Manila Standard - 2016 November 23 - Wednesday

SUNNY SIDE SEVEN. Bullet-proof vested Ronnie Dayan, the former driver/body /lover of then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, replies to a reporter’s question how long their affair was during his presentation to media by PNP chief Ronald de la Rosa at Camp Crame, hours after his noon arrest at the coastal town of San Juan in La Union Tuesday. Ey Acasio

VOL. XXX • NO. 284 • 6 SECTIONS 28 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Kerwin tags Leila, top cop—PacMan

By Joel E. Zurbano

tive of De Lima? In short, he said, he was being asked for a quota for the election. He mentioned several instances and I was shocked when I heard that,” Pacquiao told ABS-CBN. Next page

SUSPECTED drug lord Kerwin Espinosa tagged Senator Leila de Lima and a ranking police officer as among the government officials who benefited in the drug trade in the country, Senator Manny Pacquiao said Tuesday.

Espinosa gave De Lima P8 million in drug money in staggered payments, said Pacquiao, who talked with Espinosa, who was taken back to the Philippines after he was arrested in Abu Dhabi following months in hiding.

Pacquiao said Espinosa told him that a certain “Dayan” had called him and introduced himself as a person close to De Lima.

“He {Espinosa] said how can he be sure if he was really a representa- Senator De Lima

Don’t make him suffer —De Lima SENATOR Leila de Lima appealed to the authorities on Tuesday to spare her married former driver and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan with whom she admitted having an affair while she was a government official.

“Huwag na ninyo silang pahirapan pa, mga kriminal man sila o hindi [Don’t make them suffer, whether they be a criminal or not],” the former justice secretary said in a statement.

After more than a month in hiding, Dayan was arrested in the surfing town of San Juan, La Union on Tuesday and was brought to the House of Representatives which issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to testify on his involvement in the drug trade from the national penitentiary.

“In the arrest of Ronnie Dayan, I am hoping that the authorities will treat him properly. That is also my call to the President for all the others who will testify against me, like [suspected drug lord] Kerwin Espinosa,” De Lima said.

Espinosa, believed to be the biggest drug trafficker in the Visayas, is the son of former Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa who

Dayan: I collected money for De Lima

By Francisco Tuyay, Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz

P

OLICE on Tuesday arrested the former lover and alleged bagman of Senator Leila de Lima, Ronnie Dayan, who admitted collecting money from drug lords detained at the New Bilibid Prison to raise funds for De Lima’s senatorial campaign.

“I received money from Kerwin (Espinosa) for senadora,” Dayan said when asked by reporters at the House of Representatives whether or not he acted as De Lima’s bagman.

Dayan said he would tell Congress what he knows when it resumes its investigation into the proliferation of illegal drugs inNext page side the NBP.

Dayan was arrested by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and La Union and Pangasinan police at a farm in the coastal town of San Juan in La Union at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Dayan was presented to the media in Camp Crame, where he admitted having an affair with De Lima for seven years, which ended

NPO execs quit over ‘favoritism’ THE chairman and members of the Bids and Awards Committee of the government-owned National Printing Office resigned en masse on Monday due to the alleged pressure from their newly appointed director to favor certain bidders for equipment-lease contracts within the agency.

The officials criticized Francisco Vales Jr. for favoring Topbest Printing Corp. for the leasing of machine

runs contrary to bidding rules.

The members of the BAC’s secretariat likewise resigned for the same reasons.

“This resignation is prompted by the ‘too much’ pressure in the bidding of leasing of printing machines,” the members of the NPO BAC said in their resignation letter addressed to Vales.

“Your instruction to renew the contract of Topbest for the leasing of machine runs contrary to the essence of public bidding.”

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ERC defiant, Du30 sets graft raps

By John Paolo Bencito THE Palace on Tuesday insinuated that defiant officials of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) who have refused to resign have failed to meet President Rodrigo Duterte’s moral standards on corruption, and should step down before the President resorts to other legal remedies to have

them removed.

In a press briefing, Communications Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag said that while ERC officials do have fixed terms—fraudulent acts within the commission are unacceptable, hence the President’s call for their voluntary resignation.

“The President is asking the ERC officials to resign, and some

of them have made their positions clear. We understand that the ERC officials have fixed terms of office and that is the very reason why the President is exercising moral suasion for these officials to voluntarily resign,” Banaag said.

ERC commissioners have a five-year fixed term while the chairman has seven years in office.

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Palace leaves Lopez out of Cabinet list

Regina Paz Lopez

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Regina Paz Lopez remains the only Cabinet member not nominated

by Malacañang for confirmation to the Commission on Appointments as of Tuesday, records showed.

After failing to get the commission’s nod in the last session of Congress after its Halloween recess, Malacañang again nominated 15 of the unconfirmed Cabinet secretaries including Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr., ICT Secretary Rodolfo Salalima, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno, Health Secretary Paulyn twitter.com/ MlaStandard

Ubial, and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.

Likewise named by Malacañang to the commission were Science Secretary Fortunato Dela Peña, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.

Malacañang nominated Lopez before she was bypassed following the Congress’ break.

Communications Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag said Lopez’s non-appointment “might have been overlooked” by the Palace.

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facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

CLENCHED CLUTCH.

The NPO officials said they had hoped that Vales would heed President Rodrigo Duterte’s instructions against corruption being a former employee of the City Government of Davao, but “the pressure you are exerting on the BAC is simply not acceptable.”

A copy of the letter was furnished Communications Secretary Martin Andanar whose office is in charge of all government communication platforms, but he had yet to respond to it.

Tensions had been simmering in the NPO after Vales, who was appointed by Duterte in June, was observed consorting himself with former officials of the NPO who were previously suspended if not dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman for irregular transactions.

John Paolo Bencito

President Rodrigo Duterte explains his trademark gesture – imitated by many of his countrymen to make a political impression – to members of media during a news conference after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit in Lima, Peru on Nov 21.

Digong justifies plan to pardon 50 detainees

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte plans to grant an absolute pardon to 40 to 50 political detainees before Christmas as a confidencebuilding measure with the communist rebels, a senior Cabinet official said Tuesday.

“In a few days maybe the President is going to pardon some of their consultants,” Labor Secretary and government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said in a

thestandard.com.ph

Palace press briefing.

“It’s very possible that they will be given a pardon, especially the elderly, the sickly and the women. Our President is biased towards women detainees or prisoners,” he added.

The National Democratic Front had earlier warned that the ceasefire agreement between them and the government was unlikely if the government did not do anything to release political prisoners.

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SC resets ruling on Marcoses THE Supreme Court has deferred action on the pleadings of Martial Law victims seeking to cite the Marcos family, the military leadership and the Duterte administration in contempt of court for proceeding with the burial of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the heroes’ cemetery when its decision allowing it had not yet attained finality.

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News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER23, 2016

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ERC...

From A1 ERC Commissioners Ina Asirit, Alfredo Non and Gloria Victoria Taruc have all said they won’t resign so as not to create a vacuum that would affect the agency’s work, while a fourth commissioner, Geronimo Sta. Ana, has not issued a statement.

ERC chairman Jose Vicente Salazar meanwhile, said he is waiting for Duterte to return from Peru “to give him a fuller picture of the current developments at the ERC.” Banaag warned that the President might resort to other legal means to effect their dismissal should they defy his verbal warning.

“We have other remedies, according to the law and he is asking them to resign because of the alleged corruption issues. There are other remedies -- investigation is one, even preventive suspension. The President even raised other options ,” she added.

On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday demanded the resignation of ERC officials after reports of rampant corruption, triggered by the suicide of the agency’s director, Francisco Jose Villa Jr., over pressure to rig government contracts.

Duterte said that he had read the internal and intelligence reports that pointed to anomalies and abuse of position, and warned that if the ERC commissioners would not resign , he will ask Congress to either withhold the ERC’s budget or disband the agency altogether.

The Manila Electric Co. on Tuesday denied any links to allegations of corruption at the ERC. Meralco head of legal William Pamintuan said the company’s power supply agreements were filed “in accordance with existing ERC rules and regulation, which go through a very transparent and rigorous public hearing process.”

A lawmaker has alleged there was a link between Meralco’s contracts and Villa’s suicide last November 9.

“These power supply agreements are not part of the matters being taken up by the Bids and Award Committee of the ERC which actually deals with internal contracts and procurement at the ERC,” Pamintuan said. With Alena Mae Flores

Don’t...

‘Priests can forgive abortion’ V

ATICAN City - Pope Francis declared Monday that all priests would have the right permanently to forgive abortion, seen as a significant outreach by the Catholic Church to women.

But he said Monday that the end of the special year did not mean the end of mercy itself, and so-called sinners must be given a chance to repent. The Catholic Church considers abortion to be a sin.

“I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father,” Francis said in the letter.

“May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation.”

The forgiveness stretches not only to women who have abortions but also to those who carry them out or are involved in

“I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion,” the pope wrote in an apostolic letter marking the end of the “Year of Mercy,” which wound up Sunday.

“The provision I had made in this regard, limited to the duration of the Extraordinary Holy Year, is hereby extended,” he wrote, making permanent a

temporary measure put in place for the Vatican’s jubilee year.

The 79-year-old Argentine pontiff said he had to “restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life.”

On Sunday, as he brought the jubilee to an end by closing the bronze-panelled Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Square, Francis gave an interview in which he called abortion “a horrendous crime.”

Dayan...

one-and-a-half months of intelligence monitoring.

“He stayed in the nipa hut of his son Jomar together with his live-in partner in Sitio Bato.

When he was monitored and sighted there on Nov. 17, we immediately exerted efforts to locate him,” Pimentel said.

“Upon receipt of the information of Dayan’s whereabouts, we scoured the ridges of Sito Bato until we cornered him,” he added.

Dayan had fled his residence in Urbizrondo, Pangasinan, after President Rodrigo Duterte tagged him as De Lima’s lover and alleged link to convicted drug lords at the NBP. Dayan said he wanted to surrender when authorities launched massive manhunt against him, but he decided not to yield for fear of his safety.

Dayan underwent initial investigation at the PPPO and was transported to Camp Crame.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, which has filed a complaint against De Lima, had earlier offered P1 million for information on Dayan’s whereabouts.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday said the Justice department would consider Dayan as a state witness against De Lima.

Aguirre made the statement even as he encouraged Dayan to tell the truth about what he knows about the drug transactions inside the national penitentiary.

During the congressional hearing, high profile inmates

testified that Dayan was De Lima’s bagman. He allegedly collected millions from the inmates to bankroll De Lima’s senatorial campaign.

Last Monday, the group of petitioners led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman asked the high court to order the government to exhume Marcos’ remains as a penalty for the “premature, void and irregular” interment carried out by the Marcos family, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Department of National Defense before they could even file their appeal on the high court’s ruling allowing the burial.

Lagman’s group also urged the high court to order the examination of the remains exhumed from the tomb in order to determine with certainty that

the “mortal remains” of Marcos buried at the LNMB was not any other artifact or a wax replica of him.

Another group of petitioners led by former Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Saturnino Ocampo also filed a petition seeking to cite the Marcos heirs and government officials in contempt of court for proceeding with the burial even if the high court ruling had not yet become final.

It was the second time the high court deferred action on the petitioners’ pleadings.

When the high court handed down its ruling allowing the burial, Lagman and Ocampo

From A1

n 2014, two months before De Lima ran for senator in 2016.

“I had a relations with De Lima for seven years but it ended and I lost contact with her in 2014. I was able to talk to her after the elections,” Dayan said.

Barely seven days before Dayan’s arrest, De Lima admitted on national TV of having a romance with her former driver and bodyguard when she was Justice secretary in the Aquino administration.

Dayan also denied knowing Kerwin Espinosa, tagged as one of Eastern Visayas’ biggest drug dealers.

Philippine National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa said they have not pressured Dayan into divulging what he knows before Congress this week, nor has he had time to prepare an affidavit.

Earlier, Congress approved Dayan’s arrest for his failure to appear at its hearings. He is being turned over to the congressional sergeant-at-arms, retired Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali, who will take custody of him.

Dela Rosa said policemen arrested Dayan, contrary to reports that Dayan had surrendered.

Dayan said he hid from the police for almost a month in the hinterlands of La Union, and negotiated 15 kilometers of rugged terrain in an attempt to elude them.

Chief Supt. Gregorio Pimentel said Dayan’s arrest came after

any way.

The watchword of mercy has meant helping the unfortunate, and welcoming outcasts back into the fold.

Francis hopes greater compassion from a more openminded Church will not only counter xenophobia but also draw more people to the pews.

“The concession on abortion has had little practical effect in places such as the United States, where many bishops had already delegated permission to priests to forgive the sin,” wrote Vatican expert John Allen on the Catholic Cruxnow. com website.

“But symbolically it’s been interpreted as a major gesture

panel to reopen its probe today (Wednesday). But everything remains to be seen, Alvarez said.

The House committee on justice hopes to compel Dayan to testify about his role in the illegal drug trade in the NBP. Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chairman of the House justice committee, said the House will detain him until he is able to shed light on the issue.

“We will detain him until he answers all of the queries of the members of the House and the members are satisfied with his answers,” Umali said, adding that while in detention, he will not be allowed to have access to any communication device.

Umali said the panel wants Dayan to answer its questions truthfully.

“We are not in the business of coercing people to make them respond in the way we want them to respond,” he said.

“They have Constitutional right, we will afford him counsel and allow him his right against self-incrimination,” Umali said.

Umali also said they will also re-invite De Lima to attend the House probe.

“Now that Dayan has been arrested and she has fears that Dayan may be forced to say something else, then she can always come and defend herself,” Umali said.

House Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu said he supports the call to reopen the NBP drug probe. With John

“It is a chance for Mr. Dayan to clear his name so we encourage him to tell the whole truth of what he knows,” Aguirre said.

According to him, Dayan will be admitted to the government’s Witness Protection Program if he decides to spill the beans on De Lima.

He said Dayan is also the key to tie up loose ends in the NBP drug transactions, complaints of which have been filed before the DoJ. Dayan is one of the respondents in the three complaints pending before the DoJ. The DoJ’s five-man panel of prosecutors will hold its first preliminary investigation hearing December 2.

Malacañang on Tuesday welcomed news of Dayan’s arrest.

“We hope that Mr Dayan’s arrest would lead to the uncovering of truth in the proliferation of drugs in Bilibid and for the guilty to be punished,” Communications Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag said in a statement Tuesday.

“We owe this to the future generation of Fillipinos to have a drug-free society,” she added.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday said the House of Representatives will ensure the safety of Dayan as soon as the latter is kept under its custody.

Alvarez also said he would have wanted the House justice Paolo Bencito

From A1

was killed in a provincial jail after he issued a sworn statement implicating several government and police officials as his protectors.

“Don’t make a drama out of your desire to besmirch me. Just file the case in court and I will face you there,” added the former justice secretary who admitted having an affair with Dayan that started when she was human rights commissioner, Last November 15, De Lima admitted her affair with Dayan and said it lasted for “a few years” and was borne of the “frailties of a woman.”

Dayan himself admitted on Tuesday that he had an illegal affair with De Lima.

“It is true that we had a relation, seven years,” he told reporters at Camp Crame where he was brought after his arrest in La Union.

Both De Lima and Dayan are accused of being beneficiaries of the drug trade that was carried out from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, an agency that was under the Department of Justice when De Lima was its chief.

But while she admitted having an affair with Dayan, De Lima denied that drug trafficking flourished in the national penitentiary because she abetted it.

“In my whole life, especially during my service in the government, I never benefited in any wrong-doing because I have never turned my back on the trust of the people,” De Lima reiterated.

SC...

From A1 High court spokesman Theodore Te said the magistrates on Tuesday deliberated on the petitions to exhume Marcos’ reported remains that were interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani on November 18.

But Te said the justices decided to reset their deliberations on the pleadings to November 29.

He did not give the reason for the deferment but an insider said the magistrate in charge of the case, Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, was on wellness leave on Tuesday.

Palace...

From A1

Digong...

From A1

Lopez has been under scrutiny for her anti-mining stance. She has been leading a crackdown on mining companies claiming there is no such thing as responsible mining.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines has reiterated its concern over Lopez’s integrity following the role of confirmed antimining civil society organizations.

The CA has already approved the appointments of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Several members of the Judicial and Bar Council and military men also got the CA’s nod.

But the Ambassador to the United Nations Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana have been bypassed. John Paolo Bencito

Benito Tiamzon, Communist Party of the Philippines chairman, said that as of mid-November, the NDFP has not monitored any development in the government’s pledge to release a substantial number of political prisoners by the end of this month.

Tiamzon said the political prisoners should be released before December.

NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili last October demanded a general amnesty for more than 400 political prisoners as “a matter of justice and compliance with the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.” Bello however, insisted that the release of political

prisoners should not be used as a precondition for a permanent ceasefire.

He added that he was not giving up on the hope of signing an agreement by Dec. 10.

The government and the NDF had earlier agreed to transform their indefinite ceasefire into a permanent one, agreed to by both sides, within two months of their siging of a joint statement on August 26.

Both negotiating panels, however, have yet to agree on some of the terms and conditions, including the definition of “hostile acts,” identification of battle zones, and members of a ceasefire monitoring team.

Bello said the definition of a hostile act was not as simple as it appeared.

“There are ramifications,” he said. “For example, is the collection of a revolutionary tax consid-

filed urgent motions seeking to temporarily suspend the burial until the decision became final.

They asked the high court to re-issue the status quo ante order, which was lifted in the high court decision, in order not to render moot the motion for reconsideration of the court decision that they intended to file.

In the high court’s session on November 15, the justices also decided to reset the deliberations on the motions due to the absence of four justices.

With lack of action from the high court, Marcos’ burial proceeded on November 18. Rey E.

Requejo

ered a hostile act?”

But Tiamzon disagreed with Bello’s assessment that only technical problems remained, and accused the government of spreading false news to gloss over serious obstacles to a more stable ceasefire.

In particular, Tiamzon cited allegations of continued abuses by government troops in violation of their own unilateral ceasefire.

Bello said, however, that if there were violations, Agcaoili should have called him.

He also urged the NDF to file cases before the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee.

Even if the joint ceasefire agreement is not signed by December 10, Bello said, he had a gentleman’s agreement with NDF chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni to extend their respective unilateral ceasefire declarations.

of outreach to women,” he said.

Church leaders in Brazil, which has the world’s biggest Roman Catholic population, welcomed the development.

“With this initiative, Pope Francis recalls the seriousness of abortion and the extraordinary strength of divine mercy to cure all human wounds,” said Leonardo Ulrich Steiner, secretary general of the national conference of bishops.

The pope’s order amounts to a “powerful and significant gesture,” he said in a statement.

The letter, entitled Misericordia et Misera (“Mercy and Misery”), was signed by Francis at the end of a mass closing the jubilee.

Kerwin...

From A1 To verify if De Lima herself knew about the transactions, Espinosa went to Baguio where he met her and told her that he gave the money to her aide.

A photo that has been widely circulated on the internet shows Espinosa and De Lima at Burnham Park in Baguio City.

Pacquiao said aside from De Lima, Espinosa also named Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Eastern Visayas director Marvin Marcos as one of the police officials involved in the drug trade.

“He [Espinosa] said Marcos told him that his wife was running (for election) then he was asked for P3 million. But he told him he can afford only P2.5 million and then gave him P1.5 million as [an] initial [payment],” Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao said the money was handed to Marcos by Espinosa’s father, slain Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa while the young Espinosa stayed in the car to prevent people from seeing him.

The boxer turned senator said he believed Espinosa was telling the truth.

Espinosa, who is is temporarily detained at the Philippine National Police Custodian Center inside Camp Crame in Quezon City, is scheduled to appear at the Senate hearing today for a possible face-off with De Lima, one of the high-ranking government officials allegedly listed in the ledger of his late father linked to the illegal drug trade in Eastern Visayas.

De Lima has denied all allegations against her and said that Kerwin would suffer the same fate that befell his father, who was killed by policemen in his cell at Baybay City Sub Provincial Jail in Leyte.

The National Bureau of Investigation filed drug charges against De Lima earlier over her alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison when she was still Justice secretary.

De Lima has dismissed the allegations against her as politically motivated and a personal attack from President Rodrigo Duterte.

Espinosa has supposedly prepared an affidavit that names politicians, including two senators, and other government officials, but the document has not been released pending his appearance at the Senate.

Before his death in a supposed shootout with lawmen inside his jail, Rolando Espinosa Sr. said in a TV interview that a senator, a congressman and police officials were on his list, but refused to name them.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, who heads the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said the younger Espinosa said he wanted to avoid his father’s fate, in a draft affidavit that he e-mailed to the senator.

He said the draft affidavit contained new names of personalities, allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

De Lima on Tuesday denied she personally knew Kerwin Espinosa and said she is ready to face him at the Senate Wesdnesday.

“I’m telling you right now, I don’t know him. I don’t remember meeting him or anyone in his family. I don’t know anyone in the Espinosa family, including his late father,” De Lima told reporters.

She said she will attend the hearing because she is a member of the committee led by its chairman, Lacson.

“This is just a continuation of the inquiry. I was present and I participated during the first hearing, and I will be present again at tomorrow’s hearing,” De Lima said.

De Lima also denied Pacquiao’s latest revelation that she accepted P8 million in drug money.

News

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Comelec widens voter registration

By Vito Barcelo THE Commission on Elections will conduct mandatory satellite registration in areas where there are indigenous peoples, internally displaced persons, persons with disabilities, detainees and senior citizens, in every barangay to ensure a wider participation from among them.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body had observed that only a few people from these groups were registered voters because of the distance of Comelec offices and the strenuous waiting in long queues for the application to register.

“We want the voter registration process to be inclusive; as long as you are qualified, then you should enjoy your right to

vote,” Jimenez said.

He said the Comelec had deployed field personnel, welltrained on how to properly identify and respond to the needs of these groups.

“The encoding of demographics and taking of biometrics data are sensitive processes, especially among these groups,” he said, adding “our field officers are trained to properly identify and respond to these needs because we cannot emphasize enough the importance of cultural awareness and sensitivity to prevent disenfranchisement among these groups.”

Jimenez also encouraged local government units to open their day care centers for women with small children on registration days.

SOLID ALLIANCE. Armed Forces chief General Ricardo Visaya greets US Pacific Command commander Admiral Harry Harris during a meeting of the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Board. AFP

PH-US treaty board convenes

By Florante S. Solmerin

O

FFICIALS of the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) of the Philippines and the United States met Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo, underlining what they called the “strong alliance” between Manila and Washington.

Outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya led his men in meeting with the group of Admiral Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of the US Pacific Command. Both are co-chairmen of the MDB-SEB. The Philippine side did not give details on the meeting, but other sources, who did not have the authority to speak on the record, said the Philippine military had informed the US about

the directives by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We’ve heard that the traditional big joint military exercises such as the Balikatan has been scrapped as directed by the commander-in-chief. That RPUS joint naval patrol in the West Philippine Sea where the Chinese has been grabbing territories would be stopped. We will not see this kind of military exercises and patrols anymore,” one source told Manila Standard.

Another source said the withdrawal of American forces stationed in Mindanao was also discussed but stopped short of going into specifics pending “black and white” directive from Duterte.

Duterte has wanted US Special Forces deployed out from Mindanao.

The Philippine side called Tuesday’s meeting successful.

“The successful completion of the MDB-SEB ensures con-

tinued, robust relations between the US and Philippine militaries. This highlights the enduring commitment of both countries to the US-Philippine alliance,” a joint statement said.

“We look forward to continued, close cooperation in areas central to both our national and security interests including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counterterrorism, cyber security, and maritime security,” it added.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Something fishy

T

HE Palace said this week that President Duterte will soon issue an executive order making a portion of Scarborough Shoal a “marine sanctuary and no-fishing zone”— giving the illusion that he can do with mere words what the Chinese Coast Guard have been enforcing with their ships—keep people out of the disputed lagoon.

In announcing the move, a spokesman for the President said that at their recent meeting in Lima, Peru, Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared receptive to Duterte’s idea of turning the shoal into a sanctuary, which would

effectively ban all fishing inside the shoal but not around it.

“We will mobilize government forces to promote our agreements, step up guidance to create a favorable environment,” the spokesman said, giving the impression that Manila had the wherewithal to enforce anything in the disputed shoal.

But Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez’s statement that the changes would be “unilateral” for the time being suggested there was no Chinese buy-in to the President’s plan.

Moreover, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said turning the shoal into a sanctuary would help diffuse the country’s territorial dispute with China, suggesting that President Duterte’s declaration was aimed at ap-

peasing an occupying foreign force— which is how we must view the Chinese ships, if we truly believe that Scarborough Shoal is ours.

When President Duterte returned from his state visit to China in October, much ado was made over the fact that Filipino fishermen were able to return to their traditional fishing grounds in the Scarborough Shoal without being harassed by Chinese ships. Those ships remained, however, much as they have since China seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and deployed navy and coast guard vessels to prevent Filipino fishermen from working in the rich fishing grounds nearby.

Not a single word in President Duterte’s upcoming executive order will change the fact that Chinese ships con-

tinue to exercise physical control of the shoal that we claim as our own, or that Filipino fishermen have been allowed to re-enter the area only upon the behest of a friendly government in Beijing. This was reinforced by Xi himself, when he was quoted as promising Duterte that Filipino fishermen would continue to have access to the disputed shoal.

In the realpolitik governing the South China Sea, the President’s executive order would be laughable—were it not also a brazen attempt to fool the public into believing that Mr. Duterte had the power to exercise sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal. The sad fact, however, is that the only people who would obey Mr. Duterte’s executive order are Filipino fishermen, whose interests he had promised to protect.

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

Low-ambition culture

Leni the Unfrail LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES IF YOU see Senator Leila de Lima in church again soon, don’t be surprised. With the arrest of her former driver-lover Ronnie Dayan and the expected damning testimony to be given starting today by alleged drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, the senator will be needing all the help she can get from anywhere.

I don’t know if De Lima will be making the same prediction about Dayan that she made about Espinosa, to the effect that her former paramour may be killed even if he cooperates with the authorities and rats on her. But I know while she will closely monitor Espinosa’s statements in the Senate, she will be on pins and needles while the House of Representatives goes about the job of questioning Dayan.

Personally, I think Espinosa will be the source of more

damaging testimony in a court of law against the senator. But Dayan will provide the salacious details about De Lima that will keep people chattering for weeks to come.

Between the two witnesses, I think De Lima’s goose is well and truly cooked. After all, three senators were recently jailed, in part because of De Lima’s efforts as justice secretary, using a lot less testimonial evidence than these two former fugitives are expected to provide. *** For all her tough-as-nails pugnaciousness, De Lima has admitted that she is still subject to the “frailties of a woman,” in her quaint phrase. I wonder what it would take to weaken the resolve of the frail-looking Vice President Leni Robredo enough to make her quit the Duterte Cabinet.

Robredo was the recent target of vicious rumors of her alleged pregnancy at the ripe old, nonchild-bearing age of 52. The rumors were “insulting,” according to the vice president—but

not insulting enough, apparently, to make her quit.

Speaking of old age, former President Fidel Ramos, at 88, has no problem with quitting when he knows he’s not wanted.

Ramos, after a much-publicized visit to Malacañang during which he was supposed to have

I wonder what it would take to weaken the resolve of the frail-looking Robredo enough to make her quit the Cabinet. mended fences with President Rodrigo Duterte, once again criticized the incumbent Chief Executive, unleashing a double-

barreled attack centered on the burial of Ferdinand Marcos and Duterte’s non-appearance at key events during the recently concluded APEC summit in Lima, Peru.

But Ramos knew enough to resign first as special envoy to China before he started attacking the man he was supposed to have convinced to run for president last May. In this respect, Ramos is definitely more sensitive to public opinion than Robredo ever will be.

Robredo once again found herself at odds with Duterte when she also lambasted the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, which the president had promised to Ilocanos during a campaign sortie in February. Robredo said the Marcos family acted “like a thief in the night” when it suddenly interred the long-dead remains of the former dictator last Friday.

Then, Robredo disclosed a plan to remove her by yearend and hand over the vice presidency to former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., based on a text

message she was supposed to have received. According to Robredo, the votes cast last May 9 in certain provinces were being recounted in order to show that the younger Marcos had won, paving the way for her removal.

By Robredo’s fuzzy reckoning, the Marcos burial was part of a grand scheme that would lead to her ouster and the installation of Bongbong. This fantastic scenario would be a lot more believable if Robredo didn’t also know that Bongbong’s camp has in fact been nagging the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to act on the former senator’s threemonth-old protest – and that the PET has not gone as far as to start a recount that Marcos says would prove his case of massive cheating that robbed him of the vice presidency.

Robredo will talk about anything and everything, it seems, like she did yesterday at a forum hosted by the Philippine Stock Exchange, during which she took a swipe at the violent war or drugs being waged by Turn to A5

IN December 2005, the Philippines was included by Goldman Sachs as among the next 11 emerging industrializing countries or the N-11—Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Turkey, South Korea and Vietnam.

They had large populations which meant greater consumer market potential. Their high growth rates meant their markets would expand rapidly, providing even more customers.

Their potential would make them as important globally as the so-called BRICs—Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

The BRICs and the N-11 were supposed to become among the world’s largest economies in the 21st century.

In listing the N-11 nations, Goldman Sachs used the following criteria: Macroeconomic stability, political maturity, openness of trade and investment policies, and the quality of education.

The N-11s are large economies. In billion dollar purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, the biggest is Indonesia with $3,027 billion ($3 trillion), making it the eighth largest economy in the world in PPP terms. It is followed

by Mexico $2,306 billion; South Korea $1,928 billion; Turkey $1,669 billion; Nigeria $1,128 billion; Egypt $1,092 billion; Pakistan $982 billion; Philippines $831 billion; Bangladesh $620 billion; and Vietnam $592 billion.

Comes now our own National Economic and Development Authority, President Duterte’s supercabinet for economic policy making, with its own Ambisyon Natin 2040.

Compared with what Goldman Sachs has projected for the Philippines in 2005, Neda’s Ambisyon Natin goals are simply underwhelming—a strongly-rooted, comfortable, and secure life.

An overwhelming majority of Filipinos aspire for a simple and comfortable life (79 percent), followed by a smaller segment of the population who want an affluent life (16.9 percent) while a very small portion aspires for the life of the rich (3.9 percent).

For Filipinos, a simple and comfortable life is described as having a medium-sized home and enough earnings to support everyday needs, ownership of at least one Turn to A5

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Opinion TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Leni and the tomb raiders SANTA Banana, I thought I’d They say it was an insult to the never see in my lifetime a vice host. president like Leni Robredo so I don’t see it that way. Dulacking in self-respect and “del- terte arrived in Lima from New icadeza.” She refuses to resign Zealand, a good 10- or 11- hour her Cabinet post as chairperson flight. He is not used to long of the Housing and Urban De- flights. And worse, he arrived velopment Coordinating Coun- in Peru at dawn, when he is supcil despite openly criticizing posed to be sleeping.

President Duterte’s go-signal I can only sympathize with to have the remains of former him. strongman President Ferdinand *** E. Marcos buried at the LibinSpeaking of leeches in govgan ng mga Bayani. ernment, the President ordered She claims she serves at the all the Energy Regulatory Compleasure of the President, add- missioners to resign because of ing that if the President wants graft and corruption as revealed her out, he should say it. by an ERC executive in his suiDoesn’t Robredo know that as cide note. a member of the Cabinet, she’s But the commissioners refuse supposed to be an alter ego of to do so because they claim they the Chief Executive? My gulay, have a fixed tenure and to do so obviously not. Robredo is the would be an admission of guilt. typical “kapit-tuko.”

This reminds me of that inciI thought all the while that dent when a Philippine National Robredo as a “provinciana” Police (PNP) official refused lawyer would be different from to resign because of charges of her “yellow” gangmates that corruption. He had to be carried ruled the country for the past out of office while sitting on his six years. I thought she was an- chair. gelic, but now it is clear I was Well, the President can always wrong. give the ERC a “zero budget” to *** render the ERC commissioners There are some clowns pa- useless. rading as victims of Martial Speaking of how pervasive Law. They want to exhume the graft and corruption has been Marcos grave at the LNMB to embedded in government, Cusfind out if it’s really the remains toms Commissioner Nick Faelof Marcos that were entombed. don was honest enough to admit Santa Banana, that corrupthey are out to tion and desecrate the smuggling dead! continues at I thought she Don’t these the Bureau of clowns realize was angelic, but Customs. that there is a Past presilaw prevent- now it is clear I dents have ing the Martried to rewas wrong. coses from vamp Cusburying a fortoms. How mer soldier many Cusand a presitoms comdent at the LNMB? The issue missioners have been appointwas never about Marcos being ed? Has anything changed? a hero. The fact is that he was a I admit I cannot offer any sosoldier and president. Thus, he lution to this, but I know that is qualified to be interred at the some countries have already Libingan. privatized their customs servicMy gulay, these clowns even es. That could be a thought for want the Marcoses and every- President Duterte. *** body responsible for that unanAn area where graft and cornounced burial cited for contempt by the Supreme Court. ruption has also been embedded Contempt for what? For com- in government is Conditional plying with the majority deci- Cash Transfer, a dole program sion of the Supreme Court and with an appropriation that has being in compliance with the reached P62 billion.

The program is supposed to law? The gods of Mount Olympus on Padre Faura have given reduce poverty. It was patterned their go-signal. I doubt whether after programs in some Latin the decision would be reversed. American countries— which What worries me though later found it self-defeating beis the silence of the Catholic cause it resulted in mendicancy Church on this circus. They instead of poverty reduction.

Now that President Duterte know full well that what the Marcos haters are doing is des- is on top of the situation, perhaps he could dig deep into the ecration of the dead. anomalies that went on for the *** Some characters are mak- past six years under BS Aquino. ing an issue out of the non-at- For instance, the Commission tendance of the President at the on Audit found that some regala dinner and the photoshoot cipients of the dole were not all of leaders of the Asia-Pacific poor. Some of the money went Economic Cooperation in Peru. to alcohol and illegal drugs.

Leni...

From A4

Duterte. But the one thing you will not hear Robredo hear talking about is why she continues to cling to her post as housing czarina of the Duterte administration.

Two of the leftists in the Cabinet of Duterte, at least, have declared that they are not resigning, either, despite their opposition to the burial of Marcos at the military cemetery. But both Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano and Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said that they are still willing to work with Duterte because they see eye-to-eye with him on more important matters.

And Duterte has not even subjected neither Mariano nor Taguiwalo have been subjected to salty sexual innuendo by

Duterte yet. In contrast, Robredo has never sufficiently explained why she stays on in the Cabinet, even if she has almost always clashed with the president on policy and politics and despite her boss’ salty remarks about her legs and knees.

A daughter of Robredo’s, seeking to debunk the rumors of her mother’s purported pregnancy, has sarcastically asked online if that would not be like an immaculate conception. But I think the more miraculous event is the continued stay of Robredo in Duterte’s Cabinet, despite all the trials and tribulations that she says she’s been encountering on the job.

Unlike De Lima, Robredo is turning out to be anything but frail. The vice president may no longer be able to bear children, but her ability to withstand the slings and arrows of her outrageous Cabinet stay remains in perfect shape.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

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Why we are marching again Statement of the Center for Community Journalism and Development AS WE have written way back in 2012, we need to be reminded time and again “Lest we have, in the busyness of our work and our lives, shuffled the memory into the backs of our mind.”

Today, the 23rd of November 2016, we mark the seventh year of the most gruesome aberration called the Maguindanao Massacre that had been set upon the media and Philippine democracy with such impunity as to defy all norms of human decency.

But the same cry against impunity appears to be falling mostly on ears that would not deign to listen even as today, ironically, we also commemorate the fourth year of the International Day to End Impunity in the Philippines.

Again, as we have written in 2012 for the same commemorative event, “The massacre was a beast that nearly eviscerated the community press in that part of Mindanao, demonstrating in horrific detail the vulnerability of journalists who live and work in the provinces and who have often been, and still are, put to task for, among other things, suborning the practice of journalism. They are often portrayed as easy prey for blandishments of many kinds or willing participants in rent-seeking and rent-giving.

Or that they are paid hacks of politicians and are bereft of any ethical norm or standard. This may be partly true but realities on the ground present a different picture and context of the vulnerabilities

faced by community journalists.”

It is a graphic description of the kind of governance bereft of the rights-based principles of participation, accountability, non-discrimination, transparency, human dignity, empowerment, and rule of law that gave rise in the first place to such an insidious phenomenon.

It is the same narrative that the government seems bent on foisting on all of us, that many of those who have been killed deserved what they got, a grim but sobering reminder that successive administrations have always demonstrated some sort of ambivalence towards journalists and media practice. These are but some of the ingredients that create a culture of impunity.

Impunity f lourishes when law enforcement is weak and the judicial process is excruciatingly slow with one study showing that on average it takes more than five years for an ex-

trajudicial killing case to undergo the criminal process; impunity becomes even more manifest when the rule of law is swept under by the expedience of crime fighting; impunity gains even more momentum when the body of an ousted dictator is buried among heroes, in the process trampling history and the sacrifices of those who fought for the restoration of democracy; impunity becomes even more rampant and insidious when citizens refuse to speak out because they could not relate their daily lives to the function of journalism in democracy; and, impunity will continue to fester like a gangrenous ulcer if we in the media will let down our guard and vigilance against threats to our freedoms tempered nonetheless by adherence to the highest standards of journalism.

It should be made clear therefore that when journalists are put at risk the very notion of democracy is put to graver peril. No amount of safety training can protect journalists when there is no clear understanding and appreciation of the role of the press to verify and make sense of what is happening around us.

When we no longer are able to understand the events unfolding before us nor are able to take corresponding action, then we have allowed darkness to rule our lives with consequences so horrendous to contemplate.

We march again today to ensure that that same darkness will not prevail.

In Trump versus China, everyone can win

By Christopher Balding FOR now, China’s leaders seem to be discounting US Presidentelect Donald Trump’s threats to punish them for allegedly unfair trade practices. The fact is that if they were to let their currency float freely, the yuan would probably decline, undercutting US exports. And if Trump did impose 45-percent tariffs on Chinese imports as he’s vowed, China has plenty of ways to retaliate. The ensuing trade war could well hurt the US more than China.

That doesn’t mean a Trump administration should simply accept the status quo in trade relations with China, though.

A tougher stand could be good for both sides.

China remains one of the world’s most closed major economies. According to the World Bank, the US maintains an average tariff on goods from “most favored” nations of only 3.4 percent. China’s average is 9.9 percent—higher than Russia, South Africa, Myanmar and Colombia. Even more important than outright tariffs are the barriers China maintains against foreign direct investment. Foreign companies are blocked from a wide range of seemingly innocuous industries—everything from cotton to tobacco to metal smelting. And as the US and European Union Chambers of Commerce have complained, those firms also face a growing number of other hassles, including difficulties enforcing con-

Low-ambition...

From A4 car/vehicle, capacity to send children to college and to go on local trips for vacation.

“In 2040, we will all enjoy a stable and comfortable lifestyle, secure in the knowledge that we have enough for our daily needs and unexpected expenses, that we can plan and prepare for our own and our children’s future. Our family lives together in a place of our own, and we have the freedom to go where we desire, protected and enabled by a clean, efficient, and fair government,” says Ambisyon Natin 2040.

Frankly, do we have to wait for a quarter century to enjoy those amenities? Can we not get or enjoy them—now? A car, education for our children, and a few junkets locally?

Just how much money will be needed to enjoy them? $3,000 per capita? We enjoy that now.

tracts and accessing financing from Chinese banks.

This has naturally prompted a backlash against Chinese companies, which have heeded the government’s urgings to seek out their own mergers and acquisitions abroad.

In the last year, outward direct investment from China grew 53 percent to $134 billion. Critics not just in the US but Australia, the UK and Germany have begun asking why Chinese companies should be allowed to invest in their farmland, nuclear power plants and technology companies when their own firms would have trouble doing the same in China. Even if China’s ventures into Hollywood don’t pose a national security threat, the fact that the country only allows 34 foreign films onto its screens every year betrays obvious hypocrisy.

China could easily end up paying a price for this widening asymmetry. A President Trump wouldn’t even need to levy devastating and possibly counter-productive tariffs on Chinese goods. He could simply work to ensure the US government scrutinizes dealsinvolving Chinese buyers much more closely—and slowly; acquisition targets would quickly look elsewhere for buyers. Chinese firms looking to graduate from low value-added, copycat manufacturing desperately need the kind of talent and technology global mergers

can provide. Without it, they face a much steeper and more prolonged climb up the value chain.

Arguably, China would be wiser to head off international concerns now, before the US, UK and European nations start closing off their own markets.

If lowering barriers to investment would entail some loss of control, it would also unquestionably further China’s own goals. As Chinese leaders from Deng Xiaoping on down have recognized, foreign companies provide not just badly needed capital but management and competitive pressures that result in greater efficiency all around. The sclerotic Chinese state sector in particular needs a boost in order to increase productivity; subjecting those bloated companies to true outside competition is the surest way to improve the way they do business.

This may sound hopelessly idealistic. But there are historical parallels. During the Reagan administration, a similar backlash built up against Japan. The White House would’ve found plenty of political support for retaliating against what many Americans (including Donald Trump) saw as unfair Japanese trade and investment policies. Instead, President Reagan pushed Japan to accept a variety of “voluntary” export restraints. This in turn prompted Japanese firms, looking for ways evade the restrictions, to set up US subsidi-

aries, thus creating American jobs. Reagan made sure the Japanese understood he could always levy stronger protectionist measures if needed, so it was in their interest to make a deal.

The parallels aren’t exact. Japan is a strong US ally that relies for its security on the US military umbrella; its leaders have more reason to compromise than China’s do.

At the same time, Chinese reformers are well aware that their economy stands to benefit from opening up its markets. Consumers will enjoy cheaper foreign products like baby formula, which they’ll no longer have to smuggle in from abroad. Sectors in need of upgrading such as food processing and healthcare will gain expertise and technology. Letting in foreign retailers and service providers —everything from fastfood chains to financial firms— will help spur the transition to an economy driven more by consumption and services than investment and manufacturing.

These changes are politically difficult in China, which is why they haven’t taken place yet. In that sense, Trump could be doing the Chinese a favor by raising the specter of an outright trade war. As his counterpart, Chinese President Xi Jinping, likes to say, there’s a “win-win” solution here—if both sides are wise enough to see it. Bloomberg

In fact, each Filipino on average is already earning closer to $4,000 a year—and this is in a nation where 25 million Filipinos, a fourth of the population, barely makes $1.50 a day.

A car. A college education for your teener. Trips. Whether Filipinos will aspire for those goals or not, they would be realized—even if the Philippines had the most incompetent and corrupt government in the world.

Can we not aspire then for higher, nobler goals? Like removing from our political milieu the four or five families that have ruled this country in the last half century? Like removing from our economy the 100 families that have ruled our economy and business in the last 100 years?

Like installing for once, a truly democratic, pro-freedom, and honest, competent and inclusive government?

Like being the greatest nation in Asia. In the 14th through the 16th centuries, and even up

to the 19th century, the Philippines was already No. 1 in the region, next only to China, then our country’s best friend.

We had Asia’s best industrial product, beer. San Miguel was founded in 1890.

And we put up Asia’s first Republic, Asia’s first airline, first bus company, first taxi fleet, first shipping company, and the first newspapers. We were also the first and for a while, the only Christian country in Asia. How is that for greatness?

And yet, after 500 years, what we want in life is just modestly paying job, a car, an education for Junior, a house, and a flight on Cebu Pacific?

Common, we Filipinos were nation builders before these material things were invented.

The Ambisyon Natin survey was supposed to have been started by Neda in 2015 under President Aquino by asking some 10,000 respondents what they want in life by 2040.

Hence, the 2040 because you

add 25 years to 2015 and you get 2040.

Our police and our law enforcers as well as our thieving politicians have a culture of impunity.

As for our economists, planners and thinkers, they have a culture of puny-ty. A culture of smallness. biznewsasia@gmail.com

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO Ambassador Del Rosario’s column will resume soon.

Mr. Banayo’s column will resume next week.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

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TODAY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

MMDA eyes 3-digit coding plan T

By Joel E. Zurbano

HE Metro Manila Development Authority is considering a proposal to have a threedigit number coding scheme to further ease traffic in the National Capital Region during the holiday season.

Republic of the Philippine CITY OF NAGA BIDS & AWARDS COMMITTEE

Invitation to Bid for the CLOSURE OF BALATAS DUMPSITE, BGY. BALATAS, NAGA CITY The Naga City Government, through the Local Development Fund (LDF) and Trust Fund-Naga River Rehabilitation and Development Fund, intends to apply the sum of TWENTY ONE MILLION NINETY SEVEN THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED (P 21,097,800.00) PESOS, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the Closure of Balatas Dumpsite at Bgy. Balatas, Naga City, with Contract Reference Number: 005196-2016-01.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Naga City Government now invites bids for the Closure of Balatas Dumpsite at Bgy. Balatas, Naga City, with Contract Reference Number: 005196-2016-01.

Completion of the Works is required within 180 calendar days. Equipment Required: 2-dump trucks, 2-bulldozers, 2-payloaders, 2-backhoes, 2-plate compactors, 1-road grader and 1-concrete mixer. 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, Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 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 sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

The proposal, which came from Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, is for th™e Department of Transportation and members of the Inter-agency Council on Traffic to temporarily enforce the three-digit coding on or before December to ease road congestion during the peak buying days.

“Before December comes in, the DOTr should have a prescribed schedule of banned vehicles per day (i.e. 1,2,3 for December 1; 4,5,6 for December 2; and so on). This must be implemented until the end of the Three Kings’ Day celebration, when we will revert to the two-digit number coding scheme,”Suarez said in his Manila Standard column.

“I can already anticipate the resistance by many. It requires change.

Big change. Change is often met with instant refusal. Change is seen as a negative thing. I think, in this case, big problem, big solution. So please consider, do we leave things as they are and allow traffic to get worse? Isn’t it better to do something now before a serious problem arises?” Suarez wrote.

But MMDA chairman Thomas

Orbos welcomed Suarez’s proposal, saying he will consult I-ACT members and the Metro Manila Council, the policy-making body of his agency, composed of the 17 mayors in the NCR. “We have to consult them first and study this proposal,” said Orbos.

Orbos also said he also tapped MMDA Traffic Engineering Center chief Noemie Recio to conduct a study on the impact to motorists and other implications of the three-digit Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program.

Suarez is expecting that the scheme will reduce 30 to 40 percent decrease in the volume of vehicles in Metro Manila.

The lawmaker made the proposal after the slight success and improvement of traffic on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue following the suspension of the so-called window hours for private vehicles in the number coding scheme.

“We hope for a temporary reduction in the number of vehicles during the holidays. While the new MMDA scheme has been effective, we need to calibrate our traffic solutions according to the

increased volume of holiday traffic. If proactive measures are not implemented to anticipate Christmas traffic, it will not be a Happy Holiday for anyone,” said Suarez.

“We should celebrate the holidays with our families and loved ones. No one should spend the holidays stuck in their cars, whining, miserable, and hating everyone. I believe the government is doing the best that it can, with a seemingly impossible situation.

We should do the same,” he added.

Among the improvements, based on the assessment of the MMDA, was cutting the travel time of motorists by at least 10 to 15 minutes and compliance of private motorists with road traffic rules and courtesy along the 23.8-kilometer highway.

Based on the MMDA study of travel speed along Edsa on Oct. 5, the vehicles’ average speed was 15.84 kph from Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City to Monumento in Caloocan City and vice versa, with an average travel time of 1 hour, 27 minutes and 27 seconds.

On the next day, Oct. 6, vehicles plying the same route had an aver-

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Naga City Bids and Awards Committee Secretariat and inspect the Bidding Documents at the Office of the BAC Secretariat at the City Planning & Development Office, City Hall Compound, Naga City from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM starting on Wednesday, November 23 to December 22, 2016.

IN BRIEF

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders starting at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, November 23 to December 22, 2016, from the Office of the BAC Secretariat at the City Planning & Development Office upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND (P 25,000.00) PESOS, and an Annual Registration Fee of Three Thousand (P 3,000.00) Pesos if not yet registered with the Naga City BAC, and upon presentation of a Document Request List (DRL) from PhilGEPS showing your company name.

DPWH Bicol chief charged

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Naga City Government (www.naga.gov.ph), provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Naga City Bids and Awards Committee will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at 3:00PM at the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City, which shall be open only to those who purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered to the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City on or before 3:00 PM on Thursday, December 22, 2016. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security as provided for in the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 9184.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the City Procurement Office, Ground Floor, City Hall Building, City Hall Compound, Naga City at 3:00 PM on Thursday, December 22, 2016. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The Naga City Government reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: MR. FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. Acting City Administrator, City Hall Compound, J. Miranda Avenue, Naga City Telephone Number: 054-4732240, 054-4723235 Email address: bac@naga.gov.ph bac@naga.gov.ph, Website: www.naga.gov.ph (SGD) FLORENCIO T. MONGOSO, JR. BAC Chairperson ( M S - N O V. 2 3 , 2 016)

BUSTED. Lawmen, led by (from right) Supt. Amado Mendoza Jr. of the Marilao police, Cleo Dongga-as of the Bureau of Customs and Solomon Dador Jr. of cigarette maker Philip Morris, raided a warehouse full of fake cigarettes, including processing equipment, in Marilao, Bulacan. Sonny Espiritu

Funds found for govt nurses INVITATION TO BID FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA REFERENCE NO. PB161005-RM38/GTMD18-16-94664 1.

The National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), through the 2016 Corporate Budget approved by the TransCo Board intends to apply the sum of PhP 3,648,000.000 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA Reference No. PB161005-RM38/GTMD18-16-94664.

Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

Transco now invites bids for the SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF THERMAL IMAGING CAMERA. Delivery of the Goods/Services is required for the period of two (2) months, upon receipt of the Contract.

3.

Bidders should have completed, within the last 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. Instructions to Bidders.

4.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during working days from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on November 24 up to December 19, 2016 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by GPPB, in the amount of Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 5,000.00) (Inclusive of Tax).

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of National Transmission Corporation (www.transco.ph), provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6.

The NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION (TRANSCO) will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on December 6, 2016 /10:00 AM at GSD Conference Room same address below, which shall be open to all interested parties.

7.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before December 20, 2016 /10:00 AM. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on December 20, 2016 /10:00 AM at GSD Conference Room same address below. 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 NATIONAL TRANSMISSION CORPORATION 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: Ms. Rossana F. Paguio BAC Secretariat Manager, General Services Division National Transmission Corporation (Transco) Power Center Complex BIR Road corner Quezon Avenue Diliman, Quezon City Telephone 902-1520 and Fax No. 921-3306 rfpaguio@transco.ph

(MS-NOV. 23, 2016)

(SGD) ATTY. LEON T. TAPEL, JR. BAC Chairperson

age speed of 15.91 kph and travel time of 1 hour, 27 minutes and 1 second.

On Oct. 7, the average travel speed was 14.63 kph with travel time of 1 hour, 34 minutes, and 38 seconds.

However, during the first day of the trial run activity of the “window hours” suspension on Oct. 12, the average travel time of vehicles traversing the same route was 1 hour, 16 minutes and 32 seconds or a decrease of 10 minutes and 55 seconds, the MMDA stated.

It added that the travel speed also improved, with vehicles traveling at 18.09 kph or an increase of 2.25 kph.

On Oct. 13, the travel time along Edsa—to and from Roxas Boulevard and Monumento—decreased by an average of 21 minutes and 17 seconds while the travel speed increased by an average of 5.16 kph.

With this improvement, the government also agreed to extend the window hour suspension to one hour from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. to 7 a.m.8 p.m. and expanding the coverage of the traffic scheme to at least 15 main roads, most of them Circumferential and Radial roads.

THE Department of Health will no longer have to retrench thousands of nurses and other field personnel next year after senators found ways to fund its Rural Health Practice Program which could not pay for its workers.

Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto urged the DoH to use what will remain of its 2016 budget, insofar as the portion allowed to be carried over next year, to fund RHPP’s existing slots and purchase more medicine.

By Recto’s forecast, using DoH’s track record in fund use, “there will be P24 billion unutilized by the end of the fiscal year, so why can’t you use this to retain the thousands of people on the ground?”

In addition to retaining thousands of RHPP hires, Recto said DoH’s “continuing appropriations,” which are unspent funds from preceding years, can be used to double its budget for medicines from P7 billion to P14 billion.

“We hit two birds with one stone.

We retain the medical workers and we increase the budget for medicines,” Recto stressed in his floor interpellation of the proposed gross

DOH budget of P147 billion for 2017 Monday night.

Recto has spent the past month rallying his colleagues “to rescue the thousands of DoH workers in peril” as the proposed 2017 budget for the RHPP will not be able to retain the number of personnel currently hired.

To augment the number of health professionals in impoverished towns, the DoH pays for the salaries of those it has hired under the RHPP. For this year, RHPP has 21,118 authorized items. In its 2017 budget, the DoH lamented that it will have to bring down the number of slots to 18,825 in order to pay for the second round of pay hikes under the Salary Standardization Law IV within the payroll ceiling imposed on it.

Last week, Recto said thousands of nurses, doctors and dentists will face the dreaded end of contract at the end of the year if Congress will not override the government’s plan to drastically downsize the number of frontline health personnel.

To be hit hard by the now-aborted plan were 6,379 nurses as slots in the Nurses Deployment Program (NDP), a component was proposed

to be slashed from 15,727 this year to 9,349 in 2017.

Despite the DOH guarantee of no endo, Recto called for additional safety nets that will ensure that no personnel will be separated from service “in case funds are not enough to retain each one of them.”

“We can insert a provision in the national budget which would state that the affected personnel should have first priority in being absorbed by other or new programs of the RHPP,” he said.

Another option is to insert a “firewall” provision, exempting poor, distant towns from the personnel cuts, Recto said.

While there were proposed cuts in the number of nurses, the DoH will, however, hire 2,587 UHC (Universal Health Coverage) Implementers and 2,803 Public Health Associates (PHAs), he added.

PHAs are either nurses or nursing associates who will be paid P19,000 a month. UHC Implementers, on the other hand, can be any licensed health professional who will be given a salary of P26,000 a month or a doctor whose take-home pay is P56,000 monthly.

Arroyo pushes ban on plastics

By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has filed a measure seeking to ban the use of plastic bags in stores nationwide.

In her House Bill 3579, Arroyo, a deputy speaker, batted for the promotion and use of reusable plastic bags as a way of reducing water and air pollution and protecting marine life from the ill effects of plastic products.

“Oftentimes immediately discarded, single-use plastic bags are found in landfills and have become a significant cause of water pollution. In addition, plastic bags that are burned adversely impact the environment and human health, given the level of toxic chemical content,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo said the Earth Policy Institute based in Washington, D.C. estimates that one trillion single-use plastic bags are used every year at a rate of 2 million per minute.

Many of these bags, Arroyo said, end up killing marine animals such as sea turtles, whales and other species.

“Fish with plastic wrapper around their body, sea turtles with plastic in their noses, and even birds with their stomachs full of plastic bottle caps broke hearts and opened minds to the harmful effects of our consumerdriven society,” Arroyo said.

Due to its negative impact, Arroyo has proposed a remedy: the prohibition of the use of plastic bags in point-of-sale stores. Instead, stores are mandated to use recyclable paper carry-out bags to enable consumers to carry their items or purchased products. Consumers may also use reusable bags.

Also covered in the prohibition are all retail and food establishments, point-of-sale areas as well as canteens and cafeterias.

The bill proposed that if a consumer wants to use plastic bag, he will have to pay P5 for each bag. Half will be kept by the establishment to cover for the cost of the bag while the other half will be remitted to the local government where the store is located, the bill stated.

The amount will be deposited in the Special Environment Fund which will be used to educate the public on plastic bag use as well as provide incentives for manufactures and community-based initiatives for the product of native reusable bags, and for non-government and civil society organizations promoting proper solid waste management, the bill said.

Exempted from the prohibition are primary plastic packaging such as those used to pre-pack food items and primary packaging used in the manufacturing of finished products for sale in the general market.

A LEGAL officer of the Department of Public Works and Highways filed graft charges against the agency’s Bicol regional director before the Ombudsman over allegedly anomalous bidding and promotion of personnel.

Lawyer Oliver Rodulfo accused Bicol regional director Reynaldo Tagudando irregularly promoting officials and purportedly rigging the bidding for contracts.

Rodulfo wrote Public Works Secretary Mark Villar to ask that Tagudando be suspended pending the resolution of administrative and criminal complaints before the Ombudsman.

Rodulfo said Tagudando has been anointing officials for promotion instead of the regular and usual selection process for reasons only known to him.

He also accused the regional director of “rigged and fixed”

by DPWH region V employees in the bids and awards committee secretariat and technical working group, with the winning bids always sticking to a 5-percent variance.

As for the implementation of projects, DPWH-Bicol has been deliberately and arbitrarily granting “unjustified” suspension orders and extensions despite the high percentage of slippages, Rodulfo claimed, citing the Masbate-Cataingan-Placer Road project, among others.

The lawyer also said that he is willing to testify despite knowledge that Tagudando is “moneyed, armed and dangerous,” according to the letter-complaint.

Rodulfo’s letter said corruption scandal at Bicol DPWH is in conspiracy with some divisions chief and cohorts that he appeals to the secretary to immediately relieved Tagudando so that a fair probe would take place adding I’m just too willing to be a witness.

He also filed before the Office of the Ombudsman two cases of administrative and criminal complaints against Tagudando and administrative officer V David Isabelo Alvarez involving an appointment of an outsider lawyer Felix Brazil, and two engineers, Marilou Sariba and Cornelio Relativo Jr. who were promoted from Engineer 3 to Engineer 4.

Vito Barcelo

US Embassy closed Nov. 24 THE United States Embassy in the Philippines and its affiliated offices will be closed to the public on Thursday, November 24, in observance of the American holiday, Thanksgiving Day. The United States celebrates Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November each year.

This year, the US Embassy in the Philippines celebrates Thanksgiving by taking on the #MannequinChallenge encouraging people to spend time with friends, family and colleagues during the holiday season.

The US Embassy in the Philippines and its affiliated offices will resume their services to the public on Friday, November 25. PNA

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

GAB chief wants to save PH boxing

By Randy Caluag IN A BID to arrest the declining state of boxing in the Philippines, Games and Amusement Board Chairman Baham Mitra will work closely with all stakeholders of the sport to institute reforms and keep up with fast-changing landscape of combat sports and entertainment.

Going through the statistics of the last three years, Mitra emphasized boxing’s alarming decline since 2014 with regard’s to the number of licenses issued to professional boxers as well as permits for boxing promotions.

Mitra, the former governor of Palawan and cockfight and basketball aficionado, recently met with matchmakers and promoters to discuss the most pressing issues that beset the sport.

“Sadly, inabutan natin dito na decline about 50 percent sa pro boxers licensing. Hindi na lumalaban kasi masyadong matagal ang paghihintay. Hindi na sila (boxers) kumikita,” said Mitra.

For this, Mitra said the mandatory rest period for boxers after their fight would be reduced from

45 days to 30 days.

“If their last bout resulted in a decision. Mukhang okay naman na payagan natin. Case to case basis. ‘Pag galing sa knockout, 90 days pa rin ang rest period.”

To open more opportunities and source of income for managers and boxers, Mitra said he will grant the request of the managers to make Philippine ratings from top 15 to top 20.

“Because this is a good marketing for matchmakers abroad. They can market Filipino boxers better kasi nga rated na,” said Mitra.

And for the first time in the history of Philippine boxing, nonrated boxers will now be allowed to fight abroad.

“This is something new. Inabutan ko kasi dito na rule ‘pag unrated boxers, hindi na puwede abroad.

Because of the clamor of managers and boxers also, we may allow them. Provided na pinag-aaralan din naman ang kalaban nila at mga non-rated din ang kalaban nila or nag uumpisa pa lang.”

Mitra explained that young Filipno boxers are left out when promoters abroad look for fighters to match against their rookie boxers.

PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico (second from left, seated) and Ilagan, Isabela Mayor Evelyn C. Diaz shake hands after sealing a Memorandum of Agreement making the province the host of the 12th South East Asia Youth Athletics Championships and the National Open Invitational Athletics Championships in March next year during an appearance at the PSA Forum in Shakey’s Malate on Tuesday. Witnessing the MOA signing were PATAFA VP Nicanor Sering (left); Jayvee Eveson Diaz (extreme right), Chairman Committee on Sports Development; (standing from left) PATAFA Secretary General Rey Unso; Ricky Lagui, General Services chief; Drolly Claravall, Region II Director, and PATAFA Marketing head Edward Kho. Lino Santos

Ilagan hosts 2 athletics’ tourneys T HE Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association is hitting two birds with one stone as it stages the 12th South East Asia Youth Athletics Championships and the National Open Invitational Athletics Championships one after the other in March next year in Ilagan, Isabela.

The SEA Youth Athletics’ meet is set March 27 and 28 and features athletes 17-years-and-below from neighboring countries, while the National Open follows after from March 30 to April 2 and serves as the final tryout for local athletes seeking to compete in

next year’s SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Both events will be held at the P250-million City of Ilagan Sports Complex.

The Patafa under president Dr. Philip Ella Juico and the the City of Ilagan, Isabela headed by May-

or Evelyn C. Diaz signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the hosting of the twin meets during Tuesday’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at Shakey’s Malate.

“This is the first time we’re holding the SEA Youth Athletics here and bringing it to Ilagan, Isabela is part of our mission of bringing the sport to the province,” said Juico, noting that Isabela has been a rich source of national athletes such as Lerma Bulauitan-Gabito.

“At the same time, it’s a chance for us to see and experience top notch competitions.”

For her part, Mayor Diaz said: “This is a big challenge for all of us in the province of Ilagan, Isabela, but we’re confident of meeting the people’s expectations. We’re now in the process of completing all the necessary requirements needed to host the meet.”

Also present in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. were Patafa vice president Atty.

Nicanor Sering and secretary-general Reynato Unso, Ilagan,Isabela top councilor Jayvee Diaz, who is also chairman of the province’s

committee for sports development program, general services officer Ricky Lagui, and Patafa Region II director Drolly Claravall.

Juico said the hosting of the SEA Youth meet has been offered to the country as early as the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar. But owing to the national elections this year, the Patafa deemed it best to hold the event in the first quarter of next year.

Unso said 26 events are on tap for the SEA Youth trackfest, with 13 each for boys and girls, while the National Open offers 23 to 26 events, with the exception marathon and walkathon.

Chieffy to Azkals: Be aggressive vs Indonesia

By Peter Atencio BOCAUE, Bulacan—Aggressiveness.

This is what the new generation of players, who are now part of the Philippine Azkals, need to have.

Former Azkals player Chieffy Caligdong, now the team’s assistant coach, said this before the team plunged into action last night against the Indonesian Merah Putihs at the Philippine Sports Stadium here.

“Dapat more aggressive. Much hunger for the three points. And also leadership,” said Caligdong, who last played for the Azkals in the Suzuki Cup in 2012.

When the Azkals played the Singapore Lions to a scoreless draw, last Saturday, the opponents “parked the bus,” or many players crowded out the backline in defense, and made it harder for the Philippine side to score.

Even with 10 men playing after Hafiz Su-

jad was sent off on a red card in the 35th minute, the Azkals could not turn things in their favor, as the Lions showed in protecting the backline.

Substitute Hikaru Minegishi had two great opportunities to score late in the game for the home side, but nothing happened.

“There must also be leadership and the spirit to get the win, especially among the experienced players,” added Caligdong.

The Azkals badly need a win after the Singapore Lions, playing with 10 men in the second half, frustrated the Philippine Azkals with a scoreless draw Saturday night in their opening game.

Beating the Merah Putihs will move them closer to one of two semifinal berths in Group A. The Philippines came close to scoring with Stephan Schrock’s 30-yard freekick, but Lions goalie Hassan Sunny tipped it away.

Lagui said Ilagan, Isabela has been known as the hub of athletics, taekwondo, baseball, and ballgames.

Mayor Diaz also added the province is very active in sports by participating in various athletic competitions, both national and regional scope. But other than its competitive nature, the lady executive said she wants Ilagan City to become the sports tourism hub in Northern Luzon.

She said the province has been home to a lot of tourism attractions, including the world’s largest armchair or butaka, the Ilagan Japanese tunnel, among others.

Court decides on Thursday whether to stop POC polls

TOP STREET TRIALS RIDER Danny MacAskill and his Drop and Roll crew bring their world-class act here as they hold their first stop in Asia in the Vermosa Active Revolution on Dec. 3 and 4 at the Vermosa estate along Daang Hari Road in Cavite. The event, serving as part of presentor Ayala Land, Inc.’s continuing effort to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, will also feature a motocross race, sports and lifestyle expo, fun outdoor activities and musical performances.

Abraham, Malihan dominate Subic marathon

KILIMO Abraham dominated the men’s division of the 42km Subic International Marathon 2016 recently at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

He logged in a blistering time of 2 hours 37 minutes and 31 seconds in the lushgreen, scenic, refreshing and tough course of the SIM. Following him in the finish line, located in the iconic track oval of Remy Field, was Eric Chepsinor clocking in a time of 2 hours 40 minutes and 45 seconds.

Third placer Joseph Mururi finished with the time 2 hours 46 minutes and 56 seconds.

In the 42km women’s division, Melanie Malihan dominated the competition with a time of 4 hours 34 minutes.

A far second was Vanessa Reyes, completing the whole course in 5 hours 13 minutes and 15 seconds. Close Podium finishers (starting second from left) Vanessa Reyes (runner-up), Melanie behind was Rosemarie Austria with a time of 5 hours Malihan (champion) and Rosemarie Austria (third) in the 42km of the Subic International Marathon 2016 are shown here, joined by PSSupt Bernie Banac 14 minutes and 40 seconds, (left) and PCSupt Samson Tucay (Ret) and Roland Quong. rounding up the top 3.

Abraham and Malihan received a P15,000 cash prize, medals and bragging rights as the overall champion of SIM 2016.

Second placers Chepsinor and Reyes received P8,000 and medals, while Mururi and Austria each received P5,000 and their bronze medals.

In the 21km, the men’s division was kept close until a few kilometers away when Elphiz Kiptarus pulled ahead and finished with a fast time of 1 hour 19 minutes and 17 seconds. Mark Penamante placed second with a time of 1 hour 22 minutes and 45 seconds; while Joey delos Reyes got into the Top 3 by finishing with a time of 1 hour 23 minutes and 52 seconds.

The female division of 21km was tighter as Ma. Christina Ticzon edged Rachel Duran with a time of 2 hours 9 minutes and 57 seconds. Duran finished with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes and 52 seconds.

Third placer Daisy Visperas had a clocking of 2 hours 24 minutes and 18 seconds.

Cash prizes and medals were awarded to all 21km top winners.

The Fun Runs of 10km, 7km, 5km and 3km were held the following Sunday morning.

On its 11th year, SIM 2016 was organized by eXtribe, Inc., supported by Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Tekton Manufacturing Corporation makers of ProteinCare and Perfect Muscle, Salomon Philippines, Subic Bay Peninsular Hotel, Pacific Cross Health Care Inc., Public Safety Mutual Benefit Fund Inc., Slimmers World Subic, Cycles & Brew by Hubble and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

More information on SIM 2016 and race results can be found at www. extribe.com.ph/sim and www.facebook.com/SubicInternationalMarathon.

THE court will decide on Thursday if it will issue or not a temporary restraining order which will stop the elections of the Philippine Olympic Committee on Friday.

Judge Elma Lingan of Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 159 said this after she heard from the camp of boxing chief Ricky Vargas and the legal counsel of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Atty.

Ramon Malinao.

Lingan directed both sides to submit their position papers on Wednesday.

Vargas spokesman Chito Salud said that the legal arguments centered on the correct interpretation of the eligibility requirement of being an active member of the POC. Last month, the election panel of the POC, headed by Frank Elizalde, denied Vargas’ motion for reconsideration, and disqualified another candidate, triathlon’s Tom Carrasco from his bid to seek another term as chairman.

The position of chairman remains uncontested because Carrasco’s main rival for the post, Tagaytay congressman Abraham Tolentino of cycling was also disqualified.

Both Vargas and Tolentino were present at the hearing.

They are optimistic that the court has been sufficiently enlightened, according to Salud.

In a resolution sent to all parties concerned, Elizalde explained that physical attendance was main requirement for an official of a national sports association to be made eligible to run for a post in the POC elections. Peter Atencio

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 6 DIGITS 0-0-0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

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

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Dalisay survives Taiwanese challenges DIEGO Dalisay, fresh from his romp in the qualifiers, toughened up in the second set to boot out Taiwanese Tsai Chang Lin, 6-2, 7-5, yesterday and move into the second round of the PhinmaPSC International Juniors Tennis Championships Week 2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center yesterday.

Dalisay, who trampled a couple of rivals to clinch one of the four berths in the two-day elims Monday, dominated Chang in the opening set but needed to fend off the Taiwanese challenge in the next and clinch the win and a spot in the next phase of the Grade 4 ITF 18-under category event sponsored by the Phinma Group of Companies and the Philippine Sports Commission.

But three other Filipino bets fell by the wayside with Stephan Lhuillier and Justin Suarez bowing to Indonesian Giorgio Soemarno and Korean Keonho Shin, respectively, via the same scorelines, 4-6.

1-6; and Jerome Romualdez yielding to Taiwan’s Chen Ying Ze, 1-6, 3-6.

Others who advanced in the last of the two-week top-ranking event, backed by Mariposa Foundation, Technifibre and Century Park Hotel, were Japanese Ryo Watanabe, Kazuki Shimizu and Kai Kawano and Malaysiam Christian Chin.

Watanabe thwarted Singapore’s Justin Oeni, 7-6(6), 6-3; Shimizu toppled Indonesian Muhammad Dhaifullah, 7-1, 7-6(1); Kawano trounced Hong Kong’s Alester Magalit, 6-2, 6-3; and Chin held off Japanese Fumiya Yoshino, 6-7(4), 7-6(0), 6-1.

Meanwhile, top seed Khim Iglupas of Philippine Tennis Academy tries to atone for her semis exit last week as she takes on Aussie Ivana Popovic in Day 2 of the tournament which offers 40 ranking points to the winners and 30 to the runners-up.

Other Filipinas set to see action Shaira Rivera, Monica Cruz, Frances Santiago, Rafaella Villanueva, Gennifer Pagente and Janelle Llavore.

Rivera, also a PTA mainstay who reached the quarters last week, faces Japanese Kanon Yasumoto, Cruz tangles with second seed Rika Tanaka of Japan, Santiago collides with Tameka Peterson, Villanueva takes on American Jordan Harris, Pagente tangles with Chinese Yang Jing Jing and Llavore trades shots with Taiwan’s Wang Chao-yi.

Sports Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles past Indiana Pacers defender Jeff Teague during the game against the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 21, in Indianapolis, Indiana. AFP

Thompson leads Golden State past Indiana Pacers W ASHINGTON—Klay Thompson scored 25 points and Stephen Curry added 22 as the Golden State Warriors won their eighth consecutive game, routing Indiana 120-83 Monday to complete a four-game road sweep.

Kevin Durant added 14 points while Draymond Green contributed 10 as the Warriors improved to 12-2, helped by a season-high 60 rebounds.

“What a great trip,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I thought we really defended well and we moved the ball extremely well.”

Durant grabbed 11 rebounds,

all of them on the defensive side, and added six assists, two blocked shots and two steals.

“We contested lots of shots and blocked 10 of them,” Kerr said. “We’re getting those blocks from different people.

It’s also great to see how well Kevin is defending. He was really good at that end.”

Durant, who joined the Warriors from Oklahoma City in the off-season, said he and his new teammates still are adjusting to each other.

“We played well but we still are getting used to each other,” Durant said. “It takes time to come together. I still think we are capable of being a lot better.”

Meanwhile, Mike Conley scored 31 points to power the Memphis Grizzlies to their fifth win in a row, downing host Charlotte 105-90. The 10th-year NBA guard, who signed a $153 million contract in the off-season, scored 18 points in the first half.

“What can I say about Mike

Conley?” Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. “He’s getting closer and closer to the guy I want him to be – the killer that I want him to be. I’m really proud of his openness to it and that he is trying to adapt to what I want him to be.”

Conley hit 11 of 21 from the field, going 5 of 8 from 3-point range, as the Grizzlies improved to 9-5.

“He wants me to be much more aggressive,” Conley said.

“I believe I’m one of the better point guards in the league and he does, too, so he’s giving me the opportunity to go out there and show it.”

Madis, Tugade dominate netfest

Vera defends heavyweight title ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera (14-7-0, 1NC) defends his title against undefeated Japanese challenger Hideki Sekine (7-0) in the main event of ONE: Age of Domination next Friday, December 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The matchup headlines a stacked fight card featuring local homegrown Filipino mixed martial artists. Seeing action are Team Lakay standouts Geje Eustaquio, Honorio Banario, April Osenio and Danny Kingad. Also to see cage time are Eugene Toquero, Mark Striegl, and FilipinoAustralian Reece McLaren.

Vera, 39, takes pride in leading the charge for team Philippines who are ready to put on a show in Manila.

“The Philippines is just as much my home as the United States is, and I am truly blessed to be able

to compete here in front of all the Filipino fans,” said Vera. “It’s an amazing country and we discover something new everyday. It’s an honor to be able to headline massive ONE Championship fight cards.”

Vera was last seen in the cage nearly a year ago, when he captured the ONE Heavyweight World Championship with a first round knockout victory over Taiwanese-Canadian fighter Paul “Typhoon” Cheng.

His opponent, the 265-pound Sekine is a new ONE Championship talent acquisition. He is currently unbeaten as a professional mixed martial artist. Six of his seven victories have come by finish, including three by submission and three by knockout.

With both fighters having a knack for exciting finishes, the bout is expected to not go the

distance. Vera, who joined ONE Championship in 2014, is a winner of two straight with both wins coming by first round knockout.

Vera, who has been a mixed martial artist for the greater part of the last two decades, feels he is at the highest point of his career.

“My mixed martial arts career has had its up and downs, highs and lows. But I feel that right now, I’m the best that I have ever been. I’m in my prime and I feel great,” said Vera. “The honor and prestige of being a world champion is something that I take very seriously. I am proud to wear the ONE Heavyweight World Championship belt around my waist.”

Vera promises fans who will come down to the MOA Arena next week that he will be at peak condition. Expect only the best performance said the FilipinoAmerican.

Brandon Vera (right) stalks Taiwanese-Canadian fighter Paul ‘Typhoon’ Cheng during their ONE Heavyweight World Championship won by Vera.

TNT battles Rain or Shine TNT KaTropa guard Ryan Reyes (right) attempts a layup against Meralco Bolts defender Cliff Hodge (7) during their semifinal match last conference won by the Bolts.

By Jeric Lopez FOUR more teams make their season debut when they see action in the 2016-17 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup today, November 23.

Two perennial contenders quickly go at it as TNT Katropa and retooled Rain or Shine collide at 7 p.m. in the main event at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Prior to that, squads who are eager to have better campaigns take the stage as Blackwater and Phoenix Petroleum meet at 4:15 p.m. in the opening game.

While the Tropang Texters are set to parade an intact and familiar line-up, eyes will be on the Elasto Painters as they surpris-

James Harden scored a gamehigh 28 points, added eight rebounds and 11 assists to power Houston over Detroit 99-96, but he missed five free throws over the final 2:15 to keep the Pistons within reach. But Detroit missed three free throws in the final nine seconds on the way to a fourth consecutive loss.

Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo produced 21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, five steals and three blocked shots while Jabari Parker made five 3-pointers on his way to 22 points as Milwaukee snapped a threegame losing streak by beating visiting Orlando 93-89.

ingly revamped their roster in the off-season.

Usual Rain or Shine suspects led by coach Yeng Guiao, former star Paul Lee and reliable big man JR Quinahan will no longer be around for the Elasto Painters.

They will now have to move forward with holdovers Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, Raymund Almazan and new additions in veteran faces James Yap and Jay Washington.

The Elasto Painters, who are now being handled by head coach Caloy Garcia again, however, will have to wait longer to have Yap who is set to miss the team’s first two games due to foot injury.

Jayson Castro, Ranidel De Ocampo, Troy Rosario, Ryan Reyes,

Larry Fonacier and Kelly Williams are still the names who will lead the fight for the Tropang Texters.

One significant change that TNT implemented was changing its head coach. Nash Racela is now the team’s mentor, replacing Jong Uichico.

However, Racela is set to miss the team’s first several games as he still needs to finish his commitment with FEU in the UAAP. The Tamaraws are set to play in the Final Four this week.

Deputy coach Josh Reyes will temporarily call the shots for the Texters until Racela becomes available.

The debut of prized rookie Mac Belo is also being eagerly awaited by many fans.

VINCE EJ Tugade and young Tenielle Madis flashed superb form to post a pair of victories in their respective sides and share top honors in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Sultan Kudarat agegroup tennis tournament at the Isulan Capitol Tennis Club last Monday.

The top seeded Tugade proved dominating from the first serve to the last point, dropping just three games to topple No. 2 Klyde Lagarde, 6-3, 6-0, and pocket the boys’ 16-and-under crown. The local ace dropped two more games in the 18-U finals but still mastered Lagarde of Gen. Santos City en route to a 6-3, 6-2 romp.

Madis, 10, matched that two-title romp, crushing Jillian Manangking, 4-0, 4-0, to claim the 10-unisex crown before scoring a 6-3, 6-1 win, also against Manangking, to pocket the 12-U diadem in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger and hosted by Gov. Pax Mangudadatu.

“It’s inspiring to see young players like Madis winning not just one but two titles. And this is what this circuit is all about – to discover and develop future stars,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

“We also thank Sultan Kudarat for its junior and grassroots tennis program which is a big boost to the sport and the province as well.”

Wilcon set to launch P7.9-b IPO in Q1

B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandardtoday.com extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

B1

6 RCBC execs sued for laundering

By Julito G. Rada

O

fficers of the Anti-Money Laundering Council filed money laundering charges before the Justice Department against six other officials of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. in connection with the $81-million laundering scam that rocked the domestic banking industry in February this year.

AMLC earlier filed a complaint against RCBC Jupiter Street Branch manager Maia Santos Deguito for allegedly violating Section 4 (f) of the Anti-

Money Laundering Act. A copy of the complaint-affidavit obtained from the Justice Department showed charges were also filed on Nov. 18, 2016

against Raul Victor Tan, RCBC head of retail banking group; Ismael Reyes, national sales director, retail banking group; Brigitte Capina, regional sales director, retail banking group; Nestor Pineda, district sales director; Romualdo Agarrado, customer service head, Jupiter business center; and Angela Ruth Torres, senior customer relations officer, Jupiter business center.

The officers who filed the charges were led by Vencent Salido, AMLC deputy director; Rafael Echaluse, bank attorney IV; Monico Villar Jr., bank officer V; Alvin Bermido, bank

officer IV; Jayfer Cabiles, bank officer IV; Leigh Vhon Santos, bank officer IV; Jerome Golpo, bank officer II; Rainer dela Fuente, bank officer II and Maria Ivy Lanuevo, bank officer II. “Respondents were employees of RCBC at the time of the banking transactions discussed in this complaint-affidavit,” AMLC officials said.

The AMLC Secretariat’s investigation showed that respondent officers and employees of RCBC facilitated the suspicious transactions involving the four accounts of Michael Cruz, Jessie Christo-

pher Lagrosas, Alfred Vergara and Enrico Vasquez on Feb. 4.

AMLC said the six RCBC officials and employees failed “to conduct the requisite investigations and inquiries into the accounts, their beneficiaries, and the transactions, attributable to their knowledge about the unlawful origins of the funds or their deliberate refusal to know the unlawful origins of the funds.”

Senate investigations earlier found out that the $81-million fund was stolen by cyber thieves from the account of Bank of Bangladesh in Federal Reserve

Duterte eyes third term for Tetangco PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will ask Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco to stay in office for a third term and will seek to amend laws to allow that.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez confirmed a report that he had been authorized

by Duterte to ask Tetangco to stay after his second term ends in July 2017. Dominguez didn’t provide more details in his e-mail reply on Tuesday.

Tetangco didn’t respond to mobile-phone messages from Bloomberg News.

Duterte, the firebrand leader who has stoked investor concern since taking office in June, thinks Tetangco is still the best man for the job, according to an unidentified cabinet official.

The president’s allies in Congress will probably amend the law limiting the central bank governor’s tenure to two, six-year terms, the official said.

A veteran of the central bank for more than four decades, Tetangco, 64, has kept inflation below 5 percent in the past five years, allowing the bank to lower its benchmark interest rate to a record low.

He started at the bank as statistician in 1974, first becoming governor under President Gloria Arroyo and reappointed by Benigno Aquino in 2011.

Tetangco is also the chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, an agency that Duterte had criticized for allegedly not cooperating with his justice department on drug investigations. Bloomberg

in New York. The dirty money entered the country’s financial system through an RCBC branch on Jupiter Street in Makati City.

RCBC president and chief executive Lorenzo Tan resigned from his post at the height of Senate investigation into the case. He was succeeded by Gil Buenaventura.

Salido said in September AMLC, which is tasked to investigate money laundering activities and other violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, planned to file cases against other RCBC officials believed involved in the bank heist.

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX Closing November 22, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

6,802.73 176.33

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Closing NOVEMBER 22, 2016 43.00 45.40 46.60 47.80

P49.850

49.00

CLOSE

HIGH P49.710 LOW P49.920 AVERAGE P49.806 VOLUME 520.000M

P430.00-P661.00 LPG/11-kg tank

MIRAGE PARTS SUPPLIERS. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. president and chief executive Yoshiaki Kato leads the 2016 awarding of

P35.40-P44.10 Unleaded Gasoline

certificates of participation to Mirage parts suppliers at Makati Shangri La Hotel in Makati City. Sonny Espiritu

P25.75-P29.32 Diesel

Piñol recalls meat, poultry import permits

P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene

AGRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol announced Tuesday a total recall of all permits issued for the importation of meat and poultry products in the wake of the proliferation of recycled permits that are allegedly being used in technical smuggling.

Piñol said in a statement a technical working group was created to assess and handle the issuance of new permits.

Piñol said he issued the order based on a United Nations report on the volume of meat and offals imported by the country over the last few months.

He said the Agriculture Department and the Bureau of Customs were alarmed by reports

IN BRIEF Shareholders clear MNTC, TMC merger SHAREHOLDERS of Manila North Tollways Corp. approved the merger with Tollways Management Corp. and the change in the name of the company to North Luzon Expressways Corp.

The operator of NLEx and Subic-Clark Tarlac Expressway said stockholders owning at least two-thirds of the company’s outstanding capital stock ratified the proposed merger with TMC. The transaction will be done through a share swap where shareholders will be given 2.7 MNTC common shares for every TMC share and 16.63 MNTC preferred shares for every TMC share.

The government owns 20 percent of TMC while Egis of Frances has 34 percent and Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. has 46 percent.

MNTC’s stockholders also ratified the proposed change in the corporate name of the company from MNTC to North Luzon Expressways or if unavailable NLEX Corp., subject to approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

MNTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco said the objective of the merger was to have a more efficient and financially strong company that would have better access to capital to support the company’s projects. Darwin G. Amojelar

Peso sank to 49.85 per dollar Tuesday THE peso sank to a new eight-year low against the US dollar Tuesday, pulled down mainly by the looming interest rate hike by the US Federal Reserve.

The local currency lost two centavos to close at 49.85 a dollar Tuesday from 49.83 Monday. It was the local currency’s weakest level in nearly eight years, or since it settled at 49.98 a greenback on Nov. 24, 2008 at the height of the global financial crisis.

Total volume traded reached $520 million Tuesday, higher than $391.6 million Monday.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. said in a report the US dollar

that companies with import permits issued under the previous administration were caught “recycling” such permits twice or thrice to facilitate smuggling.

“We are not saying that we are stopping all importations. What we just want is to clean up the issuance of permits. As long as they are legitimate importations, we would not stop them.We want a uniform imposition of tariff.

There would be no importation of offals now,” he said.

The UN report indicated that there was a tendency to declare good meat as offals resulting in a 30-percent reduction in the tariff paid by importers.

“It means there were good

meat that were declared offals upon arrival in the Philippines.

Now, if there is a misdeclaration and they’re able to succeed in bringing in these goods, the government was losing a substantial amount,” Piñol said.

Piñol said he also ordered a review of the importation of poultry products because of the coming holiday season to determine their source and ban those coming from countries with known bird flu virus.

The agriculture chief said he also ordered a total ban on the importation of onions to protect Filipino farmers.

Piñol said that he would send a letter to the Japanese agricul-

bullrun continued, with some currencies trading at multi-year lows against the greenback.

“With the expected Fed rate hike just around the corner, expect volatility to continue as players adjust for positioning and profittaking. For USD/PHP, the local pair has been printing new year-todate highs almost everyday with ease as the topside seems to be the path of least resistance,” Metrobank said.

Security Bank Corp. said the expected December rate hike was short of being fully priced-in already. “We will look into rate expectations into next year. 2017 expectations should be the driver of US dollar strength into the medium term.”

Bank of the Philippine Islands’ Asset Management said with foreign selling expected to continue this week, “we expect the peso to continue falling, potentially testing the 50-level.” Julito G. Rada

Ayala hikes stake in wind power firm AC ENERGY Holdings Inc., a unit of Ayala Corp., said Tuesday wholly-owned subsidiary Presage Corp. acquired an additional 17.79-percent stake in NorthWind Power Development Corp., increasing its effective ownership interest to 67.79 percent from 50 percent.

NorthWind, which developed the country’s first commercial wind farm, owns and operates the 52-megawatt Bangui wind project in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.

AC Energy acquired its 50-percent ownership in the company in 2011 for P512 million. The other shareholders are Niels Jacobsen with 27.98 percent, Ferdinand Dumlao with 21.14 percent and Jose Ildebrando Ambrosio with 0.88 percent.

NorthWind is the pioneer in the country’s wind sector. NorthWind also has a renewable energy service contract for a wind energy project in Aparri, province of Cagayan.

“Our partners offered to sell a portion of their holdings, and we believe that it is good investment from AC Energy’s point of view.

The company has meaningful growth potential as we expand our investments in renewable energy,” AC Energy president John Eric Francia said.

AC Energy also owns a stake in the 81-MW wind farm in Caparispisan, Pagudpud under North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp.

Alena Mae S. Flores

ture minister to ask for a uniform tariff of 8-percent for Philippine bananas.

He said a separate letter would be sent to his Japanese counterpart to ask that the Philippines be given a share of the huge Japanese demand for avocados.

“We’d like to get a share of that huge Japanese market to the tune of P150 billion. We have the advantage of proximity and better climate than the traditional avocado exporting countries,” he said Piñol said he expected Philippine agriculture to grow further next year amid the opening of the China market as a result of the recent China visit by President Duterte.

OPRICES IL TODAY

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, November 22, 2016

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.8670

Japan

Yen

0.009008

0.4492

UK

Pound

1.249900

62.3288

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128936

6.4297

Switzerland

Franc

0.991080

49.4222

Canada

Dollar

0.745657

37.1837

Singapore

Dollar

0.702149

35.0141

Australia

Dollar

0.736100

36.7071

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652731

132.2837

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266716

13.3003

Brunei

Dollar

0.699692

34.8915

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028177

1.4051

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.5781

Euro

Euro

1.062900

53.0036

Korea

Won

0.000849

0.0423

China

Yuan

0.145045

7.2330

India

Rupee

0.014655

0.7308

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.226398

11.2898

New Zealand

Dollar

0.705300

35.1712

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031353

1.5635 Source: PDS Bridge

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market plunges; Jollibee rises S tocks fell for a second day, dragging the benchmark index to a nine-month low, on concerns the peso depreciation to 50 per US dollar will lift inflation rate and affect consumer spending.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, plunged 176 points, or 2.5 percent, to close at 6,802.73 Tuesday, the lowest in nearly nine months since it finished at 6,729.53 on March 1. The bellwether was also down 2.1 percent since the start of the year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also tumbled 84 points, or 2 percent, to settle at 4,138.16, on a value turnover of P7 billion. Losers outnumbered

gainers, 131 to 63, while 37 issues were unchanged.

Five of the six sectoral indices posted losses, while only three of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by restaurant chain operator Jollibee Foods Corp. which climbed 1.9 percent to P216 and miner Nickel Asia Corp. which rose 0.9 percent to P8.32. Alliance Global Group Inc., the holding company of tycoon Andrew Tan, gained 0.5 percent to P12.76.

Meanwhile, Asian markets rose Tuesday with energy stocks tracking a surge in oil prices, while Tokyo recovered an early sell-off caused by a huge earthquake off Japan’s northeast coast.

The 6.9 magnitude quake struck around dawn in the same region as the deadly 2011 tremor, sparking worries of another tragedy.

But while it caused some tsunami waves they were not as high as five years ago.

The yen strengthened against the dollar after the quake as investors sought out safe haven assets but gave up most of the gains as it emerged there was no major damage.

The dollar fell to as low as 110.27 yen before bouncing back to sit at 110.70 yen, with expecta-

tions it will extend gains on bets for higher US interest rates under Donald Trump’s presidency.

Japan’s Nikkei rebounded to end the morning slightly up and at its highest mark since January.

Hopes that the OPEC oil cartel and Russia will be able to hammer out an agreement to cut production have lit a fire under crude prices and in turn energy stocks.

With OPEC’s twice-yearly gathering set for November 30, speculation is mounting that officials are close to a deal that would address a global supply glut.

“Market players are positioning themselves for higher prices, and oil will be in the $50 to $55 range if there is a deal,” Giovanni Staunovo, an analyst at UBS Group AG in Zurich, told Bloomberg

News.

“OPEC members are building a lot of expectations and taking too much exposure to let a deal fail.”

Both main contracts surged more than four percent on Monday and extended the gains in Asian trade, providing a springboard for regional energy firms.

Hong Kong-listed CNOOC and PetroChina jumped more than three percent apiece, while in Tokyo Inpex put on 1.8 percent and Woodside Petroleum advanced 2.3 percent in Sydney.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index was up 1.2 percent and Shanghai gained 0.2 percent, while Sydney added 1.3 percent, Seoul 0.8 percent and Singapore 0.5 percent.

Wellington and Taipei also rallied.

With Bloomberg, AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2016

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 47.7 9,200 93 1,395,960 110.9 2,406,020 1.28 71,000 37.8 19,800 18.96 164,900 710 590 0.73 10,867,000 74 6,714,050 14.1 134,100 55.6 176,510 255.8 7,370 132 790 35.8 104,700 198.4 687,900 1,705 520 74.75 123,360 1.31 50,000

436,415 129,974,838 265,976,602 91,100 750,360 3,128,536 418,670 8,077,500 502,623,550.50 1,891,450 9,810,590.50 1,890,120 104,797 3,748,065 137,271,189 884,700 9,225,213.50 65,500

284,665 -58,185,917.50 98,471,251 -12,800 -380,000 -1,046,450 -239,800,753 -6,282,688.50 -1,285,320 182,620 -64,732,623 -17,050 1,418,815 -

42.2 3.81 0.87 1.29 21.35 0.195 94.6 11.02 17.44 140 23.4 23.5 59 102 96 2 7.5 12 10.94 6.6 6.96 5 1.76 22.2 66.1 16.14 6 1.7 210.2 77 2.16 3.7 30.25 26 14.9 273 0.24 4.65 3 9.29 11.54 2.1 5.73 1.4 67 4.05 223 4.38 2.83 4.08 0.142 1.54 174.2 4.23 2.02 31.2 1.07

INDUSTRIAL 42.45 2,604,100 4.03 4,184,000 0.88 277,000 1.3 461,000 23.95 379,500 0.195 880,000 95 380 11.1 5,220,000 17.44 1,300,300 140 100 23.5 241,800 24.9 3,100 59 610 110 780 98 670 2.04 24,000 7.68 1,024,600 12.24 34,800 11.02 3,787,800 6.63 77,400 6.96 77,200 5 16,450,800 1.88 43,000 22.3 1,487,800 68.95 191,290 16.22 24,100 6 276,400 1.8 1,222,000 216 770,270 78 400 2.17 184,000 4.03 17,000 30.3 1,416,800 26.5 187,800 14.9 1,862,200 273.2 355,600 0.25 210,000 4.65 10,000 3.18 7,505,000 9.29 3,856,000 11.54 2,000 2.1 2,326,000 5.8 34,600 1.4 71,000 67 2,106,070 4.24 592,000 223 30 4.4 164,000 2.83 83,000 4.09 17,000 0.142 40,000 1.54 367,000 176 2,213,790 4.25 9,000 2.02 1,346,000 31.2 1,500 1.1 22,000

110,643,880 16,651,180 241,930 600,230 9,023,480 172,260 36,106 58,423,650 22,862,898 14,106 5,672,650 74,230 37,010 85,705 79,940 48,270 7,982,879 418,632 41,673,518 514,178 538,974 83,658,920 76,880 33,743,235 12,901,066 390,564 1,667,111 2,163,700 164,176,988 31,516 409,810 63,270 42,946,730 4,962,915 27,754,644 98,297,676 50,500 46,500 22,896,720 36,046,867 23,080 4,888,750 201,463 100,550 142,799,655.50 2,503,980 6,690 720,200 236,590 69,400 5,680 570,380 389,287,207 39,810 2,739,560 46,825 23,900

-71,273,285 486,540 2,580 397,085 -4,365,346 11,676,868 -21,960 -78,000 10,000 22,860 11,034,464 -283,847 -183,482 -47,014,102 4,515,730 4,886,285 -186,530 1,405,705 -31,740 1,169,584 -25,357,275 -2,189,335 14,309,030 -26,359,028 4,431,220 -10,444,751 2,520,500 -46,610 25,831,008 1,084,740 35,120 8,180 74,880 163,074,078 252,960 9,365 -

0.365 73 12.52 0.99 5.8 0.31 0.32 731.5 1,001 8.25 13.4 7.7 0.183 1,084 6.32 67.5 5.8 1.47 7.49 13.88 0.46 6.55 0.037 1.15 1.86 2.19 79.9 622.5 0.85 187.1 237 0.285 0.186 0.255

HOLDING FIRMS 0.365 210,000 73.25 1,005,170 12.76 23,904,800 1.17 87,000 5.8 30,800 0.32 700,000 0.32 20,000 731.5 323,010 1,200 10 8.4 5,452,800 13.44 16,379,300 8.03 294,700 0.185 90,000 1,120 475,945 6.32 2,000 68 1,598,860 5.8 1,000 1.48 34,024,000 7.61 1,483,000 14.04 279,200 0.46 100,000 6.55 14,630,600 0.038 30,600,000 1.15 26,000 1.86 205,000 2.29 19,000 80.1 190,970 622.5 718,530 0.85 100,000 187.1 200 240 3,040 0.285 700,000 0.186 100,000 0.26 620,000

77,050 73,675,420.50 304,387,238 94,190 178,930 218,100 6,400 239,785,835 11,005 45,450,106 224,719,928 2,343,593 16,630 531,882,035 12,640 108,808,050 5,800 51,083,590 11,274,598 3,903,070 46,000 97,054,182 1,141,800 29,940 384,300 43,510 15,290,746 460,330,195 85,000 37,420 723,454 200,750 18,610 159,950

-30,571,409.50 15,709,138 -89,549,310 32,484,648 -37,183,042 -134,380,125 -7,431,406.50 -537,210 -2,734,692 94,960 4,248,502 619,918 -262,650,250 29,000 -

267,260 641,360 1,866 2,969,320 3,516,800 508,629,835 22,531,430 6,190 25,488,240 9,200 718,000 4,788,060 13,406,061 718,120 14,720 5,294,640 1,306,310 132,220 10,900

27,950 -140,561,045 -9,364,190 -6,431,760 -540 5,122,993 89,500 2,519,870 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK EAST WEST BANK MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

47.75 94 111 1.28 37.95 19 701 0.73 76 14.1 55.4 257 131 35.7 203.2 1,690 75 1.31

47.75 94 111.6 1.3 37.95 19 710 0.77 76.3 14.14 56 257 137.5 35.8 203.2 1,730 75 1.31

47.25 93 110 1.28 37.8 18.94 701 0.71 74 14.1 55.4 255.8 130 35.7 198 1,690 74.5 1.31

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETRON PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PHX SEMICNDCTR PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

42.75 3.87 0.88 1.31 21.35 0.196 95 11.26 17.48 150 23.45 23.5 61 110 120 2 7.5 12.24 10.98 6.7 7.13 5.18 1.76 23 68 16.22 6.01 1.77 213.8 77 2.22 3.71 30.3 26.2 15.26 282.2 0.24 4.65 3 9.4 11.54 2.12 5.85 1.43 68.3 4.28 223 4.38 2.88 4.09 0.142 1.59 177.5 4.57 2.05 31.25 1.1

43 4.08 0.88 1.32 24.5 0.197 95.1 11.34 17.74 150 23.55 24.9 61 116.5 120 2.05 7.96 12.26 11.06 6.7 7.13 5.18 1.88 23 68.95 16.22 6.05 1.85 216 79.05 2.29 4.03 30.6 26.5 15.26 282.2 0.25 4.65 3.19 9.5 11.54 2.12 5.9 1.43 69.1 4.4 223 4.4 2.99 4.09 0.142 1.62 177.5 4.57 2.07 31.25 1.1

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP BHI HLDG COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION REPUBLIC GLASS SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SYNERGY GRID TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.375 74.8 12.7 0.99 5.85 0.31 0.32 770 1,001 8.28 13.5 7.95 0.183 1,155 6.32 69 5.8 1.47 7.5 13.9 0.46 6.63 0.037 1.17 1.86 2.3 80.15 662 0.85 187.1 237.8 0.29 0.187 0.255

0.375 74.8 12.86 1.17 5.85 0.32 0.32 774.5 1,200 8.4 14 8.04 0.186 1,155 6.32 69 5.8 1.53 7.61 14.12 0.46 6.74 0.039 1.17 1.88 2.3 80.15 662 0.85 187.1 240 0.29 0.187 0.26

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP KEPPEL PROP

6.99 1.08 6.22 2.21 0.34 33 3.2 5.16 0.56 1.15 0.159 0.54 51.75 0.72 0.133 1.74 0.95 1.06 5.45

7 1.09 6.22 2.21 0.355 33 3.3 5.16 0.56 1.15 0.163 0.54 51.75 0.72 0.142 1.75 0.96 1.08 5.45

6.94 1.07 6.22 2.1 0.335 31.6 3.15 5.15 0.52 1.15 0.159 0.52 50.5 0.68 0.133 1.72 0.95 1.04 5.45

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

3.8 0.153 0.25 0.41 3.42 34.95 26.5 1.56 3.24 26.95 0.99 0.95 5.24

3.8 0.157 0.255 0.425 3.42 34.95 26.5 1.56 3.24 27 1 0.95 5.25

3.6 0.147 0.25 0.41 3.23 34.95 26.15 1.55 3.22 26.25 0.96 0.88 5.14

3.6 0.147 0.25 0.42 3.23 34.95 26.2 1.55 3.22 26.3 0.98 0.9 5.15

44,722,000 24,890,000 130,000 250,000 532,000 300 688,400 88,000 141,000 12,189,400 580,000 375,000 5,048,600

163,583,800 3,748,790 32,550 102,750 1,743,710 10,485 18,048,505 136,970 456,360 321,529,950 567,090 343,630 26,070,623

-11,862,540 406,250 -80,770 -9,353,570 -23,500 45,910,070 -76,903

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CALATA CORP CEBU AIR DFNN INC GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN GRAND PLAZA HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL A IMPERIAL B INTL CONTAINER IP EGAME IPEOPLE IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM LBC EXPRESS LEISURE AND RES LORENZO SHIPPNG MACROASIA MANILA JOCKEY MELCO CROWN METRO RETAIL MLA BRDCASTING NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT

7.8 45.5 1.35 0.54 0.047 5 6.5 0.075 3.05 103.5 6.62 1,430 6.15 12.8 17.36 2.06 14.1 125 74 0.0091 11.3 9.12 0.184 1.37 13 5 0.92 2.12 2 4.15 3.79 20 2.25 11.24 5.11 150 11.5 1,348 1.15 0.405 40 74.8 5.47 2.64 0.9 3.2 0.34

7.98 45.5 1.4 0.55 0.047 5.01 6.5 0.075 3.07 105.9 6.9 1,437 6.15 14 17.36 2.11 14.74 125 76 0.0091 12.44 9.12 0.184 1.4 13.18 5.02 0.92 2.12 2 4.15 3.8 20 2.28 11.24 5.11 150 11.7 1,348 1.16 0.41 40 74.8 5.47 2.64 0.95 3.2 0.34

7.8 45.1 1.3 0.53 0.04 5 6.24 0.072 2.87 102.7 6.6 1,400 6.11 12.36 17.36 2.01 14.1 125 73.5 0.0091 11.3 9.1 0.179 1.34 12.3 4.89 0.9 2.12 2 4.01 3.65 19 1.9 11.2 5 150 10.7 1,295 1.13 0.4 39.5 72 5.32 2.55 0.9 3.08 0.34

SERVICES 7.9 45.2 1.3 0.54 0.042 5 6.3 0.072 2.87 105.3 6.68 1,420 6.11 14 17.36 2.04 14.12 125 74.25 0.0091 12.44 9.12 0.181 1.35 13.1 4.99 0.9 2.12 2 4.11 3.65 19 2.06 11.2 5.02 150 10.98 1,295 1.15 0.41 39.5 72 5.43 2.56 0.93 3.08 0.34

165,000 32,400 78,000 233,000 252,600,000 4,400 4,919,500 37,960,000 3,386,000 213,220 56,100 86,990 105,200 321,400 31,700 2,217,000 8,200 30 942,390 16,000,000 500 498,000 16,370,000 118,000 4,400 380,700 50,000 50,000 1,000 1,325,000 2,075,000 6,400 9,138,000 10,400 51,900 20,070 9,152,300 166,725 11,568,000 290,000 460,800 412,410 66,800 289,000 25,729,000 410,000 500,000

1,296,154 1,464,500 107,000 125,330 10,864,400 22,010 31,070,127 2,765,940 9,865,940 22,344,350 375,622 124,105,995 643,708 4,346,992 550,312 4,524,260 115,846 3,750 69,911,977.50 145,600 5,764 4,540,960 2,979,150 160,290 55,706 1,880,148 45,260 106,000 2,000 5,402,780 7,673,770 122,990 18,659,520 116,684 260,818 3,010,500 101,353,944 218,590,990 13,263,770 117,450 18,361,105 29,839,802.50 361,900 747,160 24,038,620 1,278,110 170,000

260,900 2,421,489 73,000 653,520 10,515,527 -382,075 -19,300 -119,770 26,807,100 9,100 1,244 579,609 106,000 -516,780 1,560,230 -894,980 -10,500 -2,888,350 -66,800,405 1,938,220 -4,100 751,550 -6,502,856 -90,170 816,070 -729,260 -

ABRA MINING APEX MINING ATLAS MINING BENGUET B CENTURY PEAK COAL ASIA HLDG DIZON MINES FERRONICKEL GEOGRACE LEPANTO A LEPANTO B MANILA MINING A MARCVENTURES NICKEL ASIA NIHAO ORNTL PENINSULA ORNTL PETROL A PETROENERGY PX MINING PXP ENERGY SEMIRARA MINING TA PETROLEUM UNITED PARAGON

0.0038 2.85 4.88 2.5 0.58 0.405 9.49 3.7 0.28 0.194 0.2 0.012 1.79 8.27 3.3 1.04 0.012 4.01 8.29 3.93 131.5 3.12 0.0091

0.0038 2.99 5.05 2.5 0.59 0.405 11.3 3.84 0.3 0.201 0.203 0.012 1.93 8.6 3.47 1.24 0.012 4.1 8.3 4.03 135 3.12 0.0091

0.0033 2.85 4.87 2.25 0.56 0.4 9.31 3.7 0.28 0.193 0.2 0.012 1.79 8.18 3.16 1.04 0.01 3.99 8.21 3.84 128.8 3 0.0091

MINING & OIL 0.0035 2,588,000,000 2.85 83,000 4.93 561,000 2.5 6,000 0.56 988,000 0.4 210,000 10.38 1,047,900 3.76 7,470,000 0.29 5,920,000 0.198 15,380,000 0.2 430,000 0.012 39,500,000 1.87 3,552,000 8.32 12,335,000 3.22 1,998,000 1.16 11,368,000 0.011 71,500,000 3.99 36,000 8.28 490,300 3.85 3,355,000 129.5 616,660 3 121,000 0.0091 1,000,000

9,097,600 240,690 2,770,280 14,750 566,240 84,950 10,702,240 28,263,490 1,743,600 3,044,330 86,300 474,000 6,680,030 103,449,976 6,707,430 13,088,070 757,200 144,200 4,047,062 13,195,510 80,846,938 364,210 9,100

-14,890 -22,106 12,075,780 30,000 0 -143,960 4,768,895 23,580 -720,000 -111,915 31,560 4,342,188 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B SFI PREF SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

45.3 535 104.2 113 121 5.88 1,021 1,020 1.85 80.6 78.9 79.4 77.95 78.3

45.3 535 104.9 113 121 5.98 1,021 1,020 1.85 80.6 79 79.4 78 78.4

43.6 535 104.2 113 121 5.86 1,021 1,020 1.85 80.6 78.9 79.4 77.95 78.3

PREFERRED 45 213,400 535 5,000 104.3 29,050 113 2,010 121 40 5.98 29,700 1,021 100 1,020 9,280 1.85 2,000 80.6 10 79 6,400 79.4 6,800 77.95 26,810 78.4 130,000

9,602,220 2,675,000 3,027,067 227,130 4,840 174,842 102,100 9,465,600 3,700 806 505,500 539,920 2,091,073 10,189,000

-1,236,675 91,890 806 -

LR WARRANT

2.21

2.24

2.2

WARRANTS 2.21 206,000

455,530

-

ALTERRA CAPITAL ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

2.74 3.68 2.98 9.65

2.75 3.68 2.98 9.82

2.7 3.52 2.81 9.61

2.71 3.52 2.81 9.81

575,000 11,000 332,000 932,600

1,567,610 39,600 933,090 9,109,051

13,750 7,280 -1,343,554

FIRST METRO ETF

115.8

115.8

114

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 114 30,360

3,483,142

-

MS

PROPERTY 6.99 1.08 6.22 2.19 0.35 31.6 3.15 5.15 0.53 1.15 0.16 0.52 50.9 0.7 0.142 1.74 0.95 1.04 5.45

38,300 597,000 300 1,391,000 10,110,000 15,945,300 7,041,000 1,200 47,683,000 8,000 4,460,000 9,081,000 264,390 1,024,000 110,000 3,055,000 1,374,000 126,000 2,000

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES

24,673,026 66,057,793 134,567,501

PROPERTY

191,995,854

SERVICES

399,191,771

MINING & OIL

2,766,103,662

GRAND TOTAL

3,584,471,067

SME

VALUE 1,688.09 (down) 24.34 1,209,015,756.775 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,034.09 (down) 119.70 1,352,597,896.678 HOLDING FIRMS 6,863.91 (down) 216.37 2,199,078,316.61 PROPERTY 3,008.97 (down) 94.97 SERVICES 1,287.17 (down) 23.85 1,129,902,154.77 MINING & OIL 12,041.06 (up) 51.10 769,990,273.5785 PSEI 6,802.73 (down) 176.33 286,496,403.225 All Shares Index 4,138.16 (down) 84.46 6,962,214,644.6405 Gainers:63 Losers: 131; Unchanged: 37; Total: 231

DMCI set to complete power plant in Palawan

By Alena Mae S. Flores DMCI Power Corp. of the Consunji Group is investing P620 million to complete a 10-megawatt bunker fired power facility that will deliver electricity to the Palawan grid.

“Construction of the Aborlan plant is proceeding as scheduled. We expect it to go online by yearend,” DMCI Power president Nestor Dadivas said in a statement.

The Board of Investments recently granted DMCI Power a six-year income tax holiday for its 2 x 4.95-MW bunkerfired power plant in Aborlan.

Under the 2014 Investment Priorities Plan of BOI, power projects in missionary areas qualify for pioneer status.

DMCI Power’s entitlement to the tax incentive was determined based on its project’s ability to contribute to the economy’s development as measured by its net value added, new jobs generated, multiplier effect and measured capacity.

“This incentive will effectively lower DMCI Power’s true cost of generation charge, in the end benefitting the electricity consumers of Palawan,” said Dadivas.

The tax holiday will be applied once the Aborlan facility begins its commercial operations or six years from December 2016, whichever is earlier.

DMCI Power was established in 2006 to provide sufficient and reliable electricity to areas that are not connected to the main transmission grid. Aside from Palawan, the company also provides power to Masbate, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro and Sultan Kudarat through supply contracts with electric cooperatives. DMCI Power has a total contracted capacity of 56 MW.

Filinvest wants to raise P30b

By Jenniffer B. Austria FILINVEST Land Inc., the property development unit of the Gotianun family, plans to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission an application for shelf registration of P30 billion worth of bonds.

Filinvest Land chief finance officer Nelson Bona said in an interview at the sidelines of a good governance forum the company aimed to issue the initial tranche worth about P10 billion by the first quarter of 2017.

Proceeds from the fund raising activity will be used to finance capital expenditures, refinance existing debt and fund real estate projects geared towards expanding recurring income.

“We plan to issue P10 billion in bonds annually over the next three years,” Bona said.

“We plan to file for a threeyear shelf registration because the key there is getting the regulatory approval. It is easier, if the intention is to expand significantly over the next few years, to prepare for that,” Bona said.

“We plan to do P10 billion annually over the next three years,” he said.

Filinvest Land president Josephine Gotianun-Yap said the company remained focused on boosting recurring income despite concerns over the future of the business process outsourcing industry because of US president Donald Trump’s protectionist views.

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 extrastory2000@gmail.com

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING. Century City Mall

general manager Joaquin Tamano (left) and Century Properties chief operations officer Jose Marco Antonio lead the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Century City Mall along Kalayan road in Makati City. Lino Santos

BoI plans to reinforce steel sector

By Othel V. Campos

Wilcon set to launch P7.9-b IPO in Q1

By Jenniffer B. Austria

W

ilcon Depot Inc., one of the country’s leading home improvement and construction supplies retailers, plans to raise up to P7.9 billion through an initial public offering in the first quarter of 2017.

Wilcon said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission it planned to sell up to 1.393 billion common shares at an offer price of up to P5.68 apiece.

Net proceeds from the fund raising activity will be used to

finance store expansion, debt repayment and other general corporate purposes.

Wilcon said of the expected proceeds, it planned to set aside P6.08 billion for store network expansion from 2017 to 2019.

It plans to expand its pres-

ence in various areas across the country, including Cavite, Zamboanga, Iloilo, Tacloban, Cabanatuan, Bicol, General Santos, Davao, Lucena, Isabela, Tagum, Tuguegarao, Surigao and Cabanatuan.

The company also intends to use P1 billion from the expected IPO proceeds to finance outstanding obligations with several banks including Allied Banking Corp., BDO Unibank, Bank of the Philippine Islands and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.

It said at least 70 percent of the offer shares would be sold to qualified institutional buyers and

the general public and 20 percent through trading participants of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

The remaining 10 percent will be allocated to small local investors.

Wilcon, which plans to list under the main board of the PSE, operates the home improvement and retail construction business of the Belo family, led by chairman William Belo.

Since opening its first branch in 1977, Wilcon has expanded to a network of 36 stores nationwide, with a complete spectrum of product offerings which include local and international

brands of tiles and flooring, plumbing and sanitary wares, electrical and lighting products, hardware and tools, furniture, furnishings and houseware, paints and building materials.

It operates its stores under the “Wilcon Depot” and “Wilcon Home Essentials” store formats.

Wilcon appointed First Metro Investment Corp. as the issue manager, lead underwriter and bookrunner.

The company said the offer period for the IPO would likely happen on March 13 to 17, while listing date was tentatively set on March 23.

PayMaya Bangko Sentral readies 82 new regulations sees 2016 enhancing the standard for li- associations, venture capital cor- funds was the remittance firm

By Julito G. Rada quidity management of banks porations, credit card companies, Philrem Service Corp.

Sentral ng Pilipinas and enhancement of technol- investment houses, finance com“We are reviewing circular transactions BANGKO plans to put in place 82 regula- ogy risk management frame- panies, investment companies 471 which is the regulation on tions next year to better manage work. non bank financial institutions and securities dealers/brokers. at P200b risks and improve governance Earlier, Bangko Sentral said it which includes remittance busi“This will elevate the game

By Darwin G. Amojelar

PAYMAYA Philippines said Tuesday it expects to handle over P200 billion worth of transactions in 2017.

Paolo Azzola, managing director and co-chief operating officer of PayMaya, told reporters the company would likely meet its P200-billion transaction target this year.

Azzola said for 2017, the target value transaction “would be higher” than P200 billion.

He said 2017 would be an “important” year for the company as it planned to expand its over-the-top digital payments app in Southeast Asia.

PayMaya teamed up with Paypal, a global leader in digital payments, to make it more convenient for users or freelancers to withdraw their PayPal funds using PayMaya.

The Philippines is marked as the country with the largest number of freelancers in relation to country population followed by India, the US, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

According to a World Bank study released in June 2015, almost 5 percent of the country’s work force was registered as online outsourcing workers.

“Our collaboration with the global payment leader Paypal aims to break platform barriers hindering our independent earners fro realizing their full potential whether as a working individual or an online business,” Orlando Vea, president and chief executive of PayMaya Philippines and Voyager said.

for financial institutions under its supervision.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the new regulations would not be all directed to the banking industry.

“We are trying to elevate the corporate governance in the banking industry. We also try to improve the risk governance in banks because for every opportunity, there is also an associated threat. So these will all occur in 2017,” Espenilla said at the sidelines of the Chamber of Thrift Banks general membership meeting in Makati City Tuesday.

He said among these regulations would be a regulation

[such as cloud computing] and this will present an opportunity for banks to improve their operations,”Espenilla said.

Also included would be regulations on financial transparency.

Espenilla said banks needed to discipline themselves and police their own ranks.

Espenilla said Bangko Sentral started last month the review of the changes in the industry in the past years, including the regulations and circulars implemented for the betterment of the banking industry.

Aside from banks, Bangko Sentral also supervises and regulates pawnshops, lending investors, non-stock savings and loan

would upgrade the regulations on non-bank financial institutions in a bid to make the industry players comply with their anti-money laundering obligations.

Espenilla said this was in line with the move to prevent the recurrence of money laundering activities in the country, the latest of which involved $81-million that was believed stolen by cyber thieves from the account of Bank of Bangladesh in the Federal Reserve in New York.

The dirty money entered the Philippine banking system through a branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. in Makati City in February. One of the conduits in the transfer of the illegal

nesses…. So we are upgrading the regulations,” Espenilla told reporters.

He said the upgraded rules― with clearer and well-defined obligations particularly on money laundering responsibilities― would apply to all existing players.

Espenilla said in April the regulator was also closely monitoring the activities of pawnshops and non-stock savings and loans associations.

He said pawnshops, in particular, evolved beyond the traditional construct of a corner establishment where anybody could bring their jewelry in exchange of money as payback.

The Board of Investments teamed up with the Science Department’s Metals Industry Research and Development and the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development to conduct a feasibility study on boosting iron production using local indigenous minerals.

The study aims to determine the most suitable iron making technology for the value adding of Philippine magnetite resources for the iron and steel industry and is in line with the iron and steel roadmap.

Trade undersecretary for industry development and BOI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said the plan was to integrate local production and supply existing steelmaking infrastructures.

“A genuine local iron and steel industry is a strategic element for the country’s socioeconomic development. It can serve as backbone for many sectors of the economy as it is highly interrelated with many sectors specifically the infrastructure, power, transportation, and the manufacturing industries,” he said.

Rodolfo said President Rodrigo Duterte specifically gave directives to look into the viability of local magnetite ores, particularly the black sand, as intermediate iron products for use in the production of iron and steel.

He said the president aimed to pursue industrialization by having the country’s own steel industry.

The agreement signed provides for MIRDC as the implementing agency for the study with the BOI and PCIEERD providing the funds.

The study also aims to provide technological solutions to obtain maximum benefit from the value adding of iron resources in the country.

Growth can reach 9% in 3 years under Duterte govt, says Salceda ALBAY Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda said the Philippines’ gross domestic product could hit 9 percent in three years, supported

by President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy strengths and infrastructure spending.

Salceda, a known economist, said such GDP growth could be attained under Duterte’s massive spending program, ushering in a “golden age” of infrastructure in the country.

Quoting economic forecast models developed by a group of econometricians, the lawmaker

said by 2019, the GDP could hit 9 percent with “infrastructure spending [representing] from 5 percent to 6 percent of GDP, funded by new taxes and tax efficiencies.”

Salceda, vice chair of the House committee on economic affairs, said the 7.1-percent GDP growth attained by the country in the third quarter this year― which made the Philippines the fastest growing economy in Asia―could further accelerate in the fourth quarter and to about 7.5 percent in 2017.

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the Philippines’ 7.1-percent thirdquarter growth bested China’s 6.7 percent, Vietnam’s 6.4 percent, Indonesia’s 5 percent and Malaysia’s 4.3 percent. The Philippines now needs to post a 6.9-percent growth in the fourth quarter to hit the top end of its 6-percent to 7 percent target for 2016.

Salceda said the growth in the third quarter 2016, which is also the first quarter of the Duterte regime, was itself propelled by

infrastructure spending, backed up partly by agri-recovery and remittances from overseas Filipino workers.

He said the impressive growth was also aided on the side by the government peace initiatives and fiscal reforms, the same factors seen to further boost the economy in the next three years.

Investments in construction and infrastructures became the biggest source of growth in the country and are now “higher than consumption,” which Salceda said he “can’t remember seeing

one in past history.”

Salceda said massive infrastructure development would generate more jobs, create strong middle class families, promote inclusive growth and reduce the country’s marginalized sector.

The lawmaker also cited the “dividends of peace on the streets and peace with the left and MILF whose indefinite ceasefire modes should boost business activities and investments in greenfield areas, and thus further lift the trajectory of growth with the GDP hitting 7.5 percent in 2017.”

Misleading promos OUR email inbox is getting flooded by all kinds of advertising and promotional material such as cut-rate online sales and free gift certificates worth several thousands if you apply for a loan. One of the most tempting, however, are promos coming from airlines offering low “all-in” fares – which seem perfect considering that the holiday season is drawing nearer and you have yet to decide where to go and where to stay.

These promos sound good especially for budget-minded travelers who have been saving up for a vacation. However, make sure that these promos are not misleading because instead of a dream holiday that you have been longing for, you might end up getting “bad trip.”

Not to sound like a party pooper here, but better check the restrictions or limitations that accompany such promo deals. For instance, does the “all-in” promo include travel taxes, fuel surcharges and other fees? Make sure these are disclosed or declared because you might end up having to pay these “hidden costs” when you get to the airport – in the process taking a big bite out of your budget and ruining your vacation even before it starts. Some even got offloaded

because of the practice of airlines to overbook, so read the small print before you purchase that ticket.

While budget airlines have done a lot to bring down the cost of airline tickets and make travel by plane an option for more Filipinos, many passengers complain about poor service and less than satisfactory travel experience. One even told us that he feels “budget” is a misnomer because he ends up paying more in the end. For instance, the baggage allowance is very minimal so if you’re the type who has difficulty traveling light, you shell out more for extra kilos of baggage.

You may also have to pay extra for insurance since it is not included in the airfare, and food or snacks are no longer served on certain airlines. So if you missed breakfast or skipped lunch before the flight, tough luck. You could buy chips or a bottle of mineral water but they are priced like five-star hotel fare (like a hundred bucks for a small bag of locally manufactured chips).

Just recently, United Airlines introduced the “basic economy” category in an obvious bid to get a chunk out of the budget market. The only problem with this discount fare is that passengers will not be al-

lowed to bring carry-on luggage with size bigger than a laptop bag.

What’s more, passengers buying the discounted fare cannot choose their seat and will be the last to board the plane. And if you want to upgrade – sorry, but no.

No wonder the reaction from the traveling public has been, as one report said, “fast, furious and overwhelmingly negative.” Imagine, you will be made to feel like a last priority passenger? Apparently, United thought they were doing budget-conscious passengers a favor since the latter would experience the airline’s outstanding onboard amenities and “great customer service.” Passengers certainly disagree on that last part, considering that bringing carry-on luggage (that conform to standard size), getting to choose seats (if you check-in early online) and boarding the plane according to the line are simple concessions that count for good customer service.

••• For comments, reactions, photos, stories and related concerns, readers may email to happyhourtoday2012@yahoo.com. You may also visit and like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ happyhourmanilastandard. Cheers!

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Business

TransAsia shuts down after losses TRANSASIA Airways Corp., the Taiwanese airline that suffered two fatal crashes in the last two years, said its board decided to dissolve the company after the disasters worsened its finances amid a weak regional market.

The Taipei-based airline, whose board met early Tuesday, said it can’t repay convertible bonds due Nov. 29, but will compensate affected customers in full. The carrier has reported losses in the past seven quarters, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The Financial Supervisory Commission and the Ministry of Justice late Monday said they had initiated a probe into insider trading of the company’s shares prior to news reports of the flight suspensions.

Separately, the Taiwan stock exchange said earlier Monday it would fine the company NT$1.5 million ($47,000) for breaching corporate disclosure rules.

Trading in TransAsia’s shares were suspended starting Tuesday, according to a company filing. The firm has $75 million of convertible bonds due November 2018 and NT$180.4 million of outstanding local-currency convertible securities due in October 2019, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

The island’s Civil Aeronautics Administration said the airline should have gotten regulatory approval for the suspensions, which will affect 84 flights and about 5,000 customers. Taiwan’s cabinet has directed affected customers to seek assistance from its Consumer Protection Committee.

TransAsia has been the subject of investigations for two fatal crashes since 2014. The crash of Flight GE235 into a river in Taipei in 2015 killed 43 people. Flight GE222, which went down in the outlying Penghu islands in July 2014, killed 48.

The company’s shares have fallen about 56 percent since the first of the disasters, while the benchmark Taiex index dropped 3.7 percent over the same period.

TransAsia shares slumped 7.1 percent to NT$5.20 on Nov. 21 before the suspension, giving the airline a market value of NT$3.95 billion. More than 10.7 million shares changed hands yesterday. Bloomberg

US-CHINA TRADE. Maersk Triple E ship arrives in Hong Kong. Bloomberg

$11-b funds exit Asia after Trump’s victory G lobal funds sold about $11 billion of equities and bonds in Asia’s emerging markets after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election as expectations for his economic policies sent Treasury yields higher and sparked the dollar’s strongest rally in eight years.

India suffered the biggest outflows between Nov. 9 and Nov. 18, followed by Thailand, according to calculations by Bloomberg using official data.

The capital flight trims the year-to-date inflow into India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand to around $55 billion.

“Fund outflows from

emerging markets will probably continue for a while and then investors will see if Trump will carry out some policies he has mentioned before the election, such as fiscal stimulus and protectionist-type trade policies,” Masakatsu Fukaya, an emerging markets trader with Mizuho Bank Ltd., said in a phone interview. “Many of his policies may lead to a stronger dollar and are negative on the emerging markets.”

Foreign investors have been net sellers of $1.5 billion in bonds and $1.4 billion in equities from Nov. 9-17 in India.

In Thailand, global funds were net sellers of 80.5 billion baht ($2.3 billion) in bonds and $534.3 million in stocks from Nov. 9-18, while in Indonesia, overseas investors sold a net total of 13.9 trillion rupiah ($1 billion) in local debt from

Fake news battle heats up WASHINGTON, United States--Hillary Clinton was about to be indicted, Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump: the battle over fake news is heating up after a White House campaign in which the misinformation industry may have swung the outcome of the vote.

Last week, Google and Facebook moved to cut off ad revenue to bogus news sites.

But media watchers say more is needed to stamp out a powerful phenomenon seen by some people as a threat to democracy itself.

One of those people is President Barack Obama, who has warned that fake news threatens the basic principle of freedom of speech.

“If everything seems to be the same and no distinctions are made, then we won’t know what to protect,” Obama said during a visit to Germany.

The hoaxes of the 2016 election season were in many cases spectacular--”Did the Clintons Commit Murder?”--and created by groups purely out to make money from clicks and ads.

And since Trump’s victory, reports have exposed the dark underbelly of operations -- run from Macedonia to California—that boast of making easy money with wholly fabricated stories, under such headlines as “Look At Sick Thing He Just Did To STAB Trump In The Back.”

An analysis published by BuzzFeed News found that the 20 top-performing bogus stories from hoax websites and extremely partisan blogs generated slightly more than 8.7 million “shares” on Facebook to just 7.4 million from major news websites, in the three months before the election.

Now, the outcry over fake news and its apparent role in the election is prompting calls for Facebook to consider itself a media company, with editorial responsibilities, which the social network has repeatedly rejected.

Washington Post media columnist Marga-

ret Sullivan argued that Facebook “should hire a top-flight executive editor and give that person the resources, power and staff to make sound editorial decisions.”

For Gabriel Kahn, a former journalist who teaches at the University of Southern California, “they’re in the same business as pretty much every media company, which is aggregating audiences and using that to sell advertisements.”

And Kahn believes that Facebook, by considering itself a “neutral” platform, “allows the media ecosystem to be polluted” with bogus news.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Friday offered additional insight on plans to curb online misinformation while arguing for caution.

“The problems here are complex, both technically and philosophically,” Zuckerberg said in a posting.

“We believe in giving people a voice... We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties.”

Zuckerberg said nonetheless that Facebook would step up efforts to weed out fake news with “stronger detection,” an easier process to report hoaxes and “third party verification” from “respected fact checking organizations.”

Tech entrepreneur Elad Gil said it should not be too difficult for a company like Facebook to apply its technical expertise to determine when a news story is fake.

“Intriguingly, a group of undergrads at Princeton were able to build a quick and dirty fake news classifier during a 36-hour hackathon,” Gil said in a blog post.

Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy argued that it is important to differentiate between “click farms” which make money off entirely fake news and politically driven news sites.

AFP

Nov. 9-16 and $444.2 million in equities from Nov. 9-18.

In South Korea, global funds were net sellers of 30 million won ($25,500) in listed bonds in Nov. 9-17, and $949.1 million in Nov. 9-18 and in the Philippines, investors were net sellers of $170.6 million in stocks in Nov. 9-18.

Bloomberg’s dollar index climbed the most since 2008 in the two weeks just past amid speculation that Presidentelect Trump’s reflationary policies will trigger higher

interest rates. By contrast, South Korea’s won has dropped 3.4 percent since the US election, Indonesia’s rupiah has weakened 2.7 percent and the Philippine peso has fallen 2.5 percent.

Trump said in video that he will issue notification of intent to withdraw from the TransPacific Partnership trade deal on his first day in office. He has pledged to spend $1 trillion to rebuild and improve the nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

Bloomberg

NBC hikes investment in news site BuzzFeed SAN FRANCISCO, United States—NBC Universal on Monday announced it is doubling its investment in BuzzFeed, pumping another $200 million into the internet media company.

“NBCUniversal made an additional $200M investment to expand the strategic partnership,” the companies said in a joint release.

The deepened alliance will center heavily on extending an advertising sales relationship between BuzzFeed and NBCUniversal, which is owned by US cable colossus Comcast.

Comcast invested an initial $200 million in BuzzFeed last year.

NBC Universal and BuzzFeed have partnered on initiatives including the 2016 Rio Olympics on Snapchat and selling advertising.

“BuzzFeed has helped us engage millennial audiences with our content and extend the reach of our clients’ campaigns to new platforms,” NBCUniversal president of digital experiences Maggie Suniewick said in the release.

BuzzFeed founder and chief executive Jonah Peretti maintained that the investment would allow the New York City based company to remain an independent operation but give it access to NBCUniversal resources.

BuzzFeed will collaborate with NBCUniversal on production and distribution on social networks of short-form video content for advertisers, according to the companies.

The infusion of money will also be build up BuzzFeed’s food-focused Tasty media network and create ad products, the companies said.

Founded in 2006, BuzzFeed has built itself into a wellknown online media and entertainment company.

Analysts praise the private company’s ability to tailor content to spread on social networks, where it grabs the attention of young audiences, who often do not read newspapers or tune into cable television. AFP

LGUs

Herbert vetoes QC dashcam ordinance QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Tuesday vetoed a proposed ordinance requiring the installation of dashboard cameras in marked police vehicles of the Quezon City Police District.

In his veto message, Bautista said “he is constrained to return the proposed ordinance without affirmative action on the ground that it violated the rule which provides that all funding requirements should pass through the budgeting process.”

Under the proposed measure, funding “shall be taken from any available funds of the city, otherwise unappropriated, or from the grants and subsidy account of the Office of the Mayor.”

“The authority granted to the chief executive to procure such equipment through negotiation, if such is permissible, can also be validly done in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184, otherwise known as the Government Procurement Reform Act,” Bautista said.

The law requires public bidding as a preferred mode of award.

Bautista said the proposed measure also failed to provide the rules “in the appreciation of evidence gathered by these devices.”

As provided under the Rules on Electronic Evidence, “Audio, photographic and video evidence of events, acts or transactions shall be admissible provided it shall be shown, presented or displayed to the court and shall be identified, explained or authenticated by the person who made the recording or by some other person competent to testify thereof.”

Apart from failure to provide rules in the appreciation of evidence, Bautista said, the proposal also failed to comply with the provisions of the Republic Act 10173, or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Moreover, the measure was not able to provide the prescribed minimum standard or specifications for the procurement or installation of dashboard cameras. Rio N. Araja

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Federalism talks start today C

By Romeo Dizon

LARK FREEPORT, Pampanga—The government’s campaign to inform the people in Central Luzon about federalism will start today in Nueva Ecija.

Araceli San Jose, assistant director of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Central Luzon, said the info campaign would then proceed to Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Aurora, Zambales, and Bulacan

until the end of the year.

The campaign was launched because the people “have limited knowledge of federalism as form of government as shown by the latest DILG survey,” San Jose said.

Central Luzon DILG officials will only inform the people on the main features of federalism “and not promise anything that their lives will improve or be better under the new form of government,” she added.

A lone speaker will inform a target audience of 1,000 per seminar on the pros and cons of federalism, to help the people decide on what form of government they want.

Scholars and pro-federalism intellectuals have proposed Central Luzon as one of up to 11 fed-

eral states in the country, with Clark Freeport and Manila as the seats of the state and federal government, respectively.

These proponents of federalism include Dr. Jose V. Abueva, former president of the University of the Philippines and chairman of the Citizen Movement for Federalism Philippines, and the late Dr. Salvador Z. Araneta, a nationalist who founded the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation, the first private agricultural school in the country, San Jose said.

Federalism advocates proposed different periods of transition from the current presidential system of government. Araneta had suggested a 10 to 20 year period, while Abueva proposed a five to 10-year transition. The Duterte administration is proposing an immediate shift to a federal system.

Araneta had also proposed just six federal states for the Philippines, while the administration is still silent on the political subdivisions under the federal system.

IN BRIEF American engineer commits suicide A RETIRED American engineer died of an apparent suicide on Saturday inside his home in Noveleta, Cavite on Saturday, police said.

Thomas Paul Wheeler, 60, was found with a gunshot wound to his head at his home on 523 Ipil Street, Seaview Subdivision, Barangay San Rafael 2 in Noveleta, officer on case PO2 Ricky Cirilos said.

Initial investigation said that Wheeler’s sister-in-law, Edel Liporada, found him lying lifeless on the dining room floor at 6 a.m. Recovered from the scene were a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol, four rounds of live ammunition and one empty bullet shell.

Relatives said Wheeler was suffering from depression and had financial problems. Benjamin Chavez

UPI’S FINEST. Dr. Bernabe Dela Fuente Sr. National High School students of South Upi, Maguindanao perform an ethnic dance during the 27th founding anniversary of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao which kicked off on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016 inside ARMM compound, Cotabato City dubbed as Pakaradjaan sa ARMM. DBDFNHS won third place in the recent Aliwan Fiesta in Manila. Omar Mangorsi

Erap wants clean, orderly Manila as his legacy MANILA Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada envisions the Philippine capital to be as clean and orderly as Tokyo and Hong Kong and wants it to be his legacy when he retires from public service.

On Tuesday, Estrada said it is not a tall order to regain Manila’s long-lost beauty and old glory because all it requires from every Manileño is discipline and concern to their city.

The mayor wants it to happen

C1

“because this is my last hurrah [in public service]… I was born here. I want to bring back the old glory of Manila, the old Manila that was called the Pearl of the Orient.

“It is the capital city of our country… [and I will do it] even if I have to sacrifice my life just to bring back the old glory of Manila,” Estrada added.

The city government’s recent road and sidewalk clearing op-

erations, which has driven away more than 3,500 illegal vendors and removed countless obstructions and illegal structures, has the mayor longing for order in the city.

Estrada said the time has come to clear precious road spaces that have been occupied by illegal vendors, to clean up the city and relieve traffic congestion in Manila’s thoroughfares.

He has personally led clear-

ing operations in Divisoria, Blumentritt, Quiapo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz, R-10, and Pedro Gil, among others, and major roads leading to and from the Port of Manila. He also cleaned up the University Belt weeks before the opening of classes last June.

The mayor said he has personally observed how clean the capital city of Japan is.

“I looked around to see why Tokyo remains one of the most

beautiful and cleanest cities. You cold not see any trash, not even in the sidewalks, the streets look beautiful,” he said, adding that Hong Kong and Singapore are also similar to Tokyo in terms of cleanliness.

This is the reason, Estrada said, why he is scolding thousands of vendors in Manila’s markets who could not even clean up their own mess.

Sandy Araneta

Parades await Makati hosts CityNet intl seminar beauty titlist, sports heroes BAGUIO CITY—The city government will honor reigning Miss International Kylie Verzosa, mixed martial arts champion Eduard Folayang, and wushu artist Divine Wali—all natives of the Cordillera region—in the coming days.

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan said they will fete Verzosa with a motorcade once she arrives in the city on Saturday, November 26. The city is also asking Verzosa’s managers if she can attend the flag-raising ceremony on Monday, November 28, so she can be presented to the people of Baguio.

The city will also honor Folayang with a motorcade after the fighter dubbed “Landslide” won the ONE Fighting Championship lightweight championship over Japan’s Shinya Aoki last Nov. 11 in Singapore.

Wali, the first Filipina to win a gold medal in the World Wushu Championship recently held in China, will be accorded a similar welcome, Domogan said.

He pointed out the supreme sacrifice made by the beauty titlist and the athletes in preparing for their international exposures thus “bringing honor and pride not only to our country but also to the city where they come from.”

Verzosa became the sixth Filipina to win the Miss International crown when she beat a field of 69 contestants in the beauty pageant last Oct. 27 in Tokyo, Japan. She earned the right to represent the country after winning in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant last April.

Folayang and Wali, who happen to be first cousins, trace their roots to Sadanga, Mountain Province, and were students at the Baguio-based University of the Cordilleras. Dexter A. See

THE city government of Makati will host the 34th CityNet Executive Committee Meeting and International Seminar from November 23 to 24 at the Discovery Primea Makati Hotel on Ayala Avenue.

CityNet is an Asia Pacific regional network of local authorities, committed to helping local governments solve challenges commonly faced by cities in working toward a livable, sustainable and healthy environment.

Mayor Abigail Binay said Makati City has been an active member of CityNet for 25 years.

Binay, as Second Vice President of CityNet, will lead city officials in welcoming CityNet officials led by Secretary General Vijay Jagannathan and delegates of member-cities from various Asian countries and international organizations.

“The City of Makati warmly welcomes the delegates of fellow CityNet members participating in this important annual event. We are proud to be a part of the Asia Pacific Region’s largest association of urban stakeholders mutually committed to sustainable FACING CLOSURE. Inspectors from the Makati Business Permits Office (BPO) issue an development,” she said.

The mayor also acknowledged the Apprehension Notice to Haoying Solutions for failing to present a valid Mayor’s Permit on Tuesday morning. The firm, located at the 15th floor of Multinational Bancorporation crucial role of CityNet in strengthening Building along Ayala Avenue, was caught doing illegal online gambling operations during the capability of the city government to a drug-related raid conducted by the National Capital Region Police Office last October. address urban challenges and promoting Following the incident, Makati Mayor Abby Binay ordered a tight watch on IT firms in the safe and resilient communities. city, to promptly identify and close down those operating without a valid business permit, “For almost three decades now, engaging in illegal activities, or employing undocumented aliens.

CityNet has been helping empower cities around the world to transform ble of adapting to varying risks posed and businesses can enjoy sustainable themselves into ideal habitats capa- by climate change, so that residents growth,” Binay said. Joel E. Zurbano

More barangays freed from drugs CLARK FREEPORT—The Department of the Interior and Local Government in Central Luzon has declared a total of 1,162 barangays in the region free from illegal drug activities.

The drug free barangays were part of the 2,841 affected barangays out of the total 3,103 villages of the region, said Araceli A. San Jose, DILG assistant regional director.

The total affected barangays involved about 35,568 persons mostly users and pushers. Another 1,679 villages remain affected, as reported during a Peace and Order Council meeting here, San Jose said. Romeo Dizon

Diabetes cases rising up north BAGUIO CITY—The number of diabetes cases in the country is still growing, and the failure of about half the people suffering from the disease to know their condition is considered alarming, a consultant of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center said Tuesday.

About seven percent of the urban population has diabetes compared to four percent in rural areas, said Dr. Francis Pizarro, who consults with the BGHMC Department of Internal Medicine.

From 2012 to 2015, Pizarro said more than 1,200 patients were admitted to the hospital for diabetes-related cases annually, which represents about 4 percent of the total hospital admissions every year.

“We call on the public to sustain a healthy lifestyle to combat the serious negative effects of the two types of diabetes that might affect their health condition,” the doctor said. “Unfortunately, some 50 percent of those with diabetes do not know that they already have the disease, thus, the importance of undergoing the medical checkup to detect the illnesses they are suffering from.” Dexter A. See

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

is apparent or can be reasonably and directly ascertained by the entity holding the information, or when put together with other information would directly and certainly identify an individual.

TODAY

The term shall cover information about a natural person, whether from the public or the private sector, the disclosure of which would constitute an unwarranted invasion of his or her personal privacy, which may include signatures, addresses, telephone numbers, identification numbers, family members, or similar information.

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT ORDER NO.061.2016 07 November 2016 SUBJECT:

PRESCRIBING THE PEOPLE’S FREEDOM OF INFORMATION MANUAL FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

Sensitive Personal Information

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 28, Article II of the 1987 Constitution, the State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest, subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law; WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 2 (2016) was issued by the President to operationalize in the Executive Branch the people’s constitutional right to information and the State policies to full public disclosure and transparency in the public service and provide guidelines therefor;

(3) Issued by government agencies peculiar to an individual which includes, but not limited to, social security numbers, previous or current health records, licenses or its denials, suspension or revocation, and tax returns; and

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 2 (2016) directs every government office to prepare its own People’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Manual;

(4) Specifically established by an executive order or an act of Congress to be kept classified.

WHEREAS, based on jurisprudence, while access to official records may not be prohibited, it certainly may be regulated by a public officer pursuant to either statutory law or his inherent power to control his office and the records under his custody, by exercising some discretion as to the manner in which persons desiring to inspect, examine, or copy the record may exercise their rights; WHEREAS, there is a need to prescribe guidelines and procedures for requests for access to information, official records, and public records which are made, received, or kept in or under the control and custody of the DOF;

3.0

i.

All orders, rules and regulations, memoranda, circulars and issuances or any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of the FOI Manual are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

For the guidance and strict compliance of all concerned.

CARLOS G. DOMINGUEZ Secretary

1.

Information about any individual who is or was an officer or employee of a government institution that relates to the position or functions of the individual;

2.

Information about an individual who is or was performing service under contract for a government institution that relates to the services performed, including the terms of the contract, and the name of the individual given in the course of the performance of those services;

3.

Information relating to any discretionary benefit of a financial nature such as the granting of a license or permit given by the government to an individual, including the name of the individual and the exact nature of the benefit; and

4.

Personal information processed for journalistic, artistic, literary or research purposes.

iii. information which is specifically authorized to be kept secret under guidelines established by an executive order, and in fact properly classified pursuant thereto: Provided, That 1) The information directly relates to national security or defense and its revelation may cause grave damage to the national security or internal and external defense of the State; or 2) The information requested pertains to the foreign affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, when its revelation shall unduly weaken the negotiating position of the government in an ongoing bilateral or multilateral negotiation or seriously jeopardize the diplomatic relations of the Philippines with one or more states; iv. information which consists of records of minutes and advice given and opinions expressed during decision-making or policy formulation, invoked by the Chief Executive to be privileged by reason of the impairment of the Chief Executive’s deliberative process that would result from the disclosure thereof;

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE Freedom of Information (FOI) Manual TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview

4

1.1 Purpose

4

1.2 Responsibility

4

1.3 Scope

4

2.0

Definition of Terms

4

3.0

General Guidelines

6

3.1 People’s Right to Information

6

3.2 Proactive Disclosure

9

3.3 Accessibility of Language and Form

9

3.4 Keeping of Records

9

3.5 Protection of Privacy

9

3.6 Proper Venue

10

3.7 Deadline for Processing of Requests

10

4.0

Responsibilities

11

5.0

Procedure

12

5.1 Filing and Receiving of Requests for Information

12

5.2 Initial Evaluation by the FOI Receiving Office/Officer

13

5.3 Evaluation by the FOI Decision Maker

14

5.4 Release of Information Upon Approval of FOI Decision Maker

15

5.5 Fees

15

Remedies in Cases of Denial of Requests for Information

16

6.1 Administrative Appeal Within the Agency

16

6.2 Administrative Appeal to the Office of the President

16

6.3 Judicial Review

16

7.0

Tracking System for FOI Requests

16

8.0

Administrative Liability

17

8.1 Non-compliance with FOI Manual

17

8.2 Procedure in Administrative Cases

17

8.3 Provisions for More Stringent Laws, Rules and Regulations

17

Miscellaneous Provisions

17

9.1 Separability Clause

17

9.2 Repealing Clause

17

9.3 Effectivity

17

Annex A

FOI Request Form Template

18

Annex B

Process Flowchart

19

v.

information pertaining to internal and/or external defense, law enforcement, and border control, when the disclosure thereof would: (i) unduly compromise or interfere with any legitimate military or law enforcement operation; or (ii) unduly compromise or interfere with the prevention, detection or suppression of criminal activity, the effective implementation of immigration controls and border security; or (iii) deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication; or (iv) lead to the disclosure of the identity of a confidential source, including a government, or foreign agency or authority or any private institution which furnished information on a confidential basis, and, in the case of a record or information compiled by a law enforcement authority in the course of an investigation or by an agency conducting a lawful national security intelligence investigation, information furnished by a confidential source; or (v) disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law; or

vi. endanger the life or physical safety of any individual; information consisting of drafts of orders, resolutions, decisions, memoranda or audit reports by the Department of Finance, its bureaus and agencies, or any of their respective offices/units in the exercise of their adjudicatory and/or audit function; vii. information pertaining to trade secrets and commercial or financial information or intellectual property obtained from a natural or juridical person other than the requesting party, whenever the revelation thereof would seriously prejudice the interests of such natural or juridical person in trade, industrial, financial or commercial competition; viii. information classified as privileged communications in legal proceedings by law or by the Rules of Court, unless the person entitled to the privilege has waived it; ix. information of a nature that its premature disclosure would likely frustrate the effective implementation of a proposed official action: Provided, That the information shall be accessible once the anticipated danger has ceased b. The information requested is not kept in or under the control and custody of the Department of Finance, or any of its attached bureaus and agencies, as the case may be, depending on where the request is filed; c. Any of the requirements, conditions, or procedure prescribed under this FOI Manual is not complied with, such as failure to state a legitimate purpose for the request, without prejudice to the re-filing of the request upon proper compliance with the requirements, conditions and procedure; d. The information requested is already posted and available online; or e. The request substantially pertains to information previously requested by the same requesting party whose request has already been previously granted or denied by the Department of Finance.

Overview

3.2 Proactive Disclosure

1.1 Purpose

The Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies shall regularly publish, print and disseminate at no cost to the public and in an accessible form, in conjunction with Republic Act No. 9485, or the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, and through their website, timely, true, accurate and updated key information including, but not limited to:

This Freedom of Information (FOI) Manual is promulgated to prescribe guidelines and procedures to access information in the DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE pursuant to Executive Order No. 2 (2016) entitled “Operationalizing in the Executive Branch the People’s Constitutional Right to Information and the State Policies to Full Public Disclosure and Transparency in the Public Service and Providing Guidelines Therefor”, for the guidance of the public and the government officials concerned.

a. b.

1.2 Responsibility

c.

The responsibility for all actions of the DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE carried out under this FOI Manual is hereby delegated to the Undersecretary for the Policy Development and Management Services Group (PDMSG).

d.

1.3 Scope This FOI Manual shall cover requests for access to information filed with: • the DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE – OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (DOFOSEC); and • all the attached bureaus and agencies of the DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, until such time as FOI manuals specific to each of the attached bureaus and agencies shall have been adopted and promulgated separately by the attached bureaus and agencies.

e. f. g. h.

A description of its mandate, structure, powers, functions, duties and decision making processes; A description of the frontline services it delivers and the procedure and length of time by which they may be availed of; The names of its key officials, their powers, functions and responsibilities, and their profiles and curriculum vitae; Work programs, development plans, investment plans, projects, performance targets and accomplishments, and budgets, revenue allotments and expenditures; Important rules and regulations, orders or decisions; Current and important database and statistics that it generates; Bidding processes and requirements; and Mechanisms or procedures by which the public may participate in or otherwise influence the formulation of policy or the exercise of its powers.

3.3 Accessibility of Language and Form The Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies shall, as much as practicable, endeavor to translate key information into major Filipino languages and present them in popular form and means.

Definition of Terms For purposes of this Manual, the following terms shall mean:

Official record/ records

Shall mean any records, documents, papers, reports, letters, contracts, minutes and transcripts of official meetings, maps, books, photographs, data, research materials, films, sound and video recording, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data, computer stored data, any other like or similar data or materials recorded, stored or archived in whatever format, whether offline or online, which are made, received, or kept in or under the control and custody of any government office pursuant to law, executive order, and rules and regulations or in connection with the performance or transaction of official business by any government office.

Personal Information

3.4 Keeping of Records The Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies shall create and/or maintain in appropriate formats, accurate and reasonably complete documentation or records, policies, transactions, decisions, resolutions, enactments, actions, procedures, operations, activities, communications and documents received or filed with them and the data generated or collected.

3.5 Protection of Privacy While providing access to information, public records, and official records, responsible officials shall afford full protection to the right to privacy of the individual, as follows: a.

Responsible officers under Section 4.0 shall ensure that Personal Information in the custody or under the control of the Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies is disclosed or released only if it is material or relevant to the subject-matter of the request and its disclosure is permissible under this Manual or existing law, rules or regulations;

b.

Each office/unit of the Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies must protect Personal Information in its custody or control by making reasonable security arrangements against leaks or premature disclosure of Personal Information which may unduly expose the individual whose personal information is requested to vilification, harassment or any other wrongful acts;

Shall refer to information produced or received by a public officer or employee, or by a government office in an official capacity or pursuant to a public function or duty.

Public record/records Shall include information required by laws, executive orders, rules, or regulations to be entered, kept and made publicly available by a government office.

Shall refer to any information whether recorded in a material form or not, from which the identity of an individual

Responsibilities FOI Receiving Office/ Officer The Central Records Management Division shall act as the FOI Receiving Office of the DOF-OSEC. Each of the bureaus and agencies attached to the Department of Finance shall designate its own FOI Receiving Office/ Officer, preferably from its Public Assistance of Information Office, or its equivalent.

The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall have the primary responsibility for the receiving of requests for access to information. It shall also have the following duties and functions: • • • • •

the items contained in the inventory of exceptions prepared by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General, and circularized by the Office of the President, pursuant to Section 4 of Executive Order No. 2 (2016);

The FOI Manual shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

Information

4.0

ii. Personal Information, Privileged Information and Sensitive Personal Information, except the following;

If any section or part of the FOI Manual is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force or effect.

2.0

Inaction within the period herein provided shall be deemed a denial of the request for access to information, without prejudice to the filing of the appropriate administrative action/s against the responsible officers.

a. The information requested falls under any of the exceptions provided for in the Constitution, existing law or jurisprudence, including:

Undersecretary, Legal Services Group Undersecretary, Revenue Operations Group Assistant Secretary, International Finance Group

1.0

Requests for access to information shall be processed by the Department of Finance, or its attached bureaus and agencies, as the case may be, as promptly as possible. Generally, the requested information, or the appropriate response to the request, shall be released to the requested party not later than fifteen (15) working days following the date of receipt of the request.

3.1 People’s Right to Information Every Filipino shall have access to information, official records, public records and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development. There shall be a legal presumption in favor of access to information, official records and public records, and no request for access may be denied by the Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies except under any of the following circumstances:

The Central Appeals and Review Committee of the Department of Finance – Office of the Secretary, as referred to in the FOI Manual, shall be initially composed of the following officials:

9.0

3.7 Deadline for Processing of Requests

General Guidelines

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing premises, the Freedom of Information (FOI) Manual of the DOF, attached to this Department Order and made an integral part hereof, is hereby promulgated.

6.0

In the interest of efficiency, and in order that information requested may be released to the requesting party in the most expeditious manner, requests for information shall, as much as possible, be filed with the proper agency having custody of the requested information, with due regard to the respective mandates and official functions and duties of the Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies.

Shall refer to personal information: (1) About an individual’s race, ethnic origin, marital status, age, color, and religious, philosophical or political affiliations; (2) About an individual’s health, education, genetic or sexual life of a person, or to any proceeding for any offense committed or alleged to have been committed by such person, the disposal of such proceedings, or the sentence of any court in such proceedings;

Any employee or official of the Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies who has access, authorized or unauthorized, to personal information in the custody of the office, must not disclose that information except when authorized pursuant to existing laws, rules or regulations.

3.6 Proper Venue

Privileged Information Shall refer to any and all forms of data which under the Rules of Court and other pertinent laws constitute privileged communication.

WHEREAS, Section 7, Article III of the 1987 Constitution guarantees the right of the people to information on matters of public concern, and provides that access to official records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law;

1.0

c.

monitor all FOI requests and appeals; provide assistance to the FOI Decision Maker; provide assistance and support to the public and staff with regard to FOI; compile statistical information as required; and conduct initial evaluation of the request and either (1) advise the requesting party that the request will be forwarded to the FOI Decision Maker for further evaluation, or (2) deny the request if the form is incomplete, or the information being requested is already disclosed in the official website of the Department of Finance or its attached bureaus and agencies, as the case may be, or at data.gov.ph.

FOI Decision Maker The Undersecretary for PDMSG shall act as the FOI Decision maker (FDM) of the DOF-OSEC. Each of the bureaus and agencies attached to the Department of Finance shall designate its own FOI Decision Maker, with a rank of not lower than a Director or its equivalent.

The FDM shall have the primary responsibility for the evaluation of requests for access to information, and is authorized to grant or deny the request based on the provisions of this Manual.

Central Appeals and Review Committee The Central Appeals and Review Committee (CARC) of the Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies shall be composed of three (3) officials with a rank not lower than Assistant Secretary or its equivalent, designated by the respective heads of agencies.

The CARC is authorized to review, motu proprio or upon application of any person, the grant or denial of request for access to information.

5.0

Procedure 5.1 Filing and Receiving Requests for Information 5.1.1 Any person who intends to request access to information shall prepare, in duplicate copies, a written request using the form prescribed under Annex “A” hereof. The request shall state the following: a. b. c. d. e.

name and contact information of the requesting party; valid proof of his identification or authorization; reasonable and specific description of the information requested; reason for, or purpose of, the request for information; and requested mode of release of information (i.e. by electronic mail or by pick-up).

5.1.2 The request form shall be filed with the FOI Receiving Office/ Officer, which shall receive the same after examining the valid proof of identification of the requesting party and after checking the compliance with the requirements specified above.

5.1.2.1 The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall provide reasonable assistance, free of charge, to enable all requesting parties and particularly those with special needs, to comply with the request requirements under this Section.

5.1.2.2 In case the requesting party is unable to make written request because of illiteracy or due to being a person with disability, he or she may make an oral request and the FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall reduce it in writing.

5.1.2.3 The request may be made through electronic mail, provided that the requesting party shall attach in the e-mail scanned copies of the duly accomplished FOI Request Form and a duly recognized government ID with photo.

For DOF-OSEC, e-mail requests may be sent to centralrecords@dof.gov.ph.

5.1.3 The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall assign a unique trace number for every request received, and both the two (2) copies of the written request form shall be stamped received, indicating the date and time of receipt and the name, position, signature of the receiving records officer.

5.1.3.1 The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall determine the deadline for release of the requested document or the response of the Department of Finance or its attached bureaus and agencies, as the case may be, which shall be fifteen (15) working days from receipt of the request, unless an extension of time is requested by the FOI Decision Maker in accordance with Section 5.3.6 of this Manual.

5.1.3.2 One original copy of the FOI Request Form shall be returned to the requesting party and the other original copy shall be retained with the CRMD for processing of the request.

5.1.3.3 The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall keep in its file a copy of the valid proof of identification of the requesting party.

5.2 Initial Evaluation by the FOI Receiving Office/Officer Immediately upon receipt of the FOI Request Form, the FOI Receiving Office/ Officer shall conduct initial evaluation of the request, as follows: 5.2.1 If the information requested is posted online and publicly available in the website of the Department of Finance or its attached bureaus and agencies, or at data.gov.ph or foi.gov.ph, the FOI Receiving Office/ Officer shall inform the requesting party and provide the website link where the information is posted.

5.2.2 The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall also verify if the information requested is in the custody of the agency where the request is filed, and note the results of the verification for the consideration of the FOI Decision Maker.

5.2.3 The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall also verify if the requested information is substantially similar or identical to a previous request by the same requesting party, and note the results of the verification for the consideration of the FOI Decision Maker.

5.2.4 The initial evaluation of the request shall be completed by the FOI Receiving Office/Officer within one (1) working day from the filing of the request, immediately after which the FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall forward the FOI Request Form with recommendation/s to the FOI Decision Maker.

5.3 Evaluation by the FOI Decision Maker 5.3.1 Upon receipt of the FOI Request Form, the FOI Decision Maker shall evaluate the same, and decide whether to grant or deny the request for access to information based on the provisions of this Manual.

5.3.2 The decision to grant or deny the request for access to information may be made wholly, as when it covers all items mentioned in the request, or partially, as when some items are approved and some are not.

5.3.3 In case of denial of the request, either wholly or partially, the FOI Decision Maker shall, within the prescribed period, notify the requesting party of the denial in writing. The notice shall clearly set forth the ground or grounds for denial and the circumstances on which the denial is based.

5.3.4 If further details are necessary in order to identify and/or locate the information requested, the FOI Decision Maker shall request for clarification from the requesting party. In such case, the deadline of fifteen (15) working days prescribed under Section 3.7 shall start to run only upon receipt of the clarification from the requesting party.

5.3.5 If the request pertains to information of interest to another government agency, the FOI Decision Maker shall first consult with the government agencies concerned on the disclosability of the information prior to making a final determination.

5.3.6 Under the following circumstances, the FOI Decision Maker may request for an extension of time, setting forth the reasons for such extension: • • • •

the information requested requires extensive search of the records facilities; the information requested requires examination of voluminous records; occurrence of fortuitous events; or other analogous cases.

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Manila

Classifieds

shall the extension exceed twenty (20) working days on Standard Intopnoofcase the mandated fifteen (15) working days to act on the request,

TODAY unless exceptional circumstances warrant a longer period.

5.4 Release of Information Upon Approval of FOI Decision Maker In case of approval by the FOI Decision Maker, the FOI Receiving Office/ Officer shall collate and ensure that the information is complete and released to the requesting party within 15 working days from receipt of the request for access to information. Prior to actual release, the FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall ensure that all items in the request were considered by the FOI Decision Maker. The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall prepare the letter or email informing the requesting party within the prescribed period that the request was granted and directing the requesting party to pay the applicable fees, if any, pursuant to the provisions of this Manual.

5.5.1 The Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies shall not charge any fee for accepting and processing requests for access to information.

PROCUREMENT OF RENOVATION OF VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER Public Bidding VMC No. 2016-032

5.5.3 The Department of Finance and its attached bureaus and agencies may exempt any requesting party from the payment of fees upon the showing of a valid reason why such requesting party shall not pay the fee.

1.

The Valenzuela Medical Center , through the INCOME/GAA/GOP intends to apply the sum of Thirteen Million Nine Hundred Fifty Five Thousand Two Hundred Thirty Eight Pesos Only (P 13,955,238.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Procurement of Renovation of Valenzuela Medical Center. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The Valenzuela Medical Center now invites sealed Bids for eligible Bidders for theProcurement of Renovation of Valenzuela Medical Center. Completion of the Works is required one hundred eighty (180) days. Bidders should have completed, within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.,

A flowchart illustrating the procedure provided for in this Manual is attached is Annex “B” of this Manual.

Remedies in Cases of Denial of Requests for Access to Information 6.1 Administrative Appeal Within the Agency A person whose request has been denied by the FOI Decision Maker may, within fifteen (15) calendar days from the notice of denial or from the lapse of the period to respond to the request, file an administrative appeal to the Central Appeals and Review Committee.

The appeal shall be decided by the Central Appeals and Review Committee within thirty (30) working days from the filing of said written appeal. Failure to decide within the 30-day period shall be deemed a denial of the appeal.

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

6.2 Administrative Appeal to the Office of the President The denial of the appeal by the Central Appeals and Review Committee or the lapse of the period to decide on the appeal may be further appealed to the Office of the President under Administrative Order No. 22 (2011).

Republic of the Philippines CITY OF SAN PEDRO Province of Laguna BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

6.3 Judicial Review Upon exhaustion of administrative FOI appeal remedies, the requesting party may file the appropriate judicial action in accordance with the Rules of Court.

7.0

Tracking System for FOI Requests The FOI Receiving Office/Officer shall establish a system to trace the status of all requests for information received by it, which may be a paper-based, on-line or both.

8.0

Administrative Liability

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Valenzuela Medical Center and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from November 23, 2016 to January 4, 2017, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the VMC BAC Office.

5

.A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a non-refundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of 10 Million up – 15 Million/ Fifteen Thousand Pesos Only (P15,000.00).

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID PR NO. 2016-3354 1.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna through the 2016 Budget Approved by the Sangguniang Panglungsodintends to apply the sum of Php 2,291,040.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Supply and Delivery of Food Packs for Social Service Program of CSWD for Different Sectors(under GAD FUND FY 2016. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna now invites bids forthe following:

8.1 Non-compliance with FOI Manual Failure to comply with the provisions of this Manual shall be a ground for the following administrative penalties: a. 1st Offense – Reprimand b. 2nd Offense – Suspension of one (1) to thirty (30) days; and c. 3rd Offense – Dismissal from the service

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UNIT

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8.2 Procedure in Administrative Cases The Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, adopted and promulgated by the Civil Service Commission through Resolution No. 1101502 dated 08 November 2011 shall be applicable in the disposition of cases under this Manual.

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8.3 Provisions for More Stringent Laws, Rules and Regulations Nothing in this Manual shall be construed to derogate from any law, any rules, or regulation prescribed by anybody or agency, which provides for more stringent penalties.

9.0

Miscellaneous Provisions 9.1 Separability Clause

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If any section or part of this Manual is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other sections or provisions not otherwise affected shall remain in full force or effect.

9.2 Repealing Clause All orders, rules and regulations, memoranda, circulars and issuances or any part thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Manual are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

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9.3 Effectivity This Manual shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

ANNEX “A” FOI Request Form Template

packs

The method of payment will be in cash, manager’s check, bank guarantee and surety bond. The Bidding Documents shall be received personally by the prospective bidder or his authorized representative. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that Bidders shall pay the nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Valenzuela Medical Center will hold a Pre-Bid Conference open to all interested parties on December 2, 2016, 10:00 a.m. at VMC Conference Room, 4th Floor, Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

DESCRIPTION Annual Children’s Celebration Food Packs for General Assembly -luncheon meat 165g -meat loaf 150g -corned beef 150g -vienna sausage 80g -pork & beans 165g -elbow macaroni 200g -rice 3kls -reusable container with logo

7.

3.

Psychosocial Programs for Women Food Packs for General Assembly -luncheon meat 165g -meat loaf 150g -corned beef 150g -vienna sausage 80g -pork & beans 165g -elbow macaroni 200g -rice 3kls -reusable container with logo

8.

Family Week Celebration Food Packs for General Assembly -luncheon meat 165g -meat loaf 150g -corned beef 150g -vienna sausage 80g -pork & beans 165g -elbow macaroni 200g -rice 3kls -reusable container with logo

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID PR NO. 2016-3289

Responsible Parenthood Program Food Packs for General Assembly -luncheon meat 165g -meat loaf 150g -corned beef 150g -vienna sausage 80g -pork & beans 165g -elbow macaroni 200g -rice 3kls -reusable container with logo

1.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna through the 2016 Budget Approved by the Sangguniang Panglungsodintends to apply the sum of Php 3,660,120.00 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Supply and Delivery of Food Packs for Social Service Program of CSWD for Samahang Kababaihan, Women’s Group and Samahang Kalalakihan (under GAD FUND). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The City Government of San Pedro, Laguna now invites bids forthe following: QTY UNIT 7402 packs

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

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Interested bidders may obtain further information from City Government of San Pedro, Laguna and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:30AM to 9:30 AM only.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on thedate, time and address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php 5,000.00.

3.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from City Government of San Pedro, Laguna and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:30AM to 9:30 AM only.

Office of the BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND OPENING OF BIDS: December 12, 2016 10:00 AM BAC Secretariat - 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office, City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

ISSUANCE OF ELIGIBILITY AND BIDDING DOCUMENTS:

Bid opening shall be on the same date and time for deadline of submission of eligibility requirements and submission of bids and shall be conducted at the Office of the BAC Secretariat. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address given above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

November 21 – December 12, 2016 8:30AM – 9:30AM BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

PRE-BID:

November 29, 2016 10:00 AM BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on thedate, time and address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Php 5,000.00.

The City Government of San Pedro, Lagunaassumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bid.

5.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before the specified date and time. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

For further information, please refer to: Mr. Merlin B. Paala Office of the BAC Secretariat San Pedro City Hall San Pedro, Laguna Telefax No. 847.1722

DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION OF ELIGIBILITY December 12, 2016 REQUIREMENTS AND OPENING OF BIDS: 10:00 AM BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

(signed) ENGR. FILEMON I. SIBULO Chairman Bids and Awards Committee

Bid opening shall be on the same date and time for deadline of submission of eligibility requirements and submission of bids and shall be conducted at the Office of the BAC Secretariat. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address given above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

(MS-NOV. 23, 2016)

ERRORS & OMISSIONS

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Samahang Kalalakihan Food Packs for General Assembly -long grain rice (3kls) -condensed milk (168ml) -elbow macaroni (400g) -corned beef (175g) -chinese luncheon meat (165g) -3 in 1 coffee (25g) -storage box (6ltr)

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before the specified date and time. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Further, City Government of San Pedro, Laguna, reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

7.

Samahang Kababaihan, Women’s Group Food Packs for General Assembly -long grain rice (3kls) -condensed milk (168ml) -elbow macaroni (400g) -corned beef (175g) -chinese luncheon meat (165g) -3 in 1 coffee (25g) -storage box (6ltr)

In addition,bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

PRE-BID:November 29, 2016 10:00 AM BAC Secretariat - 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office, City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

6.

DESCRIPTION

Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed. 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. Instructions to Bidders.

ISSUANCE OF ELIGIBILITY AND BIDDING DOCUMENTS: November 21 – December 12, 2016 8:30AM – 9:30AM BAC Secretariat - 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office, City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

ANNEX “B” Process Flowchart

(SGD) JOSEPH T. NOCOM, MD, FPOA BAC Chairperson

Republic of the Philippines CITY OF SAN PEDRO Province of Laguna BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

Office of the BAC Secretariat 4/f Conference Rm. City Administrator’s Office City Hall Bldg., San Pedro, Laguna

5.

The Valenzuela Medical Centerreserves 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.

(MS-NOV. 26, 2016)

In addition,bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

4.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before January 4, 2017 at 10:00 amat Valenzuela Medical Center, BAC Office. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in the form of cash, Manager’s check or Cashier’s check of two (2%) percent, one point five percent (2%) if Bank Draft or Bank Guarantee, 5% surety Bond and Bid Securing Declaration (notarized), of the total amount of bid.

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.

Delivery of the Goods is required within thirty (30) days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed. 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. Instructions to Bidders.

(MS-NOV. 23, 2016)

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Invitation to Bid

5.5.2 However, the FOI Receiving Office/Officer may charge fees to cover reasonable costs of reproduction and/or authentication and certification, as the FOI Decision Maker may determine.

6.0

TODAY WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Republic of the Phillippines Department of Health National Capital Regional Office VALENZUELA MEDICAL CENTER BIDS AND AWARD COMMITTEE Padrigal St., Karuhatan, Valenzuela City Telefax No. 294-4625 Email addressvmc_bac@yahoo.com

www.sti.edu

5.5 Fees

Manila

Standard

In Classified Ads section must be brought to our attention the very day the advertisement is published. We will not be responsible for any incorrect ads not reported to us immediately.

6.

The City Government of San Pedro, Lagunaassumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bid.

Further, City Government of San Pedro, Laguna, reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

7.

For further information, please refer to: Mr. Merlin B. Paala Office of the BAC Secretariat San Pedro City Hall San Pedro, Laguna Telefax No. 847.1722 (signed) ENGR. FILEMON I. SIBULO Chairman Bids and Awards Committee (MS-NOV. 23, 2016)

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

World

Peace bid in Colombia threatened by killings B OGOTA―A violent backlash against the fragile peace efforts to end Colombia’s half-century civil war has intensified in recent days with the killings of several community leaders, officials and rebels warned Monday.

The government and leftist FARC rebels are closer than they have ever been to sealing a historic peace accord, but violence appears to have resurged in places as that deal has faltered.

Observers from the Organization of American States said Sunday that civil organizations in conflict areas reported 33 of their leaders killed this year, including several in recent days.

Just over a week ago, Colombia’s government said it had drawn up a revised peace deal to end the 52-year civil war with the FARC leftist rebels.

But remnants of right-wing paramilitary groups who took part in the many-sided conflict are said to remain active.

“A new genocide is taking place against civil and rural leaders,” the FARC said in an open letter to President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday.

It said three such victims had been killed and two other “attacks” launched in the past two days alone.

The FARC described them as “selective, politically-motivated killings” by parties opposed to the peace process.

That was an apparent reference to the right-wing armed groups and their supporters.

Voters rejected an earlier version of the peace plan in a referendum last month.

Opposition to that accord was led by conservative former president Alvaro Uribe.

The government hopes with Uribe’s backing to bring the new agreement into force quickly.

A two-way ceasefire between the government and FARC has been in force since August. But the sides have warned it is fragile.

The FARC called in its letter Monday for the immediate application of security guarantees in the planned peace accord to protect people in conflict zones.

Santos vowed on Twitter “to take action against crimes and attacks on social leaders.”

Fears for the ceasefire had already risen last week when two FARC guerrillas were killed in what authorities said was a clash with the army. AFP

Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh DHAKA―Hundreds of Rohingya have arrived in Bangladesh after fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar, community leaders said Tuesday, but border guards have pushed back hundreds more despite a United Nations plea to let them in.

The UN says up to 30,000 Rohingya have been displaced by violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, where dozens of people have been killed in clashes with the military, and has urged Dhaka to open its border to them.

Instead the Bangladesh government, under pressure from local communities to limit the number of migrants, has intensified patrols along the 237-kilometer border to prevent a large-scale influx.

But Rohingya leaders told AFP an estimated 1,000 have still managed to get in over the last week.

Most are hiding out in camps for the 32,000 legal refugees already living in southeast Bangladesh, fearing repatriation if they are found by the authorities.

Among them is Mohammad Amin, 17, who said he and 15 others people fled their homes in Rakhine five days ago and reached Bangladesh by swimming across the Naf river that divides the two countries.

“The (Myanmar) army killed my father and elder brother. I hid on a hill and then walked and swam across the river, and took refuge at a mosque (in Bangladesh),” he told AFP by phone from Cox’s Bazar near the border.

“I don’t know what happened to my mother and sister.”

State media reports in Myanmar say security forces have killed almost 70 people and arrested some 400 since the lockdown began six weeks ago, but activists say the number could be far higher.

Myanmar troops have poured into a strip of land that is home to the stateless Muslim Rohingya minority since a series of attacks on police border posts last month.

Witnesses and activists have reported troops killing Rohingya, raping women and looting and burning their houses.

Commanders of the Border Guard Bangladesh said their troops had blocked nearly 300 Rohingya from crossing the border overnight, the highest number since the crisis began last month. AFP

China to curb smoking in public places

GOLD CHRISTMAS TREE. A Ginza Tanaka employee shows off a Christmas tree made with 19 kilograms of pure gold wires at

the Ginza Tanaka store in Tokyo on November 22, 2016. Ginza Tanaka will display the gold Christmas tree until Christmas Day. AFP

SHANGHAI―China, the world’s biggest cigarette producer and consumer, aims to impose national smoking-control regulations by the end of this year, authorities said Tuesday.

The Asian giant has the world’s largest smoking population, with 28 percent of all adults and half of its adult men estimated to regularly use cigarettes.

The World Health Organization says a million people in China die of tobacco-related illnesses annually, with second-hand smoke contributing to some 100,000 deaths each year.

In June 2015 Beijing municipality adopted the toughest anti-smoking legislation in the country, banning smoking in offices, restaurants, hotels and hospitals.

The venues that flout the ban can face fines of up to 10,000 yuan ($1,450).

Last week Shanghai also amended its tobacco regulations to ban indoor smoking and also outdoor smoking at public areas such as bus stops, schools and stadiums.

At a WHO conference in the commercial hub, government health spokesman Mao Qunan indicated measures would be rolled out across the country.

“The nationwide regulation to control smoking in public is undergoing the legislative process and is hoped to be announced and carried out this year,” he told reporters.

“Strictly controlling smoking in public places through legal forms is an advancement for health.”

Nearly 20 cities have already drawn up public no-smoking rules, Mao added. The commission first drafted the law in late 2014.

Enforcing anti-smoking measures can be difficult in China as the state-run tobacco industry provides the government with colossal sums―1.1trillion yuan ($160 billion) in taxes and profits in 2015, up 20 percent year-on-year. AFP

British teens crave sugary drinks LONDON―British teenagers drink almost a bathtub full of sugary drinks each year, Cancer Research UK said on Tuesday as the charity urged the government to do more to improve children’s diets.

Children aged 11 to 18 consume on average 234 cans of sugar-sweetened soft drinks each year, CRUK said.

The figure amounts to almost a bath full and is more than double the figure for children aged between four and 10, whose average annual intake is 110 cans.

The data stems from a recent report carried out by the government’s health department and the Food Standards Agency, charting the population’s diet and nutrition.

The study found a drop in the amount of sugar-sweetened soft drinks consumed by children, with a more significant fall re-

corded in the under-10s than teenagers.

Despite the improving figures, CRUK said there was an urgent need to further reduce children’s intake of sugary drinks and threw its support behind government proposal to introduce a sugar tax.

“The ripple effect of a small tax on sugary drinks is enormous, and it will give soft drinks companies a clear incentive to reduce the amount of sugar in drinks,” said Alison Cox, director of prevention at CRUK. “But the government can do more to give the next generation a better chance.

“The UK has an epidemic on its hands, and needs to act now,” she added.

British Prime Minister Theresa May revealed plans in August to introduce a sugar tax aimed at tackling childhood obesity, tooth

decay and type 2 diabetes.

The sugar levy was first unveiled in March by the administration of May’s predecessor David Cameron.

The tax on drinks with more than five grams of sugar per 100 milliliters will be introduced in two years, despite strong opposition from the drinks industry.

Soft drinks giant A.G. Barr, maker of Scotland’s Irn-Bru fizzy drink, in September said the move towards sugar-free drinks followed “negative media coverage of the sector”.

Barr said the drinks industry’s own action to reduce sugar rendered the sugar tax “an unnecessary measure in the context of government health policy objectives.”

Only a handful of countries such as France, South Africa and Mexico have attempted such a tax. AFP

PARTY. A general view of the Soul Train Soul Food Vegan Dinner Party on November 21 in New York City. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

FASHION & BEAUTY

D1

New colorways

motivate women

GIRL POWER.

P

UREBOOST X is the unique running shoe created solely for women, by women. Based on years of testing and research with women around the world, adidas created a sleek, form fitting running shoe built to meet the relentless energy of their active lifestyle. While most running shoes are adaptations of male shoes PureBOOST X was designed with only the female athlete in mind, resulting in a high performance meets high fashion running shoe for women.

adidas girl Kayleen Ortiz teaches the FitSquad AcroYoga

Carla Humphries, Solenn Heussaff and Isabelle Daza participate in HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout session to test the power of PureBOOST X, a running shoe made for women.

PureBOOST X’s distinctive floating arch and adjustable lacing system hug the contours of the female foot to deliver a personalized, supportive fit and completely fresh look and feel. An adaptive stretch mesh upper wraps and flatters the foot while providing ventilation to keep runs cool and comfortable. PureBOOST X also features a full length BOOST midsole, made of thousands of tiny capsules, designed to unleash energy with every stride.

A Stretch Web outsole allows for flex at any point enabling the foot to maintain its natural motion during a run.

PureBOOST X is now available in several colorways including the newly released Ray Red colorway. This colorway will be featured on the feet of some of the world’s greatest athletes this season.

From lacing up through cooling

down or making a statement with style, PureBOOST X feels exhilarating and looks amazing the moment you put it on.

As the brand with the three stripes unveils the new colorways of PureBOOST X, the adidas Women FitSquad enjoys a night of positive energy in this month’s workout session at Kerry Sports Manila.

Meant to boost the Fitsquad’s power, mobility and speed, the workout proper consisted of AcroYoga, Modified Calisthenics, and HIIT. adidas girls Kayleen Ortiz, Marj Marcelo, and Lexi Gancayco perfectly embodied positive energy as they led their own workout session with the new PureBOOST X. adidas PureBOOST X is available now in stores and at shop.adidas. com.ph/running/pure-boost-x.html for P5,795.

Amazing showcase of talent at the 20th Hair Olympics THE recently concluded of Asia Pacific Hairdressers & Cosmetologists Association (APHCA) at the SMX Mall of Asia saw beauty experts from 15 Asia Pacific countries showcasing their originality and flair in a series of visually impressive competitions.

The whole day affair was attended by more than 3000 people, and judging was conducted by inter national delegates from the member countries.

Founder and APHCA President Ricky Reyes said, “The standards at this year’s competition were, once again, incredibly high – I personally was impressed by the inventiveness and creativity of the entries. This event gave our beauty practitioners an amazing platform to be creative

Macau is named the over-all champion at the recently concluded 20th Asia Pacific Hairdressers and Cosmetologists Association

with the knowledge they developed at heir own workplace throughout the years.”

The ambience at this year’s extravaganza was truly electric, as models showcased an array of remarkable looks – from a beautiful peacock, dazzling princesses, radiant geishas and warriors, to an array of stunning brides.

Winners in this year’s annual competition in the corresponding categories are: Men’s Cut & Blow DryTaiwan; Avant Garde-China; Evening Party Makeup-Hong Kong; Bridal Makeup-Macau; Total Look-Taiwan; Evening Party Hairstyle-Taiwan and Nail Art-Philippines.

Over-all champion was Macau taking home P35,000 with trophy and a

trip to Hong Kong.

Reyes turned over the APHCA f lag to South Korean country leader Eung Soo Kang. The country will host the 21st Hair Olympics next year.

The most anticipated beauty event also featured seminars and workshops and a trade fair of over 50 booths featuring local and international beauty items from participating APHCA member countries.

A spectacular show was featured with the APHCA delegation from Korea, China, Japan, Thailand and the Philippines, which showcased their native cultural dances in a unique and dazzling way and heartthrob Alden Richards serenaded the guests with a special song number.

The Four Pillars are all you need THREE decades ago, men had very limited options when it comes to pants.

For instance, at work, it always had to be slacks—which soon became boring and uncomfortable. It was only when Dockers came along and introduced khakis and the relaxed California style that men finally had another option— khakis, casual and comfortable, but refined, still.

Soon enough, different types of pants became available for men, allowing them to wear a variety of pants for various occasions.

Thirty years later, the genuine good guys have the opposite problem: there’s too much options. Overwhelmed when they enter clothing stores, men can’t help but become confused as to what they really need.

And as luck would have it, Dockers has again come up with a solution

for this dilemma, because this trusted male clothing brand knows that it is not enough to simply wear pants, you should know when to wear them.

In this day and age, where there are so much types of pants to choose from, how pants fit and feel matters even more. Whether on a date, professional interviews, important meetings, casual work days or special events, any genuine good guy should look and feel great.

Hence, Dockers reshapes things again by launching a pants classification system to narrow down the seemingly endless pants choices. This new organization system features four distinct cuts, which can be used for specific occasions, ridding men of the burden of not knowing what pair to pick.

For the denim fans, the stylish but comfy Jean Cut is the perfect pair. With

its rugged and easygoing vibe, the Jean Cut is the ideal everyday ensemble.

Featuring five-pocket styling, sturdy rivets, double-needle seams and a hint of stretch, available in various colors, fabrics and finishes, this is the kind of jeans you can end up wearing all weekend long without even noticing—that’s how great it looks and feels.

Either for normal work days or special events, the Broken-In would be a wise choice. These vintage chinos exude a sophisticated and simple vibe.

With a strong double-needle and just the right amount of stretch, the washedout Broken-In offers that classic lived- Men’s clothing label Dockers organized a classification system for pants that will help in feel. guys decide which pair to wear for specific occasion Ace ‘smart casual’ by donning Clean Khaki, with its clean lines, classic kha- versatile chinos. pants are tailored with refined details ki styling and hip colors.

And of course, for formal occa- and a sharp center crease, offered in Look effortlessly smart and stylish in sions, Dockers offers the best top- many contemporary fits, for all genuthe office by wearing these modern and shelf pants, Best Pressed. The timeless ine good guys.

Life

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 isahred@gmail.com

The Mossimo Bikini Summit returns M OSSIMO Bikini Summit (MBS) is back again to grace the country’s beaches. For its 9th year, MBS presents itself with Model Supremacy—the battle that will dictate the new face that will reign supreme in showbiz, fashion and pageantry circuit.

This year, it is back on Boracay Island where it was staged in 2002 until 2004, and then in Manila in 2006, 2007 and 2009, and Batangas in 2011.

Prior to the finals night on April 8, 2017 at the Henann Regency Resort and Spa, pocket shows will be held in Davao, Cebu, Bohol, Pangasinan, Palawan and Manila showcasing the designs by local designers as well as the latest collection from global brand Mossimo.

These pocket shows will play an integral part in choosing the semi-finalists in the finals night when one male and female are proclaimed as grand champions. The titleholders will win P250,000 each, the first runners-up P150,000 each and P100,000 each for the second runners-up. Winners will also receive other valuable gifts from sponsors.

Thirty-two official candidates will

The Mossimo Bikini Summit has produced a number of standouts in the modeling scene such as 2011 winner Janelle Olafson

be chosen at screenings on Nov. 26 to 27 in Cebu City; Dec. 3 to 4 in Davao City; and January 14 to 15 and 21 to 22, in the National Capital Region. A stage discipline and modeling workshop will be given to the finalists to be mentored

by America’s Next Top Model Cycle 22 candidate Stefano Churchill and Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 3 first runner-up, Monika Sta. Maria.

Launched in 2002, Mossimo Bikini Summit became a household name in the modeling scene having produced aspiring individuals becoming standouts in their fields such as TV-movie actors Carlo Maceda, Jordan Herrera, Edward Mendez, AJ Dee, Eri Neeman, Gerard Acao, Mark Cruz, Kim De Guzman, Kiko Matos, Benj Bolivar, Aaron Yanga; to runway superstars Brent Javier and Jasmine

Maierhofer; to popular print and TV ad models Martin Jickain, Jiro Shirakawa, Denise Montecillo, Geoff Taylor, Janelle Olafson, Marc Manicad, Angelo Cacciatore; to beauty pageant contender and previous Pinoy Big Brother Teen Clash 2010 housemate Shay Bustamante; to broadcaster Renz Ongkiko and Hollywood TV and actor Marco Grazzini, to name a few.

The Mossimo Bikini Summit 2017 - Model Supremacy is a production of Lumina Events Management with Henann Regency Resort and Spa, The Penthouse 8747, Councilor Juris Sucro of Kalibo in Aklan, Think + Talk, Elinnov, JPC Audio Rental, Allocacoc Ph, Adventure Street Travel and Tours as sponsors, and Creations by Lourd Ramos.

Interested applicants can check out Facebook (fb.me/themodelsupremacy), Twitter (@themodelsupreme), Instagram (@themodelsupremacy) and YouTube (The Model Supremacy). For more details, call 0977-156-1749, 0908810-2334, 403-1303 or 734-4303.

Past winners Angelo Cacciatore and Dex Quindoza join Mossimo President and CEO Adamson Bactat, Aklan District Councilor Juris Sucro and Lumina Founder and Director Bernard Maybituin

Unmasking melasma WOMEN of color are more prone to dark patches on the face called melasma.

Also called the “mask of pregnancy,” melasma was considered a pregnancyand contraceptive-related disorder. But new research showed that even men may suffer from the chronic disorder, possibly for decades, Dr. Claudia Aguirre, neuroscientist and skincare expert, wrote in an article on the International Dermal Institute (IDI).

From the Greek word “melas” meaning black, melasma is prevalent among people with brown or darker skin. It is estimated to affect 8.8 percent of Hispanic females in the United States and about 40 percent of Southeast Asian women, Aguirre added in the same article.

In tropical countries like the Philippines, melasma is common as constant sun exposure stimulates the melanocytes to produce more melanin.

Aging and hormonal fluctuations Melasma was among the top 10 reasons for seeking consultation at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and among the top 10 diseases at the Dermatology Outpatient Department of the Ospital ng Manila Medical

Center (OMMC), the 2004-2008 census in the respective hospitals showed.

It recurs throughout middle age and menopause as hormonal fluctuations trigger the disease, but picosecond laser treatment can help reduce the unwanted pigmentation.

In the “Cynosure Asia Pacific (APAC) Forum” last month, Dr. Carl Cheng, a certified dermatologist in Taiwan, introduced “picotuning” to “fine tune” the picosecond treatment protocol to the needs of patients with melasma.

While conventional laser devices rely on heat energy, picosecond laser technology induces collagen and elastin to rejuvenate skin, and works on targeted areas within trillionths of a second.

Safer than conventional laser machines Over a dozen peer-reviewed clinical studies on PicoSure, the world’s first picosecond laser, showed that its side effects were milder compared to older laser machines that caused burning, scarring and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PicoSure for treating unwanted tattoos and benign pigmented lesions in 2012, and then acne

Remarkable results can be seen after one month of Fraxel sessions

PicoSure, the world’s first picosecond laser technology, induces collagen and elastin to rejuvenate skin

scars and wrinkles in 2014.

Cynosure, the leading manufacturer in aesthetic laser devices, spent 13 years to develop PicoSure.

As the American company celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, it vowed to “continue to build everything on science” and “to expand the variety of products” to address the “rising demand for aesthetic lasers in Asia.”

Fraxel is a non-invasive treatment that effectively reverses signs of aging

Aging gracefully NOT everyone ages gracefully. At age 40, the skin may need tightening, reduction of fine lines, acne scars and wrinkles.

“As you age, your skin’s collagen and elastin simply break down faster than your body can rebuild them.

The slowed remodeling of these skin-tightening proteins causes your skin to thin, droop and lose elasticity—which often leads to winkles, furrows and fine lines,” explains Dr. Olga Reyes Roque, resident doctor of YSA Skin and Body Experts.

However, a miracle procedure has already been tried and tested by many.

The procedure is called laser resurfacing via fractional CO2 laser using Multixel, more popularly known as Fraxel.

Cynosure developed PicoSure, whose side effects are milder compared to older laser machines

It is a simple, effective treatment that reverses signs of aging.

“Fraxel is non-invasive and easily managed into one’s routine. It is for people who want to look good but don’t want the overly change or extended downtime that comes with surgery. Fraxel fits into any lifestyle and your current beauty regimen. It brings real change you just can’t get from lotions and creams,” says YSA Operations Manager Belle Cazin.

Treatment cost is P5,000 per session/P45,000 for nine sessions, a price that Dr. Roque says is cost-effective, given the efficiency of the treatment.

Try Fraxel now at YSA Skin and Body Experts clinics nationwide and age gracefully. RMPangilinan

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Honors for GMA News TV’s ‘Reel Time’

at 2016 Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award

MMFF 2016 goes indie, snubs big films

G

MA Network gave honors to Philippines anew as GMA News TV’s flagship documentary program Reel Time won the Grand Prize at this year’s Asia-Pacific Child Rights Awards for its documentary Isinulat sa Tubig. At the same time, the station also earned a nomination from the Asia Rainbow TV Awards for Naku, Boss Ko!.

Isinulat sa Tubig is an eye-opener of a documentary. It is about a group of children who needs to cross a part of an ocean and climb a mountain to reach the schools. It was written and directed by Executive Producer Jayson Bernard Santos.

“We are very much overwhelmed by Reel Time’s third recognition from the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award. The documentary resulted in collaboration among educators in Matnog, Sorsogon and viewers who sent donations after watching the documentary. The audience’s active participation in starting small but meaningful reforms in the education of the students is the best reward we received for this story,” said Santos, who received the award from Andrew Brown of UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office in a ceremony held in Bali, Indonesia on Oct. 24.

The Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award for Television by Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is the most prominent distinction in Asia and the Pacific that recognizes the efforts of broadcasters and producers in pursuing high quality children’s programming and better coverage of issues affecting children.

For five years in a row, documentary programs from GMA Public Affairs have won the Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award.

Reel Time took home three of these, while I-Witness and Front Row won in 2012 and 2014, respectively.

The same episode is also vying for the Best Documentary award at this year’s Asia Rainbow TV Awards after being included in the top three nominees along with another GMA Public Affairs original, the eight-part political romcom, Naku, Boss Ko!.

THE 30th PMPC Star Awards for Music Group of the Year, T.O.P. (Top One Project), has conquered Music Museum with their first major sold-out concert entitled T.O.P. in Concert. The boy band composed of Adrian Pascual, Joshua Jacobe, Louie Pedroso, Mico Cruz and Miko Manguba was able to show their talent, performing top hits of different genres.

From RnB to Pop Rock, plus the jukebox OPM hits of the 90’s, T.O.P. has charmed the crowd with its harmony and made the chart-topping tunes of the past relatable to its millennial audience.

T.O.P. hit a home run when they performed “Paggising” and “Alaala,” two of the most favorite songs from their self-titled album under GMA Records. The familiar harmony that gave them their identity as a boy band led their fans to sing along.

They also shared the stage with GMA Artist Center’s bombshell Kim Domingo and performed The Chainsmoker’s hit ‘Closer’ that drove the audience to frenzy.

Meanwhile, the boys’ vocal range was put to test when they belted out Aegis’ favorite hits with Rock N’ Soul Diva Aicelle Santos.

T.O.P. ended the concert on a high note as they

“Reel Time” Executive Producer Jayson Bernard Santos and Program Manager Nowell Cuanang receive the 2016 Asia-Pacific Child Rights Award for the documentary, “Isinulat sa Tubig” (inset)

Naku, Boss Ko!, nominated for Best Comedy Program, mixed the sarcastic wit of a political satire and the feel-good vibes of a romantic comedy to expose the absurdity and hypocrisy of some of the campaign strategies employed by some, if not most politicians today. The groundbreaking mini-series aired two weeks before the Philippine national elections, and was top-billed by GabRu or Gabbi Garcia and Ruru Madrid together with veteran actors Tessie Tomas and Leo Martinez.

The third Asia Rainbow TV Awards is organized by the Hong Kong Television Association and the China Television Production Committee and is considered the Emmy Awards of Asia. Winners will be announced during the awarding ceremonies on Nov. 27 in Macao.

‘T.O.P. in Concert’ a huge hit

Top One Project or simply T.O.P. performing at the Music Museum with new “Pantasya ng Bayan” Kim Domingo as special guest

acknowledged their mentors and offered a song to Members the boy band claim to continue the veterans that guided them in their journey back improving their craft as musicians, and they in To The Top, GMA Network’s reality show that promised to share a long journey with their paved way to reaching their dreams. fans.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, November 23, 2016

ACROSS 1 Dupe 5 Place for a sleeping bag 9 Brother’s child 14 Diet spread 15 Reebok rival 16 Broke off 17 Looks sleepy 18 Chemists’ lairs 19 Give the slip 20 Sweeper’s need 22 Bee’s posterior 24 “Luck of the Draw” singer 26 Sum total 27 Treats wood 30 On the topic 35 Actress — Berry 36 Miff 37 Brickell of pop 38 Perry Mason’s org.

39 Snow — 42 Mantra chants 43 Easy win 45 “Wimoweh” beast 46 C-3PO or R2-D2 48 Threshold 50 Sweetie pies 51 Make a selection 52 Like a stumblebum 54 Grayer

58 Shoe inserts 62 Ice-fishing tool 63 NFL broadcaster 65 Fix potatoes 66 Coup de — 67 Vineyard valley 68 Ark. neighbor 69 Brand to sleep on 70 Kid stuff 71 Find in the dark DOWN 1 Body of water 2 Slugger Moises — 3 Gets spliced 4 It may be flared 5 Chunnel terminus 6 — -garde 7 Playing marble 8 “El Condor —” 9 Meter marker 10 Entail 11 Party-tray cheese 12 Yield, as territory 13 Idyllic spot 21 Jury or wainscot 23 Farm machine 25 Libya’s capital 27 Pottery fragment 28 Major no-no

29 Texas tourist site 31 Pizzazz 32 Mud brick 33 Trekkie idol 34 Dry runs 36 Churn up 40 Upper-crust 41 Plummets 44 Keep safe 47 Fully informed (3 wds.)

49 Bridal wreath shrub 50 Redheads’ tints

Eugene Domingo starrer ‘Ang Babae Sa Septic Tank 2’ joins seven other films that complete MMFF 2016’s “Magic 8” list

53 Chilly 54 Droops 55 Artificial fly 56 Microbiology gel 57 Monthly payment for many 59 Area behind a dam 60 Dashiell’s peer 61 Close off 64 — Paulo

THE Metro Manila Film Festival has done a seismic shift. Not only it surprised the audience that anticipates the film event every year, it also shocked film workers, the production outfits and the big stars.

MMFF’s credibility as a film festival have been in question for years. While most festivals have a solid reputation of raising the profiles of the participating filmmakers and introducing films with artistic integrity, the same thing cannot be said of MMFF’s recent editions.

Every year, we get to see the same kind of movies in MMFF. Even the actors are the same familiar faces fielded to star in film entries, which are mostly film franchises or sequels.

If the 2012 edition of the MMFF was a prelude to this year’s film affair, then producers and film outfits who join the festival each year should have realized by then that it’s imperative to do a big switch, too.

In the 38th MMFF, Thy Womb, an indie film by Brillante Mendoza, was the most decorated film of the awards night. It walked home bagged seven major awards including Best Actress for Nora Aunor, the highly-coveted Gatpuno Antonio Villegas Cultural Award, Best Director for Mendoza, Best Original Story, Gender Sensitive Award, Best Cinematography and Best Production Design. It however lost to Star Cinema’s family drama One More Try in the Best Picture competition.

Last Friday, MMFF organizers made an announcement that surprised the festival audience. There are no big films in the list, which means no big stars, too. The film entries, which the MMFF selection committee led by University of the Philippines professor Nick Tiongson called the “Magic 8,” were chosen based on their story, creativity and technical excellence.

The new rules say, the conditions for the choice of finalists are built on story, audience appeal, overall impact (40 percent); cinematic attributes and technical excellence (40 percent); global appeal (10 percent); and Filipino sensibility (10 percent).

These are the same rules that put Vic Sotto’s Enteng Kabisote 10, Vice Ganda and Coco Martin’s Super Parental Guardian and Richard

Yap’s Mano Po 7 to their proper places.

The “Magic 8” includes: Die Beautiful directed by Jun Robles Lana, starring Paolo Ballesteros; Kabisera, directed by Arturo San Agustin and Real Florido and stars Nora Aunor, Ricky Davao, JC De Vera, Jason Abalos, Victor Neri and Rj Agustin; Saving Sally, a film Avid Liongoren and top billed

by Rhian Ramos and Enzo Marcos; Seklusyon helmed by Erik Mattifeaturing Rhed Bustamante, Phoebe Walker, Elora Espano,Neil Ryan Sese, Ronnie Alonte, Lou Veloso, Dominique Roque, John Vic De Guzman and JR Versales; Sunday Beauty Queen by Baby Ruth Villarama starring Hazel Perdid, Maylyn Jacobo, Cherry Bretania and Leo Selomenio; Vince & Kath & James (Star Cinema) directed

by Ted Boborol and stars Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia and Ronnie Alonte; Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 2: Forever is Not Enough directed by Marlon Rivera topbilled by Eugene Domingo and Chris Martinez; and Oro directed by Alvin Yapan, starring Joem Bascon.

The MMFF is always full of surprises either it’s a scandal or a major change in its guidelines in choosing the films entries including the Best Film. But MMFF is definitely headed in the right direction.

It will no longer be branded as a unique festival that only allows formula and big films to be part of its selection.

Award winning ‘Die Beautiful,’ a film by Jun Robles Lana, is among the MMFF 2016 film chosen for its story and technical excellence

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Hundreds waited for

Smart iPhone 7

launched in a Giga way T ’WAS a few minutes before midnight on Nov. 10, but Eastwood in Quezon City was very much alive. Young and old, hundreds of them, patiently, albeit giddily, waited for the countdown to the unboxing of the latest iPhone to hit the market….iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.

ISAH V. RED

iPhones were at stake.

The night’s Giga party also introduced Smart’s Giga Plans, the latest postpaid lineup to boost the digital lifestyle of Smart users via high volume data allocation.

Smart subscribers can now experience a worry-free digital lifestyle with Giga Plans, the telco’s best-ever postpaid data offers with 10 times more data. iPhone 7 is free at Giga Plan 2499 with 15GB of data, one free app every month, unlimited texts and 90 minutes of calls to all networks.

If you want the best iPhone camera there is, the iPhone 7 Plus is free at Giga Plan 2999 with 18GB of data, one free app every month, unlimited texts and 90 minutes of calls to all networks.

Giga Plans are the perfect match for the latest handsets on the market, as these gadgets are best experienced with the biggest data plans available to consumers.

“Data under Smart Postpaid’s Giga Plans will definitely provide Smart’s VP for Mobile Marketing Kathy Carag (center) awards seven iPhone 7 winners during the Giga raffle a richer digital lifestyle for our Smart users. And since we are where winners had to lift the ‘heaviest iPhone 7’ in order to qualify for the contest The launch of Smart Communications promised to give away units of the best, most advanced iPhone ever featuring new and advanced camera systems, the best battery

life ever on an iPhone and water and dust resistance when the clock strikes—midnight.

In an event marked with excitement as the crowd participated in the iPhone 7

countdown at Eastwood City that started late Thursday, Smart encouraged subscribers to lift the night’s heaviest iPhone 7 for a chance to be included in the midnight raffle. Seven new

Under Smarts’ Giga Plans, subscribers get the most out of the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus because of upsized data allocation of up to 10 times more

doing network improvements all over the country, digital services under Smart is just bound to get even better,” said Kathy Carag, head of Smart’s Mobile Marketing.

Giga Challenge accepted Seven subscribers won one iPhone 7 each. Passersby were encouraged to lift the “heaviest” iPhone 7 and those who were able to do so were qualified for the raffle.

With Giga Plans, Smart users can do everything with twice as much data as handset plans – from binge-watching movies on iFlix, keeping Waze running on out of town trips, and even post as many photos and videos on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.

Smart has also partnered with ABS-CBN for iWantTV, which will pave the way for millions of Smart users to access their favorite hit TV series, shows and programs anytime and anywhere using their prepaid load or charged to their postpaid bill.

Soon, iWantTV will be part of the offers under Giga Plans.

*** Viewers can’t get enough of the thrilling scenes in Doble Kara as it continues to reign afternoon TV and beat shows on the rival network in national TV ratings.

From Oct. 31 (Monday) to Nov. 4 (Friday), the Kapamilya series consistently scored a five to sixpoint lead compared to Hamakin ang Lahat, according to data from Kantar Media, having its highest gap last Thursday (Nov. 3), with Doble Kara hitting 17.6 percent versus its rival’s 11.3 percent.

As the story continues, Sara (Julia Montes) puts her plans of escaping from prison to work with the help of her co-detainees to save her daughter Becca from the danger brought by Alex (Maxene Magalona). However, her escape will not be easy as she needs to go through the tough security of the prison, putting her life at risk.

Doble Kara airs weekdays after It’s Showtime on ABS-CBN or on ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable channel 167). Catch up via iWanTV or skyondemand.com. ph for Sky subscribers.

ABS-CBN Christmas Station ID 2016 touches filipinos WITH the theme “Isang Pamilya Tayo Ngayong Pasko,” ABSCBN’s 2016 Christmas Station ID (CSID) gives tribute to Filipinos who have shown how we, as a people, can rise above any challenge and grow stronger because of our love for our family and our faith in God. Launched on Nov. 7 in simultaneous events in the ABS-CBN compound, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Cubao, as well as in Baguio, Tacloban, and Cagayan De Oro, the star-studded CSID has been the talk of the town with the hashtag IsangPamilyaTayo even trending worldwide as people anticipated, watched, and reacted to the inspiring and heartwarming moments in the video.

Leading the way in sharing reallife stories of hardships, struggles, and successes of Filipinos in everyday life were ABS-CBN chief content officer, executive

adviser to the chairman, and ABS-CBN University president Charo Santos-Concio, Vice Ganda, and Coco Martin, who all shared words of wisdom to students; John Lloyd Cruz who joined a young boy in his 7km walk to school; Piolo Pascual who swam with an amputeeturned-swimming champion; and Angel Locsin, who got to know the beginnings of Olympics silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

The anchors of TV Patrol Ted Failon, Bernadette Sembrano, and Kabayan Noli De Castro also visited people that can be sources of inspiration and encouragement to other Filipinos to not give up on their dreams, like Typhoon Yolanda survivors in Tacloban.

They included a young child who graduated valedictorian, a woman now known as the “Junkyard Queen,” and a family that has risen from tragedy and is now making a living from Christmas lanterns.

Julius Babao, Dyan Castillejo, and Karen Davila, meanwhile, were inspired by former delinquents now rescue volunteers, while the Umagang Kay Ganda family treated a model barangay to a feast.

Kapamilya loveteams were also seen bringing cheers to sick and orphaned children.

Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla had a Christmas party with children from Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation and Philippine Children’s Medical Center through the help of Bantay Bata 163, while James Reid and Nadine Lustre surprised kids from the SOS Children’s Village Alabang. Other popular pairs like Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano, Daniel Matsunaga and Erich Gonzales, and Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu, meanwhile, were also seen interacting with other Kapamilyas in singing the new Christmas theme.

Kapamilya stars gather for ABC-CBN Christmas Station ID which gives tribute to Filipinos who have shown great courage during difficult times

THE CHRISTMAS

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MINDSET

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SHOPPING

d i a l o

ant to know what Christmas shoppers really think now that December is at our door? Some very smart people in Britain had it figured out two years ago actually.

A research paper released in October 2014, co-authored by the Saïd Business School at Oxford University, offered insights into the decision-making process of shoppers and examined the importance of the “fit.”

“Fit has a significant impact on each stage of consumer decision-

making, from the evaluation of a message to the consumer’s actual choice,” said Professor Nancy Puccinelli, Associate Professor in Marketing at Oxford and one of the authors of the paper.

“We often see brands communicating in ineffective or even counter-productive ways, whereas

SPECIAL

sometimes small inexpensive changes to campaigns which take into account the importance of fit have very positive results.”

Some seasonal campaigns – other than Christmas – “have almost instinctively understood this connection,” Puccinelli continues.

So “Back to School” campaigns

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MALL TRAFFIC. Last-minute Christmas shoppers going to their favorite malls wouldn’t want to run into a parade like this -- a stream of performers dressed as Disney characters that made up the launch of the ‘Grand Magical Parade’ at SM City Dasmariñas in Cavite. Ey Acasio

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016 Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor

often have undertones of “avoiding the risk” of children not being fully equipped for their school activities.

“As the new school year approaches, certain consumers are particularly susceptible to this type of messaging and want the security of having bought everything necessary,” the professor explained. “For this group, messages that focus on the uses of a product resonate most.”

At Christmas, when messages are about promoting indulgence, “consumers who want to maximize pleasure are more open to

the idea of switching to premium brands and to spending more to get the most out of their purchases,” Puccinelli said.

The research shows that if shops align the right message with the consumer’s prevailing mindset, they can increase their chance of completing the purchase by 186 percent.

For instance, for some consumers sun cream is best promoted by messaging on avoiding the risk of sunburn, the professor explained.

“For others it is best promoted by focusing on the positives of the appearance of an even suntan.”

Cosmetics can be promoted with an emphasis on anti-aging for the “prevention” consumers but with “look your best” messages for the “promotion” oriented consumers. The same product can be made to appeal to different consumers who have two different types of mindset through appropriate messaging, explained the Oxford professor.

Awareness of the impact of a shopper’s orientation and the importance of fit can help marketers avoid unnecessary promotions.

The Oxford research suggests that Turn to E2

E2

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Holiday Special

The Christmas...

From E1 at Christmas, retailers often do not need to offer price promotions, multibuys or discounts, adding that this can actually undermine the celebratory mindset of target consumers.

By tapping into a more “prevention” mentality, such campaigns send mixed messages and there is the risk that they could actually reduce sales, says the research.

Although individuals have a tendency to one of these orientations, marketers can influence and change this orientation with minimal input and switch a consumer from one mindset to the other in specific circumstances.

“Our research suggests that advertisers can create the desirable orientation within just one advert.

Put simply, an appreciation of the importance of ‘fit’ for consumer decision-making means that small, typically low-cost changes to messaging, packaging and communications can have a profound impact on consumer choice,” said Professor Puccinelli.

until 11:59 p.m. of December 24 to purchase their gifts for loved ones or their special someone? The lack of money for buying gifts isn’t the only answer.

Karen Pine, a professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire in Hertfordshire, England, who actually studies the psychology behind giving gifts, told TIME Magazine last year: “We know that some people put it off because it’s too difficult and they’re indecisive. Or they don’t want to spend a lot of time and effort.”

Some might have a good reason for holding off on their purchases, the TIME article noted. Joseph Ferrari, a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, said about 20 percent of Americans are “chronic procrastinators.”

Some research has linked chronic procrastination to personality issues like attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, passive-aggressive tendencies, revenge, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Serious procrastination, Ferrari says, “is an active decision to not act.”

Others may say the holidays can Why we procrastinate Meanwhile, why do shoppers wait just be too overwhelming, given

the plethora of potential gift choices, both in stores and online. With too many decisions to make, some choose not to make any at all — until it’s too late.

“Many people get overwhelmed by all the choice that’s available and decision paralysis sets in; they literally can’t do anything because they can’t decide,” says Pine. “So they wait until the last minute when they simply have to make a choice.”

Then there are those who roam the stores on Christmas Eve because they didn’t think it was important enough to do it sooner.

“Someone who isn’t so bothered about the meaning of the present, doesn’t feel it’s worth all the effort, and may leave it to the day before Christmas, and leave it to one shop and pick whatever is on the shelf,” says Pine.

Taken together, the Oxford study and the TIME article lead us to this conclusion: You better hope for a generous giver who actually knows what to give you and is buying your gift now, as you read this article – if he or she hasn’t bought it already. That would be a real Christmas treat.

Breville’s holiday gift ideas under 10K for the home Wracking your brains about what gift to give your friends, family, loved ones and significant others this Christmas? Let Australian kitchen brand Breville, established more than 80 years ago, save you with this list:

The Breville Compact Kettle (Php 3,900) may be small, but it doesn’t scrimp on features, making it that perfect, affordable Christmas gift. It has a 4-cup capacity that’s just right, and the soft-open lid ensures you won’t get hot water splash back. The water window shows you how much water is inside, while the lid release button helps you fill the kettle with water with ease.

Impress your guests, relatives and friends during your Christmas reunions with the Breville Multi Chef (Php 6,900). This kitchen wonder helps you prepare those special appetizers to desserts. Create creamy risotto or a tender, slow-cooked meal or use the sauté/sear setting so you can brown all your fresh ingredients.

If you’re serving special sandwiches or preparing waffles for the family on Christmas morning or any other day, the Breville Original ’74 Jaffle Maker (Php 5,499) does the job so well. Its durable polished stainless steel with wide sealing edges makes this sandwich maker last a lifetime.

Blend better with your loved ones by giving them the new Kinetix Twist Blender (Php 9,999) a member of the Breville Kinetix Superstar blenders.

Coming with powerful functions and features such as the miniKinetix® Blade and Bowl-Hugging System, its central blades crush and chop, while wide blades fold and aerate ingredients.

It comes with five task controls with preprogrammed settings for easy operation.

Get your freshest fruit and veggie concoctions in a jiffy with the Breville Juice Fountain Max (Php 9,300). Its chute is 25 percent larger to fit bigger fruits, and get more juice with its patented feed tube and filter to get 20 percent more vitamins and minerals.

Holiday Special

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

E3

Dazzling ornaments, decor from SM Home B

ring the joy, love and beauty of Christmas to your home with dazzling ornaments and décor from SM Home.

These modern expressions of traditional holiday trimmings have an artisan touch, celebrating all that is creative and classic. At SM Home, lush Christmas trees and bountiful wreaths and garlands

abound. Scandinavian-inspired clay ornaments and gingerbread-inspired plush ornaments give us a glimpse of Christmas traditions from all parts of the world.

Fill these clear glass ornaments with tinsels, tiny Ornaments like stars, balls, reindeer berries and twigs, and moss. and snowmen speak of a classic Christmas. But there are also modern, whimsical touches—translucent Christmas ornaments, delightful cupcakes, and doughnuts ornaments that show the sweet side of Christmas.

The collection is available at the SM Home section at all SM Stores.

Snowman climbing ladder Festive Red and Gold trimmings.

Bring Christmas to your home by decorating with oversized ornaments and Santa plushies as a topper.

Write like Will Shakespeare with Montblanc pens, cufflinks IT’S BEEN exactly 400 years since William Shakespeare passed away.

To mark the anniversary, Montblanc has dedicated its special Writers Edition collection of pens and cufflinks to the revered English playwright, poet and actor.

Issued every year in a strictly limited edition worldwide since 1992, the Montblanc Writers Edition pays tribute to the greatest icons of literary history. This time it’s for the author of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth and many other masterpieces.

The diversity and richness of Shakespeare’s work is honored in the many details of the William Shakespeare Limited Edition, created from the most select materials and shaped by highly skilled master craftsmen with meticulous dedication.

In a first for Montblanc, the precious resin cap takes on an octagonal shape reminiscent of the famous Globe Theatre – the venue Shakespeare’s company built - and its octagonal structure. A feat of technical virtuosity and precision, the shape is achieved by ensuring that the facts and edges are perfectly defined while never losing the highly polished surface of the resin.

Limited to 1597 pieces, referring to the year his most important play “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” was first published, the William Shakespeare Limited Edition is inspired by his greatest tragedies.

The multi-colored barrel of the pen is embellished with exquisite guilloche patterns evoking his quill overlaid with precious lacquer, contrasting with the cap crafted from pure black lacquer. The black and red colors are a reference to the flags that flew above his theatre to inform audiences of that genre being performed at the time: red for historical drama and black for tragedy.

As well as featuring the embossed symbols on the cap and cone’s gold-plated rings representing his most famous plays, the William Shakespeare Limited Edition 1597 is decorated with Tudor design elements reminiscent of the era in which Shakespeare wrote most of his plays and the longstanding patronage of Queen Elizabeth I. To complete the Collection, Montblanc is introducing two pairs of circular cufflinks with the Tudor rose as the central motif. The simple elegance of a red rose contrasts with the yellow-gold PVD finish of the first pair, while a black rose complements the shine of the stainless-steel pair.

Glow and shine with gold and silver trimmings.

Glow and shine with gold and silver trimmings.

E4

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Holiday Special

A more luxurious, exclusive Rustan’s at Gateway Mall R

ustan’s at Gateway Mall has added a new dimension of luxury and exclusivity to the premiere shopping destination at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.

Twice hailed as the shopping center of the year in 2006 and 2007 by the Philippine Retailers Association, Rustan’s at Gateway Mall unveiled a new and modernized retail space, giving a new vibe to the area and treating its customers to more shopping options.

Rustan’s at Gateway Mall has nearly tripled its floor space from 3,500 square meters to 9,000 sq m. Occupying four floors, this enhanced space offers its clientele variety, luxury and exclusivity, delighting its patrons with the most rewarding assortment of choices the department store has always been known and cherished for. Customers can enjoy the same unparalleled service and elegant touch typical of Rustan’s

branches elsewhere in the country.

At its launch last October, special guests, the media and loyal patrons were invited to “Like.

Follow. Share.” as Rustan’s revealed bigger, better, and bolder choices to the discerning shoppers of northern Metro Manila.

The highlight of the evening was a celebratory toast led by Rustan Commercial Corporation President Donnie Tantoco and Chairman and CEO Zenaida Tantoco. Joining them were Rustan’s Vice President for Home Merchandising Marilen Tantoco, Rustan’s Chairman Emeritus Amb. Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., SSI Group Inc.’s Anton Huang, Judy Araneta Roxas, Novotel Manila’s Bernd Schneider, ABS-

CBN’s Ernie Lopez, Senator Sonny Angara and Chef Margarita Fores.

Rustan’s is the only store in Gateway Mall that carries toys and infant staples. Located on the Third Floor of the luxury department store, Parents and kids will be ecstatic with the ampedup selections of children’s toys, clothes and accessories from in-house brands such as Kiddos, Rustanette, Rustan Jr. and Periwinkle. Shoppers on this floor will definitely enjoy the convenience and unparalleled service of The Children’s Registry for children’s birthdays and other memorable events.

The new venue for lifestyle demos and workshops will be held at the activity area of the Home section on the Second Floor. Housing Weddings & Beyond, Red Tag Section, the Home and Lifestyle floor becomes the go-to destination for home and interior style inspirations. Learn the art of transform-

ing a house into a home through the well-curated selections and style vignettes care of Nao, Lladro, Lalique, Royal Albert and Lenox. From Dyson and Hurom appliances to Rustan’s Home linens and more, Rustan’s helps brighten up every abode.

Of course, Rustan’s at Gateway Mall also makes sure that every woman steps out in style from head to toe in chic pieces from brands like Lady Rustan, Pedro Del Hierro, Jill, Criselda, N. Natori, and Rafe. The dress salon provides a wide array of cocktail and evening wear collections from Tadashi, JS Collection and Laundry, all available on the First Floor.

Putting a twinkle in the ladies’ eyes is Rustan’s Silver Vault, also on the First Floor, which houses a mesmerizing collection of stunning jewelry.

Here, she will definitely revel at the brilliant stones and exquisite designs by Adami & Martucci, The Fifth Season

by Roberto Coin and Ippolita among others.

The Ground Floor has new retail features such as the Denim Bar and the Nail Bar all aimed to inspire and inject a fun vibe into the shopping experience. The

modern woman can definitely restock on her favourite beauty buys and makeup products at the Cosmetics and Perfumeries section. Here, one can find mesmerizing color palettes and anti-skin aging serums from Dermalogica, Laura Mercier, L’occitane, Murad, and more.

The lifestyle needs of men are not overlooked as this new Rustan’s accommodates selections of formal menswear, casual and business attire, sports and lifestyle wear on the same floor. Seek the newest fashion pieces by Pedro del Hierro and Adolfo Dominguez, and the newest sports finds under Adidas, and Under Armour.

As Rustan’s at Gateway Mall grows its retail space, it also expands its menu of perks and services, which now includes personal shopping, a nursing station for mothers, and improved restrooms on all floors. Customers can also experience a more elevated shopping experience through improved after-sales services with a VIP lounge area for rest and leisure, and East Café on the Second Floor, all conveniently housed within the department store.

The new Rustan’s at Gateway Mall includes more expansive specialty levels dedicated to the most luxurious finds in cosmetics, fashion, and home items. In wide, well-lit shopping aisles, this Rustan’s branch offers a gateway to true luxury finds, from the world’s most premium labels to the Philippines’ own powerful brands.

Make the holidays lively with Jose Cuervo tequila EVER since, Jose Cuervo, the leading manufacturer and distributor of the bestselling tequila worldwide, has brought nothing but excellence and authenticity to the table. Each of its bottles is rimmed with mouth-numbing flavor – a testament to the Mexican brand’s dedication to its unvarying taste.

In over 250 years, the artisanal tradition of producing this award-winning collection of tequilas has made the Jose Cuervo family a household name in the business of spirits.

With the same recipes and craftsmanship that has been handed down from generation to generation, the Cuervo brand boasts of nothing short of timeless excellence.

For this holiday season, the brand has unveiled its latest creations. Jose Cuervo Especial Silver is the drink perfect for those cocktail mixes at any given get-together, especially margaritas. The distillery masters from La Rojñea have crafted this unique and balanced blend to highlight the tones of agave, caramel, and fresh herbs in its flavor profile. The light and spicy flavor it has, gives any non-alcoholic drink the slap it needs to kick start any party one brings it to.

Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado is the punch in the mouth anyone needs to fire up their palette. It starts off carefully tiptoeing around your lips, but once the drink gets to your throat, a rich blend of aged and young-

MAKE THE MANILA HOTEL YOUR HOME THIS CHRISTMAS! Avail of our Christmas room package for only Php7,317+++ and let your kids experience one of their most memorable Christmases ever. Meet our very own Santa Claus and capture a moment with him. Your stay includes a buffet breakfast for two, Willy the Bear, and treats inside the Christmas Village.

For inquiries and reservations, please call our Reservations Team at 527-0011 local 1175 to 1178 or email resvn@themanilahotel.com. Bring this magazine to avail of this promotions.

er tequilas bursts inside your mouth leaving you in a daze. This flagship tequila product has rested for four months in deep-charred American oak barrels.

Jose Cuervo Especial Añejo, also known as Especial Black, is said to be your regular, everyday tequila. Just like the saying “Once you go black, you never go back,” this drink numbs your mouth and leaves you wanting more. The drink’s undertones are a mixture of spicy and sweet alongside the traditional Cuervo recipe. To maximize said mixture to its full capacity, try this strong drink with an equal amount of Coke.

Jose Cuervo Tradicional Silver gives off an aroma the moment it touches your lips, a testament to just how strong that 100% Blue Agave Tequilana Weber is. This rich drink goes through a special process to conserve its flavor by storing it at freezing temperatures before bottling and subjecting it to a zero-degree cold filtration to bring out its agave flavor. This is a truly spinechilling drink.

If the Jose Cuervo Especial Reposado is a punch in the mouth, the Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado is a body slam in drink form. It practically detonates your taste buds with its complex flavor of 100% Blue Agave Tequilana Weber rested tequila, aged in small batches of oak barrels for a minimum of two months.

Like anything, tequila is best when shared. What more if it’s Jose Cuervo?

H

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d i a l o

SPECIAL

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

F1

By Peter Paul Duran

F

OR a generation so obsessed with taking pictures and videos of almost everything they do, it can’t be denied that people have already considered it a necessary if not, the only benchmark to consider in buying a smartphone.

For years, phone brands have been in a rat race to try and stump rival manufacturers in one major category--the camera. And with the advent of the social media and the vast expanse of platforms to be able to share these content, that’s definitely understandable.

In a survey conducted by GSM Arena, a reliable review site for the latest gadgets, 98.6% of polled users frequently utilize the camera of their phones, putting the camera as one of the most important points buyers consider in purchasing a smartphone.

Consumers have long realized the benefits of a good camera on their smartphones, and phone companies have readily submitted themselves religiously to comply with this. But compared to others, nothing compares to

one of the rising stars in the smartphone industry--OPPO. People might mistake OPPO as a relative newcomer in the industry, but the company has been around some time now.

And with the strides and noise it has been making recently through its innovative selfiecentric phones, consumers are starting to take notice.

Enter Best Selfie Smartphone OPPO’s latest masterpiece is its F1 line, which started this “selfie rennaissance.”

With OPPO F1, people were presented a premium selfie phone without the hefty price tag. Its 13 megapixel rear camera coupled with its 8MP front shooter proved to be a niche in the smartphone industry to constantly improve their ‘selfie game,’ making it Manila Standard’s Best Selfie Smartphone.

The phone for the

‘SELFIE RENAISSANCE’ OPPO’s flagship selfie phone to date really put premium on its front facing camera. It was always a standard for phones to have the main shooter at the back have more MPs than its secondary counterpart at the front. But clearly, OPPO doesn’t abide by standards as the F1s clearly defied expectations by introducing a 16 megapixel front camera with a 13MP main shooter, setting a hallmark for other brands to try and emulate.

OPPO has made waves in the Philippines, as the F1s sold 19,000 units in the first three days of release, thanks in part to the likes of singer Sarah Geronimo as well as recent brand ambassador Alden Richards, who

are promoting the smartphone brand.

In a report from Counterpoint Research, OPPO seized a total of 16.6 percent in market share to rule the mobile phone scene and topple long-time market leaders Xiaomi and Huawei. It was an exponential jump for OPPO as compared to the same quarter last year, wherein the company only accounted for 9.9% of the shares.

OPPO’s success didn’t come overnight, but a result of frequent innovations and improvements in all of the gadgets they release. The phone brand’s rise is the outcome of hard work and bold ventures in a growing mobile industry.

These notable feats include the

Finder which was OPPO’s thinnest smartphone at the time of its release, and the N1, which was reportedly the world’s first smartphone with a rotating camera.

But the brand didn’t stop there as they revealed the N3 next, the industry’s first automated rotating camera. They also introduced the VOOC Flash Charging their own brand of rapid-charging technology, as well as the PI, OPPO’s image processing software.

Then, the Find 7 made a splash. The OPPO Find 7, unveiled in 2014, is the first phone that can make 50MP photos via software. And in the last few years, the company has focused its sights on the endless possibilities of a do-it-all camera, both

front and back.

Released just recently in China, the OPPO R9s boast of cameras that can shoot 16-megapixels both at the front and back, while the main and secondary 16MP shooter and 6” R9s Plus will be launched just before the year ends. OPPO also tied this a brandished ‘beautification plus’ selfie panorama mode software feature, although these handsets are only available in China, at least for now.

But with Christmas fast approaching, OPPO has made its case as the smartphone choice for the discerning gift giver. If Filipinos want in on this selfie renaissance, they now know just what smartphone to wish for.

F2

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Holiday Special

Gadget goodies YOU GOT TO HAVE THIS SEASON

I

T’S that time of the year again, when Christmas means giving and receiving gifts for and from loved ones.

And in this digital-savvy world, gadgets are on top of everyone’s wish list. Here are a few of the season’s must-haves.

OPPO F1 LIMITED LIMITED—OPPO may have already become the country’s second bestselling smartphone, but the brand remains committed to increasing its market share in ASEAN’s fastest growing mobile market.

In less than three months since the F1s sold out immediately after its debut in August, OPPO introduced a limited edition metallic grey variant of its celebrated camera phone—the F1s Limited.

The F1s Limited has the same features of the F1s including its 16-megapixel front camera, large F/2.0 aperture, selfie-enhancing Beautify 4.0 app, and lightning-fast fingerprint recognition access.

OPPO’s flagship selfie phone to date really put a premium on its frontfacing camera. It was always a standard for phones to have the main shooter at the back have more MPs than its secondary counterpart at the front.

But clearly, OPPO doesn’t abide by standards as the F1s clearly defied expectations by introducing a 16MP front camera with a 13MP main shooter, setting a hallmark for other brands to try and emulate.

This will allow any user to improve their “selfie game,” thus making it Manila Standard’s Best Selfie Smartphone.

IPHONE 7—Admit it. You maybe an Android guy, but the thought of having the latest iPhone model has crossed your mind.

Finally, Apple’s new pair of iPhones are water resistant, with new colors, a dual-camera system for the iPhone 7 Plus, better screens, stronger processor and innovations that may force you to sell your iPhone 6 to grab the new ones.

The only drawback with the new models is that Apple decided to remove the 1/8-inch audio jack, which has already raised a couple of howls from purists.

The new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have definitely bettered the previous models, boasting of a faster processor due to the new A10 Fusion chip, which is 120 times faster t h a n the chip in the original i Pho ne.

The A10 Fusion uses for the first time an architecture that combines powerful cores and more energyfriendly ones.

Apple also ditched the 16 GB model, with 32 GB now the new base capacity. The other models offered are the 128 GB and the 256 GB variants.

One of the biggest improvements, though, is the iPhone 7’s camera, which allows you to take better pictures. Its 6-elements lens boasts a respectable F1.8 opening, which should especially help in low-light situations.

The iPhone 7 also gets optimal image stabilization, a feature that was so far exclusive to its bigger counterpart. The biggest news here is the new dual camera setup that can be found behind the iPhone 7 Plus.

LENOVO YOGA BOOK—Lenovo ups the ante on tablet design with the release of the Yoga Book, a thin and light 2-in-1 tablet that allows users to take notes and even sketch their own artworks using a stylus with real ink.

Housed in a unique form factor that inspires creativity, the Yoga Book gives users the freedom to let their imagination roam free.

It is an open book for digital-savvy millennials who love to write and sketch, and features an instant Halo Keyboard and dual-use stylus that writes on both paper and screen.

Featuring a thin and light design, 15-hour battery life, and a 360-degree watchband hinge, the Yoga Book offers extreme productivity in a form factor that matches the mobility of a smartphone.

The Yoga Book’s first productivity feature is also what makes the thin and light design possible: the halo keyboard, a full touch screen backlit keyboard that weaves software and hardware into one fluid interface.

The touch screen is made with glass that was meticulously chosen to give a rough, matte feel and finish, along with anti-glare coating to ensure the best possible touch-typing experience.

The keyboard lacks any physical keys, showing up as a solid white outline on the Yoga Book’s second panel only when it’s needed. While the touch-sensitive surface acts as a keyboard with light-up keys, it also accepts input from a stylus.

The Yoga Book Real Pen allows users to swap in an ink cartridge into the included stylus and take notes on real paper. The Yoga Book will then automatically copy and digitize their notes in real time. Users can then seamlessly organize, merge, and share their notes instantly with friends or colleagues. They can even use the included Book Pad clipboard to magnetize their papers and keep them in place.

Featuring two panels that open up like a book, the Yoga Book breaks free from the conventional tablet paradigm. At 9.6 mm thick, the 690- gram Yoga Book packs a punch in its svelte frame, allowing users to easily bring it along with them while in transit.

BROTHER JS-1410 ENTRY-LEVEL SEWING MACHINE— Bring the joy of sewing to your homes this holiday season with the machines that will bring out your and your loved ones’ utmost creativity – the Brother Home Sewing Machines loved the world over.

For starting or rekindling you and your family’s love for sewing, the Brother JS1410 Mechanical Sewing Machine is perfect for you. It is affordable and easy to use with multiple functions.

All the basic features you need are packed in this compact and lightweight model – automatic buttonhole, 14 decorative and quilting built-in stitches, twin needle, top load bobbin, and LED sewing light.

In other words, it’s just perfect for basic sewing and mending.

With this machine, one can make fancy pillowcases, trendy cloth bags, sleek blouses, or even a jacket for each family member this holiday. No other present could be more ideal for yourself or your loved ones who have passion for fashion and crafting.

HP PAVILION X360—It’s time to rethink how you use a laptop and try something radically new. The Pavilion X360 lets you seamlessly shift between four modes for an entertainment experience that gets you closer to your screen than ever before.

The 360 degree geared hinge gets you in the perfect position to work, watch, play and go, and the Pavilion x360 is powered by the Intel® Pentium® N3710 Processor (2b) running Windows 10 Home.

Write reports, update your blog and listening to your favorite songs in the traditional Laptop mode. Stand mode is perfect for watching movies and making those video calls. Tent mode is great for playing with photos, apps

and games. Finally, check your newsfeed, read a book and browse on the go more comfortably via Tablet mode.

HP is also “threading” a new path in the Pavilion line up for 2016 with the use of the digital threads inspired by the fashion industry. The result is a colorful lineup with a pop of hi-tech digital threads. The Pavilion X360 is now available in Modern Gold.

With a choice of 11.6inch or 13.3-inch diagonal HD (33) IPS UWVA WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-toedge glass (1366 x 768) the 360 offers the highest quality viewing experience, implementing a variety of the latest display technologies such as OLED displays.

VIVO Y55—When a phone brands itself as selfie-centric, people might expect that they’ll only be left with a handset whose only strong point is its camera. But when a handset adds sleek design and an intuitive OS into the mix, you’ve got yourself a do-it-all smartphone perfect for the busy millennial.

Launched a couple of weeks ago, the new Vivo Y55 is the latest smartphone from the company to hit Philippine shores – and the first entry-level phone from the Chinese manufacturer.

For starters, the device has a 5.2-inch display—giving it a “just right” feel, not too big or too small. Right off the bat, the phone offers the Funtouch OS powered by Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and comes with 2GB RAM, 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core CPU. Certainly the definite phone fit for all of the apps and heavy processes, but we’re still not close to the good part.

The 5MP front-facing camera also sits neatly with the proximity and light sensors, while below the screen are the unlit capacitive navigation buttons for Options, Home, and Back. At the bottom part are the microUSB port, speakers and the microphone.

LENOVO POCKET PROJECTOR—Global technology leader Lenovo recently announced the availability of its latest innovation in the Philippine market: the Lenovo Pocket Projector, a carry-anywhere projection dynamo that turns any room into a private theater with a push of a button. All eyes will be on this device, which allows work presentations, movies, TV shows, home videos, games, or photos to be shared and project up to 110 inches of stunning display.

Powered by Lenovo’s vibrant color technology, the

Pocket Projector delivers amazingly high contrast images and features a built-in lithium ion battery for extreme mobility.

Dim and blurry projection is a thing of the past with the Lenovo Pocket Projector, which consistently delivers stunning display of up to 110 inches with a 50-lumen, high-contrast Digital Light Processing (DLP) Technology optical engine designed and developed by leading semiconductor manufacturer Texas Instruments.

DLP technology allows projection quality of up to 1080p for larger screen sizes, perfect geometry and linearity of images, and a wider range of colors than other display technologies.

Every small detail is clear and vivid, making the Pocket Projector perfect for any type of presentation, even for discerning, meticulous clients. Couple this ultra-portable projector with a great speaker system and you can turn a boring old room into a high-end theater with dramatically crisp and clear visuals.

FLASH PLUS 2—Flash Philippines—one of Asia’s rising developers of lifestyle and smart devices—rolls out its flagship phone, the Flash Plus 2, with superior and highly durable built-in features valued at the lowest price of P6,190.

Among the pioneering features of Flash Plus 2 include its sleek metal case, a fast-charging battery, fingerprint recognition, high definition phone camera, and Hi-Fi audio capacity. These attributes allow for more durability, efficiency, and convenience.

Flash Plus 2 is made more durable with its aluminum case, which is crafted employing several kinds of metal polishing processes. The case’s sides are treated with Bead Blasting textures, allowing for a stylish side view. Meanwhile, the back panel is treated with high-density hairline metal drawing processes for excellent grip and added protection against scratching.

HAIER DIGITAL TV—In three to five years, Philippine television is expected to shift from analog broadcast to digital, said the National Telecommunications Commission last May. The shift promises consistently clear audio-visual quality no matter the distance from the station, on top of having more channels to watch from local networks.

The transition does come with a catch: homes will need to upgrade their analog TV setups. “Digi-boxes,” or external digital tuners offered by cable providers to subscribers, are currently satisfying this.

For households that are only after local programs, having to pay for an external digital tuner along with cable subscription might be too much for a limited budget. Fortunately, TVs are now being designed to address that possible problem.

Haier responds to the coming transition with the introduction of digital TVs. Designed with a built-in ISDB-T-compliant digital tuner, these new sets not only make the shift less of a hassle, they also come with features for fully immersive entertainment the whole family can enjoy.

Unlike their analog counterparts, digital TVs receive signals without degradation or interruption.

This means that viewers get to fully enjoy channels that offer shows in high definition with Dolby Digi-

tal audio.

To add to image quality, Haier digital TVs are designed with in-plane switching panels for the LCD screen along with the latest in picture enhancing technologies. The sleek, two-tone design and metallic strip detail further create a polished, classy look without the high price.

Haier currently offers two digital TV lines: the B8500 series and the K5000 Smart digital series.

Available in 32-, 40-, 50-, and 55-inch screen sizes, the K5000 has a YouTube TV feature for browsing online videos, as well as a Smart Share function that enables users to connect their smartphones to the TV and play media.

MOTO Z—Crafted from military aircraft-grade aluminum and stainless steel, Moto Z smartphones combine durability with a svelte build and a brilliant 5.5” Quad HD AMOLED display.

At 5.2mm, the smartphone packs a punch: it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon TM 820 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage to address users’ memory requirements, and up to 24 hours of battery life.

Pricing for Moto Z starts at Php33,999. It comes with a free Moto Style Shell so that customers can experience Moto Mods immediately.

TORQUE EGO—This is a smart phone that boasts of three key features—simplicity, reliability and value for money.

Complementing the technology behind the phone is an exclusive platform built for the Torque community to enjoy interaction among its users—the Torque Ego Speaks.

It’s a centralized user-forum on the Internet that allows posting under widerange of topics to relate users’ everyday experiences related to smartphones.

The Ego Speaks forum offers Torque a quick way to voice the users’ concerns, give feedback and simply connect with each other.

The entire Ego Series smartphones, including the Torque Ego tablets, are now available with prices ranging from P999 to P3,499 at your nearest Torque kiosk or concept store.

SAMSUNG GEAR FIT2—Imagine what it would be like to not have to lug around your smartphone, which actually weighs a runner down and hinders him from unleashing himself to reach his full potential.

Enter the new Samsung Gear Fit2: a lightweight GPS sports band that gives advanced fitness tracking to help you outdo your last.

With a few swipes, the standalone GPS is capable of tracking your distance, route, pace, calories burned, etc. more accurately, without needing your smartphone with you.

What’s great about the new Samsung Gear Fit2 is its ability to give you more functionality that would ultimately help push you to workout harder. Knowing that everyone has a competitive side, when it comes to fitness, there’s no better motivator than your peers. So, Samsung Gear Fit2’s social fitness challenge feature becomes pretty handy for peer motivation and fun.

And – what if – while you’re out on a run, it suddenly rains? Surely you’ll need to make a full stop and run to the nearest shelter, unless you don’t mind letting your smartphone get wet. The new Samsung Gear Fit2 has a solution for that, too! The GPS sports band has an IP68 rating – meaning it’s both dust and water-resistant – making it the perfect fitness companion for those who love to go running despite rainy weather conditions or hiking in the mountains.

The new Samsung Gear Fit2 can also provide the soundtrack to your workout. Whether you’re running, doing yoga, Pilates or even if you’re just biking around the metro, you don’t need that smartphone around to listen to your favorite tunes. All you need to do is to connect your Bluetooth earphones to your new Samsung Gear Fit2. With its 4GB memory, it’s able to store up to 500 songs, which becomes a much more effective way to keep yourself motivated, thanks to its standalone music player.

FOCAL SPHEAR—The Focal Sphear breaks conventions and proves that high-fidelity in-ear headphones can be used for hours on end without the slightest discomfort.

Sphear is faithful to Focal’s historic acoustic signature, the “Spirit of Sound,” with a particularly rich mid-range that is never muffled, with accurate and clear sound. It is extremely faithful to the original work, and offers harmonic richness, from the low end to the high end, for true listening pleasure.

Thanks to their unbeatable performance in this price category, Sphear is the most accomplished in-ear headphones to date, the most comfortable and the most generous for getting the most out of your music, wherever you are.

In this age of “High-Resolution” and CD quality audio files, through its spherical design and its preservation of Focal’s acoustic signature, Sphear provides an original and unique solution for those passionate for high-resolution sound. Estimated price for the Focal Sphear earphone is P7,500.

Holiday Special

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The holidays MADE SWEETER

IAMOND Hotel Philippines is wrapping sweet gifts and savory platters that are perfect for the holiday table. The hotel in Manila is excited to offer new and familiar treats, from luscious must-haves and party platters to holiday hampers and delightful sweet-tooth pleasers.

Unbox the holiday cheer with Diamond Hotel’s Party Platters and choose from a delectable array of food choices for your Christmas feasts: the succulent Lechon de Leche, the juicy US Angus Beef Rib Eye, the alltime favorite Roasted Turkey, or the festive Homemade Bone in Leg Ham. All are available for orders and delivery with a minimum purchase required.

Looking for sweet Christmas confections? Delight in Diamond Hotel’s famous cakes.

Savor heavenly slices of the Supermoist Chocolate Cake, Le Royale, Baked Cheesecake and other scrumptious selections.

The hotel’s sweet Yuletide goodie catalogue includes a melt-in-your-mouth assortment of cakes: Coco Mango

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

at Diamond Hotel

Cake, Earl Grey Raspberry Cake, Mont Blanc, Minced Pies, Carrot Cake, Cashew Mango Cake, Christmas Eclairs, Christmas Pralines and Truffles, Christmas Cookie, and more.

Or, you could grab boxes of the hotel’s popular Christmas Macarons and Ube Ensaymadas for a medley of Christmas treats.

Diamond Hotel gift certificates

A lot..

From F4 Glorietta on Dec 3, 11 and 17. Enjoy the complete blend of symphonies as the full Manila Symphony Orchestra comes together on Dec 4 and 10 -- make your loved ones feel more special on Christmas with front row seats at the best musical show this holiday season. Also catch “Singing Santa” on December 4 and 10 at Glorietta.

More to discover Never get bored at Ayala Malls as a slew of fun experiences and surprises await mall-goers these coming weeks. You can head to Glorietta on Nov. 25 to 27, Dec. 2 to 4 and Dec. 9 to 21 to take part in the DIY Station. Here you can explore your creativity and add that personal touch to your gifts with the help of Zig Philippines and Wooden Mallet.

are also available for purchase.

Surprise your loved ones with an overnight stay or a dinner for two at any of the hotel’s restaurants.

Its Christmas Hampers are also great presents loaded with gourmet indulgences. And if you want full catering services, Diamond Hotel’s chefs can also cook on location for your Christmas parties and events.

On those same dates, check out the Hot Cocoa Station at Bo’s Coffee and feel the warmth of Christmas.

Then on Dec. 1 until Jan. 8, 2017, revel in the warm scents of gingerbread as you fashion your own Gingerbread House at Glorietta At the other hotspot in Makati, Greenbelt will be unveiling its own amazing treats. On Nov. 16, Greenbelt launched its own fireworks and Christmas lights show in partnership with the Sto. Nino Chapel Ministry Group.

Until Dec. 18, pick up the perfect gifts for your fashionable family at the Designers Bazaar to be held at The Gallery, Greenbelt. Bring the kids and the kidsat-heart on November and December to the Holiday Crafts Workshops, where you can make and decorate your own Christmas ornaments. Take home not only a lovely piece for your Christmas tree, but have your spirits lifted knowing that proceeds will all go to charity.

To place an order for these products and services, call Diamond Hotel at 528-3000 ext. 1121 or 1118 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, or e-mail restaurant_ rsvn@diamondhotel.com.

Orders must be placed at least 3 days before day of pick-up or delivery and 7 days prior to your event for the catering service. Payment is through cash or credit card.

A minimum of Php 10,000 net is required for free delivery to one address only. Deliveries cover Greater Metro Manila only and pick-up venue will be at the Christmas Lobby Counter of Diamond Hotel.

Diamond Hotel Philippines is located at Roxas Boulevard corner Dr. J. Quintos Street, Manila.

For inquiries, please call (632)

In the South, Alabang Town Center brings a new level of fun to the homey, posh community. On Dec. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 25 and Jan. 1, 2017, Alabang Town Center will celebrate the holidays with its spectacular fireworks display.

The communities in the South will also come together on Dec. 1 to 18 to host their own community shows.

Southville Grade School and High School, Beacon House, CCF, San Beda, Learning Garden Montessori, De La Salle and Dance Theater Manille will be taking the stage with their own exciting performances.

TriNoma hit it up in the north with its Christmas launch on Nov. 5. Welcome the holidays with the Yuletide Rhythms Concert series (Dec. 3, 10 and 17), fireworks display (Dec. 3, 10, 17, 25 and Jan. 1, 2017), and Meet and Greet Santa on Dec. 4, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25.

528-3000 or email guestservices@diamondhotel.com.

For more information on Diamond Hotel Philippines, please visit www.diamondhotel.com.

For hotel updates and special offerings, follow the hotel on Facebook, YouTube and Google+ at Diamond Hotel Philippines, and Instagram and Twitter at DiamondHotelPh.

Feel the warmth of Christmas at Abreeza Mall in Davao too. Make your lists and don’t forget to check them twice before heading to the MTE Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 25 to Dec. 10.

In the mad dash before Christmas Eve, head to the Holiday Rush Sale on Dec. 14 to 18. You can also make your kid’s dream come true when you bring them to meet Santa on Dec. 16 to 25.

Of course, as we remember our loved ones with thoughtful gift, we give thanks to the One responsible for all our blessings. From Dec. 15 to 24, the faithful can head to Ayala Malls’ respective chapels and multi-purpose halls to honor the time-held tradition of Simbang Gabi.

Revel in new, amazing experiences and discover a whole world of fun this Christmas, only at Ayala Malls.

PRO-FRIENDS: Creating communities, transforming lives for over 17 years

The swimming pool of Parc Regency Residences is the biggest among the community-developed swimming pools in Pavia, Iloilo.

BY JON MAGAT 17 years in the business is not a simple achievement for Property Company of Friends, Inc. or PRO-FRIENDS, amidst the giant developers that are also aggressive in its goal of making their presence felt all over the country. Steadily, PRO-FRIENDS remained on its track of fulfilling its mission to be “a trusted partner in building homes and communities that transform lives.”

Since its humble beginnings in the early part of the year 1999, PRO-FRIENDS has labored hard to deliver more affordable homes to Filipino families. To date, PRO-FRIENDS has delivered over 38,000 houses across its 17 completed and 9 on-going projects.

CHOOSING PRO-FRIENDS Different home seekers have different preferences when it comes to choosing a home.

One can not deny that having a house you can call you very own is a big milestone in one’s life. “Living with parents kami noon kaya super happy talaga ako nakabukod (na) kami ngayon. Iba naman ang feeling pag may sarili kang bahay,” recalls Karen Peñaflor, a resident of Carmona Estates. For most, a family-friendly community is highly preferable.

“One of the things that I enjoy the most is the sense of community that PRO-FRIENDS builds,” said Parc Regency Residences homeowner Ann Tillano. “They do not only provide a house and lot for us to stay but they also foster deep friendships among the homeowners by organizing activities we all can participate in. This is where we get to know each other and build a beautiful friendship from there.”

Being at home means comfort and relaxation.

Ridge Crest Subdivision homeowner Dolf Cordero shares, “I personally love taking a breather by taking a dip in our clubhouse

swimming pool. It relaxes me from a week’s busy work schedule.” Dolf, who is a resident of Ridge Crest Subdivision since 2010, usually works on night shifts and seeing the guards on duty gives him a sense of security, “They (security guards) do rounds at night and even during midnight,” Dolf added.

ADDED VALUE: SENSE OF FAMILY PRO-FRIENDS ensures it promotes its core values not only in providing homes and communities but also inside its corporate office where employees build their careers. For over 17 years, the familial atmosphere inside the offices of PRO-FRIENDS has continued to go parallel with the corporate set-up, “Unang una, hindi naman mag-stay ng ganun katagal kung ang mga co-worker mo ay hindi maayos yung pakikisama and yung boss mo rin eh hindi supportive sa mga tao niya. So yun yung mga reasons kung bakit ako nag-stay,” shared Louella Ortizo, Village Supervisor at Property Company of Friends, Inc. more known as PRO-FRIENDS. Just like any other new employees, she started from a different department until reaching her current post, “Nagstart ako sa head office, Credit and Collection pa noon and then naging cashier din ako dito na ‘yon sa site.

And then naging Client Relations Assistant and then naging Village Administrator, then naging Community Up-building Supervisor,” she related.

And now as a Village Supervisor, she is one of those who attend to the homeowners’ needs and concerns personally, “mga homeowners na siyempre iba-iba yung ugali, iba-iba yung gusto, merong imposible, meron na dapat maibigay ngayong araw, yung mga ganon, so yun yung pinaka-challenging,” said Ella. “Pero pag nakuha na natin yung loob nila,’yan yung pinakamaganda nating kaibigan,” she added,

Ella (third from right) poses with her fellow village admins in one of Lancaster New City’s tree planting activities with the homeowners.

Dolf takes a dip in the subdivision pool in Ridge Crest whenever he wants to relax. relating to her specific task as Village Supervisor.

Over the years, Ella learned to love her job in spite of the challenges she occasionally faces, “Sa ngayon nakikita ko na yung sarili ko na dito na talaga saka mahal ko na yung trabaho ko eh,” she said. One of the contributing factors why she loved her job so much is the support she gets from the company’s management and the management treats everyone as a family.

TRANSFORMING LIVES FOR THE BETTER Even before Ella reached her ten-year service recognition award, she has already been thankful to PRO-FRIENDS for transforming her life. “Nung tumanggap ako ng award. Parang nung 10 years kasi na yon, maraming nangyari—may masaya at malungkot, pero parang nabalewala lahat iyon. Kasi inappreciate nung company yung mga ginawa mo,” shared Ella. Her colleagues who are like a family to her advised her to start investing early, “sabi nila, yun nga, na kumuha na ng bahay kasi kahit na single ka pa parang kailangan mo talaga ng bahay para at least mas mababa pa ang monthly noon,” said Ella. “Na-realize ko na kailangan pala talaga ng bahay so gumawa ako ng letter of intent, then isinubmit ko, inapprove (ng management),” Ella recalled. “Sobrang laki ng

impact sa akin and sa family ko,” she added. PROFRIENDS has helped her purchase her own home where she and her family can live together. The support from her colleagues makes her feel at home even if she’s away from her home, working.

The impact that the property development company brought to her life can never be taken away from her for as long as she stays with the job she holds so dearly, “malaki yung naging contribution ng PRO-FRIENDS sa personal life ko, naming family,” said Ella.

PRO-FRIENDS is one of the fastest growing property developers in the country. It is the name behind Lancaster New City and Carmona Estates in Cavite, and Parc Regency Residences in Iloilo. To know more about PRO-FRIENDS, visit www.profriends.com or call (02) 491-7700.

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Holiday Special

A Lot Like Christmas at Ayala Malls

T

HE holidays are in full swing with Christmas carols filling the halls, and tinsel and mistletoe decorating every corner of the shops. New, delightful experiences await customers this Yuletide season, and leading the exciting festivities is Ayala Malls, the premier lifestyle mall in the country.

Ayala Malls kicked off the holiday season with “Lov’Em Lit Holidays” last November 9, at The Gallery, Greenbelt 5. “Christmas is close to our hearts because it’s about family. And this year, we want our shoppers to feel a heart-warming Christmas at Ayala Malls -- it being their second home,” shares Rowena Tomeldan, President of Ayala Land Malls Inc. “We have put together activities that the whole family can enjoy together – a dance production that will mesmerize, symphonies that will captivate, and, of course, our Christmas markets where shoppers can get wonderful gift ideas.”

At the Christmas launch, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, a staunch supporter of the arts, unveiled his newest contemporary work, a mix of photos and textures that capture the color, vibrancy and energy of the Christmas spirit. This amazing piece – on display inside the tunnel leading to Greenbelt 3 – is one of

his many efforts to celebrate Pinoy culture.

At the event launch, Ayala Malls also debuted its special video, “Lov’ Em This Christmas.” This unique presentation, created in collaboration with Ayala Malls’ partners, service providers and customers, aims to inspire and showcases some of the familiar faces at Ayala Malls.

Musical tidings In the weeks leading up to the Christmas, Ayala Malls gifts you with more surprises and amazing experiences to make your holidays with the family more memorable.

This November, celebrity performers will be serenading the Christmas crowds at your favorite malls. Fall in love with the soothing voices of Piolo Pascual at Market! Market! (Dec. 2), Xian Lim at Harbor Point (Nov. 25), and Sam Milby at TriNoma (Nov. 27).

Bringing more fun energy to the festivities will be the Steps Dance Project, which will impress the crowds with their powerful, world-class routines in “I Got Stung,” a performance inspired by the music of Sting.

Directed and choreographed by James Laforteza, the show’s stars, former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performers Aubree Brown and Jamal Brown, will take the stage and mesmerize audiences with their virtuoso dancing.

The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater is one of the renowned institutions in the United States, famed for its pioneering vision in choreography and dance.

For this special presentation, former Alvin Ailey

superstar Maribeth Roxas- Dobrish lends her talent and artistic expertise as guest choreographer. Over the decades, Roxas-Dobrish has built a name as a brilliant performer, and has become an inspiring figure in the industry.

Putting a childlike touch to the Christmas carols will be the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra.

They will be touring the metro as part of their fundraising initiative to build their new home, the MSO

Recital Hall, at Circuit Lane.

Catch them as these young, gifted musicians, ages 8 to 18, share their time and talents. They will be at Market! Market! on Dec. 3, Greenbelt on Dec. 10, Ayala Malls Southpark on Dec. 11, Ayala Malls Solenad on Dec. 16, UP Town Center on Dec. 17, and Alabang Town Center on Dec. 18.

The quartets will also be delighting mall-goers of Turn to F3

GLOBE CUSTOMERS GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY WITH THE IPHONE 7 GLOBE OF GOOD BUNDLE Customers get to contribute to better education, support for micro-entrepreneurs and reforestation when getting Globe iPhone7 FOLLOWING the official announcement of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus offers, Globe launched the latest smartphones differently this year with the Globe of Good bundle. Through the Globe of Good bundle, customers were able to get the new iPhone and at the same time have the opportunity to give back to various communities.

With the customer’s support for Globe and the new iPhone 7, they were able to contribute a special Globe of Good gift to selected partner causes.

Participating recipient organizations include KIVA, an online crowdsourcing platform to support microenterprises; the Global Filipino Schools program that brings 21st century learning in public schools through ICT; and finally the Hineleban Foundation for the rehabilitation of forests in Northern and Central Mindanao.

Upon receipt of their new phones, customers received the voucher that confirms their donation to all three organizations.

“We are grateful to all our customers who renewed their postpaid plans for the new iPhone 7. With their help and support, we were able to make this year’s launch extra special. It is truly an incomparable feeling to be able to contribute to the greater good just by doing a simple thing such as renewing a postpaid plan. So many communities will benefit from this gift, from students, to entrepreneurs and of course, for the environment,” says Globe Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Business, Issa Cabreira.

True to its brand of differentiated customer experience, Globe Platinum customers were able to receive their brand new smartphones on the

first day of the iPhone 7 launch. Their iPhone 7 units were personally delivered by Globe VP for Emerging Strategic Businesses, Coco Domingo, and Globe Platinum Marketing Head, Kaisie Del Carmen together with their respective Platinum Relationship Managers.

During the midnight countdown, Globe also organized a fun midnight photo walk challenge that had different teams from the media, influencers, and partners completing various photo-challenges to win the new iPhone 7! The activity consisted of riddles that needed to be solved as a team as they go around BGC, Taguig. The winning team got to be the first ones to bring home an iPhone 7 prior to the actual launch day.

Customers can start reserving their iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus via www.globe.com.ph/iPhone7. They are available through the Globe myLifestyle plans that already come with unlimited texts and calls to Globe/ TM, mobile data and free access to content such as Netflix, Disney Channel Apps, HOOQ, and NBA, among others.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are considered as the best, most advanced iPhone ever, featuring an all-new advanced camera system, dust and water resistant design, stereo speaker system and the A10 Fusion chip which is the most powerful chip on any smartphone while delivering the best battery life ever in an iPhone.

Postpaid customers can enjoy a more seamless mobile browsing as Globe continues to expand its Long Term Evolution (LTE) footprint and migrate its customers to the LTE network. For postpaid customers who have yet to switch to LTE, they will

The winners of the Globe iPhone 7 Midnight Photowalk challenge joined by ambassadors Ida Anduyan, Bjorn Bedayo, and Kaila Estrada

Globe Platinum customer Ronald Cang received his brand new iPhone 7 personally from Globe Platinum Brand Head Kaisie Del Carmen together with Globe Platinum Relationship managers Zachary Ballaran and Faye Mattus

receive their new LTE SIMs together with the new iPhone 7. The SIMs are free of charge and still carry their current mobile number.

More customers can still take part in creating a Globe of good even without renewing postpad plans. To help contribute to the Global Filipino Schools program, text GFS to 2158-0437 (GFS) and your contribution will be charged to your prepaid load or postpaid bill. To empower a micro enterprise through Kiva, just text Kiva to 2158-5482 (Kiva), and finally to help reforest the Mountain Ranges of Mindanao with Hineleban Foundation, text Tree Gift to 2158-8733 (TREE) and a seedling code will be received which can be registered to www. map.hineleban.org/registration.

For more information about these programs, visit www.globe.com/ globebridgecom. For complete details on pricing, please visit: www. globe.com.ph/iPhone7. For more information on iPhone, please visit: www.apple.com/iphone.

Globe ambassadors Suzy Gamboa, Nikko Ramos and Aaron Atayde join the Midnight Photo walk during the midnight launch of the iPhone 7.