything without the very citizens in the country. This means a few things: Making your stand known to your representatives (barangay all the way up to the president), and voting wisely. Speaking your mind, being vigilant of your rights, but at the same time protecting and respecting the rights of others.

We can also make sure that our representatives are in line with us, and if they are not, we can make sure that they know we will do what we can to make them accountable. Simply: continue to show up and participate. Decisions are made by those who show up.

Third, the nature of a democracy will always lead to disagreement and discontent. I am honestly shocked at how some people bash certain entities for, well, doing their job and/or doing exactly what they promised. This of course is part and parcel of any democracy, that there be free exchange of ideas. But point is that there will always be disappointment and we will not always get our way. It is my belief that it is what happens in these situations that would define us.

In 1987, we the sovereign Filipino people authored the 1987 Constitution. We ensured that no person or office is supreme, and that there is always a check and balance. Everyone is accountable not just to other co-equal branches and to other constitutional bodies, but to we, the people.

In this day and age, voting alone is nowhere near enough. However, equally important as our active participation is understanding the system and the direction of that participation.

So what’s the next move?

Kevin Timothy T. San Agustin has been studying law for the past 11 years. president.

In a sense, the wily Duterte bet on both American horses.

There are many who feel a Trump win will bring back a protectionist America, that business process outsourcing would soon end, leaving many BPO workers unemployed. And that he would soon send back our immigrants to the land of milk and honey.

Calm yourselves. The business sense that made the guy a billionaire several times over will prevail. And that business sense will tell him to go slow on campaign promises that did not make real sense. For as long as Filipinos speak better English than their counterparts in Bangalore and for as long as we do not demand highly uncompetitive wages, those BPO companies will remain here. The trick is in always being “competitive.”

As for the illegal immigrants, the TNT in America…well, that Trump can, and will do, that is, expel them. There will be a lot of teeth gnashing, but what’s illegal is illegal. There would likely be a tightening of immigrant entry, so the long wait of relatives of green card holders might be longer.

As for US-RP-PROC relationships in the South China sea, the businessman would likely prevail. That should keep Xi Jinping smiling. Trump will look at the bottom line in the “pivot to Asia,” and check the costbenefit ratios.

Yes, as the song goes, “what is the whole world coming to?”

It has changed. It is changing.

and detestable. Not only the doctrine, taught Pope Francis, but also the praxis of Jesus is where his Gospel is to be found. In his person then, in other words, and he was nothing but acceptance of the outcast, solidarity with the downtrodden, and taking his place with those executed outside the city walls—outside the parameters of decency, respectability and honor! There can be no end to this mercy. The

A5

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OUT OF THE BOX RITA LINDA V. JIMENO

Discrimination against women WE SHOULD have known. Despite the pre-election surveys putting Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump, white Americans’ discrimination against women is still alive and well. What is ironic is that it was not just the white American males who rejected Clinton. Despite allegations of sexual assault and low regard for women by Trump, as exposed by 12 different women who came forward during his campaign, election results showed that 53 per cent of white female Americans chose Trump over Clinton. It was only the women of color who voted for Hillary Clinton overwhelmingly, with 94 per cent of black women and 68 per cent of Latino women backing her.

We should have seen that America is not ready for a woman president because the handwriting on the wall spoke unequivocally. An international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women or CEDAW, was ratified by no less than 189 states. Yet, the United States—although presenting itself as a world leader and a protector of human rights—did not ratify the treaty. Apart from the US, only Iran, Somalia, Palau, Sudan and Tonga did not ratify the international convention which focused on non-discrimination and sex stereotyping of women. The treaty also outlined women’s rights in the public and political sphere, among It is uncertain others, and rewhen America quired member would ever state-parties to enshrine genbe ready for der equality into a woman their domestic legislation. president.

While the United States professes its adherence to human rights and equality of human beings, in reality, its citizens still generally hold—consciously or subconsciously—that a woman’s place is only at home.

While the state of discrimination against women around the world is somehow improving with the number of women leaders doubling since 2005, still, women in power is hardly the norm (Wikipedia). In terms of wages, too, women are generally paid less for the same work performed by men. Sixty-three of 142 nations studied by the World Economic Forum have had a female head of government at some point in 50 years up to 2014. And yet, in nearly two thirds of those nations, a woman was in power for less than four of the 50 years up to 2014.

Countries like Switzerland which has had five female presidents and the Philippines which has had two are the exception rather than the rule. In the United States of America, women are less likely to work in politics. They make up a small number of the total elected officials, accounting for less than a quarter of congressional seats making up about 18 percent only of the seats. There are only 20 female senators out of the 100 total and only five female governors across all 50 states. In the US, when a woman runs for political office, she faces discriminatory questioning that detract from her political viewpoints. Very often, her mothering style, her role as a wife, and wardrobe become focal points by the media.

With a greater number of American women supporting now president-elect Trump, the theory that discrimination against women is something that many people have grown accustomed to has proven itself a reality. And this is what makes America’s situation extremely lamentable because, as one study said, accepting and forgiving discrimination—even in small amounts—will lead to continued discrimination throughout future generations. It is uncertain when America would ever be ready for a woman president.

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

ceremonial doors may close, but Jesus left the Church to keep the doors of mercy open till the end of the time. That is what it means for the Church to be “the sacrament of the encounter with God.” When the Church then prophetically voices the cry of those who are gunned down and those whose deaths are applauded because the decent consider them low-life forms undeserving of

mercy, begrudge not the Church, for she is fulfilling her vocation: to be, for the world, the continuing sign of that unfathomable mercy that, if it is not to be vacuous, must necessarily point to the Eternal! rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@sanbeda.edu.ph rannie_aquino@outlook.com

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

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BFAR 2-month fishing ban hit

By Sandy Araneta

THE municipal chapter of the group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas in Lemery, Batangas on Sunday lamented a two-month fishing ban in Balayan Bay, saying it would affect thousands of fisherfolk from seven municipalities situated along the bay.

The ban will take effect on November 19.

“Yearly, we are devastated by this closed season for the two months of not being able to fish is equivalent to two months of not able to eat,” said Rico Mortel, spokesperson of Pamalakaya’s Samahan ng Mangingisda sa Baybayin ng Lemery.

“It is so ironic that this is the season of giving, but we are deprived of our basic economic right which is our right to livelihood and to have at least simple feast with our family on Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” Mortel added.

The two-month closed

season in Balayan Bay is imposed every year since 2014 to rehabilitate depleting marine resources due to overfishing.

Mortel said every time the fish ban is imposed, affected fisherfolk are not offered any alternative livelihood by the government while commercial fishing fleets with high-tech fishing gears are still allowed to operate.

“BFAR’s closed season campaign is an open declaration of war against our small fisherfolk while providing tenderness to the big commercials ones. Under the guise of rehabilitation and conservation of marine resources, BFAR unconditionally prevents municipal fisherfolk from fishing in their traditional fishing grounds while turning a blind eye into large commercial fishing fleets’ irreverent entry into the declared fishing ban in the municipal waters,” Pamalakaya chairman Fernando Hicap said.

LARGER THAN LIFE. Giant statues are the latest attraction at the Venice Piazza in Taguig City. Manny Palmero

Solons want free medicines for poor, elderly, disabled

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE House of Representatives’ committee on health has approved a substitute bill seeking to establish a free basic medicine assistance program to address the health needs of those belonging to marginalized sectors, such as the poor, malnourished, elderly, women, “Based on the health agenda of our administration, it is very important that the Department of Health should focus on pro-

viding the most basic needs of our constituencies,” said Quezon Rep. Angelina Tan, one of the bill’s authors and chairperson of

the health panel.

“People who have less in life will soon have more in medicines,” she added.

The bill provides that the Free Basic Medicine Assistance Program or the “Libreng Gamot Program” shall be administered by the DoH through government district hospitals, local health units and barangay health centers in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The Libreng Gamot Program

shall be restricted to qualified poor recipients as certified by barangay and DSWD officials.

“It is quite disheartening to note that in our country, the poor can hardly afford the exorbitant costs of medicines,” said Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrellita Suansing.

“We are mandated to protect the interest of our respective constituents and ensure that government support trickles down to all the communities throughout the country to benefit our

countrymen,” she added.

Health Assistant Secretary Francia Laxamana said the department has already proposed an additional P500-million budget for its rural health units that will be sourced from earnings of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

“We developed certain criteria for patients who are really poor and they will get 100-percent subsistence from our department in terms of medicine allocations,” she said. With PNA

DoH sends teams to aid former drug users

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

SMOOTH SAILING. Families enjoy leisurely boat rides at the Quezon City Memorial Circle aon sunday. Manny Palmero

Congress: Prepare for Xmas aviation congestion THE House committee on transportation has asked air transport agencies to ensure their plans and programs are now in place to alleviate traffic congestion during the Christmas season.

Committee chairman Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento said air transport agencies should be ready with the anticipated influx of balikbayans as well as local and foreign tourists this Yuletide season.

“Do you have enough Civil Aeronautics Board officers to man the complaint desks? Are you capable of demanding the compliance of

airline companies with the Air Passengers Bill of Rights? With the forthcoming Christmas rush, we should address the land traffic crisis without neglecting our aviation and maritime sectors,” said Sarmiento.

Sarmiento tasked the Manila International Airport Authority, Department of Transportation, CAB, Metro Manila Development Authority and other agencies to provide their operational and contingency plans.

“We want to know the aviation programs and projects these agen-

cies are implementing or soon to implement to give the people the kind of service that they deserve.

We have had enough of being ranked the worst airport in the world. We do not want another fiasco like what happened in the past,” Sarmiento said.

“We also ask the airline companies for their word of honor—their commitment that the Air Passenger’s Rights are respected,” he added.

MIAA assistant general manager for operations Octavio Lina presented the agency’s contingency

plan called “Oplan Pasko 2016.”

Lina said there will be interagency coordination to avoid a repeat of the December 2014 chaos at Naia Terminal 3.

He said a special booth to be manned by their operations group will be placed in Terminals 2,3 and 4 to address traffic and security concerns, among others.

MIAA will also compel its personnel to work double time during the Christmas season and succeeding days after the New Year because of the influx of travelers. PNA

THE Department of Health has deployed Special Medical Action Response Teams (S.M.A.R.T.) to Mimaropa (Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) to provide support in the ongoing assessment of drug surrenderers.

Regional Director Eduardo Janairo said the teams will be collaborating with the Philippine National Police, health workers and local government officials to help in the screening process of former drug users.

“During the screening/assessment process, a drug surrenderee will undergo a brief initial drug screening and when indicated that drug use is the main concern for intervention, a more detailed drug use assessment will be prepared and applied,” Janario said.

PNP records showed that as of November 13, a total of 19,570 drug pushers and drug users have surrendered to local authorities in Mimaropa.

Of the surrenderers, 154 have been screened in Palawan; 121 in Marinduque; 79 in Oriental Mindoro; and 11 in Occidental Mindoro.

The response team is composed of 35 members, including medical doctors, nurses, psychologists and IT (information technology) staff who will provide support in the screening process.

Estrada: P24m for disaster mitigation MAYOR Joseph Estrada has released another P24.05 million in funds to help high-risk barangays boost their disaster mitigation measures amid concerns over the susceptibility of many barangays in Manila to strong typhoons following the onslaught of typhoons Karen and Lawin.

Estrada said the amount represents the supplemental budget for this year of an initial batch of 38 barangays.

The budget can be used for drainage declogging operations and training of rescue volunteers.

“At times like these, the barangays need more support from the city government. They are the first responders when disasters and calamities strike.

I hope they’ll use it well,” Estrada said.

He also urged barangay officials to regularly update their respective Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan.

A recent study conducted by the University of the Philippines-School of Urban and Regional Planning showed that 620 barangays in Tondo, Sta. Cruz, Malate, Sampaloc, Paco, Quiapo, Binondo, Pandacan, Intramuros, Ermita, Port Area near Pasig River and its tributaries are high-risk areas for flooding.

PH-Spain OKs 3rd Madrid Fusión

By Sandy Araneta FILIPINOS are in for another gastronomic treat as Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo and ICEX España president Jaime García-Legaz signed a memorandum of understanding to stage the third edition of Madrid Fusión Manila.

The agreement is a continuation of the only Asian edition of Madrid Fusión in the Philippine capital next year.

Running from April 6 to 8 2017, the event will carry the theme “Towards a Sustainable Gastronomic Planet.”

“We would like to make the Philippines a focal point of gastronomic interest worldwide. This third edition of Madrid Fusión Manila will feature the traditional gastronomy congress and a trade expo, as well as the month-long Flavors of the Philippines Festival across the Philippines,” Teo said.

Sports

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Olympic body lends a hand THE Philippine Olympic Committee–Gawad Kalinga San Agustin Activity Center was turned over to the Gawad Kalinga community in the town of Palo, Leyte during a colorful and enthusiastic ceremony by the POC represented by International Olympic Committee Representative Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski last Oct. 17.

This is the first of four planned activity centers that will be put up in locations badly affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

The other locations that will receive activity centers are Albuera, Alangalang, and Tanauan, Leyte.

The POC partnered with GK because the latter already had projects and activities, and personnel in the area and likewise because the POC endeavors to support community driven projects with no interference with government. The NGO also provided the engineering and construction expertise to build the center. The facilities will be managed and operated

by GK. A happy Project Engineer Edito Mulig of the GK Engi-

‘Murray, Djokovic tough to catch’ LONDON (AFP)--Stan Wawrinka admits Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic have set such high standards that he doesn’t even think about moving above them in the world rankings.

Murray ended Djokovic’s 122-week reign as world number one last weekend and the Scot is determined to outshine the Serb at the ATP Tour Finals next week to ensure he finishes 2016 in pole position.

As the world number three, Wawrinka is the closest rival to the sport’s big two and he arrives at London’s O2 Arena on a high after being crowned US Open champion in September.

But, despite winning a Grand Slam title in each of the last three years, the 31-yearold Swiss star’s points tally of 5,115 is more than doubled by Murray’s 11,185 and Djokovic’s 10,780.

The remarkable consistency of the Murray and Djokovic makes Wawrinka believe is it almost impossible for him to ever become number one.

“I’ve been winning Grand Slams but I’m still really far from number one so that’s why I don’t think about that,” Wawrinka told reporters in London.

“Andy and Novak have more than double the points and are so consistent getting to the final of every event.

“I’m really happy where I am right now. Three Grand Slams in three years was something I never expected.”

Wawrinka was quick to pay tribute to Murray for his surge to the top in the second half of 2016 and he believes the Wimbledon champion is good enough to hold onto the prized place in the long term.

“It’s amazing what’s hes doing right now with his consistency and how he keeps winning,” Wawrinka said.

“He deserves completely to

neering group said: “We are happy we have turned over one center and we look forward to undertaking the three other centers.”

A total of $450,000 was donated by IOC, Olympic Solidarity, and the Olympic Council of Asia to build these centers.

The generous gesture was their response to respond to and ease the plight of victims of the typhoon stricken areas.

These multi-purpose facilities can host sporting events like basketball, volleyball, futsal, badminton, and sepak takraw and can also accommodate social and civic events, as well as, serve as a relief/distribution center during calamities.

POC Chairman, Tomas Carrasco Jr. and POC Executive Assistant Gina Calaguas were also present during the said event.

Sports equipment such as badminton racquets, volleyballs, and basketballs were also donated to the community to initiate sports activity.

The ceremony was well attended by the town folk as they eagerly await the chance to use the centers.

DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors shoots the ball during a game against the New York Knicks‘ Joakim Noah at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. AFP

Raptors hold off Knicks L

OS ANGELES—DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points and added seven rebounds and four assists as the Raptors defeated the New York Knicks 118-107 in a back-andforth battle in Toronto on Saturday.

With less than 30 seconds left DeRozan made a three-point play on a layup and a free throw to lift the hosts to a seven-point lead in a game that had seen 27 lead changes and 20 ties.

Norman Powell scored 19 points and Kyle Lowry added 16 for the Raptors, who have won two straight.

Carmelo Anthony led New York with 31 points while Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 21 apiece.

Joakim Noah added four points and 18 rebounds for the Knicks, who were trying to bounce back from a 28-point defeat on Friday in Boston -- where six technical fouls handed out to New York players included two to Anthony that saw him ejected from the game.

“There’s going to be nights you get bad calls and you’ve just got to go on fighting and play-

ing, battle through it,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said of the testy affair in Boston.

“Maybe we let it get to us too much (Friday) night. We brought it up. But not making it a prolonged thing, just mentioning, ‘Hey, we’ve got to keep our heads and not worry about it and get through there.’”

Anthony started as if he wanted to put the memory of Friday out of his mind, scoring 10 points in the first quarter as New York took a 28-24 lead.

He scored the Knicks’ last seven points of the opening half, draining a long jump shot at the halftime buzzer to put them up 56-53.

Two free throws from DeRozan with 6:08 remaining in the third tied the game at 72-72 and the Raptors were up 87-85 after three.

It was the eighth time in nine games this season DeRozan scored at least 30 points.

“He’s playing at an all-star level,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “Converting, getting bumped, getting hit, still finishing the play.”

DeRozan said he’s just trying to hone his skills.

“I always try to find ways I can be better mentally, physically and skill-wise,” DeRozan said. “I always try to find something in the off-season and during the season as well.”

The Knicks scored the first four points of the fourth frame, but Toronto regained a twopoint lead on a pair of three-pointers by Patrick Patterson.

Porzingis hit a three-point shot to cut the lead to one point with 6:29 left to play as the game stayed tight until the Raptors pulled away in the last minute.

“We had a chance, that’s what you want on the road,” Hornacek said. “We just didn’t get the stops and we fouled too much... we’ve just got to get better defensively.” AFP PCSO 44th PRESIDENTIAL GOLD CUP RACE. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Vice Chairman and General Manager Alexander F. Balutan (fourth from left) links arms with the racing officials after signing the Memorandum of Agreement to hold a special race in honor of the country’s President. PCSO and the Philippine Racing Commission will sponsor the staging of the PCSO 44th Presidential Gold Cup Race on Dec. 4, 2016 at the San Lazaro Leisure and Business Park, Carmona, Cavite. Also in photo are (from left) Andrew Rovie Buencamino, Philracom Executive Director, Philracom Chairman Andrew Sanchez, Manila Jockey Club, Inc. Chairman and CEO Alfonso Reyno, PCSO’s Assistant General Manager for Gaming Sector Conrado C. Zabella and MJCI Racing Manager Jose Ramon Magboo. The MOA was signed at the Marco Polo Hotel in Pasig City recently.(JOSEPH MUEGO)

Del Rosario stays ahead in Melaka PAULINE del Rosario turned from awesome to awful but still hung on to a one-stroke lead over teammate Mikha Fortuna despite a three-over 75 in the second round of the Melaka Amateur Open at the A’Famosa Golf and Country Club in Malaysia late Saturday.

Solid with a seven-under 65 in the opening round, del Rosario blew an even-par game after 12 holes with a bogey and double-

bogey on Nos. 14 and 15 then flubbed a couple of birdie putts and ended up with a 39 and 75.

Still, her 140 aggregate kept Del Rosario on top at 140, but just one ahead of fellow The Country Club mainstay Fortuna, who missed forcing a tie with a bogey mishap on the 18th.

Fortuna, a finalist in the Women’s Western Golf Association National Open last June who shot a 69 Friday, hit four birdies

against three bogeys in a rollercoaster round after 11 holes then settled down with pars but failed to go up-and-down on the closing hole.

But her 141 total virtually guaranteed a 1-2 finish by the Filipina bets with local ace Natasha Oon dropping six shots off del Rosario, a Queen Sirikit Cup veteran and former Thailand Ladies Amateur Open winner, after 146 after a 73.

Bernice Olivarez Ilas, another TCC bet who had a pro victory under her belt, also pooled a 146 after a 74 for a thee-way tie at third with Qistina Balqis, who stumbled with a 76 in tough conditions.

Sofia Chabon failed to recover from a 74 start with a 78, falling way behind at 152 with Malaysian Warda Amira Rawof at 147 after a 75 while Kayla Nocum had a 76 for a 159.

Battle on in youngest ever world chess championship NEW YORK—Reigning world chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Russian grandmaster Sergei Karyakin went head to head on Friday in the first game of a battle to determine the world’s top player.

Carlsen -- who has held the title since 2014 -- made the opening move as the first of 12 games got under way in New York.

After 42 moves, the game ended in a draw, with the opponents to meet again on Saturday.

The world championship battle is billed

as the youngest ever in terms of the players’ cumulative ages: Carlsen is 25 and Karyakin is 26.

It is also the first between players who came of age in the computer era, representing a generational shift in the game.

In another first, the world championship will be broadcast from its trendy Manhattan venue using virtual reality, organizers said.

The two players will split the $1.1-million (one million euros) prize, with the winner getting three-fifths of the purse and the

loser taking home the rest.

The two players know each other well: They occasionally chat on Skype, although they kept contact to a minimum in the runup to the game.

Carlsen is the bookmakers’ favorite but Karyakin—who practices at least six hours a day—is seen as having every chance of causing an upset.

The tournament has prompted comparisons with the iconic 1972 showdown between American Bobby Fischer and the Soviet Union’s Boris Spassky, two rivals

in the Cold War-era whose showdown was dubbed the “Match of the Century.”

This match comes as Moscow and Washington’s relations have plunged to their lowest point since the Cold War due to disagreements on Syria and Ukraine.

The Russian president of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), Kirsan Ilyumzhinov is unable to attend the championship after being denied a visa, possibly because he has been on a US Treasury blacklist since 2015 over financial ties to the Syrian government. AFP

Old guns take over Marawi leg of netfest CAGAYAN de Oro’s Aubrey Calma led the charge of the old guns at the recent Marawi City leg of the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Championship Series, the country’s longest-running grassroots’ tennis developmental program by the private sector.

Calma copped both the 16-under and 18-under titles, beating separate opponents in the tournament backed by Dunlop as official ball.

She swept another CDO bet, Casey Padilla, 6-4, 6-4 for the girls’ 16-under crown and followed it up with a systematic 6-1, 6-3 beating of again a CDO entry, Gennifer Lysandra Pagente.

Zamboanga del Norte’s Sydney Ezra Enriquez continued her domination of the girls’ 14-under in the region as she edged out Iligan City bet Rovie Baulete, 6-2, 13-11.

In the boys’ side, it was Jose Ma. Pague’s turn to win the 18-under as the Zamboanga Sibugay player had an easy 6-1, 6-1 victory over CDO’s Jonelle Christian Lavore.

Cebu City’s multi-titled Marc Nicole Suson prevented a sweep for Pague by beating the latter, 6-4, 5-7, 10-8 in a thrilling finals in the 16-under category.

Another familiar name, Pagadian City’s Nilo Ledesma won the boys’ 14-under title with a 6-0, 6-2 beating of Stephen Zion Guia from Dipolog, while Brent Sigmond Cortes, who used to dominate the 10-below group, added the 12-under crown to his collection after defeating another familiar name, Oroquieta City pride Nash Agustines.

LOTTO RESULTS

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

PH overall dragon boat kings

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

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—The Philippine dragon boat team added two more gold medals Sunday to paddle its way to the overall title of the 2016 Asian Dragon Boat Championships here.

The Filipinos capped the successful campaign with victories in the 20-seater men’s 200 meters and 10-seater men’s 200m races that hiked their collection to five gold medals. ``Our goal was to win three gold medals and we were really surprised to get more,’’ said headcoach Len Escollante.

They finished the small boat men’s 200m in 46.808 seconds to subdue Japan (48.681) and Indonesia (48.903).

The Pinoy paddlers clocked 46.93 seconds in the standard men’s 200m to beat Chinese Taipei (49.93) in the finals before an ecstatic home crowd at the Baywalk area here.

Earlier, the Philippines prevailed in the standard boat men’s 500m, small boat junior mixed 500m and small boat women’s 500m, which came as the biggest surprise for the team in the two-day continental races. ``We didn’t expect them to win because we knew that Thailand and Indonesia are stronger. It was the first time our women’s squad paddled as a team,’’ said Philippine Canoe Kayak Federation president Jonne Go.

Sports CELEBRATION. Conor McGregor of Ireland celebrates his KO victory over Eddie Alvarez of the United States in their lightweight championship bout during the UFC 205 event at Madison Square ¿Garden in New York City. AFP

Falcons in contention for no. 2 seed T

HE Adamson Soaring Falcons, led by Pappi Sarr with 22 points and 15 rebounds, continued their push for their best finish in many seasons, trouncing the National University Bulldogs, 77-53, Sunday night at the Araneta Coliseum.

Games Wednesday (MOA Arena) 2 p.m. UE vs FEU 4 p.m. Adamson vs Ateneo Their fourth straight win handed the Soaring Falcons their eighth triumph in 13 outings, putting them in a share of third with the defending champion Far Eastern University and in contention for the no. 2 seeding in the 79th University Athletic Association of the

Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

“We needed this win. We’re aiming to get a shot at the twice-to-beat advantage. We just have to beat Ateneo,” said Soaring Falcons coach Franz Pumaren.

The Blue Eagles, who beat the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers, 74-64, are in second at 9-4, and they could lose the no. 2 seeding in the Final Four if they get beaten by the Falcons on Wednesday.

The Soaring Falcons, who limited

NU to six points in the second period for a 35-19 halftime edge, will force complications with their win over Ateneo.

Meanwhile, the University of the East Red Warriors wanted to end the season with a respectable finish.

They made a big effort to do so as the Red Warriors outplayed the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 80-67.

Four Warriors, led by Philip Manalang, scored in double digits and

powered the Red Warriors to their third win in 13 matches.

The Fighting Maroons, who tried to give a fitting sendoff to three graduating players, Jett Manuel, Dave Moralde and Henry Asilum, ended their season with a 5-9 card, their best finish since 2005 when they had a 6-8 slate.

Manalang tallied a game-high 14 points and six rebounds, while Emil Palma also added 14. Edson Batiller and Alvin Pasaol scored 11 for the Red Warriors.

Ph Azkals Lady Warriors shoot for 2nd Shakey’s V-League title confident of scoring

By Peter Atencio THERE will be many chances for the Philippine Azkals national men’s football to score in the coming Asean Football Federation-Suzuki Cup 2016, which is set to start this weekend at the Philippine Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Coach Thomas Dooley gained a variety of choices with the addition of Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran in the mix.

The 5’9” Fil-Iranian will be among the team’s strikers this strikers this time around.

And for Bahadoran, this is a dream come true.

“I wanted to play striker for a long time. It’s the coach’s decision,” said the 29-year-old Bahadoran during Saturday’s AFF-Suzuki Cup Trophy Tour at the SM City-North Edsa in Quezon City.

He will be among the guys who Dooley will call to lead the Azkals’s offense, along with FilGerman Mike Ott, Javier Patino and Stephan Schrock.

“Together, we can make some chances for the team,” added Bahadoran.

The Azkals will have their opening match at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Suzuki Philippines’ GM for Automobile Shuzo Hoshikura said he is positive about the Azkals’ chances this year, considering that they are the no. 1-ranked team in the region.

“We are lucky to have to an opportunity to support this tournament, considering that the Philippine market is important for football,” said Hoshikura.

The Singaporeans are coached

by V. Sundramoorthy, who expressed their side will recover from their slump ahead of the encounter with the Azkals.

The Lions who are to meet Cambodia in their final friendly last night, took a 0-2 loss to Syria on Wednesday night.

dling the last stumbling block leading to a grand maiden Shakey’s VLeague season tonight.

American Breanna Mackie and skipper Michele Gumabao unleashed a pair of 13-hit games it was the Lady Warriors’ rock-solid blocking that anchored their surprisingly easy 25-22, 25-18, 25-18 romp over the Transformers in the opener of their best-of-three series

Games today 4 p.m. – BaliPure vs UST (for third) 6 p.m. – Pocari vs Customs (for crown)

UNLESS Customs comes up with an antidote to Pocari Sweat’s solid blocking, the Lady Warriors could well be on their way to hur-

for the Season 13 Reinforced Conference crown late Saturday.

Siemens Dadang and another American Kay Kacsits accounted for eight of their team’s 15 blocks that virtually silenced the fancied Alyssa Valdez, who was held to just 12 points, and the rest of the Transformers.

“Our strength is really in blocking. We know it’s our ticket to the

championship,” said Pocari coach Rommel Abella. “Our floor defense will only react on how our blocking will go. Good thing, both worked in Game One.” Unbeaten since dropping a fivesetter to the Air Force Jet Spikers last Oct. 5, the Lady Warriors will be gunning not only for their 10th straight win the season-ending conference of the league spon-

Makati Mavericks on a winning streak THE Makati Mavericks continued to display their strength in rugby with their recent wins and participation in various tournaments abroad and locally.

The Mavericks’ Ryan Santos, also the captain of the Philippine Volcanoes Under 18s, competed against Sri Lanka, UAE, Singapore, and Taipei during the Asia Rugby Under 18s Sevens Tournament in Taipei.

On the local front, the Mavericks also landed a spot in the semifinals and went head to head with the Cebu Dragons for the Plate Division Title during the Fat Boy 10s’ rugby tournament at the Challenger Field in Clark Air Base, Angeles City, Pampanga.

The Mavericks’ lineup of players include Lito Ramirez, a winger and full-back for the Volcanoes, who successfully joined the national team from the Philippine Rugby Football Union grassroots program.

“It ended up with the Mavericks facing the Cebu Dragons, and we are more than delighted,” said

Alex Aronson, Mavericks Senior Men’s Team coach. “I am happy and very proud that we keep on improving and becoming better.”

Aronson stressed that the Mavericks managed to prevail by relying closely on the opponents’ physical abilities and resistance.

“Strategies change depending on the team. Since some of our rivals were heavier, we tried to spread the ball wide and make them run around. We tried to take advantage of the age and the weight. On other teams, we tried to play defense and make sure we stand defense,” Aronson explained.

Fatigue and stress are among the many struggles every rugby player faces, and the Mavericks has learned to work around these limitations. “What we do tell the boys is to just stay focused. If they need to rehydrate and rest in between games, it is totally fine as we need all the energy we can get. We also do highintensity quick warm-ups and just make sure we are ready when we enter the field,” said Aronson.

Makati Mavericks’ Lito Ramirez (center) evades the opponent in his attempt to score a touchdown at the Rugby Tournament of FB 10s at Clark Challenger Field in Pampanga.

Centro Escolar tries to firm up bid for no. 1 seed Games Today (Olivarez Sports Center) 12 noon – CEU vs Diliman 2 p.m. – UB vs Olivarez CENTRO Escolar University tries to firm up its bid for the No. 1 seed in the semis when it goes for a repeat over Diliman College today in the Universities and Colleges Basketball League at the Olivarez Sports Center in Paranaque City.

The CEO Scorpions easily defeated the

Blue Dragons, 75-59, in the first round, but coach Yong Garcia is taking the game like a do-or-die match knowing their rivals have what it takes to pull off an upset when they tangle at 12 noon.

“This is not the best time to play a relax game, we have to play as hard as we can to sustain our streak,” said Garcia.

CEU took the first semis berth in the seven-team tournament with a runaway 98-57 win over University of Batangas last Thursday.

The win – the team’s 8th straight in as

many outings – put the Scorpions in a good position to clinch the top seeding.

CEU’s breezy win over UB gave its second unit the confidence it needed as Lorenz Guinitaran grabbed the limelight after scoring a team-high 20 points, while Nigerian slotman Ebuka Umeanozie added eight points and four rebounds.

Expected to lead CEU are Rod Ebondo, Jason Opiso and Samboy de Leon.

Clashing at 2 p.m. are UB and Olivarez College with the latter out to nail its sixth win to boost its semis bid.

sored by Shakey’s but also for the championship.

Gametime is at 6 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig with Pocari Sweat all primed up for a follow-up to its victory in the Open Conference on its very first campaign in the country’s premier women’s volley league backed by Mikasa as official ball and Accel as official outfitter.

Lagrisola bags U-18 net crown TOP seed Marie Claire Lagrisola of Laguna defeated second seed Roni Isobelle Ortaliz of Caloocan City, 5-7, 6-0 (11-9) yesterday in the girls’ 18-under final of the B-Meg Junior Tennis Cup at the TLH Wellness Center in Valenzuela City.

It was the eighth 18-under title for the 15-year-old Lagrisola, a grade 9 student at the Canossa School in Sta. Rosa. She was a gold medalist in the Batang Pinoy competitions in Bacolod City (2014) and Naga City (2015), and a member of Region 4-A team that won the silver in the 2011 Palarong Pambansa.

In the boys’ 14-under category, third seed RJ Salangsang beat top seed Rainier Angelo Selmar, 7-5, 4-6 (11-9) to advance in the final of this Philta-sanctioned tournament co-sponsored by Babolat Philippines (Techno Sports, Inc.).

Salangsang will be up against fourth seed Aldwyn Rosales of Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo High School, who eliminated second seed Jibril Perpetua, 6-3, 6-3.

Aldwyn’s younger sister, Alysa marched into the girls’ 12-under final after posting a 6-4, 6-0 victory over Angelyn Atos. Alysa will face top seed Edreach dela Torre, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Sarah Sedillo.

In the unisex 10-under , top seed Joshua Diva scored a 4-0, 4-1 victory over Jeo Tampoco to arrange a titular showdown with JR Salangsang, a 4-2, 4-1 winner over Hadassa Pascua.

HK insurer eyes PH company B3

IN BRIEF PAL to acquire 10 small aircraft PHILIPPINE Airlines said it plans to acquire 10 small aircraft for its domestic expansion next year.

“We have signed a memorandum of understanding for five and options for another five.

We are now finalizing the purchase agreement,” PAL president Jaime Bautista told reporters.

Bautista said the company expected to receive the aircraft by middle of 2017. He said the aircraft would be used in small cities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“This will replace our existing Q-400 aircraft,” he said.

PAL earlier signed a deal with Airbus to acquire six A350-900 jets worth $1.8 billion, with an option to buy six others to support its longhaul operations.

PAL plans to deploy the A350 XWB (extra wide body), which seats more than 300, on new routes to North America and Europe. The first A350 is scheduled to be delivered in 2018.

Its parent firm, PAL Holdings Inc., posted a comprehensive net income of P4.62 billion in January to June, up from P5.94 billion in the same period last year. Darwin G. Amojelar

Korean firm to build PH deck plate facility A KOREAN manufacturer of pre-fabricated deck plates for the construction industry plans to establish a manufacturing facility in the Philippines.

Duckshin Housing Co. Ltd. president and chief executive Myung-Hwan Kim arrived in the country Sunday to look for a manufacturing site, according to public relations manager Jan-Yoong Koo. “Nobody in the Philippines is manufacturing this kind of deck plates. We have not exported yet but with cooperation from our distributor, we will start exportation as soon as possible until we have set up our own facility here,” Koo said during the 27th Philippine International Construction and Exhibition in Pasay City.

Koo said the 10-percent compounded annual growth posted by the Philippine construction industry in the last five years captured the attention of the Korean deck plate manufacturer.

“Experts expect that the [Philippine] construction market will [post] record high growth due to the lack of residential and commercial spaces,” Koo said.

Duckshin is the biggest manufacturer of deck plates in Korea with market share of 30 percent.

It has production plants in Cheonan and Gunsan.

Othel V. Campos

Coal plants seen as white elephants

FIRST Gen Corp. chairman and chief executive Federico Lopez asked the government to veer away from more coal plants to avoid “white elephant” projects, as climate change will likely force the development of more renewable energy projects.

“So whether it’s from the standpoint of our country having affordable and reliable power, CO2 [carbon dioxide] emissions, community health, ambient environment pollution, and fast-ramping grid flexibility, no matter how we slice and dice it, new coal-fired plants are not necessary to fire up the potential of a growing and dynamic economy such as ours,” Lopez said at the inauguration of the 414 -megawatt San Gabriel and 97 MW Avion power plants which run on natural gas.

“If we can get more power industry players and policy makers to shift course and embrace the change that’s coming, it will be wiser for the country and for them,” Lopez said.

Lopez said that it would be critical for the country to look ahead and anticipate the trajectory of technology and other forces ultimately steering us toward a “decarbonized world.”

Alena Mae S. Flores

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

B1

Okada Manila hiring 8,000

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

KADA Manila, the gaming resort built by Japanese billionaire Kazuo Okada, is hiring 8,000 Filipinos with the completion and opening of the $2.4-billion facility in December.

O

Okada Manila said it would become the largest integrated resort in the country with features touted to be among the best in Asia and the the world.

The project, Okada’s biggest investment, is expected to contribute heavily both in generating local jobs and in attracting tourism revenues, Okada Manila said.

It said the first phase of its operation would employ 8,000 people, including corporate profession-

als, resort managers and personnel.

“This is not to mention local jobs have already been created to build the first phase of the iconic integrated resort,” Okada Manila said.

Once completed, Okada Manila will be a sprawling 21.55-hectare development that includes two hotels, a dancing water fountain similar to the Fountains of Bellagio in Las Vegas, Asia’s first beach club/nightclub that can accommodate up to 4,500 people and other luxurious amenities such as high-end food and beverage outlets, retail outlets, spa and function areas.

Okada Manila said that at the height of the construction, up to 19,000 construction workers were employed. There were still 2,400 regular employees working on the site this month, it said.

Okada Manila said that with its unique and world-class features, the project would have the potential to help increase tourism revenues in the country.

Okada Manila’s direct competitors in Entertainment City in Parañaque brought in significant earnings in the first half of 2016 alone.

Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which runs Solaire Resort and Casino, posted a core income of P174 million, while Melco Crown Philippines, which built City of Dreams, reported net operating revenues of over P10 billion.

After Okada Manila, the Westside City Resorts World will open in the Entertainment City in 2020, sustaining the foreign direct investment inflow towards the tail-end of the Duterte presidency.

Okada Manila chief operating officer Takahiro Usui earlier said the project was expected to be fully operational by the end of 2016.

The Y-shaped hotel and casino is being considered as the venue for the Miss Universe pageant in 2017.

The three-level complex would feature a fountain spanning an area equivalent to 50 Olympicsized swimming pools.

Nomura cuts growth forecast

By Julito G. Rada GLOBAL financial company Nomura reduced the 2017 growth forecast for the Philippines to 6.1 percent from the previous estimate of 6.3 percent, as the country may be adversely affected by the economic policies of newly-elected US President Donald Trump.

Nomura said in a report over the weekend the Philippines was one of the most highly exposed economies to the US, as its exports to the US represented 15.3 percent of total shippments last year, the highest ratio among Asian countries.

“In addition, if US immigration policies are tightened and outsourcing activities are reduced during Trump’s drive to bring jobs back, this could hurt both the Philippines’ current account surplus and domestic demand via lower overseas worker remittances and lower FX revenues/employment from the BPO sector, which mostly cater to US corporates,” Nomura said.

“On balance, we would put the growth impact at around -0.2pp [percentage point] versus our base case 2017 growth forecast of 6.3 percent,” it said.

Nomura said despite the lower growth projection for next year, the Philippines was expected to continue outperforming other economies in Asia.

The 6.1-percent growth estimate for the Philippines next year is still higher than 6 percent for China, 5.4 percent for Indonesia, 3.6 percent for Malaysia, 0.6 percent for Singapore, 1.5 percent for Korea, 0.8 percent for Taiwan, 2.9 percent for Thailand and 2.2 percent for Australia.

Only India was seen to grow faster than the Philippines at 7.6 percent in 2017.

NEW FIRST GEN PLANTS. First Gen Corp., a Lopez Group company, holds the inaugural ceremonies for the 414-megawatt San Gabriel combined-cycle and 97-MW Avion open cycle natural gas-fired power plants in Santa Rita, Batangas. The two new plants run on natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel that produces 70 percent lower emissions than coal when burned. Shown during the inauguration are (from left) First Gen chairman and chief executive Federico Lopez, Senate energy committee chairman Sherwin Gatchalian, Lopez Group chairman emeritus Oscar Lopez, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, former denator Sergio Osmena III and First Gen president and chief operating officer Francis Giles Puno.

PSBANK LAUNCHES AN ONLINE QUEUING SYSTEM No more forms to fill. No more long lines.

Quickly queue in-branch or even in advance via PC or mobile.

Japan firm keeps debt rating of PH

By Gabrielle H. Binaday JAPAN-based debt watcher Rating and Investment Information Inc. (R&I) on Friday affirmed the Philippines’ investment grade rating of ‘BBB’ as the country continues to show sound macroeconomic fundamentals.

R&I also assigned the ‘BBB’ rating with a ‘stable’ outlook, given the likelihood that factors supporting the rating would be more or less firm over the medium term under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“The Philippines’ economy remains solid.

Risks are limited in terms of external and fiscal positions, and the financial system continues to be stable. Per capita income also keeps improving,” R&I said in a statement.

R&I said the Philippines had ample foreign exchange reserves and improving government debt ratio.

Gross international reserves, at $86.1 billion as of end-September 2016, was enough to cover 10 months worth of imports and services, providing sufficient buffer against external shocks, it said.

The country’s GIR was higher than its external debt, which declined to $77.7 billion as of end-June, equivalent to 26.2 percent of gross domestic product.

General government debt as a percentage of GDP fell to 35.4 percent as of endJune 2016 from 36.3 percent as of endDecember 2015.

The government said the rising private consumption and investments would support the Philippines’ official growth targets of 6 percent to 7 percent this year and 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent in 2017. GDP growth averaged 6.9 percent in the first half of 2016, the highest among major Asean economies.

Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) has rolled out the PSBank Queue Anywhere—an automated lobby management system that will further ease branch transactions for PSBank customers.

With PSBank Queue Anywhere, customers will no longer have to fill out forms in performing their transactions.

On top of this, they can already queue their transaction wherever they are through the PSBank website using PC or mobile. Upon arriving at the branch, they should go to the PSBank Queue Anywhere kiosk to ìCheck-inî and have the queue system recognize their arrival.

However, for branches without a Queue Anywhere kiosk, clients should proceed directly to the Priority Lane and present their Queue number to process their transaction without having to fill any forms. Your queue number is only valid on the day when you generated it.

All PSBankís 255 branches nationwide can process Queue transactions. PSBank Queue Anywhere kiosks have been installed in 90 branches,

of which 55 are in Metro Manila and the rest are in key provincial cities.

How to queue your transactions in-branch or in advance using PC or mobile.

1. Visit www.psbank.com.ph and click on the Queue Anywhere icon at the lower part of the web page.

2. Choose the transaction you wish to perform.

3. Select your desired PSBank branch.

4. Save your queue number via email or as an image in your device.

5. Check-in using the Queue Anywhere kiosk at your desired branch.

6. Wait for your queue number to flash on the branchís LED screen.

PSBank has been introducing innovations to enhance the overall branch and online banking experience of its customers. The PSBank Queue Anywhere will complement the fastpaced lifestyle of the Bankís clients who rely heavily on online and mobile channels in accessing products and services.

B2

Business

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market expected to remain volatile

By Jenniffer B. Austria

T

RADING at the Philippine Stock Exchange is expected to remain volatile this week, as investors continue to be wary about the impact of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential race on the domestic economy.

F. Yap Securities said jitters caused by Trump’s win could spill over this week as the Philippines could remain the least favored market until Trump’s economic plans and policies were clearly articulated.

“Looking into Philippine equities more closely, property has been heavily battered on fears that BPOs [business process outsourcing companies] may pull out and hurt the office leasing revenues of property companies,” F. Yap Securities said.

“On top of this BPO issue, there are concerns that remittances from overseas Filipinos may drop sharply as investors take Trump’s campaign talks like bringing back jobs to the US and prioritizing Americans in job offers at face value,” the broker said.

“While we find these fears way exaggerated, negative sentiments may still outweigh the strong fundamentals,” it said.

Analysts said with earning season coming to an end, investors’ focus had shifted to the possible

US rate hike in December.

A positive factor that could boost the market this week is the release of the third-quarter gross domestic product growth figure.

Economists see third-quarter growth at 6 percent to 7 percent.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, is expected to trade between 6,900 and 7,200 points this week.

The bellwether dropped 3.5 percent last week to close below the 7,000-point level. It settled at 6,975.09 on Nov. 11, while the broader all-share index went down 2.4 percent to 4,220, as investors focused on result of the US elections.

The PSEi was up by only 0.3 percent since the start of the year.

Except for the mining and oil index, which climbed 2.7 percent, all other indices ended

in the red led by holding firms which declined 4.4 percent, property which went down 3.1 percent and services which lost 2.3 percent.

Foreign investors were net sellers last week by P3.8 billion, as total foreign selling hit P21.92 billion while foreign buying amounted to P18.1 billion.

Top gainers last week were mining companies Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. which advanced 27.2 percent to P5.09, Nickel Asia Corp. which rose 11.4 percent to P7.73 and Benguet Corp. ‘A’ shares which climbed 10.3 percent to P2.36.

Heavy losers were Globe Telecom Inc. which fell 14 percent to P1,490, Ayala Corp. which dropped 9.5 percent to P750 and GT Capital Holdings Inc. which went down 8.7 percent to P1,263.

SM Prime, Ayala reduce 2016 capex PROPERTY developers SM Prime Holdings Inc. and Ayala Land Inc. reduced their capital expenditure budgets this year from their initial plans to rein in spending after embarking on aggressive expansion over the past several years.

SM Prime said in its thirdquarter financial report it expected to incur capital expenditure of P45 billion in 2016, or 25 percent lower than P60 billion programmed capital spending it announced at the start of the year.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS WEEKLY STOCKS REVIEW STOCKS

NOVEMBER 7-11, 2016 Close Volume

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

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

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

3.52 47.5 110.50 96.10 37.6 3.80 1.35 9 16.3 18.96 6.63 0.67 1.8 670.00 0.800 77.25 0.9 14 22.05 56.40 95 1402 260 35.75 207.4 1579.00 74.60 1.33

80,000 146,700 13,435,130 15,557,770 373,100 23,000 1,718,000 100 822,400 1,276,200 200 142,000 21,000 660 30,339,000 25,127,590 86,316,000 686,000 1,400 327,650 1,380 4,210 3,850 862,355 5,170,670 660 798,920 191,000

Aboitiz Power Corp.

Agrinurture Inc. Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. Alsons Cons.

Asiabest Group Basic Energy Corp.

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

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

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

Pepsi-Cola Products Phil.

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

Phoenix Semiconductor Pryce Corp. `A’ RFM Corporation Roxas Holdings San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ SPC Power Corp.

Swift Foods, Inc. TKC Steel Corp.

Universal Robina Victorias Milling Vitarich Corp.

Vulcan Ind’l.

43.35 3.79 0.91 1.38 19.88 0.206 102 93.00 11.36 16.38 160 93 23.4 64 2.08 7.12 12.1 11.000 7.15 5.30 6.88 1.76 22.9 66.9 12.60 16.90 6.06 1.880 231.00 80.00 2.08 4.09 27.40 31.4 26.8 14.4 278.40 0.255 4.71 3.35 9.54 3.01 69.5 11.54 2.14 5.83 1.45 3.68 4.30 3.09 225 4.1 0.143 1.63 170 4.57 2.05 1.13

5,980,600 2,642,000 3,822,000 4,535,000 311,000 74,700,000 5,250 63,430 39,106,500 5,081,200 2,370 3,560 1,561,900 992,080 1,336,000 6,855,400 838,000 41,616,300 6,048,400 48,001,800 3,322,000 9,000 6,906,000 451,610 44,100 2,144,100 2,678,700 2,514,000 3,293,830 16,110 452,000 58,000 3,800 14,349,100 1,462,900 15,212,000 963,120 550,000 163,000 38,333,000 11,748,600 14,000 16,886,950 91,000 16,076,000 1,300,300 703,000 656,000 2,643,000 33,000 23,710 25,000 10,230,000 811,000 12,002,460 10,000 17,751,000 1,045,000

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

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

Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp.

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

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

0.380 72.55 12.84 1.18 6.00 0.320 0.305 750 1002.00 8.56 12.10 5.8 6.01 8.10 0.203 1263 6.33 69.30 5.22 7.7 1.15 14.52 0.470 6.83 3.08 0.0390 1.170 1.900 2.58 80.30 2.25 655.00 1.19 0.90 187.10 235.800 0.2900 0.2000 0.270

1,320,000 11,071,700 23,835,400 61,277,000 187,500 3,420,000 150,000 2,614,200 10 35,341,800 41,134,500 21,500 12,000 1,583,200 260,000 846,885 34,500 11,204,730 900 4,334,000 104,970,000 11,653,800 10,770,000 154,230,800 5,000 101,300,000 31,000 3,540,000 59,000 1,247,180 10,000 2,102,190 352,000 126,000 10 37,690 2,830,000 230,000 1,700,000

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

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

Double Dragon Empire East Land Ever Gotesco Global-Estate Filinvest Land,Inc. Interport `A’

7.360 6.50 1.18 2.210 0.290 32.800 3.08 5.05 0.600 1.19 1.130 0.146 0.560 53.7 0.740 0.148 0.96 1.75 1.00

353,400 9,500 20,413,000 2,036,000 11,720,000 83,451,100 22,765,000 208,100 614,014,000 164,000 1,384,000 14,510,000 79,471,000 1,434,380 179,049,000 13,650,000 16,597,000 75,994,000 1,422,000

Value

FINANCIAL 269,250.00 6,956,730.00 1,487,293,320 1,497,949,844.00 14,163,730.00 87,650.00 2,201,710.00 900.00 13,341,714.00 24,477,052.00 1,363 95,390 38,330.00 438,520.00 24,898,630.00 1,973,136,086.00 73,579,000.00 9,815,172.00 30,870.00 18,660,115.50 131,100.00 591,956.00 998,008.00 7,334,765 1,081,797,746.00 1,004,370 59,452,330.00 121,040.00 INDUSTRIAL 263,059,770.00 9,914,790.00 3,526,970.00 6,264,030.00 6,481,771.00 15,685,990.00 562,195.00 1,802,440.00 451,320,806.00 84,552,196 436,417.00 329,976.00 36,742,635.00 63,480,229 2,733,830.00 49,045,995.00 10,180,252.00 458,760,836.00 43,751,404.00 263,986,212.00 23,235,159.00 15,890.00 160,229,955.00 30,421,522.50 547,748.00 36,286,012.00 16,276,791.00 4,714,940.00 773,620,724.00 1,315,783.00 943,430.00 234,390.00 101,365.00 454,131,145.00 39,107,595.00 229,223,572.00 269,063,100.00 135,930.00 779,710.00 128,802,460.00 115,981,649.00 42,330.00 1,191,081,660.00 1,052,500.00 34,292,440.00 7,537,291.00 1,027,430.00 2,383,160.00 11,454,020.00 99,670.00 5,316,776.00 102,960.00 1,484,240.00 1,311,930.00 2,088,850,039 45,800.00 36,333,200.00 1,196,110.00 HOLDING FIRMS 495,750.00 827,766,707.50 317,781,066.00 72,711,280.00 1,113,500.00 1,077,500.00 46,050.00 2,077,459,215 10,020.00 303,912,541.00 516,658,470.00 126,840.00 72,140.00 12,805,081.00 50,990.00 1,107,454,805.00 217,381.00 801,616,217.00 4,701.00 33,290,196.00 123,911,330.00 169,154,828.00 4,955,000.00 1,079,406,799.00 15,400.00 3,897,000.00 36,100.00 6,727,650.00 155,610.00 99,871,486.00 22,500.00 1,395,540,420.00 419,060.00 110,480.00 1,871.00 8,863,938.00 848,550.00 44,620.00 459,300.00 PROPERTY 7,482,297.00 63,590.00 24,108,890.00 4,558,050.00 3,491,300.00 2,850,195,565.00 71,311,550.00 1,056,837.00 405,717,480.00 188,290.00 1,564,450.00 2,180,150.00 44,378,240.00 76,227,000.00 132,971,260.00 1,830,540.00 16,029,890.00 138,217,510.00 1,443,190.00

NOVEMBER 2-4, 2016 Close Volume Value 3.55 47.9 110.70 97.55 38.1 3.80 1.35

28,000 44,600 11,136,140 5,425,590 245,800 29,000 80,000

94,670.00 2,118,710.00 1,222,771,905 531,436,385.50 9,308,895.00 109,650.00 105,730.00

16.3 19.4

273,700 1,476,600

4,412,392.00 28,771,410.00

1.79 635.00 0.790 79.3 0.84 14.28 22.05 57.40 100 150 262 35.9 208.8 1471.00 74.95 1.35

57,000 570 11,247,000 20,719,210 20,328,000 795,300 10,500 150,130 120 2,370 1,540 276,900 3,939,240 920 328,060 232,000

102,510.00 363,900.00 8,879,260.00 1,617,314,908.50 17,075,560.00 11,353,175.00 231,525.00 8,578,251.00 11,806.00 343,195.00 399,970.00 9,885,055 812,590,846.00 1,356,470 24,602,441.50 315,670.00

44.7 3.8 0.95 1.41 19.9 0.213 119.9 30.95 11.54 16.42 174.6 100 23.6 63 2.05 7 12.38 11.000 7.26 5.53 7.05 1.77 22.8 67.25 12.36 16.78 6.11 1.950 235.00 93.00 2.09 3.96 27.00 31 27 14.5 281.00 0.255 4.97 3.21 10.24

6,246,100 2,628,000 2,088,000 1,702,000 255,100 73,770,000 7,160 50,500 18,273,800 3,949,000 10,150 1,440 1,195,400 172,000 771,000 10,390,300 142,700 12,282,700 4,827,500 40,609,100 1,354,800 3,000 4,030,000 479,560 7,300 847,800 2,597,400 1,370,000 1,960,650 10,020 551,000 106,000 300 7,127,000 740,200 9,857,700 478,760 370,000 63,000 9,847,000 3,290,300

278,618,050.00 9,965,060.00 1,918,190.00 2,384,570.00 4,972,875.00 15,706,340.00 875,066.00 1,520,580.00 208,098,628.00 65,241,504 2,060,476.00 140,952.00 27,969,570.00 10,912,167 1,569,380.00 66,980,772.00 1,754,118.00 134,328,548.00 34,972,718.00 228,145,492.00 9,607,350.00 5,310.00 91,684,315.00 32,297,092.00 88,742.00 14,143,062.00 15,837,489.00 2,659,860.00 460,159,852.00 856,724.00 1,237,070.00 399,690.00 8,020.00 216,032,385.00 19,902,775.00 143,334,312.00 133,571,300.00 91,700.00 282,940.00 31,424,300.00 33,697,920.00

69.5 11.54 2.13 5.89 1.49 3.71 4.47 3.2 220 3.96 0.147 1.60 174.7 4.56 2.12 1.13

38,263,880 161,100 1,806,000 2,039,500 136,000 1,797,000 10,551,000 117,000 26,240 215,000 5,940,000 1,452,000 6,030,910 9,000 7,247,000 170,000

2,575,829,098.50 1,788,694.00 3,878,260.00 11,842,560.00 201,820.00 6,647,490.00 46,415,020.00 366,580.00 5,768,590.00 871,260.00 864,370.00 2,369,540.00 1,060,168,574 40,640.00 15,509,670.00 193,800.00

0.390 76.90 13.58 1.25 6.00 0.325 0.310 829

1,790,000 7,172,350 24,368,200 8,396,000 177,500 2,540,000 100,000 1,413,730

681,400.00 539,846,062.00 335,338,798.00 9,988,720.00 1,044,394.00 810,350.00 31,000.00 1,172,561,625

8.45 12.24 6

14,622,700 20,937,600 51,800

124,077,731.00 255,328,802.00 311,896.00

8.17 0.205 1383 6.25 72.75

1,347,100 750,000 469,510 12,500 7,512,510

10,970,548.00 148,790.00 628,761,010.00 78,128.00 546,028,423.00

7.73 1.14 14.48 0.455 6.96

1,793,500 66,080,000 10,255,200 39,010,000 121,413,800

13,952,087.00 71,640,450.00 146,436,244.00 17,749,650.00 837,155,187.00

0.0380

58,900,000

2,238,700.00

1.900 2.58 80.30 2.21 668.00 1.17 0.87

8,478,000 17,000 642,540 1,914,000 1,297,370 851,000 62,000

16,109,890.00 45,400.00 51,433,608.00 4,229,940.00 865,206,365.00 1,011,320.00 54,440.00

235.600 0.3000 0.2010 0.255

20,490 1,750,000 640,000 200,000

4,806,940.00 514,800.00 123,150.00 51,250.00

7.150 6.70 1.06 2.290 0.295 34.800 3.1 5.16 0.580 1.11 1.150 0.153 0.580 53.4 0.740 0.141 0.98 1.79 1.05

4,084,500 3,700 3,132,000 1,216,000 4,640,000 51,598,000 19,263,000 141,900 10,539,000 83,000 772,000 25,500,000 89,696,000 1,488,900 13,481,000 70,000 5,632,000 30,130,000 150,000

29,201,725.00 25,122.00 3,323,420.00 2,787,830.00 1,361,850.00 1,820,863,135.00 59,481,880.00 731,731.00 6,118,950.00 92,310.00 837,500.00 3,790,890.00 51,900,150.00 78,754,693.50 9,974,550.00 9,270.00 5,451,460.00 53,803,630.00 158,440.00

STOCKS

NOVEMBER 7-11, 2016 Close Volume

Keppel Properties Megaworld MRC Allied Ind. Phil. Estates Corp.

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

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

4.20 3.78 0.144 0.2800 0.435 32.30 3.1 27.00 1.5 3.25 26.00 0.99 0.920 5.100

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

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

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

Manila Broadcasting Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

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

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

SSI Group STI Holdings Travellers Waterfront Phils.

7.76 46 1.3 0.560 0.051 5.15 6.30 0.0750 2.76 104.7 9.53 6.90 985 1490 6.19 12.62 17.42 2.12 74 15.00 130 12.3 0.0092 9.14 0.199 1.3400 3.3 13.16 5.10 1.01 2.15 21.00 2 4.18 4.45 2.570 11.24 5.20 2.5 150.00 8.43 1406.00 0.400 1.120 43.10 78.00 5.79 2.69 0.750 3.2 0.350

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

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

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.0035 3.10 5.09 10.50 2.3600 2.3000 0.58 0.400 8.98 1.300 0.285 0.198 0.200 0.0120 0.0120 1.75 7.73 3.03 0.5000 1.0700 0.0110 0.0110 4.19 8.20 3.78 0.0120 124.00 3 0.0096

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

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

45.2 521.5 545 104.5 112.9 115.2 510 535 6.16 1020 1025 1.06 111 1091 1160 1030 110 122 77 80.1 76.5 78.5 80 79.95 77.9 78

LR Warrant

2.390

Alterra Capital Makati Fin. Corp.

Italpinas Xurpas

2.97 2.81 3.85 9.78

First Metro ETF

118

NOVEMBER 2-4, 2016 Close Volume Value

Value

14,100 251,526,000 127,450,000 2,480,000 1,340,000 2,800 5,266,000 16,313,800 2,920,000 68,000 55,767,600 7,371,000 3,359,000 11,844,500

70,991.00 996,386,460.00 19,807,660.00 668,000.00 567,400.00 90,900.00 16,684,200.00 463,627,995.00 4,427,900.00 220,720.00 1,458,401,670.00 7,299,370.00 3,163,460.00 61,404,641.00 SERVICES 604,400 4,647,203.00 134,700 6,211,080.00 1,000 1,300.00 76,266,000 42,029,630.00 269,350,000 14,106,690.00 12,300 63,675 66,325,100 421,837,203.00 224,100,000 17,763,870.00 8,444,000 23,794,800.00 2,439,830 256,882,401.00 10,700 101,971.00 539,600 3,662,600.00 4,000 3,864,420.00 698,035 1,092,695,995 959,400 5,978,147.00 544,400 7,089,128.00 38,600 672,412 29,258,000 64,034,150.00 15,972,810 1,190,601,064.00 61,300 939,682 210 28,480 11,100 128,668.00 49,000,000 454,500.00 2,669,200 24,399,340.00 56,880,000 11,680,370.00 8,088,000 11,205,260.00 150,000 505,780.00 14,100 185,892.00 3,398,900 17,443,329 19,000 19,630.00 683,000 1,414,750.00 32,300 715,705 798,000 1,596,010.00 58,719,000 251,832,300.00 10,688,000 48,743,670.00 14,016,000 37,080,020.00 142,500 1,609,570.00 69,100 355,992 3,000 7,520.00 122,400 18,477,502.00 2,086,900 17,691,516.00 965,810 1,398,934,365.00 6,470,000 2,600,850.00 89,245,000 102,631,430.00 10,662,000 446,879,640.00 3,995,930 304,768,103.50 688,800 3,941,957.00 3,932,000 10,678,610.00 107,728,000 82,041,190.00 2,576,000 8,318,120.00 120,000 41,480.00 MINING & OIL 2,250,000,000 7,878,500.00 7,731,000 24,835,300.00 12,115,000 54,114,510.00 600 5,952.00 538,000 1,245,340.00 252,000 597,310.00 1,291,000 757,060.00 1,230,000 491,750.00 581,100 5,113,695.00 518,081,000 690,967,320.00 50,970,000 14,937,150.00 73,050,000 14,707,760.00 10,170,000 2,073,260.00 781,700,000 9,454,800.00 310,000,000 3,854,000.00 12,213,000 21,000,590.00 74,367,500 563,465,904.00 6,398,000 19,002,460.00 38,924,000 18,694,380.00 4,711,000 5,073,790.00 48,100,000 526,200.00 3,600,000 39,600.00 88,000 358,460.00 12,658,700 107,057,696.00 11,903,000 45,912,050.00 2,912,400,000 35,055,700.00 47,125,199 370,500,770.00 195,000 588,500.00 60,000,000 563,700.00 PREFERRED 530,200 24,156,600.00 3,200 1,668,150.00 23,530 12,699,050 126,790 13,224,230.00 80 9,032.00 119,980 14,249,922.00 16,000 8,160,000.00 16,220 8,602,560.00 463,400 2,770,146.00 16,260 16,605,200.00 20,805 21,296,800.00 900,000 954,000 7,800 858,640.00 1,215 1,325,190.00 540 626,300.00 3,630 3,724,950.00 34,800 3,816,480.00 18,230 2,187,620.00 28,350 2,183,881.00 158,520 12,753,392.00 6,500 495,000.00 20,470 1,584,358.00 4,570 366,600.00 46,440 3,659,678.00 91,270 7,073,251.00 234,860 18,330,244.00 WARRANTS & BONDS 768,000 1,820,870.00 SME 2,994,200 10,475,790.00 224,000 634,500.00 491,000 1,879,090.00 27,772,300 276,620,285.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 113,450 13,597,329.00

4.10 4.02 0.159 0.2600 0.420 32.30 3.22 29.15 1.51 3.27 25.95 1.02 0.950 5.250

4,000 182,832,000 179,280,000 1,100,000 38,950,000 1,500 4,902,000 10,746,300 2,723,000 69,000 38,770,800 5,074,000 585,000 14,888,200

16,400.00 708,136,300.00 27,709,500.00 293,500.00 16,164,350.00 48,450.00 89,167,325.00 317,402,760.00 4,147,820.00 224,080.00 1,005,474,510.00 5,033,710.00 561,400.00 77,212,759.00

7.68 46.4 1.3 0.550 0.055 5.2 6.30 0.0840 2.94 105 9.53 6.65 970 1730 6.20 13.54 17.42 2.12 73.8 15.76

313,200 71,400 51,000 21,292,000 194,520,000 31,400 57,299,100 74,700,000 5,244,000 1,575,780 27,700 101,500 10 187,605 472,800 398,500 2,500 3,429,000 3,076,070 68,100

2,397,109.00 3,344,290.00 67,440.00 11,306,120.00 10,358,700.00 163,372 353,438,508.00 6,228,090.00 15,375,620.00 164,952,033.00 264,367.00 675,193.00 9,700.00 326,066,905 2,923,443.00 5,375,060.00 43,620 7,185,940.00 228,147,227.00 1,067,576

11.74 0.0093 9.15 0.200 1.4500 3.55 13.34 5.30 1.05

6,200 107,000,000 1,525,100 48,390,000 1,558,000 38,000 8,200 3,657,800 11,000

72,296.00 1,003,800.00 13,948,875.00 9,517,120.00 2,290,480.00 132,370.00 108,776.00 19,017,544 11,250.00

24.00 2 4.25 4.60 2.710 11.3 5.20 2.52 146.00 8.38 1480.00 0.400 1.180 39.40 74.20 5.60 2.70 0.760 3.3 0.350

16,700 25,000 25,232,000 6,795,000 9,484,000 47,900 21,200 20,000 119,070 1,844,400 715,665 790,000 53,338,000 2,519,100 3,180,330 165,400 3,918,000 58,269,000 1,488,000 150,000

400,340 50,000.00 106,001,180.00 31,150,610.00 26,294,690.00 548,820.00 109,368 50,300.00 18,283,692.00 15,466,148.00 1,065,829,285.00 315,400.00 60,891,290.00 99,779,275.00 236,967,279.00 912,808.00 10,561,920.00 44,185,480.00 4,832,630.00 51,350.00

0.0036 3.10 4.00 10.52 2.1400 2.1900 0.58 0.400 8.30 1.200 0.275 0.195 0.196 0.0110 0.0110 1.68 6.94 2.82 0.4800 1.0100 0.0120 0.0120 4.15 8.39 3.90 0.0130 124.90 3.05 0.0091

663,000,000 3,273,000 5,109,000 400 53,000 92,000 278,000 1,910,000 68,600 141,775,000 57,320,000 21,190,000 2,995,000 111,100,000 59,300,000 1,440,000 7,271,700 202,000 40,000,000 2,849,000 18,000,000 2,900,000 83,000 1,787,100 13,306,000 1,524,100,000 741,230 266,000 1,985,000,000

2,383,300.00 10,182,220.00 20,401,370.00 4,208.00 109,480.00 195,330.00 159,630.00 763,600.00 573,588.00 170,692,450.00 15,765,150.00 4,169,190.00 1,640,650.00 1,222,100.00 704,100.00 2,343,170.00 49,957,184.00 552,300.00 19,200,000.00 2,880,190.00 209,300.00 33,600.00 340,030.00 14,893,394.00 50,437,420.00 18,300,300.00 91,302,849.00 805,250.00 18,063,200.00

46.4

752,700

35,257,680.00

104.1 112.9 113.3 510 542 5.86 1015 1020 1.05 110 1094 1160 1028 107.5 115 77.5 80 76 77.3 79.9 77.05 77.5 78

193,440 8,000 133,420 6,000 20,970 819,000 5,630 3,355 500,000 48,500 14,825 550 10,980 11,300 16,140 1,000 61,730 212,490 143,530 154,240 36,600 10,200 294,920

20,101,875.00 903,200.00 15,580,029.00 3,060,000.00 11,330,660.00 4,827,520.00 5,660,450.00 3,390,920.00 525,000 5,335,000.00 16,218,550.00 638,000.00 11,259,980.00 1,214,750.00 1,854,860.00 77,500.00 4,965,115.00 16,170,108.00 11,109,615.00 12,204,916.00 2,830,880.00 784,000.00 22,979,204.00

2.460

1,590,000

3,946,860.00

3.15 3.1 3.95 10.7

5,040,000 35,000 134,000 10,939,200

15,497,340.00 104,380.00 526,270.00 117,177,484.00

120.6

50,630

6,068,917.00

WEEKLY MOST TRADED STOCKS Philodrill Corp. `A’ Abra Mining Manila Mining `A’ Century Property Ferronickel Manila Mining `B’ Apollo Global Megaworld Boulevard Holdings Empire East Land

VOLUME 2,912,400,000 2,250,000,000 781,700,000 614,014,000 518,081,000 310,000,000 269,350,000 251,526,000 224,100,000 179,049,000

STOCKS Ayala Land `B’ Universal Robina Ayala Corp `A’ Metrobank Bank of PI Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. SM Prime Holdings PLDT Common SM Investments Inc. Pilipinas Shell

VALUE 2,850,195,565.00 2,088,850,039.00 2,077,459,215.00 1,973,136,086.00 1,497,949,844.00 1,487,293,320.00 1,458,401,670.00 1,398,934,365.00 1,395,540,420.00 1,191,081,660.00

SM Prime vice president for finance Ma. Teresa Cecilia Reyes said in a text message the reduced budget this year was due to delayed land banking activities.

SM Prime operates 58 shopping malls in the Philippines and six malls in China.

It also has 27 residential developments mostly in Metro Manila and launched three projects with 6,000 units in the first nine months.

The Sy-owned integrated property firm was scheduled to open a new mall and expand SM Center Molino and SM City San Pablo in the fourth quarter.

It also intends to launch 4,500 condominium units in Pasay City, Quezon City, Parañaque City and Bulacan province.

Meanwhile, Ayala Land said in a recent analysts briefing it expected to end the year with lower capital expenditure than earlier projected.

“Compared to the budget of P84 billion capital expenditures, we expect to end the year with lower capital spending as we continue to tighten spending,” Ayala Land chief finance officer Jaime Ysmael said.

The company’s capital expenditure stood at P63.9 billion as of end September, of which 40 percent was spent in residential projects and 27 percent in commercial leasing projects. Jenniffer B. Austria

MPIC keen on Indonesia toll road METRO Pacific Tollways Corp., the toll road unit of infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp., is keen on acquiring up to a 45-percent interest in a tollway project in Indonesia.

MPTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said in a recent interview an Indonesian company was selling between 22-percent and 45-percent stake in a tollway project which was estimated to cost at least P5 billion.

Franco did not disclose additional details on the project because of a confidentiality agreement.

“They [Indonesian firm] are not selling 100 percent.

They just are just selling minority of 22 percent up to 45 percent,” Franco said.

Metro Pacific chairman Manuel Pangilinan said last month MPTC was shortlisted to acquire a toll road project in Indonesia.

Pangilinan said the project covered more than 100 kilometers. The winning bidder is expected to be announced in a few weeks.

Aside from Indonesia, MPTC is also looking at toll road projects in Malaysia and Vietnam.

The MPTC group operates the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and Manila-Cavite Expressway. It also has investments in Thailand and Vietnam.

Franco said the company was poised to start construction of the P35.4-billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway in the first half of 2017, as a substantial portion of the right-of-way acquisition was already secured.

“We will start on the Laguna side of the project,” Franco said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business IN BRIEF Soleq offers lower charge to Meralco

ASIAN multinational company Soleq Solar Co. has challenged the price offer of PowerSource First Bulacan Solar Inc. to supply 50 megawatts of solar capacity to Manila Electric Co. Meralco president Oscar Reyes told reporters the company was still evaluating the offer of 7 Balboa or Soleq, which is lower than the offer of PowerSource at P5.39 per kilowatt-hour.

Soleq owns four operating solar assets in the Philippines, including the 132.5-MW Helios project in Cadiz, Negros Occidental.

“There was one price challenge for the PowerSource and none for Solar Philippines. We’re still evaluating,” Reyes said.

PowerSource is proposing to supply Meralco with 50 MW of solar capacity for 20 years from planned power plant in San Miguel, Bulacan. Alena Mae S. Flores

B3

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

HK insurer eyes PH company

By Gabrielle H. Binaday

HONG KONG-based insurance company has expressed interest to invest or even acquire a nonlife firm in the Philippines, Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel Dooc said over the weekend.

A

Dooc said in a media briefing at least two foreign insurance companies were keen in doing business in the Philippines.

He declined to name the two companies.

“One met with us very recently and they want a non-life company but they have certain requirements... since their idea is to get (a) major market share already,” he said.

The company is interested in buying a local insurer with at least P500 million in sales production and at least half of the portfolio in personalized investments,

such as motor, property and personal accident.

“They are not for the big ticket items.

So I hope they will find a match. So we are going to refer to these investor companies which we feel will satisfy the requirements,” Dooc said.

Meanwhile, some five non-life companies welcomed the idea of foreign investors, citing their need for additional funding to meet the P550 million minimum paid-up capital for all insurance firms before the end of 2016.

“Some additional companies have indicated interest to welcome new investors or white knight. So we are trying to help them by referring them to parties both local and foreign who have indicated interest to enter our insurance market,” Dooc said.

“Then another group are open to mergers.

They have identified their potential partner for this, so they are still working for this.

Five pairs have indicted [interest to merge].

But I think this has been reduced to more or less four pairs,” Dooc added.

He said 44 non-life companies had not the required minimum paid up capital.

“Three of them have already signified that they will voluntarily fold up, so these three will undergo voluntary dissolution and we have a process for that. They can get a servicing license until they have fully settled their liabilities. As you know, non-life have short-term liability, on the average it’s just one year. Then they fi-

nally wind up,” he said.

Dooc said 21 non-life companies indicated that they were capable of putting in the additional fund required to meet the minimum net worth requirement and were now in various stages of compliance.

The life sector, meanwhile, will be qualified to meet the new imposition.

“Life maybe about five or six, the rest are compliant or there is no risk... or most of them are will be able to meet the minimum net worth,” he said.

The insurance industry’s premium income declined 1.6 percent in the first three quarters of the year to P169.56 billion from P172.40 billion year-on-year.

Dooc said the life insurance sector’s premium income fell 8 percent from P145.483 billion a year ago to P133.85 billion, while that of the non-life insurance sector rose 11.8 percent to P30.096 billion from P26.91 billion.

Subsidy to state firms jump 48%

THE government infused P82.376 billion into state-owned and controlled corporations in the first nine months of 2016, Bureau of Treasury data show.

Latest data released by the BTr showed subsidies extended by the government to GOCCs in the nine-month period jumped 48 percent to P82.376 billion from P55.819 billion year-on-year.

The bulk of the amount went to Philippine Health Insurance Corp. with P35.268 billion; National Irrigation Administration, P12.695 billion; National Housing Authority, P10.632 billion; National Food Authority, P4.250 billion; and Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management, P3.361 billion.

Subsidies in September climbed more than four times to P3.119 billion from P729 million a year ago.

The subsidies in the ninemonth period already exceeded the state assistance of P78 billion for the full year of 2015.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

5TH BELL AWARDS. Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. celebrate excellence in corporate governance by recognizing listed companies and trading participants that adhere to the highest CG standards. At the 5th PSE Bell Awards held on November 10, 2016 at the Makati Diamond Residences are (from left) Credit Suisse Securities (Philippines) Inc.’s Rissa Ofilada; Ateneo de Manila University president Fr. Jett Villarin, S.J.; Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson Teresita Herbosa; R.S. Lim & Company Inc. nominee Alejandro Yu; Credit Suisse Securities nominee Joselito Vicencio, Jr.; UBS Securities Philippines Inc. nominee Robrina Go; Macquarie Capital Securities (Philippines) Inc. nominee Paulo Rojas; Deutsche Regis Partners Inc. nominee Emmanuel Bautista; PSE chairman Jose Pardo; AIM president Jikyeong Kang; Australia Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorley, CMICpresident Cornelio Gison; PSE director and Bell Awards core committee chairman Edgardo Lacson and PSE president and CEO Hans Sicat.

Manila

EDC short-listed in Chevron bidding

By Alena Mae S. Flores ENERGY Development Corp. has been shortlisted to participate in the bidding for Chevron’s geothermal assets in the Philippines and Indonesia.

“We still have to get a guidance from Chevron but... the bidding was finished last October 31,” EDC chief finance officer Nestor Vasay told reporters over the weekend.

Chevron of the US has a 40 percent interest in Philippine Geothermal Production Co. Inc., which develops and produces steam energy for the 692-megawatt Tiwi and Mak-Ban geothermal power plants.

It also has an interest in the Ka-

linga geothermal prospect area in northern Luzon that could fuel a 100-MW power plant.

Vasay confirmed the SM Group of retail tycoon Henry Sy had a right of first refusal over the domestic assets of Chevron. The SM Group owns 60 percent of PGPC. Vasay said EDC was shortlisted as one of the five bidders that include two local companies with foreign partners.

EDC submitted a bid with Japanese partners Mitsui and Kyushu.

Other local firms that submitted documents were Aboitiz Power Corp. and Ayala Corp.

“There was seven who submitted the bid but now they shortlisted to

five,” Vasay said. Other bidders included PT Medco and an Indonesia firm, he said.

“They (Chevron) will evaluate the bids and then it’s expected they’ll go back to the shortlisted (firms) and then discuss some more, then probably decide,” Vasay said.

“I think all the bidders actually submitted for both. Although that would not prevent Chevron from choosing the higher bid for the Philippines assets and then also choosing the higher bid for the Indonesian assets. They can do that,” he said.

Vasay said EDC had the advantage over the other companies because of its presence in Indonesia.

The Secret to 200 years with Cathay Pacific’s Robin Bradshaw ISABELO TABANGCURA JR.

GREEN LIGHT LONGEVITY is as sensational as Duterte and Trump today. Everybody is interested and attracted to the idea of a successful long-lasting relationship. Ambitious men are even yearning for immortality. Couples vow to thrive together towards eternity—in sickness and in health, for better for worse till death us do part. Entrepreneurs and businessmen want to stay in business and be resilient to challenges in the next century or another. Two hundred may just be a number, but the Swire Group is gratified to have served their clients for 200 long years.

The Swire way I am grateful to get a look at the over-arching secret that makes Swire’s long-lasting relationships successful—relationship with their clients, employees, suppliers, business partners, and relationship among the Swire family. Robin Bradshaw, country manager of Cathay Pacific Airways, shared the Swire way of leadership. He has been with the company for years and had gone through the Swire Leadership Program. The secret to longevity in business is simple. It is the “sense of value and integrity is what has kept it for 200 years.”

By sense of value he refers to what they uphold as core values in their organization. Today, it takes more than capital and good looks

to stay in business. You need to do more. By doing more, your actions and everyone in the organization should be embodied in what we call as core values.

Deeply ingrained principle According to Eric Jacobson, the core values “become the deeply ingrained principle and fabric that guide employee behavior and company decisions and actions—the behaviors the company and employees expect of themselves.”

Swire’s core values are excellence, integrity, humility, endeavor and continuity. These are what guided them to achieve and serve for two centuries.

One strategy that Robin shared in order for these values to be carried among the leaders and managers within the organization is by growing their own people. They do not bring leaders from the outside. Instead, they develop them internally.

Be the example I have been trying to assess the organization I am currently working at and I see that the core values of Swire are quite similar to ours. If these values are so important, then communicating these values is also equally important.

I go back to my question with Aftab Ahmed, the country chief for Citi Philippines, on how to effectively communicate core values and the answer is really merely walking the talk. Be the example.

As with my organization, I think they are doing a pretty good job at this and our more than six decades in business is commendable as well.

My organization, just like Swire, be-

lieves in the value of “integrity” as vital ingredient to success.

Flourish with love and integrity Robin shared a classic experience of Swire that exhibited the value of integrity. In order for Cathay to fly to India, the negotiation with the Indian government took 20 years. How could this be an issue of integrity in doing business?

Well, 20 years is like ages if we are talking about only one negotiation and so the temptation of bribe is higher. However, Swire waited 20 years to succeed in the negotiation and this is what integrity is all about. It is knowing and doing what is right. “Twenty years is just a history if you’re thinking about a 40-year-business,” he said.

The integrity they put in their relationships is critical to their success.

Thus, the highest ethical and moral standards should be maintained.

Swire’s existence is a proof to the framework of Harpur on love and integrity in business.

Business is all about relationship among human beings. Relationships flourish with love and integrity.

The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business. This essay is part of a journal he keeps in fulfillment of the requirements of the course, Trends and issues in Business and Management: CEO Series. Visit his blog at http:// billytabangcura2.blogspot.com/.

The views expressed here are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.

Standard

TODAY

NOTICE TO CUSTOMERS OF VECO TO CLAIM METER DEPOSIT REFUND

In compliance with Resolution No. 12, Series of 2016 issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Visayan Electric Company (VECO)hereby notifies its Customers that they may now claim a refund of their meter deposit.

What is a meter deposit?

It is an amount previously required from customers during application for a new service connection to guarantee against loss or damage of the electrical meter installed. This is different from the Service or Bill Deposit which is paid as part of a customer’s application for service to guarantee payment of bills, and is equivalent to the estimated one month bill of the customer.

Who may claim the meter deposit refund?

Any person or entity registered as a distribution service customer of VECO who has paid the meter deposit as required by VECO, and has not received a refund [directly or by way of credit] thereof is eligible for the meter deposit refund. The registered customer’s heirs, successors-in-interest or his duly authorized representative may also claim on his behalf. This is subject to the exception provided under Section 10 of ERC Resolution No. 8, series of 2008.

What is the mode of refund to be given to the eligible customers?

Eligible Customers will be refunded incash if the amount is less or equal to PhP4,000.00, and with check if the refund amount is greater than PhP4,000.00.

How long will it take to process the refund?

Verification and processing of refund would take atmost two (2) months after application and the submission of all requirements. Thereafter, customer will be notified if he is still entitled for the meter deposit refund or if it was already availed/credited in 2009 after the effectivity of the ERC Resolution No. 8 Series of 2008 or the “Rules to Govern the Refund of Meter Deposits to Residential and Non-Residential Customers”.

When is the deadline for claiming the meter deposit refund?

Under ERC Resolution No. 12, Series of 2016, consumers may claim the refund on meter deposit until December 31, 2017. All unclaimed deposits after December 31, 2017 shall become the subject of an escheat proceeding.

How will the customers claim the meter deposit refund and what are the requirements needed?

To claim the meter deposit refund, the customers may visit the Full Service Center of VECO at SM City Cebu and Talisay Satellite Office and submit the following requirements: For Residential Customers 1.

Registered customers 1.1 Original or photo copy of VECO electricity bill; 1.2 Accomplished Meter Deposit Refund Application Form 1.3 Official Receipt showing payment of Meter Deposit (if available), 1.4 Original and photocopy of one (1) valid identification card with photo and signature,such as but not limited to Driver’s license, Passport, Professional Regulatory License, SSS/GSIS ID, TIN ID, Philhealth ID, Senior Citizen ID, Postal ID, Original NBI Clearance and Comelec Voters ID.

2.

Heirs or Succesors-in-Interest of the Registered Customers 2.1 Death certificate or proof of death of the registered customer; 2.2 The heir/s must present proof of filiation or any pertinent document that will prove the successional right, such as but not limited to the birth certificate of the heir/s and their ascendants, or marriage certificate; 2.3 The successors-in-interest to the registered customer must present proof of transfer of rights and obligations over the property, including the meter deposit from the previous owner of the property, such as but not limited to the Deed of Sale; and 2.4 Undertaking that there are no other legal heirs of the registered customer

3.

Duly authorized representative of the registered customers: 3.1 Special Power of Attorney from the registered customer stating that he/she is authorized to receive the refund in behalf of the registered customer together with a valid ID of both the Registered Customer and the claimant.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (If claimants are other than the Registered Customers/Account holders)

For Non-Residential Customers 1.

Registered customers 1.1 Original or photo copy of VECO electricity bill; 1.2 Accomplished Meter Deposit Refund Application Form 1.3 Official Receipt showing payment of Meter Deposit (if available) 1.4 Original and photocopy of one (1) valid identification card with photo and signature, such as but not limited to Driver’s license, Passport, Professional Regulatory License, SSS/GSIS ID, TIN ID, Philhealth ID, Senior Citizen ID, Postal ID, Original NBI Clearance and Comelec Voters ID. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (If claimants are other than the Registered Customers/Account holders)

2.

Heirs or Successors-in-Interest of the Registered Customers 2.1 Death certificate or proof of death of the registered customer; 2.2 The heir/s must present proof of filiation or any pertinent document that will prove the successional right, such as but not limited to the birth certificate of the heir/s and their ascendants, or marriage certificate; 2.3 The successors-in-interest to the registered customer must present proof of transfer of rights and obligations over the property, including the meter deposit from the previous owner of the property, such as but not limited to the Deed of Sale; and 2.4 Undertaking that there are no other legal heirs of the registered customer

3.

Duly authorized representative of the registered customers: 3.1 Special Power of Attorney from the registered customer stating that he/she is authorized to receive the refund in behalf of the registered customer together with a valid ID of both the Registered Customer and the claimant.

4.

Corporation or any Registered Entity 4.1 Letter of request signed by the Owner or General Manager of the Corporation or Registered Entity 4.2 Board Resolution or Secretary’s Certificate stipulating the request to VECO for the meter deposit refund 4.3 Original and Photocopy of one (1) valid primary identification card with photo and signature of the Owner, General Manager or officer of the Corporation or Registered Entity

5.

Government Accounts 5.1 Letter of request signed by the authorized high-ranking official of the concern government agency 5.2 Board Resolution or Secretary’s Certificate stipulating the request to VECO for the meter deposit refund 5.3 Original and photocopy of one (1) valid primary identification card with photo and signature of the authorized high-ranking official of the concern government agency

(MS-NOV. 14, 2016)

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

B4

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Business

Oil drops to 7-week low on Opec’s rising output O IL dropped to the lowest in almost two months in New York on rising Opec output after a volatile week driven by uncertainty about the group’s intentions and the surprise election of Donald Trump.

Futures fell as much as 3.7 percent on Friday. Iran and Iraq, which want exemptions from an Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries accord to cut production, told the group they raised output last month, while Saudi Arabia pumped near record levels. Oil has dropped about 15 percent from its October high on growing doubts that Opec will be able to finalize the Algiers accord at its Nov. 30 summit amid a refusal to cut output from almost a third of its members.

“Oil is falling today because of Opec’s self-inflicted wounds,” said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital LLC, a New Yorkbased hedge fund that focuses on energy. “Opec members are

confessing to large increases in production that might make achieving their Algiers deal an impossibility.”

The International Energy Agency, the Paris-based adviser to some of the world’s biggest economies, said it’s waiting to see whether President-elect Trump’s rhetoric on Iran hardens into action before revising its market forecasts.

While investors took comfort from Trump’s conciliatory acceptance speech on Wednesday, rising US crude supplies served as a reminder of the inventory overhang.

West Texas Intermediate for December delivery dropped $1.32, or 3 percent, to $43.34 a barrel at 1:37 p.m. on the New

York Mercantile Exchange.

The contract is down 1.7 percent this week. Total volume traded was about 9 percent above the 100-day average.

WTI open interest on Nymex passed 2 million contracts for the first time ever Thursday, according to data on the CME website. Aggregate volume slipped from a record set on Wednesday, with 1.34 million contracts changing hands.

Brent for January settlement fell $1.24, or 2.7 percent, to $44.60 a barrel on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe exchange. Futures slipped to the lowest since Aug. 11. Prices are 2.2 percent lower this week.

The global benchmark traded at a 59-cent premium to January WTI. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index, a gauge of the greenback against 10 major peers, rose to the highest since February. A stronger US currency usually reduces the appeal of dollardenominated raw materials as

an investment.

“We have too much oil, something the IEA report yesterday and Opec today makes clear,” said Stephen Schork, president of the Schork Group Inc., a consulting company in Villanova, Pennsylvania. “The dollar’s rocketed, which is putting downward pressure on commodities.”

Iran, freed from curbs on its oil trade in January, said it increased output by 210,000 barrels a day to 3.92 million a day in October from the previous month, according to a monthly report from Opec. Secondary sources showed a more modest addition of 27,500 barrels a day for October.

The report was updated later on Friday to include a submission from Iraq, which didn’t initially provide an output level.

Iraq told the organization that it produced 4.776 million barrels a day in October, 215,000 barrels a day more than Opec’s own estimate. Bloomberg

Venetians rally to fight city exodus

By Céline Cornu VENICE, Italy―Several hundred citizens of Venice rallied on Saturday to draw attention to an exodus of residents that they fear is sucking the life out of the fabled Italian city.

Venetians of all ages took part in the “Venexodus” demonstration, clutching signs bearing slogans such as “Farewell, Venice,” and “I won’t go, I will stay and resist,” as well as suitcases to symbolize the constant departures.

A man dressed in the historic costume of a doge―the leaders of Venice for more than a thousand years―boarded a gondola for a symbolic farewell trip.

More than 60,000 tourists arrive in Italy’s Adriatic jewel each day―a tally that outstrips the number of full-time residents.

“Venice is losing 1,000 residents each year. It now has less than 55,000 people, compared to 100,000 40 years ago―the danger is very great,” said Matteo Secchi, head of the association venessia.com which organized the rally.

Museum town?

Secchi drew a comparison with Pompeii―the preserved Roman town that the volcano Vesuvius destroyed in the year 79.

“We are turning into Pompei, a town which people come to visit and say it’s magnificent, but no one lives there,” Secchi told AFP. “Venetians are not against tourists. It’s right for tourists to visit Venice, but it is also right for its inhabitants to be able to be live there. The challenge is to reconcile these two different worlds.”

Housing is one of Venetians’ biggest complaints―costs have rocketed as private owners rent out apartments to tourists for short-term lets.

There are also gripes over jobs.

“Many of my friends have had to leave the city, not just because of housing problems but also because the only work here is in tourism,” said Marco Vidal, a 35-year-old Venetian.

“If you have training in a different field, you are obliged to leave. The local authorities gave up years ago the idea of encouraging people to live in Venice, creating jobs and making it a city with a future, rather than an amusement park.”

Activists have been campaigning since the last decade for efforts to roll back the exodus.

But the lure of the Grand Canal, St. Mark’s Square and the Bridge of Sighs for foreign visitors remains unquenched, as

After his speech, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte with the members of business delegates and Filipino community

THE JAPAN VISIT ASIDE from being a certified Anglophile, I must admit that I am also a Shinnichi or certified Japanophile.

There are a lot of aspects of Japanese culture and society that I admire and enjoy—the single malt whiskey (think Yamazaki 18 years), the coffee, the cuisine, the simple elegance of their design as evident in fashion and architecture, and, of course, the women who are among the most stylish in the world. There is also Japanese technology as seen in their cars and electronics, as well as their business ethic and management style.

Thus, when MVP and I received the invitation to be part of the official delegation, I immediately confirmed our participation. Surely this was one trip that was worth its while, even just to imbibe the understated elegance of Japan oncemore. And, on a personal note, it gave me a chance to visit my daughter Nicole who is now with the software division of sports apparel giant— ASICS. The official visit took all of three days and, while there, President Duterte was able to obtain pledges and loans that amounted to around $19-billion.

Quite a hefty sum, if you think about it, and no small feat either.

The bulk of thepledge, around

$17.2-billion, was offered by Marubeni Corporation forshortto-long-term projects in mass transportation, infrastructure, water and energy.

President Duterte and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe likewise sat down and discussed the mutual maintenance of peace and stability in the region. Of course, the President had to clarify that there was no military alliance made with China, all to well aware that Japan was also involved in a territorial dispute with the Chinese mainland.

An offshoot of the meeting between the President and Prime Minister Abe was a $157-million loan to develop our Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) by providing them with state-of-the-art patrol vessels.

Japan has been a major source of Official Development Assistance (ODA) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The ODA will continue even under this administration, especially with regard to agricultural development in MIndanao.

To the President and his Cabinet, and to the success of the Japan visit, I say Domo Arigatogozaimashita! Kanpai!

A man wearing clothes of “Doge,” the ancient governor of Venice, waves as he leaves in a gondola after a demonstration against the increasing number of tourists in Venice, on November 12, 2016. AFP

With Head of Presidential Management Staff Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and Manuel V. Pangilinan

People gather on a bridge during a demonstration against the increasing number of tourists in Venice on November 12, 2016. AFP

the arrival of giant cruise ships testifies.

Today, with an annual influx of some 20 million people, the city’s narrow streets and canal bridges can get extremely crowded.

‘Nothing to buy’ Shops serving local people, such as those selling groceries or hardware, have been supplanted by souvenir stores.

In September a thousand young Venetians, responding to an activist group called Generation 90, gathered with empty shopping bags to draw attention to the shortage of ordinary shopping facilities.

Proposals for easing the exodus are many, although campaigners despair at whether these will ever be implemented.

Generation 90 spokesman Marco Caberlotto said it was time to set a daily limit on numbers gaining access to St. Mark’s Square, with places reserved in advance at a small fee.

Noting that 40,000 people commute to Venice each day for work, he also pushed for tax changes to encourage landlords to rent their properties to locals rather than to tourists for overnight stays.

Secchi said another priority was to rent out 2,000 apartments

that are owned by the authorities but lie empty because of chronic bureaucratic problems.

The city hall told AFP it had set up a consultation process for finding “the right balance” between residents and tourists.

Initiatives include giving Venetians priority to the “vaporetto” ferries and local authorities are looking at ways of stimulating jobs in the non-tourism sector and encouraging families to settle.

After Saturday’s rally, the city hall received a delegation of demonstrators, who said they were encouraged by what had been said. AFP

(Seated, from left) with Public Works and Highways Sec. Mark Villar , SM Investments Corporation’s Teresita Sy-Coson, PSE Director Vivian Yuchengco, Press Sec. Martin Andanar, Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III, PNB Board Adviser Joseph Chua (Standing, from left) Publisher and special envoy to the US Babe Romualdez, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sal Panelo and French Baker’s Johnlu Koa

With SM Investments Corporation’s Teresita Sy-Coson, PNB Board Adviser Joseph Chua, PSE Director Vivian Yuchengco and Go Negosyo’s Joey Concepcion

With Press Secretary Martin Andanar, Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, and PSE Director Vivian Yuchengco

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

C1

SHOCK BUSTER. A modern park and playground has risen in the heart of Tacloban City where thousands of children, survivors of the powerful Typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ and their friends may catch up and recover lost years from the trauma of losing their homes or members of their families. Mel Caspe

Production of corn boosted in Pangasinan

By Honor Blanco Cabie BINALONAN, Pangasinan— On strategic edges of the asphalted MacArthur Highway in this Ilocos town, some 193 kms north of Manila, hawkers of freshly harvested corn ears make a tourist sight when the monsoon is over.

Some motorists—either those returning to the metropolis or those going up north, primarily the far northwest Ilocos Norte province—stop for some hairy clusters to be boiled home a few hours later.

The highway corn hawkers here, like those in the other towns of Pozorrubio, Sison due north or even Urdaneta and Villasis south of here take comfort in the return on investments they make during the day.

Much like their cousins in the Visayas and Mindanao, who also sell either the fresh harvest or those already boiled of the yellow sweet corn variety, which fetches a high price in the south as well as in the north of the country.

In some barangays of Cebu City, for instance, corn farmers sell their harvest at least P30 per kilo from the farm. In Metro Manila, sweet corn retailed at shopping malls sells for, at the very least, as much as P30 per cob.

Agriculture sources say there is an increasing demand for sweet corn. Fact is, they say the Philippines, a basically agricultural economy, remains an importer of corn in canned and frozen forms.

Farm experts say the production period for corn is relatively short. In 65 to 75 days, the crop could be harvested, depending on the variety.

In Metro Manila, big cans are seen in markets—like those at the Quinta market in Quiapo and even the Nepa-Q Mart in Quezon City and even in the eastern towns like Cainta and Taytay—with hundreds of corn ears steaming hot ready for the taking by ambulant vendors who shuffle feet in offices like those at the government’s broadcast complex.

Sources say the growers who supply the Manila market are found in Pampanga, especially the low-lying town of Lubao where some 350 hectares are devoted to this crop in just one barangay.

The sources add there is also an increasing number of growers in Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna and Quezon.

In this second class town, verdant with corn fields and rice plants when the rains are gone, residents have since been upbeat following the inauguration of a modern, if state-of-the art, seed processing plant in Sumabnit, one of 24 barangays.

Tacloban opens playground, park for ‘Yolanda’ survivors

By Mel Caspe

T

ACLOBAN CITY—Children who experienced distress and trauma when powerful Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name “Haiyan”) hit the Eastern Visayas in November 2013, making them lose their homes or family members, are expected to go through some healing process before long.

World Vision Philippines, an Evangelical Christian humanitarian aid, development and advocacy organization, and the local government of Tacloban have opened a newly built modern park and playground where they could play, run and enjoy their childhood years.

The park, at the Tacloban Astrodome grounds in the center of

this capital city, was opened on Nov 8, which coincided with the third anniversary of the devastation attended by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez and Vice Mayor Sambo Yaokasin on the LGU side and World Vision Philippines National Director Rom-

mel Fuerte and WVP Typhoon “Haiyan” Response Director Ajab Aram Macapagat.

Romualdez, in her turnover ceremony speech, lauded World Vision for coming up with such a meaningful project that would nurture the bonds among children, families and their communities.

“It is our commitment in the City Government to maintain this park and playground intended to create a safer space for children to live, play and learn,” she said.

The modern facility caters not only to “Yolanda”-stricken children but includes those born after the 2013 disaster, Romualdez added.

It’s a park and playground in a 6,000 sq. property of LGU Tacloban with modern abstract colorful structures.

The children can experience synesthesia where they can feel,

touch, see, listen and experience in sensory and cognitive way, officials said.

The playground has nature’s way of exposing the kids to touch pebbles, beach sand, water, living things, chase butterflies, rabbits, feel the fresh air of the cruel Cancabato Bay, where flowering plants will bloom, and trees will bare Philippine fruits.

An eco-friendly children’s playground lighted by 100 LED lamp—today’s most sustainable lamps—powered by solar panels strategically located to create an ambiance and cohesive look, with garden sprinklers and nonmechanical facilities to withstand typhoons and wear and tear.

The facilities have blue Echo Tunnel Culverts (hear sounds), an Arch Shed, a sturdy Aerodynamic Shed to withstand windstorms, a green Spi-

ral Climbing Mesh (a memorial- inspired creation in an organic shape, an aid for a child’s developmental motor and cognitive skills,) with benches made sculptural.

“Now, every kid may play at this park, touching pebbles, building with sand, running, scooting, climbing, hearing sounds, playing with water, smelling flowers, chasing butterflies, seeing different gradient colors and soon enough tasting the fruits of the growing Philippine trees surrounding the park” said World Vision Design consultant Grace Nadal Casal in an interview.

“This is equality, reintroduction of culture and total nurturing for all children of Tacloban. When fruit-bearing trees are fully grown and flowers are in full bloom, we can then fully experience its sincerest intentions,” Casal said.

Outstanding cooperatives in Makati recognized

PRE-CHRISTMAS TREAT. A woman walks through a display of poinsettias, commercially important plant species of the diverse

spurge family, indigenous to Mexico, particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used as floral displays during Christmas. Manny Palmero

Benguet towns aided by Philex mining firm

By Dexter See TUBA, Benguet—Philex Mining Corp., in keeping with its advocacy to help communities in times of disaster, has donated 100 galvanized iron sheets to three typhoon-hit “Kabayan,” Tublay, and Bokod.

Typhoon “Lawin,” the strongest typhoon in three years to lash northenr Philippines, cut a swathe of destruction and damage to agricultural products.

“It is our pleasure to meet the leaders of other municipalities in our host province,” Roy Mangali, assistant resident manager of Philex Mining’s Padcal operations, in Benguet, said.

He was speaking during a simple turn-

over ceremony at the Benguet Congressional District Office in La Trinidad last week .

“Philex adheres to its core values on social and environmental responsibilities not only to its host and neighboring communities but also to others in need,” Mangali said.

The GI sheets shall be divided according to the need of the three towns, which intend to use these to repair the damaged roofs of residential houses and public schools, according to a formal request made by Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan to Philex Mining, which has also helped disaster-hit areas in rescue operations nationwide.

“There was no hesitation from Philex

Mining when the congressman requested for help,” Peter Guibac, BCDO chief of staff, said at the event attended also by the mayors of the three towns.

“We hope the next donations will be for the advancement of our municipalities, not due to disasters.”

With sustained winds of 225 kms per hour and gusts of 315 kph, “Lawin” struck the country’s Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region on Oct. 19, when it intensified into a super typhoon two days after it entered the Philippine area of responsibility, damaging P657 million worth of infrastructure and agricultural land.

THE local government unit of Makati has recognized outstanding cooperatives in the city for gaining significant growth in membership size and total assets, and for showing remarkable concern for the community in 2015.

Mayor Abby Binay led the awarding ceremony, dubbed “Koopbida Awards Night Season 5,” held recently at the City Garden Grand Hotel.

The event was organized by the Makati Cooperative Development Office and Makati Cooperative Development Council.

“Makati salutes the exemplary cooperatives in our city for spurring economic growth and promoting social inclusion. You have proven that with proper management, cooperatives can become vehicles of sustainable and inclusive development,” Binay said.

She said the city government recognizes the great potential of cooperatives in empowering people, especially the marginalized and disadvantaged, to become self-reliant and productive members of society.

Among those feted for significant growth in total assets were first-placers PLDT Employees Credit Cooperative or PECCI (billionaire coop), Philippine Navy Finance Center Credit Cooperative (large coop), DBP Cooperative Credit Union (medium coop), Home Mortgage Multi-Purpose Cooperative (small coop), and GPDPNHS Employees and Family Multi-Purpose Cooperative (micro coop).

In terms of growth in membership size, the topnotch awardees were Ayala MultiPurpose Cooperative (billionaire coop), Makati City Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative or Macemco (large coop), BOI Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (medium), Manila Polo Club Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (small), and Progressive Teachers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (micro).

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

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LGUs

TODAY MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Tourism planners craft plan in Davao

By Pearl A. Gajunera

D

AVAO CITY—Consultants consisting of tourism planners and heritage specialists are here, set to craft a master plan creating a tourism traffic for Barangay Mintal.

Pre-war Mintal was considered as Davao City’s Little Tokyo, where the Japanese have settled in and built infrastructures like hospital, schools and cemetery.

Relics from the Japanese have been found in the village as early as the 1900s.

The project has a P120-million budget from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Teaza), an attached agency of the Department of

Tourism.

Representatives of the consultancy company Berkman International Inc. have been visiting Barangay Mintal’s heritage, historical, cultural and man-made attractions and possible destinations.

“There is a need to have a firsthand knowledge of the typical Mintal tourism experience,” City Tourism chief Regina Rosa Tecson said.

To gather some more information about Mintal, the team of

planners on Tuesday initiated a public consultative meeting and workshop.

The activity aimed to collect stories about the village from families who lived in the area before, during, and after the Japanese occupation in the 1940s.

The objective was to trace back history, and identify landmarks that have heritage importance.

Barangay chairmann Ramon Bargamento II has proposed the “revival and rehabilitation of his barangay’s rich historical resources being declared as Japanese Heritage Area in 2009.”

“It started with 20 million, now it has ballooned to 120 million,” Bargamento said.

Meanwhile, the Davao City Planning and Development Office and

the Davao City Transport and Traffic Management Office will implement a new traffic scheme starting tomorrow in two major thoroughfares to address road congestion.

The two agencies will implement the ‘experimental loading and unloading segregation scheme’ along Pichon Street (formerly Magallanes Street) and a portion of McArthur Highway.

Engineer Froilan Rigor, speaking for the CPDO, said the experimental scheme will have signages indicating specific areas for predetermined routes, “and we are asking for the public’s cooperation.”

He said the scheme would modify and train the riding habit of the commuters, stressing that largely the riding public affects the attitude of the PUV drivers.

“This is our way of alleviating the traffic issue in the city without spending much. Instead, we should bank on the people’s behavior,” Rigor said.

There will be separate stops for public utility jeepneys and taxis.

Under the scheme, public utility vehicles are required to strictly unload and load passengers from corner Anda Street and Pichon Street, near Grand Menseng Hotel.

The scheme will also be applied in front of NCCC Mall in Matina for PUVs going south and Maa areas.

The scheme grouped PUVs according to routes: South 1 Group or S1 Routes: Calinan, Tugbok and Mintal South 2 Group or S2 Routes: Bago, Aplaya, Pangi

Unloading and Loading Area: In front of NCCC Mall Allied 1 or A1 Routes: Jade Valley, Buhangin via JP Laurel, Bajada Allied 2 or A1 Routes: Ecoland, Matina Crossing, Talomo, Ma-a, Agdao, Matina Aplaya Unloading/Loading Area: In front of Grand Menseng Hotel Maa 1 or M1 Routes: Maa, Magtuod, Langub Unloading/Loading Area: Beside NCCC Mall, Maa Road Circulatory 1 or C2 Routes: 01A, Route 01B, Route 05B, Route 09, Route 15 Circulatory 2 or C2 Routes: 02, Route 03A, Route 03B, Route 10 Unloading/Loading area: In front of Magallanes Elementary School.

Republic of the Philippines Province of Northern Samar Municipality of Mondragon The Local Goverment Unit (LGU), through the Bids and Award Committee (BAC), invites contractors /manufacturers / distributors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the here under: Name of Project

:

IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC MARKET AT MONDRAGON, N. SAMAR

Location

:

Local Government Unit, Mondragon, Northern Samar

Brief Description

:

Please see attached documents

Approved Budget for the Contract

:

P6,796,140.80

Contract Duration

:

180 Calendar days

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last 3 years with an amount of at least 60% of the proposed project for the bidding. The Eligibility Check /Screening as well as the Preliminary of Bids shall use nondiscretionary “pass / fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

All particular relatives to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Evaluation of Bids, Post-qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (188).

The schedule of BAC activities is as follows: 1. Issuance of Bid Document ……………........ October 13, 2016 2. Submission of letter of Intent and Dropping of Bids........................................... October 13, 2016 To November 22, 2016 3. Opening of Bids …………………….............. November 22, 2016 AT 2:00 PM 4. Post Qualification …………………............... November 23, 2016 5. Pre Bid Conference ………………............... November 8, 2016 at 2:00PM Bid documents will available only to prospective bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount for Accreditation fee (for Bidders who are not yet accredited) and for Bidding documents to the Municipal Treasurer’s Office.

The LGU assumes no responsibility whatsoever to composite or indemnify Bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid.

Approved by:

PRAYER RALLY. Members of the Hugpong Federal Movement gather at the bayside Quirino Grandstand at the sprawling Luneta Park in Manila

Sgd. Engr. Nora Cananua BAC Chairman

during the weekend for an official prayer themed ‘Pilipino ako, mahal ko ang Bayan ko’ to support President Rodrigo Duterte. Norman Cruz

(MS-NOV. 14, 2016)

Small Aurora town groomed as the next hot tourist haven

InvItatIon to BId FoR: CONSTRUCTION OF ACCESS ROAD and DRAINAGE at Local Housing Project Barangay Aguadahan Laoang, Northern Samar The Local Government of Laoang, through the 20% Economic Development Fund (EDF) intends to apply the sum of Seven Million Three Hundred Nine Thousand Two Hundred Fifty Seven Pesos (Php7,309,257.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Access Road and Drainage at Local Housing Project Barangay Aguadahan ,Laoang Northern Samar. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Local Government Unit of Laoang now invites bids for the Construction of Access Road and Drainage at Local Housing Project Barangay Aguadahan ,Laoang Northern Samar. Completion of the Works is required within 138 Calendar Days. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project.

The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instruction to Bidders.

Description of Works for the Proposed Construction of Farm to Market Road: Item No.

Scope of Work

Quantity

Unit

100

Clearing and Grubbing

102

Roadway and Drainage Excavation

4,076.40

Sq.m.

772.20

Cu.m.

105

Subgrade Preparation

3,057.30

Sq.m.

201

Aggregate Sub-base Course

763.20

Cu.m.

311

Portland Cement Concrete Pavement (PCCP)

429.30

Sq.m.

500

Pipe Culvert and Storm Drains

171.75

Ln.m.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

DIPACULAO, Aurora—This third-class municipality in central Aurora is being groomed to be the next tourist haven after the nearby capital town of Baler.

Mayor Joanna Cabauatan-Salamanca, the first female mayor in the town’s 66-year history, said that investors are seeking tourism investments in this town, particularly in Barangay Dinadiawan.

“A group of businessmen in Cavite province is eyeing to put up a zip line in the area to make it more inviting,” Salamanca said.

She also said that the municipal government is prioritizing the development of tourist attractions to generate additional income for the people of Dipaculao, which is adjacent to the booming Baler.

“We are grooming Dinadiawan as the center of our tourism activities because of its vast tourism potentials,” she said.

Dinadiawan is where white

sand beaches—a long stretch of clean, fine golden white coastline—abound, including the Ampere Beach, Borlongan Beach and Ipil-Mijares Beach.

The town also hosts the Dibutunan Marine Protected area and the Baul, Mano, Nas-nas and Lusso Falls.

“We are also eyeing to develop the Dibutunan Falls, some 12 kilometers from the town proper. If feasible, then we will make full use of it,” Salamanca said.

She also said that Leticia Ombis, municipal tourism officer, is presently drafting the tourism plan for the town which has already formulated a tourism code during the previous administration.

Bounded in the northwest by Quirino province, on the southeast by Baler Bay and Casiguran Sound, on the northeast and southwest by the towns of Dinalungan and Maria Aurora,

Dipaculao is composed of 25 barangays, 11 of which are located along the Pacific Ocean and the rest in a portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range from where are sources of rivers, streams and mountain springs.

Salamanca said the municipal government is eyeing a sisterhood agreement with the city government of Makati led

by Mayor Abigail Binay to enhance the town’s ties with the outside world.

Twin towns or sister cityhood ties are a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities, provinces, regions and even countries in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.

Salamanca’s father, former board member Joselito Cabauatan, is a relative of Binay’s father, former vice president Jejomar Binay. PNA

Interested bidders may obtain further information from LGU Laoang Bids and Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during office hours.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested bidders starting on November 14, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Php8,000.00.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Government Policy Board (www.gppb.gov.ph) provided that bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the bidding documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The LGU Laoang Bids and Awards Committeewill hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 22, 2016, 10:00 o’ clock in the morning at the Conference Room, 2nd Floor, New Executive Building, which shall beopen only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 10:00 o’ clock in the morning, December 06, 2016, at the Conference Room, Second Floor, New Executive Building. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Local Government Unit - Laoang reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: SALVADOR P. ACEBUCHE BAC Secretariat Municipal Planning and Development Office 2nd Floor, New Executive Building Laoang, Northern Samar Tel. No. 055 251 9001 Cell phone 09273751816

(MS-NOV. 14, 2016)

(SGD.) GENARO T. ADORA BAC Chairman

FEDERALISM SUPPORTERS. In Kidapawan City, the capital of Cotabato province in the country’s far south, the plaza is flooded with people wearing red during the gathering of Hugpong Federal Movement to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s shift to a federal form of government from the presidential. Geonarri Solmerano

2 drug pushers nabbed, 6 surrender to police NOVELETA, Cavite— Two drug pushers were arrested by the Noveleta Police in Barangay San Jose 1, while six others suspected engaged as drug pushers or users voluntarily surrendered in separate places in the province, police said.

In Barangay San Jose 1, police identified the two as Jonathan Reynante, 41, jobless, and Mark Lexter Dela Cruz, 31 years old, also jobless.

Police said the two were arrested after a police-poseur was able to buy from the two one piece each heat-sealed transparent sachet containing shabu worth P200 and P400 respectively.

Seized evidence will be brought to police headquarters for examination.

In Trece Martires City, Cavite, six persons, accompanied by their barangay officials and families, turened themsevles in to police.

P01 Eduardo Reyes identified the six alleged drug users as Joevel Laguda; Mark Joseph Gallur,; John Nite Golondrina; Sabas Erebias; Ian Delaluya; and Edmar Gallurr.

Trece Martires police said they conducted biographical, profiling, custodial debriefing and mugshot taking of the surrenders. Ben Chavez

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

World

TODAY

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Munch, Monet to star in New York auctions N EW YORK―New York’s fall auction season kicks off next week with a sparkling array of masterpieces expected to draw bidders from around the world at Christie’s and Sotheby’s.

series―with staring eyes and a spiky wig―painted in 1986 several months before his death.

It’s valued between $20 million and $30 million.

From Edvard Munch’s Expressionist “Girls on the Bridge” to

Willem De Kooning’s abstract “Untitled XXV,” the two major auction houses have put together an impressive collection of paintings and sculptures from some of the 20th century’s greatest names for the prestigious sales running Monday to Thursday.

There will be dozens of Picassos and Chagalls on display in the auction houses’ galleries ahead of the sales―together with paintings by Kandinsky, Sisley, Dubuffet and Rothko―rivaling the exhibits at some of the neighboring major museums.

The starting prices are often set well below artworks’ estimated values in order not to discourage anyone interested and attract as many buyers as possible, says Christie’s America president Brook Hazleton.

There’s no shortage of bidders in the United States, Paris, London―and increasingly Asia, with growing Chinese fortunes spent on internationally recognized works at both major auction houses.

The sales will serve as a barometer of the global art market, which did well during this year’s spring auctions despite a slow 2015.

Records could be broken this time. Munch’s “Girls on the Bridge,” a 1902 canvas depicting women in colorful dresses that contrast with a dark, anguished landscape, has broken records every time it has gone under the hammer.

It went for $30.8 million in 2008, compared to $7.7 million in 1997.

This time, Sotheby’s estimates its worth above $50 million.

The Norwegian artist’s most famous work, “The Scream,” became the world’s most expensive work of art to sell at auction in 2012, at $120 million.

Claude Monet’s “Meul,” another likely centerpiece of the autumn season―to be sold by Christie’s―is part of a series of

haystacks the artist painted during the winter of 1890-91. It’s estimated at $45 million.

As with many great Impressionist works, prices are determined by scarcity: most are now in national museums and out of reach for private collectors.

The record for a Monet came in 2008 with the bucolic “Le bassin aux Nympheas,” which brought in $80.5 million in London.

A testament to Chinese collectors’ growing clout, the painting was exhibited in Hong Kong at the end of October before it went on display in New York.

The prolific Picasso is also omnipresent in next week’s sales.

At Christie’s, his painting “Bust of a woman,” inspired by his mistress and muse Dora Maar, is estimated at between $18 and $25 million.

At Sotheby’s, the spotlight returns a long-running series of Picasso paintings titled “Painter and his model,” this installment from 1963, owned by New York’s Oestreich family until now. The artwork is estimated between $12 million and $18 million.

There’s no shortage of gems among contemporary art for sale.

De Kooning is set to figure prominently next week with the imposing “Untitled XXV”―6.5 by 7 feet (2 by 2.2 meters)―featuring his typically vigorous, multicolored brush strokes. Christie’s estimates it at $40 million.

Gerhard Richter’s “Abstraktes Bild (809-2)” is another abstract jewel, a canvas dominated by yellow and blood red, valued between $18 million and $25 million.

Another painting by the German―born in Dresden just before Hitler’s rise―fetched $46.3 million in London, the secondhighest auction-sale amount for a work by a living painter, behind Jeff Koons’s “Balloon Dog (Orange).”

An Andy Warhol black and white self-portrait also goes on sale, from his “Fright Wig”

Impassioned plea on climate change WELLINGTON―US Secretary of State John Kerry made an impassioned plea Sunday for America to maintain action on global warming, despite the election of climate-change denier Donald Trump.

While US President-elect Trump has labeled climate change a hoax and threatened to pull out of the Paris emissions deal, Kerry said most Americans wanted the problem addressed.

“We will wait to see how the next administration addresses this but I believe we’re on the right track and this is a track that the American people are committed to,” Kerry told reporters on a trip to New Zealand.

“The majority of the American people believe that climate change is in fact happening and want to see us address it.”

Trump has pledged to ditch Washington’s climate change policies, causing consternation among diplomats leading global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

Kerry was hopeful Trump would not follow through on his fiery campaign rhetoric.

“Everybody knows that there’s sometimes a divide between a campaign and the governing and I think the next administration needs to define itself on that subject,” he said.

Kerry was speaking after an “awe-inspiring” visit to Antarctica, where he took a helicopter ride to view the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

“That ice sheet alone, should it break up and melt, as it is showing signs of doing now, would add some 12 feet or more to the current sea level,” he said.

Washington’s top diplomat said scientists in the frozen continent showed him the work they were doing to assess the impact of climate change.

He said it reinforced his conviction that action was needed and he would take that message to UN climate talks in Morocco next week.

“Until January 20, when this administration is over, we intend to do everything possible to meet our responsibility to future generations to be able to address this threat to life itself on the planet,” he said.

The Marrakesh talks, which wrap up on November 18, are examining ways to implement the landmark Paris pact agreed to by 196 nations last year.

It undertakes to limit global warming to “well below” two degrees Celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels, and to strive for 1.5 C. Without the United States― the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter and a major donor to climate change mitigation funds―the task becomes much more difficult.

Kerry said he first became involved in the climate issue in the early 1990s and had seen scientific evidence of change grow to a level that was now overwhelming.

“The world’s scientific community has concluded that climate change is happening beyond any doubt, and the evidence is there for everybody to see,” he said.

“The question now, and which this administration continues to address, is how to implement the Paris agreement.” AFP

Republic of the Philippines Philippine Rural Development Project Invitation to Bid CONSTRUCTION OF SALSALAMAGUI SOLAR DRYER Identification No.PRDP-IB-R001-ILN-022-000-000-2016 Loan No. 8421-PH

That’s ten times the amount of another self-portrait, by Keith Haring, “Self portrait for Tony,” finished just before he died of AIDS in 1990. AFP

November 14, 2016

1.

The Government of the Philippines (GoP) has received a Loan from the World Bank towards the cost of Philippine Rural Development Project and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this Loan to payments under the contract for the Construction of Salsalamagui Solar Dryer/PRDPIB-R001-ILN-022-000-000-2016.

2.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, implementing partner of the Department of Agriculture, now invites bids for the Construction of Salsalamagui Solar Dryer. Completion of the Works is required by 22 calendar days inclusive of 4 calendar days for unworkable conditions.

Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184 (R.A. 9184), with some amendments, as stated in these bidding documents and is open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the applicable procurement guidelines of the World Bank. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification. The Estimated Project Cost for this project is One Million One Hundred Fifty Three Thousand Pesos (Php1,153,000.00).

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Bids and Awards Committee of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from November 14, 2016 to December 13, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 5,000.00).

Republic of the Philippines Philippine Rural Development Project Invitation to Bid for the Rehabilitation of Billoca-San Juan FarmtoMarket Road and 8 Bridges Identification No. PRDP-IB-R001-ILN-001-000-000-2014 Loan No. 8421-PH November 14,2016 1.

2.

The Government of the Philippines (GoP) has received a Loan from the World Bank towards the cost of Philippine Rural Development Project and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this Loan to payments under the contract for the Rehabilitation of Billoca-San Juan Farm to Market Road and 8 Bridges with ID No. PRDP-IBR001-ILN-001-000-000-2014.

Package

Description

Completion of Works

Unworkable Days

I

Rehabilitation of Billoca-San Juan Farm to Market Road Rehabilitation/Construction of Sta Cruz de Noto Bridge and Bulilising Bridge Rehabilitation/Construction of Caoayan Bridge and Rayuray Bridge Rehabilitation/Construction of Camandingan Bridge 1 and Construction of Camandingan Bridge 2 Rehabilitation/Construction of San Pedro Bridge and Pandan Bridge

383

64

148

25

140

23

157

26

143

24

III.

IV.

V.

Bidders should have completed, within the last five (5) years for Road Component and ten (10) years for Bridge Component, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184, with some amendments, as stated in these bidding documents and is open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the applicable procurement guidelines of the World Bank. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification. The Estimated Project Cost for this project are shown below:

Package

Description

EPC (PhP)

I

Rehabilitation of Billoca-San Juan Farm to Market Road Rehabilitation/Construction of Sta Cruz de Noto Bridge and Bulilising Bridge Rehabilitation/Construction of Caoayan Bridge and Rayuray Bridge Rehabilitation/Construction of Camandingan Bridge 1 and Construction of Camandingan Bridge 2 Rehabilitation/Construction of San Pedro Bridge and Pandan Bridge

134,067,000.00

II. III. IV. V

4.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the PRDP website (http://www.daprdp.net) provided that bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, implementing partner of the Department of Agriculture, now invites bids for the Rehabilitation of Billoca-San Juan Farm to Market Roadand 8 Bridges. Completion of the Works is shown below:

II

C3

9,275,000.00

As part of the transparency measures being instituted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) the bidders can virtually visit the site of the above-described subproject at http://www.daprdp.net where geotagged base photographs on 50 meter interval and track are viewable. The DA, however, requires that all potential contractors who will be awarded contract under the project shall have undergone geotagging training provided by the PRDP Project Support Office.

6.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on December 2, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Provincial Auditorium, Provincial Capitol, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte which shall be open to all interested parties.

7.

Bids must be delivered on or before December 14, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Provincial Capitol Cafeteria, Provincial Capitol, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or bid security in the amount of Php 24,000.00 in the form of Cash, certified (Cashier’s or Manager’s) Check or in the form of Bank Guarantee issued by a universal or commercial Bank.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9.

For further information, please refer to: JOHANNE M. QUILLOPE BAC Secretariat BAC OFFICE Provincial Capitol Building Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (077) 770-3848 or 772-20-49 Email address: bacilocosnorte@yahoo.com PEDRO S. AGCAOILI, JR. BAC Chairman

(MS-NOV. 14, 2016)

7,973,000.00

Republic of the Philippines Philippine Rural Development Project Invitation to Bid

9,870,000.00

CONSTRUCTION OF MABANBANAG SOLAR DRYER 9,142,000.00

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Bids and Awards Committee, Provincial Capitol, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays.

Identification No.PRDP-IB-R001-ILN-021-000-000-2016 Loan No. 8421-PH November 14, 2016 1.

The Government of the Philippines (GoP) has received a Loan from the World Bank towards the cost of Philippine Rural Development Project and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this Loan to payments under the contract for the Construction of Mabanbanag Solar Dryer/PRDP-IB-R001ILN-021-000-000-2016.

2.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte, implementing partner of the Department of Agriculture, now invites bids for the Construction of Mabanbanag Solar Dryer. Completion of the Works is required by 25 calendar days inclusive of 4 calendar days for unworkable conditions.

Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

As part of the transparency measures being instituted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) the bidders can virtually visit the site of the above-described subproject at http://www.daprdp.net where geotagged base photographs on 50 meter interval and track are viewable. The DA, however, requires that all potential contractors who will be awarded contract under the project shall have undergone geotagging training provided by the PRDP Project Support Office.

3.

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184 (R.A. 9184), with some amendments, as stated in these bidding documents and is open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the applicable procurement guidelines of the World Bank. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification. The Estimated Project Cost for this project is One Million Three Hundred Seventy Five Thousand Pesos (Php1,375,000.00).

6.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on December 2, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. at the Provincial Auditorium, Provincial Capitol, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte which shall be open to all interested parties.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Bids and Awards Committee of the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00am to 4:00pm, Mondays to Fridays.

7.

Bids must be delivered on or before December 14, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Provincial Capitol Cafeteria, Provincial Capitol, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or bid security in the form of Cash or Cashier’s/Manager’s check or Bank Guarantee issued by a universal or commercial Bank in the amount provided below:

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from November 14, 2016 to December 13, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 5,000.00).

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from November 14, 2016 – December 13, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP5,000.00).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the PRDP website (http://www.daprdp.net) provided that bidders shall pay the non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

Package

Description

Amount of Bid Security (Php)

I

Rehabilitation of Billoca-San Juan Farm to Market Road Rehabilitation/Construction of Sta Cruz de Noto Bridge and Bulilising Bridge Rehabilitation/Construction of Caoayan Bridge and Rayuray Bridge Rehabilitation/Construction of Camandingan Bridge 1 and Camandingan Bridge 2 Rehabilitation/Construction of San Pedro Bridge and Pandan Bridge

2,682,000.00

II III IV V

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the PRDP website (http://www.daprdp.net) provided that bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

As part of the transparency measures being instituted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) the bidders can virtually visit the site of the above-described subproject at http://www.daprdp.net where geotagged base photographs on 50 meter interval and track are viewable. The DA, however, requires that all potential contractors who will be awarded contract under the project shall have undergone geotagging training provided by the PRDP Project Support Office.

186,000.00 160,000.00 198,000.00 183,000.00

6.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on December 2, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Provincial Auditorium, Provincial Capitol, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte which shall be open to all interested parties.

7.

Bids must be delivered on or before December 14, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Provincial Capitol Cafeteria, Provincial Capitol, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or bid security in the amount of Php 28,000.00 in the form of Cash, certified (Cashier’s or Manager’s) Check or in the form of Bank Guarantee issued by a universal or commercial Bank.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

9.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte reserves the right to accept or rejectany bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

The Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9.

For further information, please refer to:

For further information, please refer to: JOHANNE M. QUILLOPE BAC Secretariat BAC OFFICE Provincial Capitol Building Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (077) 770-3848 or 772-20-49 Email address: bacilocosnorte@yahoo.com PEDRO S. AGCAOILI, JR. BAC Chairman

(MS-NOV. 14, 2016)

JOHANNE M. QUILLOPE BAC Secretariat BAC OFFICE Provincial Capitol Building Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (077) 770-3848 or 772-20-49 Email address: bacilocosnorte@yahoo.com (MS-NOV. 14, 2016)

PEDRO S. AGCAOILI, JR BAC Chairman

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

C4

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

World STORM COMING. People attend a football match as a storm approaches in Butembo, Congo, on November 12, 2016. AFP

Families ripped apart by explosion in shrine K

HUZDAR DISTRICT, Pakistan―The survivors of a massive bomb attack on a shrine in southwest Pakistan that killed dozens spoke of their horror Sunday after families were ripped apart in a strike showing the expanding reach of the Islamic State group.

The blast, later confirmed to be the work of a teenage suicide bomber, hit male and female worshipers as they were dancing and chanting at the shrine of the Sufi saint Shah Noorani, some 750 kilometers south of Quetta, the provincial capital of restive Balochistan province.

Mohammad Shehzad, a 25-year-old who had traveled in a group of 120 pilgrims, told AFP: “The pressure of the blast was so strong, people were blown away.

Everyone was running, shouting and searching for families.

“Children were looking for their mothers and fathers. People were looking for brothers and sisters but no one was able to listen to their cries.”

The attack killed 52 and wounded more than 105 and was the fourth deadliest in Pakistan this year.

Stricken survivors swathed themselves in blankets and braved the cold under open skies overnight as they made their way home.

Many had traveled hundreds of kilometers to pay their respects to the saint and seek blessings, in line with their be-

lief in Sufism, a mystic Islamic order that worships through music and is viewed as heretical by hard-line militant groups.

Unlike at mosques in Pakistan, which often limit access to women, in Sufism both genders are permitted to take part in many rituals, though they are sometimes separated by partition walls.

Witnesses said problems were compounded by the fact that it took several hours for rescue services to reach the remote shrine, located on a hilltop in the Khuzdar district of Baluchistan several kilometers away from surrounding villages, with poor mobile network coverage.

Hafeez Ali, a 28-year-old auto mechanic, said: “We had left the area only five minutes before the attack to go and cook our dinner.

From our viewpoint on a hill, we could see three whirling der-

vishes dancing to a drummer, as hundreds formed a circle around them. Then came the explosion.

“We realised that it was a bomb blast. Two of us rushed down and saw the bodies scattered all around -- mostly children. We also saw the drum beater dead and his exploded drum was lying nearby.”

Sarfraz Bugti, the province’s home minister, told AFP the blast was carried out by a teenage suicide bomber.

“We have found body parts of the bomber which place his age at around 16 to 18,” he said.

The announcement lent credence to a claim of responsibility by the Islamic State group, which released a photo overnight of the purported attacker―a dark-skinned youth dressed in white tunic with a green backpack―via its affiliated Amaq news agency. AFP

Refugees offered US resettlement SYDNEY―Refugees held on remote Pacific camps after trying to reach Australia by boat will be resettled in the US in a “one-off” deal, the premier says, a breakthrough that could see the controversial facilities closed.

Canberra sends asylumseekers who try to reach Australia by boat to detention facilities on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island and Nauru. They are blocked from resettling in Australia even if found to be refugees.

“The arrangements with the United States will offer the opportunity for refugees, both on Nauru and Manus, to be resettled,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Canberra.

“It is a one-off agreement. It will not be repeated... Our priority is the resettlement of women, children and families.”

Successive Australian governments have sought to stem waves of boat migration by peo-

ple from war-torn Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, using harsh policies including turning back the vessels, and strict secrecy about operations on the high seas and at the remote camps.

Although the latest policies by the current conservative government largely stopped the arrivals, conditions in the camps have been widely criticized by refugee advocates and medical professionals.

They say some asylum-seekers suffer from mental health problems due to their prolonged, indefinite detention.

The UNHCR said the arrangement was a “much-needed, long-term solution” but warned that options should be found for everyone on Manus and Nauru.

“This announcement is full of holes. No time frame. No numbers,” added Daniel Webb from the Human Rights Law Center, which has challenged offshore detention in court. AFP

Money brings growth, apathy LHASA―Traditional teahouses and fashion boutiques have sprung up in Bayi, one of the liveliest districts of Lhasa, and are owned and patronized by both Tibetans and Han Chinese. But some say the increasing prosperity is just Beijing buying peace.

Tibet was China’s fastest-growing region last year with an expansion of 11.0 percent―albeit from a low base―boosted by government subsidies and investment.

“I don’t care about politics,” said Gesan, a Tibetan tucking into a bowl of chilli fries in a Bayi tavern.

The 22-year-old spent two years in the Chinese army and now works for an insurance company.

“My life’s not so bad,” he added, playing with his smartphone.

Chinese forces arrived on the “roof of the world” nearly seven decades ago, followed by waves of immigrants from China’s Han majority.

More recently there have been financial inflows in the form of huge funding for roads, railways

and hydropower.

“These investments are positive,” another young Lhasa resident told AFP on condition of anonymity. “But it’s also a way of buying social harmony, so that people don’t rebel.”

Beijing says its troops “peacefully liberated” Tibet in 1951 and that it has dramatically raised living standards—life expectancy jumped from 35.5 years to 68.2 between 1951 and 2013, according to official figures, although the increase is smaller than the average for China as a whole.

But many of the profits from the region’s natural resources go to companies from China’s heartland, who bring in Han workers, and the Tibetan government-in-exile accuses Beijing of repressing Tibet’s religion and eroding its culture.

“Lhasa jumped from the Middle Age into modernity” says Jens-Uwe Hartmann, a Tibet expert at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

“The point is the way to modernity was not decided by the Tibetans themselves.”

In Bayi, several kilometers west of the Potala Palace, the former residence of the Dalai Lama, a tearoom manager praised economic development, before declining to talk about politics to avoid “trouble”.

Nearby, 18-year-old Niqu, who comes from Shigatse more than 200 kilometers away, shopped for dresses with her friends.

“I’m at university in Lhasa, it’s cool,” she said in perfect Chinese, learned at school along with her native Tibetan.

Linguistics are a crucial issue, say analysts.

Talk of cultural genocide is no longer appropriate, says Amy Heller, a Swiss-based Tibetologist and art historian, but added: “The threat today is rather to the language: university courses are generally taught in Chinese and Tibetan, while taught, is less valued in the labor market.” AFP

CHARITY EVENT. Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder attend the Unlikely Heroes 4th Annual Recognizing Heroes Charity Benefit at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, on November 12, 2016, in Dallas, Texas. AFP

Iranian resort hopes relaxed rules will attract the tourists KISH, Iran―Iranian investors are pouring money into Kish island in the Gulf, hoping its white sand beaches, coral reefs and more relaxed Islamic rules could make it a major tourism destination.

From the pristine beaches of Kish, it is only 200 kilometers across the water to Dubai―and it

is the booming city state’s tens of thousands of wealthy expats that the investors are hoping to lure.

The wide, palm tree-lined boulevards that circle the island of 100 square kilometers are full of top-end cars, including luxury American models.

The buildings are modern, the ho-

tels comfortable and new shopping centers are sprouting everywhere.

Diners pack late-night, rooftop restaurants. Women sit with cigarette in hand, wearing colorful head scarves pushed right back to reveal plenty of make-up and expensive hair-dos.

During the day, the men walk

the long jetties in bermuda shorts―forbidden in most parts of Iran. Under the warm autumn sun, one man is even shirtless.

A motorboat zooms past, techno music blaring, with men and women sitting together.

In many ways, it looks as if little has changed since the days when

the shah and his family holidayed here before the Islamic revolution of 1979. The green and white cars of the morality police are rarely seen.

Still, even though Islamic rules are less strict on Kish, they are still in force―creating a major obstacle for investors hoping to attract Western expats for

short breaks from Dubai.

There are no bars or clubs―or any alcohol at all―while men and women must use separate beaches, splitting up families.

Massoud Gilani, an investment consultant who divides his time between Dubai and Kish, tries to put an optimistic spin on the issue. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

SIP & SAVOR

D1

Sigs’ pork ribs are smoked for five hours to bring out the lush aroma of oak chips and the full flavor of the meat.

Glorious smoked meat THE JOYCE OF EATING JOYCE BABE PAÑARES

S

IGS Smokehouse Maginhawa is a nononsense restaurant.

From its wood-and-metal interior design to its twopage menu, there is nothing pretentious about this sevenmonth-old joint. There is no road sign yet announcing the establishments in the building where Sigs is located, making it quite easy to miss, but the two-story restaurant is almost always full.

It’s secret: glorious meat, smoked just the way Texans do.

The magic happens inside a custombuilt smoker in Sigs’s kitchen, where a long dance with wood smoke produces the lush flavors of classic Texas smoked meat, without need for the cloyingly rich sauce that other restaurants slather on their meat slabs.

The pitmaster, Chef Roz Sigwa Galang, has perfected the merger of meat, fire and smoke through good old trial and error. His passion for smoked meat started eight years ago when he was still working for a restaurant chain.

“I started with chicken, progressed to liempo, moved to ribs, and then finally to brisket. I followed the authentic Texas-style technique while introducing Asian flavors through locally-available spices,” he said.

The bespectacled Galang fits the over-

Side dishes: “dirty” rice, macaroni and cheese, and green mango and pomelo salad

all vibe of the place – quiet and unassuming, until you make him talk about his smoked meat. He’d happily leave his station and tour customers inside the kitchen to explain the process behind the dishes that he serves.

Tito Oria, one of the 15 co-owners of Sigs, said there are no shortcuts when it comes to smoked meat. Beef brisket takes about 12 hours, ribs with at least 5 hours, pork shoulder with 8 to 9 hours, and chicken with around 4 hours.

“The proof is in the smoke ring,” said Oria, referring to the pinkish ring that lines the meat, an emblem of great barbecue which can only be achieved through slow and low-temperature smoking.

Oria said the restaurant also concocted its own rub and condiments to ensure familiar flavors, in keeping with its motto of being a “Texas-style BBQ diner with Filipino sensibilities.”

For its starters, Sigs offers nachos (P100), home-cured bacon strips (P180), and pulled pork carnitas and beef taco in tortilla wrap at P160 each.

Its sandwiches include smoked sausage (P190) in a hoagie or submarinestyle bread and served with caramelized onions and roasted bell peppers and the sinful (but worth every bite) beef brisket sandwich (P220) with Wagyu brisket strips topped with cheese sauce.

Meat lovers will have a ball choosing from smoked chicken (P180), pork

riblets (P190), pulled pork (P190), 1/4th rack of St. Louis-style pork ribs (P250) and Wagyu beef brisket (P250). These go well with “dirty rice” – a traditional Creole dish where rice is cooked with chicken liver and giblets, giving it a “dirty” look. Sigs did away with the liver and giblets and opted instead to use a combination of spices such as black pepper, cayenne, cloves, oregano powder and cumin.

Other side dishes include green mango and pomelo salad mixed with thinly sliced red onion and cilantro (a little spicy foil to your meat of choice), baked macaroni and cheese, kimchi coleslaw, and warm potato salad dressed in honey mustard.

For dessert, try the chocolate cupcake with peanut butter filling and topped with candied bacon.

Sigs, according to Oria, will be launching new offerings this month aside from its unlimited rice promo that proved to be a hit for its customers. The restaurant plans to offer value meals priced at P150 for students with a valid school ID. It will also

Italian cuisine and pastry school renews ties with Benilde THE Italian Food Style Education Culinary Institute (IFSE) welcomed some officials of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) recently at their home base in Turin, Italy to renew existing partnerships with the college’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management.

IFSE, globally known for being the most innovative school for Italian cuisine and pastry, has been accorded with an Excellence Award by the General Secretary of the Italian Republic. The new agreement was signed

by DLS-CSB President Br. Dennis Magbanua, FSC, and IFSE General Director Raffaele Trovato.

From left: DLS-CSB School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management Dean Angelo Lacson, Italian Food Style Education Culinary Institute General Director Raffaele Trovato, DLS-CSB President Br. Dennis Magbanua, FSC, DLSCSB Chancellor Robert Tang and DLS-CSB Vice Chancellor for Academics Geronio Ulayao

start its Christmas package of a kilo of Wagyu beef for P2,000 and a kilo or pork ribs for P850. Sigs has also begun talks with Zomato for a possible tie-up for delivery services.

In Texas, patriotism has never tasted more delicious with locals defending their region’s cooking style for smoked meat with fierce loyalty, said Claire Suddath in her 2009 article “A Brief History of Barbecue.” In this humble restaurant in Maginhawa, Sigs is slowly gaining street cred as being at par with authentic smokehouses in the Lone Star State, with all of its meat’s fall-offthe-bone goodness.

For feedback, send comments to joyce. panares@gmail.com Chocolate cupcake topped with with candied bacon

Life

D2

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

F

OR many, a field trip to a Coca-Cola Plant during their elementary or high school days was a memorable experience, the highlight of which was getting to taste an ice cold Coke fresh off the bottling line. To this day, how a Coca-Cola is made (and what it is made of) remains a fascination for most aficionados. When we received an invitation

by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, the franchise owner for the manufacture, distribution and sale of all Coca-Cola products in the country, to take a guided tour of its facilities and learn about its processes, we happily agreed.

The journey began at the Coca-Cola FEMSA Canlubang Plant, popularly known as the Coca-Cola plant with the fastest bottling line in the world, capable of producing 81,000 bottles per hour.

Inaugurated in 1999, Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines occupies a total land area of 13.6 hectares with 383 employees. The plant was expanded in 2014 following an investment of $125million.

Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines CEO Fabricio Ponce shared the company’s journey towards becoming the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products in the world, and its commitment to building a strong business in the country. Perhaps one of the greatest impacts the company has is its impact on the Philippine economy, particularly through livelihood and employment opportunities. The company supports roughly one million sari-sari stores.

Seeing the towering pallets of the variety of beverages produced by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines begs the question…where do they all go?

The Company’s Silangan Distribution Center sits right across the plant, where the products are received. They are tagged and subsequently loaded onto another truck in accordance with the orders of the customers for that day, and then dispatched for delivery to retail establishments in nearby provinces within the Distribution Center’s geographic coverage.

The Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines Silangan Distribution Center serves the beverage requirements of close to 35,000 establishments, not just in the nearby areas of Laguna but even as far as Mindoro and Palawan.

We were given the opportunity to meet some of the establishments that are served by Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, like Nanay Rebecca, who opened her store in 2008 selling various chips, snacks and Coca-Cola products. Selling about 12 cases of CocaCola products a week, she says that it has become one of her main sources of income. “I used to sell another brand of drinks, but I find that Coca-Cola FEMSA employees are easier to work with. They really take the time to come here and ask how we are doing. It’s also what most people really look for, espe-

The Coca-Cola FEMSA Canlubang Plant is popularly known as the Coca-Cola plant with the fastest bottling line in the world, producing 81,000 bottles per hour

How cola is made continues to fascinate people

Coca-Cola FEMSA’s Legal and Corporate Affairs Director Jorenz Tanada and CEO Fabricio Ponce

cially during the summer and Christmas seasons.” With two children still attending elementary school, Rebecca is grateful that she is able to provide for the daily needs of her family.

Nanay Teresita also put up a small

eatery along Washington Street in Makati. For 26 years, her eatery has become a favorite of office workers around the area. Open only during lunch and dinner, she says that her food, along with the soft drinks in her Coca-

Dining on board Delta DELTA is featuring fresh, local flavors of fall on board in various cabins throughout its network.

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Jack Daniel Distillery, three new signature cocktails are being served on board including: Jack’s Birthday Classic was available on all domestic flights in September, the quintessential Jack Daniel’s cocktail, combing Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 with Coca-Cola (also available with Coke Zero or Diet Coke) and garnished with lime.

Jack’s Barrel Celebration, combining Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel with the seasonal flavors of apple juice and ginger ale, Jack’s Barrel Celebration will be available in Delta One on all international flights until Nov. 30.

Holeman and Finch’s JD Single Barrel Classic, Chef Linton Hopkins’ creation that blends the bold flavors of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel with the smooth notes of citrus, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and star anise found in the special mixer is offered in Delta One on all routes featuring Chef Hopkins’ menu also till the end of November.

In addition to Jack Daniel’s signature cocktails, Delta One customers flying on select trans-Atlantic and transcontinental flights will enjoy meals thoughtfully handcrafted by North End Grill’s

Executive Chef Eric Korsh, the latest chef from Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to be featured on board Delta flights.

Delta’s consulting chefs Linton Hopkins and Michelle Bernstein have also artfully created menus using ingredients produced by local purveyors and artisan suppliers to incorporate flavors of the season. Transitioning from the fresh, light tastes of summer to heavier, richer fare, the airline’s menus are designed around fall harvest ingredients like root vegetables, legumes, wild mushrooms, beets and potatoes.

Chef Hopkin’s menu is featured on outbound flights from ATL to select European cities, and customers on select flights between the U.S. and South America will enjoy a taste of Chef Bernstein’s Mexican-inspired seasonal dishes.

The latest menus pair with Delta’s 2016 wine program curated by Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, which follows a similarly seasonal approach.

Robinson has sourced a number of locally-made wines from small, artisanal wineries that bring a flavor and body uniquely their own. This season’s wine selections have an overall richer quality to stand up to the fresh fall flavors.

Customers traveling on First Class on all long-haul North America flights out of Atlanta will experience Dark Choco-

Cola cooler always get wiped out by her hungry customers. She is very grateful for the role that Coca-Cola FEMSA has played in her business, as because of it, she was able to send all three of her children to school, two of whom are now

working in the corporate world. Her youngest child is currently enrolled in a private school. She says that choosing to sell Coca-Cola products has been a good decision, because she finds joy in being able to give people what they are looking for.

Another Washington Street mainstay, standing for nine years now, is O’s store and eatery, which has been a go-to place for a number of her sukis who look forward to her specialty adobo with rice and vegetables. Coming home to the Philippines after having been an OFW for 11 years, O says that although she learned a lot from her career abroad, there’s nothing better than being in her homeland and running her own business. With two of her kids already working, she loves being independent and earns enough money for herself and occasionally treats her three grandchildren. “Coca-Cola is always a winner when it comes to drinks. I don’t know what I would sell to my sukis if I didn’t have Coca-Cola FEMSA,” she says.

We started this day with the expectation that we would be given insider’s access into the makings of a Coca-Cola, and while we did get that, we were also left with something a little bit unexpected.

“It is seeing success stories such as these that push us to keep improving every day,” said Ponce. “Our business is not just about manufacturing beverages. Our business is intertwined with the lives of millions of Filipinos, from those that are employed by us, supply raw materials to us, and those whose livelihoods include delivering or selling our products. Their success is our success, and we want to support them every step of the way.”

Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines operates 19 plants and 54 sales offices across the country, employing around 10,000 people.

Delta airline offers signature cocktails featuring Jack Daniel’s

Delta One’s menu features some of North End Grill’s signature dishes

late gelato, the new fall rotation, from one of Atlanta’s favorite shops Honeysuckle Gelato. Delta began serving Honeysuckle Gelato on board in the summer of 2015, and continually offers seasonal refreshes for customers.

Leaving no stone unturned, First Class and Delta Comfort+ snack baskets also received a fall refresh to provide a seasonal culinary experience to customers. The First Class refresh includes Pumpkin Walnut Breakfast Cookies, Emerald’s To-Go Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal Nut Blend and Michael Et Augustin Milk Chocolate & Caramel Cookie Squares; while the Delta Comfort + basket includes Mrs. Mays Almond Cranberry Bars and Made Good Apple Cinnamon Granola Bars.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

S

Why Pancho and Max admitted relationship just now?

HANGRI-LA Plaza turns 25 with celebrations that include a show stopping concert series featuring some of the best artists and voices in the country at the Grand Atrium, Level 2 of the Main Wing.

Last night, it was A Night of Ballads with Jed Madela. And on Nov.19, Jose Mari Chan leads the Giant Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6:30 p.m. that will be followed with a musical performance at the Grand Atrium, featuring songs from his forthcoming album.

Vocal Synergy, with recording artist and theater actress Nicole Asensio and Filipino-Australian rocker and actor Mig Ayesa, will perform 7 p.m. the following day.

These vocal powerhouses will be performing together for the very first time to serenade mall guests with classic hits and holiday tunes.

Look forward to 25 Years and Beyond: The Shang Anniversary Concert with Joanna Ampil, Martin Nievera and the ABSCBN Philharmonic Orchestra, 7 p.m., Nov. 26. Ampil is the multi-awarded musical theater actress who has performed in a number of popular West End musicals including Miss

Kapamilya star and balladeer Jed Madela

MUSIC ICONS in Shang’s concert series

OPM icon and best-selling recording artist Jose Mari Chan

Joyce Ching and Kristoffer Martin

‘Baes’...

From D4 they are showbiz’s most current eye candies. It’s also because of hard work.

“The night before our first day, hindi ako nakatulog ng maayos. Our call time was six in the morning, dumating ako ng five. Ganun kagrabe yung excitement ko,” said Taki. “Pero yung pressure is on all of us. A lot of people expect so much from us kasi they gave us this huge opportunity. So we really have to give it back to them and do our best.”

“But it’s a good pressure. Positive pressure.

Ayaw namin magbigay ng bigat sa sarili namin, kasi baka hindi kami makapagtrabaho ng maayos,” said Kenneth.

Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar, Avenue Q, and Les Miserables. She joins OPM stalwart Nievera in this unique collaboration with accompaniment by he ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra.

Finally, 7 p.m. on Nov. 27, enjoy the sounds of the Angono Chamber Orchestra in Music and Melody.

Composed of talented young singers, ages 11 to 21, the Angono Chamber Orchestra will serenade mall guests with a repertoire of the season’s

“Kahit may pressure sa amin, mino-motivate namin yung isa’t isa. Chini-cheer up namin yung isa’t isa para makagawa kami ng tama. Sa set, hindi kami naglolokohan. Kapag nasa taping kami, lahat kami nakatutok sa trabaho.,” said Tommy, the 23-year-old from Bataan.

And they don’t do this for themselves as well.

Beyond the popularity, what they want to do with Trops is provide a good role model to the oftenmisrepresented millennials.

It’s difficult to rewrite and change how adults see millennials. But they’re up for the challenge.

“I believe in ‘never stop learning.’ I always want to inspire people of my age na you don’t have to be 18 to know what you want to do in life.

I knew what I wanted to do with my life when I was 14-years-old,” Taki said.

Kim shared, “For me, the happiest part of showbiz is that you can be someone. At the end of the day, you know you’ve done something good if you’ve inspired someone.”

“We’re taking the work and accepting it and not giving up,” said Jon. Trops airs daily before Eat Bulaga on GMA 7. *** Kristoffer Martin and Joyce Ching as a love team has been trending for their sweetness in the afternoon soap in GMA Afternoon Prime’s Hahamakin Ang Lahat from the time it premiered on the Kapuso network.

In fact, the followers of the show say that they felt the love of pair for each other when the characters they play came out in the show as adults.

They play Jun Jun and Rachel in the series. They saw each other in the swimming pool with Joyce in

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Monday, November 14, 2016

ACROSS 1 Face-powder base 5 Precincts 10 Skirt slit 14 Dairy-case buy 15 Cultural values 16 “Typee” sequel 17 “— — Old Cowhand” 18 Deep thought (2 wds.)

20 Cocoon dweller 22 Quaint lodging 23 Pro votes 24 Come next 26 Hockey great 27 Apparition 30 Swirly pattern 34 Tux wearer, often 35 Physics lead-in 36 Ms. Thurman 37 Dots in “la mer” 38 Scrap detente 40 Trash hauler 41 “Mamma —” 42 Housecat’s perch 43 Turn on 45 Glider locales 47 Showed off 48 Ben- — 49 Cheap heat 50 Cuzco dwellers 53 A/C unit

54 Pound sounds 58 Night visitor (2 wds.)

61 Cakedom’s — Lee 62 Go radioactive 63 More skillful 64 Hilo guitars 65 Bank on 66 Must-haves 67 Cartoon skunk — Le Pew DOWN 1 Plug away 2 Diva — Gluck 3 Jet pioneer 4 Mothers oversee them 5 Amazon milieu 6 Courtyard 7 Geneva’s river 8 Parka insulation 9 W-2 info 10 Citizens 11 Green-egg layers 12 Twig juncture 13 Fiddles with 19 Lebanon neighbor 21 — up (pay) 25 Lamer, as an excuse 26 Kind of cookie 27 Doll up

28 Sun, in combos 29 Close by 30 — annum 31 All there 32 Overplay onstage 33 Fishtailed 35 — de mer 39 Subway opposites 40 Manages to find (2 wds.)

42 Be quiet!

44 Penetrating look? (hyph.)

46 Garrulous 47 Presided at tea 49 Rural crossing 50 Centurion’s route 51 1899 Gold Rush town 52 Mattress part 53 Bunyan’s ox 55 Fishing venue 56 Sort of school 57 Courtesy env.

59 Groupie 60 Cen. fractions

favorite tunes.

Feel the holiday cheer as the most wonderful time of the year draws near, and be part of the metro’s top lifestyle destination’s milestone 25 years and beyond celebration. Visit the Shang for spectacular musical performances, shopping, dining, and so much more.

For inquiries, call 370-2597 or 98 or visit www.facebook.com/ shangrilaplazaofficial. Follow the Shang on Instagram: @shangrilaplazaofficial.

a two-piece swimwear, her first on screen.

That scene sent fans in frenzy and twitted it to make the show in the trending list of Twitter. *** Encantadia continues to dominate nationwide ratings, according to data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM). Since Oct. 24 to 31, the show proved it is a formidable player in the primetime ratings game with its 12.5 percent ratings average.

According to the producers of the show, the weekly pasabog makes it to be a worthy nightly watch, especially with the appearance of Agua (played by Janine Gutierrez). What will be her role in the lives of the Sang’gres. Is this a sign of Alena’s return to the magical world of Encantadia?

Janine Gutierrez as Agua in the fantasy drama ‘Encantadia”

ASKED why it’s only now that she and fellow Kapuso talent Pancho Magno became open with their three-year relationship, Max Collins said, “We just felt that it’s already that long and it’s hard to lie to the public. I guess it’s high time to admit what’s really going on between us.”

Despite their admittance, the lovely star stresses that marriage is one thing that’s far from her mind.

“Oh no, not at this point. Actually, if Pancho would ask me to marry him, I would definitely. But in the right time and it’s not that soon!”

It’s more of a personal goal for Max. I really need to work,” she avers. “I want to strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. Even if say, Pancho would tell me that he’d just be the one to work for us in case we tie the knot, still, I won’t give in. I want to achieve my dreams in life first before I settle down. That way, I won’t have any regrets in the future.

Like, my career is doing well now so I would love to make the most out of the opportunities that are coming my way.”

With this mindset, when will she be prepared to exchange marital vows?

“It would all depend on how my career goes. If I’d be able to save enough from my showbiz earnings, then I might consider.

Anyway, I’m just 24 now. But hope I’d walk down the aisle before I reach 30. Ha-ha-ha!”

So, Pancho has to wait?

“Yes, he has to! Ha-ha-ha! If he can’t, then it’s okay!”

With regards to her intimate scenes with Tom Rodriguez in their currently airing GMA soap Someone to Watch over Me, Max reveals she asked for Pancho’s nod first.

“Yes, of course! He’s an integral part of my life. He has to know. It’s good that my boyfriend is understanding, and professional.

Being an actor himself, he knows that it’s part of the job. I’m indeed fortunate in this area because Pancho is open-minded,” she ends. ***** It’s just fine with Bea Binene if Derrick Monasterio is vocal about the possibility the two of them would end up together someday.

“For one, we have chemistry, dating back to our Tween Hearts days. Then, we got paired in Vampire ang Daddy Ko and Hanggang Makita Kang Muli, which earned positive feedbacks.

Now, we’re in Tsuperhero as a result of our strong following in social media. I’m thankful that we have a show together once again,” she says.

According to Derrick, she is more than a friend to him.

“And I must say it’s quite flattering! I guess, any girl who will hear this will feel the same.

But of course, I don’t want the public to think that this is just a publicity stunt for Tsuperhero.

As of now, I’m okay with the kind of closeness we have. I know Derrick very well, like when he’s serious or joking. I’m very close not only to him but to his family as well!”

It seems that something’s holding her back.

“Well, let’s just say that I still don’t want to rush into a new relationship. It’s not that I have trust issues but I just opt to be more careful and cautious.”

At this point, the charming lass wants to be sure of her feelings for Derrick.

“As I’ve said before, we are working on a project right now. I don’t want to connect it to whatever feelings we have for each other. I think it’s far better to let things stay this way at the moment---no pressure, no expectation.

Our working relationship is better because we won’t get conscious with what people will say,” Bea states.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

D4

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016

Showbiz

The “Trops,” which stars Kenneth Medrano, Kim Last, John Timmons, Miggy Tolentino, Tommy Peñaflor, Joel Palencia and Taki Saito, is changing television landscape in the late morning block

‘BAES’

rewriting millennial narrative ISAH V. RED

M

ILLENNIALS don’t have it easy.

Probably the most polarizing generation ever, millennials are sometimes described as driven and ambitious.

But they are also described as lazy, impatient, selfish, and the embodiment of narcissism. They are, at least according to the adults who define them, the most spoiled generation in history.

The six “Baes” of Eat Bulaga and young actress Taki Saito — stars of the GMA late morning show Trops — are millennials. But they are anything but selfish, impatient, and lazy.

The “Baes,” composed of Kenneth Medrano, Miggy Tolentino, Joel Palencia, Tommy Peñaflor, John Timmons, and Kim Last were finalists on Eat Bulaga’s “That’s My Bae” talent search last year. Joining them on the show is 16-year-old Taki, the Japan-born, France-based newcomer who entered showbiz via the drama Calle Siete.

These seven young stars prove that millennials can live up to their other, more positive moniker as the next greatest generation.

“This has been a dream come true, but we’re not resting on our achievements just yet. Since a year ago, we’ve been wanting to do something different, we’ve been waiting to show our talents,” said Kim, the 19-year-old FilipinoBritish dancer who ended up giving up his studies in London to give showbiz in the Philippines a shot.

Kenneth, the 25-year-old Cebuano who came to Manila to try his luck in show business, said they were not impatient at all. Instead, they used that one year to prepare and become better artists.

“Hindi namin inexpect ito,” he said. “Hindi namin deserve ito, pero may goal kami sa sarili namin na gagalingan namin at magiging idol kami ng mga kabataan.”

Trops is the perfect project for these young stars. It’s a show that tells the story of six young men and the problems they face as millennials — their friendships, their relationships, their dramas. In short, it’s the modern day Bagets, but with Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and everything that defines today’s youth culture.

“Sa isang taon na yun, hindi natin maiiwasan yung may away. Normal sa isang grupo yun, e. Doon namin na-improve sa sarili namin kung paano masosolusyonan yung mga problema,” said Joel, a 22-year-old artist who left the daily grind of being a call center agent to pursue his real passion – performing.

Filipino-American Jon, 21, said: “The only competition is ourselves.

So as long as we do better than yesterday, then that will bring us closer to the top. That’s all that matters.” Like most newcomers in show business, he wants to eventually support his mother, who has four jobs in the States. “Seeing my mom smile is the best part,” he said.

“Kaming mga Baes, sobrang close talaga kami, halos kapatid na kami kung magturingan. Every morning, nagse-share kami ng Bible verses para maging positive kaming palagi at maging masigla kahit pagod na,” said Miggy, 20, who was helping out in his mother’s carinderia before entering showbiz.

But the wait was worth it. During their first week of airing, Trops dominated its timeslot by rating 6.2 to 6.4 percent. That’s not just because Turn to D3