Manila Standard - 2017 March 01 - Wednesday

NO INSTANT RELIEF FOR LEILA; SC SUSPENDS ACTION

By Rey E. Requejo

VOL. XXXI • NO. 19 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DETAINED Senator Leila de Lima failed to get immediate relief from the Supreme Court, which decided to solicit comments on her petition for a temporary restraining order from the Muntinlupa City regional trial court, the Philippine National Police and the Office of the Solicitor General, before resolving her plea.

In its en banc session, the Court deferred taking action on her plea to stop

the proceedings in the drug cases against her, and to nullify the arrest warrant issued against her by the Muntinlupa RTC. Instead, the justices ordered the RTC, the PNP and the Office of the Solicitor General to comment within 10 days on De Lima’s petition, and set the case for oral arguments on March 14 before deciding on her pleas.

A court insider said the justices did not see the need to decide right away on De Lima’s petition without hearing the case

Gina’s fate hangs

Her final chance to keep post in jeopardy

A season of fasting, prayers

By Christine F. Herrera

T

By Honor Blanco Cabie TODAY, in predominantly Christian Philippines, which received the Cross in the 16th century, is Ash Wednesday, a sacred ritual, with the priest placing ashes in a cross sign on the foreheads of the faithful.

Ash Wednesday. which comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting, includes the wearing of ashes on the head, the ashes symbolizing the dust from which God made man.

As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Alternatively, the priest mayspeak the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” CATECHETICAL MOMENT. Fr. Jerry Habunal of Pasay City’s Sta. Rita de Casia Parish burns blest dried palm fronds, locally known as palaspas,

with the ashes to be used today at the start of the 46-day Lent in predominantly Christian Philippines, which received the Cross in the 16th century.

Next page Norman Cruz

AFP: Air assets to wipe out Sayyaf Be a secretary, not a crusader, Lopez told THE Philippines’ air assets will be used for the first time to boost the military’s campaign to crush the Abu Sayyaf bandits, President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday.

He made the statement as he apologized to the German government and to the German people after their fellow German Jurgen Gustav Kantner was executed by the terrorists on Sunday after the deadline passed to pay the P30million ransom they had been demanding.

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“For the first time, we [will be] using air assets [that we did not use before because of] the problem of collateral damage,” Duterte told reporters in a chance interview on Tuesday.

Armed Forces Chief Eduardo Año said the forces tasked to rescue Kantner actually chanced on a group of Abu Sayyaf bandits holding him during the critical hours before his beheading, but the bandits escaped in the nick of time.

Foreign Affairs on Tuesday

condemned “in the strongest terms” the beheading of Kantner, who was executed three months after he was kidnapped in Southern Mindanao.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs is greatly saddened by the death of Mr. Juergen Gustav Kantner,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement.

“We condemn, in the strongest terms this cruel and inhuman act by the Abu Sayaf Group.”

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By John Paolo Bencito and Anna Leah E. Gonzales FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez on Tuesday reminded Environment Secretary Regina Lopez to conduct herself as a department secretary and not as a crusader.

“You know, being a secretary is not being a crusader. Being secretary is balancing the needs of different sectors of society…. Some groups win and some groups lose.

You just make sure your deci-

sions...are good for the majority,” Dominguez told Lopez, referring to her as “secretary-designate” because she has not yet been confirmed.

Dominguez said Lopez needed to ensure that due process is followed if she proceeds with her decision to shut down or suspend 28 mining companies and to cancel 75 mineral production sharing agreements.

Lopez should consider all stakeholders and not only her personal advocacies in exercising Next page

HE confirmation hearings for Environment Secretary Regina Lopez and five other Cabinet officials have been moved to next week following a revamp in the Commission on Appointments as a result of the ouster of Liberal Party members from the majority in the Senate.

CA House contingent chairman San Juan City Rep. Ronaldo Zamora and his counterpart in the Senate, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III met on Tuesday and decided to cancel the hearings slated for this week and moved them next week.

Lopez’s confirmation hearing next week would be her last chance to stay on as Department of Environment and Natural Resources secretary as Congress is set to go on a month-long Holy Week break on March 14.

Aside from Lopez, Zamora named the five others whose confirmations were left hanging: Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, Department of Education Secretary Leonor Matugas Briones, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean RosellUbial and Foreign Affairs Secretary PerfectoYasay.

“We cannot proceed with Lopez’s confirmation and the five equally contentious others because if there will be changes in the membership of the bicameral body, any decision we have to make now may be questioned Next page

Death bill may doom some lawmakers

By Maricel V. Cruz

margin in House Bill 4727, even as he reiterated his threat to boot out from the super majority coalition those who vote against the measure.

“The death penalty bill is an administration measure and we, in the House of Representatives, are merely exercising our legislative mandate [even if the House Speaker Pantaleon Senate] will not support it,” Alvarez,

LAWMAKERS stand to lose key committee chairmanships after today’s vote on the watered down death penalty bill.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, secretary general of the ruling Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), said he is confident the House majority bloc will win by a huge Alvarez

FRIGHTFUL FINISH. A video grab Monday of 70-year-old Jurgen Kantner, held for three months, being beheaded by Abu Sayyaf militants in Mindanao after a deadline to pay ransom had passed. It was the second time Kantner had been abducted, the first along with his partner, Sabine Merz, by Somali pirates for nearly two months in 2008. Mark Navales

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Gambling drive nets 15 Chinese

Inmate’s wife to bolster P100-m ‘retraction’ plot

By Francisco Tuyay

NBI agents on Monday afternoon presented the wife of one of the high- profile convicts detained in Camp Aguinaldo who implicated Senator Leila de Lima in the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was Justice secretary.

They also presented Lalaine Madrigal-Martinez, wife of convict Noel Martinez, to shed light on the alleged attempt to pay her husband and the other convicts

FIFTEEN Chinese nationals and a Filipino were arrested Monday night after authorities found out that the company in Pasig City that they were working for was involved in illegal online gambling, an official said on Tuesday.

Police arrested the men during a raid of YD International Next page

By Sandy Araneta

P100 million to retract their testimonies against De Lima.

The agents are also looking into the alleged ambush of Lalaine Martinez who claims it happened before midnight on Feb. 23, when she was on her way home to Carmona village in Makati when her sport utility vehicle was fired upon by unidentified men.

Last week, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said he had information that the alleged Next page

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Army Navy Club lease deal legit, House told FORMER Pagcor chairman Cristino Naguiat is standing firm that the multi-billion lease contract for the Army Navy Club property in Manila is legal and aboveboard, and will even save the government P187 million a year compared to a lease contract with a hotel owned by the Gatchalian family.

Naguiat said the government is also expected to earn about P59.17 billion in revenues from the casino and gaming facility to be built by Vanderwood Management Corp. at the Museo Pambata Complex in Roxas Boulevard.

“Not only is the transaction completely legal, but it is also highly beneficial and advantageous to the Filipino people— as the transaction translates to savings for Pagcor in the amount of at least P187 million annually and projected revenues in the amount of P59.17 billion,”Naguiat said.

In a position paper he submitted to the House committee on good government and accountability looking into the controversial Pagcor-Vanderwood contract, the former Pagcor chief said the 15year lease the government agency entered into with Vanderwood went through the proper and legal processes.

The committee, chaired by Surigao Del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel, has started an inquiry into the alleged highly anomalous P13 million per month lease of Pagcor of a portion of the Army Navy Club property to Vanderwood where a casino will be put up.

Lawmakers have questioned Pagcor’s move to pay Vanderwood P234 million in advance rental payment even as the gaming facility has yet to be constructed at the site.

The city government of Manila originally leased the property to Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corporation for P300,000 a month and the company in turn leased the same to Vanderwood for the same amount, which lawmakers claimed is highly irregular.

Naguiat, however, insisted that Pagcor did not violate any law as attested by the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel that looked into the transaction.

Compared to the P28 million monthly rental Pagcor pays to Acesite Hotel Corp. for the existing casino at the Manila Pavilion, Naguiat said the P13-million-a-month rent to Vanderwood is P15.59 million lower, translating to a yearly savings of P187.10 million.

Acesite is owned by the family of businessman William Gatchalian, whose son Kenneth T. Gatchalian sits as President and Chief Operating Officer.

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bribe try came from Martinez.

The NBI agents said they were in possession of a recording from Martinez that would show he and the other convicts were offered P100 million to retract their testimonies against De Lima.

“It [the recording] will undergo authentication,” NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin said.

Lalaine Martinez refused to provide details on the recording.

She declined to confirm Aguirre’s claim that former senator Jamby Madrigal and Laguna Rep. Marlyn Alonte-Naguiat were behind the offer to the Bilibid inmates to retract their testimonies against De Lima on or before Feb. 25.

She also denied she was a relative of Madrigal.

“When I was nearing my home, that’s when I felt the pain. I also saw that the wound was not that deep. I also felt that it would be more dangerous to go out. I did not notice that I was hit. I just saw blood dripping from my right arm,” Martinez said.

She said she called up a friend to assist her.

Aguirre said there was no official report on the incident because Martinez did not inform the police about it.

In their initial findings, the NBI said the bullet’s trajectory was downward, and that the bullet might have come from a 9-mm pistol.

“At this point in time we cannot say in certainty that was an ambush,” Lavin said.

“What was established is that the [Honda] CRV was fired upon and that there is a single bullet hole in the windshield.”

‘PH still a preferred EU investors’ destination’

By John Paolo Bencito

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HE Philippines remains to be one of the preferred investment destinations by European companies despite some “side” issues, the Palace said Tuesday.

Citing recent statements by European Union-Asean Business Council Executive Director Chris Humphrey, Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said that the country is slowly gaining ground as one of the

top Asean countries among European investors.

Abella said the Philippines continues to draw interest from European countries “due to the country’s young population, increasingly liberal trade and

Gina’s...

Mindoro Rep. Josephine RamirezSato, a Liberal, would be replaced, Zamora said.

A Teacher Rep. Julieta Cortuna, who represents the minority in the CA, might also lose her membership if the LP lawmakers become the dominant force in the minority.

But House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said his position as the minority leader would not be affected even if the entire 30-member LP bloc would turn minority.

Under the House rules, Suarez said, any House member who wishes to belong to the minority would need to seek acceptance from the minority leader.

So far, no LP member has expressed the intention to join Suarez’s minority.

Zamora said the confirmation hearings are likely to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

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and deemed illegal,” Zamora told the Manila Standard.

Of the six appointees of President Rodrigo Duterte, Lopez’s confirmation faces the stiffest opposition after she ordered the closure or suspension of 28 mining companies and canceled 75 mineral sharing production agreements, a move that would render some 20,000 workers jobless.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines has opposed Lopez’s confirmation.

Zamora said the Senate revamp would also affect the composition of the Senate contingent to the Commission on Appointments, with the Liberal Party senators losing their membership.

If there is a similar reorganization in the House, Occidental

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her responsibilities as Environment secretary, he added.

“You have to have an approach that is very balanced. That is very deliberate, that is very rational, that is science-based,” he said.

Lopez’s anti-mining stance has prompted the mining industry to oppose her confirmation as Environment secretary before the Commission on Appointments.

Lopez has ruffled feathers in Congress by saying she heard that members of the commission received P50 million each to block her confirmation—a claim she later retracted.

On Friday, Dominguez, along with Lopez, will reconvene the technical teams under the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) to review of the closure and suspension orders issued by Lopez.

At a press briefing in the Palace,

Dominguez said he and Lopez had signed a resolution agreeing to setting up a technical working group to review all her issuances, to make sure they are in line with due process.

The review process would take three months, after which the findings would be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for a final decision, Dominguez said.

Each team will cover five aspects of a mining operation—technical, legal, social, environmental and economic and how the operation affects agricultural reform areas.

“They will present the plan on what they will do, and also the budget, because they will have to get professors from state colleges and universities and private universities, experts from different fields, and they have to travel. So, there is some money to be spent. So we have to make sure we have a budget for that,” he said.

“There are at least 75 contracts to be reviewed and some of the con-

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the main author of th death penalty bill, said.

The House will pass the bill on second reading as the Roman Catholics observe Ash Wednesday.

Earlier, Capiz Rep. Fredenil Castro, another author of the bill, said at least 220 out of 293 lawmakers will vote for the measure.

But those who oppose the bill, such as Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin, hit Alvarez’s “vengeful attitude” towards members who will not toe the line.

Rep. Edcel Lagman of Albay dared Alvarez to make good on his threat and strip his party’s allies of their posts once they vote against the Palace-backed bill.

“He should make good on his threat…

If he does not, who will believe in him?”

Lagman said.

Villarin said Alvarez’s threat “will reflect badly on the leadership” which may result in the disruption of legislative work in the House.

“Many of those are senior members

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Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, occurs 46 days before Easter—40 days not counting Sundays.

Ash Wednesday this year comes on the eve of a Holy Eucharist Mass Action (Hema) during which a Requiem Mass will be celebrated by several priests as concelebrants following a 30-minute procession within the Baclaran Shrine Compound in Metro Manila.

For Catholics, Easter Sunday comes at the end of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving— this year, it will be on April 16.

Ash Wednesday is a movable feast, meaning it falls on a different date each

investment policies and largely untapped market.”

“To deliver its promise to create 1.2-million jobs annually, the Duterte administration will attract more foreign investments, increase infrastructure spending, ease the cost of doing business in the Philippines, and continuously develop its human resource,” Abella said.

Recently, some European Liberals on Saturday decried the arrest of Liberal Party Senator Leila de Lima on what they claimed were “politically

motivated” drug charges, vowing to rally the European Union and global support for the release of the lawmaker, who described herself as “the first political prisoner” under the administration of President Duterte.

Among the jobs favored by Europeans for investment in the Philippines includes those in construction, information and technology/business-process management, tourism, manufacturing, transport and logistics, agri-processing industry, and

retail trade.

Abella also cited f indings from the Inter national Monetar y Fund mission team with regards the Philippines’ monetar y policies which supports and boost domestic expansion.

The IMF team cited the comprehensive tax reform program as one of those which contributed to the strengthening of the country’s monetary transmission and reduction of concentration risks in the banking sector, among others, Abella added.

No...

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday scored De Lima’s lawyers for insinuating that the Justice Department charged her with the wrong offense before the Muntinlupa city regional trial court.

“It seems that her lawyers are acting like state prosecutors. They should know that it is the job of prosecutors to determine what charges to file otherwise, the person would just say, indict me for bribery and not for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act. It is the prosecution who solely determines what charges should be filed against the person accused,” Aguirre said in an interview.

“The accused cannot interfere or suggest what charges to be filed against him. If the rule were otherwise, absurdity will follow.

It will be the accused who will choose the charges to be filed

against him. Of course, the accused will choose the offense with the lighter penalty,” he added.

Aguirre made the statement after De Lima’s lawyers Alex Padilla and Fhilip Sawali claimed that the panel of prosecutors headed

by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong only filed the drug trafficking charges against the lawmaker to ensure that she would not be able to post bail and be detained even if there is no allegation, much less evidence, directly linking her to the illegal drugs trade in the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

De Lima’s lawyers said she should have been indicted for direct bribery, even though they stressed the evidence on this is also questionable.

If direct bribery was the offense filed against De Lima, the jurisdiction of the case would have been the Sandiganbayan and not the RTC.

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in oral arguments, even though the Court has the power to do so and has done so in many past cases.

In her petition, De Lima questioned the RTC’s jurisdiction over her case, saying it should have gone to the Sandiganbayan.

De Lima, who is now detained at the PNP custodial center, said the allegations against her do not actually constitute sale and trading of illegal drugs and liability of government officials under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, but rather only direct bribery.

Under the law, she said, the charges should fall under the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan and not the RTC because her position at the time was secretary of Justice. tracts are very thick,” Dominguez said.

“We will take a deliberate approach... We are not rushing it. It has to be very deliberate so we’re sure it is the correct process,” he added.

Dominguez also said that if Lopez proceeds with her closure orders, 17 cities and municpalities in 10 provinces would lose an estimated P821.13 million in forgone revenues yearly.

Dominguez denied talk of a rift between him and Lopez, and said they were on the same team.

“I want to make sure that when she closes the mine, it stays closed.

Because if due process is not followed, two possible consequences will happen: the mine will go to court and the court will give them relief and they will open again. And, they will probably file for damages against the government for closing them illegally,” Dominguez said.

“So I want to avoid those and I want to make sure that Secretary Lopez—Secretary-designate Lopez

of the House, [and the leadership] needs such legislators to run the House,” Villarin said. “By stripping them of their positions, that would hinder the functioning of the House.”

Liberal Party congressmen who expressed readiness to lose their chairmanships for blocking the death penalty bill include Reps. Christopher Belmonte of Quezon City, House committee on land use chairman; Henedina Abad of Batanes, House committee on government reorganization chairman; Kaka Bag-ao, House committee on people participation chairman; and Josephine Ramirez-Sato, House committee on economic affairs vice chairman and member of the Commission on Appointments, Lagman said.

On Monday, Alvarez reiterated his warning against his allies who will vote against the passage of the proposal to restore capital punishment.

Alvarez said the House leadership would sanction members of the super majority who will not toe the line.

“We have laid down our policy—we have to implement it,” Alvarez told a televi-

year because it is dependent on the date of Easter and can occur as early as Feb 4. or as late as March 10.

For 2017, Ash Wednesday, which got its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of the faithful as a sign of repentance, falls on March 1.

As the priest, who placed the oil earlier on his forehead before presiding at the Mass or service on the congregants, rubs the ashes on the forehead of the faithful and recites: “Remember, O man, man that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”

(Genesis 3:19) Some priests whisper: “Repent, and be faithful to the Gospel.” (Mark 1:15) The ashes used are collected, after the Palm Crosses from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are burned.

is on firm ground when she does this,” he added.

Lopez on Tuesday asked her critics to play fair and spare her family from controversies.

Lopez said her confirmation hearing, which was supposed to be Wednesday, was postponed because of reorganization in the Senate.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines on Tuesday thanked the MICC for reviewing Lopez’s closure and suspension orders, saying these would hurt revenue collections for the government and jeopardize the President’s 10-point socio-economic program.

“The industry helps in enticing foreign direct investments, infrastructure development in the hinterlands that supports farmers in terms of farm to market roads and other basic services; strengthening of basic education through schools and investment in human capital development and the promotion of science and technology,” the group said in a statement.

sion interview.

In a move to win more support, Alvarez allowed the removal of several offenses on the list of heinous crimes in the death penalty bill, limiting them to drug-related offenses, such as sale and trade of illicit drugs.

“We agreed that the bill be limited to drug-related heinous crimes. We removed treason, plunder and rape,” Rep. Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro told reporters.

The original proposal, penned by Alvarez, contained 22 serious crimes to be punishable with death. But these were narrowed down to three.

Umali earlier said it would be easier to pass the death penalty bill after it has been watered down.

Republic Act 7659 or the Death Penalty Law was abolished in 1986 during the term of President Corazon Aquino. It was restored by former President Fidel Ramos in 1993 and was suspended again in 2006 by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Liberal Party lawmakers allied with Alvarez’s super majority coalition said they will not abandon the ruling PDP-Laban of President Rodrigo Duterte just yet.

In some churches, the ashes are mixed with the Oil of the Catechumens, one of the sacred oils used to anoint those about to be baptized, although some churches merely use ordinary oil.

The priest, minister, or in some cases officiating layperson, marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshipper traditionally retains until it wears off.

Theology scholars suggest the act echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one’s head to signify repentance before God -- as related in the Bible.

The ashes are blessed, in accordance to the different rites appropriate to each liturgical tradition.

Sometimes, Holy Water is used. In

Gambling...

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Inc. on the 18th Floor of Belvedere Tower on San Miguel Avenue in Pasig City around 8 p.m., said Sr. Supt. Marni Marcos Jr., head of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group.

He said his men seized computer systems, cellular phones, digital video recorders, television sets, documents, Chinese ATM cards, passports and identification cards.

The new arrest comes three months after NBI agents nabbed more than 1,200 Chinese nationals at the Fontana Resort casino complex in Clark, Pampanga, for working for an illegal online gambling firm.

“The online gaming operation at YD International Inc. is illegal since the company is not authorized to engage in online gambling,” Marcos said.

He said the company’s server could be in China or Singapore.

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Ozamis Archbishop Martin Jumoad said Kantner’s execution was a “sad moment for all people who respect and value life.”

“When does God’s justice fall upon them so that they may see the light? Are they really believers of one God or money is the one they adore?” Jumoad said.

Duterte insisted on the need to improve on the military’s night-flying capability to track down the terrorists.

“Well, we need equipment. Until such time that we have the fast boats, the eight remaining frigates or whatever, that was ordered from Japan, but we paid for it, actually ... and we plan to

some churches, the ashes are mixed with light amounts of water or olive oil which, according to scholars,serve as a fixative.

In most liturgies for Ash Wednesday, the Penitential psalms are read; Psalm 51 (LXX Psalm 50) is especially associated with the first day of Lent.

The service also often includes a corporate confession rite.

In some of the free church liturgical traditions, other practices are sometimes added or substituted, as other ways of symbolizing the confession and penitence of the day.

Tomorrow, Hema will hold a nonpartisan and ecumenical Mass, at 3 p.m. at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Baclaran in Metro Manila.

purchase more helicopters,” Duterte said.

“The numbers, I would not want to tell you now but I have to improve on our night-flying capability.

We’re nearing to it.”

In a speech before alumni of the Philippine Military Academy during their homecoming earlier this month, Duterte told the security forces to use all government resources to protect Mindanao from the Abu Sayyaf.

“The Sulu-based ASG is focused on kidnap-forransom. The Basilan-based ASG under [Isnilon] Hapilon remains focused on assimilating the IS violence today,” Duterte said. John

Paolo Bencito, Francisco Tuyay, Sara Susanne Fabunan and Vito Barcelo

This is a response of Catholic lay faithful and selected priests to the spiritual and corporal needs of the families who were victims of extrajudicial killings in the country since July last year.

“We gather to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the 7,000 plus victims throughout the land; to listen together to the cries of their bereaved family members,” Hema said in a statement.

Hema has invited priests to participate with those celebrating the Mass in Baclaran “by saying Mass in their own parish with families of EJK victims on the same day and at the same time.

“By doing this we will be united in this effort to bring an end to extrajudicial killings, and to provide families the emotional and spiritual support that they need.”

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‘Palace had no hand in Senate upheavals’

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon Araneta

FREEDOM WON. Rexon Romoc, an eight-year-old boy kidnapped by the bandit group Abu Sayyaf and held captive for nearly seven months, is presented to President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacañang after he was released Tuesday. John Paolo Bencito

IN BRIEF Kidnapped boy freed by Abus after 7 months AN EIGHT-year-old boy who was kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf was freed Monday night after being held captive by the bandit gang for more than seven months.

Rexon Romoc, who was kidnapped Aug. 5 last year in Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay, was freed in Jolo, Sulu after President Rodrigo Duterte instructed Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza to work on his release “without let-up.”

Dureza said the child was released through “well-meaning officials in Sulu and elements of the Moro National Liberation Front.”

“They sold everything including their small sari sari store and borrowed from friends and relatives to raise that amount. The father was released but the captors still retained son Rexon,” Dureza said.

“Nora had been agonizing over Rexon, her youngest of two children. Since last December, I would get texts and calls from her, most of the time crying, asking for help,” he added.

John Paolo Bencito

Non-working day in Davao on March 17 THE Palace has declared March 17 as a special nonworking day in Davao City as it marks the celebration of its 80th Araw ng Dabaw.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea last Friday signed Proclamation No. 166, declaring the holiday.

“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of Davao be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,” Medialdea said.

Among the events in the annual celebration will be the Mutya ng Dabaw 2017 and Civic Parade. John Paolo Bencito

Govt should knock out ‘bigger’ threats like Abu

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has said the government should “knock out bigger threats like the Abu Sayyaf and other local ISIS groups” before resuming the Philippine National Police ‘tokhang’ operations.

While he concedes the war against drugs should continue, Recto believes that should be on the manufacturing front.

“Instead of knocking on homes, the police should be battering down gates of shabu labs,” Recto said.

But if there is “one group of addicts” government should run after, Recto said it must be the murderous Abu Sayyaf whom he described as the “most violent criminal syndicate” in the country.

He noted its “barbarity” had made it among Asia’s most brutal groups.

“There will be zero public outcry if there will be a rise in the number of Abu Sayyaf killed. It is the kind of body count the people would welcome,” Recto said.

He noted these terrorists had been in the beheading business for 25 years now, adding there must be an end to this.

But he admitted the 24 hostages the ISIS-affiliate

group was holding had prevented the military from unleashing its full might for fears that they would be harmed in the crossfight.

“I think even the President can only privately curse them [lest they get out of control and behead the hostages].

Imagine, even the President’s trademark in effect has been taken hostage by this group,” he said.

“In terms of damage to the national image, the Abu Sayyaf has caused more than what a hundred drug syndicates had done,” he added.

While total loot of Abu Sayyaf has been estimated to be more than a billion pesos, what is hard to quantify are the losses they had inflicted on the economy, Recto said.

“Lands are idled by farmers too afraid to till, vacation plans

Trillanes to Calida: Just charge me Contractualization end

By Macon RamosAraneta promised by Duterte OPPOSITION Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday told Solicitor General Jose Calida “to shut up and just do it”—referring to the latter’s threat to charge him with coddling confessed hit men Arturo Lascañas and Edgar Matobato.

Calida earlier questioned why Trillanes was hiding and protecting the confessed criminal Lascanas, who admitted to several killings including his two brothers.

“They can threaten me all they want but I will continue to fulfill my mandate to expose the truth about President [Rodrigo] Duterte and stand up against the blatant misuse and abuse of power by his administration,” stressed Trillanes.

Lascañas and Matobato admitted they were part of the so-called Davao Death Squad, which they said was created by Duterte when he was Davao City mayor and used to kill suspected criminals, personal enemies and political opponents.

Trillanes also told Calida his boss (Duterte) was a murderer so “he’s the coddler.”

The Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson is set to investigate Lascañas’ exposé against Duterte.

Meanwhile, Trillanes shot back at Duterte for saying he was “too insignificant to bother with” when asked if the latter would follow Senator Leila de Lima’s fate.

“If I am insignificant, why are your knees shaking?”

De Lima, Duterte’s fiercest critic in the Senate, has remained detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame over drug charges.

Trillanes said Duterte should open his bank accounts to the public if only to disprove his claim he has at least P2.2-billion ill-gotten wealth stashed in banks.

According to Trillanes, he will quit from the Senate if his allegations about Duterte’s bank accounts are not true.

Attack on power plant condemned CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY —The Energy department condemned on Tuesday the attack of a hydropower plant project in Barangay Lumbayao, Valencia City in Bukidnon last Saturday, calling it unwarranted since it would delay the facility s completion.

“This attack is totally unwarranted considering that it is not a military installation but a development project that seeks to contribute to uplifting the socioeconomic conditions of the people,” said Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi in a statement the agency released to the media Tuesday. Lance Baconguis

are cancelled by tourists who are discouraged by bad publicity, investments are aborted,” he added.

Recto said one immediate concern was to stop the Abu Sayyaf from snatching more hostages. “Their inventory of captives for ransom must not increase. “ He said there could be hindrances in rescuing hostages, but none in preventing them from kidnapping more.

“What is giving our image a black eye is that while we are too afraid to fish in our waters for fear of the Chinese, here are these bad guys who are using these waters as kidnap grounds,” he lamented.

Many of the Abu Sayyaf hostages were grabbed on boats transiting through Philippine waters in the unprotected southern backdoor.

THE Palace on Tuesday insisted it had no hand in the recent upheavals in the Senate committee positions, contrary to accusations made by solons affiliated with the opposition Liberal Party.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella told a news briefing the stripping of Senate committee chairman was a regular development decided solely by the lawmakers.

“Well, the stripping off of the committee chairmanships happens every Congress...” he said.

Abella also stressed the Palace recognized the independence of the different branches of government, adding the Palace “does not interfere with [other branches’] affairs.”

“The Senate is composed of 24 senators. So each senator has a mind of his own. So that’s equivalent of, as somebody said, 24 republics which no President can control.”

“Basically there is independence in those decisions.”

Abella added the only development in the recent shakeup in the Senate would result in “better working relationships” between the legislative and the Palace.

In the Senate, after losing his post to Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Senator Franklin Drilon on Tuesday was declared as the new Senate Minority Leader.

Drilon, Liberal Party national chairman, swapped positions and his new post was held by Recto until Monday before Senator Manny Pacquiao took the floor and manifested that Drilon’s position be declared vacant.

Wifh 17 votes out of the 23 senators, Recto officially assumed the Upper Chamber’s second highest position after he took his oath of office before Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III. Also Tuesday, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III presented on the Senate floor the letter of detained Senator Leila de Lima, wherein she manifested that she’s withdrawing from the majority and joining the minority bloc in the Senate.

With De Lima’s move, there are now six members of the minority bloc.

CONTRACTUALIZATION ORDER. President Rodrigo Duterte, in a photo op Monday night with union leaders and Department of Labor officials, after he tasked Secretary Silvestre Bello III to come up with a new department order on contractualization. Malacañang Photo

By Vito Barcelo VARIOUS labor groups on Tuesday expressed optimism their demand for the total prohibition of contractualization will be realized, after labor leaders held a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang.

The Nagkaisa labor coalition —which consists of 47 labor federations and workers’ organizations in public and private sectors which include Associated Labor Unions, Partido Manggagawa, Sentro, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, Federation of Free Workers, National Confederation of Labor, Philippine Airlines Employees Association, PSLink, Philippine Government Employees Association—held a three-hour dialogue with Duterte Monday evening.

In a statement, the labor groups said the President demonstrated empathy and understanding for the plight of Filipino workers by reiterating his position that he is not going to renege on his promise to end contractualization both in the private and public sector.

President Duterte directed Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to come out with a Department Order that will meet the objective of restoring the norm of regular jobs through direct hiring, the Nagkaisa said in a statement.

The President also indicated he was inclined to honor the request of the labor group to certify

HB 4444 of Rep. Raymond Mendoza (TUCP Party-list) as an urgent administration measure.

The labor group said: “Contractualization only enriches the employer but keeps the workers poor and unable to plan a better life for the future.

“Many agencies are also owned by the employers and are just a legal camouflage to prevent the regularization of workers and to defeat the workers ‘exercise of their rights under the Constitution.”

The dialogue ended months of speculation in the business community the President may only be after agencies practicing endo (the hiring of workers only for five months) as he categorically stated his policy extends fully to ending contractualization through middlemen or manpower agencies.

More than a third of total workforce employed in establishments employing 20 workers and above are considered ‘nonregular,’ according to the latest survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The number would rise significantly had the survey covered firms employing 20 workers and below as they comprise more than 90 percent of registered business establishments.

The Nagkaisa also urged fellow workers to remain vigilant to make sure that government bodies are under instruction to comply with their demands and not stray out of line.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Look at us, Calida

S

OLICITOR General Jose Calida must have a busy schedule indeed.

In January, the government’s top lawyer—on his own initiative— filed a manifestation with the Court of Appeals recommending that it overturn the serious illegal detention conviction of alleged pork barrel queen Janet Lim Napoles. Napoles had been convicted by a Makati court and sentenced 30 years in jail for holding her employee and eventual pork barrel scam whistleblower Benhur Luy against his will.

Why Calida, whose office receives about 30,000 appeals on criminal cases a year, would bother to lawyer for a woman that the state accuses of

stealing P10 billion from the government is a mystery, and his explanation about “righting an injustice” simply falls flat, when so many other injustices are crying out to be corrected.

But now Calida has moved on to more important things.

On Monday, he called a press conference to commend members of the Duterte Youth, who went to the Feb. 25 Edsa People Power celebration to raise their fists and hold up a tarpaulin expressing their support for the President.

The move seemed designed to provoke the anti-Duterte crowd and triggered a confrontation with a visibly upset supporter of former President Benigno Aquino III, the entertainer Jim Paredes, who was caught on vid-

eo haranguing them for disrupting the celebration. “Look at me! Look at me!” Paredes said at one point, his face less than a foot away from a proDuterte supporter. “Now tell me. Do you like Duterte? He’s not responsible for 7,000 deaths?”

On Monday, Calida retaliated.

“Jim Paredes, look at me,” he said at his press conference. “Don’t pick a fight with these young people. Look for a person your age. You called them cowards. Try to tell me I’m a coward.”

The state’s top lawyer then awarded membership pins to the Duterte Youth to a civic group called “Republic Defenders.”

Calida also egged a lawyer present to offer his services for free to the Duterte Youth so they could sue Pare-

des for “unjust vexation and theft” for grabbing their tarpaulins.

Calida made clear the group would have his full support.

“The Office of the Solicitor General is the republic’s defender and the tribune of the people,” Calida declared.

“In this case, we have invited them here because we are supporting them as part of the defenders of the republic, not of a party, or of a person, but of the Philippines.”

Perhaps Calida believes that no cause is small enough and no client obnoxious enough for the people’s tribune. We suggest, however, that he lawyer up, as he, too, might be charged one day for unjustly vexing us by wasting his time on all this nonsense.

The continuing lies of Edsa I

Drilon’s scam exposed THE bitterest reaction to the dismissal of Liberal Party senators from the committee chairmanships they held had to come from erstwhile Senate president pro tempore Franklin Drilon. Drilon admitted that while the majority had the numbers to remove them from their juicy, powerful posts, he pointed out that the LPs had contributed six votes to install Aquilino Pimentel III as head of the chamber.

Drilon is right to accuse Pimentel of being an ingrate who, in seeking to gather up the most number of allies in a traditionally independent Senate, needed the LPs to join Pimentel in that ill-fated “supermajority” that made him Senate president. But Drilon is mistaken in suggesting that the six LP votes were really necessary for control of the chamber—or that the LPs’ brand of chameleon-like collaboration

was even good for the Senate, in the long run.

In the end, the Senate majority (yes, the regular kind, not the super-sized one) agreed that if their colleagues across the political aisle are going to act like the enemy, then they shouldn’t enjoy the perks that go with being allies. It’s really that simple.

But give Drilon and his fellow Yellows some credit for dreaming up this unique majority-butstill-minority solution to secure power and pelf beyond the LP’s shelf life as the affiliation in control of the Senate. It was untenable from the very beginning —and when push came to shove in the chamber as far as its legislative and oversight agenda was concerned, the ax had to fall on this misbegotten marriage of political convenience.

The tipping point, I’m told, was the caucus held recently by the Senate to determine what to do with retired SPO3 Arthur Lascañas. The decision was finally made during that fateful meeting to restart the hearings where Lascañas had basically

cleared President Rodrigo Duterte of any involvement with the supposed Davao Death Squad, in order to allow the ex-cop to disavow his earlier testimony.

If Team Liberal really want their power and perks back, they can always renounce their affiliation and join the majority.

The LPs, who were all in favor of listening to Lascañas perjure himself, won that battle. But the victory came at a terrible price, by way of a knockout blow from Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao, who started the process of removing the Liberals from their

chairmanships.

(It is foolish to claim that Pacquiao was the instigator of the revamp; the majority merely decided, I think, that if someone had to knock the Yellows from their chairmanships, then it had to be someone who has made a career out of delivering mighty blows with his fists. The majority, in fact, held another allies-only conference right before the Pacquiao motion on Monday, during which it was decided who would replace the double-dealing Liberals.)

I understand how difficult it was to make the decision to boot out Drilon and his gang of twotiming Liberals from their lucrative chairmanships. The Senate, after all, is a hyper-exclusive club of chummy-chummy politicians who have proven national constituencies and who consider each other the ultimate political elite.

But this club atmosphere was exploited and abused by Drilon and his LPs, who thought that by remaining nominally in the “super majority,” they no longer had any obligation to respect the

majority’s agenda. And so, like the Yellows outside the Senate, they overstayed their welcome and even tried to find the higher moral ground after being exposed as the political opportunists that they really are.

Losing a powerful Senate position or chairmanship is more than just a symbolic vote of no-confidence from one’s own peers, after all. The extra staff and allowances that go with such posts, combined with the power of oversight and investigation over key vote-rich or cash-rich industries or sectors, always come in handy for senators who need that strategic edge over their colleagues.

So it did hurt, even if the LPs in the Senate can’t say that they didn’t bring it upon themselves.

Especially Drilon, who knows a thing or two about remaining in power and controlling the proverbial 24 republics of the Senate.

But there is a way back, even for Drilon and his Team Liberal. If they really want their Turn to A5

LAST year, Feb. 26, I wrote that 90 percent of those who were at Epifanio delos Santos Avenue the previous day, Feb. 25, 2016, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Edsa People Power were not at the original revolution. Not President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III, not Senator Bam Aquino who was barely 10 when the 1986 coup erupted, and indeed, not many of those who were at the commemoration. They were either too young or too far away from the scene of 30 years ago to have influenced it.

Last Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, the same absentees from the original Edsa I were again celebrating a myth. Noynoy Aquino joined a handful of his dwindling Yellow supporters to mark the 31st anniversary of Edsa People Power I. The Cojuangco-Aquino family of now former President BS Aquino III has appropriated Edsa People Power as if it were their brand, their franchise, their business.

That’s a lot of BS. Corazon Cojuangco Aquino was in Cebu hiding in a convent during the first and most dangerous night of People Power —Feb. 22, 1986. Her son was too engrossed with many other things to have participated, too.

I was at People Power I as a foreign correspondent. I covered the four days of the revolt.

The Aquino family has been the biggest beneficiary of People Power I. They were awarded two presidencies totaling 12 and a half years, more than enough compensation for what opposition leader Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. did in his political lifetime, which was to heckle and needle President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr., during 17 of his 20-year presidency. Ninoy died from a military bullet in August 1983.

What did the people get for having two Aquino presidents?

Nothing. Except political divisiveness. Vindictiveness.

A worsening insurgency, by the communist New People’s Army and by the separatist Muslim rebels.

Plus the worst poverty incidence in Southeast Asia, the highest unemployment, the highest inflation rate, the worst infrastructure among the major countries of Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and ThaiTurn to A5

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

A5

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‘Somos o no somos?’

Lopez and Yasay WE HAVE two members of the Cabinet—one deserving and another definitely not—who may have to abandon their positions once the powerful Commission on Appointments does not confirm them.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina “Gina” Lopez is a former drug addict and a disciple of the Ananda Marga.

The heiress to the Lopez clan faces the CA today.

Lopez, a self-proclaimed environmentalist and a staunch antimining advocate, canceled the permits of 23 mining firms, and suspended five others for alleged violation of environmental laws.

She did this without due process with a clear bias and prejudice against mining concerns.

She did not at all consider the 1.2 million people directly working in mines and related jobs, as well as communities that depend on mining income.

She also canceled 75 mineral production sharing agreements, violating the sanctity of contracts.

And yet, she granted an environmental compliance certificate to the geothermal company First Philippine Holdings, which is owned by her family. Let’s not forget that the Lopez-owned company responsible for the Batangas-Manila pipeline had a leak that rendered the West Tower condominium building uninhabitable. Residents of Bangkal, Makati suffered from the poisonous gas fumes.

Lopez also went on record, in a speech before a Makati Rotary Club, that P50-million bribes have been given to each member of the commission by mining companies just so they would reject her appointment.

That accusation alone cast a doubt on the entire commission. This virtually ended her career as DENR head. Her pronouncement was clearly stupid, a revelation of her bias against those who are not as rich as she is. They call it “matapobre” in Spanish.

From the moment President Duterte appointed Lopez, I knew it was a big mistake. I am glad I have been proven right.

The President himself said he would let go of Lopez if she is rejected by the CA. Recall that in December 201 6, Lopez was already bypassed by the CA. She even dared the commission to let the chips fall where they may. I am sure she will get her wish today. *** And then we have Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay being questioned on his citizenship. This may affect his position at the DFA. It would be most unfortunate for him and the foreign service if he gets rejected, or if he gets indicted for perjury. He had claimed under oath that he was never an American citizen. And then records showed he had lied.

I think Yasay’s appointment is excellent. He has thus far performed well, especially in connection with the South China Sea dispute with China.

For Senator Ping Lacson, chairman of the CA committee on foreign affairs, Yasay’s biggest problem was not being rejected, but his being charged with perjury after he denied his US citizenship. Embassy documents showed he formally renounced his US citizenship on

June 28, 2016—just two days before President Duterte appointed him to the Cabinet.

Yasay’s case is scheduled on March 8 because he is out of the country.

Yasay also told the committee that he had applied for naturalization, but never legally acquired US citizenship. Still, even after he had supposedly given up his US citizenship in 1993, he failed to reacquire his Filipino citizenship, making his position as DFA head and his previous seven-year stint at the Securities and Exchange Commission, first as commissioner and then chairman, questionable. If Yasay did not reacquire Filipino citizenship, then that would make him stateless. And if Yasay did not reacquire Filipino citizenship and had served as SEC chair, Yasay could even face a complaint of usurpation of public function.

All I can say is “sayang.” *** Given all this attention to Cabinet secretaries, I think Mr. Duterte should also evaluate others in his official family—whether or not they are performing well.

I especially have two in mind: Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

These two said that out of five statements of the President, just two can be taken seriously while the rest are foolishness. My gulay, what kind of spokesmen are these?

They are the P r e s i d e n t ’s worst enemies!

I also believe that Secretaries Judy Taguiwalo of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Rafael Mariano of the Department of Agrarian Reform and Liza Maza of the National Anti-Poverty Commission must quit with the termination of the peace negotiations between the government and the communist rebels.

Self-respect and delicadeza are foremost considerations.

Their appointment was made as a confidence-building measure between the government and the communists in the context of the negotiations.

There are calls to resume the talks, but right now these Cabinet members must resign.

There have been no less than 32 encounters between government forces and the communist insurgents since the unilateral ceasefire of government was lifted, which makes the resumption of peace talks almost impossible.

While President Duterte may not consider it necessary for the communist members of the Cabinet to resign, their continued presence in their respective positions has made them useless. *** The Henry Sy-owned Banco de Oro has given Alphaland a credit facility of P55 billion for a seven-year financing of Alphaland Corp.

International businessman Roberto Ongpin, Alphaland chair, said the loan will be used to refinance debts and bankroll a new international airport, some 23 nautical miles from Alphaland’s signature project the Balesin Island Club. It will also help develop a leisure estate in Baguio for the construction of some 300 mountain lodges.

Ongpin said he is glad that he’s now in partnership with the country’s biggest lender.

Drilon’s...

the Liberals were removed from their important positions in the Senate. I get that she’s a Liberal herself and recently crowned head of the opposition, but I can’t understand why she didn’t just keep quiet, if she truly understood what went down last Monday.

Madam Leni, your partymates were just given the heave-ho after rafting once too often in two rivers simultaneously, as the old Tagalog saying on infidelity goes. Given your own personal experience with being neither here nor there as a former opposition member embedded in—and later thrown out of—the Cabinet, you really should just keep your trap shut on this one.

These two may not be able to continue their careers in the Cabinet.

From A4

power and perks back, they can always renounce their present affiliation and join the regular majority.

They’ve been known to do that there, as well. That’s just how the Senate rolls. *** But by far the most strident outpouring of anger about the Senate revamp came not from any affected senator, but from the busiest busybody in all of government today: Vice President Leni Robredo.

Robredo warned of creeping one-man rule and all sorts of evil things that will arise after

THAT was a sudden twist of events in the Senate last Monday afternoon. The patchwork coalition which was formed right after the Duterte victory was sundered.

One recalls that as early as the middle of May 2016, even before Congress proclaimed Rodrigo Roa Duterte of Davao City the duly-elected President of the Republic, behind-the-scenes (though clearly seen by the political publics) maneuvers were being made by the 24 “august” individuals constituting the Senate. Alan Cayetano and Koko Pimentel eyed the post of Senate President.

In quick fashion, Senator Franklin Drilon, the head of the Liberal Party contingent made a deal with Senator Koko Pimentel, chairman of the PDPLaban. There were six Liberals in the Senate: Drilon, Kiko Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, Leila de Lima and Joel Villanueva, although the last, Joel, was non-committal because of his personal friendship with Cayetano. Senator Ralph Recto, who ran under the LP banner for reelection, did not become party to the deal. With five votes compromised to him, Pimentel then parleyed with the so-called Independent Bloc, composed of Senators Tito Sotto, Ping Lacson, Chiz Escudero, Grace Poe, plus Senator Gringo Honasan and Nancy Binay of the UNA, which included in

their sphere of influence Senator Sonny Angara, the lone LDP, and Senator Loren Legarda and Sherwin Gatchalian of the NPC, plus Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Pimentel had the numbers.

His rival for the Senate presidency, Alan Cayetano, Duterte’s running-mate who lost in the VP race, was quite cautious. He wanted to give certain committees to those who he ascertained to be “friendly and cooperative” with the new president’s agenda.

In Alan’s selectivity mode, Koko beat him to the punch.

Alan’s loyalists were Senators Cynthia Villar, Dick Gordon, Migs Zubiri and JV Ejercito.

Senator Antonio Trillanes, who lambasted President Duterte throughout the campaign, had clearly predefined himself in the opposition.

The only lever who could tilt the numbers for Cayetano was the President himself, and even that would be a bit difficult. In the end, Cayetano’s dogged loyalty to the new president proved to be political undoing. One would not expect President Duterte to parley with the Liberals, particularly with the likes of Senator Leila de Lima, who even as chairman of the Commission on Human Rights was a pain in the neck for the then-mayor of Davao.

And since Duterte ran for president under the PDP-Laban of which Koko was head, and his father the former senator Nene was founder, Duterte would be hard put to intervene.

In the end, Alan Cayetano had to ensure that his loyalists, Gordon, Zubiri, Villar and JV were not left with crumbs in the division of committee chair “spoils.”

Pimentel was proclaimed Senate President, with a technicolor coalition the fulcrum of which were Liberals, whose presidential candidate Duterte trounced.

Only in the Philippines, but then, such is Philippine politics under a presidential form with a multi-party system. Queer, but such is the way the cookie crumbles.

Things went rather well until the irrepressible De Lima started her vociferous campaign against the draconian measures the new president had to employ against the scourge of drugs. She delivered a privilege speech excoriating the executive days after his first State of the Nation Address where he was even remarkably warm towards his pronounced nemesis, the senator from Bicol.

Days before, a common friend and San Beda co-alumnus talked to the senadora so that there could be some modus vivendi between the two Bedans. The meeting was at her instance.

And then the privilege speech.

Meanwhile, findings from the National Penitentiary showed traces of the senadora’s seeming involvement with figures from the drug trade. Her successor at DoJ, another Bedan, scratched beneath the surface and soon enough, the Bilibid rigmarole unraveled, along with some rather unseemly incidents.

Meanwhile, too, the Liberal vice-president, Leni Robredo was appointed to head the cabinetlevel HUDCC, thence dis-appointed in quick fashion, because the palace began to be leery of the behind-the-scenes maneuvers (destabilizing?) of certain powerful members of the party.

The nation became polarized, with social media becoming the hot battleground. But the general public in three successive poll surveys showed their continuing support of the President.

Things came to a head in the days prior to Feb. 25, the day the Yellows have claimed to be their franchise, even if it really belonged to the entire nation.

A Muntinlupa RTC judge issued a warrant of arrest for the senadora from Bicol. Earlier, her comrade-in-arms against the President, Senator Trillanes, trotted out a supposedly “conscience-stricken” retired policeman, Arthur Lascanas, who months before gave the lie to a confessed “hitman,” Edgar Matobato, whom De Lima brought into the Senate halls to testify about the DDS. The pattern of Yellow attacks seemed to be too concerted as to give any level of comfort for the administration.

Duterte had offered the hand of conciliation, both in the Senate as well as in the House of Representatives, where a legion of former Liberals swore to cooperate with the new government.

Now it seemed to those in the palace that they misread the Yellows.

Last Monday, after a “divided” nation commemorated Edsa Uno, with one stage being “exclusively” Yellow (and a paltry audience) and another stage at the Luneta (with 25 times the other audience in size), the administration must have decided to call it “somos o no somos.”

With us or against us?

The administration has crossed its political Rubicon.

A fake-news warning from a former propagandist

By Faye Flam FROM pizza-parlor pedophilia rings to Sharia law in Florida, viral fake news stories often seem propelled by their own preposterousness. It’s a different matter for professionally produced disinformation. That, I learned from a former pro, requires a core of logic and verifiable fact.

Larry Martin, a retired professor who lives in the seaside town of Rockport, Massachusetts, used to be Ladislav Bittman, deputy commander of the Department for Active Measures and Disinformation in the Soviet-directed Czechoslovak intelligence service. To create the kind of disinformation that changes the world, he told me, you need a story that’s at least 60, 70 or even 80 percent true. Even well-educated people will swallow untruth without too many questions if it’s plausible and it reinforces their existing beliefs.

Today, Martin’s worried about the fate of his adopted country—not just because of the epidemic of fake news, but because so many citizens have lost trust in the professional editors and reporters who spend their days trying to sort fact from fiction. He’s far from the only one concerned, of course: Dozens of academics, researchers and journalists recently converged on Boston to discuss the problem. But Martin has a unique insight into the issue: After all, part of his old job was to sow that kind of distrust in then-enemy countries.

Martin (then Bittman) was recruited to the intelligence service in 1954, right after he’d graduated from Charles University in Prague.

In an interview at his home in Rock-

The continuing...

From A4 land—the countries which founded Asean 50 years ago), the worst kind of cronyism (only two families own the telephone systems, the water system, and the electricity distribution system), the worst human development index metrics in Asean Five, and among the worst income inequality ratios in the world.

Among some 187 countries, the Philippines ranks 115th in Human Development Index (HDI), meaning the country is below average or poor in three basic dimensions of human development— life span, knowledge, and a decent standard of living.

Singapore has an HDI ranking of 11, Malaysia 62, Thailand 93, and Indonesia 110. Within Asean Five, Filipinos have the shortest life span —68.2 years. Compare that with the average life span of Indonesians 68.9 years, Thais 74.4, Malaysians 74.7, Vietnamese 75.8, and Singaporeans 83.

Life in these beautiful islands of 7,107 is stressful. And if you are poor, you have 30 times the probability of being visited in your dwelling place and killed by anti-illegal drugs operatives compared with the chances of the rich.

port, he recalled his office as a spartan room in the agency’s Prague headquarters—a monastery that the Communist Party had confiscated from the Catholic Church. In 1964, he was chosen to head a newly created disinformation department, a job that involved forging documents and personal correspondence.

But before long, he started to have doubts about the Soviets, whose advisers directed Czech intelligence and approved all their plans. In 1968, after their tanks rolled in and quashed an attempted Czech revolution, he defected to the United States. There, the onetime propagandist reinvented himself as a journalism professor, teaching at aspiring reporters at Boston University how not to be duped.

While disinformation campaigns often include an element of truth, he says, they’re designed to lead their targets to a false conclusion. Take, for example, one of the successful projects he describes in detail in his book “The Deception Game.”

He said he and his colleagues found several hundred German-born people unhappy to be living behind the Iron Curtain. They were told they could emigrate to West Germany if they would agree to act as spies. As expected, once across the border, most of these immediately admitted they’d been recruited to be spies— thus inadvertently becoming decoy spies, who effectively drew attention away from real spies who were already operating in the country.

His most memorable scheme was aimed at West Germany, where Nazi war criminals were still at large in 1964. That year, he created a fake story to call attention

to a cache of real Nazi documents.

“One of our objectives was to create rifts between West Germany and its neighbors—France, Holland and Belgium—by reviving the specter of Nazism,” he said.

Ladislav Bittman was a diving hobbyist, and he recognized a disinformation opportunity when he heard from friends that a local TV crew was making a documentary about folklore surrounding the Black Lake, some 80 miles southwest of Prague. Nazis had retreated to that region near the end of the war —it was just a few miles from the border with Germany—and hidden Nazi war plans and other documents had turned up nearby.

As part of the documentary, divers were supposed to explore the lake and retrieve some mysterious objects they’d seen at the bottom during a previous dive. Before the cameramen arrived, Bittman got there first, diving to the location of the objects and leaving some old German military cases filled with blank paper.

Once the divers brought the cases to the surface as planned, a border guard and intelligence officer who came to the filming warned that the mysterious items could contain explosives and whisked them away, promising to X-ray them. Once out of public view, the intelligence officers replaced the blank paper with real Nazi documents which, among other things, detailed executions in France and the Netherlands. Then they arranged a press conference where the Czech minister of the interior would reveal the documents.

The papers were legitimate, but they were also old; the intelligence

services had held them for some 20 years, since the end of the war. They just never made them public—until the right moment struck.

People sometimes ask they didn’t just come forward with the documents, he said. His answer: No one would have paid any attention without the sensational story. The plan worked. The story was picked up all across Europe, including in the English-language press. He said he believes the change in public attitudes pushed West Germans to defer an impending statute of limitations on prosecuting war criminals.

In 1994, Bittman—then going by Martin—was finally released from a death sentence his home country had imposed on him for more than 20 years. He asked to see the file they’d collected on him. It was hundreds of pages long, with information on his political leanings, his family, the Jewish family of his first wife and their improbable survival hiding out in the mountains. Some of it was true, he says. Some of it was made up.

After he retired from Boston University in 1996, Martin said the journalism department lost interest in disinformation. The Cold War was supposed to be over. But in Russia, he said, Putin is still playing deception games. “Russians think long-term,” he said. Now instead of forgery, they can engage in hacking, he said. This can be particularly effective because genuine documents —usually personal e-mails—can be cherry-picked to push a particular agenda. Disinformation and propaganda have always existed, but rarely have deceivers enjoyed such a strong upper hand. Bloomberg

HDI is a tool to measure the overall achievements in three basic dimensions of human development, namely, longevity, knowledge, and a decent standard of living.

During the last quarter century which covered the two Aquino presidencies (1986-1992 and 20102016), more countries and more people moved up from low human development category (our present status) into high and very high human development category (from 47 countries with 1.2-billion people in 1990 to 84 countries with more than 3.6 billion people in 2014).

During the last 25 years, more than half of mankind (3.6-billion people) and 84 countries improved their standing, moving up—from low human development into medium and high human development status.

During the same period, 1990 to 2015, the Philippines stagnated at HDI Rank 115—low or below-average human development. Some 100 million Filipinos were left behind by mankind (3.6 billion) and the Philippines by 84 other countries, in improving their quality of life.

Corazon Cojuangco Aquino had six years and four months as president. BS Aquino had a full six years as president. That’s a total 12 years and four months—nearly half

of the period (25 years) covered by the HDI annual surveys. Thus, one can conclude that half of the blame for the below average quality of life of Filipinos should be traced to the two Aquino regimes.

Cory never won the snap election of February 1986. There is no record of her winning the presidency by democratic means.

After Cory grabbed the presidency, Namfrel made recount of the votes cast in the February snap election. The tally still showed Marcos was the real winner, not by two million votes, as officially canvassed by the Batasan, but by 800,000 votes as recounted by Namfrel.

In the Comelec-sanctioned official count, the legal and official winner was Marcos, by a margin of 1.7-million votes.

It was thought Marcos had cheated because his Solid North votes were transmitted very late to the tabulation center at the PICC. Two Namfrel volunteers were hanged in Ilocos.

The Ilocano votes were enough to overwhelm Cory’s lead in Metro Manila and other places. The canvassers claimed Marcos was cheating and so led by the wife of a RAM major, walked out, as if on cue. The day before the celebrated incident, we, foreign correspondents, had been alerted

about the planned walkout and to be there to cover it.

Cory Aquino didn’t have any participation in the four-day People Power revolt of Feb. 22 to 25, 1986 or Edsa I. There is not a single picture of her with the Edsa masses during those four days. Her people feared an assassination. On the first of night of Edsa while she was hiding, in a convent, in Cebu, courageous Cory asked Enrile “what can I do for you?”

Enrile’s curt reply: “Nothing.

Just pray.”

I was in Cebu covering Cory’s boycott the cronies rally afternoon of Feb. 22, 1986. That night, I took the last PAL plane for Manila from Mactan to join the Enrile-Fidel Ramos rebels the first night of the rebellion at Camp Aguinaldo and covered it for the next three days. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Ambassador Del Rosario’s column will resume soon.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Duterte travels raised $33b PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s trips abroad have raised a total of $33 billion as compared to the P270-million incurred expenses from his foreign travels, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Tuesday.

“That is equivalent to spending something like 17 centavos per every P1,000 that he has raised in investments and loans,” Dominguez said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“For me that is a very significant figure. You know, sometimes when we talk of millions and billions, we forget the relationship, right? This is the relationship of the expenses of the President with regards to the benefits that he has been able to bring home or as the journalists like to say, ‘the bacon that he brought home,’” he explained.

The Department of Finance is presently negotiating with Chinese officials regarding the $9 billion in Official Development Assistance, as well as commercial loans.

He said the DoF is likewise discussing with the Japanese government in response to the announcement of Prime Minister Abe during his recent visit to the country that Japan has committed another $9 billion more or less in ODA and commercial loans.

At the same briefing, Dominguez clarified that the mining shares that were reported in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth belonged to his son.

Dominguez, the richest man in President Duterte’s Cabinet denied any involvement in any mining operations in the country, amid earlier insinuations of Environment Secretary Regina Lopez about his involvement in the Tampacan open pit mine.

“That was a gift to my son by my mother [when he was born in 1967]. And we have not transferred it to his name,” Dominguez said in a Palace press briefing. “I am not involved in any mine at the moment.”

Dominguez, in his SALN has at least 5,000 shares in listed company Philex Mining Corp., the largest gold and copper producer in the Philippines since 1967.

Dominguez stressed that he was only involved in mining twice in his life as chief executive officer of a copper smelting company and as part of a team that rehabilitated the mine in Rapu-Rapu.

“That is the date when my son was born. My mother had some shares… By the way, she’s 93 years old already. I don’t think she remembers some shares she has. I’m not sure she has anymore. But she gave my son a gift when he was born,” he added.

News

Stop jueteng, police urged T HE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office urged the Philippine National Police to seriously crackdown against all forms of illegal gambling operations amidst persisting reports that jueteng lords continue to operate with impunity in defiance to President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order No. 13.

PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan said jueteng continues to thrive in some areas where there are already Authorized Agent Corporations operating Small Town Lottery.

At the same time, PCSO Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz has urged

local chief executives to stop the operation of Meridien Vista Gaming Corp. that is allegedly being used as jueteng front.

“We are calling all mayors of cities and municipalities to withdraw or revoke the permits they issued for or in behalf of Meri-

dien considering that PCSO-STL is the only legal numbers game in the country,” Corpuz said.

Meridien, a firm associated with businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang who claims to be just a consultant to the firm, was supposed to be operating only within the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority in Sta. Ana, Cagayan but its operations extend into several provinces and cities in Luzon and even in Visayas.

With full support from Malacanang, PCSO launched the expanded STL on Feb. 1 with 56 AACs that could generate up to P27 billion of revenues for the

government’s charity services to buy free medicines for all and for strengthening of health programs.

Balutan said the estimated amount could tremendously increase once PCSO approves 37 more STL bidders this year.

He said the nationwide STL operation could also produce less than one million jobs for less privileged citizens who could not pass standard job fairs.

In his letter dated Jan. 24, 2017 sent to all provincial chiefs of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, Balutan identified the AACs licensed to operate STL in their areas.

Balutan said that STL is an

IN BRIEF PH welcomes 3 new envoys PRESIDENT Rodrigo Roa Duterte welcomed on Tuesday three new ambassadors to the Philippines.

In a ceremony in Malacañang, Ambassador Asad Alam Siam of Bangladesh, Ambassador Ly Qouc Tuan of Vietnam, and Ambassador Ahmed Abdelaziz Ezzat of Egypt presented their credentials to Duterte.

The new ambassadors were accorded with arrival honors at the Kalayaan grounds prior to the ceremony. A signing of the guest book followed at the Ante Hall Room of Malacañan Palace. PNA

Azeris mark massacre at Khojaly JUSTICE DENIED. Parents of the 44 police commandos who were ordered to their deaths in the infamous Mamasapano incident on Jan. 25, 2015 called on Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Senator Richard Gordon who said he is considering a Senate reinvestigation of the matter. Ey Acasio

Tagle pushes church feeding program MANILA Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle urged Catholics on Tuesday to join again the Fast2Feed program of Hapag-Asa to feed hungry and malnourished children from poor urban and rural communities in the country.

In a pastoral letter to be released on March 1, Ash Wednesday, Tagle reminded people that they are called by the Lord to respond to His call to pray, fast and perform acts of charity.

“It only takes P1,200 for six months—or P10 per day—o bring back a hungry and undernourished child to a healthy state,” he said.

At the same time, Tagle, in his circular to priests in the archdiocese, said that Fast2Feed 2017 Fund Campaign envelopes will be distributed to parishes and schools.

He also asked the faithful to offer their Fast2Feed donation envelope during Mass or to turn it over to the parish office any day after Ash Wednesday.

The Cardinal likewise requested the priests to read his Pastoral Letter in all Masses on Ash Wednesday.

Tagle has called on the people to imitate the generosity of the Father and to continue loving and helping the poor, especially

the children.

“In this season of Lent, we are especially called to imitate the generosity of God, particularly towards the poor and disadvantaged. Indeed, ‘mercy demands that we not simply stand by and do nothing… Those who are weak and vulnerable… ought to feel the presence of brothers and sisters who can help them in their need’ [Misericordia et misera 19, 21],” he added.

The program aims to raise funds to feed at least 20,000 children for the whole year in Pondo ng Pinoy member dioceses. It also encourages the people to fast during the season of Lent and to

donate the money they save to feed the children.

Since it started in 2005, Hapag-Asa has been able to feed about 1.6 million hungry and malnourished children from Pondo ng Pinoy dioceses and other dioceses, non-governmental organizations, local government units and schools.

Aside from its Supplemental Feeding Program, the Churchbased group has been providing the children with early childhood education. It has also strengthened its values education, as well as its livelihood and skills training for the children’s parents.PNA

Mining firms study ecozone operations

By Othel V. Campos AT LEAST five mining companies are seeking refuge from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority in an attempt to salvage what was left of their mining operations after the Environment Department suspended their mining permits.

Peza director general Charito Plaza said the mining firms have approached her individually on different occasions but all have been asking the prospects of registering their operations with Peza.

“I told them to put up plants.

It is not the mining area or operations that we register but the processing plants. Mning operations alone is not enough to give them accreditation,” she said in a briefing Tuesday during the announcement of the proposed P125-billion Greater Lucena Integrated Economic Zone Project.

Currently, there are two mining companies registered with the Peza. These are the Taganito HPAL project of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. and the nickelcobalt processing plant by Coral Bay Nickel Corp. in Palawan.

Both companies operate processing plants that manufactures and export nickel and mixed nickel-cobalt sulfides to Japan.

Plaza said although she is a pro-mining advocate, she said

alternative to illegal numbers games operation that provides additional opportunities for employment.

“We are appealing for your full support for the success of the expansion of the STL operations and we trust that we can continue our good partnership,” Balutan said.

The PCSO and the PNP in late 2016 signed a memorandum of agreement, stating that the PNP is tasked to help combat illegal numbers games and prevent illegal gambling operations. The signing of EO 13 this month strengthens the PNP’s fight against all illegal gambling operations.

responsible and sustainable mining as the key to building an industrialized nation.

“We must not be too harsh. I support the action of [Environment] Secretary [Regina] Lopez.

However, the Department should have at least given these companies grace period to rectify their mistakes to redeem their operations, even as they have violated environmental rules.

They should be given a chance to comply [with Environment regulations],” she said.

Plaza added that the Department should have also considered, before it suspended and close operational mines, the relocation of jobs and the taxes that local government units may lose due closure/ suspension order.

Peza is proposing the creation of mining economic zones where miners can register their operations if they have supporting technology to manufacture finished goods for export to the world market.

It is planning to meet with the Environment Department to work out the proposal with considerations on environmental protection and calculate risk, should there be any.

The proposal, Plaza explained, need not amend the mining law, “all we and the Environment Department to do is agree to do it.”

OUT OF HARM’S WAY. Philippine marines inspect a passenger jeepney at a checkpoint in Indanan, Sulu as the military pressed its pursuit of Abu Sayyaf gunmen who beheaded their German hostage Jurgen Kantner. AFP

THE Azeri people are still seeking justice for the massacre of 613 Azerbaijanis in the town of Khojaly by Armenian troops during the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 1992, the Azerbaijan consulate in Makati City said Tuesday.

Considered as the largest massacre of the conflict, 613 civilians—including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly peoples —were brutally killed on the night of Feb. 26, 1992 by Armenian and Russian troops.

During the attack, 487 inhabitants of Khojaly were wounded, including 76 children, eight families were completely wiped out, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both.

Of those who died, 56 were killed through violent means, with some burned alive, scalped, beheaded or had eyes gouged out. Pregnant women were stabbed by bayonet in the abdomen.

The Khojaly massacre was described by Human Rights Watch as “the largest massacre to date in the conflict” over Nagorno-Karabakh.

Sadly, the consulate said perpetrators of these genocidal acts committed against Azerbaijanis remain unpunished, with some still at large occupying high positions in neighboring Armenia.

The United Nations Security Council issued four resolutions (822, 853, 874 and 884), demanding the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces from the territories of Azerbaijan. However, these resolutions have not been implemented, 23 years after their issuance.

In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights ruled the Khojaly massacre as “acts of particular gravity which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.” To date, the perpetrators still go unpunished.

While it is willing to mend fences and co-exist with Armenia, Azerbaijan demands that Armenia withdraw from the lands it seized during the invasion.

MMDA readies Scout Area Bypass plan

By Joel E. Zurbano MORE alternate routes will be opened in Quezon City next week to further ease the flow of traffic along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and help motorists going to the cities of San Juan, Mandaluyong and Makati.

One of the additional routes, according to Metro Manila Development Authority acting chairman Thomas Orbos, will be called the Scout Area Bypass, which will be opened on Monday to allow southbound motorists to take

Quezon Avenue Flyover or the service road, turn right to Scout Borromeo.

Orbos said from Scout Borromeo, motorists may either turn left to Tomas Morato and Scout Tobias, both of which are already identified as MMDA Mabuhay Lanes, or alternate roads for private vehicles avoiding the congested Edsa.

Another alternative would be turning left to Scout Tuazon that ends in Roces Avenue then motorists may either choose to turn right to intercept Scout Tobias or turn left to intercept Tomas Morato.

To better manage traffic in the busy South Triangle area, Orbos ordered the deployment of MMDA personnel to intensify its clearing operations to get rid of any type of road obstructions, including illegally parked vehicles and sidewalk vendors, starting March 2, Thursday.

The MMDA, however, agreed to allow oneside, time-bounded parking for residents and business patrons on the four-lane roads except for the Mabuhay Lane based on the requests of barangay officials in the area.

Sports PH squash team gears up for bid in SEAG A SERIES of tournaments including a $10,000 meet in May will help gear up the Philippine squash team in its coming campaign in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Robert Bachmann, president of Philippine Squash Academy, said the rejuvenated association recently inked up a partnership with Nissan Philippines that makes possible the country’s hosting three of a four-leg international series leading up to the SEA Games in July.

The opening leg of the 1st Nissan Open Squash Championship comes off the wraps from March 3 to 5 at the Makati Sports Club and offers a prize money of $1,000. It features entries from Colombia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Pakistan.

But the big one, according to Bachmann, comes on May 1621 at the Manila Polo Club when the second and third legs of the Nissan Open are held, where at stake is a prize of $5,000 each in both the men and women’s side.

Countries such as Egypt, Korea, India, Singapore, Japan, Columbia, and Malaysia are expected to participate, although the PSA are still expecting more countries to come over.

The fourth leg of the series is set from Sept. 22 to 24. All four tournaments are sanctioned by the Professional Squash Association and offers corresponding ranking points.

All these, and a couple of more tournaments and training in New Zealand, hopefully, will aid the Filipino bets’ bid to win a gold medal in the SEA Games, according to Bachmann in Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Morales on cusp of history I N a few days, Navy-Standard Insurance’s Jan Paul Morales could emerge as the very first back-to-back winner of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas.

But first things first, Morales, 31, is focused on hurdling the last three stages of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2017, including Thursday’s Stage 12 Individual Time Trial in Guimaras in what he thinks will make or break his bid.

Morales and the rest of his Navy teammates already went to Iloilo as early as last week, or two days after the Calamba-Antipolo Stage 11, the last stage before the race took a weeklong break.

It will resume in Guimaras

on Thursday before winding up with 209-km Iloilo-Antique-Iloilo Stage 13 and the 50-km Stage 14 criterium also in Iloilo City.

And perhaps the final two stages will be Morales’ coronation ride if he ends up doing well in Guimaras.

“If I can hold on to the lead after the ITT in Guimaras, I think I’ll win it this year,” said Morales, who won it last year by topping two of the three legs, in Filipino.

After 11 stages, the Calum-

pang, Marikina City native is ahead of the pack with a total time of 37 hours, 25 minutes and 56 seconds, or about two minutes ahead of fellow Navyman Rudy Roque, who is at No. 2 with an aggregate clocking of 37:28:11.

Roque, 25, for its part, agrees Stage 12 will be critical.

“We’ll see how it will turn out. If it’s for me, it’s for me.

If not, I will be happy to finish second behind my teammate,” said Roque, a proud son Tipo, Bataan whose best finish was ninth in the inaugural edition of this race.

Roque made his move by ruling the Calamba-Antipolo Stage 11 Tuesday that saw him closing the gap from a four-minute deficit to just two.

Morales

Cris Joven of Kinetix LabArmy is currently at No. 3 with 37:37:03; Go for Gold’s Bryant Sepnio jumped from No. 6 to No. 4 with 37:41:33; and RC

Generika gets Ayala backing

Philippine Squash Academy President Robert Bachman (center), shown here with the Squash National Team, briefs sportswriters on the team’s plans, during an appearance at the PSA Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City. Ey Acasio

Danao gears up for Xterra off-road triathlon OFF-ROAD triathletes and enthusiasts brace for another spirited battle of stamina and power on a challenging course when Xterra holds the Off-Road Triathlon South in Danao, Cebu next month.

While the organizing Sunrise Events Inc. has assured an elite international cast in the April 23 event, the host city has guaranteed a triathlon to remember at the Coco Palms Beach Resort in Cebu.

“This is a great opportunity to

promote Danao City,” said Fifth District Rep. Ramon Durano IV, citing their experience in successfully hosting the Asian Mountainbike Championships. “We will do our best to showcase Danao City and provide an unforgettable race to the participants.”

The event actually serves as the first of three Xterra races the city will host till 2019 after Durano and SEI general manager Princess Galura signed the three-year contract the other day. Others present in the meet-

ing were Cebu Provincial Administrator Atty. Mark Tolentino and Cebu Provincial Sports Commission (CPSC) executive director Atty. Ramil Abing.

“With the cancellation of Xterra La Union, triathletes will have longer time to train and prepare for the Danao race, ensuring a fierce battle for top honors in one of the toughest off-road races,” said Galura.

Heading the early pro roster are Ben Allen, Jacqui Slack, Bradley Weiss, Lizzie Orchard, Carina

Waisle, Sam Osborne and Kieran Mcpherson with the list expected to swell in the coming days.

SEI is targeting 300 to 400 participants in the 1.500m swim, 40km off-road bike and 10k trail run event sponsored by Alcoplus, Sanicare, The Philippine Star, 2GO Express, Cetaphil, Prudential Guarantee, Columbia, Garmin, Tri Life, Cignal Hyper TV, Rocktape, Gatorade, MNTC and Storck.

The race will start and finish at the Coco Palm Beach Resort

with the bike and run stages to take the participants to the scenic mountain ranges of the city.

It will feature individual and relay competitions.

Also up for grabs is the duathlon individual title for the 3km run-20km bike-5km run event.

For details, visit www.xterraphil.com or through social media accounts (fb) xterraNorthPH; (IG) xterranorthph xterrasouthph and hashtag: #xterralaunion and #xterradanao and #xterrasouthph.

Supercross slated March 4

PSA AWARDEE. Rio Olympics marathon veteran Mary Joy Tabal

receives her PSA trophy from People’s Tonight sports editor Ed Andaya during the 2017 PSA Awards Night presented by San Miguel and Milo at Le Pavillon in Pasay City. The Cebu City-based Tabal is one of the outstanding athletes honored by the country’s oldest media organization for their contributions in sports for the year 2016.

ALL eyes will be on veteran Glenn Aguilar and young daredevil Bornok Mangosong when the Diamond Motor Corporation Supercross returns on March 4 at the MX Messiah Fairgrounds in Taytay, Rizal.

The 42-year-old Aguilar renews his rivalry with the 25-year-old Mangosong of Davao when the opening leg of the highly-awaited supercross series kicks off this weekend.

But Sam Tamayo of Generation Congregation and the organizing Xtreme Adrenaline Sports, said during yesterday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel in Pasay City that other riders are out to give the two favorites a run

for their money.

“The others are going to give them a tough fight. This supercross is not just about Glenn and Bornok,” sad Tamayo, a professional rider himself.

Four more legs are on tap on March 25, April 29, May 13 and May 27, according to Elgene Cruz, marketing manager of Xtreme Adrenaline Sports.

Also gracing the forum backed by San Miguel Corporation, Golden Phoenix Hotel, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. was Joann Silva, marketing officer of Diamond Motor Corporation.

In last year’s supercross, Aguilar carried the colors of KTM Philippines and ruled four of the five legs, denied

only of a sweep by Magnosong who won the third leg.

Mangosong vowed to give Aguilar a tougher time in the Pro Open Production class by joining all five legs this year. He saw action in only one leg last year due to other commitments.

Jon Blaylock, who heads the corporate planning, marketing and sales strategy of Diamond Motor, said the giant automobile distributor is excited to once again present the supercross.

Aside from great action in the amateurs, ladies, veterans, novice, legends, kids, exectutive, underbone and local endure, the supercross will also offer a fusion of music, fun and games.

Pyeongchang preps for Winter Olympics 2018 THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE I’VE always been a fan of winter sports, particularly skating and hockey. I am not fond of watching television. But I do have cable television installed every two years — just to watch the Olympics, Summer and Winter.

So it is with great anticipation that I await the staging of the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Preparations are already underway with several activities having kicked off last month for “G-1”, a term “coined to refer to the period of one year before the beginning of

Cola-NCR’s Lionel Dimaano leapt from No. 8 to No. 5 with 37:46:05.

Ilocos Sur’s Ryan Serapio and Navy’s Daniel Ven Carino and skipper Lloyd Lucien Reynante resurfaced in the top 10 at Nos. 6, 7 and 8 with 37:47:16, 37:48:28 and 37:48:43, respectively.

Navy’s Ronald Lomotos and Kinetix Lab-Army’s Reynaldo Navarro completed the top 10 with 37:48:45 and 37:49:49.

Ronda is staking P1 million to the champion courtesy of presentor LBC and in partnership with MVP Sports Foundation, Petron, Mitsubishi, Versa.ph, Partas, Maynilad, Standard Insurance, CCN, Bike Xtreme, NLEX, PhilCycling and 3Q Sports Event Management.

the Olympic Games,” according to the Pyeongchang 2018 publicity committee.

Last Feb. 9, The Pyeongchang Olympic G-1 cultural festival was officially launched in Gangwon province and in Seoul. Bearing the slogan “It’s time for Pyeongchang”, the festival has among its aims to “show the world all the preparations” that have been made for the coming edition of the Winter Games and “introduce excellent cultural programs that will go on to become part of the legacy of the Republic of Korea.” The year-long slate of cultural events is being referred to as a “cultural Olympiad.”

On Feb. 8 in Seoul Plaza, the Pyeongchang 2018 countdown clock was unveiled. The clock tower will stand there until March 20 next year.

On Feb. 9, exactly one year be-

fore the kickoff of the 2018 Winter Olympics, an opening celebration for the G-1 Festival was held at the Gangneung Hockey Centre in Gangwon province. Among the attendees were members of the International Olympic Committee, the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee, and the organizing committee for the 2018 Winter Games.

The winter torch was unveiled and other activities were conducted to invite the world to the event.

Fans enamored by the hallyu or “Korean wave” should see this as an opportunity to view many cultural events such as K-pop concerts, street food festivals, art shows, and more throughout the G-1 year.

It’s also time to start saving up to watch the Olympics itself, hopefully to see Philippine pride figure skater Michael Martinez as one of

the competitors there.

He has been in fierce training and finished ninth overall in the Asian Winter Games (held every four years) in Sapporo last Sunday.

He garnered a total of 211.96 points - 135.43 in the freeskate and a careerhigh of 76.53 in the short program.

Martinez will be competing at the World Championships in Helsinki on March 29 to April 2, and for the first time in the Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 19 to 31.

Going back to the 2018 Winter Games, the venue for the short track speed skating and figure skating competitions is the Gangneung Ice arena, which was fully constructed last year and completely iced for the International Skating Union’s World Cup Short Track Speed Skating series, held Dec. 16 to 19, 2016. The

event served as a qualifying event for Pyeongchang 2018. Held at the same venue was the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, on Feb. 14 to 19 this year.

The Gangneung Ice Arena seats 12,000 and boasts the best equipment for humidity and temperature controls, considering that speed skating requires harder ice and figure skating softer ice to provide some cushioning for the jumps and landings.

With this venue and other excellent facilities in place, the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics should be one to look forward to. Remind me to call my cable TV provider next year. * ** Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Facebook: Gogirl Racing and Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @gogirlracing and @jennyortuoste, and Instagram: @jensdecember

EXPECT Generika to blossom into a solid contender with Ayala Corp. as its new backer in the 2017 Philippine Superliga Invitational Conference starting this Saturday at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Helmed by national women’s team head coach Francis Vicente, the Lifesavers will now be called Generika-Ayala, giving them the financial muscle and stability to challenge other giant companies like San Miguel Corp. MVP Group of Companies, Foton, Cocolife and Sta. Lucia Land, Inc. Two-time champion Petron banners San Miguel Corp., while Cignal carries the colors of the MVP Group of Companies.

Not to be outdone, Foton and Cocolife are also solid forces, while Sta. Lucia is expected to make a big impact in its debut.

The last time Ayala got involved in competitive sports was during the 1990s when it paraded a glamour team in Purefoods Hotdogs in the Philippine Basketball Association.

Jojo Lastimosa, Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera served as its poster boys before the company sold its franchise to SMC in 2001, paving the way for San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. to control the basketball team.

Now, Ayala is making a return in a big way.

“In sports, we see the potential of how our athletes can become advocates of health and wellness and drivers of positive change in the communities that we serve,” said Ayala Corp. managing director and public affairs group head Rene Almendras during the team launch graced by PSL chairman Philip Ella Juico and PSL president Ramon “Tats” Suzara yesterday at the Ayala Tower One. Generika Drugstore COO Jay Ferrer said their partnership with Ayala Corp. also aims to improve the landscape of Philippine volleyball.

PH blanks Kyrgyzstan THE Philippine girls’ team, led by Alexandra Eala, came off with a 3-0 shutout of Kyrgyzstan in the opening games of the 2017 International Tennis Federation Team Championships for boys and girls in New Delhi, India.

Eala, the highest-ranked Filipina under-14 player in Asia at no. 12, led the fight with her 6-1, 6-0 stopping of Vladislava Andrevskaya, 6-1, 6-0, in the second singles.

Missy Carlos drew first blood by turning back Banat Madalieva, 6-2, 6-1, in the first singles.

Carlos then joined up with Zoleta in the doubles for a 6-3, 6-1, edging of Aigerim Akshol and Andrevskaya.

The Filipinas, coached by Tom Falcis, will next face Iraq in the three-team Group A. Bunched in Group B are Singapore, Lebanon, Nepal and Jordan.

The top teams of Groups A and B will progress to the semifinals where a knockout competition decides the champions.

The tournament, known as the World Junior Team Under-14 Competition 2016, takes place from Feb. 27 to March 4, with 9 girls teams participating in what is considered as the Asia/Oceania Pre Qualifying events. 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+

Sports

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

A8

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

Durant powers Warriors to victory

PAL INTERCLUB IS GREEN AND GO. Team captains join tournament officials during the second team captains meeting at Rancho Palos Verdes. A total of 80 are seeing action in the 70th PAL Men’s Regular Interclub starting today in Davao.

70th PAL Interclub gets off the ground in Davao D

AVAO—A Manila Southwoods side that parades some of the best amateur golfers in the land has been labeled as the solid favorite as the 70th edition of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) Interclub gets off the ground today at the Apo Golf and Rancho Palos Verdes layouts here.

Reedy Japanese teenager Yuto Katsuragawa spearheads the Carmona-based squad as it searches its first “threepeat” in what is regarded as the country’s unofficial team golf championship.

First round play will be at tree-lined Apo Golf before ac-

Dongbei Tiger joins UFC SI NGA POR E — Celebrated Chinese featherweight “The Dongbei Tiger” Wang Guan (15-1-1, fighting out of Dongbei, China) signed up with the premier martial arts outfit Ultimate Fighting Championship. Wang, 31, is considered to be China’s most promising MMA athlete and hopes to make his debut at UFC FIGHT NIGHT® SINGAPORE slated June 17 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

“I will continue to keep a clean record in the UFC, showing the world my ‘China Power’,” Wang Guan, said. “It’s a dream come true, my ability is approved by the UFC now. This also means the opponents I face next will be the best in the world. This will push me to train even harder.”

Tickets for UFC FIGHT NIGHT® SINGAPORE are expected to go on general sale soon via Sports Hub Tix. Fans are encouraged to register their interest for the event via www.ufc. com/singapore through which they will receive up to date information about the event, fight card, on-ground activations as well as access to pre-sale ticket promotions.

For more information and the latest updates, visit UFC.com and follow the UFC on Facebook Instagram and Twitter. #UFCSINGAPORE UFC® is a premium global sports brand and the largest payper-view event provider in the world. Headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in London, Toronto, Sao Paulo and Singapore, UFC produces more than 40 live events annually that consistently sell out some of the most prestigious arenas around the globe.

tion in the next two goes to wellmanicured Palos Verdes. Southwoods’ non-playing skipper Thirdy Escano believes that this tournament will be won at Apo, which is the final round venue.

“Whichever team scores well at Apo will have a great chance to win,” Escano said yesterday

after overseeing his team’s official practice round in what is considered one of the toughest tests in the South. “Apo will decide the champion. I have no doubt about it.”

Escano, though, refuses to acknowledge the edge with Canlubang to parade the multi-titled Rupert Zaragosa yet again and Luisita and Del Monte also being represented by products of their respective programs that center on young players.

Carlo Villaroman, JP De Claro and Luis Castro will be Zaragosa’s main supporting cast even as Del Monte will be bannered by former national team member

Jelbert Gamolo.

Luisita, four days removed from winning the Seniors title, shoots for a sweep of the tournament with a team that will parade two members of that victorious squad—Eddie Bagtas and Jingy Tuason—which the team has mixed with young talents like Dan Cruz and Luis Miguel Guerrero.

The 70th PAL Interclub Platinum sponsors are Mareco Broadcasting Network, A&E Networks Asia, RMN Networks, The Manila Standard, Fox Networks Group, RollsRoyce, TV5, MasterCard, TFC and Business Mirror.

Major sponsors include Asian Air Safari, Airbus, Primax Broadcasting Network and Sabre Airline Solutions while Corporate sponsors are Baron Travel Corporation, Boeing, MX3, GE Aviation, Bombo Radyo Philippines, Asia Brewery, Tanduay Distillers, Sabre Airline Solutions and Tourism Promotions Board.

The donors are Shangri-La at The Fort, Trinity Insurance and Eton Properties.

A total of 80 teams are entered in the four-day, five-division event which ends on Saturday.

They will play at the Apo Golf and Country Club and Rancho Palos Verde.

LOS ANGELES—Kevin Durant returned from injury with a bang on Monday, scoring 27 points as the Golden State Warriors overpowered the Philadelphia 76ers 119-108.

Durant, who missed the Warriors previous game with a bruised left hand, showed no sign of lingering after-effects to help power the Dubs to their fourth straight victory.

The Warriors, who are already assured of a place in the playoffs, improved to a league best 50-9 after rattling up their seventh win in eight games.

Klay Thompson added 21 points for Golden State while Zaza Pachulia scored a season best 16 points.

Draymond Green chipped in with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.

But it was a rare off-night for Stephen Curry. The Warriors star contributed a respectable 19 points but drew a blank from three-point range, missing all 11 of his attempts.

It was only the third time in 211 games Curry has failed to connect with at least one three-pointer.

“I forgot to adjust to the thickness of the air,” Curry joked. “It happens, but you have to find other ways to impact the game.”

Meanwhile, LeBron James shrugged off his recent illness to post 24 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks 102-95 on Monday.

Reigning NBA finals MVP James added 10 rebounds and six assists as Cleveland bounced back from Saturday’s defeat to Chicago to cement their place at the top of the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers improved to 41-17 with the win as Cleveland completed a strong February which saw them compile a 9-2 record over the month.

Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said James’ return had been pivotal. The Cavs are 0-4 on nights James has not featured this season.

“What would anybody’s team be without their best player,” said Lue. “And with him being the best player in the world, he brings so much to our team.

“He’s just a winner. Anybody that goes to The Finals six straight times is a winner.

He just makes everyone better, myself included.” AFP

Catalan draws inspiration from MUMMA teammates IT was a bitter pill to swallow for Filipino fighter Rabin “The Rock” Catalan when his maiden appearance on an international mixed martial arts (MMA) stage ten months ago did not go into his favor.

The 30-year-old native of Iloilo City lost his ONE Championship debut via second-round technical knockout at the hands of Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio in April 2016.

With the help of his brothersin-arms at Mindanao Ultimate Mixed Martial Arts (MUMMA), Catalan reignited his desire to compete in MMA. Catalan squares off with Thai standout Pongsiri “Punhod” Mitsatit on the undercard of ONE: Warrior Kingdom, which takes Pinoy MMA fighter Rabin Catalan enters the cage before another fight. place at the 12,000-capacity ImCatalan joins ONE Championship’s upcoming ONE: Warrior Kingdom on pact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on 11 March.

March 11. ONE Championship

An undefeated prospect from Chiang Mai, Thailand, Mitsatit holds a stellar win-loss standing of 7-0, with five knockout triumphs and one submission victory.

Headquartered in Cagayan De Oro City, Misamis Oriental, MUMMA houses the best and the brightest MMA talents in the Philippine’s southernmost major island of Mindanao, including Catalan and fellow ONE Championship athlete Rocky Batolbatol.

Catalan revealed that he draws his inspiration to continue his professional MMA career from his MUMMA teammates.

“They are always there for me.

My teammates uplifted me when I was down and out. I’ve found a family in my comrades,” he said.

“Now, I am inspired to go back inside the cage and put on a great performance.”

Catalan says he is in the best

shape of his eight-year prizefighting career. The 5-foot-4 MUMMA representative stressed that he is eager to return to the winning track at the expense of Mitsatit.

“With the help of my teammates, I had a great training camp. They made sure that I am prepared in both stand-up and grappling aspects of the fight. I can really say that I am in awesome shape,” Catalan said.

“My team gives me so much confidence, heading into this bout.

I am hungry to win this fight, and I want to get this win for them.”

Other than Catalan, three other Filipino combatants will don the Philippine colors at ONE: Warrior Kingdom, which is headlined by a five-round championship clash between ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee and top contender Jenny Huang.

SMB, Ginebra resume battle

By Jeric Lopez WHO is going to take the upper hand?

Protagonists Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel are both more than eager to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven championship series as they resume their war today in the finals of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup. With the series tied at 1-1, Game 3 breaks the deadlock as the Gin Kings and the Beermen try to gain a crucial advantage over the other 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Following an epic and dramatic Game 2 in Lucena City, Que-

zon last Sunday, the Gin Kings emerged victorious, outlasting the Beermen, 124-118, in breathtaking fashion.

Ginebra coach Tim Cone commended his wards for doing everything to tie the series up and he now looks forward to what Game 3 brings.

“It was a great Game 2. I’m just glad that we’re able to tie the series after that grueling game and we have given ourselves a chance to go to Game 3 all leveled up with San Miguel,” he said.

After suffering a bad beat down in Game 1, Ginebra flipped the script in Game 2 and led by 26 points in the second period as it seemed it is bound to cruise and

duplicate the way San Miguel won in the series opener.

But the defending champions weren’t going to allow that as they bounced back in a big way in the third quarter to make it anyone’s game in the fourth.

The Beermen were actually ahead 110-108 with 3.2 seconds left but fortunately for Ginebra, Joe Devance made a putback off his own miss as time expired in regulation, tying it at 110 and sending the game to overtime where the Gin Kings went to work down the stretch.

San Miguel lost Marcio Lassiter to a flagrant and a technical foul.

June Mar Fajardo and Chris Ross both fouled out in Game 2.

San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo protects the basketball against a pair of Barangay Ginebra defenders Joe Devance (left) and Scottie Thompson.

BoI approves P1.2-b biomass power plant B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

Globe secures P7-b loan from DBP

PH-MADE MIRAGE.

President Rodrigo Duterte (fifth from left) and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. president Osamu Masuko (sixth from left) lead the launching ceremony of the Philippine manufactured Mirage G4 under the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy in Malacañang. The production of the Mirage G4 in the Philippines is in line with the initiative of the government to revive and develop the auto manufacturing industry in the country, making it as a regional manufacturing hub for auto parts. With them are (from left) Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Executive Secretary Medialdea and executives of Mitsubishi Motors.

By Darwin G. Amojelar GLOBE Telecom Inc. said Tuesday it borrowed P7 billion from state-run Development Bank of the Philippines to help finance its 2017 capital expenditures.

Globe, the telecom arm of Ayala Corp., said it signed a six-year P7-billion term loan facility with DBP. “The loan shall be used to finance the company’s capital expenditures and general corporate requirements,” Globe said.

Globe earlier signed an 8-year P7-billion term loan facility with BDO Unibank Inc. Globe said it expected to spend $750 million this year to expand data-related projects, deploy LTE for mobile and LTE for home, increase network capacities and coverage, modernize fixed-line data infrastructure for corporates and support requirements for transmission facilities.

The company spent $772 million ilast year, when 65 percent was spent for data related requirements.

Globe reported a core profit of P16.01 billion last year, up 6 percent from P15.13 billion in 2015.

Globe’s net income, on the other hand, fell 4 percent to P15.9 billion last year from P16.5 billion in 2015.

IN BRIEF ICTSI terminates contract in Oregon INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services Inc. said Tuesday wholly-owned subsidiary ICTSI Oregon Inc. terminated the contract to operate a container facility in Oregon, USA. The port operator led by businessman Enrique Razon said ICTSI Oregon and the Port of Portland mutually agreed to terminate a 25-year lease agreement to operate the container facility at the port’s Terminal 6.

“The agreement allows ICTSI Oregon to be relieved of its long-term lease obligations effective March 31, 2017, pending approval by the Port Commission,” ICTSI said.

The port will receive $11.45 million in compensation to rebuild business and additional container handling equipment, spare parts and tools at the terminal.

ICTSI earlier said it did not renew a contract to operate and maintain a container terminal in Brunei.

ICTSI earlier posted a net income of $150.8 million in January to September, up from $143.7 million in the same period last year.

ICTSI’s net profit in the third quarter jumped 53 percent to $58.2 million from $38 million a year ago. Revenues from port operations amounted to $390.3 million, or 5 percent higher than $339.5 million last year.

Darwin G. Amojelar

SSS registers 21.7% drop in net revenue SOCIAL Security System said unaudited revenues in the first 11 months of 2016 rose 8.34 percent to P160 billion from a year ago, driven mainly by improvements in members’ contribution and higher investment income.

SSS said that as of end-November, members’ contribution grew 8.7 percent or P10.51 billion to P131.28 billion from P120.77 billion a year earlier.

“One of our goals for the pension fund this year is to expand our membership. We would also like to retain the current membership number as it comprises more than 82 percent of our total revenue income,” SSS president Emmanuel Dooc said in a statement.

Expenditures increased 18.4 percent to P131.06 billion from P110.70 billion amid the 25.46-percent increase in disbursements in retirement benefits.

Expenditures for retirement, death and disability stood at P72.56 billion, P36.21 billion and P4.17 billion, respectively.

Expenses in the 11-month period pulled the net revenue to P28.96 billion, down 21.7 percent from the P37 billion a year ago.

Julito G. Rada

Glem Appliances holding flash sale GLEM will hold a two-day flash sale on March 3 and March 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in its warehouse in Quezon City.

Items on sale will have discounts that can go up to 50 percent. All products are covered with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Cash, cheque and major credit cards will be accepted.

Established in Modena, Italy in 1959, Glem has been producing world-class cooking appliances such as cooking ranges, builtin ovens and hobs, and range hoods for over 50 years.

The Italian company has built a solid reputation manufacturing cooking equipment that comply with strict industrial regulations and stringent standards set by major quality certification institutes in Europe and other parts of the world.

It is regarded by some of the Philippines’ acclaimed chefs as the best in the culinary scene.

The flash sale will be held at the Exatech Warehouse at No. 87 Kapiligan St.. Barangay Doña Imelda, Quezon City.

B1

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX Closing February 28, 2017

8000 7600 7200 6800 6400

PH, China reviving oil exploration talks

By Alena Mae S. Flores

A

PHILIPPINE company revived talks with China National Offshore Oil Co. Ltd., an upstream oil and gas company owned by the Chinese government, over an exploration project in South China Sea after President Rodrigo Duterte pursued more amicable relations with China.

Manuel Pangilinan, chairman of Philex Mining Corp. and subsidiary PXP Energy Corp., said the more conciliatory environment encouraged his group to initiate talks with CNOOC. “I think to the extent that the government has adapted a more

friendly, more conciliatory push to China, I think the atmosphere has become better for a resumption of a discussion with China in general. And we’d like to move in that direction,” Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan said PXP initiated talks with CNOOC on how

best to move forward on service contract 72 (Recto Bank), but clarified the tenor of discussions should be bound by Philippine and Chinese laws.

The Philippines and China have overlapping claims over South China Sea, which is also known as the West Philippine Sea. Exploration of SC 72 was halted following tension in the area two years ago.

PXP Energy, formerly Philex Petroleum Corp., controls Forum Energy Plc which holds a 70-percent stake in SC 72.

“We as a Philippine entity cannot violate our law. Nor certainly not our sovereignty. We can’t do that so we have to stay within Philippine laws, within Philippine sovereignty,” Pangilinan said.

Forum is a contractor of the

government while the oil and gas resources belong to the government, he said.

“After you’ve arrived at a business arrangement, it has to be within the context of Philippine laws and Chinese laws,” he said.

Pangilinan urged the Energy Department to review and lift the moratorium imposed on SC 72 to enable Forum to conduct preparatory works for exploratory drilling in the area.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled on July 12, 2016 on the maritime case filed by the Philippines against China in favor of the Philippines. The Recto Bank where SC 72 lies, is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Remittances to remain tax-free, says Angara

By Julito G. Rada MONEY sent home from Filipino workers abroad will continue to enjoy tax exemption, despite a proposal to impose value-added tax on money transfer fees under the tax reform program.

Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said Tuesday the imposition of value-added tax on services fees of money transfer centers would not cover actual remittances.

“We want to make it clear to OFWs that their remittances to their families in the Philippines will not be taxed. We will make it sure not to add to the burdens of

our OFWs,” Angara, chairman of the Senate ways and means committee, said in a hearing at the Senate.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua said only the service fee of domestic remittances and not the actual remittance would be taxed with 12-percent VAT under the proposal.

“Our jurisdiction is only domestic transfers,” Chua said.

He said in the case of a P5,000 remittance within Metro Manila where the money transfer center was charging P125, the VAT would be only P15 collected from the center.

The Finance Department said the proposed measure would target businesses such as pawnshops, which were not initially registered as remittance centers.

Angara recognized the significant contribution of OFWs in the economy. Remittances account for around 10 percent of GDP annually.

Latest data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas showed that OFW cash remittances reached a record $26.9 billion or more than P1 trillion last year, which accounted for 9.8 percent of the gross domestic product.

Angara said OFWs were work-

ing hard just to send money to their loved ones in the Philippines.

He said it would be unfair if their remittances would be taxed by the government. Angara earlier sponsored a law that raised the tax exemption cap of balikbayan boxes.

The lawmaker said OFW remittances were also exempted from paying documentary stamp tax pursuant to Republic Act 10022 or the amended migrant workers law.

Package 1 of the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program seeks to lower personal income tax rates and to adjust excise taxes of petroleum products and automobiles.

6000

7,212.09 20.38

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Closing FEBRUARY 28, 2017 45.00 46.50 48.00 49.50

P50.210 CLOSE

51.00

HIGH P50.210 LOW P50.300 AVERAGE P50.255 VOLUME 389.800M

P471.00-P690.00 LPG/11-kg tank P39.80-P48.90 Unleaded Gasoline P27.90-P33.80 Diesel

OPRICES IL TODAY

P28.50-P36.85 Kerosene P20.75-P21.75 Auto LPG Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, February 28, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.2670

Japan

Yen

0.008872

0.4460

UK

Pound

1.244500

62.5573

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128849

6.4769

Switzerland

Franc

0.991277

49.8285

Canada

Dollar

0.759821

38.1939

Singapore

Dollar

0.712301

35.8052

Australia

Dollar

0.767700

38.5900

Bahrain

Dinar

2.653294

133.3731

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266702

13.4063

Brunei

Dollar

0.709774

35.6782

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.028703

1.4428

UAE

Dirham

0.272324

13.6889

Euro

Euro

1.059100

53.2378

Korea

Won

0.000882

0.0443

China

Yuan

0.145560

7.3169

India

Rupee

0.014995

0.7538

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.225378

11.3291

New Zealand

Dollar

0.719200

36.1520

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032560

1.6367 Source: PDS Bridge

Foreign investors turn more cautious after Duterte’s tirades THE Philippines needs to attract more foreign direct investments to achieve the gross domestic product growth target of 7 percent to 8 percent this year, DBS Bank of Singapore said Tuesday.

Latest government data showed that foreign investment pledges approved by the country’s seven investment promotion agencies fell 10.7 percent to P219 billion in 2016 from P245.2 billion a year ago. In the fourth quarter alone, foreign investment pledges declined 9.3 percent to P126 billion from P138.6 billion in 2015.

“The fall happened mainly in the second half of 2016, when approved investment pledges plunged by 18.6 percent yearon-year. A variety of reasons could be at play here. The peso has weakened since last year’s elections as the trade deficit widened while portfolio flows came under pressure,” DBS said.

The bank also said that investors probably took a more cautious approach given the change in government and the controver-

sies surrounding the statements of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“As a percentage of GDP, the amount of FDI into the Philippines is still relatively low compared to its regional peers. This has to go up if GDP growth were to be in the 7 percent to 8 percent range in line with official targets.

Admittedly, there is yet to be a significant breakthrough in policy reforms thus far in the current administration,” the bank said.

DBS said the GDP growth momentum remained very strong and it was interesting to see if sentiment would actually turn around for the better this year and that investment pledges would start to rise again.

The seven investment promotion agencies in the country are the Board of Investments, Clark Development Corp., Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan, BOI-Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority. Julito G. Rada

PRU LIFE-GIZ PARTNERSHIP. British life insurer Pru Life UK signs a partnership agreement with

Deutsche Gesellschaftfür Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to address financial literacy and provide low-cost life insurance products to members of low-income sector, ultimately reducing the protection gap in the country. Shown during the signing ceremony are (from left) CommLinked Inc. chief executive Rowena Tan and chairman Graham Morris, GIZ RFPI Asia program director Antonis Malagardis, deputy Insurance commissioner Ferdinand Florendo, Pru Life UK president and chief executive Antonio De Rosas and GIZ RFPI Asia senior advisor Jimmy Loro.

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market extends slump; PLDT up Wilcon considers S retail acquisitions TOCKS fell for a third day, as caution crept into financial markets ahead of US President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, dropped 20 points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 7,212.09 Tuesday. Of the six sectoral indices, only holding firms and services posted gains.

The heavier index, representing all shares, declined 15 points, or 0.4 percent, to settle at 4,368.38, on a value turnover of P7.1 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 116 to 62, while 56 issues were unchanged.

Six of the 20 most active stocks advanced, led by PLDT Inc. which climbed 4.3 percent to P1,460 and conglomerate JG Summit Holdings

Inc. which went up 2.8 percent to P77.70. Globe Telecom Inc. rose 1.6 percent to P1,828.

Meanwhile, Asian markets mostly gave up early gains Tuesday and the dollar came under fresh selling pressure as trading floors became cautious ahead of Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress.

The new US president hinted he would make a “big” announcement on infrastructure policy, raising hopes he will deliver on a key campaign promise.

Traders will also be looking for detail on tax reform—another major pledge—which this month

he said would be “phenomenal”.

Global markets and the dollar have surged since Trump’s election win in November on expectations his planned measures will fire the US economy and fuel inflation, forcing the Federal Reserve to lift interest rates.

But with the Dow on Monday hitting a record high for a 12th successive day, analysts say there is a worry the advance may have gone too far and investors are beginning to row back, with the also dollar feeling the pinch.

“President Trump’s big address naturally has attracted a lot of anticipation in markets. There is a strong chance that it could be the catalyst for the next leg higher for the US dollar, bonds and stocks,” Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at CFD and FX provider

AxiTrader, said in a note.

“But there is also room for disappointment.”

The dollar got a shot in the arm Monday when the head of the Dallas Fed Robert Kaplan said he thought borrowing costs should be lifted “sooner rather than later”.

His comments fueled speculation the Fed could hike as soon as next month and come days before the central bank’s head, Janet Yellen, and her deputy Stanley Fischer are due to talk.

The greenback’s improvement from Monday’s levels around 112 yen provided support to Japan’s exporters in the morning but the positive energy for the dollar seeped away through the day and the Nikkei ended only marginally higher, having been up almost one percent at one point.

With AFP, Bloomberg

By Jenniffer B. Austria WILCON Depot Inc., a leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer, is considering acquisitions in the retail sector to accelerate expansion.

Wilcon chairman and founder William Belo said in an interview the company was studying acquiring companies engaged in retail with strategic fit with Wilcon’s operations.

“If opportunities arise, then

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.35 1,000 48.25 16,800 94 1,077,680 4.35 61,000 115.5 2,531,040 1.28 189,000 40 221,500 16.18 500 19.7 377,500 7.72 600 0.73 50,000 1.69 76,000 840 70 0.66 6,768,000 81 2,137,720 0.74 25,000 14.5 80,400 25.75 28,900 57.2 41,330 242 120 110 6,460 90.5 1,510 39.2 88,700 199.9 1,049,560 79.05 167,320 1.22 10,000

3,350 803,320 101,820,489 264,940 293,250,245 240,530 8,860,570 8,090 7,455,614 4,632 36,500 128,440 58,800 4,549,450 172,204,899 18,730 1,161,076 742,075 2,391,269 29,040 724,122 135,905 3,456,675 210,303,256 13,226,496 12,280

774,370 -16,157,385.50 -57,038,533 -31,820 -153,996 42,000 -228,990 85,021,921 2,900 -503,454 -248,955 -164,897,923 4,710,634.50 -

42.8 5.25 0.85 1.35 18.98 0.28 97 9.09 16.1 165 23.1 14.72 59 91.35 2.14 6.1 11.84 12.76 7.85 6.8 5.85 1.76 20.85 73.05 16.8 6.4 1.69 201.8 72 7.6 3.71 30.2 26.55 15.8 290 0.255 6.67 3.42 8.7 11.56 2.24 6.99 1.87 77.75 4.85 260 4.94 2.02 2.81 12.1 4.22 0.147 1.47 159.2 4.42 1.66 1.07

INDUSTRIAL 43 1,428,300 5.4 777,800 0.85 632,000 1.42 38,441,000 21 192,500 0.285 30,390,000 97 150 9.09 13,336,400 16.3 2,809,800 165 160 23.5 139,400 15.2 13,000 59 1,810 91.4 1,600 2.14 240,000 6.1 34,400 12 5,700 13.08 2,910,900 7.95 176,800 6.87 1,079,500 5.9 15,660,400 1.76 3,000 21.1 4,339,800 73.1 863,940 17 80,100 6.46 588,000 1.7 269,000 201.8 640,150 72 1,380 7.9 1,316,800 3.71 7,000 30.55 1,334,900 26.7 375,500 15.98 4,192,300 291.8 182,050 0.26 10,890,000 6.86 45,500 3.42 46,000 8.7 2,706,200 11.56 1,000 2.33 701,000 7.13 991,700 1.93 2,420,000 78 401,400 4.9 34,000 265 55,260 4.94 126,000 2.02 1,000 2.81 83,000 12.3 4,460,400 4.22 1,000 0.15 430,000 1.47 536,000 160 2,170,460 4.54 6,000 1.69 1,392,000 1.07 101,000

61,468,915 4,215,252 537,500 52,069,630 3,855,440 8,796,350 14,550 122,644,587 45,761,490 26,400 3,261,210 194,184 106,820 146,248 515,320 209,958 67,684 37,526,990 1,392,665 7,386,435 92,261,687 5,280 91,448,965 63,199,237 1,361,464 3,828,414 457,100 129,655,596 99,360 10,447,590 26,350 40,730,035 9,997,560 67,074,594 52,912,698 2,812,650 310,247 157,480 23,634,041 11,560 1,615,030 6,956,825 4,696,230 31,242,701.50 165,950 14,641,910 622,440 2,020 233,330 54,609,658 4,220 64,470 789,010 347,285,901 26,640 2,340,240 108,090

-26,999,930 1,081,640 42,443,900 2,196,516 155,350.00 -22,632,344 -33,674,376 -121,700 75,816 -24,090 -9,150 7,357,092 235,640 -2,665,199 -1,277,145 -21,079,260 -1,601,143.50 999,114 915,350 -12,532,140 -59,299 -4,146,965 -8,740,680 1,627,246 -15,475,180 -23,400 88,890 3,616,781 -730,820 -2,421,152 -185,900 -4,250,539.50 795,700 -103,740 11,559,202 382,200 -22,196,467 -

0.405 73.45 12.84 1.19 6.46 0.39 793 9.2 13.1 8.09 0.189 1,224 6.09 77.7 1.16 7.92 14.94 0.44 6.85 0.059 1.99 107.4 670 0.87 1.5 267 0.295 0.192 0.26

0.37 72.3 12.68 1.13 6.3 0.375 786 8.85 12.68 7.95 0.185 1,206 5.91 74.7 1.03 7.68 14.5 0.43 6.7 0.054 1.99 105.8 661 0.87 1.49 264 0.29 0.192 0.255

0.385 73.45 12.7 1.19 6.43 0.38 788 8.92 12.68 8.09 0.185 1,209 6 77.7 1.15 7.9 14.88 0.43 6.8 0.054 1.99 107.4 663 0.87 1.5 265 0.29 0.192 0.255

8,450,000 1,785,180 11,839,700 15,000 124,800 3,900,000 321,090 1,144,500 5,824,100 10,000 500,000 205,835 19,100 1,661,940 33,060,000 1,091,600 3,715,900 250,000 58,525,200 341,090,000 65,000 253,360 461,760 8,000 286,000 20,850 270,000 10,000 180,000

3,230,800 130,359,102.50 150,649,278 17,100 795,103 1,475,700 253,079,465 10,212,864 74,736,646 80,494 93,530 248,869,895 114,097 127,205,658.50 36,530,290 8,530,662 54,869,924 107,650 397,243,274 19,074,620 129,350 27,067,373 306,286,735 6,960 427,580 5,526,860 79,150 1,920 45,950

12,648,660 25,401,442 1,762,085 1,613,791.00 -48,085,810 -10,101,845 14,703,256 -1,700.00 -1,100,145 -12,690,124 -235,754,209 -126,260 6,347,164 -60,743,820 -1,080,468 43,350

6.8 1.03 2.62 1.44 36.15 3.58 5.06 0.53 1.07 1.34 0.165 0.56 54.1 0.71 0.165 1.67 0.99 1.33 3.7

6.65 1.02 2.56 1.29 35 3.42 5.05 0.51 1.03 1.28 0.16 0.55 52.45 0.71 0.156 1.63 0.98 1.27 3.62

PROPERTY 6.7 1.02 2.59 1.29 35.3 3.42 5.06 0.51 1.07 1.28 0.16 0.56 54 0.71 0.156 1.65 0.99 1.27 3.64

13,700 311,000 81,000 87,270,000 10,065,000 2,078,000 61,500 6,163,000 8,000 413,000 23,070,000 4,309,000 891,460 2,000 1,120,000 6,788,000 4,036,000 127,000 15,336,000

92,161 317,230 208,670 120,250,740 355,260,510 7,221,140 311,075 3,179,200 8,280 536,540 3,704,850 2,388,350 47,707,250.50 1,420 177,050 11,211,370 3,973,240 167,670 55,858,350

-16,750 -2,032,580 -112,360,370 -1,281,520 14,280 -129,040 278,850 9,352,688.50 -1,301,500 -22,919,720

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK BRIGHT KINDLE CHINABANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FILIPINO FUND FIRST ABACUS IREMIT MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK UNION BANK VANTAGE

3.35 47.6 95.7 4.44 117.5 1.28 40 16.18 19.98 7.72 0.73 1.69 840 0.69 81 0.75 14.32 25.5 58 242 117 90 39.3 202.8 79.05 1.24

3.35 48.25 95.7 4.44 118 1.32 40.05 16.18 19.98 7.72 0.73 1.69 840 0.69 81.15 0.75 14.5 25.75 58.05 242 117 90.5 39.3 202.8 79.05 1.24

3.35 47.6 94 4.3 114.6 1.26 39.9 16.18 19.7 7.72 0.73 1.69 840 0.66 79.25 0.74 14.3 25.5 57.2 242 110 90 38.7 199.9 79 1.22

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 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 AND CO ROXAS HLDG SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

43.7 5.5 0.86 1.4 19.4 0.285 97 9.52 16.18 165 23.4 14.8 59 91.4 2.15 6.1 12.04 13.18 7.91 6.9 6 1.76 21.1 73.7 16.8 6.7 1.71 202.8 72 7.88 3.9 30.5 26.6 16 293 0.26 6.89 3.42 8.77 11.56 2.39 7.15 1.87 78 4.9 260 4.94 2.02 2.84 12.28 4.22 0.15 1.48 162.5 4.42 1.72 1.08

43.8 5.55 0.86 1.42 21.05 0.3 97 9.55 16.3 165 23.5 15.2 62 91.45 2.2 6.12 12.04 13.18 7.95 6.9 6.01 1.76 21.2 73.7 17.16 6.7 1.71 204 72 8.1 3.9 30.75 27.5 16.2 293 0.26 6.89 3.45 8.89 11.56 2.39 7.15 2 78 4.9 265 4.94 2.02 2.84 12.34 4.22 0.15 1.48 163.1 4.54 1.72 1.08

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

0.38 73.4 12.84 1.13 6.41 0.39 793 9.2 13.1 7.95 0.189 1,224 6 76.95 1.04 7.92 14.88 0.44 6.85 0.057 1.99 107 666 0.87 1.49 267 0.295 0.192 0.26

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

6.8 1.02 2.62 1.39 36 3.5 5.05 0.52 1.03 1.29 0.165 0.56 54 0.71 0.16 1.66 0.99 1.29 3.7

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMETOWN PROP PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

0.16 0.32 0.6 4.82 24.25 1.66 29.1 1.01 0.9 4.77

0.164 0.34 0.61 4.88 24.25 1.7 29.4 1.02 0.9 4.77

0.16 0.315 0.57 4.3 23.5 1.61 28.7 1 0.9 4.63

0.16 0.315 0.57 4.5 23.7 1.7 29.4 1.02 0.9 4.65

18,110,000 11,760,000 36,870,000 3,350,000 3,879,900 190,000 7,131,300 2,419,000 45,000 9,119,000

2,915,140 3,714,550 21,716,920 15,566,000 92,071,500 311,670 207,721,895 2,444,320 40,500 42,451,660

162,000 3,213,000 -167,000.00 412,800 -67,873,890 180,320 -16,277,580 -5,050 -5,441,730

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CALATA CORP CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD GLOBE TELECOM GMA NETWORK GOLDEN HAVEN HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL INTL CONTAINER IP EGAME IPM HLDG ISLAND INFO ISM COMM JACKSTONES LEISURE AND RES MACROASIA MANILA JOCKEY MELCO CROWN METRO RETAIL NOW CORP PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT

7.84 48 1.48 0.53 5.16 7.2 0.066 2.43 93.15 9.8 8.65 2.35 1,800 6.15 16.18 3.67 4.3 75.9 0.0093 9.03 0.204 1.37 3.16 3.97 3.12 2.37 4.98 3.74 2.81 5.6 3.1 138 9 1,419 1.43 0.41 46.3 80 6.16 2.43 1.13 3.24 0.41

7.84 48 1.49 0.54 5.68 7.38 0.066 2.49 93.3 9.8 8.65 2.35 1,828 6.15 16.7 3.7 4.3 76.2 0.0094 9.07 0.205 1.38 3.2 3.97 3.25 2.37 5.08 3.82 2.87 5.7 3.12 138 9 1,460 1.43 0.415 46.4 81.5 6.24 2.44 1.14 3.25 0.41

7.6 47.1 1.46 0.52 5.16 7.09 0.065 2.42 90.4 9.75 8.65 2.35 1,780 6.07 16.1 3.18 3.85 74 0.0093 9.03 0.196 1.37 3.16 3.74 3.05 2.14 4.88 3.73 2.72 5.5 3.1 138 8.7 1,386 1.39 0.4 46 80 6.16 2.42 1.07 3.2 0.4

SERVICES 7.84 47.1 1.46 0.54 5.68 7.36 0.066 2.47 92 9.75 8.65 2.35 1,828 6.09 16.7 3.28 3.98 76 0.0094 9.07 0.201 1.37 3.2 3.86 3.05 2.24 5.06 3.82 2.72 5.5 3.11 138 8.8 1,460 1.43 0.41 46 81.15 6.16 2.42 1.08 3.23 0.4

150,200 25,000 21,000 371,000 10,500 8,867,100 7,160,000 3,248,000 683,840 4,000 341,900 5,000 72,065 407,200 94,500 19,980,000 765,000 3,214,740 4,000,000 525,000 15,450,000 299,000 25,000 9,528,000 1,357,000 517,000 5,301,100 599,000 2,304,000 4,500 33,000 450 285,200 100,470 14,550,000 10,670,000 4,081,900 1,281,570 126,000 1,352,000 42,866,000 391,000 230,000

1,165,633 1,187,370 30,890 197,470 56,918 64,239,735 466,070 7,970,830 62,783,281 39,010 2,957,435 11,750 130,781,145 2,481,340 1,564,602 66,951,790 3,084,190 243,415,610 37,300 4,758,750 3,116,820 410,730 79,120 36,464,480 4,219,180 1,142,910 26,457,898 2,275,580 6,369,510 25,015 102,610 62,100 2,506,477 142,984,285 20,681,910 4,330,900 188,474,045 103,877,955 779,266 3,276,220 46,853,360 1,257,390 93,100

784 1,906,469 -3,250 -167,360 20,202,048.50 7,785 72,258,265 769,890 18,400 2,459,167.50 -104,520 -8,076,750 -954,380 -33,250 -7,229,936 -461,560 -98,700 77,700 62,100 857.9999 -19,867,265 -7,564,430 122,000 -14,317,640 55,327,853 -457,050 14,458,830.00 -9,610 -

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

0.0031 2.04 5.7 9.63 1.84 2 0.465 0.44 10.86 2.48 0.25 0.188 0.195 0.011 0.011 1.9 6.77 2.38 0.94 4.22 0.015 9.35 3.2 142.5 2.85 0.0089

0.0034 2.04 5.7 11.48 1.84 2 0.48 0.44 11.08 2.5 0.255 0.191 0.195 0.011 0.011 1.9 6.86 2.43 0.96 4.22 0.015 9.44 3.3 143.1 2.85 0.0089

0.0031 1.95 5.68 9.62 1.83 1.88 0.46 0.44 10.2 2.43 0.249 0.188 0.195 0.011 0.011 1.79 6.71 2.32 0.94 4.22 0.014 9.26 3.1 141 2.84 0.0088

MINING & OIL 0.0032 1,139,000,000 1.95 5,160,000 5.69 244,300 11.48 2,000 1.83 57,000 1.88 38,000 0.48 360,000 0.44 330,000 11 37,300 2.5 3,752,000 0.25 650,000 0.19 15,340,000 0.195 50,000 0.011 2,000,000 0.011 100,000 1.86 470,000 6.8 3,119,700 2.43 142,000 0.94 98,000 4.22 21,000 0.015 16,200,000 9.4 1,625,400 3.19 2,223,000 142.3 1,929,470 2.84 10,000 0.0088 5,000,000

3,717,300 10,234,740 1,390,165 20,999 104,330 72,240 167,150 145,200 406,034 9,303,810 162,520 2,908,370 9,750 22,000 1,100 872,780 21,251,241 338,940 92,200 88,620 241,600 15,235,229 7,056,310 274,667,084 28,450 44,100

-834,150 -342,000 -9,629 -22,740 -9,400 -622,480 -4,858,228.00 82,250 -29,900 2,088,005.00 -58,575,919 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF G FPH PREF C GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B MWIDE PREF PF PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

47 535 105.5 103.5 115 505 5.85 1,021 1,031 106.7 1,010 77 82 76.75 78 81 78.1 79.2

47.95 535 105.5 104 115 515 5.86 1,021 1,035 106.8 1,016 77 82 76.75 78 81.1 78.1 79.3

47 535 105.5 103.5 115 505 5.84 1,021 1,031 106.7 1,010 77 81.3 76.75 78 81 78.1 78.05

PREFERRED 47.95 40,100 535 1,860 105.5 90 104 1,260 115 10,000 515 530 5.85 2,508,000 1,021 20 1,031 75 106.7 128,110 1,016 10,040 77 33,600 81.3 44,390 76.75 13,000 78 14,000 81 204,450 78.1 2,700 78.5 95,400

1,905,500 995,100 9,495 130,766 1,150,000 272,850 14,671,995 20,420 77,385 13,680,688 10,200,400 2,587,200 3,620,728 997,750 1,092,000 16,568,129 210,870 7,506,170

-1,447,070 -2,347,780 -

LR WARRANT

2.14

2.14

2.1

WARRANTS 2.14 299,000

631,380

-

455,580 410,050 2,930 99,546,564

-7,517,049

1,050,634

-

MS PHILAB HLDG ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

7.09 3.6 2.93 8.54

7.18 3.6 2.93 8.76

7.05 3.53 2.93 8.39

FIRST METRO ETF

119.5

119.5

118

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

SHARES

15,995,487

INDUSTRIAL

156,066,789

HOLDING FIRMS

475,835,471

PROPERTY

255,029,658

SERVICES

164,813,500

MINING & OIL

1,198,871,686

GRAND TOTAL

2,278,386,271

7.06 3.53 2.93 8.49

SME

64,300 115,000 1,000 11,584,500

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 118.5 8,880

VALUE 1,778.50 (DOWN) 23.94 913,232,933.371 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,014.25 (DOWN) 100.40 1,586,529,802.1428 HOLDING FIRMS 7,322.81 (UP) 6.57 1,915,634,014.843 PROPERTY 3,251.93 (DOWN) 23.31 1,428.14 (UP) 19.67 1,001,719,321.56 SERVICES MINING & OIL 12,207.74 (DOWN) 2.50 1,232,714,157.40 PSEI 7,212.09 (DOWN) 20.38 348,616,328.066 All Shares Index 4,368.38 (DOWN) 15.97 7,099,912,315.3838 Gainers:62; Losers:116; Unchanged: 56; Total: 234

were are open to possibilities. It should be in retail, but not necessarily in the construction line or home improvement,” Belo said.

Belo said within its existing business, Wilcon was looking at opportunities for acquisitions, particularly the regional players.

Belo said the company was focused on expanding its business by building new stores in various cities across the country.

Under the plan, Wilcon will roll out 29 stores over the next five years to add to its existing network of 38 stores. This year alone, it will open eight stores mostly outside Metro Manila.

Belo said the company had already secured 22 sites for 29 stores in the pipeline.

The store expansion will be funded by the proceeds from the company’s initial public offering.

Wilcon obtained the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval for its P7.9-billion maiden share sale. The company has yet to secure approval of the Philippine Stock Exchange, the operator of the country’s equities market.

Wilcon said pending the PSE approval, it planned to conduct the IPO in March, making it the first company first home improvement and construction supplies retailer to list with the PSE. Wilcon enjoys a market share of 70 percent in the home depot market.

D&L plans to expand facility CHEMICAL manufacturer D&L Industries Inc. said it plans to expand current production capacity by the third quarter to sustain growth across all businesses.

D&L president Alvin Lao said in a press briefing the planned expansion would enable the company to prepare for new opportunities that might arise.

“The average utilization rate of our plants is at 65 percent so there is still room for growth. But we don’t want to reach the situation where there maybe opportunities but we don’t have the capacity. So we need to start expanding,” Lao said.

Lao said the details of the planned expansion, including plant location, capacity and spending requirement could be finalized in the third quarter.

D&L has six production facilities, including five in Metro Manila and one in Laguna.

D&L said recurring net income reached P2.64 billion in 2016, up 15 percent from the previous year.

Revenues also grew 14 percent to P22 billion from a year earlier, on the back of a broad-based increase in sales volume and higher prices of raw materials.

High-margin specialties accounted for 61 percent of revenues, while the remaining 39 percent was accounted for by commodities.

Despite the volatility in foreign exchange and commodity prices, group-wide gross profit margin was maintained at 18 percent.

“For this year, we are expecting that as long as the economy continuous to grow well, net income growth should be at mid to high teens,” Lao said.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

BoI approves P1.2-b biomass power plant T

By Othel V. Campos

HE Board of Investments approved the request of Satrap Power Corp. for fiscal incentives as a renewable energy developer for its P1.16-billion biomass energy project under the current Investment Priorities Plan.

The power project involves the development, construction and operation of a combined 10-megawatt power facility in Barangay Nagpanaoan, Santa, Ilocos Sur. “This project boosts the Ilocos region as a hub for renewable power and complements the wind power plants already in the region,” Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said.

“The addition of biomass

projects will spur further development of renewable energy sources in the area as we continue our march towards reducing our dependence on fossil fuels over time,” he said Satrap will use municipal solid wastes and agricultural wastes as feedstock to generate 3 megawatts and 7 MW of power, respectively, through a supply agreement with several local government units in the province.

Both plants are scheduled to be operational in April 2019 with an estimated 30 employees.

Th two plants follow a power generation process that allows wastes to be transported to the tipping area where these are sorted and segregated. Leftovers undergo drying and shredding to produce pellets. The pellets are then fed to gasifier or boiler to produce syngas or steam to power the gas turbines.

Satrap has the option to sell the generated electricity to National Grid Corp. of the Philippines under the feed-in tariff system of the Renewable Energy Act. Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative Inc. is also being considered as another market.

Industry data as of June 2016 showed the Philippines had a total installed power capacity of 20,055 MW with a dependable

production of 17,925 MW and an available output 13,877 MW. Peak demand reached 13,197 MW. Newly-installed operational capacity stood at 1,271 MW, while committed projects expected to be operational by the end of 2016 topped 6,179 MW with an indicative capacities of up to 13,853 MW. Renewable energy constituted the largest share of the total installed power capacity in the country with a 34.3-percent share, followed by coal with 33.2 percent and natural gas at 14.3 percent.

Hydro has the biggest share among renewable energy sources with 18 percent of the aggregate capacity, followed by geothermal at 9.56 percent, solar at 3.4 percent, wind at 2.1 percent and biomass at 1.2 percent.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP. Ant Financial, Ayala Corp. and Globe Capital Venture Holdings Inc. hold a ceremonial signing agreement in Hangzhou, China over the strategic partnership in Globe Fintech Innovations Inc., or Mynt. The investment will allow Mynt, a wholly-owned subsidiary of GCVHI under Globe Telecom, to achieve its vision of becoming a world-class online and offline payment provider. Shown are (from left) Ant Financial senior vice president Douglas Feagin, Ant Financial CEO Eric Jing, Ayala chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II, Globe Telecom president and CEO Ernest Cu and Mynt president and CEO John Rubio.

Regulator clears PAL’s share swap transaction

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE parent firm of Philippine Airlines said the share swap transaction with unit Zuma Holdings and Management Corp. will push through after the Philippine Competition Commission declined to take actions on the transaction.

PAL Holdings said the PCC had determined that the shareswap transaction between the company and Zuma would not result in a change of control of the acquired firm.

“As such, the PCC will not take any further action with regard to

the transaction. With the foregoing, the undersigned company will proceed with the share swap transaction,” PAL Holdings said.

Earlier, the board of PAL Holdings approved the acquisition of Zuma, through a share swap between existing shareholders of Zuma and PAL Holdings under the exchange ratio of 1 Zuma share to 19 PAL Holdings shares.

In exchange for the Zuma shares, PAL will issue in favor of Cosmic and Horizon a total of 1,647,959,186 shares from out of its authorized but unissued capital stock.

The total issued and outstanding capital of Zuma is

Beware of Uber HAPPY Hour has been receiving requests to share the unnerving and traumatic experience of Becca Romero (the daughter of Omy and Rosanne Romero who are members of the Manilabased Christian community known as Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon or LNP) regarding Uber.

According to Becca, she booked a ride with the online transport company from Greenbelt to a certain destination. After making sure that the door was not child-locked, she got in.

“When the trip started, I noticed that my driver had a cap on and did not greet me nor verify my identity like most (if not all) Uber drivers usually do once their passenger enters. He also did not ask me my preferred route (Uber drivers usually ask right away).

I also noticed that there was an overwhelmingly strong almondjelly scent, and that the aircon was on full-blast and facing only the back,” went the account from Becca.

Becca recalls the same observations made by another girl who had shared her experience previously—the cap, the full-blast aircon directed only at the passenger and the unfriendly driver. “She mentioned that benzaldehyde is a chemical that smells like almond-jelly (or something sweet and fruity), which can be used to mask other strong smelling scents/chemicals. I also read that you could try to keep the fumes out by putting a wet towel or hanky over your nose. I only had wet wipes and a dry hanky, but I put it over my nose anyway to help keep from inhaling the scent in car,” continued Becca’s story.

Less than 10 minutes after boarding the vehicle, Beccas says she started experiencing dizziness and also felt lightheaded, while her arms also began to “feel heavy, tingly and numb all at once.”

Sensing that “something was wrong,” the young woman immedi-

currently held by Cosmic and Horizon at 60 percent and 40 percent,respectively.

The shares are valued at P5 per share or a total issue value of P8.24 billion.

No other consideration will be paid by PAL for the Zuma shares.

Zuma owns 99.97 percent of Air Philippines Corp., or Airphil Express.

Upon approval of the transaction by the regulators, PAL Holdings will indirectly own APC or Airphil Express through Zuma as one of its subsidiaries.

The other direct subsidiary is Philippine Airlines.

“The transaction will rationalize and consolidate the airline business of the Lucio Tan Group under PAL Holdings,” PAL said.

With the integration of the two airlines under PAL, it is expected that the companies can streamline their processes thereby enhancing the transportation experience of the riding public, reducing costs and increasing revenue.

PAL Holdings earlier reported a total total comprehensive income of P2.96 billion in the first nine months of the year, lower by 54.8 percent from the previous year’s total comprehensive income of P6.55 billion.

ately told the Uber driver that she was feeling dizzy and was getting off. The driver only said “Ma’am?”—at which point Becca unlocked the car door and got off.

“I was shaking, dizzy and nauseous the minute I got down, Thankfully, my cousin Isabel was still in Makati and we just took a shuttle home instead,” Becca narrated, expressing her gratitude to a girl named “Christine” who had shared her experience which alerted the young woman.

“I don’t think I will be booking Uber anytime soon. I have reported the incident but received an unsatisfactory template response from Uber,” she continued, adding that it was the same email response that “Christine” also received from the transport company.

Our buddies say that what happened to Becca is not an isolated incident, and that there have also been a lot of other complaints about Uber and its drivers not only in the Philippines but other places. Last Valentine’s Day, news came out about this driver that was banned by the company for sexually harassing a passenger by flashing his private part during the ride.

Just recently, a blog post reported about claims by former Uber employees that they were subjected to sexism and abuse, but that the company remained indifferent to the plight of these former software engineers. For instance, a female employee was subjected to ridicule by the males when she commented that a T-shirt worn by a male colleague and which showed a naked woman on it might not be appropriate attire for the office. There were also instances where females were allegedly talked down to by male managers—which suggests a less than ideal working environment.

Since the time Uber began operations in 2009, it has become huge and dominant with presence in 60 countries and valued at $68 billion. However, it also has a lot of issues and controversies that it must face such as alleged tax evasion, vulture pricing and most of all—the safety of its passengers, many of whom are beginning to feel uneasy at the thought that they could be at the mercy of total strangers who might not have been properly vetted but were accepted by Uber simply because they happen to own vehicles.

••• 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!

B3

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Defining the arena

THIS week is the first week of March. At the Asian Institute of Management, we are nearing the end of the first term of the Master in Entrepreneurship program and the topic of the moment is strategic management.

Foundation What is strategy? Most definitions will say that strategy is a plan or method for achieving a defined goal. More detailed definitions reference the marshaling of resources effectively and efficiently. Strategy derives from the Greek strategos, which translates roughly into generalship.

The word’s roots in generalship make sense when we consider that (a) corporate strategy is essentially about pulling all of a company’s resources and people towards a common aim, (b) corporate strategy is essentially led by senior management and (c) corporate strategy is almost always developed and implemented within an environment of competition.

In AIM, we always say that strategic management is a cycle and consists of a few basic questions. The first most basic question grounds the answers to all the others. It is the question of being. Who are we? This is what we think of as the MVV question. What is our mission, our reason for being? What is our vision? In pursuit of our vision, what values will we uphold?

The other questions define the cycle. Where are we?

Where do we want to go? How can we get there? How do we do it? How are we doing? They are questions that we ask over and over again because strategy is developed and implemented in a changing world.

In the framework most commonly known to students of strategy, it is clear that strategy development requires an understanding of both the external and internal situation of the company. In a world of rapid change, this also means developing an understanding of the trends and potential changes in both external and internal situations.

Competition In his 1989 article, The Origin of Strategy in the Harvard Business Review, Bruce Henderson begins with a key observation from a 1934 paper by G.F. Gause, “the father of mathematical biology”: “No two species can coexist that make their living in the identical way.”

Henderson follows up this history lesson with a few observations from nature: (a) competition existed in nature way before strategy and the essential factor feeding competition is variety; (b) the richer the natural environment, the larger the number of factors that can be used to claim a superior position or niche (competitive advantage!); and (c) the richer the environment, the higher the number of potential competitors.

Henderson points out that, in nature, for the most part, dominance is a matter of chance and evolution except that strategy can be used to “accelerate the effects of competition and the rate of change.” Henderson points out that while “imagination and logic make strategy possible,” they are not enough. Strategy formulation also requires an understanding of the “complex web of natural competition.”

What this means is that strategy cannot be developed nor implemented in a vacuum.

This explains why any class on strategy includes an analysis of the external environment of the business. An analysis of the external business environment typically involves three to four levels of analytics depending on the size and type of corporation. The largest level of analysis is what we call the macro analysis and typically will use the base mnemonic of PEST, covering the core analytics of political, economic, social and technological; or the extended mnemonic of PESTLE, which adds legal and environmental. The next level of analysis is typically industry analysis and local area analysis (country or region). These macro layers of analysis form the context for the most important part of the external analysis, the competitive analysis.

Essentially, the competitive analysis allows a company to compare itself with its competition. This is important because the essence of strategy is the creation of competitive advantage, which has meaning only within the context of competition.

Competitive Arena One way to begin a competitive analysis is to begin with this question: Who are our competitors? Essentially, this asks the question: who do we compete with for customers? One question that we can ask to help identify competition is this: If the customer does not buy from us, what are the other alternatives? We need to ask about the alternatives as opposed to who the customer would buy from because in many cases, especially for institutional customers, one of the alternatives is to rely on internal capabilities.

Another way to approach the question of competitive analysis is to take a step further back and ask the more important question: what exactly are we offering the market? What value are we providing to the customer?

What pain point are we addressing? How are we making the customer’s life better? This is important because our competitor may not be selling the same product but still be addressing the same pain point. This means that identifying competition is not so much identifying target customer and product, it is about identifying target customer and product or service purpose.

Essentially, this means that a competitive analysis begins with defining our competitive arena. This creates a tiny conundrum because it begs a critical question: which customer do we analyze? Current customers? Current targets? Potential targets?

The answer to this lies in an important fact: Strategy is about making choices and is as much about choosing in which arena to compete as it is about how to compete in that arena. What this means is that the first competitive arena we draw is a wide one: Who could we possibly provide value to?

Readers can email Maya at integrations_manila@ yahoo.com. Or visit her site at http://integrations.tumblr. com. For academic publications, Maya uses her full name, Maria Elena Baltazar Herrera.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

Business

Japan’s factory output declines TOKYO―Japan’s factory output unexpectedly slipped 0.8 percent in January, the first fall in six months and the latest red flag for the world’s numberthree economy, official data showed Tuesday.

The on-month figure, which missed market expectations for a 0.4 percent expansion, comes a week after Japan logged its first trade deficit in almost half a year.

A weak yen has helped prop up the economy by driving exports, but inflation and consumer spending remain weak as cautious firms avoid big pay hikes.

“This is a reminder to be cautious for those who have been upbeat on Japan’s economy,” Taro Saito, director of economic research at the NLI Research Institute, told Bloomberg News.

Production of electronics parts and devices expanded in January, lifted by strong demand for smartphones and other gadgets, the government said Tuesday. But that was offset by a decline in passenger vehicle production.

The data dampen hopes for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to produce meaningful growth with a policy blitz, dubbed Abenomics.

The plan―a mix of aggressive monetary easing and huge government spending along with reforms to the economy― stoked a stock market rally and fattened corporate profits, but the effect on the wider economy has been less dramatic.

While Japan’s job market is tight, individual spending― which accounts for more than a half of the country’s GDP― has remained in the deep freeze.

The Bank of Japan, aiming to create two-percent inflation to achieve sustainable growth, now expects to reach that goal

by March 2019―four years later than planned.

Government and central bank officials have blamed external factors, such as falling energy prices and uncertainty related to emerging economies, for that failure. AFP

CIGAR FESTIVAL. A worker at the XIX Havana Cigar Festival look at a box of cigars at the Convention Palace in Havana on February 27, 2017. AFP

Asia must invest $26t in infra by 2030—ADB A sia’s infrastructure race is just getting started.

Emerging economies across the region will need to invest as much as $26 trillion on building everything from transport networks to clean water through 2030 to maintain growth, eradicate poverty and offset climate change.

That’s according to an Asian Development Bank report released Tuesday that highlights the need for massive construction and upgrading of public works and for much greater private sector investment. Leaving out spending to mitigate climate change, some $22.6 trillion will still be needed over the same period, the ADB said.

Big-ticket investment of $14.7 trillion is needed for power, $8.4 trillion for transport, $2.3 trillion for telecommunication costs and $800 billion for water and sanitation, adjusted for climate change.

The bulk of infrastructure work is needed in East Asia, which accounts for 61 percent of the ADB estimate. As a percentage of gross domestic product, the Pacific leads all other sub regions needing investment valued

at 9.1 percent of GDP, followed by South Asia at 8.8 percent.

The new projection of a $1.7-trillion annual infrastructure need, adjusted for climate change, is more than double the $750 billion that the Manila-based development bank estimated in 2009―though the latest report looks at 45 of the ADB’s developing members compared with 32 last time and uses 2015 prices compared to 2008 ones.

Governments around the region are promising major new spending on public works, often with competing promises of heavy investment from China and Japan.

At the same time, the new China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has also begun funding projects, offering an alternative to the US-influenced World Bank and Japanese-driven ADB. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has embarked on an ambitious $160-billion infrastructure plan as he seeks to sustain growth of about 7 percent, among the fastest in the world. Malaysia, which already boasts world-class infrastructure, is pushing ahead with more projects including new rail lines in capital city Kuala Lumpur, the

2,000-kilometer Pan Borneo Highway and the West Coast Expressway.

While Indonesian President Joko Widodo struggled to get infrastructure off the ground in his early years in office, momentum is now building with the government speeding up projects including an uninterrupted toll-road connection in the country’s main islands and construction of a 720-kilometer railway from Jakarta to Surabaya.

India’s government estimates it needs more than $1.5 trillion to meet its infrastructure needs over the next decade as it undertakes a massive modernization of its decrepit railways and roads. It also aims to link each of its 700,000 villages, offering more avenues for development of the hinterland that houses 70 percent of its 1.3 billion population.

In Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is pegging his 2018 re-election campaign on bridging chronic energy and infrastructure gaps as his administration targets a 7 percent economic growth rate within two years.

Constrained by resources, Pakistan is turning to China which has pledged to invest in projects worth about $55 billion as part of a so-called economic corridor. Bloomberg

Illegal currency trading shuttered BEIJING―China said it has broken up an underground banking operation that conducted $7.3 billion in illegal foreign-currency transfers, trumpeting the bust as a sign of its resolve in stemming massive capital flight.

The State Administration of Foreign Exchange said in a statement late Monday that it had investigated six companies suspected of illegal forex transfers in the southern city of Shenzhen.

An unspecified number of other firms were found to have used false documentation, fabricated trades, and other methods to funnel money out of the country, the forex regulator said.

These include “ant moving”–the process of transferring large sums of money out in small portions to avoid detection.

SAFE vowed that this year it would “strengthen foreign exchange market supervision and seriously attack foreign exchange violations in order to protect China’s international balance of payments.”

“At the same time, (we) will increase policy transparency and promote financial markets’ opening to the outside world.”

A huge wave of overseas investment last year by Chinese companies seeking better returns abroad prompted the government to rail against “irrational” spending.

It began rolling out a series of restrictions on overseas money movements as leaders grow increasingly concerned over capital flight, slowing domestic economic growth and a weakening yuan currency.

China’s vast foreign exchange reserves in 2016 fell below $3 trillion for the first time in six years, as the authorities spent heavily to prop up the value of the yuan and cut down on outflows.

At the same time, the government has announced loosened restrictions on foreign investment coming into China to help stimulate economic growth and attract inflows.

In February, SAFE approved $89.2 billion in investments by Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors in the country’s onshore financial market as of February 24, it said, up from $87.31 billion in January. AFP

Waldorf Astoria, legendary New York hotel, closes for facelift

By Catherine Triomphe NEW YORK―It’s goodbye for now to the grand Art Deco lobby and celebrities crossing paths en route to “The Towers” at the Waldorf Astoria: one of the world’s most luxurious hotels is closing for renovation.

The legendary establishment opened at its Park Avenue location in midtown Manhattan in 1931 with more than 1,400 rooms, the largest―and tallest―anywhere at the time.

It has hosted a stream of international political leaders, movie stars, tycoons and power players of all kinds for more than 85 years.

From Marilyn Monroe to Grace Kelly, US presidents Herbert Hoover to Barack Obama, as well as global leaders in town for the United Nations General Assembly every year, the Waldorf Astoria has been the place to be.

The hotel is massive, occupying a full city block of prime New York real estate.

Famous for its upscale services, the Waldorf says it invented the concept of 24-hour room service.

The Art Deco style is carried through details down to the door handles in the lobby bathrooms.

However, the grande dame

The Grand Ballroom at the New York City’s Waldorf Astoria, one of the most famous hotels in the world, February 24, 2017. On March 1, 2017, the Waldorf Astoria will close temporarily for renovations, and reportedly only a small portion of the hotel will remain the rest being turned into condominiums. The Waldorf Hotel opened in March 1893. AFP

is showing her age.

‘Very, very sad’ Guests have complained about dated rooms, peeling paint and issues with cleanliness.

The hotel’s owner, Anbang Insurance Group, says it will close the hotel for major renovations starting Wednesday. The work is due to last two to three years.

The Chinese company bought the historic gem in 2014 from the Hilton hotel chain for $1.95 billion.

Although it has released no official renovation plan, Anbang is expected to convert a large number of rooms into luxury apartments with boutique stores on the ground floor, leaving only a small part of the building as a hotel.

The facade―which became an official landmark in 1993, joining the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge―is in no danger.

But the interior is not protected under the landmark designation, and some are worried that such treasures as the four-story grand ballroom and sprawling mosaic by the French artist Louis Rigal decorating the entrance

will disappear forever, despite Anbang’s promise to consult preservation officials.

“I’m very, very sad,” said 70-year-old Donna Karpa from Washington, a regular from the age of five who was in town for the weekend.

“I’d come every year as a little girl,” she said. “We would come with my family for Christmas and we’d see the Rockettes (dance show) and we would go ice skating at Rockefeller Center. It’s great and the location is wonderful!”

Sandra Thomson, a Briton from Birmingham, left enchanted after six days in the hotel with her family to celebrate her daughter’s 18th birthday.

“We just absolutely loved it!” she said. “I love the architecture, all the Art Deco and also the history. It’s just an icon of America, isn’t it? And you want to experience it.”

‘All the one-percenters’ Besides the guests’ many wows, the hotel’s employees―1,400 of them in total―chiefly remember the rich, famous and powerful who have frequented the Waldorf every day.

A stay by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt―one of Hollywood’s most glamorous couples until their breakup last year―is still fresh in everyone’s minds. But each has a favorite memory of

a striking encounter.

Michael Romei, head concierge of the 42-story central tower known as the “The Towers”―a hotel-within-a-hotel boasting the most luxurious suites―has stopped counting the celebrities he’s met during his 23 years of service.

His best memory: “Being blessed by the Dalai Lama.”

“This is such a great place to work!” said Paul Hopkins, who has been a bellhop here for a dozen years. “Right in the elevators, you can meet so many celebrities, all the different presidents, lots of CEOs, all the one-percenters!”

Some criticize Obama’s break with decades of tradition in 2015 following Anbang’s takeover by deciding not to stay at the Waldorf and to no longer put up US diplomats here during the UN’s General Assembly.

Ivona―a hostess at the hotel’s Peacock Alley restaurant who declined to give her last name― called it a “slap in the face.”

But just like many of the guests, the hotel’s employees agree that even if they adore the place, it’s time to refresh.

“We love the nostalgia, but it’s kind of dated,” said Ron Ruth, an aircraft mechanic from San Francisco who came for his 23rd wedding anniversary. AFP

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

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SPORTS MEET. Students, participants and residents fill the Ilagan City Sports Complex with color for the Cagayan Valley Regional Athletic Association competitions in Ilagan City, Isabela. The six-day event ended Tuesday with Cagayan Province topping the competition with 96 gold, 86 silver and 83 bronze medals, dislodging last year’s champion Nueva Vizcaya and host Isabela. Abe Almirol

Erap touts P1b in infra projects within a year B ARELY a year into his second term of office, Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada has completed more than P1 billion worth of infrastructure projects in the city.

Estrada said Tuesday it’s part of his multibillion-peso Comprehensive Development Plan, aimed at cementing Manila’s place in the ranks of highly competitive cities in the country.

With infrastructure as his top priority since being elected in 2013, Estrada put up 84 projects in 2016 alone, 47 of which have already been completed.

“Our city has gone a long way from being a bankrupt, neglected city since we took over more than three years ago,” the mayor said. “As I have prom-

ised my constituents before, we will put up more infra projects and socio-development programs for them. More will come. We will not stop here.”

Last year, Estrada launched his development plan for 2016 to 2019 anchored on his “ERAP-G Plan” that stands for Environment, Revival of City Landscape, Advancement of the local economy, Poverty alleviation, and Good Governance.

It’s the blueprint of the Estrada administration’s focused and increased determination in working toward the “rebirth

of Manila” and renewing Manila’s old glory and economic growth.

From January to December 2016, 84 projects worth P1.087 billion were completed or in near-completion. The list includes four new health centers, seven public libraries and markets, six basketball courts and sports complexes, and 20 City Hall-based structures with a total project cost of P628.7 million, the Office of the City Engineer said.

Nineteen of the 37 projects have been fully completed, the City Engineer added.

Separately, 47 road upgrade and drainage improvement projects worth P458 million were implemented in 2016, with 28 completed.

In 2015, the Estrada adminis-

tration completed 95 infrastructure projects worth P922.2 million, excluding 44 road repair and drainage improvements worth P380.7 million.

In his first three years in office, Estrada completed over 150 infrastructure projects worth more than P7 billion, including 88 roads, 80 school buildings, and 39 parks and playgrounds.

Among these projects are 51 flood control and drainage systems worth P1.8 billion; 36 multi-purpose halls worth P223 million; and P75 million in street lights.

With a P600-million budget, Estrada also renovated and modernized Manila’s six public hospitals, equipping each with modern, state-of-the-art medical equipment. Sandy Araneta

Seniors first to get Manila City Card MANILA’S city government is now distributing financial benefits to its citizens through the recently introduced Manila City Card, described as a “free, reloadable and hasslefree prepaid card.”

The card “is designed to be a secured and faster means for Manileños to receive their benefits from the city government.

It is issued by OmniPay Inc. and co-branded with the city of Manila under the UnionPay brand.

“I don’t want you to have a difficult time in receiving your benefits, you don’t have to fall in line, and you don’t have to wait for a long time,” Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada told the city’s elderly in a recent meeting. “That’s why the first batch we have given the cards to are senior citizens, because we want to ensure they will have an easy life.”

Manila’s Office for Senior Citizens Affairs says there are some 132,000 registered senior citizens in the city.

Senior citizens in Manila, un-

Helipads for QC buildings sought

President credited for 8% more tourists

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—Tourist arrivals here have seen an eight-percent increase since its former mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, became President, the city tourism office said Tuesday.

City Tourism Officer Regina Rosa Tecson said in 2016, Davao recorded 1.85-million tourist arrivals, compared to the 1.73 million recorded in 2015.

Tecson said Duterte, who ruled the city for over two decades, became Davao’s “biggest endorser” the moment he decided to throw his hat into the presidential race in 2016.

Her office has even included President’s green-gated house as one of the city’s tourist destinations.

“People want to witness the ‘Exhibit A’ of the President,” she said, adding they have included

Duterte as “one of the city’s icons” to attract more tourists.

“Before we only have four [tourist] icons—the waling-waling orchid, Mt. Apo, durian and the Philippine Eagle. Now we have five.

The President is our fifth,” she said.

On this year’s 80th Araw ng Davao celebration, the city will be expecting more than 150,000 tourists “since Davao has been making waves after Duterte won the presidency,” Tecson said.

This year’s celebration will run for two weeks starting on March 1, and will even be extended to March 18, she added.

In last year’s celebration, Duterte made an emotional farewell to Davaoeṅos since it would be his last Araw ng Davao as mayor of the city, making a political sortie on the exact date of the party.

SOLONS’ LEAGUE. Senate President Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III administers the oath of office to the newly elected national officers of the Lady Local Legislators League (4L) of the Philippines during a recent visit. The group is headed by Masbate Vice Governor Jo Kristine Revil, who is also the public relations officer of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines and standard-bearer of the Responsible Excellent Active Leaders Team. Also inducted were Laguna Vice Governor Karen Agapay, executive vice president; Pola, Oriental Mindoro Vice Mayor Jennifer Cruz Alegre, secretary general; South Cotabato Board Member Grace Subere-Albios, treasurer; Talisay City, Negros Occidental councilor Zenia Astorga, auditor; and regional representatives from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

GSIS OKs P2b in loans to members in Surigao Norte

By Julito G. Rada THE Government Service Insurance System has opened a P2-billion emergency loan facility for its active members and old-age pensioners in Surigao del Norte, which was recently hit by a 6.7-magnitude earthquake.

On Tuesday, GSIS said the facility would also be available in nine other areas in Mindanao affected by other calamities. The deadline for filing of loan applications is on March 21.

Seven of the Mindanao areas—Davao del Norte; Davao Oriental; Compostela Valley;

der the Estrada administration, receive a P500 cash gift on their birthdays. The city government also started giving out P6,000 social pensions annually to indigent seniors.

Centenarians are given a special cash gift of P100,000.

Since April 2016, 17 centenarians have received that amount in the city, with “many more being processed in the coming weeks,” the Osca said.

Each centenarian also receives P10,000 during the yearly celebration of the Araw ng Maynila on June 24.

City personnel, teachers, law enforcers, city hospital patients, and the city’s general constituents will receive the Manila City Card next, the mayor said.

Melito Salazar, board chairman of OmniPay, said beneficiaries of financial assistance, such as senior citizens, police officers, and teachers, used to call or visit City Hall, sign papers, and follow up every month just to receive benefits. Sandy Araneta

Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental; Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte; Ditsa-an Ramain, Lanao del Sur; and Pagalungan, Maguindanao—experienced heavy rains and floods in January.

Lopez Jaena in Misamis Occidental suffered landslides owing to heavy rains, and Bu-

bong, Lanao del Sur encountered low water supply that damaged crops there.

“A total of 52,680 active members who are residing or working in the calamitydeclared areas, not on leave of absence without pay, have no arrears in paying premium contributions, and have no un-

paid loans for more than six months, may avail of the loan,” the agency said.

Members availing of the loan for the first time may apply for a P20,000 emergency loan.

Those with loan balances may borrow P40,000, from which their outstanding balance will be deducted.

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Tuesday directed city hall officials to study the possibility of requiring highrise buildings to have helipads.

He said helipads would prove valuable in times of emergencies, as helicopters would be used for air surveillance, search and rescue, and medical and troop transport.

Bautista made the call in a recent meeting of the city development council, where various project proposals and ideas were pitched.

“We have to think of the future where commuting by air would probably be affordable.

But more than that, having helipads would be put to good use, especially when there’s a need for an air medical evacuation,” he said.

Bautista, in the past, openly discussed his desire to acquire a helicopter that would be used by the city disaster risk reduction management office, the Quezon City Police District, and the city’s Department of Public Order and Safety. Rio N. Araja

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

LGUs

Standard

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TODAY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

Council wants Didipio pit rehab K

By Abe Almirol and Ben Moses Ebreo

ASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya—The municipal council here has urged the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to order the immediate rehabilitation of the open pit in Barangay Didipio in the mine operated by OceanaGold Philippines Inc. However, OceanaGold has already told the provincial board it will continue to operate the goldcopper mine after appealing to the Office of the President in the wake of a suspension order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

In Resolution No. 018 S-2017, the Sangguniang Bayan of Kasibu asked MGB Regional Director Mario A. Ancheta “to cause appropriate action for OGPI to immediately implement its rehabilitation program on the gaping crater-like pit that it caused on its mining operations at Didipio.”

“Whereas, OGPI has already

expressed that its open pit operations in extracting gold has been stopped even last year,” the resolution added.

In a copy of the resolution obtained by Manila Standard, Kasibu Mayor Alberto Bumolo Jr. signed the bill on Feb. 13 and endorsed it to the MGB—one day before Environment Secretary Regina Lopez declared the termination of Mineral Production Sharing Agreements with 75 mining companies.

A source at the MGB told the Standard the regional office has yet to receive an official copy of the resolution.

However, in a letter to Vice Gov. Lambert Galima Jr. and members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, OceanaGold general manager David Way said they have filed their appeal with President Duterte’s office “in accordance with the rules and regulations to prevent the execution of the suspension order.”

“We believe that there is no legal basis on the suspension order and that the company is not in violation of any laws, rules or regulations, and the operation is not posting any threat to public, security, health, safety or otherwise,” he said.

Way said the Didipio mine is also governed by an Environmental Management System that is ISO 14001-2015 certified.

He added that OceanaGold has been “an environmentally and socially responsible mining company” that has delivered “meaningful benefits to a multitude of stakeholders in the host communities that support the mine in the provinces of Nueva

Vizcaya and Quirino.”

Residents in Kasibu, however, are supposedly alarmed by the uncertainties brought about by mine closure and suspension orders issued by Lopez. Some anti-mining residents also expressed worries the open pit “might cause danger” if not properly rehabilitated.

OceanaGold’s Way, however, said the company has already compensated the impacted areas “including the loss of future income (under the Surface Rights Acquisition)” as provided by its Financial and/or Technical Assistance Agreement with the government, the first such project granted by the country in the 1990s.

OGPI has also sponsored training to control the virus infestation at Malabing Valley, Kasibu, known as the major source of citrus products of Nueva Vizcaya; purchased food requirements for the mine from local markets totalling to P534 million from 2013 to 2016; and upgraded, maintained and improved 107 kilometers of roads, among other ben-

efits to its host communities, the company said.

Also, Way said OceanaGold has “assisted and funded 11 cooperatives in establishing micro and small enterprises in agriculture; provided organizational and technical trainings; and established OGSAI, an affiliate company to undertake agroforestry and agribusiness/livelihood projects in partnership with local landholders and community associations.”

The Socio-Economic Assessment 2015 conducted by University of the Philippines in Los Baños Foundation indicated that the average monthly household income in Didipio is P19,380, Way added.

OGPI has also paid P130 million in Real Property Taxes and an estimated P3.43 billion for income, excise and local business taxes, among other payments to the government, from 2013 to 2016.

In that same four-year span, OGPI spent around P674 million

DPWH in CL tops quality projects list

MANGROVE NURSERY. Carlos

Singh, president of the Paraiso Tacloban Fisherfolk, Mangrove, and Eco-Tourism Development Association, shows off two of 18,000 mangrove seedlings at a nursery, ready for planting and distribution to the coastal area of Barangay 83-Paraiso and other coastal barangays in Tacloban City affected by Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda.’ The Organization for Industrial Spiritual and Cultural Advancement supported the project. Mel Caspe

By Ferdie G. Domingo

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Notice is hereby given that the estate of the late Lamberto Armenio Flores Jr., consisting of real property was extra-judicially settled and distributed among his heirs – Eduardina Montilla Flores, Christopher Lambert M. Flores, Justin Edward M. Flores, and Michael Anthony M. Flores, by means of a public document executed on 27th January 2017, before a Notary Public in Quezon City, Philippines, under Notary Public Atty. Jonna O. Guiang, with Document No. 506, Page No. 103, Book No. III, Series of 2017.

Republic of the Philippines

National Irrigation Administration (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Regional Office No. III

Office Address: Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone Nos. : (044) 766-2467 766-4839, 816-6808 Website: www.region3.nia.gov.ph

IN BRIEF

Notice of Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate

(MS-FEB. 22, MAR. 1 & 8, 2017)

Email Address:niar03@yahoo.com Telefax No.(044) 766-2467 TIN: 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Participatory Irrigation Development Project Loan No. 7709-PH Replacement of Sluicegate with Motorized Lifting Mechanism at Magsaysay Dam and Concrete Lining at Tanggal Kumon Lateral P-12, Camiling RIS, Camiling, Tarlac ITB No. PIDP3-C-CAMRISN-2 1.

The Government of the Philippines (GOP) has received a Loan from the World Bank toward the cost of Participatory Irrigation Development Project and it intends to apply part of the proceeds of this loan to payments under the contract for Replacement of Sluicegate with Motorized Lifting Mechanism at Magsaysay Dam and Concrete Lining at Tanggal Kumon Lateral P-12 Camiling RIS, Camiling, Tarlac.

2.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its duly authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding.

3.

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) now invites bids for the bidding for the Replacement of Sluicegate with Motorized Lifting Mechanism at Magsaysay Dam and Concrete Lining at Tanggal Kumon Lateral P-12 Camiing RIS located at the municipality of Camiling, Tarlac.

Completion of the Works is required in One Hundred Eighty (180) calendar days. Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

4.

Bidding will be conducted in accordance with relevant procedures for open competitive bidding as specified in the IRR of RA 9184 (R.A. 9184), with some amendments, as stated in these bidding documents and is open to all bidders from eligible source countries as defined in the applicable procurement guidelines of the World Bank. The contract shall be awarded to the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bidder (LCRB) who was determined as such during post-qualification.

The Estimated Project Cost (EPC) is Thirty Four Million Seven Hundred Thirty Nine Thousand Nineteen Pesos and 63/100 (PhP 34,739,019.63).

5.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Bids and Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Mondays to Fridays.

6.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by the interested bidders starting February 28, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the bidding documents in the amount Thirty Five Thousand Pesos (PhP 35,000.00).

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

7.

An organized field visit by the contractors and NIA will be conducted on March 06, 2017.

Prospective bidders are advised to coordinate with the BAC Secretariat regarding the itinerary of the field visit. Attendees will include representatives from the Regional Irrigation Office (RIO), Irrigation Management Office (IMO) and Irrigators Associations.

8.

The NIA will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on March 08,2017, 09:00 A.M at the Conference Room, NIA-Region III, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall beopen to all interested parties.

9.

Bids must be delivered at the Conference Room, NIA-Region III, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan on or before March 21, 2017, 10:00 A.M. All bids must be accompanied by a Bid Securing Declaration or a bid security in the amount of Six Hundred Ninety Four Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty Pesos (PhP 694,780.00) in the form of Cash, Cashier’s/Manager’s Check or Bank Guarantee issued by a universal or commercial Bank.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend immediately after the deadline for the submission of bids at the same address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. The NIA 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.

11. For further information, please refer to: The BAC Secretariat

NIA-Regional Office 3

Region III, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone No. (045)766-4839 (SGD.) VIRGILIO J. ILAO Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee (MS-MAR. 1, 2017)

for the development of host and neighboring communities, supported 60 school teachers through salary subsidies, and granted P17 million in scholarships and educational assistance, Way said.

“Of the 1,800 employees at the Didipio mine, 98 percent are Filipinos. Around 55 percent are from Didipio and neighboring communities within Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino,” he added.

Earlier, provincial board members inspected the Didipio operations on in early February to evaluate the impact of its operations and alleged violations.

DENR’s suspension order was based on the petition of the Nueva Vizcaya government for the cancellation of the firm’s FTAA, alleging damages to houses caused by blasting operations and the potential adverse impact to the agricultural areas of the province, among others.

The order also required OGPI to address the issues raised in three months’ time.

Mariveles building P19-million fishport MARIVELES, Bataan—This town, which hosts the Freeport Area of Bataan, is building a P19-million fish port in Barangay Poblacion to help the local fishing community, with Mayor AJ Concepcion opening the project for bidding.

“Mayor AJ has requested the project from the national government to help fisherfolk as well as local fish traders,” said Jaypee Jalos of the Office of the Mayor.

Concepcion, Councilor Harry Golocan, OIC Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Engineer Gladys Dacion, and OIC Municipal Agriculturist Marlyn del Mundo recently went to the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority to ask for the project. Golocan is chairman of the Committee on Agriculture of the Sangguniang Bayan. Butch Gunio

Vizcayanos ask for return of artifacts BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Provincial officials are asking the help of Novo Vizcayanos here and abroad who may have cultural artifacts of the province to return them to the provincial museum “for educational purposes and cultural enlightenment.”

This came after Romana Dulnuan, cultural coordinator of the Nueva Vizcaya State University here, said during a meeting of the Provincial Council for the Culture and the Arts that some artifacts brought out of the country have not yet been returned until now.

Gov. Carlos Padilla said the son of one of the missionaries of the New Tribes Mission, which helped convert the upland tribes to Christianity, is willing to travel from the United States to the province to return the artifacts collected by his father when he worked in the Bugkalot communities in the 1950s.

“We are appealing and encouraging those who are in possession of our artifacts to kindly inform us and we will make arrangements for their return,” Padilla said. Ben Moses Ebreo

CABANATUAN CITY—Nine of 14 district engineering offices or DEOs of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Central Luzon have landed in the top 20 of 183 DEOs nationwide in terms of the quality of their infrastructure projects.

In a rating released by the Bureau of Quality Standards of the DPWH central office, the nine DEOs supervised by the DPWH regional office under Director Antonio Molano were the Bulacan 1 and 2, Nueva Ecija 1 and 2, Bataan 2, Tarlac 1, Pampanga 1 and 3, and Aurora DEOs. The Bulacan 2 DEO, under district engineer Ramiro M. Cruz, led Central Luzon by landing third among DEOs nationwide, after Samar 1 and Butuan City, followed closely in fourth place by Bulacan 1 DEO under district engineer Ruel V. Angeles.

Bulacan 2 garnered an overall rating of 84.79 percent while the Bulacan 1 DEO was rated at 84.54 percent, both with an adjective rating of very satisfactory.

Geronimo Asonza, assistant district engineer of Bulacan 1 DEO, said the rating means its infra projects have minimal defects “and workmanship was satisfactory.”

Nueva Ecija 1 under district engineer George DC Santos placed sixth, followed by Bataan 2 under Jannet B. Nero at seventh, and Tarlac 1 under Erelina Santos at eight.

At 10th place was Nueva Ecija 2 under district engineer Ulysses C. Llado.

Pampanga 1, Pampanga 3 and Aurora DEOs under district engineers Enrico S. Guilas, Tito Jesus T. Salvador and Reynaldo C. Alconcel finished 15th, 16th and 17th, respectively, in terms of project quality.

Nueva Ecija 1 got a rating of 83.88 percent, Bataan 2 with 83.46 percent, Tarlac 1 (83.24 percent), Nueva Ecija 2 (82.64 percent), Pampanga 1 (81.62 percent), Pampanga 3 (81.56 percent)and Aurora (81.23 percent).

Of the Central Luzon DEOs, 28 infra projects were assessed in Bulacan 2, 30 in Bulacan 1, 27 in Nueva Ecija 1, 36 in Bataan 2, 32 in Tarlac 1, 28 in Nueva Ecija 2, 30 in Pampanga 1, 35 in Pampanga 3, and 30 in Aurora.

All nine DEOs received an adjective rating of very satisfactory, the BQS said. Only 28 DEOs received the VS rating in 2016, compared to 120 DEOs in 2015.

In terms of ranking improvement, Pampanga 1 registered the biggest jump among the Central Luzon DEOs from 107th place in terms of quality to 15th, an improvement of 92 rungs. Pampanga 3 from 86th to 16 (70 rungs higher), Bataan 2 from 68th to 7th (61), Aurora from 72nd to 17th (55) and Nueva Ecija 2 from 52nd to 10th (42) followed suit.

Aplasca is new Calabarzon police chief

By Roy Tomandao CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna—Police Chief Supt. Ma.O Rañada Aplasca was named as the new acting regional director of the Police Regional Office Calabarzon, replacing outgoing Chief Supt. Valfrie G. Tabian, who retired effective Feb. 24.

Aplasca is the former director of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, and is a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Hinirang” Class of 1987.

During the turnover of command, Aplasca said he “humbly accepted” the task of leading the men and women of PRO Calabarzon.

“I am truly humbled with this new appointment. I am fully aware of the challenges ahead of me, but I am taking on this challenge in the name of service,” he said.

Aplasca called on everyone to support Outgoing PRO Calabarzon regional director Valfrie Tabian (third from left) joins his successor him “to vigorously pursue the commitment Ma.O Rañada Aplasca (third from right) and Gen. Francisco Uyami (middle) in showing off the of the President and the Chief PNP to bring new equipment and SWAT complete tactical uniform of the regional police during the turnover peace and security in the communities with ceremony in Camp Vicente Lim in Calamba City, Laguna. Roy Tomandao passion and dedication.”

He also presented his three marching orders redirection to the laggards and nonconformists; to aspire for what is noble, to aim for the higher which are “to inspire and provide guidance and and to impose disciplinary actions to those who calling of our profession and to render reputable and decent public service. Let us remember our direction to all the units and personnel; to en- continue and insist not to conform.” courage the performers and give reminders and “To my fellow police officers, I enjoin all of you sworn duty to serve and protect,” Aplasca said.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World IN BRIEF Platform injures 9 people RIO DE JANEIRO―Nine people were injured in Brazil Tuesday during the fourth round of samba parades when the platform of a float collapsed under the weight of dancers.

The incident happened around 3:00 am during the Unidos da Tijuca parade in Rio de Janeiro’s Sambodromo, a day after a truck carrying a float ran into bystanders late Sunday and injured 20.

Municipal health authorities said two of the nine were seriously hurt.

Confusion reigned in the aftermath of the collapse as ambulances arrived to evacuate the wounded, with police shooing away dozens of photographers.

“I was on the platform of the float, on the left side, and all of a sudden I saw the right side collapse,” weeping dancer Raissa Ribeiro told AFP. The previous accident on the first night of the elite samba school championship occurred late Sunday when the colorful float at the tail end of the Paraiso do Tuiuti school swerved on the crowded runway, crushing people against a fence.

Eight of them, including journalists covering Rio’s biggest party, were hospitalized and three remained in serious condition Monday.

The samba parades and street parties known as “blocos,” in which hundreds of thousands of people drink and dance, often in skimpy outfits, provide a huge boost to Rio’s economy. AFP

Actor samples Taiwan’s ‘stinky tofu’ TAIPEI―Actor Hugh Jackman has not turned his nose up at the chance to sample Taiwan’s famous snack “stinky tofu” as he tours Taipei to promote his last film in the superhero “Wolverine” franchise.

Jackman and Patrick Stewart arrived in the Taiwanese capital over the weekend for the local premier of “Logan,” which sees Wolverine reunited with his ailing father figure Professor X and introduced to Laura, the mutant daughter created in a Mexican lab.

Thousands of fans -- some dressed up as the blade-fingered superhero character -- thronged the landmark Taipei 101 skyscraper late Monday to see Jackman, who later ventured into the city armed with local food recommendations.

“We went to the night market last night. It was so much fun.

We had stinky tofu ... It’s not as stinky as I thought,” Jackman told a press conference Tuesday.

Joking that he is “part Taiwanese” to explain his convincing pronunciation of “stinky tofu” in Mandarin, Jackman said his late night feast had also included another favorite Taiwanese snack -skewers of chicken hearts.

Both actors were given Taiwanese puppets in the likeness of their X-Men characters.

“Logan” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this month and hit cinemas in Taiwan Tuesday ahead of its United States release on March 3. AFP

2 women to be charged with Kim’s murder KUALA LUMPUR―Two women will be charged with the murder of Kim Jong-Nam, who was assassinated with a lethal nerve agent at Kuala Lumpur’s main airport, Malaysia’s attorney general said Tuesday.

“They will be charged in court under Section 302 [murder] of the penal code,” said Mohamed Apandi Ali, two weeks after the half-brother of North Korea’s leader was killed.

The suspects, an Indonesian and a Vietnamese, will appear in court on Wednesday. If found guilty they face death by hanging.

In a leaked CCTV footage, two women are seen shoving something into Kim’s face at the airport’s Terminal 2. The 45-yearold suffered a seizure and died before he reached hospital.

Both women have insisted they thought they were taking part in the making of a prank video.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, reportedly told a senior diplomat Saturday she had been paid just 400 ringgit ($90) for her role, adding she believed she was handling a liquid like “baby oil”. AFP

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

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Two Malaysian firms linked to N. Korea spy front closed K

UALA LUMPUR―Two Malaysian firms linked to a North Korean front company the UN says was selling military equipment will be closed down, police in Kuala Lumpur said Tuesday as they investigate the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam.

CARNIVAL. Revelers covered with talcum powder wait for promotional goodies during the street carnival ‘Los Indianos’ in

Santa Cruz de la Palma, on the Spanish Canary island of La Palma, on February 27, 2017. The event began on February 1 and finishes on March 5 with orchestras playing Caribbean and Brazilian rhythms throughout the festivities that range from elections for the Carnival Queen, the Junior Queen and the Senior Queen, to children and adult murgas (satirical street bands), comparsas (dance groups) and street performances. AFP

Study: People sparked most US wildfires WASHINGTON―People sparked most US wildfires in recent decades, causing longer fire seasons and increasing the amount of scorched earth, according to a new study published Monday.

Researchers found that humans caused 84 percent -- or four out of five -- of the total 1.5 million wildfires studied between 1992 and 2012.

Lightning accounted for the rest.

In addition, human actions tripled the length of the fire season during those two decades and were responsible for 44 percent of the total acreage burned, researchers reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Humans are expanding fires into more locations and environmental conditions than lightning is able to reach,” said Bethany Bradley at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a co-leader of the study.

The spike in wildfires was aggravated by rising urbanization, they said.

And the potential threat was expected to get worse. Places where houses are

intermingled with natural areas are expected to double by 2030 from the current nine percent of all US land area.

“Our results highlight the importance of considering where the ignitions that start wildfires come from, instead of focusing only on the fuel that carries fire or the weather that helps it spread,” said colead author Jennifer Balch at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

“Thanks to people, the wildfire season is almost year-round.”

The United States has suffered historically large wildfires in the past decade, especially in the western half of the country.

There is national concern about the duration and intensity of future wildfire seasons because of their potentially severe impact on agriculture, ecosystems, recreation and other economic sectors.

An additional worry is the high cost of putting out the blazes, which has topped $2 billion in recent years.

In the western state of Colorado, for example, 30 percent of wildfires between

1992 and 2012 were started by people and burned more than 1.2 million acres (nearly 486,000 hectares).

The duration of the US wildfires season sparked by human activity was 93 days, more than double the 43 days of the lightning-ignited fires, which tend to be concentrated during the summer months.

In the spring, autumn and winter seasons, humans added an average of 40,000 wildfires annually, more than 35 times the number of lightning-started fires in those seasons.

“We saw significant increases in the numbers of large, human-started fires over time, especially in the spring,” said Bradley.

The potential for the blazes was being aggravated by climate change, the researchers said.

“Climate change is making our fields, forests and grasslands drier and hotter for longer periods, creating a greater window of opportunity for human-related ignitions to start wildfires,” said Balch.

AFP

The move comes as the previously friendly relations between Kuala Lumpur and Pyongyang have been badly strained by the killing with a nerve agent of North Korean leader Kim JongUn’s half brother at a Malaysian airport on February 13.

The Malaysian companies -- International Global System and International Golden Services -- have been connected to Glocom, which a United Nations’ report said was based in Malaysia and operated by Pyongyang’s intelligence agency.

The UN report, obtained by AFP on Friday, said Glocom was selling North Korean-made military communications equipment to Eritrea, with suppliers in China and an office in Singapore.

Police cited media reports saying Glocom does not actually exist in Malaysia, and its website glocom.com.my has been shut down.

The Malaysian companies connected to Glocom, which are said to be controlled by North Korean shareholders and directors, would be “struck off” the list of registered companies, police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said.

Police cited reports saying International Global System registered glocom.com.my in 2009 while International Golden Services was said to have been listed as the contact point on the website.

Police were “constantly monitoring and taking pre-emptive measures” to protect national security, Khalid said.

“We have also taken all necessary actions to comply with international regulations with regards to related sanctions,” he added.

The move from Malaysia came after the UN Security Council on Monday unanimously condemned Pyongyang for its “irresponsible and provocative” attempts to evade restrictions.

The Security Council has imposed six sets of sanctions on North Korea, two of which were adopted last year to significantly ramp up measures and deny Jong-Un’s regime hard currency revenue.

China, Pyongyang’s main trading partner, has suspended all imports of coal from North Korea for the remainder of the year to shore up its compliance with the sanctions resolution.

Malaysia’s previously warm relations with North Korea have deteriorated sharply since Kim Jong-Nam was killed with VX, a lethal nerve agent, in a brazen hit caught on a CCTV camera.

Britain on Monday urged Malaysia to share evidence from the VX attack with the United Nations, which could take action against North Korea.

South Korea has blamed the Pyongyang regime for the murder and slammed the use of the toxin as a “blatant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and other international norms”. AFP

New faces as Paris Fashion Week starts PARIS―Fashion Week kicks off in Paris on Tuesday with all eyes on the game of musical chairs underway at the top labels, while several designers will send models down the city’s catwalks for the first time.

It’s a shorter week this year, at eight days instead of the usual nine, and there will be just 82 shows of fall and winter collections compared with 91 in September.

But there are three new faces this time around: the Shanghai-based Uma Wang and the French brands Jour/ Ne and Atlein.

A highlight of the week will be the final show for Clare Waight Keller at Chloe before the British designer heads to new adventures at the end of March.

Chloe’s owner, the Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont, has yet to name a replacement.

Another seat is also waiting to be filled at Givenchy, which the Italian designer Riccardo Tisci left in January after a 12-year run.

With no designer at the helm, Givenchy won’t be showing in Paris this week, nor will Carven as it waits for

Swiss designer Serge Ruffieux to settle into his new role.

Recent shows in New York and London were peppered with politics, and Paris might not escape the trend as the French presidential election looms.

The shows have already become events that aim to go beyond the catwalk, as brands experiment with new formulas to stand out in a market upended by digital media.

The traditional formats are being reworked: Women’s and men’s shows at the same time, virtual reality displays, ready-to-wear mixed with haute couture -- and the “see now, buy now” phenomenon, which so far Paris has done its best to resist.

“Everyone is trying to find the answer that works best for them,” said Pascal Morand, head of the French Couture Association.

But for many labels, the shows remain crucial tools for putting designs in front of new audiences.

“It’s exactly like concerts, which are even more important today. The sensory experience can’t be reproduced with virtual reality,” Morand said. AFP

CASUALTY. An injured pro-independence activist lies on the ground after being beaten by a pro-unification activist during the 70th anniversary of the 228 incident at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei on February 28, 2017.

Taiwan commemorated the 70th anniversary of a massacre by Nationalist Chinese troops on February 28 as protesters egg-washed a memorial hall named after Chiang Kai-shek and defaced his statue. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

World

Samsung heir, four others indicted for bribery, theft S EOUL―The heir to the Samsung empire and four other top executives were indicted Tuesday on multiple charges including bribery and embezzlement, South Korean prosecutors said in the latest blow to the world’s biggest smart phone maker.

The presentation of formal charges against Lee Jae-Yong and his colleagues makes them almost certain to face trial, casting new uncertainty over South Korea’s biggest business group as it seeks to recover from a humiliating recall.

As well as charges of bribery, embezzlement and hiding assets overseas, Lee is accused of perjury, said the spokesman for prosecutors probing a corruption and power abuse scandal that has seen President Park GeunHye impeached.

Three of the five men -- but not Lee, the vice-chairman of flagship subsidiary Samsung Electronics -- resigned their positions, the conglomerate said.

The group said it was “dismantling” its Future Strategy Office, the coordinating body that oversees major decisions such as acquisitions or entering new business.

The move, described as a “reform plan”, was announced in a brief five-line statement emailed minutes after the indictment.

Under the scheme, each Samsung unit will be allowed to run more independently, a powerful group body handling government lobbying will be disbanded and decisions over donations will be made more transparent, it said.

But Chung Sun-Sup, the head of chaebol.com, a private watchdog forum on conglomerates, said: “It is yet to be seen whether this is another cosmetic measure aimed to divert public criticism.”

In the past, he told AFP, “Samsung has dissolved groupcontrolling organizations when it got caught in breach of laws, only to revive them afterwards under different names”.

The Lee family could be “expected to continue wielding power and influence over the whole group”, he added, although professionals might get a greater voice in operating each of its subsidiaries.

The tech giant, whose group revenues are equivalent to a fifth of the country’s GDP, is struggling to recover from the embarrassing recall crisis over its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone last year. AFP

5 Islamists to hang for killing farmer DHAKA―Five Islamist extremists who murdered a Japanese farmer in a drive-by shooting in 2015 were sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court Tuesday.

The order for the five members of the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to hang was handed down by a judge after finding them guilty of murdering Kunio Hoshi in October 2015.

Judge Naresh Sarker said the five had murdered Hoshi as part of a “campaign to destabilize the country and smear its image”.

“It was a premeditated murder,” the judge told the courtroom in the northern city of Rangpur as he handed down his sentence.

Four of the men were in the court amid heavy security but one of the defendants was sentenced in absentia.

The 66-year-old Hoshi was shot dead by a gunman riding on the back of a motorbike on a dirt road where he was working on a project to grow grass for cattle.

Among those to be sentenced was Masud Rana, the JMB’s 24-year-old area chief, who prosecutors say fired the fatal shot at Hoshi, close to his farm near Rangpur.

The chief prosecutor Abdul Malek said two other people who had helped plan the attack, including the alleged mastermind Saddam Hossain, had already been killed in shootouts with police.

“They recced Hoshi’s home and his movements for days,” Malek told AFP. Friends of Hoshi revealed after his death that he had converted to Islam but Malek said the attackers were not aware that he was Muslim.

Hoshi’s killing came just days after the murder of an Italian aid worker in the capital Dhaka, one of a string of attacks to be claimed by the Islamic State group.

Although both IS and a branch of Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for many of the attacks, the government insists the JMB are to blame for most of them and denies that international jihadist networks have a presence in Bangladesh.

Authorities have also blamed the JMB for the killing of 20 hostages, including seven Japanese nationals, during a siege at an upscale cafe in Dhaka in July last year. AFP

Adviser to Thailand’s king sacked

SECOND NIGHT. Revelers of the Portela samba school perform on the second night of Rio’s Carnival at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early on February 28, 2017. AFP

Trump plans more defense spending WASHINGTON―On the eve of his first congressional address Tuesday President Donald Trump offered a taste of his upcoming budget, announcing he would ask Congress for a nearly 10 percent rise in defense spending and a large cut in foreign aid.

Previewing measures designed to back up campaign promises with dollars and cents, Trump promised a fiscal plan focused on “public safety and national security.”

An administration official said Trump’s plan would include a $54 billion increase in defense spending and a corresponding decrease in non-military programs.

“Most federal agencies will see a reduction as a result,” the official said.

There will be a “large reduction in foreign aid,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Trump has put security threats front

and center of his administration and insisted a blunt, muscular response is the only remedy.

He has promised to build a wall on the Mexican border, deport unauthorized immigrants and wipe jihadists off the “face of the earth.”

His budget proposal -- which must ultimately be approved by Congress -doubles down on that ethos.

It would substantially increase US defense spending -- already by far the highest in the world -- although there were no details about how the extra funds would be spent.

Trump claimed his budget “follows through on my promise on keeping Americans safe.”

“It will include a historic increase in defense spending to rebuild the depleted

military of the United States of America at a time we most need it,” Trump said.

Republican Senator John McCain argued that the increase was less significant than Trump suggested, representing a three percent rise over projections for fiscal year 2018.

“We can and must do better,” he said.

But others raised questions about the impact of planned cuts at the State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Foreign aid accounts for less than one percent of US federal spending, and reducing it would not be enough to compensate for a big rise in defense spending.

“It is a fairly small part of the discretionary budget, but it is still consistent with what the President said,” Trump budget tsar Mick Mulvaney said. AFP

BANGKOK―A senior adviser to Thailand’s new monarch has been sacked, authorities said Tuesday, the second aide to King Maha Vajiralongkorn to be publicly purged in recent weeks.

Vajiralongkorn, 64, took the throne following the October death of his widely revered father King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for seven decades.

He has yet to attain his father’s widespread popularity.

In recent years a growing list of people in his inner circle have been fired or jailed, including two who later died in military custody.

The latest palace official to fall from grace is Jumpol Manmai, a former deputy police commissioner and palace Grand Chamberlain.

In a statement the Royal Household Bureau said Jumpol was fired for trying to improperly profit from his royal links and make political connections.

“General Jumpol committed inappropriate behavior as a senior official close to the King,” the palace order, countersigned by junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha, said.

“He abused his position to gain personal and political benefits which jeopardizes security,” it added, without giving further details.

The fates of fallen royal aides are closely watched and widely gossiped upon by Thais.

That is because the royal family is protected by a draconian defamation law that makes scrutiny of its inner workings, or debate over its role, almost impossible inside the kingdom.

Media inside Thailand must heavily self-censor when reporting on the royal family.

Last week another senior aide to the king, Air Vice Marshal Chitpong Thongkum, was sacked on the charge of improperly profiting from the family.

In 2015 three people -- including a celebrity soothsayer -- were arrested under the lese majeste law for trying to profit from their royal connections. AFP

Koreans sue to stop missile system SEOUL―People living near a South Korean golf course on Tuesday sued to stop it hosting a controversial US missile system loathed by Beijing, lawyers said, after Chinese media issued a veiled threat of a consumer boycott over the plan.

A subsidiary of retail giant Lotte Group, South Korea’s fifthbiggest company, signed an agreement Tuesday with the defense ministry to provide the course in the southeast of the country, authorities said, despite coming under growing pressure from crucial market China over the proposal.

The plan by Washington and Seoul to install the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in response to the threats from nuclear-armed North Korea has angered Beijing, which fears it will undermine its own ballistic capabilities.

Chinese authorities have forced

Lotte to suspend a $2.6 billion theme park construction project, and other South Korean businesses have faced tougher regulatory hurdles from Beijing.

But the Lotte board on Monday approved the swap of a companyowned golf course in Seongju county, in southeastern South Korea, for a parcel of military-owned ground near Seoul.

China’s official Xinhua news agency said the decision “could turn into a nightmare for Lotte”.

“Exasperated Chinese people may boycott Lotte products and services in their country,” it added.

The plan has also stirred protest closer to home, with riled locals launching a lawsuit with the Seoul administrative court against South Korea’s defense ministry.

“This is only the beginning of our legal battles to stop this project,” lawyer Kim Yu-Jeong told journalists outside the defense

ministry, where some 40 activists and residents mounted a demonstration.

Kim Chung-Hwan, the protest leader in Seongju county, told AFP by phone that hundreds of soldiers and riot police had been deployed at the nearby golf course to guard entrances.

Yonhap news agency said the military planned to use helicopters to bring in barbed wire fencing to close off the site after weeks of daily protests. It quoted an unidentified defense ministry official as saying that the THAAD system will be in place as early as in May or June.

The lawsuit from the residents of Seongju county and neighboring Gimcheon accuses the defense ministry of bypassing legally-required procedures, including prior agreement from local people and an environmental impact assessment. AFP

PROTEST. Israeli security forces stand guard as young supporters of settlements sit on the rooftop of a house that is due to be emptied and demolished in the settlement of Ofra, in the occupied West Bank, during an operation by Israeli forces to evict the houses on February 28, 2017. Nine homes in the Ofra settlement were found to have been built on private Palestinian land and the Israeli supreme court ordered them razed by March 5, rejecting last-minute petitions to delay the demolition or have the buildings sealed instead. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

FASHION & BEAUTY

Wedding rings for soon-to-wed couples

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

T

O CELEBRATE 30 editions of being the biggest and most comprehensive wedding fair in the country, Themes & Motifs, the country’s most prestigious wedding fair organizer, opens its wedding fair season with a Half-A-Million Peso Promo for soon-to-weds booking their suppliers at Wedding Expo Philippines.

Known as Asia’s biggest wedding wonderland, Wedding Expo Philippines will cover the entire ground floor of SMX Mall of Asia on March 18 and 19. Free e-tickets for all-day access to the exhibits and grand sale of weddingrelated products and services are available to soon-to-weds pre-registered through www.themesnmotifs.com.

Nice Print Photo and Goldenhills Jewelry are this year’s major exhibitors, with Henry Pascual, as official event stylist, weaving his usual magic in creating a wedding wonderland ambiance at Wedding Expo Philippines. Event partners are harana.ph and Sound Level Professional Lights & Sounds Provider.

Wedding Expo Philippines opens its door to thousands of soon-to-weds from all over the country and the rest of the world at the SMX Convention Center ground floor converted to a 10,000-sqm wedding wonderland with the most creative and most popular wedding suppliers showcasing only the finest and the best wedding ideas for the upcoming nuptial season. More than 420 of the country’s top wedding professionals will be gathered in this two-day grand celebration with a comprehensive showcase of the latest trends and the newest ideas in walking down the aisle. Wedding-related products and services professionals such as fashion designers, caterers, photographers, videographers, limousine providers, invitation makers, hotels, venues, florists, and others will offer their new promos and great deals to soon-to-weds visiting the event.

For easy navigation and convenience of all who will visit the fair, five exciting clusters will put the spotlight on the most popular supplier categories: Wedding Banquets Manila – Get your free seat/s to the Biggest Food Tasting Festival Dedicated to Weddings.

The Philippines’ biggest food tasting festival will feature the country’s top 4 wedding caterers in a free sampling session of wedding menus: Hizon’s Catering, Josiah’s Catering, Juan Carlo The Caterer, and Richgold Weddings.

The wedding banquet experts will create an ambiance of wedding day grandeur and offer their wedding culinary delights in this exclusive subevent of Wedding Expo Philippines. Pre-register online

Love and liberation are the themes of Hilfiger’s Resort 2017 collection

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Biggest

wedding fair

turns 30

The Wedding Expo Philippines opens its doors to thousands of soon-to-wed couples from all over the country to offer wedding ideas and present various suppliers and services they may need on their special day

ographers under one roof. A special gallery of Celebrity Weddings plus free souvenir studio photo shoots await guests at the Nice Print Photo exhibit area.

Wedding Fashion Extravaganza – Wedding gowns, suits, barongs and fineries for the entourage will be showcased in this catwalk-inspired sub-event at Wedding Expo Philippines.

I Do HMU – Hair and Makeup Artists take center stage in this sub-event with free trial make up offered by participating exhibitors.

Floral Fete – Flowers all over will definitely cast a spell not only on the soon-to-weds, but all visitors to this magical event.

As an added treat for soon-to-weds, every P1,000 worth of purchase at Wedding Expo Philippines entitles guest to a raffle coupon for a chance to win P500 million.

All soon-to-weds visiting Asia’s Biggest Wedding Fair, Wedding Expo Philippines, will be given the all new Themes & Motifs eco-friendly loot bag, a free copy of the latest issue of Inspirations for Weddings magazine, the country’s most gorgeous wedding publication for both the bride and the groom. Now on its ninth Makers and suppliers of wedding invitations and bouquets, among others, will be at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on March issue, Inspirations will present a thousand 18-19 for the largest wedding fair in the Philippines and one wedding ideas as brought to life by the country’s most trusted wedding to avail of free seat/s with your KasaLitrato – House of Pictures video festival features Asia’s widest professionals creatively expressing their favourite caterer/s. or Wedding Photos, this photo and selection of photographers and vide- passion in this latest magazine issue.

Hilfiger’s Resort 2017 collection HILFIGER Collection Resort 2017 celebrates freedom, love and liberation with a modern day spirit. Putting a fresh, feminine spin on retro favorites, the collection fuses colorful patterns, eclectic prints, athletic references and vintage-inspired silhouettes.

Eccentric florals and rugby stripes mix with Americana flags, collegiate influences and all-over paisleys—it’s uniquely mixed-and-matched and effortlessly put-together.

Channeling the works of renowned artist David Hockney, the color palette is bright, bold and confident; while

feminine details like daisy prints, lace collars and mother of pearl buttons add a feminine touch. The look is an authentic homage to classic tailoring from the ‘60s and ‘70s, updated for today’s American dreamers.

In the Philippines, Tommy Hilfiger is located at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 5, Kiss & Fly–NAIA Terminal 3, Newport Mall, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La and Rustan’s Cebu (Childrenswear only) and Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

Channeling the works of renowned artist David Hockney, the collection features bright and bold color palette as well as feminine details such as lace and pearls

Life

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

How Mac Belo

UPS HIS GAME R

EY MARK “MAC” BELO, the newest endorser of Blackwater for Men, looks every inch an athlete on camera and in person—standing six feet four inches tall with a muscular build that can only be acquired from hours spent studying screen drills, acing his shots and dribbles in the basketball court.

However, his imposing frame hides a shy personality. The soft-spoken Mac admits that he is still not comfortable with interviews, preferring to be seen in action.

A native of Midsayap, Cotabato, Mac first became known for his buzzer-beater shots against De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University, where he led his alma mater, Far Eastern University (FEU), to their back-to-back finals spot in the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP).

He finished strong in his final playing year by clinching a UAAP championship and bagging the Most Valuable Player award.

Now a power forward for Blackwater Elite of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and also part of the pool of players for the Gilas Philippine National Team, the player admitted that he was a late-bloomer in basketball.

Young ladies who want to don more mature outfits may opt clothes exuding contemporary vibe

“My love for the sport started in high school. My older brother was the one who got me into basketball, and I began to enjoy it when my friends encouraged me to join the varsity. After that, I was given the opportunity to play for FEU where I was given proper training, and my career took off from there,” he says.

But moving from college to professional basketball was a different playing field for him. Training sessions grew more intense with three hours of practice daily, and getting drafted into the PBA meant competing with other athletes whose skill level in the sport match his own.

Mac shares, “Being able to play professional basketball is a big achievement for me, but it also took a lot of discipline and hard work to earn my PBA spot.”

These and love for the sport have paid off: he has become one of PBA Philippine Cup’s top rookie players in the first

Blackwater Elite power forward Mac Belo shares his beginnings, how he trains and how he keeps himself smelling fresh all day

half of its 2016-2017 conference, helping his team earn three straight wins for the first time since its inception.

With this newfound recognition, he acknowledges the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. He stresses, “Even off court, I’m constantly trying to improve my skills. I work on strengthening exercises at the gym.” Besides pushing his body to its limits with daily training sessions, he adds, “I try to get enough sleep and eat healthy, in fact I trained myself to avoid pork and oily food. I also maintain a good personal hygiene by taking a shower before and after practice, and using Blackwater Men’s spray to keep me smelling good even while training.”

Indeed, Mac Belo’s dedication, discipline and passion for the sport not only make him one of the sought-after rookie athletes of his generation, but also the perfect personality to be included in Blackwater’s roster of highly regarded endorsers.

To know more about Blackwater and its products, visit blackwater.com.ph and follow its official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/BlackwaterForMen. Follow the progress of the Blackwater Elite team at www.facebook. com/blackwaterpba.

How flexible is your wardrobe?

FASHION trends continue to evolve by the day. But only few have the luxury of space and the budget, to have a closetful of clothes.

Women are now smart shoppers, turning to the Internet for tips and tricks to streamline their wardrobe and become skilled at mixing and matching. The secret to successful mixing and matching is having select pieces that easily morph into new ensembles.

Robinsons Department Store’s exclusive brands, Stella and Liberté, present wide options that will help women have the perfectly curated wardrobe. Ladies can expect elegant and tastefully done pieces from Stella for the woman who wants to flaunt her feminine edge. With versatile pieces where one could flexibly mix and match, be it for the office or for parties, Stella’s classics are staple must-haves in the closet.

While the young and adventurous dresser finds sexy, edgy silhouettes from Liberté that defines a young lady’s fashion statement with colors and styles exuding contemporary moods. Be it for casual day outs or for hangouts with family and friends. For pieces that call for personality and functionality combined, Liberté’s got your back.

See more of Robinsons Department Store’s latest fashion pieces at www. robinsonsdepartmentstore.com.ph and follow Robinsons Department Store on Facebook and @RobinsonsStore on Twitter.

Flaunt your feminine edge in versatile and classic pieces that you can wear in the office and beyond

The new Cryo hair treatment can make coarse, bleached and severely damaged tresses look alive

Ricky Reyes introduces

CRYO HAIR TREATMENT ELEVATING the standard of beauty and hair care with the latest technology, beauty guru Ricky Reyes brings in 2017’s ultimate hair treatment.

If there’s one thing Reyes has complete understanding of, its hair science. And as science and technology continue to advance, the Gandang Ricky Reyes salons all over the country will remain at the forefront as it continues to introduce the latest in hair technology and innovation.

Back in the ‘80s Reyes gave us Crazy Colors, Crazy Curls and golden highlights, while the ’90s gave birth to the Rebond craze, followed by the protein-enriched Reborn, Milk Rebond and the lustrous Regold using 24k gold for a healthier and shinier straight hair to the latest Sofwave Treatment of 2016.

This year, Reyes presents the latest hair technology introduced in all his Gandang Ricky Reyes salons for loyal clients called the Cryo Hair Treatment.

First, Reyes details the anatomy of hair.

“Every hair has three layers—the inner fibers make up the medulla; the cortex surrounds the medulla; and the cuticle is the outer layer that protects the inner, more sensitive components from damage,” he explains. “When we subject our hair to any treatment, the cuticle opens making the inner fiber vulnerable to strain, thus causing harm to the medulla.”

The Cryo (from the Greek word meaning cold) treatment makes use of a custom-made, very hygienic Ice Care Machine with a Nano Steam Gun to open cuticles so the Vitamins and proteins can penetrate the center of the hair. After a few months, the treatment will totally cure the cuticles creating a healthier fiber.

“The new Cryo Hair treatment can make any straight or coarse, bleached, severely damaged and dry hair brought about by exposure to Hair Relax look alive. It is guaranteed to reconstruct and revitalize your hair thereby making it soft and shiny. Best part is that the process is so simple,” he says.

The whole treatment process takes about an hour and a half and will stay on up to 1 ½ to two months. The treated hair will be smoother and more manageable as this treatment will fortify and nourish the hair, leading to a naturally healthy and beautiful hair.

The Cryo Hair Treatment is available in all Gandang Ricky Reyes Salons nationwide.

BEAUTY SECRETS

Easiest to use liquid liner GET that instantly fierce eye makeup look with just one stroke. Long lasting, smudge proof, easy-to-use and the blackest of black eyeliners is now available to Filipinas, thanks Maybelline New York.

Introducing the new Maybelline Hyperink Liquid Liner.

Step up your game and fierce it up with your eyes—nothing says bold and confident like a good eyeliner. Easily fierce it up at work during the day by lining your eyes with simple and sophisticated eyeliner look.

Then party hard at night with a bold and sexy winged liner.

Hyperink’s superior formula guarantees all-day, smudge proof wear—no need to stress about your liner fading or making a mess. It stays on perfectly all day and all night.

Its uniquely structured flexi-cushion tip gives you extreme control, while its ink finishes in film-like format making it easy to remove and the perfect eyeliner for all the busy girls out there: easy to apply, long-wearing yet easy to use and remove.

So girls, it’s time to say goodbye to your pencil eyeliners and get inked with Maybelline Hyperink Liquid Liner.

It’s definitely the newest holy grail for all eyeliner fanatics. Get that fierce eye makeup look that you want for only P199.

Products will be available nationwide in all Maybelline counters.

For more information about Maybelline, visit www. facebook.com/MaybellinePhilippines

Up your eye makeup game with eyeliner that’s easy to use and guarantees smudge-proof wear

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

LADY GAGA

Story-driven films highlight Sinag Maynila 2017

in new Tiffany & Co. campaign

L

CEO and Founder of Sinag Maynila Wilsong Tieng (center) and film director Ma Brillante Mendoza (third from right) with film fest participants

ADY Gaga is representing Tiffany & Co. in its latest Legendary Style campaign, launching a new fashion jewelry collection, Tiffany HardWear. The campaign premiered in a 60-second film aired during Super Bowl LI on, Feb. 5, a first for the Brand.

Lady Gaga, a true New Yorker and style icon who is fiercely feminine and fearlessly original, is seen in the film speaking from the heart—unscripted— about her lifelong passion for the Brand, and more importantly, about her own creative journey towards self-expression and empowerment.

The subjects of the Legendary Style campaigns are women of confidence, beauty and substance, chosen for their intelligence and authenticity.

Whether they are actors or artists, models or musicians, they are true originals and make their own rules—and Lady Gaga personifies these ideals. “ In New York, you’re born knowing that Tiffany is the best, and that it is where the magic happens. The Brand is definitive and iconic, yet continues to push and evolve with the times,” said Lady Gaga. “ To me, Tiffany represents timeless American jewelry.” The new Tiffany HardWear collection featured in the campaign embodies the strength and spirit of the modern woman, imbued with the soul of New York. With its bold 18k gold and sterling silver pieces, Tiffany HardWear is a study in the purity of design. Inspired by a unisex bracelet from 1971 in the Tiffany Archives, Tiffany HardWear builds on this design to include earrings, rings, necklaces and pendants. Urban and elegant, Tiffany Hardwear is as strong as the woman who wears it. “ For more than 180 years, the world’s chicest women have chosen Tiffany jewelry as a powerful expression of who they are,” said Caroline Naggiar, chief brand officer of Tiffany & Co. “ This campaign celebrates Tiffany’s rich legacy and the modernity of Tiffany style. Lady Gaga, and her originality, creativity and courage, reflects the spirit of this collection.”

The campaign was creative directed by Tiffany’s in-house team in partnership with Grace Coddington, and shot by David Sims.

The 60-second film on Tiffany.com, and campaign images appear across print and digital channels throughout the spring. The Tiffany HardWear Collection is available on http://www.tiffany.com/ beginning May 2 and in-store worldwide on April 28, with limited and exclusive pre-orders available in the U.S. that began on Feb. 5.

While Tiffany has handcrafted the Vince Lombardi Trophy for the Super Bowl champion for each of the past 50 years, the Brand has never before been featured in a Super Bowl advertisement. Tiffany is the internationally renowned jeweler founded in New York in 1837. Through its subsidiaries, Tiffany & Co. manufactures products and operates TIFFANY & CO. retail stores worldwide, and also engages in direct selling through Internet, catalog and business gift operations. For additional information, please visit Tiffany.com.

Tiffany & Co. is exclusively available at Rustan’s Ayala Center, Makati City and Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

LEGENDARY CAMPAIGN. Pop superstar Lady Gaga as Tiffany & Co. global ambassador.

Emotions run high in ‘Chicago Med’ CHICAGO Med, the compelling medical drama from executive producer Dick Wolf who also gave us Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D., airs on Sony Channel.

Set in the emergency department of the Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, the city’s new state-of-the-art trauma center, this latest installment of the famed Chicago franchise revolves around the courageous team of doctors, nurses, and staff members who work together as they handle the most severe trauma cases every day to save patients’ lives.

Under the leadership of tough-talking hospital administrator Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson), psychiatry department chief Dr. Daniel Charles (Oliver Platt) and his newfound team of Chicago heroes - first-year attending physician Dr.

The cast of the compelling drama “Chicago Med.’’

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, March 1, 2017

ACROSS 1 Coffee order 6 Adventurer, often 10 Arrange for 14 Bowie’s last stand 15 Tel — 16 Wet down 17 Gold digger?

18 Roomy 19 Potpourri 20 Measure up (2 wds.)

22 Zest for life 23 Bewildered 24 Tennis stroke 26 Kind of rug 30 Called from the Tyrol 34 Pits 35 Come upon 36 Yea, to a matador 37 Click-on item 38 In the thick of 40 Rural necessity 41 Egg — yung 42 “Fish Magic” artist 43 What “I” is 44 It rustles 46 Barbecue spits 48 — alai 49 Dow uptick 50 Kill a bill 53 Extra inning,

maybe 59 Culture dish goo 60 Cold War foe 61 Clean the slate 62 Auction shout 63 See each other 64 Played in summer 65 Reproving clucks 66 Meadow browsers 67 “Cheers” in Baja DOWN 1 Calm the fire 2 Essay byline 3 Pantry stock 4 Iowa city 5 Layouts 6 Anchor cable 7 Peron sobriquet 8 Saddle up 9 Drawn-out 10 Moon, in poetry 11 Take it easy 12 Great Wall locale 13 Diner sign 21 Employ 25 Unusual 26 PC key 27 Winter warmer 28 Remote 29 Knockout count 30 — and yang 31 “Gigi” composer

32 “Oklahoma!” aunt 33 Wooded valleys 35 Gauls, to Romans 38 Cockpit reading 39 Drop — — line 40 Outstanding success 42 Mauna — 43 Plywood layers 45 Narrow inlets 46 Buffalo pucksters 47 White wine aperitif

Will Halstead (Nick Gehlfuss), pediatrician Dr. Natalie Manning (Torrey DeVitto), trauma surgery fellow Dr. Connor Rhodes (Colin Donnell), chief resident Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee), psychiatry resident Dr. Sarah Reese (Rachel DiPillo), and nurse April Sexton (Yaya DaCosta) – put aside their petty differences and focus on their strengths to build relationships as they overcome the busy and chaotic environment that marks their day-to-day routines at the emergency department.

For viewers who can’t get enough of formulaic hospital dramas, Chicago Med is the answer as the series offers a fresh perspective on the heroic acts of modernday saviors who are willing to sacrifice anything to save others.

Chicago Med airs at 9:45 p.m. weeknights.

49 Chivalrous deed 50 Like the universe 51 They’re easily bruised 52 Exchange ideas 54 “— — Her Standing There” 55 Fringe — 56 A Marx 57 Hairy twin 58 Tear to bits

THE Sinag Maynila Festival has less stellar lineup this year but CEO and Founder Wilson Tieng and internationally acclaimed film director Brillante Ma Mendoza assert that the films handpicked for the filmfest’s third edition are more diverse and storydriven .

The local film festival also carries the new tagline “Sine Lokal, Pang-lnternasyonal,” which according to Tieng is reason why they had to upgrade their mechanics. The goal of the film event is not just to provide a venue for filmmakers to showcase their work but also to help them get international exposure.

“The upgraded mechanics for this season may have been a risky move, but we are very happy with the outcome. We are looking forward to the reception of these films here and of course, internationally,” Tieng told the press at a recent media launch.

Unlike the previous editions, only a few names are can easily be recognized. Probably, Jason Orfalas’s Ladyfish, which stars JC Santos and Martin Escudero, will have the easiest recall because of the familiar names headlining the indie production.

In the directing front, Joel Lamangan leads the finalists this year in terms of seniority and experience. He returns to the film fest scene with Bhoy Intsik top billed by RS Francisco, Ronwaldo Martin, Elora Españo, Jim Pebanco, Tony Mabesa, and Jeric Raval.

The film is a story of two small-time felons who crossed paths, starting a petty mutual disdain for a competitor in their illegal business.

“This is not a gay film, it so happens that one of the characters is gay and the other one is an attractive young man. Their relationship toward the end of the film is more of a relationship between a father and son,” Lamangan explained.

Taking their chance in getting a nod to be part of the competing roster as it has been closely associated with the opportunity for international recognition, are: HF Yambao’s Kristo, Ricardo Carranza’s Beyond the Block, and Arnel Barbarona’s Tu Pug Imatuy (The Right to Kill).

In addition to the full-length entries, the organizers also announced the finalists for the short film and documentary categories. The five short film finalists are Matthew Victor Pastor’s I Am Jupiter, I Am the Biggest Planet, Emmanuel Escalona Jr.’s Ang Langit, Burger at ang Universe, Karl Glenn Barit’s Aliens Ata, Jose Maria Javier Manoos’s Ang Hindi Ko Masambit, and Paul Arrenze Dionela’s Tulay Buhay.

For the documentary section, the entries are Avelino Mark Balmes Jr.’s Hango, Jaynus Olaivar’s Kupkop, Noah del Rosario’s The Recycled Spirits of Roel Cabato, Jean Clare Dy and Manuel Domes’ Pagrara Sang Patipuron (Weaving a Circle), and Mirielle de Lara, Angelica Domingo, Dannieleth Julapong, Maria Agnes Malvar, Bea San Juan, and Nathaniel Santiago’s Krudo Boys.

“We know the limitation of indies. So, we don’t focus on what the films will earn during their theatrical run. There are so many platforms that we can exploit to showcase these films. All these films are story-driven as we put a high premium on the script,” Tieng said regarding this year’s lineup.

Furthermore, he said that as early as now, major networks have shown interest in having Sinag Maynila titles to be part of their programming.

“I don’t know if this could be measured by box office or income, but what we are doing here is we are creating awareness. We wanted to introduce our local talents to the world,” Tieng affirmed.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2017

LIZA on a roll I

T SEEMS 2017 is Liza Soberano’s year. She opened the year auspiciously with a blockbuster, My Ex And Whys, making her the industry’s current box-office darling.

Last year’s Dolce Amore on the Kapamilya network was a top rater.

Her tandem with Enrique Gil, known in the industry as LizQuen, has eased into the network’s A-list of love teams that always gets a major project in its primetime block.

Soberano is also a certified effective product endorser. Watch television at any time of the day and you will see her face selling anything, from shampoo to food products.

Just recently she has been signed to pitch a line of writing instruments.

When Titus Pens launched the newest and most vivid edition of colored pencils and crayons in Trinoma, the humungous mall in Quezon City, it featured the appearance of Liza Soberano for a meetand-greet session with her fans.

Titus Pens is the biggest oil gel technology brand in the country. It filled the past three years with vibrant and lively lines of art goodies molding creativity and shaping talent among budding Filipino artists.

Titus Pens Associate brand manager Franz Santiago was very positive that everyone would love the latest set of art kits.

“Titus Pens promises you that it will only produce innovative and one of a kind art supplies for the next generations”. And indeed, it has proven the promise to everyone by making enchanting art works using the new line of inks. Stirred audience showed their wave of approval when they reinvented

ISAH V. RED

Pens’ products.

But it was Soberano’s appearance that sparked more excitement among the crowd. The young Kapamilya star seems to have awestruck everyone at the activity center. *** PTV 4, the government-run television station, joins the teleserye craze when it premiered The Legendary Doctor on Feb. 18.

The story of The Legendary Doctor is set in Joseon during the reign of King Seonjo, 50 years after the death of Jang Geum (reputedly the first female doctor in Joseon).

Hur Jun was the son of a devon (untouchable) mother. Due to his mother’s social position, he was also considered sangnom under Joseon law at the time, even though his father was from the ruling caste and held office as a local magistrate.

As a result, he faced much discrimination, which caused him to lose focus and direction, and eventually led him to participate in smuggling operations. At this time, Hur Jun became familiar with Da-hee, an upper class lady who was in exile. Her father was branded a traitor and died in exile. Hur Jun sympathized with her and and led all of her father’s funeral affairs. Not long after that, Hur Jun’s smuggling activities were discovered, and his life was saved by his erstwhile uncaring father, who also rescued his mother and Da-hee, and smuggled them out of their town. Hur

PTV executives with the people behind the landmark series ‘‘The Legendary Doctor.’’

their masterpieces with explosion of colors”, Santiago quoted.

Young aspirant artists showcased their inimitable talent in the all out art festival that featured different categories of artistry through calligraphy, poster making, mangga art and doodling at TriNoma Mall Activity Center. Titus Pens partnered with National Book Store in their new product extensions namely the Titus Crayons and Titus Colored Pencils that come in exciting and vivacious colors.

Young doodlers from various schools and universities competed for the best output at the Titus Pens Ink-redible Manila 2017 (National Doodling Day Edition). Participants didn’t missed the tips and tricks from the credible art masters who facilitated in different genres of the workshops of Ballpen Calligraphy, Doodling, Manga Art and Poster Making.

Autotelic, December Avenue and Moonstar88 music performances added sound in the art themed celebration, which lifted the mood of the entire jam packed event. Bags full of eyed Titus Pen products at the special pen buffet have been one of the most exciting parts of the fun filled day. Live wall art exhibitions were executed and stunned the mass. Art auctioned pieces were immediately sold for a cost in giving financial assistance to Helping Land being the chosen charity.

Helping Land also displayed their support by creatively participating during a quick and fun session of doodling using Titus

Movie and TV star Liza Soberano is also one of the most bankable celebrity endorsers of her generation.

Jun and Da-hee eventually got married and moved to Saneunr in Gyeongsang Province.

The Legendary Doctor is a Korean medical drama that airs every Saturday and Sunday brought to the country by Philippine-Korean Entertainment Inc or PKEI that also was responsible for Here Comes Mr. Oh, a comedy aired on the government station two years ago.

Dino Apolonio who is now the nework’s general manager and COO said under President Rodrigo Duterte and Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar there’s a move to improve the signal of the network as they lead the industry’s shift to digital broadcasting in the next months.

The Korean drama series is just the beginning, he said, of the planned transformation of the network from simply being a government propaganda network to a full-blown public service television channel that offers not only informational and education programs but worthwhile entertainment shows as well.

The executives of PKEI said the company’s partnership with PTV4 means a lot to the company as it plans its next moves to provide content to the network, including a series that may be shot entirely or partly in the Philippines with both Korean and Filipino actors.

Apolonio expressed his optimism for the network in the next years, specifically during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Central Luzon students pick ABS-CBN as Best Nat’l TV Station STUDENTS from 31 universities in Central Luzon named ABS-CBN as their TV network of choice, giving the country’s leading media and entertainment company its fourth Best National TV Station at the Paragala Central Luzon Media Awards.

Composed of 31 participating schools in Region III, the Paragala Central Luzon Media Awards recognizes the best shows and media personalities in the country voted by students in Central Luzon. This year, the 4th Paragala Awards was able to gather 30,000 votes from the participating schools.

ABS-CBN hauled a total of 10 awards for its various programs and Kapamilya news and entertainment personalities.

The Kapamilya network’s news arm earned the Best Male

Field Reporter award (Atom Araullo), Best Female News Anchor (Karen Davila), and its first-ever Paragala Merit Award for a Cultural Show for ABS-CBN Regional’s Bida Kapampangan.

Also getting the love and approval of the youth of Central Luzon were FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, which was named the Best Teleserye, ASAP, recognized as the Best Musical Variety Show, and Family Feud, which took home the Best Game Show award.

Kapamilya stars also proved to be the students’ top favorites and sources of inspiration, as Primetime King Coco Martin was hailed as Best Television Actor, My Ex and Whys star Liza Soberano won Best Television Actress, and It’s Showtime host Anne Curtis emerged as the Female Personality of the Year.

ABS-CBN representatives at the Paragala Central Luzon Media Awards led by Kane Errol Choa, head of ABS-CBN Integrated Corporate Communications.