Manila Standard - 2017 March 18 - Saturday

EU told: Don’t meddle

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan, Sandy Araneta and Macon Ramos-Araneta

VOL. XXXI • NO. 36 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

DOWNRIGHT DISMISSAL. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez declares Friday the impeachment complaint against

President Rodrigo Duterte filed in the House of Representatives will be dismissed outright for lack of substance although it may satisfy requirements of form. Ver Noveno

THE Philippines on Friday accused the European Parliament of interfering in the country’s judicial processes after it passed a resolution urging the government to free Senator Leila

de Lima, who is being tried on drug trafficking charges.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs [DFA] expresses its concern with the European Parliament’s resolution on the case of Senator Leila De Lima as it casts aspersion on Philippine legal processes, its judicial system and the Next page

PETULANT ANNOYANCE. Vice President Leni Robredo denies any involvement in the impeachment

complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte, with her camp saying she has not even seen the complaint filed before the House of Representatives on the last day of the Congressional session. AFP

‘Leni in on impeach bid’ Magdalo’s plan doomed—Speaker

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez has declared that the impeachment complaint filed against President Rodrigo Duterte will be dismissed outright for lack of substance.

Alvarez, secretary general of President Duterte’s PDP-Laban, said the complaint filed by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano might have a chance to comply

with the requirements of form but not on the requirement for sufficiency in substance.

“We all know that all these charges are fabricated, they seem to believe their own lies,” said Alvarez, who earlier dismissed Alejano’s complaint saying “we are all entitled to our own stupidity.”

“I do not think the complaint is sufficient in substance. I am sure about that,” Alvarez said.

The complaint accuses Duterte

of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and of responsibility for the killings related to the government’s war on illegal drugs.

“As a lawyer, I would say it is easy to draft a complaint pertaining to culpable violation of the Constitution but to prove it is another thing,” Alvarez said.

As to the other charges, Alvarez said they are simply baseless.

Alvarez also noted the fate of past impeachment complaints against previous presidents does not augur well for the Magdalo complaint against Duterte.

“We have yet to see any impeachment of any president except the Estrada impeachment.

Impeachment is a hard thing to do,” Alvarez said, noting the burden of proof is with the complainant so the President has nothing to prove.

Next page

Revamp to forge on, says Alvarez

By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez expressed optimism Friday that the purge of House leaders who did not support the administration’s death penalty bill would not hurt his leadership.

Alvarez also said the supermajority coalition in the House of Representatives “would remain solid” despite his decision to strip 12 leaders, including former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, of their Next page posts.

S

PEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Friday accused Vice President Leni Robredo of being directly involved in the filing of the impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano on Thursday.

“Definitely yes. Who else will benefit from Duterte’s ouster but Robredo?” Alvarez told a television interview to clarify his statement on the possible involvement of Robredo in the impeachment move.

Alvarez noted that the filing of the impeachment complaint came on the heels of a video message Robredo sent to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs where she criticized the conduct of the administration’s war against illegal drugs.

By Florante S. Solmerin IN THE 1980s and the early part of the 1990s, the “Tora-Tora” war planes―the Japanese-made T-28D “Eagles”―were dropping 500-pound bombs above the dense forests and communities in the valleys of Marag, Paco and Zinundungan.

The Eagle was back in Northern Luzon on Thursday with more advanced capability and conducting bombing sorties in

Robredo is likely worried that a recount of the ballots cast for vice president in the last elections would reveal she is not the real winner, Alvarez added.

Robredo is facing an election protest lodged by her rival, former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, which recently decided to proceed with the hearing of the case.

“Maybe she is scared of the recount because it may turn out she really lost the elections,” Alvarez Next page said.

Malibcong, Abra.

Imelda Tabiando, head of the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance, at least four “Golden Eagle” (FA50) lead-in jet fighters had dropped 14 bombs in multiple sorties in Barangay Lat-ey where suspected fighters of the New People’s Army were allegedly sighted.

The FA50 jets are the newest aircraft acquisitions of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Next page

PH, Australia unite vs terror

By Sandy Araneta

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Next page

By Maricel V. Cruz, Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Korea-made jets deploy for bomb runs vs NPA

Pimentel pushes federal system ELEVEN regional governments will be created once the proposed federal system of government is approved, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said Friday.

“It’s like being in a family.

You take care of each other even if everyone lives his own

Alvarez says VP will gain from Du30 ouster

FORMAL COURTESY. President Rodrigo Duterte welcomes Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop dur-

ing the latter’s courtesy call on the Philippine leader Friday in Davao City, despite criticisms by Human Rights Watch Australia Director Elaine Pearson of the meeting, saying the meeting could be used to legitimize the hard-bitten leader’s controversial policies. Malacañang Photo

THE Philippines and Australia will collaborate in the fight against terrorism, Malacañang said Friday.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said President Rodrigo Duterte and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop agreed on the collaboration, during Bishop’s a courtesy call in Davao City.

He said Duterte and Bishop

emphasized the importance of the Philippines and Australia broadening their cooperation relations on mutually important issues.

“Both underscored that terrorism and violent extremism are serious threats, with both expressing readiness to identify areas of collaboration,” Abella said.

He also said the Philippines and China reaffirmed their Next page

A2

News

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘No need to inform DFA on Benham’

By Sandy Araneta

ter because the President was already aware of China’s maritime movements in Benham Rise.

ALACA ÑANG on Friday said it “Regardless of whether [DFA officials] were informed or not, if was unnecessary and redundant for the President knew about it or the Chinese government asked the the Department of Foreign Affairs permission of the President, you to be advised of China’s maritime movements do not need to inform its alterego,” said Panelo. in Benham Rise, stressing that there was no Panelo said that he received need to inform the DFA about it as President an assurance from the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte had already known about himself that China would not act China’s plan earlier to pass through the region. without permission.

“I was talking to the Chinese In a television interview, Chief of whether or not the Chinese gov- ambassador earlier, and he said, Presidential Legal Counsel Salva- ernment had contacted the DFA. ‘We would never do that’,” Panelo dor Panelo said he was not aware However, he said it did not mat- said.

The Malacañang official said that the presence of Chinese vessels in Benham Rise did not violate the Philippine Constitution.

“If it’s an innocent passingthrough, how can that be a violation of the Constitution?” Panelo said.

Earlier, Duterte admitted that he had entered into an agreement with China, allowing China to pass through the region.

In March, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana disclosed that a Chinese service ship had been seen on an apparent three-month survey mission within the resource-rich 13-million hectare region of Benham Rise just off the

northeastern coast of Luzon.

According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Philippines has full territorial claim to Benham Rise since 2012.

China, however, downplayed the alleged incursion in Banham Rise.

Lorenzana subsequently ordered an increase of military presence in the region despite China’s claim of “innocent passage.”

Malacañang on Thursday also clarified that Duterte’s comments about Chinese activities in Benham Rise did not contradict pronouncements by the DFA and the Department of National Defense on the issue.

‘Leni...

M From A1

Alvarez said that while President Duterte himself said during the graduation rites at the Philippine Military Academy that Robredo is not involved in the destabilization plots against the administration, he believes otherwise.

A spokeswoman for Robredo, Georgina Hernandez, denied the vice president’s involvement in the impeachment complaint.

“The Vice President and many of us know that the accusation was not true. Even the one who filed the complaint clearly said the vice president knew nothing about it,” she told a radio interview.

She said Robredo would just ignore the issue.

“She has not even seen the complaint so why should she take any move?” she added.

Alvarez on Friday said he wasn’t calling Alejano stupid when he

Magdalo's...

From A1

“When you allege something, you have to prove it, that’s the rule, that’s the law. I mean, you cannot accuse me of anything and yet you will shift the burden of proof on my part… that is pure and simple stupidity,” Alvarez said.

An impeachment complaint must gain the support of at least one-third of all members of the House of Representatives before it can be sent to the Senate for trial.

Revamp...

From A1

“We did not force anyone to vote in favor of the death penalty bill. I respected their decision and I hope they also respect our policy [to remove those who did not toe the party line],” Alvarez said.

He said the revamp would continue when Congress resumes session on May 2.

“Those whose positions were not declared vacant [on Wednesday night], we will do it when we resume session in May,” said Alvarez.

Alvarez also allayed concerns that the policy he laid down in connection with the death penalty bill has eroded the independence of the House from Malacañang.

“That is a leadership-sponsored bill, and if you are part of the leadership, I think you should support the leadership.

Now, if you don’t want to, of course we’ll find people who will,” Alvarez said.

Congress went on Lenten recess on Wednesday night and will resume sessions on May 2.

The bill seeking to reimpose

Korea-made...

From A1

from the manufacturer Korean Aerospace Inc. of South Korea.

The AFP bought a dozen of the aircraft worth P18.9 billion.

But Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate condemned the bombings by the Philippine Air Force as part of its intensified counterinsurgency operations following the collapse of the peace talks between the Duterte administration and the communists.

But early this week the negotiating panels of both parties had agreed to revive the peace talks.

Zarate said the “indiscriminate bombings” in Malibcong was “part of the aerial support to the Army’s 24th Infantry Battalio otherwise known as Palparan Battalion after retired major general Jovito Palparan.

Palparan is among military of-

said Thursday that “we are all entitled to our stupidity.”

“By stupidity I meant it would only be a waste of time to file an impeachment complaint that is lacking in substance,” Alvarez said, noting that the Magdalo impeachment complaint will be thrown out.

Alvarez also dismissed the claim of Alejano that a few allies of President Duterte are supporting the impeachment complaint.

Instead of wasting the time of Congress, Alvarez urged Alejano and his group to focus on their legislative mandate as members of Congress.

Malacañang on Friday said the filing of an impeachment complaint before the House of Representatives on the last day of congressional session and Robredo’s UN video message “seem too neat to be written off as mere coincidence.”

“While the President previously ruled out the Vice Presi-

dent’s involvement in any destabilization attempt, the release of her UN video message lambasting the administration’s war on drugs before an international audience and the filing of an impeachment complaint at the House of Representatives which happened on the same day, seems too neat to be written off as mere coincidence,” said Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella.

“If it is not her personal intent, she may have played into the hands of those who wish to use her as a political animal,” said Abella.

“Either way it is a pathetic state of affairs for her,” said Abella.

Abella said Alejano’s impeachment filing is only the latest in an orchestrated effort of a wellfunded destabilization campaign against President Duterte.

“That Alejano filed his case on the last day of the congressional session, secures him a whole month and a half to malign President Duterte without being chal-

lenged by fellow legislators,” said Abella.

“The instigators of this cynical campaign include senators and higher officials who attack the very institutions fighting the crime and contraband that tripled during their term,” he said.

“These are apparently desperate acts to protect their threatened vested interests,” said Abella.

Robredo criticized the priorities in Duterte’s war on drugs, which has caused the deaths of thousands of Filipinos since its conception in July 2016.

In a recent video addressed to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Robredo said drug problem is a complex issue that cannot be solved “with bullets alone.”

“It must be regarded as it truly is, a complex public health issue, linked ultimately with poverty and social inequality,” Robredo said.

Opposition senators assailed Alvarez for linking Robredo to the

filing of the impeachment complaint against Duterte.

Senator Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, branded Alvarez’s claim as “baseless and unfounded.”

Robredo is the highest elected LP official.

Pangilinan had repeatedly denied that the LP was behind the destabilization and ouster plots against Duterte so that Robredo could take over the presidency.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV also said Robredo had nothing to do with the filing of the impeachment complaint.

Trillanes was part of the Magdalo group, whose party-list congressman, Rep. Gary Alejano, filed the complaint.

“It was the sole decision of Magdalo to file it,” said Trillanes in a text message to reporters.

“They were always asking whose behind because they cannot stand for who’s in front of them,” Trillanes said.

Administration allies are also convinced that the effort to unseat Duterte would be a futile exercise.

Rep. Rodolfo Albano of Isabela said that the “dream” of the Magdalo party-list to impeach Duterte “may turn into a nightmare.”

“I do not think it will prosper,” Albano said.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone shared a similar view. “I think it will not prosper as the bases are not that solid.”

Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting added: “The President is

very popular so it will not succeed.”

But Rep. Tom Villarin of Akbayan, a party-list group allied with the Liberal Party, said the Palace should not take the complaint lightly.

“The charges are serious enough to warrant the House leadership not to dismiss it outright,” Villarin said.

Villarin also said it was “unfortunate” that Alvarez described the complaint as stupid.

“It tarnishes the very institution he serves and lowers the level of discourse to gutter lan-

guage,” he said.

Villarin said the Magdalo partylist’s group filing of an impeachment complaint against President Duterte “is well within the constitutional parameters of seeking redress and exacting accountability against a sitting President who wields enormous powers with impunity.”

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the people behind the impeachment complaint against Duterte may not really be serious, but merely want media mileage.

“They filed the complaint after the break so they achieved their objective to create news. So I don’t think they really care whether or not they succeed in their impeachment,” Pimentel said, adding that the move shows their disrespect for voters’ “overwhelming mandate” to Duterte.

Also on Friday, lawyer Oliver Lozano filed a falsification and ethics complaint against Alejano for filing an impeachment complaint based on hearsay with no probative value.

With Sandy Araneta

the legal process to proceed accordingly.

The government also asks the international community to refrain from influencing the outcome of a case that is rightly under the jurisdiction of Philippine courts, the DFA said.

“Allegations of state-sponsored extrajudicial killings are disturbing. The government is taking pains to investigate the veracity of these allegations of state-sponsored extrajudicial killings. This is being undertaken precisely to ensure that due process and the rule of law prevail even in situations of crises, such as the enormous drug problem that our society is facing. Public congressional hearings were convened to look into these allegations,” it stated.

The DFA also said the Philippines is ready to engage in a dialogue with the EU and other international partners on human rights and other issues.

In an interview Friday, United Kingdom Ambassador Asif Ahmad said the European Parliament resolution did not automatically translate to policy.

“Parliament is a bit like Congress here. Any independent body can raise whatever [issue] but that does not automatically translate to policy,” he said.

The British government, he said, merely wanted the rule of law to be applied to the case of De Lima, an outspoken critic of President Rodrigo Duterte.

De Lima was arrested last month on allegations that she accepted money from drug lords detained in the national penitentiary when she was still Justice secretary.

She has denied the charges and said they were meant to silence her questions about extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration and during his time as mayor of Davao City.

More than 7,000 drug suspects have been killed in the government’s war on illegal drugs since Duterte took office in June 2016.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella on Friday urged the European Parliament to base its pronouncements on facts.

“We strongly encourage the European Union to be more circumspect in basing their pronouncements and decisions on fact-based evidence. So-called critics, with deep personal interests, have brilliantly manipulated biased information locally and internationally by using willing public officials who are agreeable to lend credence to baseless claims,” Abella said in a statement.

places of wealth, comfort and modernity and places of extreme poverty happened under a unitary system with Metro Manila as the one and only center of power.

“We see it as the practical solution to the age-old problems of poverty, inequality and instability that continue to hobble the development of our nation,” Pimentel said.

If the Philippines would not change, the rich regions would only become richer, while the poor regions would become poorer because the capital, talent and infrastructure were concentrated in the rich regions.

“Not to mention that the law and order situation is better in these regions,” Pimentel said.

“They are also still the areas closest to the center of power. So these already rich areas are the

ones that can take most advantage of the economic growth the Philippines is projected to enjoy.”

The movement to adopt a federal system of government with a bicameral legislature is contained in a number of bills filed both in the Lower House and the Senate that are proposing amendments to the 1987 Constitution.

Pimentel said once embedded in the revised Constitution, the federal system would empower the people in the various regions to determine the kind of development they would like to see in their own communities.

The regions would be free to invite the kind of investments they wanted to come into their respective jurisdictions and offer them incentives without needing permission from the central government.

capital punishment on drug-related cases was approved on third and final reading last Wednesday night after 217 lawmakers voted in favor of the Palace-backed measure.

A total of 54 lawmakers voted against the measure.

The other committee chairmen who were absent on voting day but whose posts were not yet declared vacant were Reps. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, chairman of the committee on dangerous drugs; Amado Espino Jr. of Pangasinan, national defense and security; and Delphine Lee of AGRI party-list, ethics and privileges.

Barbers, a co-author of the bill, failed to attend the session as he was in his district to attend to the needs of his constituents who were victims of a recent 5.9 magnitude earthquake.

So far only, Rep. Evelina Escudero of Sorsogon, chairman of the committee on basic education, has been replaced because the National People’s Coalition has picked a definite nominee, Cebu Rep. Ramon Durano, to take her post. ficers facing criminal charges before a regional trial court in Bulacan for the abduction and disappearance of student-activists Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan, both from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

“The bombings also razed the forested part of Barangay Lat-ey and affected the farms, grazelands and rice fields of the Tingguians belonging to the Mabaka, Banao and Gubang tribes. Since yesterday morning, around 14 huge explosions were reported by residents in the area,” he said, citing reports from CHRA. The bombing sorties also forced teachers to suspend classes and some families were affected.

“The CHRA said the AFP operations headed by Lt. Col. Dominic Baluga commenced last Monday, forcing Dep-ed to suspend the classes of public elementary and high school as the parents, adults and elders feared that children might be harmed,” Zarate said.

EU...

From A1

guarantees enshrined in the Constitution to uphold and protect the rights of all individuals,” the department said in a statement.

The DFA maintained that the Philippines firmly adheres to the rule of law and is committed to protecting human rights.

The DFA then called on the European Parliament and its elected members to get their facts straight to avoid the impression of interfering in the Philippines’ internal issues.

“While we recognize the independent standing of the European Parliament within the EU system, resolutions that are crafted by its members of Parliament must necessarily possess unimpeachable standards, given the extremely sensitive topic of human rights,” the department said.

“It is important that the elected members exert all efforts to secure more accurate information on resolutions, in order to avoid the impression of interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign non-EU countries,” it added.

The DFA said the case is still pending before the proper courts and the government will allow

Pimentel...

From A1 life,” Pimentel said in a speech before the general assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines at the Manila Hotel.

He said federalism was the one change that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to realize because it would foster unity amid diversity and self-determination.

Federalism would help erase the two faces of Philippine society under a unicameral government that has a highly centralized structure by allowing the neglected areas to catch up with the more affluent ones.

This dichotomy in Philippine society, he said, where there were

‘Journalists safer under Duterte regime’ THE Presidential Task Force on Media Security has reported a marked improvement in media worker security under the administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, owing largely to the proactive measures that are now in place to ensure a safer environment for memberso ft hew orkingp ress.

Although one case—that of Catanduanes News Now publisher Larry Que—has been verified to be a media worker killing during the first nine months of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, a number of cases handled by the PTFoMS during the same period involve threats, harassment and physical assault against journalists.

This is the first time that the government has documented and taken action on these potentially deadly incidents reported by the victms themselves.

PTFoMS Executive Director, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco has reported to the body during its regular meeting last Wednesday (March 15) that besides the murder of Que, the Presidential Task Force reported the following cases: eight (8) shooting Incidents, six (6) threats and one (1) each for physical attack and complaint.

A followup was also conducted on the case of Jun Pala following the public admission by retired policeman Arturo Lascanas of his participation in the killing.

Expelled INC member, kin transferred to Bicutan jail

By Rio N. Araja EXPELLED Iglesia ni Cristo member Felix Nathaniel “Angel” Manalo was transferred on Friday to Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan in Taguig City from Camp Karingal after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court issued a commitment order.

Also transferred to the Metro Manila District Jail were Gem Manalo Hemedez, Manalo’s nephew, and former Magdalo soldier Jonathan Ledesma, before 10 a.m.

Manalo, Hemedez and Ledesma were first taken to the Quezon City Police District’s Station 10 for a physical examination.

The three were charged with illegal possession of firearms before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

No bail was recommended for the provisional liberty of Manalo and company.

Authorities filed additional raps against Ledesma for direct assault with frustrated homicide when he allegedly shot two policemen with an M-16 rife during a police search on March 2.

PH,...

From A1

stronger ties during the courtesy call of Vice Premier Wang Yang on President Rodrigo Duterte in Davao City.

“Both sides reaffirmed the stronger bilateral ties between Philippines and China,” Abella said.

He said both sides stressed the need to address piracy at sea and to ensure that the maritime areas were safe and secure and allowed freedom of navigation and overf lights.

Abella said Australia expressed support for the Philippines’ chairmanship of the Asean and the Philippines’ efforts to further strengthen the association.

Duterte said the Philipines will do its utmost to strengthen Asean.

News

A3

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

3rd rights action to set out targets

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

MORE HEALTH AID. Leyte 1st District Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (left) thanks Friday Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial during a breakfast meeting in Tacloban City for supporting her health programs for the poor family in her district. Ver Noveno

IN BRIEF BoC seizes smuggled materials THE Bureau of Customs seized tons of used clothing or “ukayukay,” counterfeit rubber shoes and other footwear worth millions of pesos in a simultaneous raids of four buildings in Cuneta Avenue, Pasay City.

Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service chief Neil Anthony Estrella said the bureau conducted the raids on four buildings used as warehouses for the smuggled items.

“We cannot give the exact value of the seized used clothing or ‘ukay-ukay’ at the moment, but it is in great volume that could provide endless stocks of the banned importations that can supply traders in Metro Manila and nearby provinces,” Estrella said.

Republic Act 4653 prohibits the importation of used clothing, rags, or ‘ukay-ukay’ in commercial quantity to safeguard the health of the people and maintain the dignity of the nation, he said.

The Customs intelligence chief said the raid yielded several tons of used clothing or ‘ukay-ukay’ packed in yellow bales marked with Chinese characters and kept in the seven-story building in Pasay City. Vito Barcelo

10 scholars, 37 grantees recognized THE United States government, through the US Embassy in the Philippines’ United States Agency for International Development, recognized 10 research scholars and 37 grant recipients in science, technology, and innovation who support the Philippine government’s push for innovation-led and inclusive growth.

The grants and scholarships were awarded by USAID’s Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (Stride) project, which boosts science and technology research in the Philippines to stimulate inclusive economic growth.

US Ambassador Sung Y. Kim personally acknowledged the individual scholars and the research grant recipients.

“Our grantees represent the best scientific minds in the Philippines,” said Ambassador Kim. “We look forward to the results of their research projects that will upgrade industries, generate jobs and investments, and build skills and capacities in communities, academic institutions, and companies.”

The awards included 24 P5 million ($100,000), one-year research grants to Philippine universities to undertake collaborative research with US universities on disciplines that contribute to high-growth sectors, including electronics, chemical industries, alternative energy, agri-business, and information technology. PNA

DoLE order stopping ‘endo’ major step to protect rights

By Sandy Araneta and Vito Barcelo

M

ALACAÑANG on Friday said the Department of Labor and Employment order stopping the “endo” was a major step in upholding and protecting the labor rights of Filipino workers.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Department Order 174 issued by DoLE regulating the contracting and subcontracting of employees fulfilled the campaign promise of then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the 2016 presidential elections.

“This is a major step in upholding and protecting the labor rights of our great Filipino workers,” said Abella.

“We commend all concerned parties for the tireless efforts they poured in to make this a reality,” Abella said.

“The fruits of labor must be enjoyed justly and equitably,

while business investments must be encouraged to grow and prosper so they can share with workers the reward for their toil,” he said.

“The Duterte administration is working very hard to promote more humane conditions and fair and just treatment of workers in the work place. We guarantee the proper implementation of this department order by our labor officials and expect the full cooperation from the employers,” said Abella.

However, militant groups such as Associated Labor UnionsTrade Union Congress of the

Philippines (ALU-TUCP) expressed disappointment over the new department order.

The militant groups demanded Duterte fire Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III who insisted on the implementation of DO 174.

The ALU-TUCP group argued DO 174 would only encourage perpetuation of contractualization in the country.

The labor group Partido Manggagawa itself said contractualization would continue to proliferate under the new department order.

“DO 174 merely reiterates the bans already provided for in the old DO 18-A. Everything old is presented as new again,” Wilson Fortaleza, PM spokesperson, said.

Fortaleza said “Bello is acting like Pontius Pilate by passing the ball to Congress on prohibiting all forms of contractualization. The Labor Secretary is vested by Article 106 of the Labor Code with the power to prohibit or restrict labor contracting.” “ Bello’s order contradicts the President’s directive during the labor dialogue to end contractualiza-

Aquino: Ensure work for all

By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITH the graduation season coming up, a minority bloc senator called for the strict implementation of the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act to ensure fair treatment and opportunities for everyone.

“The objective of this law would be futile if this will not be enforced,” said Senator Bam Aquino, a co-author of the measure in the Senate during the 16th Congress.

“With graduation season coming up, more Filipinos, young and old, will be competing for available jobs. Let’s ensure that there is equal opportunity for all,” he added.

Republic Act 10911 or the Anti-Age Discrimi-

nation in Employment Act seeks to promote equality in the workplace by mandating companies—including national and local government, contractors and organizations—to hire workers based on their competence, and not on their age.

The Act also outlaws forced dismissal of older age workers, imposing early retirement and reducing wage of all employees to comply with RA 10911.

Aquino said violators will be fined between P50,000 and P500,000, and will be imprisoned from three months to two years, at the court’s discretion.

The law prohibits printing or publishing any notice of advertisement relating to employment suggesting preferences, limitations, specifications, and discrimination based on age.

THE OTHER SIDE. Supporters of the CPP-NPA-NDF hold a lightning rally on the 48th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines in Manila, saying the Armed Forces should support reopening the peace talks instead of engaging in war. Lino Santos

tion and agency hiring,” Fortaleza said.

Labor leaders had a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte last Feb. 27 at Malacanang and the latter acceded to the demand to prohibit all forms of contractualization.

Fortaleza said: “DO 18-A was issued in late 2011 to stop contractualization scheme. Since D0 18-A merely regulated not prohibited contractualization, the problem of endo has gone from bad to worse over the past five years.

“With DO 18-A rehashed as DO 174, contractualization will only get worst in the years to come.”...

Fortaleza insisted that “Under DO 174, replacement of regular workers with contractual workers will continue. Agency, rather than direct hiring, will be the norm.

“Manpower agencies will remain as middlemen between principal employers and workers. As lifetime agency employees, the best workers can hope for is a minimum wage while principal employers reap the fruits of labor productivity,” he added.

A HUMAN Rights Action Plan will be crafted in the Philippines, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights said Friday.

The Action Plan is intended to combat corruption, human trafficking, poverty, unemployment, and underemployment or other concerns pertaining to human rights defenders and the strengthening of the Commission on Human Rights, the group said.

As a way forward, Presidential Human Rights Committee Undersecretary Severo Catura informed the body the country would be embarking on the formulation of the 3rd Philippine Human Rights Action Plan, 2018-2022.

“The action plan will set out the activities and targets, including monitoring and reporting activities, covering the eight core human rights treaties to which the Philippines has committed to,” he said.

In addition, the PHRC will spearhead the institutionalization of the National Mechanism for Reporting and Follow-up to coordinate and track national follow-up and implementation of recommendations from human rights mechanisms like Universal Periodic Review, Treaty Bodies, and UN Special Rapporteurs.

Cynthia Veliko of the United Nations Development Program for her part emphasized the importance of conducting regional and national consultations and engaging the various UN agencies working in the area of economic, social and cultural rights.

She noted agencies like Unicef, UNFPA, UNDP, ILO, WHO, FAO, WFP, UNHCR, and UNAIDS would be able to provide expertise and guidance during thematic consultations to ensure that international standards were considered.

Meanwhile, lawyer Jesus Torres of the CHR pointed out that the concluding observations did not elaborate concerns on cultural rights.

He suggested the issue be discussed in the next Philippine report.

FDA joins PNP, PDEA in anti-drugs campaign

By Macon Araneta FOOD and Drug Administration Director General Nela Charade Puno said they have joined the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as an enforcement arm in the war against drugs.

She said the FDA regulated more than a quarter of the Philippine economy that deals with critical food and drug safety.

“We are mandated by law to ensure that only pure, safe, efficacious and good quality drugs, food, cosmetics, health products and devices are made available to the public,” said Puno.

She stressed the current proliferation of counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated and misbranded health products in the market poses danger to life, health and safety of the public.

“This is clearly contrary to the Constitution which states that it is the policy of the State to ‘protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.” Puno emphasized.

“This is why we in FDA, exercising our mandate, have pursued this strategic teamup with the Philippine National Police,” Puno added.

The joint task force of FDA and the PNP against counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated and misbranded drugs, food, cosmetics and health products recently conducted the FDA-PNP Enforcement Training for 111 PNP and FDA personnel at Eurotel Hotel

in Quezon City.

This is the first batch of trainees of the joint task force.

She pointed out the teamwork was made even more urgent because the regulation and monitoring of the sale of controlled and addictive drugs and substances were critical components of President Duterte’s war against the illegal drug trade and drug abuse.

“I am excited with the powerful synergy that I expect to be formed between the FDA and the PNP, as the PNP provides additional law enforcement muscle in the FDA’s campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs and substances, and fake unregistered health products.” Puno said.

The recently concluded nine-day FDA-PNP Enforcement Training had 111 graduates.

Out of the 111, 95 were from the PNP from the different regions, and 16 were from FDA. Thirty-one PNP participants were officers with four of them with the rank of General.

The PNP graduates will be deputized by FDA and will represent the FDA-PNP Task Force in their respective areas of responsibility.

Puno thanked the PNP leadership and its Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management for the “unqualified and full support to this FDA-PNP Teamwork.”

“I am pleased with this great beginning for the Joint FDA-PNP Task Force D-Punch which stands for Destroy Products Unfit for the Consumption of Humans,” she disclosed.

A4

Opinion

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Trivializing a process

A

PARTY-LIST congressman filed the first impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday.

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano said the President should be unseated for culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption and other high crimes.

The lawmaker said Duterte should be held liable for the

crimes he committed, both as mayor of Davao City and as president. He is ill fit to serve, Alejano added.

Immediately and predictably, the people around the President branded the filing as part of a larger, more sinister scheme to destabilize the administration.

It’s a sorry state of affairs when the relief provided by the Constitution against those who truly abuse their power is trivialized into a tool meant to accomplish something else. We have seen too often how once-numerous

grounds for impeachment have been exposed to be lacking in substance and caused the unraveling of the very complaint supposed to stand on them.

It is equally tragic when impeachable officials who commit truly detestable deeds face impeachment complaints—but the public no longer cares, desensitized as it is to the use of the process for political or personal agenda.

In the end, we will be reminded that all this is a game of numbers— and by the looks of it, the House of Representatives remains largely

behind Mr. Duterte. Just look at how the death penalty bill, which he says he needs to enforce the anti-drug war effectively, easily sailed into passage.

But should we really decide whether the country’s highest elected official is still fit for the office he holds on the basis of popularity in a chamber composed of men and women weaned on patronage politics?

Merit is a little-appreciated word in our politics. There is little reason to believe this will change any time soon.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Andanar’s plans for the PCO

Committee on Education; Senator Risa Hontiveros from the Health Committee; and, Senator Francis Pangilinan from being Chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food. Since then, the four legislators have joined the Senate minority.

In the House of Representatives, administration allies who voted against the reimposition of the death penalty were also stripped of their committee posts.

The following were removed from being Chairs of committees: former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo; Batangas Rep. Vilma SantosRecto; Party-List Reps. Carlos Zarate, Emmi de Jesus, Mariano Michael Velarde Jr., Antonio Tinio, Sitti Hataman, and Emmeline Aglipay-Villar; Sorsogon Rep. Evelina Escudero; Quezon City Rep. John Christopher Belmonte; Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad; and Dinagat Islands Rep.

PHILIPPINE presidents after Ferdinand Marcos had one thing in common—a staid, predictable, and publicly distrusted press office which dished out news bulletins deliberately designed to put the president in good light regarding whatever he did, and sometimes, particularly during some embarrassing occasions, whatever he did not do. Political necessity required that the cosmetic job be extended to the members of the president’s cabinet whenever they needed to be in the news, especially on television.

More often than not, the work everybody in the president’s press office had to do was already cut out for them.

Positive news was OK for broadcast on the governmentowned radio and television stations. On the other hand, negative news was diluted or censored, or in extreme cases, ignored outright by the gatekeepers of the president’s press office.

Because the president’s press office hardly conceals its main goal of promoting the good image of the president in the news media, people who know better consider the governmentowned radio and television stations more as state propaganda outlets and defenders of the administration, rather than as credible sources of news. Consequently, they do not bother tuning in to the governmentowned radio and television stations for news and related information. For that purpose, they rely on the private broadcast media, which they perceive as credible news sources.

Evidently, the governmentowned broadcast media suffer from a credibility problem.

This credibility problem, in turn, is the main reason why past presidents—from the disappointing Corazon Aquino to her even more disappointing son Benigno III—never bothered to exert any serious effort towards improving the credibility of the state-owned PTV Channel 4, and Radyo ng Bayan, its radio component.

In contrast, the set up of President Rodrigo Duterte’s press office is entirely different on account of the changes he made in the stagnant bureaucracy characterizing the old political dispensations.

Turn to A5

Turn to A5

Of dissent and democracy POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO WHAT is democracy without dissent? Is it still democracy?

Should dissent be punished?

Freedom of expression is defined as the “right to express one’s ideas and opinions freely through speech, writing, and other forms of communication but without deliberately causing harm to others’ character and/or reputation by false or misleading statements. Freedom of press is part of freedom of expression.”

This definition means that differences in perspectives, or position on issues, is respected.

Dissent is a necessary part of freedom of expression.

In 1946, the United Nations General Assembly stated that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. Accord-

ing to Index in Censorship, this freedom, beyond being a human right, “also underpins most other rights and allows them to flourish. The right to speak your mind freely on important issues in society, access information, and hold the powers that be to account, plays a vital role in the healthy development process of any society.”

Freedom of expression is very important for democracy to thrive. Such is why this right is fiercely protected in democracies. For instance, Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that, “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably, to assemble and petition government for redress of grievances…”

It will be remembered that the 1987 Constitution was a result of the people’s will to oust the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos from

power, and necessary in the reconstruction of a democratic Philippine society. The dictatorship was a dark period in our history where people’s human rights were curtailed, and those who dared oppose, punished, or even killed. After many years of

It is disturbing what they are willing to do to silence people. Let us be warned. being silenced, we, the Filipino people were once more free to express our opinions on political matters, no matter what these opinions may be.

The absence of freedom of

expression can be considered as tantamount to having a dictatorship where the will of the people is subsumed under the desires of a few. Without freedom of expression, the public will be unable to participate in making decisions based on the free flow of information and ideas. Without it, people will be unable to make informed decisions. This cannot be in a democracy.

Thus, we must not allow our freedom to express ourselves freely be curtailed once more.

What is happening in the Legislative Department of this government is disturbing. In the Senate, because of their opposing views on crucial issues hounding this administration, senators belonging to, or allied with, the Liberal Party were ousted from their positions. These were Senators Franklin Drilon who was relieved of the Senate President Pro Tempore post; Senator Bam Aquino from being Chair of

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: thestandard.com.ph

Benjamin Philip G. Romualdez Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

ManilaStandard

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial) 832-5554, (Advertising) 832-5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www.thestandard. com.ph; e-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

ONLINE MEMBER

PPI

Chairman Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager OIC-Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Adelle Chua Honor Blanco Cabie Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion Editor Night Editor Art Director Chief Photographer

Opinion BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Desperate disinformation campaign THE Philippines should be speculations, President Duterte looking forward to reaping the immediately acknowledged that productive results of the deci- it has his permission. sion of President Duterte to reThe mainstream media, which focus our friendship with China often speaks for the US interest, to bring about economic devel- could not be pacified because of opment and prosperity to this the somewhat blunt statement nation. His desire speaks of the made by China’s foreign minissoul and aspiration of the Fili- try spokesperson Geng Shuang pino people. This is an indivis- who said “that the UN approval ible fact that we can never es- (of the Unclos) does not mean cape, nor can we blindly follow that the region is part of the Philthe structured Western political ippine territory.” His statement beliefs often not parallel to the was correct. As local political realities of today. observer would put it, “... we The coming visit of China’s do not have sovereignty over it Vice Premier Wang Yang is too but we have our sovereign right valuable to be negated by us. which means that all resources The disinformation is obviously in the area belong to us.” To be meant to derail all that has been clear, the approval of the 200worked out by the President mile exclusive economic zone by during his visit last January. Unclos did not vest in us soverThe coming visit is the concre- eignty over that body of water. tization of our desire to extend Even Supreme Court Justice friendship which many expect Antonio Carpio admitted that to further flourish. We should we cannot acquire sovereignty positively take it as an honor there, much that it applies only to to participate in the economic land area. growth of a country predicted The right to explore and exto become the world’s next eco- ploit the area of its economic and nomic powerhouse and whose mineral resources belongs to the economic success was not paid state that falls within that zone. in blood and oppression, but one But the area must remain an willing to share the bounty of its open sea or mare liberum which economic success to the world. all ships can invoke free passage During his visit, Wang Yang under the principle of “freedom will hand over a $1-billion do- of navigation.” Benham Rise is nation for the rehabilitation of contiguous to the continental the province of Surigao that shelf that forms the Philippine was struck by a 6.7-magnitude archipelago. Under the Unclos, earthquake. There will also be a continental shelf is that part an exchange of notes on the op- of the seabed over which the erational procedures to utilize coastal state could exercise sovChinese concessional loans to ereign rights with regard to the support Philexploration ippine governand exploitament projects. tion of natuThese include ral resources, the financing including gas What we are and oil deposit of three prioras well as ity infrastruc- now witnessing other minerals ture projects, and biological namely Chico are the results resources.

River Pump of the warm Howeve r, Irrigation prosovereign ject, New Cen- friendship right cannot tennial Waterbe used to Source-Kaliwa extended by China declare on an Dam project, to the Philippines. area that is a and the Northsubmerged South Railway closed sea or line valued mare clauat $3 billion.

China will also assist in the sum. China is well aware of this construction of the Binondo-In- principle, and for good reason, tramuros and Estrella-Pantaleon has no plans to lay its claim. It Bridges to help ease traffic in simply stated that the shallow Metro Manila. In Davao, Vice body of water is not part of our Premier Wang Yang will sign territory much that under inan agreement to purchase $1 ternational law, our territorial billion worth of Philippine agri- sea cannot extend beyond the cultural products like pineapple, 12-mile limit from our nearest bananas, durian, avocado, coco- baseline (shoreline). Since the nut, mango, dragon fruit, man- area is well within the 200-mile gosteen, marang, rice, coffee, exclusive economic zone, logicacao, fish, chicken and duck cally, it gives us the prior right over any other state. meat, among others.

Anti-Chinese bashers who reLast January, a Philippine cabinet delegation led main psychologically afflicted

by Finance Secretary Carlos with the old political disease Dominguez visited China and called “xenophobic syndrome” proposed a total of 40 infra- are again spreading disinformastructure projects, out of which tion about the creeping expan15 are to be financed by China sionism of China. They forgot and 25 to be supported for fea- that for China to contest our posibility studies. Likewise, Sec- sition would be politically regresretary of Energy Alfonso Cusi sive and economically counterdiscussed possible collaboration productive. That could instantly with his Chinese counterparts. alienate the rest of Asean. The A Memorandum of Understand- US would just be too glad to see ing will soon be signed in areas it happen because that would disas capacity building, Liquefied mantle all the planks of friendship Natural Gas (LNG), power and both countries have bridged. That would be giving the US the reatransmission system.

What we are now witness- son to justify its presence in the ing is the implementation of the South China Sea, vis-a-vis bolster productive results of the warm their claim that Asean more than friendship extended by China to ever now needs the US and its the Philippines. During Presi- military bases in the county pivdent Duterte’s visit, he exhib- otal in securing that objective.

Fortunately, Chinese policy ited our capacity to depart from the rigidities that for decades makers today are not shortshackled us to isolation. Today, sighted as we might think. Chiwe still continue to hurdle the na will not recklessly make any same problem that is bent in move that would not affect their preventing us from realizing national and security interest. our objective. The latest is the The enormous economic investcontroversy over Benham Rise, ment and goodwill it implanted a shallow body of water close to to secure friendship and understanding with the Philippines the Philippine archipelago.

Once again, we are agitated and Asean are all designed to because of reports that allegedly promote coordinated economic China is seeking to occupy and growth and stability which inclaim that body of water fac- dicate that China would not eming the Pacific Ocean. There is bark to claim an area that could much screaming in the main- make its geographically claim stream media of the presence absurd and illogical. of Chinese vessels conducting rpkapunan@gmail.com “survey” in the area. To quell

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Inday Dayo and the Samaritan woman THE Gospel on the Third Sunday of Lent bring us to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. It is a powerful lesson on how we should regard those who are rejected and those belonging to the socalled fringes. In the story, Jesus, together with his disciples, reached the well, it was a hot midday, and Jesus was weary and thirsty from traveling. Jesus sent his disciples to buy some food in the Samaritan town. It was at this point that a Samaritan woman came to the well to draw water. It was this woman whom Jesus asked for water, and it is no wonder that she was surprised, because the petitioner was a Jew who hated her people as polluted outcasts and betrayers of Judaism.

The hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans can be traced centuries earlier, when the Assyrians held captive Jewish slaves who, according to the traditional Jews, betrayed their heritage by intermarrying with the Assyrians, thus creating a “mongrel race” called the Samaritans. By the time the Samaritan Jews returned to their homeland, their views of God had been greatly contaminated; hence they were considered outcasts and betrayers of the Law. Yet in the Gospel, Jesus set aside his prejudices and converses with the Samaritan woman, saying to her: “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

The woman eagerly expresses her interest to receive this living water that Jesus is talking about. In the course of the conversation, he prophetically says that a time is coming when there will be no more Jews and

Andanar’s...

From A4

During the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, the dissemination of news from Malacañang was done in a tedious and protracted manner typical of any government agency.

This meant that news stories about Aquino emanating from the presidential palace had to be polished by his propagandists before they are disseminated.

The news stories were often too polished that they were obviously too good to be true.

President Duterte inherited that set-up when he assumed office last year. Weeks into his administration, Duterte realized that the responsibilities of his key people in his press office overlapped, and the bureaucracy itself was making the press office look inefficient and disorganized. His first spokesman even had problems with the media.

To resolve that mess, President Duterte consolidated all news dissemination in one body, with responsibilities clearly delineated. That agency is the current Presidential Communications Office (PCO) headed by Secretary Martin Andanar.

Of dissent...

From A4

Kaka Bag-ao.

On the one hand, such actions by leaders of Congress can very well be considered as an exercise in party discipline especially in relation with those who belong to the party in power. And this is good. Moreover, technically, there is nothing irregular in what was done since committee chairpersonship appointment is a function of the Senate and House of Representatives’ big bosses. One can very well say that what happened is normal business in Congress.

However we look at this though, the removal from leadership positions is actually a punishment for having dissenting opinions from that of the powers that be. It appears that

Samaritans but all will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

We are living in a world pervaded with discrimination, biases, too much judging and condemnation because of religion, economic condition, ethnicity, creed, sex and color or because they do not conform with conventional moral, political and social norms. In our country, the President and secretary of Justice is on record as saying addicts are not humans.

Last week, in my home city of Cagayan de Oro, there was a murder-rape-robbery. I know people who knew the victim; they are still grieving. Certainly, many in my city are angry, upset, and have become afraid because of what happened to Inday Dayo (her real name, a lovely Cherrymae) who, from all accounts, was a good person.

Inday worked for family friends as the caretaker of their house. She came from a farming community in Misamis Oriental and grew up poor. Her main ambition in life, according to her neighbor who happens to be my friend, was to uplift her family from poverty. Apparently, her father suffered a stroke recently.

Inday was going to be the first in her family to graduate with a college degree this March, at 30 years old. She majored in elementary education and planned to be a teacher, following and inspired by the woman she took care of for many years. I actually knew that lady, as she was a good friend and relative of my mother; Tita Mimi was also a teacher in Xavier University Grade School when I was a student there.

Inday was stabbed first before she was raped. She fought back and, being a strong woman and leader, she managed to even get out of the house to shout for help. When she was brought to the hospital, she told the doc-

tor she was raped and asked that they saved her. But the stab wounds had damaged her kidney and she hemorrhaged to death.

The house she lived in was in the center of Cagayan de Oro; I would consider it a safe area (my late birth godfather lived nearby and we used to visit their house a lot) and at 9-10 p.m., when the crime happened, there were still a lot of people on the streets. The suspects are believed to have been drunk and had taken shabu when they broke into the house. Apparently, only one did the stabbing and raping while the others, including two women, served as lookouts. Since Inday’s phone and laptop are also missing, robbery was likely committed as well.

All of these must of course be proven in court.

The morning after Inday was killed, I was actually about to be interviewed from Manila by Radyo Bombo, a local Cagayan de Oro station. I do this twice a week as a service to my town mates. Of all things, the topic was the war on drugs and the death penalty. The radio anchor canceled at the last minute, texting me that there had been a rape and murder. I am glad that the interview did not push through as it is wrong to politicize a terrible incident like this.

Inday is like the Samaritan woman in this Sunday’s Gospel.

She came from the poor family but dared to work to bring them all out of poverty. She was welcomed and loved by the Balinado family, whose matriarch she took care of. Inday and the Balinados transcended their class differences.

Inday also became friends with Nanette Roa, her neighbor, and that too is remarkable given their very different social backgrounds.

These miracles of transcendence that heal divides could have happened only through the grace of the Lord, that

same Master who reached out and surprised the Samaritan woman. To that woman, Jesus became the fount of the living water, the source of healing and unity. Now, our Lord calls on us also to become instruments of peace and harmony, not discord; understanding, not intolerance; compassion and not hatred. We need to learn to be open to others and accept others as they are, just as Jesus did.

“The most effective antidote to every form of violence is education about discovering and accepting difference as richness and fertileness,” Pope Francis said. The lesson to be learned, according to the pope, is that people don’t divide themselves and lashed out against others based on difference.

Just as Jesus did not allow the woman’s status, past, attitude, or anything else to obstruct his ability to love the Samaritan woman, so too should we love and understand those who we believe are not like us; for all individuals, irrespective of one’s personal ascriptions in life, are created equal.

Inday Dayo was a good person. She did not deserve to be raped, to be killed. No person deserves to be raped or killed.

Nobody, under any circumstances.

A society which allows the rape and murder of an Inday Dayo deserves condemnation; more importantly, conversion is demanded of that society.

And there is no better time to start doing this than in this season of Lent when the song Hosea by Gregory Norbert is so appropriate: “Come back to me with all your heart, don’t let fear keep us apart. Trees do bend, tho’ straight and tall; so must we to others’ call. Long have I waited for your coming home to me and living deeply our new life.”

As currently set up, the PCO is expected to disseminate announcements from Malacañang with dispatch and, when necessary, clarifications and corrections. Andanar will manage the operations of the agency and its subsidiaries, while Undersecretary Ernesto Abella takes on the responsibility of presidential spokesman. With office operations and news dissemination under one integrated agency, the PCO should not have any difficulty in conveying to the people in clear and categorical language President Duterte’s plans and ideas.

Although Secretary Andanar was President Duterte’s media man right from the start of his term, Andanar does not have the trappings of a political appointee similar to erstwhile Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. Andanar is an experienced, professional broadcaster from a private broadcast media establishment before he joined the Duterte administration. At about 42 years old, Andanar has the energy and enthusiasm needed from somebody who oversees and maintains the communication line between the government and the people.

Under Andanar, the PCO drafted President Duterte’s Ex-

ecutive Order No. 1 which guarantees public access to information of public concern from all levels of the executive department. Even if the latest rulings of the Supreme Court already require transparency in government records and information, this move on the part of Duterte and the PCO was a breakthrough because the right of public access enshrined in the Constitution has been given more force by way of executive fiat.

Duterte also credits the PCO for its role in the creation of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security. This group has been assigned to protect media personnel from violence and intimidation. It is welcome move, no doubt, in the wake of the Ampatuan incident years ago, where numerous journalists covering a story in Mindanao were summarily executed, purportedly by a local political dynasty. Hopefully, this task force will go beyond mere press statements.

So far, Andanar seems to be taking his responsibilities as PCO chief seriously. Under his watch, PTV 4 has nearly tripled its transmitter strength, and its programs are now coordinated with the social media.

Andanar has announced his

plan to extend PTV 4’s reach to cover Jolo, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

He also intends to revitalize the Philippine News Agency by giving it its own sub-channel under the PTV 4 digital platform.

If these plans succeed, the volume of public exposure President Duterte may avail of will be unprecedented.

Admittedly, there is much to be desired about the credibility quotient of PTV 4 and Radyo ng Bayan precisely because they are owned and operated by the government. Any measure designed to solve that credibility problem will require undoing decades of bureaucratic practices, prejudices, and habits all geared towards retouching the news so as to put the president and the cabinet in a good light.

Solving that problem will definitely require a lot of painstaking effort from Andanar.

That difficult objective, though, is not impossible. Andanar has correctly set his eyes on the British Broadcasting Corporation as a model. The BBC is a state-owned facility, but its charter requires it to be fiercely independent of the government.

Because the BBC lives up to that challenge, it enjoys a high level of credibility and public acceptance in the United Kingdom.

Congress’ leadership, which is very closely allied with President Rodrigo Duterte, is intolerant of opposing views even if clearly, even without the votes of those oppositors, they still clearly won. Such intolerance should make us wary.

Perhaps if this is an isolated case of display of power, it will not be a cause of concern. But, taken within the bigger context of this administration’s manner of running this government, it becomes disturbing. This administration does not listen to opinions contrary to its own. It is an administration that threatens those who go against its decisions, policies, and practices.

Look at how harshly the president himself regard human rights advocates for being critical of the manner his war on drugs is implemented by which, more than 8,000 people have been

murdered without due process.

Look at how hard they try to destroy Senator Leila de Lima as a person, a woman, and a public servant. Now there are talks of the Speaker of the House himself threatening to lead an impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo, someone who like De Lima dares to speak of the questionable acts of this administration. For this, the Vice President is being tagged as allegedly behind the move to impeach President Duterte.

In contrast, look at how the President refuses to move against close allies even when evidence is present against them. Remember the findings on the killing of Mayor Rolando Espinosa? What about the complaints against anomalies allegedly committed by Cesar Montano? Also, notice how appointments are being handed to

those who support Duterte even if the appointees do not have the credentials for the positions they get appointed to?

Check the arrogant posturing of Duterte’s men. PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Solicitor General Jose Calida’s statements prove that they think that they can do no wrong.

This administration is intolerant of dissent. It is disturbing what they are willing to do to silence people. Let us be warned.

We need to protect and defend our freedom of expression.

Dissent is necessary in a democracy and should not be punished. A democracy without dissent is no democracy.

Facebook: tonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

A6

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

LLDA to remove Laguna Bay pens

By Catherine J. Teves LAGUNA Lake Development Authority will start dismantling next month the 30 fish pens the agency prioritized for removal from dying Laguna de Bay, the Philippines’ largest lake as part of a rehabilitation program, LLDA general manager Jaime Medina said Friday.

“Top priority for dismantling are fish pens each covering an area exceeding one hectare but without LLDA-issued permits,” he told journalists.

He noted such fish pens collectively cover about 1,000 hectares of Laguna de Bay at present.

Citing Philippine Statistics Authority data, Medina said fisheries production in Laguna de Bay reached some 68,600 metric tons last year.

Aquaculture and open fishing accounted for 57,000 metric tons and 11,600 metric tons of such total production, respectively, he noted.

LLDA said fish, mollusks, crustaceans and planktons are among Laguna de Bay’s biological resources.

Siltation and pollution are some of the problems besetting Laguna de Bay, however, jeopardizing this lake’s carrying capacity for aquaculture.

IN BRIEF TV dancer seeks SC protection SUGAR Mercado, a former member of an all-female dance group Sex Bomb, on Friday asked the Supreme Court’s intervention purportedly to stop what she described as harassment cases filed by her estranged husband.

In a petition, Mercado assisted by the Gabriella Women’s Party sought SC’s intervention against the cases lodged by her husband Kristoffer Jay Go, which arose from a custody case over their two children.

Mercado lamented the cases, which include child abuse, libel and slight physical injury, are forms of strategic lawsuit against public participation intended to intimidate victims of abuse from seeking justice, especially those who have no access to the courts.

“Declaring vexatious and harassment cases as SLAPPs and prohibiting the exercise of the same is well within the power of the Honorable Court to promulgate rules concerning the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights,” the petition stressed.

Mercado pleaded the high court to issue a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction to prevent the respondents from conducting further hearings and proceedings in the cases.

Named respondents to the petition were Mercado’s husband, Kenneth Jay Go, Casey Lim Jimenez, Christina Palileo, Ruel Balino, the four Quezon City courts handling the cases, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, and Quezon City Chief Prosecutor Donald Lee. For its part, Gabriela pointed out that the filing of harassment cases against Violence Against Women and Children victims “debases the very essence” of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act. “Imagine the ordeal that every VAWC victim currently suffers as abusers abuse the legal system to harass and silence them. With Sugar’s case, we hope that SC will consider SLAPP as a form of VAWC itself,” said Gabriela Rep. Emmi De Jesus in a statement.

“We ask the SC to draw the line on this case to grant protection to harassed and abused women and to stop the abuse in the form of filing of SLAPP cases against VAWC victims,” the Gabriela lawmaker said.

BuCor frees 234 inmates MORE than 200 convicts from Leyte have been released by the government as part of its effort to de-clog the country’s penal system.

Bureau of Corrections Director General Benjamin De Los Santos on Friday revealed that the 234 convicts have served their sentences but remained detained at the Leyte Prison and Penal Farm because of the slow processing of release papers.

Aside from the Leyte Prison and Penal Farm, the prison facilities also under BuCor are the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Sabisyan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City, Leyte Regional Prison in Abuyog, Leyte and Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Panabo Davao.

Medina said LLDA was already identifying other aquaculture structures that would comprise succeeding batches for dismantling as well.

Second priority for dismantling are structures each with an area exceeding one hectare and with LLDA permits but violated Laguna de Bay’s zoning and management plan, he said.

Those structures’ operators were delinquent in paying fish cage fees and charges, he continued.

“Our target is to dismantle this year all structures that shouldn’t be in Laguna de Bay,” he said.

He said LLDA set the target as the one-year moratorium on all fish pens and other aquaculture structures in Laguna de Bay is set to end in January 2018.

LLDA Board Resolution 518 series of 2017 set such moratorium and banned new stocking of fingerlings in Laguna de Bay’s existing aquaculture structures.

The resolution further ordered all operators of existing fish pens and fish cages in Laguna de Bay to already harvest their fish stocks and demolish respective structures by Friday (March 31) this year or else “the same shall be done by LLDA.” PNA

DISMANTLING OPERATION. Laguna Lake Development Authority general manager Jaime Medina shows a copy of the resolution temporarily forbidding the operation of fish pens in Laguna de Bay for one year. Manny Palmero

DoJ ends Jee slay probe

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Department of Justice has terminated its reinvestigation of the kidnap-slaying of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo last Oct. 18 and submitted the case for resolution.

The panel of prosecutors through Senior Assistant State Prosecutors Juan Pedro Navera and Olivia Torrevillas concluded the probe after receiving the counteraffidavit submitted by Supt. Allan Macapagal of the Philippine National Police AntiKidnapping Group.

A resolution is expected to be promulgated before the April 19 deadline imposed by the Angeles City Regional Trial Court, Branch 58, to finish its probe.

Macapagal failed to submit his counteraffidavit last March 10 hearing because he was in Iloilo City to help in the secu-

rity preparations for the meetings relating to the 2017 Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit.

Macapagal is respondent in the complaint for obstruction of justice filed by the National Bureau of Investigation, in connection with the PNP-AKG’s claim that Jee’s golf set was recovered from Gream Funeral Services in Caloocan City during a search operation for firearms and ammunition on Jan. 18.

The complaint against him arose from the statements of funeral home staff who said only

Jee’s body was brought to them, while funeral parlor owner Gerardo Gregorio Santiago denied receiving any golf set as payment.

In his counteraffidavit, Macapagal said the complaint relied only on “presumptions, conjectures, conclusions, hearsay and bare allegations.”

“There is no iota of proof or even an allegation that the search warrant or its implementation was invalid, and the manner or ultimate facts on how the golf set could possibly have been planted taking into consideration its big size and heavy weight,” the po-

lice official stressed.

“There is no single eyewitness to prove respondents’ alleged planting of the golf set as evidence. As such, respondents are not required to disprove what the complainant has not proved,” he said.

The DoJ is due to release the resolution before April 19, the day set by Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 58 Judge Irineo Pangilinan Jr. for the arraignment of the original accused, including SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel, SPO4 Roy Villegas and Ramon Yalung.

Moro education program started

NO DANCING MOOD. Former television dancer Sugar Mercado (center) on Friday sought the intervention of the Supreme Court in her legal battle with her estranged husband over custody of their children. Norman Cruz

MMDA moves vs jaywalking

By Joel E. Zurbano METRO Manila Development Authority acting chairman Thomas Orbos on Friday urged the public to use footbridges instead of risking their lives crossing major thoroughfares.

Orbos made the appeal as the agency continue conducting its anti-jaywalking operations in the National Capital Region.

A total of 210 pedestrians were apprehended during separate operations conducted in the cities of Pasay, Makati and Mandaluyong last Thursday.

Most of those apprehended, according to Orbos, were pedestrians crossing Epifanio de los Santos Avenue at the intersections of Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong, Guadalupe in Makati and Taft-Rotunda in Pasay, totally disregarding the presence of footbridges in the areas.

At least 110 footbridges had been built around Metro Manila.

More than half were constructed by the MMDA, while the rest were built by the local government units.

Despite the huge amount of taxpayers’ money that had gone into the construction of footbridges, people continued to cross busy streets and dangerous portions of the roads where they are not supposed to.

This prompted Orbos to issue a memorandum directing traffic enforcers and members of the MMDA Traffic Discipline Office to go against jaywalkers.

He said road accident is one of the major causes of monstrous traffic in the metropolis.

Orbos also reminded motorists, especially drivers of public utility vehicles, to drop off and pick up passengers only on designated loading and unloading bays. He said passengers who alight or ride on the middle of the road or on non-designated stops will be slapped with an

anti-jaywalking violation.

“This bad habit can cause danger not only to themselves but also to others. Passengers should learn to obey traffic rules and orderly line up to get on and get off PUVs at designated loading and unloading bays,” he said.

Records from the MMDA’s Anti- Jaywalking Unit showed that a total of 2,211 violators have been apprehended from Jan. 1 up to Feb. 14 this year.

Of the figure, around 388 have settled their infractions with the agency, paying P500 fine each while a total of 1, 823 have unsettled penalties.

Violators have the option to pay the P500 fine or render a threehour community service which is scheduled every last Friday of the month.

The MMDA also deployed a bus to serve as a “mobile classroom” where violators will be given lectures by agency officers on road safety and traffic signs.

DAVAO CITY—Peace promotion programs that focus on education of children will help the country realize its visions that are laid down in the Philippine Development Plan 2017 to 2022.

This was the message of National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Ernesto Pernia during the launching of the Australian government’s new flagship education program in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at the Marco Polo Hotel here on Friday.

The program, dubbed as Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao, will be funded with A$90 million (P3.4 billion) by the government of Australia.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced the opening of the program that will start in July 2017 until June 2026.

“Communities in conflict-affected areas will be provided with assistance through the 2017-2022 development plan to attain just and lasting peace,” Pernia said.

As he expressed gratitude to the Australian government, Pernia also acknowledged the potential of the

said education program, saying that the same will give opportunities to the children in ARMM to achieve their goals in life.

He also announced that the program is already approved by the Investment Coordinating Committee and being processed for approval by the Neda Board.

Foreign Minister Bishop described the education program as transformative “as it serves as pre-condition to peace and development.”

“Australia is a friend and partner of the Philippines,” Bishop pointed out, adding that this is not the first time her country provided support to the education program in the Philippines.

Three education programs were funded by the Australian government in previous years until this year. These programs include the Basic Education Assistance to Mindanao program from 2002 to 2009; the Philippine Response to Indigenous Peoples’ and Muslim Education program from 2011 to 2014; and the second round of BEAM program from 2012 until this year. PNA

Fishers reject BFAR mariculture program

By Sandy Araneta THE fishermen’s group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas on Friday opposed the proposed National Mariculture Program which aims to establish mariculture parks and zones in duly designated areas located within the municipal waters.

Pamalakaya said mariculture parks will further the privatization and corporate takeover of our fishing waters and marine resources at the expense of the communal fishing grounds of municipal and subsistent fisherfolk.

The fisherfolk group cited Laguna de Bay as a living proof of how giant local and foreign fishing firms have taken over of our fishing waters, where almost 60 percent of the total size of the 90,000-hectare brackish

lake are currently occupied by vasttracts of fish pens and fish cages owned by few fish-firms and powerful individuals, leaving the small fishers huddle over the small fishing waters left.

The group disputed the claim of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that mariculture will ensure food security to the population while protecting the aquatic resources. Pamalakaya said aquacultures often result to siltation, fish kill and other marine ecological disruption like the depletion of fish catch due to chemical feeds used in culturing fish.

Mariculture does not also guarantee local food security because of its present export-oriented production where export-based marine species like seaweeds and prawn are the main products of aquaculture.

Sports

A7

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Philracom sets rating-based handicapping system in races

Sto. Tomas, UE begin tennis title showdown

A

S A result of the Philippine Racing Commission’s new rating-based handicapping system following its affiliation with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), a new and increased set of prizes will be offered starting in the Philracom-Philippine Racing Club Inc. Special Invitational Race on March 26.

Match today

(Rizal Memorial Tennis Center) 8 a.m. – UE vs UST (Men Finals)

UNIVERSITY of the East and University of Santo Tomas begin their best-of-three championship series for the UAAP Season 79 men’s lawn tennis crown today.

The opening tie is scheduled at 8 a.m. at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, with the Red Warriors favored as the heavy favorites to claim their breakthrough title against the Growling Tigers.

With rookie AJ Lim sensational all-season long, UE was impressive in the doubleround eliminations, winning nine of 10 ties.

UST closed out the second round with a 3-2 win over deposed champion National University in a make-up for an earlier abandoned second-round tie last Wednesday for a 7-3 record.

There will be a new champion, as the Bulldogs ended an unbeatable four-year reign after finishing fifth place, the lowest since the Bustillos-based netters started their participation in the 2011-12 season.

Winners of league-best 12 championships, the Tigers last ruled the 2010-11 season, when the team was then handled by coach Karl Santamaria.

In the women’s division, twice-to-beat NU goes for the jugular against UST at 8 a.m. tomorrow at the same Malate venue.

The 8-0 Lady Bulldogs, powered by sisters Clarice and Christine Patrimonio, need only to beat the 6-2 Tigresses once to extend their reign to four seasons.

Winning 23 consecutive ties which date back from Feb. 2015, the NU lady tennisters hold one of the current longestwinning streaks in the UAAP, as it matches Ateneo men’s volleyball’s 23-match run.

NU’s women’s basketball team has a 48-game winning streak, going undefeated in three seasons.

Based on the rating-based handicapping system, a guaranteed prize of P130,000 is allotted to the winner, while an added prize of P120,000 for Grade 1 horses (1,600 meters), P90,000

and P60,000 to Grade 2 and 3 horses (1,300 meters) are also set.

The new prizes will be distributed evenly from 1st to 4th places, subject to necessary taxes.

Declaration of entries to the

Philracom-PRCI Special Invitational Race will be on March 20 at the Philracom office.

The Philracom will provide the handicap weights on declared horses by March 21 and will be forwarded to PRCI the following day. Drawing of lots will be on March 23 at the PRCI. There will be no weight allowance for apprentice jockeys. The splitting of group will be done by rating.

In case there is an even rating betweenhorses, splitting will be done by the drawing of lots.

The Philracom recently played host to International racing consultant Ciaran Kennelly, who in turn

helped the Commission in its efforts to raise its standards befitting a new member of the IFHA. The Philracom achieved a milestone of being formally accepted as a member of the IFHA, whose mission is to promote good regulation and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport.

The high-profile IFHA executive reviewed the current structure of the Philracom’s Racing Programme and prepared a draft that set up a rating-based handicapping system, the structures that will have to be in place and the maintenance and updating of the ratings.

Meanwhile, 10 entries have

been declared for the 2017 Philracom 3YO Local Fillies and Colts Stakes Race on March 19 at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona Cavite at a distance of 1,500 meters.

The entries are Biglang Buhos of Stony Road Horse Farm, Hiway One of Joseph Dyhengco, Golden Kingdom of Lamberto Almeda Jr., Lemonada of Leonardo Javier Jr., Metamorphosis of Herminio Esguerra, Stravinsky of Narciso Morales, Valkyrie of Francisco Paolo P. Crisostomo, White Chocolate of Patrick Uy and coupled entry Mount Pulag and Pangalusian Island of Wilbert Tan.

Seasports Festival underway THE 2017 Manila Bay Seasports Festival fires off at 8 a.m. on Saturday at the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard.

The inspection of standard motors will be followed by qualifying heats in both the stock and formula races of the bancathon.

On Sunday, the dragon boat championships along with semifinal rounds for motorboat races will begin at 8 a.m. all the way to the final rounds. To cap the two-day event, organizers will hold an awards night and mini concert at 6 p.m. featuring Renz Verano and the Go Girls.

The Manila Bay Seasports Festival is organized by the Manila Broadcasting Company and Star City together with the City of Manila, in cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard, EyeBerry, EO Optical, and My Juiz.

Capati golf to Orchard

Paricipants in last year’s Manila Bay Seasports Festival paddle furiously during one of the event’s contests.

Cignal battles Cocolife, tries to secure semis seat in Superliga

LUCKY SHOT. A stroke survivor won P1 million after he hit a hole-

in-one at the 9th Phoenix Open golf tournament on March 11 at the Rancho Palos Verdes Golf and Country Club in Davao City. Jeremiah Co’s return to golf after recovering from a stroke last year proved fortuitous as he celebrated his new lease on life. For the individual division of the Phoenix Open, Jung In Kyu won in the Over-all Gross and Boy Ariba in the Over-all Net. Taking home the Gross Champions awards were Jaime “Boy” Tan Sr, Eugene Chiong Sr., Mark Villorente, and Vic Rosario for Class A, B, C, and D respectively. Lito Bario and Boy Arriba emerged champions in the Partner Division, while the Team Division was won by the DKGA 1 team of Kim Il Gyu, Lee Bong Hee, Han Duk Gi, Lee Jae Un, and Park Kwang Youl.

CIGNAL tries to formalize its entry in the semifinals when it battles new team Cocolife in the BeloPhilippine Superliga Invitational Conference today (Saturday) at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

The HD Spikers gun for their fourth victory to join idle Petron in the next round of this prestigious women’s club tourney bankrolled

by Senoh, Mueller, Mikasa and Asics with TV5 as official broadcast partner.

In the 5 p.m. curtain-raiser of this competition that also has UCPB Gen as official insurance provider and Gold’s Gym as official fitness partner, Generika-Ayala seeks to improve its standing when it collides with Sta. Lucia, which has yet to book a single win in three starts.

But all eyes will be on the HD Spikers.

After suffering a sorry five-set

Games Today (Muntinlupa Sports Complex) 5 p.m. – Sta. Lucia vs Generika-Ayala 7 p.m. – Cocolife vs Cignal

defeat from the hands of Petron, Cignal seems back to its old, deadly self as it crushed Generika-Ayala in four sets, 26-24, 23-25, 26-24, 2514, late Thursday at the FilOil Flying V Center in San Juan.

National team pool members Jovelyn Gonzaga and Rachel Anne Daquis were impressive, while Royse Tubino and Cherry Vivas provided solid support for the HD Spikers, who are said to be the strongest team on paper due to their experience, skills, talent and power.

The four veterans carried bulk of the offense as they connived for 45 of Cignal’s 50 attack points.

The HD Spikers also exposed

the Lifesavers’ sluggish reception as they dropped 13 aces, much to the delight of Cignal coach George Pascua who admitted that they are still a work in progress.

“It’s still a long way to go,” said Pascua, the architect of Petron’s historic 13-0 sweep of the PSL AllFilipino Conference two years ago.

“While we’ll be glad to make it to the semis, we still have to work hard on both ends and develop that winning chemistry. Madami pa kaming kailangan ayusin, especially if we want to make it to the semis.

We’re still adjusting.”

Pascua added that they just couldn’t afford to take the Asset Managers for granted.

Fresh from tallying the franchise’s first victory over the Lady Realtors, 22-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-16, Cocolife is expected to march to the warzone in high morale.

TEAM Orchard pooled 64 points to edge Villamor I and snare the 50th Dominga Capati Memorial golf crown at the North course of the Canlubang Golf and Country Club in Laguna recently.

Composed of Myrna Sutherland, Tonette Tee, Marissa Romano, Amy Dy, Jo Barredo and Alex Etter, the Dasmariñas, Cavite-based golfers emerged with the lowest gross score of 8-under par in the 6-man Modified Team Scramble scoring format to bag the overall championship.

Villamor I, made up of Marie Guerrero, Helen Ambrose, Nora delos Santos, Kristine Torralba, Mary Jane Hernandez and top amateur Harmie Constantino settled for runner-up honors with a 65 while Sta Elena I, led by Techie Leonio, Misako Ogihara, Alice Jose, Lily Chan, Rio Co and Mina Attwood, placed third with a 66.

Alabang 2 assembled a 67 for fourth followed by Tagaytay I (68), which nipped Villamor 2 (68) in the countback for fifth in the golden staging of the annual event hosted by Cangolf and held to foster camaraderie among the teams from the Women’s Golf Association of the Philippines.

Sta. Lucia backs development of volley teams STA. LUCIA Land Inc. has put its name in Philippine volleyball map with its debut in the Philippine Super Liga, the semi-pro league for the second biggest televised sport spectacle in the country.

The property developer’s newest sports foray started in this year’s PSL Invitational conference where the company formally introduced its team, the Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors, composed mostly of a selection of NCAA players from College of St. Benilde and University of Perpetual Help. Joining PSL is in line with Sta.

Lucia’s tradition of being a leading sports patron.

“We are supporting Filipino volleyball talents and we want to be part of the development of volleyball in the Philippines,” said Sta. Lucia Lady Realtors’ team manager Michelle de Castro at the opening ceremony of the PSL Invitational held at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan recently.

De Castro added that Sta. Lucia Land Inc. also joined PSL to support the league in promoting volleyball.

“With its growing popularity, the

creation of a professional volleyball league is just around the corner and we’d like to be there when it happens,” said De Castro.

The Lady Realtors competing in the six-team PSL Invitational conference consist of Jannine Navarro, Cindy Imbo, Rachel Anne Austero, Maria Lourdes Clemente, Djanel Welch Cheng, Melanie Torres, Shyra Mae Umandal, Necelle Mae Gual, Rica Jane Enclona, Rialen Sante, Danna Henson, Jonah Sabete, and Ranya Musa. They will be under CSB volleyball team coach Michael Carino.

Carino and Cheng, the team captain, described the Lady Realtors as a very young team. Carino said he is giving the players balanced training to meet the higher expectations for the team.

“In the Invitational, our big challenge is to achieve a 50 percent improvement in performance so that in the All-Filipino conference, the most important conference in the PSL, we have already improved a lot,” said Carino. “Hopefully, by the end of 2017, we (will) win the championship.”

Ranya Musa of Sta. Lucia Realty scores against Cocolife’s Jovielyn Prado and Andrea Marzan. Roman Prospero

3rd Atleta Ako Women’s Aquathlon lures 320 participants A LARGE field of over 320 women and girls from around the country will test their skills and mettle as the 3rd Atleta Ako Women’s Aquathlon fires off at precisely 7 a.m. on March 19 at the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.

Organized by Bike King, headed by Raul Cuevas and presented

by AtletaAko.com and the Philippine Sports Commission, the race will take place at the swimming

pool followed by running at the track oval. Girls aged 7-8-yearsold will race 50 meters swimming and 600 meters running, while girls aged 9-10 will race the 100 meter swim-600 meter run and those aged 11-12 will swim the 200 meters and run 1.8 kilometers. Girls aged 13-14 and 15-17 will race the 300 meter swim-2.2 Km run and 400 meter swim-4.2 km run, respectively.

Adult participants (18 and older) in the event supported by SMART, TIMEX the official race timer, Standard Insurance the group accident insurance provider, Klean Kanteen, Urban Ashram Yoga, Ogalala, Robinsons Supermarket, Gardenia, Del Monte, Neutrogena, Gatorade, Havaianas, E-Z Laces, David’s Salon, Dolfin, Bestway, Be #kidspirations, emco, Sante Barley,

Flaming Wings, Certified Calm, Ceelin Chewables, Active Setyl, Sante Impact System, Razon’s, R. Lapid’s Chicharon & BBQ, Myra, 2XU, Fujifilm, Century Tuna, media partners Endurance, SwimBikeRun.ph and Gameplan will swim for 500 meters and run for 5 kilometers on the standard course. Those who signed for the petite course will swim 300 meters and run 3 kilometers. Relay

participants will take part in the standard course.

“We are happy that for the third consecutive year, our aquathlon attracted another large field of women and girls, who strive to challenge themselves and also aim to achieve something in the spirit of International Women’s Month,” said AtletaAko.com founder Cecile Narvaez-Hufana.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 4 DIGITS 00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

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

A8

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

Sports

LGUs get boost from PH sports body

By Peter Atencio

PERPETUAL CHAMPS. The San Miguel Beermen capped off a week of celebration with a victory party at the San Miguel Head Office complex recently. The team took home the coveted Perpetual Trophy, which is only given to teams which have won the Philippine Cup for three straight years. The Beermen dedicated their achievement to San Miguel Corporation President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon S. Ang (6th from right) and their loyal fans who have supported them through the years. Also at the party were San Miguel Beermen Team Governor Robert Non (3rd from left), San Miguel Brewery President Roberto N. Huang (4th from left), and SMC Sports Director Alfrancis Chua (5th from left).

Amer, Newsome lift Bolts past Floodbuster, 94 to 86

By Jeric Lopez

M

ERALCO built a sizeable lead at the half and finished burly in the crunch to notch a hard-fought 94-86 victory over Mahindra in the opening game of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup yesterday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

they needed, tallying a doubledouble of 11 points and a gamehigh 21 rebounds for further boost to the Bolts.

Needing to flex their muscles in the waning minutes of the contest, the Bolts were able to do so, scoring timely baskets in the crunch to regain control before eventually listing their first win.

“We really worked hard to improve our game,” said Meralco coach Norman Black before describing his top point guard’s improvement. “Amer has really matured a lot and seems to have grasp of what it’s like in the PBA,

specifically on the things he can and cannot do.”

Following a 28-all deadlock midway the second quarter, Meralco solidly ended the first half to gain a significant upperhand by halftime.

Behind Amer’s hot hand, the Bolts finished the opening half with a 16-5 run to grab a comfortable 44-33 spread at the turn.

Amer dropped 10 in the second period, most of which came from that key blitz.

However, the Floodbuster showed some resiliency in the second half, slowly coming back and inching to within

just a point, 67-68, with just a little over nine minutes left in the game after two free throws from Jason Deutschman at the 9:11 mark, making it anyone’s game at this point.

Meralco was forced to respond back and it did.

It was able to keep its composure and finish strong down the stretch to prevent itself from giving the game away to Mahindra.

Floodbuster resident import James White impressed as expected, dropping a game-high 33 points and 16 rebounds in a losing cause.

DAVAO City—Local government units will have an opportunity to become efficient organizers of sports activities in their area.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman William Ramirez said the reactivation of Executive Order 63 will LGUs an opportunity to do so.

This will boost the development of the countryside national grassroots program in the future.

EO 63, signed for implementation way back in 1993 by former president Fidel Ramos, allows LGUs to create physical and sports development councils at the provincial, city, municipal and barangay level.

“With technical assistance from the PSC, the LGUs can create game plans and focus on the sports disciplines that they want to develop,” said Ramirez.

The PSC chief said this during a gathering of mayors, heads of LGUs and their sports coordinators in a twoday meeting with the PSC and the Philippine Sports Institute at the Crystal Ballroom of the Pinnacle Hotel here.

The councils that the PSC proposes, according to Ramirez, follow patterns and activities that they have observed when they visited China and Korea in the past weeks.

As the agency concluded its meetings with LGUs in Visayas and Mindanao, the PSC goes to southern Luzon next week to meet with local leaders for a consultation meeting in Naga City.

Meanwhile, more local officials from Mindanao signed and gave their manifesto of support to the PSC, in support to an appeal to President Duterte so that he can order the Philippine Gaming Corporation to turn over un-remitted funds to the agency.

The LGUs wrote a petition addressed to Mr. Duterte, saying that Pagcor must release in full the agency’s 5 percent share of its gross income, which is in accordance to Republic Act no. 6847.

It was total team effort for Meralco, led by Baser Amer, who finished with a team-high 19 points and three rebounds, while Chris Newsome had a

complete game, scoring 17 points to go with seven rebounds and seven assists.

New import Alex Stepheson gave the Bolts the inside presence

Ateneo guns for Final 4

Hwang crowned ICTSI Champion Tour queen

Games today

(Filoil Flying V Centre) 8 a.m. – UP vs UE (Men) 10 a.m. – UST vs ADMU (Men) 2 p.m. – UST vs AdU (Women) 4 p.m. – FEU vs ADMU (Women)

STREAKING Ateneo guns for the first Final Four berth as it faces Far Eastern University today in the UAAP Season 79 women’s volleyball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre.

Currently the league’s hottest team with seven consecutive wins, the Lady Eagles are favored to prevail in their 4 p.m. clash with the Lady Tamaraws.

University of Santo Tomas goes up against already-eliminated Adamson University in the first game at 2 p.m.

A victory will sustain Ateneo’s (8-1) Final Four streak which started in the 2009-10 season.

Battle-tested setter Jia Morado was the glue that kept the Lady Eagles together in last Wednesday’s 25-10, 26-24, 2826 win over the Tigresses.

Morado tossed in 27 excellent feeds, making life easier for Ateneo hitters Bea de Leon, Jho Maraguinot, Kat Tolentino, Michelle Morente and Ana Gopico.

Morado’s stellar play will be FEU’s main cause of concern if it wants to avenge its 19-25, 2624, 25-19, 16-25, 11-15 loss in the first round.

Consistency has been a problem for the Lady Tamaraws, who are eyeing their third straight Final Four stint.

Locked in a four-way logjam from third to sixth places along with UST at 5-4, University of the Philippines and National University, FEU coach Shaq delos Santos wants his troops to go back to the basics.

LIPA City, Batangas—Hwang Ye-nah bucked a shaky start and Yuka Saso’s brilliant surge, carding a three-under 69 and coasting to an eight-stroke win over the FilJapanese for another wire-to-wire triumph in the ICTSI Champion Tour at Malarayat here yesterday.

But just when she thought she had the title under wraps with 6669 and an eight-stroke lead with 18 holes to play, the young Korean needed to overcome a bogey start with four birdies in the next 12 holes then settled for pars the rest of the way to secure the victory in the $75,000 event presented by Champion.

She also had to watch Saso’s sizzling performance fizzle out in the end after the Fil-Japanese amateur went on an eight-birdie splurge after 14 holes in a flight ahead to move within six from 11 down. But after that hot surge,

the reigning World Juniors Girls champion lost steam and bogeyed Nos. 15 and 16 to finish with a 66.

That enabled Hwang to coast to victory at 12-under 204, duplicating her maiden triumph on local soil in the 2015 ICTSI Ladies Open at Southlinks where she led from start to finish then held off Princess Superal in the clutch to win by one.

This time there was hardly a stretch-run pressure to withstand although Saso did spark some hopes for the local bets, who remained winless on events cosanctioned by the Taiwan LPGA despite the presence of the Symetra Tour campaigners.

“I’m happy I made it on my first try here,” said Hwang, referring to the Mt. Malarayat composite course which she tamed with solid shotmaking, superb short game and impeccable putting in

Hwang Ye-nah

all three days.

The 22-year-old Daejong native, who bogeyed No. 1 but birdied Nos. 4, 7, 9 and 13 to string a 34-35 and match amateur Harmie

Constantino’s eight-shot win over Thai Saraporn Chamchoi here last year, vowed to defend her crown next year.

“Definitely, I’ll be back next year,” said Hwang after receiving her trophy and prize worth $15,000 from Malarayat chairman Antonio Turalba and general manager Argy Garcia.

Hwang’s 12-under total also stood as the new record in ladies play, besting Constantino’s 11-under feat.

Saso, who powered the Philippines to the team championship and took the individual crown in last year’s third World Juniors Girls Championship in Canada, went on a birdie-spree, hitting five, including three straight to close out the frontnine. After two pars she rattled off another three-birdie string from No. 12 and though she stood six shots off

Hwang, she looked headed to setting a new course mark.

But she missed the green on the next two holes and failed to go upand-down then negated her birdie on No. 17 with another wet bogey on the finishing hole for that tournament-best matching six-under card and a 212 for runner-up honors in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. Saso also took the low amateur honors for the second straight week.

Thai Chatprapa Siriprakob fired a 70 to finish third at 213 and claim the second prize of $7,500 while Superal wound up fourth at 215 after a 71 and took the $4,500 third purse in the event sponsored

by ICTSI, BDO, Champion, Custom Clubmakers, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Titleist and Event Captain.

Mapua conquers eco-marathon A BAND of young engineers from Mapúa Institute of Technology emerged as champions in a 30-team field of the 2017 Shell Eco-marathon Philippines, a challenger event hosted by Shell Pilipinas, held recently at the Clark International Speedway in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

Team Aguila, led by their adviser Professor Sherwin Magon, triumphed with their ultra-lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicle, Aguila IV, a three-wheeled prototype gasoline category vehicle, built for maximum aerodynamics.

It utilizes lightweight design techniques such as carbon fiber body panels and light but high-tensilestrength aluminum alloy tubings for the internal frame.

“Aguila IV is the embodiment of Team Cardinals’ six-year effort to build, test, and compete for the most fuel-efficient vehicle in all of Asia, and later, the world,” Magon shared.

Team Cardinal is composed of Team Aguila and Team Hiraya for the urban concept category of the competition.

“To maximize weight savings, parts were either specially designed in-house or acquired through our partner sponsors. Since safety of the driver and all other surroundings is paramount, we designed the vehicle to be very strong yet flexible enough to absorb shocks and also to protect the driver if an accident were to happen,” Magon said.

Mapúa has participated in the Shell Eco-marathon, an annual competition that invites student teams to design, build, and drive the most energy-efficient car, since it first launched in 2010. Magon said the team’s success is due to the students’ ability to allocate their resources, work together well and remain focused on their goal.

Magon pointed out that the biggest hurdle in designing and build-

ing Aguila IV—using the least amount of fuel for a certain distance covered—will continue to be addressed even after the competition.

“This is still being resolved until this moment by constantly adjusting the behavior of the engine’s way of extracting all the potential energy of the fuel, and also changing the behavior of the driver in operating the vehicle depending on the track condition,” he stated.

Ultimately, Mapúa’s role in pushing the members of Team Aguila was instrumental to their victory.

According to Magon, Mapúa encourages its students to participate in highly competitive events such as the Shell Eco-marathon to give the young engineers an opportunity to apply their knowledge outside the classroom setting.

“The wealth of knowledge gained from designing, building, testing, competing, and winning is invaluable,” said Magon. “On

Members of Mapua’s eco-marathon team are shown prior to the competition

top of this, competitions help in improving students’ communication skills.”

Magon shared that Team Aguila’s hard-won victory is envisioned to continue with future members of the team.

“Our success did not come overnight. The little successes that we have had in the past competitions were but a culmination of the knowledge and efforts of the previous Team Cardinals alumni, who

eventually passed all their aspirations, yearnings and technologies to their apprentices,” he said. “I still believe there is so much work to be done in order to be the most fuel-efficient team in all of Asia, but we will eventually get there, and then a new challenge will arise: conquering the world as the most fuel-efficient team.”

Team Aguila and Hiraya are currently competing in the Shell Eco-marathon Asia in Singapore.

DMCI to restart mining works B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

B1

Metro bus project gets $64.6-m loan

By Darwin G. Amojelar

T

HE Transportation Department has secured a $64.6-million loan from the World Bank to partly finance the first bus rapid transit (BRT) system in Metro Manila.

The Metro Manila BRT Line 1 Project will cost $109.4 million, with $64.6 million to be funded by the World Bank and the Clean Technology Fund.

The funding for Metro Manila BRT was approved by World Bank’s board of executive directors.

The Philippine government will provide a counterpart funding equivalent to $44.8 million.

Like trains, BRTs run on dedicated lanes, carrying passengers

in large numbers. Unlike trains that run on rails, however, BRTs deploy buses, making the system simpler and cheaper to construct, operate and maintain.

“By providing an affordable and convenient public transport option, this project will help make job and education opportunities more accessible, especially for the poor residing around the BRT route,” said World Bank country director

Mara Warwick.

“High-capacity transport systems like BRT help reduce greenhouse gases, boosting the country’s contribution to the global fight against climate change,” Warwick added.

The project will also develop support infrastructure along the España Boulevard-Quezon Avenue route, including bus terminals and stations, segregation barriers, sidewalks, warning and direction signs, and pedestrian crossing facilities. Women make up 55 percent of public transport users in Metro Manila.

“Bus systems like BRT are cost-effective options for reducing emissions of harmful gases that cause climate change,” said Zhihong Zhang, senior program

coordinator of the Clean Technology Fund.

“Implementation of this project alone will prevent the release of around 2.6 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents into the atmosphere in the next 20 years.

Transport is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions globally and projects like this show the road to a cleaner future,” he said.

To be implemented by the Department of Transportation in coordination with the local governments of Manila and Quezon City, the Manila BRT Line 1 is expected to be operational by 2020.

Pioneered in Curitiba, Brazil in 1974, BRT systems are growing in popularity throughout the world for efficiency and afford-

ability.

Over 150 cities operate or are developing BRT, from Bogotá to Boston, Cleveland, Curitiba, Hartford, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Ottawa, Pittsburgh Porto Alegre and São Paulo, Sydney, Ahmedabad and Jakarta.

Managed by the World Bank, the Clean Technology Fund provides developing countries and emerging economies with resources to expand clean technologies that have strong potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The fund globally has provided $3.8 billon to support clean technologies, such as renewable energy, energy efficiency and transport.

Rules vs dirty money revised

Biggest solar plant to emerge in Tarlac

CONCEPCION, Tarlac—Solar Philippines is building the country’s biggest solar power plant here with a capacity of 150 megawatts for completion within the year.

Solar Philippines president Leandro Leviste said during the groundbreaking ceremonies Friday the event marked the beginning of a new day for the power industry.

He said the solar project would be “the first in the Philippines at a lower cost than coal, the first with battery storage for 24-hour power, and the first to demonstrate that renewable energy as mid-merit and even baseload is not something that will take 10 or 20 years, but is already here.”

Leviste said solar with batteries would emerge as the least cost power source for the country’s mid-merit and part of its baseload requirement.

Alena Mae S. Flores

Regulator approves NGCP’s 2017 capex

THE Energy Regulatory Commission granted provisional approval to the P5.5-billion capital expenditure program of National Grid Corporation of the Philippines for 2017.

National Grid’s application covered 2017 to 2020 with a proposed total cost of some P113.4 billion, but the ERC only provisionally approved the spending for this year amounting to P5.5 billion.

“The Commission needs to study further the propriety of the capes projects and their corresponding costs for the years 2018 up to 2020.

There is no urgency to grant approval of those projects which can be done upon completion of the public hearings,” ERC Chairman and chief executive Jose Vicente Salazar said in a statement. Alena Mae S. Flores

By Julito G. Rada THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, approved the amendments to the regulations of the anti-money laundering law that combat the financing of terrorism as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s financial system.

“This is part of the BSP’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the financial system’s safeguards against money laundering and terrorist financing balanced against the objective of also promoting financial inclusion of the unbanked,” the board said in a statement Friday.

“The revised regulations emphasize the importance of a sound money laundering/ terrorist financing risk assessment, the foundation of a proportionate, risk-based approach, to appropriately focus greater efforts and resources on areas posing higher risks, while reducing these for low-risk transactions,” the board said.

Requirements for groupwide anti-money laundering compliance function and monitoring systems are incorporated for a holistic management and prevention of the risks.

The amendments feature refinements in the conduct of customer due diligence, more pragmatic definition of “official document” and the use of other reliable, independent source documents, data or information for customer identification and verification.

The new rules also introduced the concept of a “restricted account” to cater to targeted unbanked sector, where minimal customer information are required subject to certain conditions, such as constraints in terms of activity.

IN BRIEF

Aboitiz Equity to spend P76.7b

EDC HONORED. Leading geothermal company, Energy Development Corp. of the Lopez Group, has been elevated to the Anvil Awards’ prestigious Hall of Fame this year after winning five Gold Awards for its outstanding annual performance reports. EDC chief finance officer Nestor Vasay and EDC vice president for finance Erwin Avante (third and fourth from left) receive the Anvil Hall of Fame for the EDC annual reports and Anvil Gold Award BINHI Tree for the Future project. With them are (from left) Anvil chair Rochelle Gamboa, EDC corporate communications specialist Frances Ariola, EDC CSR program specialist Ronino Gibe, EDC CSR head Tracy Peralta, EDC corporate communications specialist Ivy Henson, EDC corporate communications head Toni Nieva and Public Relations Society of the Philippines president Ron Jabal.

Lucio Tan’s LT Group increases profit to P9.39b

By Jenniffer B. Austria LT GROUP Inc., the listed holding company of tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan, booked a net income of P9.39 billion in 2016, up 42 percent from P6.6 billion in 2015, as all business units posted favorable results.

LT Group said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Philippine National Bank accounted for P3.42 billion, or 36 percent, of the group’s attributable income.

The tobacco business contributed P2.58 billion, followed by Asia Brewery Inc. at P1.75 billion, Tanduay Distillers Inc. with P908 million and Eton Properties Philippines Inc. at P388 million.

Equity in net earnings from Victorias Milling Company Inc. amounted to P142 million.

PNB reported a net income of P7.38 billion in 2016, up 9 percent from the P6.77 billion in 2015, as net interest income rose 11 percent and loans receivables improved 17 percent.

LT Group’s tobacco business also registered an income of P2.59 billion in 2016, a 149-percent jump from P1.04 billion reported in 2015, due to the change in the mix of sales, with premium Marlboro accounting for a higher share of the total volume.

Beverage unit Asia Brewery Inc. registered earnings of P1.76 billion in 2016, an increase of

60 percent from the 2015 level.

The company’s 2016 earnings include a P594-million extraordinary income arising from the revaluation of the beer assets.

ABI’s Cobra energy drink and Vitamilk soymilk continue to be market leaders, while Absolute and Summit bottled water have the second largest market share.

Meanwhile, net income of Tanduay Distillers Inc. more than doubled to P908 million, from P422 million generated in 2015. LT Group attributed the growth mainly to the start of the contribution of bio-ethanol sales in 2016.

Sales volume rose two percent as Tanduay remained the domi-

nant player in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Eton Properties reported a net income of P390 million in 2016, up 25 percent from a year ago, as revenues climbed 14 percent to P2.83 billion.

Eton Properties in August broke ground on the fifth BPO office tower at Eton Centris in Quezon City. It will have a gross leasable space of around 37,000 square meters and is expected to be completed by end-2018.

The firm’s 5,000 square meter expansion of the retail space at Centris Walk in Eton Centris, which started in April 2016, is scheduled to be completed by mid-2017.

CONGLOMERATE Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. said it plans to raise capital spending this year by 83 percent to P76.7 billion from P42 billion last year to bankroll power and infrastructure projects.

AEV said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the power business unit under Aboitiz Power Corp. would allot P59 billion in capital expenditures for 2017 to increase its total capacity to 4,000 megawatts by 2020.

AEV is earmarking P8.1 billion in capital expenditures for infrastructure to fund the P12-billion Davao bulk water project.

Newly-formed infrastructure unit Aboitiz InfraCapital is also interested in various projects that the government plans to bid out, including the unbundled regional airport project and the LRT 2 operation and maintenance project.

Jenniffer B. Austria

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX Closing March 17, 2017

8000 7600 7200 6800 6400 6000

7,345.02 66.42

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Closing MARCH 17, 2017 45.00

Ayala Group buys out Bronzeoak companies

By Alena Mae S. Flores

BIGGEST SOLAR PLANT. Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (from left), Solar Philippines president

Leandro Leviste, Tarlac Governor Susan Yap and Concepcion Mayor Andy Lacson lead the groundbreaking ceremony for the 150-megawatt solar farm project in Concepcion, Tarlac. Solar Philippines is building the country’s biggest solar power plant in the province, with completion scheduled within the year.

AC ENERGY Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned unit of Ayala Corp., signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of Bronzeoak Clean Energy and San Carlos Clean Energy of the Zabaleta family to expand its renewable energy portfolio.

“We are excited about this acquisition, as it strengthens AC Energy’s development capabilities. Bronzeoak is a leading developer of renewable energy projects, and there is so much complementarity between our groups. With this strong platform, I believe that AC Energy can scale up its renewable energy portfolio to 1,000 MW by 2020”, said AC Energy president John Eric Francia.

AC Energy said in a disclo-

sure to the Philippine Stock Exchange the acquisition gave the company a renewable energy development, management and operations platform with a track record of successful project development.

The platform currently provides operations and management support services to a number of renewable energy generation companies that include San Carlos Solar Energy Inc., Negros Island Solar Energy Inc., Monte Solar Energy Inc., San Carlos BioPower Inc., South Negros BioPower Inc. and North Negros BioPower Inc. With the acquisition, San Carlos Clean Energy and Bronze Oak Clean Energy have been renamed AC Energy DevCo Inc. and Visayas Renewables Corp., respectively.

46.50 48.00 49.50

P50.180 CLOSE

51.00

HIGH P50.100 LOW P50.190 AVERAGE P50.154 VOLUME 444.200M Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, March 17, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

50.1910

Japan

Yen

0.008826

0.4430

UK

Pound

1.236200

62.0461

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128806

6.4649

Switzerland

Franc

1.003814

50.3824

Canada

Dollar

0.750920

37.6894

Singapore

Dollar

0.713929

35.8328

Australia

Dollar

0.767700

38.5316

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655267

133.2705

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266745

13.3882

Brunei

Dollar

0.711389

35.7053

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.028625

1.4367

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

13.6664

Euro

Euro

1.076800

54.0457

Korea

Won

0.000887

0.0445

China

Yuan

0.144921

7.2737

India

Rupee

0.015300

0.7679

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.225327

11.3094

New Zealand

Dollar

0.698500

35.0584

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032799

1.6462 Source: PDS Bridge

B2

Business

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks advance; JG Summit up T

Wilcon reduces IPO price to P5.05

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 66.42 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,345.02 on a value turnover of nearly P14 billion. Gainers beat losers, 103 to 78, with 58 issues unchanged.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. on Thursday said the current policy settings would likely remain unchanged, despite the latest move by the US Federal Reserve to increase interest rates in the US. He said the US Fed move was “positive for risk sentiment in the near term, but on the whole

WILCON Depot Inc. has priced its planned initial public offering at P5.05 per share to raise as much as P7.03 billion in proceeds.

The final price was at the lower end of the earlier indicative price of P5.05 to P5.85 apiece.

BDO Capital and Investments Corp. president Eduardo Francisco said Wilcon chairman and founder William Belo agreed with the lower end of the price range to allow an upside for potential investors.

“At this price range, he (Belo) is allowing shares to be proved with around 25 percent discount to comparative companies,” Francisco said.

Francisco said the IPO was almost two times oversubscribed even before start of the domestic offering.

“This is a nice signal to show strength and resilience of the Philippine market.

Despite the headwinds from US president Donald Trump and US Fed increase, demand remains strong and we are able to do an IPO of this size,” Francisco said.

Wilcon will sell a total of 1.393 billion in primary shares from March 20 to March 24.

The shares will be listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange and begin trading on March 31. First Metro Investment Corp are BDO Capital are joint lead underwriters of the IPO. “The success of Wilcon’s IPO demonstrates the investment community’s continued confidence in the Philippine retail market. As disposable income of Filipinos increases, a lot more people are now buying houses or improving their existing homes. Wilcon is here to cater to these people’s needs by providing conveniently located one-stop shops for all their home building and improvement needs,” Belo said in a statement.

he stock market extended a rally Friday, lifted by positive corporate earnings and central bank’s decision to keep current interest rates for the meantime.

the Fed’s balanced view could be good for global growth and trade particularly for trading partners of the US like the Philippines.”

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of industrialist John Gokongwei advanced 4.2 percent to P81.05, while property unit Robinsons Land Corp. climbed 3.7 percent to P23.85.

Bank of the Philippine Islands, the third-biggest lender in terms of assets, rose 3.5 percent to P102.40, while sister company Ayala Land Inc. added 1.8 percent to P36.55.

The rest of Asian markets struggled Friday as caution prevailed following the previous day’s rally, with investors concerned about a lack of detail on Donald Trump’s tax reforms and spending promises in his first budget.

The tepid increases came a day after the Federal Reserve’s rate hike and signal of a slower pace of future rises sparked a surge across equities and sent the dollar tumbling.

The greenback struggled to recover from that sell-off, with the pound and euro holding on to their gains, while a stronger yen further dented Japanese exporters, in turn dragging the Nikkei index down.

On Wall Street the Dow and S&P 500 both retreated on disappointment with Trump’s contro-

versial budget proposal, which was filled with big defense spending and cuts to education and environmental projects.

However, it lacked any detail on his pledge to slash taxes and ramp up infrastructure spending, with analysts saying there is a fear that ongoing acrimony on his health policy could mean the growth-firing measures will not come as soon as hoped.

Tokyo ended the day 0.4 percent lower but Toshiba soared five percent on reports the Japanese government is mulling using state money to support the company’s plans to spin off its memory chip business.

Hong Kong was barely moved after a more than two percent jump Thursday, while Shanghai suffered heavy selling in the af-

ternoon to end one percent lower.

Sydney added 0.2 percent and Seoul put on 0.7 percent while Singapore edged 0.2 percent higher.

Taipei was also higher, while Jakarta touched a record high in intra-day trade as emerging markets were boosted by the prospect US rates will not rise as quickly as expected. Higher US borrowing tend to hurt emerging markets as they lead investors to withdraw cash from the country to seek better returns.

“A less hawkish monetary policy in the US is more likely to push assets outside of the US into higher-risk, higher-return markets,” James Woods, a Sydney-based investment analyst at Rivkin Securities, told Bloomberg News. With AFP.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017

NAME

OPEN

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.1 32,000 48.95 32,900 102.4 3,048,170 4.05 9,000 125 8,946,840 1.23 25,000 40.3 452,300 15.9 40,000 20.65 108,000 7.72 3,300 1.64 5,000 835 10 0.71 4,839,000 80 2,786,850 0.72 257,000 14.72 57,900 56.6 148,590 240 60 115 40 87 1,500 39 104,200 201 1,552,430 1,750 110 79.65 88,540

99,900 1,605,175 307,967,576.50 36,150 1,122,282,726 30,750 18,212,250 636,922 2,225,630 25,476 8,200 8,350 3,394,440 221,539,617 186,000 845,364 8,409,979.50 14,420 4,600 130,500 4,103,175 311,966,244 192,500 7,052,425

1,386,360 136,193,646.50 125,653,389 6,962,370 -237,050 1,100,935 -94,430 35,460,351 -6,269,859.50 -654,425.00 -198,939,088 -64,421.50

43.1 5.32 0.81 1.38 20 0.26 106 7.37 16.7 22.75 14.52 57.05 2.12 5.99 12 12.64 7.88 6.33 5.91 22.3 72.7 12.5 15.62 6.7 1.51 191.5 70.5 4.81 3.83 29.9 26.75 15.72 289.8 0.255 6.8 3.67 9 3.7 11.42 2.26 7.17 1.92 72.5 4.9 270 4.96 2.78 13.8 4.45 0.145 1.43 162.5 4.53 1.54 31.5 1.02

INDUSTRIAL 43.5 3,092,500 5.34 550,600 0.81 82,000 1.38 137,000 20.5 4,100 0.27 4,760,000 106 20 7.5 43,772,400 16.9 17,629,700 23.5 230,300 15.02 8,400 60 100,020 2.2 1,790,000 5.99 385,700 12.1 25,100 12.88 6,778,900 7.9 198,200 6.38 4,232,500 6.04 50,584,300 22.45 1,683,100 73.35 106,820 12.5 300 15.7 70,200 6.74 938,600 1.53 746,000 193.2 1,253,720 71 430 5.25 7,767,000 3.95 57,000 30.75 2,405,200 26.95 1,373,500 16.5 11,314,500 290 395,770 0.265 5,870,000 6.93 98,700 3.72 946,000 9.1 4,341,900 3.7 2,000 11.42 1,000 2.26 455,000 7.4 4,896,100 1.97 719,000 73 536,100 5 53,900 270.6 15,160 4.96 1,518,000 2.8 44,000 14.26 2,078,400 4.5 101,000 0.147 1,180,000 1.45 133,000 163 3,780,210 4.53 1,000 1.57 1,684,000 31.5 600 1.02 151,000

134,277,825 2,952,860 66,420 189,420 84,520 1,273,150 2,120 330,439,514 298,244,876 5,326,000 124,954 6,001,153 3,920,020 2,319,158 301,570 86,822,106 1,565,186 26,981,194 304,628,781 37,723,490 7,811,631 3,786 1,100,778 6,304,782 1,161,470 242,557,391 30,515 40,865,020 220,640 73,936,400 37,018,240 185,996,126 114,901,798 1,519,200 673,911 3,521,810 39,465,636 7,440 11,420 1,035,270 36,091,811 1,419,290 39,073,457.50 269,508 4,101,400 7,529,590 124,290 29,510,914 449,500 171,320 191,990 616,565,049 4,530 2,637,880 18,900 154,020

48,938,565 134,127 210,700 21,772,740 693,300 -58,700 74,374 -5,401,212 228,710 30,002,318 -1,053,070 2,155,819 122,193,774 27,665,385 2,484,872.50 -716,146 720,113 -604,690 -10,277,791 -95,280 47,476,465 -1,463,235 3,284,666 -35,500,292 -5,200 167,830 -11,747,643 427,740.00 -550,346 -99,500 12,526,781 4,900 -1,974,640 0 3,206,244 14,700 -86,256,889 -988,200 3,150 -

0.395 75.2 12.68 1.14 6.32 0.37 850 8.9 12.24 8.09 0.181 1,185 6.54 83.5 1.18 8 15 6.63 3.6 0.06 104 3 677 1.5 199.9 272 0.187 0.245

0.38 72.9 12.34 1.11 6.29 0.355 830 8.81 11.8 8 0.178 1,152 6.2 77.25 1.14 7.92 14.88 6.5 3.6 0.057 102.7 2.91 642 1.46 199.9 269.6 0.185 0.242

HOLDING FIRMS 0.385 4,500,000 72.9 4,520,900 12.68 9,365,200 1.14 105,000 6.32 6,000 0.37 1,260,000 830 649,810 8.88 2,836,600 11.86 29,720,700 8.08 15,600 0.178 1,060,000 1,152 293,325 6.3 45,100 81.05 6,544,300 1.16 6,754,000 7.97 705,900 15 4,955,600 6.5 158,932,800 3.6 1,000 0.058 58,460,000 103 225,290 2.93 308,000 662 835,800 1.48 386,000 199.9 40 270 16,820 0.187 120,000 0.242 140,000

1,719,250 334,232,466 117,440,382 118,400 37,835 460,000 543,621,345 25,152,754 352,873,750 126,100 190,530 340,306,685 283,018 530,891,833 7,812,340 5,626,406 74,316,456 1,037,137,083 3,600 3,418,330 23,309,445 909,420 555,247,000 568,380 7,996 4,541,730 22,280 34,180

62,445,917.00 6,926,304 31,466,220 2,406,051 -195,037,486 -27,408,585 212,470 163,187,758 -149,500.00 1,786,320 -5,417,578 -236,303,737 -109,070 -4,394,688 151,066,685 44,150 -972,360 -12,250

6.98 0.96 2.48 1.47 36.6 3.71 5.13 6.09 0.51 1.06 1.33 0.164 0.56 55.45 0.72 0.161 1.73 0.98 1.19 3.67 0.197 0.295 0.63 4.54 24.5

6.88 0.92 2.37 1.41 35.85 3.62 5.12 6.09 0.495 1.06 1.28 0.16 0.54 53.35 0.69 0.161 1.69 0.97 1.18 3.59 0.185 0.295 0.59 4.33 22.9

PROPERTY 6.98 323,200 0.93 464,000 2.45 42,000 1.42 6,707,000 36.55 44,118,900 3.66 4,284,000 5.13 200 6.09 500 0.5 10,640,000 1.06 65,000 1.32 196,000 0.161 6,260,000 0.56 2,527,000 54 1,382,810 0.72 113,000 0.161 10,000 1.7 14,273,000 0.97 3,022,000 1.18 168,000 3.59 53,403,000 0.189 140,500,000 0.295 240,000 0.61 33,069,000 4.43 788,000 23.85 11,074,500

2,246,118 433,920 101,380 9,632,330 1,610,454,235 15,792,470 1,025 3,045 5,304,640 68,900 257,220 1,012,420 1,398,220 75,145,759.50 80,940 1,610 24,380,930 2,936,710 198,340 193,263,150 26,756,730 70,800 20,247,000 3,476,130 263,823,340

-1,470,454 -188,200 49,270,195.00 -1,693,700 0 -3,840 243,100 6,972,842.50 2,383,580 -970,000 -10,700,030 -589,390 654,620 49,440,045

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE 3.15 ASIA UNITED 48.95 BANK PH ISLANDS 97.5 BDO LEASING 4 BDO UNIBANK 123.3 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.23 CHINABANK 40.2 COL FINANCIAL 16 EAST WEST BANK 20.45 FILIPINO FUND 7.72 IREMIT 1.64 MANULIFE 835 MEDCO HLDG 0.68 METROBANK 78.65 NTL REINSURANCE 0.72 PB BANK 14.6 PHIL NATL BANK 56.6 PHIL STOCK EXCH 242 PHILTRUST 115 PSBANK 87 RCBC 39 SECURITY BANK 204 SUN LIFE 1,750 UNION BANK 79.5

3.2 48.95 103 4.05 127.5 1.23 40.35 16 20.7 7.72 1.64 835 0.71 80 0.73 14.72 56.7 242 115 87 39.5 204 1,750 79.75

3.1 48.5 97.5 4 123 1.23 40.1 15.72 20.45 7.72 1.64 835 0.68 78.65 0.72 14.6 56.5 240 115 87 38.75 200.6 1,750 79.5

ABOITIZ POWER 43.3 AGRINURTURE 5.34 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.81 ALSONS CONS 1.39 ASIABEST GROUP 20.85 BASIC ENERGY 0.265 BOGO MEDELLIN 106 CEMEX HLDG 7.77 CENTURY FOOD 17.28 CIRTEK HLDG 22.75 CNTRL AZUCARERA14.52 CONCEPCION 60.4 CROWN ASIA 2.12 DAVINCI CAPITAL 6.2 DEL MONTE 12.1 DNL INDUS 12.78 EEI CORP 7.9 EMPERADOR 6.4 ENERGY DEVT 5.98 FIRST GEN 22.3 FIRST PHIL HLDG 72.8 GINEBRA 12.68 HOLCIM 15.7 INTEGRATED MICR 6.7 IONICS 1.61 JOLLIBEE 197 LIBERTY FLOUR 70.5 LMG CHEMICALS 4.81 MABUHAY VINYL 3.95 MANILA WATER 30 MAXS GROUP 27 MEGAWIDE 15.8 MERALCO 293.2 MG HLDG 0.26 PANASONIC 6.95 PEPSI COLA 3.67 PETRON 9 PHIL H2O 3.74 PHINMA 11.42 PHINMA ENERGY 2.29 PHX PETROLEUM 7.23 PHX SEMICNDCTR 1.99 PILIPINAS SHELL 72.7 PRYCE CORP 5 PUREFOODS 271 RFM CORP 5 ROXAS HLDG 2.78 SHAKEYS PIZZA 13.84 SPC POWER 4.45 SWIFT FOODS 0.147 TKC METALS 1.47 UNIV ROBINA 166.1 VICTORIAS 4.53 VITARICH 1.59 VIVANT 31.5 VULCAN INDL 1.02

43.5 5.38 0.81 1.39 20.85 0.27 106 7.9 17.28 23.5 15.06 60.4 2.21 6.2 12.2 12.9 7.9 6.4 6.04 22.5 73.45 12.68 15.7 6.74 1.61 197 71 5.5 3.98 31.2 27 16.82 293.2 0.265 6.95 3.78 9.14 3.74 11.42 2.29 7.49 2.02 73.45 5.02 272 5 2.87 14.4 4.5 0.147 1.49 166.7 4.53 1.59 31.5 1.02

ABACORE CAPITAL 0.39 ABOITIZ EQUITY 74.85 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 12.46 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 1.12 ANSCOR 6.29 ATN HLDG A 0.37 AYALA CORP 831 COSCO CAPITAL 8.85 DMCI HLDG 12.24 FILINVEST DEV 8 FORUM PACIFIC 0.181 GT CAPITAL 1,174 HOUSE OF INV 6.54 JG SUMMIT 77.8 LODESTAR 1.16 LOPEZ HLDG 7.99 LT GROUP 14.88 METRO PAC INV 6.63 MJC INVESTMENTS 3.6 PACIFICA 0.059 SAN MIGUEL CORP 103.5 SEAFRONT RES 2.91 SM INVESTMENTS 649 SOLID GROUP 1.5 SYNERGY GRID 199.9 TOP FRONTIER 272 WELLEX INDUS 0.186 ZEUS HLDG 0.245 8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEBU HLDG CEBU PROP B CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND

6.92 0.95 2.37 1.43 36.3 3.68 5.12 6.09 0.51 1.06 1.28 0.164 0.54 53.35 0.69 0.161 1.7 0.97 1.19 3.64 0.193 0.295 0.59 4.49 23.35

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

1.65 3.32 29 1 0.91 4.78

1.7 3.32 29.45 1.02 0.91 4.81

1.65 3.32 28.4 1 0.91 4.77

1.69 3.32 28.95 1 0.91 4.8

34,000 3,000 25,124,800 5,917,000 1,000 4,599,000

57,110 9,960 726,781,145 5,937,910 910 22,065,380

-32,026,175 -300,010 -1,025,020

2GO GROUP 7.87 ABS CBN 46.5 APC GROUP 0.52 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.054 ASIAN TERMINALS 12.5 BERJAYA 5.32 BLOOMBERRY 7.6 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.072 CALATA CORP 2.2 CEBU AIR 91.6 CENTRO ESCOLAR 10 DFNN INC 8.8 EASYCALL 3 FAR EASTERN U 970 GLOBE TELECOM 1,950 GMA NETWORK 6.14 GOLDEN HAVEN 16 GRAND PLAZA 15.12 HARBOR STAR 3.55 IMPERIAL 3.75 INTL CONTAINER 84 IP EGAME 0.0093 IPEOPLE 12.38 IPM HLDG 9.04 ISLAND INFO 0.19 ISM COMM 1.35 JACKSTONES 3.44 LBC EXPRESS 14.4 LEISURE AND RES 3.65 LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.05 MACROASIA 3.79 MANILA JOCKEY 2.3 MELCO CROWN 5.75 METRO RETAIL 3.83 NOW CORP 2.98 PACIFIC ONLINE 11.28 PAL HLDG 5.35 PAXYS 3.2 PHIL SEVEN CORP 165 PHILWEB 8.73 PLDT 1,529 PREMIUM LEISURE 1.49 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.43 PUREGOLD 45.2 ROBINSONS RTL 81.6 SBS PHIL CORP 6.3 SSI GROUP 2.27 STI HLDG 1.14 TRANSPACIFIC BR 1.75 TRAVELLERS 3.16 WATERFRONT 0.385

8.4 46.5 0.52 0.054 12.5 5.5 7.6 0.077 2.23 94 10 8.88 4.25 970 1,962 6.15 16.1 15.12 3.6 3.79 86.2 0.0093 12.38 9.05 0.19 1.35 3.5 14.4 3.72 1.05 3.89 2.42 5.79 3.88 2.98 11.28 5.35 3.35 166 8.73 1,560 1.52 0.435 45.8 82.5 6.3 2.27 1.14 1.75 3.24 0.385

7.87 46 0.52 0.051 12.2 5.25 7.43 0.072 2.19 90.55 10 8.58 3 970 1,910 6.12 15.94 15.12 3.5 3.72 84 0.0092 12.38 9.02 0.187 1.34 3.3 14.4 3.45 1.02 3.78 2.25 5.62 3.73 2.9 11.28 5.35 3.2 159 8.6 1,504 1.49 0.425 45 81.6 6.25 2.2 1.13 1.75 3.14 0.385

SERVICES 8.4 255,600 46.45 2,700 0.52 129,000 0.051 136,530,000 12.2 2,500 5.5 7,200 7.52 7,067,800 0.074 167,040,000 2.2 961,000 93.6 1,045,700 10 100 8.8 72,100 3.88 286,000 970 10 1,910 98,555 6.12 68,300 16.1 102,300 15.12 29,200 3.54 1,139,000 3.79 111,000 86.05 4,441,820 0.0093 11,000,000 12.38 2,000 9.02 306,000 0.189 2,030,000 1.34 268,000 3.43 440,000 14.4 200 3.72 2,456,000 1.02 25,000 3.85 464,000 2.41 653,000 5.78 5,874,600 3.73 1,504,000 2.98 3,305,000 11.28 2,000 5.35 700 3.35 23,000 165 25,250 8.7 127,300 1,512 299,920 1.52 7,872,000 0.425 2,960,000 45.8 1,270,700 81.9 2,477,360 6.25 19,000 2.21 3,629,000 1.13 755,000 1.75 4,000 3.14 493,000 0.385 160,000

2,075,768 125,160 67,080 7,030,920 30,670 38,370 53,065,330 12,512,760 2,126,310 97,197,476 1,000 635,690 1,100,830 9,700 189,952,000 418,751 1,639,758 441,504 4,033,090 415,920 381,384,993.50 101,800 24,760 2,765,245 382,190 360,490 1,479,570 2,880 8,738,040 26,100 1,777,730 1,550,520 33,807,978 5,715,810 9,728,170 22,560 3,745 74,350 4,165,880 1,101,149 455,187,360 11,951,010 1,265,200 57,765,680 202,860,411 118,850 8,062,700 853,770 7,000 1,554,150 61,600

164,390 -2,460 -3,391,580 -468,940 19,840 -63,667,800 -74,580 -48,521,100 72,115,661 9,300 -6,127,700 312,330 -9,197,318 -1,761,060 124,740 35,200 408,780 24,940 -6,487,955 -538,180 11,387,915 15,154,488.50 -2,199,850 -359,270.00 -459,420 -

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

0.0033 1.75 5.36 1.84 0.455 0.415 9.14 2.37 0.25 0.184 0.191 0.011 0.011 1.78 6.37 2.16 0.455 0.9 0.012 4.06 0.014 8.82 3.2 143.1 2.85 0.0088

0.0034 1.75 5.49 1.84 0.455 0.425 9.39 2.44 0.26 0.184 0.191 0.012 0.012 1.8 6.47 2.17 0.455 0.9 0.012 4.06 0.014 8.94 3.21 145.1 2.92 0.0088

0.0033 1.58 5.35 1.77 0.45 0.415 8.84 2.37 0.248 0.181 0.191 0.011 0.011 1.78 6.26 2.05 0.455 0.88 0.011 4.05 0.013 8.78 3.1 142.4 2.8 0.0088

MINING &OIL 0.0033 35,000,000 1.66 4,705,000 5.49 453,300 1.77 45,000 0.45 70,000 0.42 150,000 9.33 22,300 2.41 1,094,000 0.255 740,000 0.183 1,770,000 0.191 320,000 0.012 4,200,000 0.012 11,500,000 1.78 339,000 6.47 3,667,500 2.15 62,000 0.455 20,000 0.88 3,000 0.011 3,600,000 4.05 30,000 0.014 281,800,000 8.94 797,600 3.1 4,465,000 144.5 1,157,680 2.8 21,000 0.0088 3,000,000

116,100 7,772,110 2,432,383 80,000 31,600 63,050 204,176 2,627,680 184,110 321,170 61,120 46,300 136,400 603,480 23,532,837 131,100 9,100 2,660 39,900 121,740 3,815,200 7,101,885 13,903,880 167,090,715 60,250 26,400

-4,715,270 -1,528,200 -514,530 242,080 -12,686,145 1,400 -302,396 -216,920 -56,526,229 -22,800 8,800

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

46.9 534 107 105.5 118 525 5.86 1,021 1,045 1.04 1,019 105 78.4 79.65 78.8 79 78

46.9 534 107.5 105.5 118.8 525 5.86 1,021 1,045 1.04 1,019 105 78.4 79.65 79 79 78

45.85 529 107 105.5 118 525 5.85 1,021 1,045 1.04 1,018 104.4 78.4 79.65 78.8 79 78

PREFERRED 45.85 126,100 529 200 107.5 5,600 105.5 100 118.8 700 525 21,000 5.86 202,200 1,021 5,000 1,045 100 1.04 305,000 1,018 7,900 104.4 5,100 78.4 23,100 79.65 2,700 79 37,200 79 25,300 78 9,350

5,801,820 105,850 601,500 10,550 83,000 11,025,000 1,184,082 5,105,000 104,500 317,200 8,049,655 532,500 1,811,040 215,055 2,933,765 1,998,700 729,300

-4,660,700 -525,000 -671,306 -

LR WARRANT

2.05

2.06

2.05

WARRANTS 2.06 255,000

522,950

-

4.08 2.93 7.65 9.78

3.92 2.93 6.66 9.25

SME 3.93 2.93 6.99 9.75

92,000 3,000 322,700 3,703,100

363,410 8,790 2,320,982 35,735,870

-17,724 9,213,303

122

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 120.2 122 136,240

16,424,489

-

SHARES

VALUE

NAME ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

MS ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

3.92 2.93 7 9.25

FIRST METRO ETF 120.2

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

22,539,592

INDUSTRIAL

193,203,351

HOLDING FIRMS

292,871,384

PROPERTY

656,268,041

SERVICES

370,368,209

MINING & OIL

359,250,845

GRAND TOTAL

1,898,758,950

1,861.58 (UP) 33.59 2,011,039,877.97 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,062.64 (DOWN) 23.99 2,801,633,838.47 HOLDING FIRMS 7,342.67 (UP) 51.52 3,973,476,265.095 PROPERTY 3,284.65 (UP) 39.97 SERVICES 1,489.33 (UP) 9.37 3,273,449,015.385 MINING & OIL 12,005.06 (UP) 76.37 1,651,927,233.33 PSEI 7,345.02 (UP) 66.42 230,541,398.613 All Shares Index 4,417.20 (UP) 31.12 13,996,922,769.262 Gainers:103; Losers: 78; Unchanged: 58; Total: 239

By Jenniffer B. Austria

DMCI to restart mining works DMCI Mining Corp., a unit of DMCI Holdings Inc., said it plans to restart operations this month after the Mines and Geosciences Bureau clarified the suspension orders issued against mining companies were not final and immediately executory.

DMCI Mining president Cesar Simbulan said the company planned to start building up inventory and re-hire mine workers that were laid off when the company shut down operations last year after receiving a suspension order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Simbulan said the company also appealed the suspension order issued against its mining operations.

DMCI Mining owns Berong Nickel Corp., which received a suspension order in June because of alleged discoloration of Barangay Berong’s river system and tributaries. The government also suspended Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. in July due to alleged “social issues.”

Meanwhile, DMCI Holdings said core net income in 2016 stood flat at P12.1 billion due to lower contributions from its real estate, nickel mining and water businesses.

“The double digit growth of our energy and construction businesses were offset by the sharp drop in profitability of DMCI Homes, DMCI Mining and Maynilad (Water Services Inc.),” said DMCI Holdings chairman and president Isidro Consunji.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Home / Design

B3

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR FILIPINOS L Lamudi PH talks about real estate that counts: housing for all

AMUDI Philippines recently tackled the topic of affordable housing, and how best to make to it available to every Filipino.

“More than just a roof to keep our people safe from external threat, a shelter is where values are formed, hopes and dreams are built, and the true meaning of family is defined,” said President Rodrigo Duterte at the 7th National Developers’ Convention of the Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP).

The president called on all economic development stakeholders to unite and formulate development action plans aimed at providing decent homes to Filipinos.

All Filipinos dream of having a home. But as property prices continue to shoot up, this goal is becoming elusive, especially to low-income earners. To address the housing ownership challenge many Filipino families face, Lamudi Philippines suggested some solutions.

Affordable finance schemes

FIRST STEP. To provide housing for the poor, the system needs easier finance schemes, and lower interest rates.

The first step to housing within reach is easier finance schemes, and lower interest rates especially for the poor and the marginalized.

In the recent financing program of Pag-IBIG fund, the lowest interest rate they offer to its members is 5.5% for a one year fixed-

pricing period, 6.5% for 3 years, 7.270% for 5 years, 8.035% for 10 years, 8.585% for 15 years, 8.8% for 20 years, 9.050% for 25 years, and 10% under a 30-year fixed-pricing period.

To avail of the lowest rate of 5.5% per annum, borrowers must have a monthly amortization that should not exceed 30% of the borrower’s gross monthly income; and the ratio of the loan amount to the appraised value of the collateral shall not exceed 75%.

One major worry though is the full risk-based pricing framework that the fund has recently adopted.

This means that the interest rates will only be fixed on the assigned period and might go higher or lower depending upon the prevailing market rates. Fortunately the shelter agency reported that since they used the new scheme, the agency has lowered its rate for five consecutive times. This rule applies to all eligible members of the fund.

Public Private Partnerships In a study of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the affordability of housing has been adversely affected by out-of-control urbanization and unplanned urban spraw.

This has resulted in a situation

where demand for residential land far outstrips the available supply of land, particularly in densely populated areas.

The best course of action for this dilemma can start with more proactive engagement of private investors in the national agenda. With the government and the private sector sharing ideas and working together, planning for future developments of a city that will include more low-cost housing will be made much easier.

Infrastructure projects such as the Cavite–Laguna Expressway and the NLEX–SLEX Connector Road have been proven to be helpful. Hopefully, joint venture real estate developments will soon be planned and conceptualized for Filipinos.

Lower rental costs Taking a leaf from the plans of former HUDCC chief Leni Robredo, a public rental housing program can likewise help ease the financial burden of housing to salaried workers and employees. This initiative will help individuals and families who temporarily chose to reside near their workplace in the city, but do not intend to acquire a home there. By providing value-for-money readyfor-lease units, families can save up for that dream house that they can own in the future.

FIRE PROTECTION OF THE YEAR. Bosch Security Systems’ video-based fire detection system AVIOTEC, recently bagged the best product in the “technological fire protection“ category of the FeuerTRUTZ awards held in Nuremberg, Germany. AVIOTEC offers a solution for reliable early fire detection in critical and industrial indoor applications.

Combining the AVIOTEC IP starlight 8000 camera with an intelligent algorithm allows precise distinction of real fires and disturbance values such as reflexions, movements and backlight conditions. It identifies flames and smoke directly at the source and much quicker than common fire detectors providing faster response times. AVIOTEC is the optimal solution for dusty and humid environments such as production facilities. It provides protection for extensive spaces with high ceilings in airports and warehouses, as well as for areas with high traffic such as cultural properties and shopping malls. At the FeuerTRUTZ awards were (from left to right): Frank Theilig, Daniela Holubek, Karl-Heinz Mast, Heiko Schwichtenberg, all of Bosch Security Systems.

HOME PROTECTION VANGUARD. Jardine Distribution Inc. (JDI) recently showcased

its termite and waterproofing solutions at the World Building and Construction Exposition (WORLDBEX), held at the World Trade Center Manila and the Philippine Trade Training Center. Some of the products which snagged attention at the Jardine booth were its Klerat single feed rodenticide, Optigard roach and ant bait, and ZAP aerosol insecticide, all of which came with multi-insect, cockroach, and mosquito killer variants. Jardine represents a number of local and global companies that provide crop protection and construction chemical products.

NOVOTEL SUITES MANILA CITED AS A PREMIER RESORT BY INTERVAL INTERNATIONAL. Novotel Suites Manila, the soonto-rise 41-storey all-suite hotel at Century Properties’ Acqua Private Residences, recently earned a distinction as an Interval International Select Resort from the organization. This citation identified Novotel Suites Manila as a property that exceeds Interval International’s high standards in selecting resorts that deliver outstanding vacation experiences. Century Properties Group (CPG), through its subsidiary Century Limitless Corp. (CLC), signed a partnership with hotel management group Accor Hotels to open Novotel Suites Manila at Acqua. Novotel Suites Manila will offer a mix of hotel and residential units, and will be the sixth and last skyscraper to rise at this estate.

BUILDER ON THE ROOF

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

B4

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

Choosing the best roofing material for your home

HEAVY METAL. Clay,

or ceramic roof tiles and shingles cater to the high-end market.

“H

AVING a roof over our heads” is one of the most important sayings one will come across when building a home.

Interestingly, a roof isn’t just a structure over our heads: it’s also known as the “spine,” or the backbone of the structure – the one that protects or shields the home’s “vital organs.”

In the Philippines, homeowners are spoiled for for choices in roofing materials available locally, including pre-painted long-span metal roofing, corrugated GI (galvanized iron) sheets, clay or ceramic roof tiles, fiber cement shingles, asphalt and wood shingles. Some homeowners prefer laying out a the concrete roof deck.

The most commonly used roofing material by rank and type of application are the unpainted corrugated G.I. roofing for the low-end market, which we see in many communities around the country. But while G.I. roofs, popularly dubbed as “bubong na yero”, are the cheapest material available, they also corrode and deteriorate the fastest if not painted properly.

G.I roof sheets, however, are acknowledged by builders as economical and practical. And they don’t have to look boring: there are GI sheet roofs that are stamped and molded to look like clay roofs and are already available in terra cotta colors to resemble clay roofs.

Elegant but impractical Clay or ceramic roof tiles and shingles cater to the high-end market. They look elegant but are very heavy and require metal under sheeting and battens to keep them in place.

They seldom pose a leaking problem, but when they do, it would be a big task to resolve.

The concrete roof deck is one of the most difficult types of roof to maintain and to repair when leaking sets in. Even the most expensive type of waterproofing could fail at the slightest mistake during application. Sometimes, it takes redoing the whole deck area just to solve a small leak, because it is so difficult to find the source of the leak in the concrete.

Economical as they come

LOOKING ELEGANT ON A BUDGET. GI

sheet roofs that are stamped and molded to look like clay roofs are already available in terra cotta colors to resemble clay roofs.

GI sheet roofs are the most economical in terms of cost per square meter, and the required support structure is also most economical. It is the easiest to patch up, as well, since these can be easily performed by a homeowner.

Under extreme situations where the the GI roof has been rusted through and through and looks like cheddar cheese, one can choose to hire a professional company to apply a material called ‘roof foam. This is sprayed on and leaves a 1.5-inch thick layer of waterproofed, insulated hard foamin-place. This shield also has excellent acoustic properties that during heavy rains would not create too much noise (this is also called drumproofing).

Most builders swear by pre-painted longspan metal roofing as practical and economical, mainly because there are less joints which mean less chances of leaks.

Pre-painted long-span metal roofing is chosen by mid- to mid-upper class markets, and able to better resist corrosion. Some suppliers warrant their pre-painted products up to 15 years against corrosion.

These type of roofing also perform better against leaks, being cut according to the length required, thus avoiding horizontal overlapping, which is one of the causes of leaks. They are also installed using a special type of screw called the ‘tekscrew’ with rubber washer, which is reportedly water tight.

Roofing experts claim that long-span metal roofing trump commercial-length roofing sheets as these eliminate overlapping joints and minimize the potential for leaks. Long-span sheets cover more area, requiring less joints. Both ordinary and long span sheets are readily available in the market.

In the Philippines, most house-builders prefer pre-painted long-span metal roofing made of GI sheets.

Other metals such as aluminum, tin, and copper can also be used to produce pre-painted long-span roofing sheets, albeit more expensively.

GI sheets are already factory-painted (and usually coated with zinc-aluminum to make it more durable and rust resistant).

BUILT TO LAST. The Malate Construction and Development Corporation

(MCDC) recently announced that it is focusing on growth outside of Metro Manila, particularly Laguna and Batangas, as well as Cagayan De Oro. “We don’t just build houses, we build homes,” claimed MCDC president and CEO Giovanni J. Olivares. He added that MCDC homes are not just built to last, but are also a sight to behold. Architect Melvin Patawaran, a member of the Heritage Conservation Society, has been designing MCDC’s projects. These include Terrazza de Sto. Tomas in Sto. Tomas Batangas, which marries open spaces and old world Italian charm. MCDC has built nearly 20,000 homes for Filipino families over the past 30 years.

GOING LONG SPAN. Local

house-builders prefer pre-painted long-span metal roofing made of GI sheets.

BUILDING MATERIALS FOR BETTER LIVING.

Building materials manufacturer SCG recently launched its Smartwood and Portland Cement at WORLDBEX 2017. The trade show, currently ongoing at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, features the latest trends and innovations for the construction and building sector. SCG showcased how an innovative and sustainable home can be both stylish and durable. SCG Smartwood, a fiber cement wood substitute offers a variety of designs and applications while extending the lifespan of a house for up to 30-50 years. SCG Portland Cement uses innovative technology to boost its compressive strength, increasing its resistance to everyday wear and tear. Both products contribute to the wellbeing of the environment: SCG Smartwood lessens the number of trees cut for lumber, planks, timber, and other wood products. The production of SCG Portland Cement involves the rehabilitation of its quarrying sites.“We have always envisioned an urbanized future for the world without damaging the environment,” said Phaskorn Buranawit, SCG Philippines country director.

Makati clears 114 city streets

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

By Joel E. Zurbano THE city government of Makati has cleaned up 114 streets in its continuing sidewalk-clearing and road obstruction operations, aimed to maintain its reputation of having “walkable streets” and being an environmentally progressive community in Metro Manila.

The latest operation conducted by the city’s Department of Environmental Services through its Solid Waste Management Division saw 14 individuals apprehended for violating City Ordinance No. The ordinance prohibits and penalizes the dumping of waste and refuse in any street, public building or property, including waterways and riverbanks, not otherwise designated as a garbage dump.

In a report to Mayor Abigail Binay, DES chief engineer Leopoldo Parumog said SWMD personnel have conducted continuous clearing operations from January to March 10 of this year in 23 barangays.

In District I, DES cleared a total of 72 streets in 12 barangays—Poblacion, with 16 streets cleared; Tejeros, 12; Olympia and Pio Del Pilar, 10 each; Palanan, six; Bangkal, five; Magallanes and San Lorenzo, four each; Bel-Air, two; and San Antonio, San Isidro, and Singkamas, with one street each.

In District II, the team conducted clearing operations in 11 barangays, covering a total of 42 streets during the same period.

These were in Guadalupe Nuevo and Guadalupe Viejo with nine streets each; Pinagkaisahan, six; Pitogo, five; West Rembo, four; Cembo, Comembo and Rizal, two each; and East Rembo, Pembo and Northside, one each.

Six individuals were apprehended and fined for littering or illegal dumping of garbage in District I, four from Pio del Pilar and two from Poblacion. In District II, the violators were caught in West Rembo, one; Pembo, three; Pitogo, one; East Rembo, two; and Guadalupe Nuevo, one.

During sidewalk clearing operations, DES enforcers remove objects or property obstructing the streets, such as plants, assorted scrap metal, tires, wood, debris, chairs and tables of eateries occupying sidewalks, food stalls and food carts, among others.

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

C1

Davao launches mobile app D

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

AVAO CITY—The city government has launched a mobile application to inform tourists of the must-visit places and musteat restaurants all over Davao.

The mobile app “Davao Guide” was launched through a partnership of Smart Communications and the city government to mark the 80th celebration of the Araw ng Davao.

According to Max Limpag, the

creator of Davao Guide and CEO of Inno Pub, the developer of the mobile app, the app “aims to lessen the worries of tourists of their itinerary when they visit the city.”

“The aim of Davao Guide is when you visit Davao, every-

thing you need to know, whether it’s food, hotels, tourist spots, events, or even emergency numbers are already in your phone,” Limpag said.

The app also contains a notification system that will allow the city government to inform tourists of big events that will happen during their stay here.

“Essentially, we’re tapping mobile technology to deliver tourism, cultural and historical information to the visitors of Davao,” he added.

The Davao Guide is the first

mobile app accredited by the city government, Limpag stressed.

Regina Rosa Tecson, the City Tourism Officer, said with the creation of Davao Guide, the city can see more tourist arrivals, since it will make their visit here “more accessible.”

All accredited travel and tours agencies are listed on the mobile app, as well as accredited hotels and restaurants that serve Davao’s delicacies, Tecson added.

“This is a very big help to the tourism industry of the city, since it will be easier for us to

reach out to tourists by informing them of our local events, and even the emergency numbers whenever they need it,” she said.

It will also be easier for the city to monitor tourists’ arrival, since their data will be readily available once a tourist downloads the application, Tecson said.

“It will boost the tourism sector. Whenever tourists will look for hotels and destinations, it will be in the mobile app. Everything will be put there,” she said, noting the app will replace brochures and maps that the tourists will carry.

RESTORING SIGHT. A team of ophthalmic surgeons from Manila, led by Dr. Lee Verzosa, operate on a cataract patient using ‘phacoemulsification,’ a modern way of removing the disease from the eyes, at the Cotabato City Regional and Medical Center on Tuesday. The operation, which took less than five minutes, was part of a project called ‘Vision’ by the Lions Club International Host District 301-E, led by its president Paul Oringot. About 128 patients from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao benefited from the project, including Russel Madul, a 13-year-old Badjao boy whose right eye was damaged while dynamite fishing along the coast of Maguindanao. Mark Navales

‘Vendors banned on Baywalk, any park in Manila’ 50 CL village officials get boot THE city government of Manila clarified Friday it no longer allows vendors to operate in any part of the two-kilometer stretch of the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard.

Lawyer Fortune Mayuga, chief of the city’s Bureau of Permits, pointed this out after a group of 30 vendors, staged a protest rally at the headquarters of the Manila Police District to complain about the alleged

extortion activities of several Ermita-based policemen.

“If they say they’re from Baywalk, which they claim they were, the city has not issued, last year or this year, permits to vendors because the Mayor [Joseph Estrada] doesn’t allow it,” Mayuga said.

“We do not allow vendors in any park. Baywalk is considered a park, so we don’t know what they are saying about having a

permit,” she stressed.

The vendors claimed they paid P1,500 for a hawker’s permit signed by no less than Estrada, which Mayuga dismissed as spurious.

The entire Manila portion of Roxas Boulevard, Mayuga stressed, is a vendor-free zone.

The protesters, led by the urban poor group Kadamay Manila and United Vendors Alliance, also do not have a rally

permit and they did not apply for one, he added.

While leaving the investigation of the extortion charges to the MPD, Mayuga said last Tuesday’s “assembly” of the protesting vendors would make it illegal.

“They don’t have a rally permit and we never received any single application from them,” Mayuga added. “Regardless if their accusation is true or not, we really have no idea who’s giving

them permits.”

The vendors said several members of the MPD-Ermita Station had been forcing them to pay P100 to P200 daily, threatening to drive them away if they refuse to do so.

They identified the officers allegedly involved in the racket as SPO2 Marvin Velasquez, SPO2 Romel Santos Alfaro, PO3 John Gaviola David, PO3 Leo De Jos, and PO2 Romeo Rosini Jr.

Jones celebrates Pinilisa rice festival

By Jessica M. Bacud JONES, Isabela—In thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest of rice, this eastern town in Isabela is celebrating its annual Pinilisa Festival from March 17 to 19 at the Municipal Sports Complex here.

Mayor Leticia Sebastian said the festival is the town’s celebration for the abundant harvest of Pinilisa, an upland rice variety grown here.

A unique organic plumcolored rice known in other countries as well, Pinilisa has a unique fragrance and flavor compared to ordinary rice.

Unlike other varieties that rely on synthetic commercial fertilizer to grow, Pinilisa is a rare breed that thrives with just rainwater and natural compost, making it a favorite of consumers, Sebastian added.

The mayor recalled the first Pinilisa Festival made its mark in the town’s history by placing Jones in the lineup of the Department of Tourism’s WOW

(World of Wonders) campaign.

Former regional tourism director Blessida G. Diwa is recognized as the patron of the festival, who shows constant support for its promotion, Sebastian said.

Suzette Daguro, director general of the festival, said an array of activities is set for the threeday event that showcases the heritage and culture of the locality.

“This year’s Pinilisa Festival will be an avenue for Josenians to meet in this special occasion.

Visitors can expect a colorful and exciting celebration,” Daguro stressed.

The celebration will start with a parade around town, followed by the opening of the agro-tourism exhibit, the opening of the bazaar, and a street dance parade.

The Search for 2017 Pinilisa King and Queen, agri-ecotourism booths at the Pinilisa Village, “Jones Got Talent” Youth in the Spoken Word, a poetry competition and a scarecrow contest are likewise slated.

FARMERS’ TRAINING. SM Foundation recently launched the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Rural Farmers’ Training Program at the Villar Sipag Farm in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. An orientation for the program drew 203 participants, who were eager to know how the dual-tech training will help them as small farmers. The participants are beneficiaries of the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and of the Villar Sipag Foundation. Senator Cynthia Villar, San Jose Del Monte Vice Mayor Efren Bartolome Jr., and Ramon Gil ‘Chito’ Macapagal, SM head of Corporate Affairs, were present in the orientation together with Julius Barcelona, vice president of HarBest Agribusiness Corp., Erlinda Estrella, Mall manager of SM San Jose del Monte, and Rocky dela Cruz, assistant store manager of SM Savemore Tungkong Mangga.

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The Ombudsman has dismissed 50 barangays officials here from the service for various offenses, Filipinas Baclayen, regional legal officer of the Department of the Interior and Local Government here, said Friday.

Baclayen said that aside from graft and corruption, the local officials were found guilty of neglect of duty and misconduct, which caused their dismissal from service, apart from suspensions and fines.

Barangay councilmen and tanod (barangay police) members were also among the dismissed, she added.

The barangay officials came from various villages in Central Luzon, but none from Aurora province, Baclayen added.

The dismissals have triggered “very enterprising people” to offer their services to the barangay officials “to retain their position or to prevent their removal from office for a fee,” she noted.

However, this kind of operation was already neutralized by the DILG in the region “through a massive information drive and warnings from the office of Interior Secretary Mike Sueno,” Baclayen said.

Romeo Dizon

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 Standard C2 TODAY Manila

P631-m Cagayan bridge to open P170m for Kalinga T irrigation system

By Brenda Jocson

UGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan— Department of Public Works and Highways Director Melanio C. Briosos of the Cagayan Valley region has reported the completion of the P631-million Lucban Bridge in Abulug town.

Briosos said the bridge in Barangay Lucban is a multi-year project with a length of 825 lineal meters, consisting of 12 spans with 436.90 lineal meters’ total length of approaches.

He said the bridge makes it more convenient to transport agricultural and commercial products to major trade centers in the

area and the nearby provinces of Ilocos and Cordillera regions.

“The bridge is envisioned to ensure continuous movement of goods and safer travel for the public. This is so because a stronger and more stable bridge will promote socio-economic development and spur rapid growth in terms of economic

and tourism activities in the area,” Briosos said.

Per Briosos, the rehabilitation and replacement of the old Lucban Bridge is expected to play a major role in the agricultural, industrial and tourism growth and exchanges in Cagayan Valley, Ilocos and Cordillera.

“It will greatly improve accessibility and mobility in the vicinity by providing an enhanced transport facility in the Manila North Road, which is the gateway to the Ilocos region,” Briosos added.

Construction chief Engineer Jose Tobias said the bridge is exactly located along Manila North Road, and it is one of the first major bridge projects to open this year.

B)

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City

EXCLUDING PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S CUSTOMER TYPE UNITS

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF ADJUSTMENT IN RATES PURSUANT TO THE TARIFF GLIDE PATH (TGP) RULES, WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY,

Demand Charge

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that on 27 May 2014, South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SOCOTECO II) filed an application dated 20 May 2014 seeking the Commission’s approval of adjustment in rates pursuant to the Tariff Glide Path (TGP) Rules, with prayer for the issuance of a provisional authority.

Applicant is a non-stock, non-profit electric cooperative duly organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, with principal offices at Jose Catolico Sr. Street, Lagao, General Santos City;

2.

It holds an exclusive franchise issued by the National Electrification Commission (NEC) to operate an electric light and power distribution system in the City of General Santos and two (2) municipalities of the province of South Cotabato, namely: Polomolok and Tupi, and the seven (7) municipalities of the province of Sarangani, namely: Alabel, Malungon, Malapatan, Glan, Maasim, Kiamba, and Maitum;

The Honorable Commission approved the application, granting the cooperative the following initial tariffs on its Distribution, Supply and Metering (DSM) Charges, among others, to wit:

Demand Charge

LOW VOLTAGE IND’L

P/B

-

59.7343

59.7343

PhP/kWh

0.4140

-

-

Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Meter/Mo.

5.0000

54.9228

54.9228

Metering System Charge

PhP/kWh

0.3460

-

-

12. In support of the foregoing computations, the cooperative is submitting herewith the following documents, which are being made integral parts hereof, to wit: Annex No.

A to A-2

IND’L

B

MFSR - Sections B and E (2010-2013)

C

Billing Determinants Template (kWh Sales, No. of Customers, kW Demand) ( 2010-2013)

D

Sample Bills per customer type (2010-2013)

E

Regional CPI (2010-2013)

F

RFSC/Reinvestment Fund Utilization (2011-2013)

G

Consumer Complaints (Complaint Tracking Form) (2011-2013)

H

Audited Financial Statements (2010- 2013)

Annex No.

COM

P/B

I

Proof of furnishing copies of the Application to the Sangguniang Panlungsod of General Santos City and Sangguniang Panlalawigan of South Cotabato and Sarangani

K to K-2

Publication of the Application in a newspaper of general circulation in SOCOTECO II’s franchise area or where it principally operates, with Affidavit of Publication

Supply Charges:

Supply System Charge

PhP/kWh

59.7343 59.7343 59.7343 59.7343 59.7343 59.7343 59.7343 0.4140

Metering Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/meter/mo 5.0000 54.9228 54.9228 54.9228 54.9228 54.9228 54.9228 54.9228

Metering System Charge

PhP/kWh

5.

0.3460

_

_

The TGP is intended as a cap and the EC may move up to the cap, if it is a positive adjustment. If the cap is lower than the current average tariff, a reduction may be implemented.

8.

The TGP is a rate adjustment mechanism which provides an opportunity for the ECs to adjust their rates once every three (3) years. The rate adjustments may occur at the start of the fourth year of the first Regulatory Period and every three years thereafter.

Under the TGP, the regulatory period is six (6) years for each entry Group. For the Second Entrant Group, the first regulatory period is from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017. SOCOTECO II belongs to the Second Entrant Group.

Further under the TGP Rules, the concerned EC shall use the following formula in determining the TGP for the first to third years of the Regulatory Period, to wit:

A.

WITH PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S”

Residential

Low Voltage

Higher Voltage

Demand Charge

PhP/kW

Distribution System Charge PhP/kWh

-

-

120.0950

0.2784

0.3797

-

Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Customer/Mo

-

60.5108

60.5108

Supply System Charge

PhP/kWh

0.4194

-

-

Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Meter/Mo.

5.0650

55.6368

55.6368

Metering System Charge

PhP/kWh

0.3505

-

-

Metering Charges:

B)

EXCLUDING PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S CUSTOMER TYPE UNITS

Residential

Low Voltage

Higher Voltage

Distribution Charges: Demand Charge

PhP/kW

Distribution System Charge PhP/kWh

-

-

118.5538

0.2748

0.3748

-

Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Customer/Mo

-

59.7343

59.7343

Supply System Charge

PhP/kWh

0.4140

-

-

Metering Charges: PhP/Meter/Mo.

5.0000

54.9228

54.9228

Metering System Charge

PhP/kWh

0.3460

-

-

Other reliefs, just and equitable in the premises are likewise prayed for.

Except that for the first two years of the First Regulatory Period, “X” will be equal to zero and thereafter shall not be less than zero. The TGP calculated for each of the three years will be summed to determine the possible rate adjustment starting on the Fourth Year of the current Regulatory Period.

Applying the methodology embodied in the TGP Rules, SOCOTECO II calculated the values of the “I”, “X” and “S” and came up with the following results, to wit: “I”

“X”

“S”

TGP A

TGPA (Excluding “S”)

0.00%

0,00%

-0.90%

-0.90%

0.00%

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 29 March 2017 (Wednesday) at nine o’clock in the morning (9:00 A.M.) at SOCOTECO II’s principal office in Jose Catolico Sr. Street, Lagao, General Santos City.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1)

The name and address of such person;

Year 2013

0.00%

0.00%

0.90%

0.90%

0.00%

2)

Year 2014

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

0.00%

0.00%

1.30%

1.30%

0.00%

3)

The grounds relied upon.

1.30%

0.00%

10. Applying the above values resulted in adjustments on SOCOTECO II’s DSM Rates, as follows: A.

WITH PERFORMANCE INCENTIVE “S” CUSTOMER TYPE UNITS

Residential

Low Voltage

Higher Voltage

Distribution Charges: Demand Charge

PhP/kW

Distribution System Charge PhP/kWh

Quantity 890 890 915 380 832 188 96 924 640 640 640 885 16 643

Distribution Charges:

Retail Customer Charge

Net Results

Republic of the Philippines Department of Education REGION IV-A CALABARZON Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta. Rizal INVITATION TO BID

TGPn = ln – Xn + Sn

Year 2012

ILAGAN CITY, Isabela— President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has confirmed the appointment of Gov. Faustino Dy III as the Cagayan Valley Regional Peace and Order Council chairperson, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said.

DILG-Cagayan, serving as the regional council’s secretariat, said they learned of Dy’s appointment in a letter from the Interim National Peace and Order Council Secretariat of the DILG Bureau

-

-

120.0950

0.2784

0.3797

-

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing.

Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 8th day of March 2017 in Pasig City.

Supply Charges: Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Customer/Mo

-

60.5108

60.5108

Supply System Charge

PhP/kWh

0.4194

-

-

Retail Customer Charge

PhP/Meter/Mo.

5.0650

55.6368

55.6368

Metering System Charge

PhP/kWh

0.3505

-

-

Metering Charges:

of Local Government Supervision dated Feb. 15.

Dy attended the first special meeting of Interior Secretary Mike Sueno with RPOC chairpersons and vice chairpersons for Luzon on Feb. 21. His appointment certificate was given in the meeting.

As chairman, Dy will head the council composed of governors, League of Municipalities and Cities in the region, regional line agencies, Army, Philippine National Police, and private sector representatives.

The DepED Region lV-A, through the GAA 2017 intends to apply the sum of TWO MILLION TWO HUNDRED FIFTY SIX THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED EIGTHY PESOS ONLY (Php2,256,880.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to eligible payments under the contract for the Supply & Delivery of Athletics Uniform for the 2A17 Palarong Pambansa. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

TGPA = TGPn+ TGPn+1 TGPn+2 where N= the first year of the Regulatory Period and succeeding Regulatory Periods

9.

By Jessica M. Bacud

PRAYER

UNITS

On May 2, 2011, the Honorable Commission promulgated the Tariff Glide Path (TGP) Rules pursuant to Article 7 of the RSEC-WR whereby during the regulatory period, the rate of the Electric Cooperatives (ECs) per group shall be adjusted using the following formula, to wit:

to benefit more farmers from the projected increase in the service area of the system, and improve the yield of farmers in Kalinga and some parts of Isabela,” Socalo stressed.

He said NIA-CAR technical personnel are preparing the detailed plans and specifications for the remaining works on the lining of the irrigation system’s canal.

That’s so more contractors will be encouraged to participate in the bidding process to complete the project by next year, before the agency’s Participatory Irrigation Development Project expires.

The PIDP, which sources its funds from the World Bank, was supposed to expire this month, but was extended to August next year after concerned Palace officials signed the extension documents just in time. Dexter A. See

Isabela gov named peace council chair

CUSTOMER TYPE

The Index “I”, shall be an escalation factor to be used in adjusting the rates to reflect the combined impact of inflation and load factor. There shall be an efficiency factor “X” to account for the operational efficiency of the ECs in setting their rates. There shall be a performance incentive “S” which shall reward or penalize the EC for above or below standard performance, respectively.

7.

TABUK CITY, Kalinga—The Cordillera office of the National Irrigation Administration said it has recovered P170 million from P424 million in funding previously earmarked for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Upper Chico River Irrigation System.

The fund was earmarked to complete the river system’s rehabilitation, aimed at increasing its service area.

Engineer John Cocalo, NIACAR regional irrigation manager, said the contract of the original contractor for the UCRIS rehab “is up for termination.”

The agency will thus take over the project’s implementation “to make sure the remaining funds will be used to improve the condition of the irrigation system.”

“We have to take over the project so the remaining funds for the project will be wisely used to improve the condition of UCRIS,

WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission that pending evaluation of the instant application or after due notice and hearing, as the case may be, SOCOTECO II be allowed to implement either of the following two (2) alternative proposed new rates for its Distribution, Supply and Metering (DSM) Charges, starting January 2015 and up to December 2017, to wit:

_

Tariff x (1+ index “I”-Efficiency Factor “X” + Performance Incentive “S”)

6.

Nature of Document Affidavit in support of the prayer for provisional authority

J to J-2 118.5538 118.5538 118.5538

0.2748 0.3748 0.3748 0.3748 0.3748

PhP/cus/mo

Nature of Document Proposed TGP Calculations and supporting documents using prescribed templates: Index “I” Calculation Efficiency Factor “X” Calculation Performance Incentive “S” Calculation

13. Finally, in compliance with the pre-filing requirements for the instant application, applicant is likewise submitting herewith the following documents, which are being made integral parts hereof, to wit:

H/V Street Lights

P/kW

Retail Customer Charge

-

PhP/Customer/Mo

Distribution Charges: Distribution System PhP/kWh Charge

118.5538

Supply System Charge

Sometime in 2009, SOCOTECO II filed with the Honorable Commission an application for approval of the proposed adjustment in its rates pursuant to the Rules for Setting the Electric Cooperatives’ Wheeling Rates (RSEC-WR);

COM

0.3748

Retail Customer Charge

SOCOTECO II alleged the following in its Application: 1.

RES

0.2748

11. Consequently, applicant respectfully prays that it be allowed to implement either of the above two alternative calculated DSM rates, either provisionally or permanently, starting January 2015 and up to the next regulatory reset;

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

RES

Higher Voltage

Metering Charges:

Applicant.

Current Customer Class

Low Voltage

Supply Charges:

x-----------------------------------------------------x

New Customer Class

PhP/kW

Distribution System Charge PhP/kWh

SOUTH COTABATO II ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (SOCOTECO II),

4.

Residential

Distribution Charges:

ERC CASE NO. 2014-069 RC

3.

He said the project “leads to the opening of various business opportunities, with attractive incentives and advantages for interested investors.”

“These developments are geared toward attracting legitimate and productive local and foreign investments, thus creating employment opportunities not only in the province, but the whole country as well,” Tobias said.

The old bridge was constructed in the mid-1960s and the deteriorating condition of the steel trusses due to severe rusts and the cracks on concrete deck slab necessitates its immediate replacement to sustain transport activities in the area.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO

Standard – March 11 & 18, 2017

Unit pcs pcs pcs pcs pcs pcs pcs pcs pcs pair pair pcs pair pair

Contract Duration : Expected Delivery Dates : Delivery Site :

Description Jacket, red and white combination Joqqinq Pants, red & white combination Caps, red & white combination, cotton twill T-shirt with Collar, asstd. Sizes, red & white combi Plavino Shirt. red & white combination. Cotton Sleeveless Plavinq Shid, red & white combination Knickers, red & white combination (softball/baseball Shorts, red & white combination Utility Bag Parade Shoes Socks. white Umbrella long red Sensor Socks Gloves, cotton, white

14 Calendar Days April 20,2017 Billeting School at Antique Province

The Department of Education Region lV-A, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), now invites bids for the herein-mentioned Goods. Delivery of the Goods is required on the expected delivery date(s) stated herein. Bidders must have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project with an amount of at least 50% o’f the ABC to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, i.e., in Section ll, lnstructions to Bidders. Bids received that exceed the ABC per lot shall be rejected at bid opening.

Bidder must bid for all items in a lot, otherwise, the bid shall be rejected. Bidder may bid for one, more than one or all of the lots. Evaluation and award shall be made on a per lot basis.

Prospective bidders must offer sample of all the items required for the Bidding made of quality materials.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the lmplementing Rules and Regulations (lRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be inspected or purchased at DepED Region lV-A BAC Secretariat, located at Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Rizal upon accomplishing a bidder’s information sheet and payment in cash of a non-refundable fee by interested bidders in the amount of One Thousand Five Hundred Pesos Only (PhP1,500.00) to the DepED RegionalOfflce Cashier. Only bidders who purchased the Bidding Documents will be allowed to submit bids.

It may be viewed or downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), www.philqeps.net, and the website of the Procuring Entity, (depedcalabarzon.ph) provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids. The schedule and venue of the procuring activities are as follows: Activity lssuance of Bidding Documents Pre-Bid Conference Submission and Opening of Bids

Date and Time From March 20,2017 to April 5, 2017 8:00 am to 5:00pm March 24, 2017 at 1 0.00am April 5, 2017 at 10:00am

Venue Supply Offlce RDs Conference Room RDs Conference Room

Prospective bidders are strongly encouraged to order or download the electronic copy of the Bidding Documents from the PhiIGEPS website: www.philgeps.net, for them to be included in the Document Request Lr,sf of the project. The pre-bid conference is open-to-all interested parties lvha may have or have not trought the bidding documents.

Bids must be delivered to the address and on the date and time stated herein All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the ITB Clause 18. A valid Bid Securing Declaration must accompany the bid(s) in lieu of a bid security.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend the opening of bids at the address, date and time stated herein. Late bids shall not be accepted.

The DepED Region lV-A reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, not award the contract(s), or annul the bidding process without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Ann Geralyn T. Pelias Administrative Division Gate 2 Karangalan Drive, Cainta, Ruzal 6477487 or 6474914 A (SGD) ANN GERALYN T. PELIAS BAC Chairman (MS-MAR. 18, 2017)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World IN BRIEF Japan stages first drill over missile attack

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

Wiretapping claim rejected W

ASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump’s explosive allegation that his predecessor wiretapped his Manhattan skyscraper wilted further Thursday as two high-ranking senators and the top Republican in Congress said they saw no evidence to back the claim.

TOKYO―Dozens of people from a Japanese coastal city took part in the country’s first evacuation drill of a missile attack Friday, as regional tensions soar over the accelerating North Korean threats.

The exercise in the city of Oga came less than two weeks after three North Korean missiles landed in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) off the northern municipality.

Japan has been on edge over North Korean launches since a mid-range ballistic missile flew without warning over the northern part of the country and into the western Pacific in 1998.

The pace of the North’s missile development has intensified and its projectiles have since last year been landing ever loser to Japan’s coast.

A total of 110 residents, including primary school students, participated in the drill, an Oga city official said.

“A missile appears to have been launched; there is a possibility that part of the missile will come down; it fell in the Sea of Japan,” read a series of mock alerts sent to officials in cities in Akita prefecture.

The drill did not specify North Korea by name, only referring to “country X”. AFP

‘Rasputin’s daughter to be extradited COPENHAGEN―Denmark’s prosecution authority said Friday it had decided to extradite the daughter of Choi Soon-Sil, the woman at the center of a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of South Korea’s president.

Chung Yoo-Ra, the 20-year-old daughter of the woman dubbed South Korea’s “Rasputin”, is one of the figures in the influence-peddling scandal that sparked massive street protests demanding the removal of President Park Geun-Hye. Chung was detained in Denmark on January 1 for overstaying her visa, after South Korean authorities issued a warrant for her arrest. Seoul then sought her extradition.

“After having reviewed the South Korean request for extradition thoroughly, it is our opinion that all conditions for extradition in the Danish Extradition Act are met,” Mohammad Ahsan, deputy director of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, said in a statement.

Chung, who has denied any wrongdoing, has three days to appeal against the decision to the Danish courts. AFP

Four appear in court over lawyer’s killing YANGON―Four men accused of plotting the murder of a prominent Myanmar lawyer and adviser to de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi appeared in a Yangon court on Friday.

Ko Ni was shot in the back of the head in late January in broad daylight outside Yangon’s airport while waiting for a taxi with his infant grandson in his arms.

He was a vocal critic of the army’s lingering grip on power under Myanmar’s new elected government and Suu Kyi’s party has branded his killing a “terrorist act” designed to thwart their policies.

The gunman, Kyi Lin, was arrested at the scene after also shooting dead a cab driver who tried to stop him escaping.

The four heard the murder charge against them at a Yangon court on Friday.

Kyi Lin and Aung Win Zaw, who allegedly paid him to carry out the killing, were also charged with possessing an illegal weapon, a court official told AFP. AFP

C3

BALL. Amory W. McAndrew, Rickie De Sole and Carolina Herrera attend The Frick Young Fellows Ball at The Frick Collection in New York City. AFP

Hong Kong Summoned over reef destruction protesters jailed for three years HONG KONG―Three young Hong Kong protesters were jailed for three years Friday on “riot” charges for their part in anti-China protests last year as tensions rise ahead of a vote for the city’s next leader.

The sentencing came just over a week before a vote for Hong Kong’s new chief executive, which pro-democracy campaigners dismiss as a rigged election weighted towards Beijing.

Activists have said they will come out in protest on March 26, the day of the leadership selection, which is made by a committee of 1,194 mainly pro-establishment members of special interest groups.

The three activists jailed on Friday had taken part in the “fishball riots” of February 2016, which tapped in to fears Beijing is tightening its grip on semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

None of the three jailed Friday are well-known campaigners.

The riot’s alleged ringleaders from “localist” campaign group Hong Kong Indigenous, which advocates more autonomy for the city, face trial next year.

“Anyone participating in such riots needs to understand there is a cost,” said district court judge Sham Siu-man Friday.

The defense had argued the three protesters -- two of whom were students and one reported to be a cook -- had been expressing their disapproval of the Hong Kong government, which activists say is a puppet of Beijing.

But Sham said: “Violence is violence,” as he delivered the sentence to the grim-faced accused, Hui Ka-ki, 23, Mak Tszhei, 20 and Sit Tat-wing, 33, who were then led away.

Sham said all three defendants had hurled glass bottles, with Mak throwing bamboo polls at officers. AFP

JAKARTA―Indonesia summoned the British ambassador Friday after a cruise ship on a voyage organized by a London-based company smashed into coral reefs in a popular tourist spot and caused extensive damage.

Raja Ampat in eastern Indonesia is one of the most biodiverse marine habitats on Earth, and attracts intrepid travelers and divers to its palm-fringed islands surrounded by coral and fish.

The accident happened this month when the 4,200-ton Caledonian Sky smashed into the reefs at low tide around Kri, one of hundreds of small islands in Raja Ampat, after taking tourists on a bird-watching expedition.

The boat, which was carrying 102 passengers and 79 crew, was grounded on the reefs and only refloated later on high tide. Numerous attempts to free it using a tug boat failed, causing further damage to the corals.

The incident in West Papua

province infuriated the government, who say the British captain could face criminal charges, while local residents believe it will impact the tourism industry and the livelihoods of fishermen.

On Friday Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Panjaitan, a senior figure in the cabinet who is close to President Joko Widodo, summoned the British ambassador to Indonesia, Moazzam Malik.

After the meeting at Panjaitan’s office in the capital, Malik told reporters he had a “very good discussion” with the minister.

“I’m disappointed to learn about the damage to this coral reef in West Papua, as we are with any environmental incident that occurs in Indonesia or anywhere else in the world,” he said.

“We hope the matter can be resolved quickly between the Indonesian authorities and the company that is responsible for

this accident and was managing the ship.”

However, Malik also noted that the ship was in fact owned by a Swedish company. The tour operator Noble Caledonia, which organized the voyage to Indonesia, is based in London.

Panjaitan said authorities were taking the reef destruction “very seriously”.

“He (the captain) attempted to break free from the reefs and made the damage even worse even though he was ordered to stop,” he said, adding it could take up to 100 years to restore the corals.

Authorities have expressed anger that the Bahamas-flagged vessel left Indonesia and sailed on to the Philippines without waiting for a full damage assessment to be completed.

The government has set up a task force to investigate the devastation of the reef and promised to take firm action. AFP

The Trump’s administration is facing calls to either shore up, or drop, the unsubstantiated claim that Barack Obama ordered the phones tapped at Trump Tower during the election campaign.

Upping the pressure, a statement from both the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Republican Richard Burr, and the committee’s Democratic vice chair Mark Warner, said they had seen no information to support Trump’s allegation, made in a tweet on March 4.

“Based on the information available to us, we see no indications that Trump Tower was the subject of surveillance by any element of the United States government either before or after Election Day 2016,” they said.

The clear verdict from the committee leaders comes a day after two heads of the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee said they had received no information to back the Trump tweets.

Their rebuttal of Trump’s claim was further echoed by House Speaker Paul Ryan, the top Republican on Capitol Hill, who told CNN Thursday that “we have not seen any evidence that there was a wiretap” -- although he also argued the false claims would not damage Trump’s credibility.

“I think the president’s going to be marked and judged by his record,” he said.

Trump sparked a furor with the March 4 tweets that accused Obama of ordering a wiretap on the New York skyscraper where he and his family live and run his real estate empire.

“Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!” Trump wrote on Twitter.

“Is it legal for a sitting President to be ‘wire tapping’ a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW!” he wrote in a second tweet.

Obama swiftly issued a denial, and the White House was swamped with questions on the basis for Trump’s claim. While he had offered no evidence, the president can access information on law enforcement and intelligence investigations, and potentially classified information supporting the claim. AFP

ONSTAGE. Singer Sabrina Ellis of Sweet Spirit performs during the Spoon SXSW Residency 2017 SXSW Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

C4

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

World

Tillerson seeks new plan on North Korea S EOUL―Washington’s top diplomat visited the DemilitariZed Zone dividing the two Koreas to gaze on the North for himself Friday, a day after he declared 20 years of efforts to denuclearize it had failed.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in Asia for his first foray into crisis management, and was to hold talks with South Korea’s Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn later, after China challenged him to come up with a new way to confront the North Korean nuclear stand-off.

Under the glaring eyes of alert North Korean soldiers, Tillerson toured the Panmunjom joint security area, guarded by both North Korea and the US-led United Nations Command since the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953.

North Korean soldiers watched from their side of the demarcation line -- marked by cement blocks on the ground. At one point they were only a few feet from Tillerson, with one

taking either video or photos.

Tillerson did not comment to reporters.

Earlier, he landed at Osan air base in South Korea from Japan and transferred to a Blackhawk helicopter for his trip to the DMZ, where he met the commander of the 28,000 US troops stationed in the South to defend the country.

He vowed in Tokyo on Thursday to press Beijing to rein in its neighbor but, speaking after meeting Japanese officials, offered no new details of his plan to defuse the threat posed by Pyongyang’s recent ballistic missile tests.

He warned that past policies and punishments have had virtually no effect on Pyongyang’s ambitions and that a new course was needed.

“I think it’s important to recognize that the diplomatic and other efforts of the past 20 years to bring North Korea to a point of denuclearization have failed,” he said.

On Saturday Tillerson will head to China to press the North’s key diplomatic protector and trade partner to back tougher sanctions -- but Beijing has been infuriated by the deployment of a US missile defense system to the South.

North Korea has a long-standing ambition

to become a nuclear power and conducted its first underground atomic test in 2006, in the teeth of global opposition.

Four more test blasts have followed, two of them last year.

It has continued to defy the international community, even after two rounds of UN-backed sanctions, and last week test fired a salvo of missiles that fell in waters off Japan.

“In the face of the ever-escalating threat it is clear that a new approach is required,” Tillerson said.

And he reiterated Washington’s vow to back key regional allies Japan and South Korea in the event of attack.

“The US commitment to the defense of Japan and its other treaty allies through the full range of our military capabilities is unwavering,” he promised.

US President Donald Trump stirred concern in the region during his White House campaign by suggesting allies like Japan and South Korea need to do more to defend themselves.

But since his victory he has twice met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and has been careful to offer complete support, as Tillerson reiterated. AFP

DAY ONE. Actress Tara Reid attends day one of TAO, Beauty + Essex, Avenue + Luchini LA Grand Opening on March 16 in Los Angeles. AFP

‘Strategic patience’ with N. Korea over SEOUL―The United States’ “strategic patience” with nuclear-armed North Korea is over, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in Seoul on Friday after visiting the Demilitarized Zone.

The announcement signals a clean break from the stance of the previous administration under Barack Obama, when the United States ruled out engaging the North until it made a tangible commitment to denuclearization, hoping that internal stresses in the isolated country would bring about change.

“The policy of strategic patience has ended,” Tillerson said at a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-Se. “We are exploring a new range of diplomatic, security, economic measures. All options are on the table.”

Tillerson is in Asia for his first foray into crisis management, and his remarks came a day after he said in Tokyo that 20 years of efforts to denuclearize the North had “failed” and promising a new approach, without giving specifics.

North Korea has a longstanding ambition to become a nuclear power and conducted its first underground atomic test in 2006, in the teeth of global opposition.

Four more test blasts have followed, two of them last year.

Leaving the North with its present level of weapons technology was not an appropriate goal, Tillerson said in Seoul.

“That would leave North Korea with significant capabilities that would represent a true threat.”

The United Nations has imposed multiple sets of sanctions on the North over its nuclear and missile programs, but its main diplomatic protector and trade partner China is accused of not fully enforcing them.

Tillerson will be going on to Beijing on Saturday to press it to do more.

“I don’t believe we have ever fully achieved the maximum level of action that can be taken under the UN security council resolution with full participation of all countries.

“We know that other nations can take actions.” AFP

46 killed in mosque following air strikes

25TH ANNIVERSARY Actors Chrissy Metz and Mandy Moore attend The Alliance For Children’s Rights 25th Anniversary Celebration at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. AFP

Latinos fear cutting of vital dollar lifeline INTIPUCA, El Salvador―Families across Central America are living in fear that US President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration policies will stem the vital flow of money sent home by migrants each year.

The concern is that relatives who have emigrated without authorization will be deported, suddenly ending the billions of dollars in annual remittances sent to their impoverished countries.

There are millions of Central Americans living legally in the United States -- but also 1.7 million unauthorized migrants from the region, according to estimates by the Pew Research Center.

Most of them come from the poorest, gangridden three countries known as the Northern Triangle -- Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Intipuca, a town south of El Salvador’s capi-

tal, symbolizes the life-changing value of the US dollars sent back home.

The town features big, colored houses adorned with iron-forged moldings that stand empty. Their owners live in the United States, and return only for special occasions like Christmas, weddings and family events.

In the park in front of the town hall there is a statue dedicated to Sigifrido Chavez, who in 1967 became the first local to migrate to the United States.

Near the statue Jose Corpeno paces around as he speaks into a cellphone. He explains that he was talking with his daughter, who has been living in the US state of Maryland for a year and now “is living a nightmare.”

“We are so worried. Immigration agents went to a place close to where she lives,” Corpeno said.

The daughter paid a smuggler $10,000 to

lead her up north, and now she is living without authorization in the United States.

“She’s working. But she’s afraid that at any moment she could be found out and detained,” Corpeno said. The money the woman sends goes to a small plot of corn that her family depends on to survive.

“If she ends up being deported, then we’ll be in a bad way. We are poor, and the money she sends helps us,” Corpeno said.

The same anxiety is felt in Guatemala.

Victoria Flores, 70, said she relies on her 50-year-old son Estuardo, who works as a dental technician in Los Angeles and whose remittances pay the mortgage, electricity, water and telephone service where she lived.

“This is a difficult situation, with worries every day because this president (Trump) has said that he will deport all the illegals from the United States,” Flores told AFP. AFP

AL-JINEH, Syria―The US said it carried out an air strike in Syria against an Al-Qaeda meeting but denied deliberately targeting a mosque where a monitor said on Friday 46 people were killed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said most of the dead in the Thursday evening raid on Al-Jineh, in the northern province of Aleppo, were civilians.

The US-led coalition has been bombing jihadist groups in wartorn Syria since 2014, with hundreds of civilians unintentionally killed in the country and in neighboring Iraq.

“We did not target a mosque, but the building that we did target -- which was where the meeting took place -- is about 50 feet from a mosque that is still standing,” said Colonel John J. Thomas, spokesman for US Central Command.

According to a Centcom statement: “US forces conducted an air strike on an Al-Qaeda in Syria meeting location March 16 in Idlib, Syria, killing several terrorists.”

The Centcom spokesman later clarified that the precise location

of the strike was unclear -- but that it was the same one widely reported to have hit the village mosque in Al-Jineh, in Aleppo province.

“We are going to look into any allegations of civilian casualties in relation to this strike,” he added.

An AFP correspondent saw rescue workers in white helmets working under spotlights with picks and shovels late on Thursday to dig people out of the rubble.

Much of the mosque, identified by a black placard outside as a mosque, had been flattened.

The empty prayer hall was covered in debris, and rescue workers stepped through it carefully, deliberating how to break down a wall to search for more survivors.

Rescuers had earlier left the wreckage site but were forced to double back when they heard moaning coming from the rubble.

“More than 100 people were wounded,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said on Thursday, adding that many were still trapped under the collapsed mosque in the village of Al-Jineh, just over 30 kilometres (20 miles) west of Aleppo. AFP

P

OPPING the question to the love of your life is never easy. For that one extraordinary moment, everything should be perfect – especially the location. So how do you choose the best place to go to, knowing that this story is the one you will tell for the rest of your life?

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

D1

While various places are becoming immensely popular to have a lover’s proposal, New Zealand captures the mood better than others. Known for its stunning natural landscapes, New Zealand has plenty of spots offering breathtaking views that Filipino romantics can use as a backdrop for an unforgettable moment.

1. High hopes with Auckland Seaplanes Appreciate the beauty of Waitemata Harbour from above while aboard the amphibious plane. With the sea as your runway, these robust little machines taxi out through the wharves of Wynyard Quarter before soaring over the island jewels of the Hauraki Gulf.

Chris Sattler, CEO of Auckland Seaplanes, describes their most popular proposal package, “We fly the guests to magnificent Motuihe Island, then leave them on a deserted beach with a bottle of chilled bubbles. Returning some time later, we fly the happy couple on to Waiheke for lunch, to enjoy the rest of the day or stay overnight. We’ve never Revel in the beauty of Waitemata Harbour from above aboard Auckland Seaplanes with the person you’re proposing to. had anyone say no yet.”

Pop the question

in romantic New Zealand

2. Light up each other’s lives If your beloved is an active type, you might want to take them to the Cape Brett Walkway in the Far North before asking their hand in marriage. The hearty 16km hike to an isolated lighthouse takes eight hours. Taking a shortcut and chartering a water taxi part of the way is also an option, which can slash the trip to a twohour (5km) ramble.

With plenty of stunning sites to declare your love, you’ll want to speak in a clear voice on account of the raucous tweeting of native birds, the roar of the sea and the wind in the branches of the Manuka trees.

Cape Brett Walkway

Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Night Reserve

Olivers Lodge and Stables

Te Araroa Trail

3. Aim high for the stars Gazing up at the heavens can often make a couple feel like canoodling, or perhaps formalising their union. If aiming for the stars, you’d be hard pressed to find a rival for the South Island’s phenomenal starscape at the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Night Reserve. With a designated 4300sq km light pollution zone, the only thing to outshine the twinkle in your eyes will be the glittering constellations above.

4. Striking gold in romantic Clyde Once a bustling Central Otago gold mining town, Clyde sits beside the Clutha River and is popular with history buffs, cycling enthusiasts and hikers.

But the jewel in Clyde’s crown is surely the lovingly restored Olivers Lodge and Stables, an elegantly historic accommodation complex that deserves every one of its five stars. Olivers plays host to plenty of weddings, given its fabulous gardens, exquisite food, wine, deli, and brewery.

5. Put your best foot forward A long walk with your beloved is a magical way to nurture a relationship, making the Te Araroa Trail an outstanding place to propose. Starting at

the tip of the North Island and finishing in Bluff in the South, this journey takes 50-80 days per island to complete.

It can be the first step to take towards a life-long commitment.

With so many picturesque spots, it’s hard to pick just one bended-knee moment but we suggest stopping about halfway along on the Paekakariki Trail just outside Wellington. Choose between the

very top of the Devil’s Staircase with impressive views of the Kapiti Coast, or in the middle of one of the breathtaking swing bridges along the way.

Idyllic mountain resort CHARMING log cabins set against a majestic backdrop of mountain ranges and surrounded by lush flora—such are the stunning scenery that greet you at Woodlands Point, an exclusive community in the heart of Tagaytay Highlands.

Visualize the serene, relaxed life you’ve always dreamed of, with the peace and calm of the mountains just within your reach. Then claim it for your own.

Nestled in one of the topmost elevations in Highlands, Woodlands Point is constantly enveloped in Tagaytay’s cool and misty weather and offers panoramic vistas of the Canlubang countryside, Laguna de Bay, and the verdant mountains on the horizon.

On your journey to find a quintessential escape beyond the bustling city life, you will find luxury log cabins of Western red cedar imported from Canada and elegant detailing of glass and stone sprawled on 12 hectares of land. Perfecting your luxe mountain resort living in Woodlands Point is the low-density neighborhood of only five cabins per hectare, allowing residents to enjoy their space and lush surround-

ing – landscaped with thousands of Norfolk pines for an authentic mountaintop ambience.

Inspired by log cabins of old in North America, each stylish home at Woodlands Point is designed with large picture windows, which make it blend beautifully with the natural bounties of the Highlands countryside.

Every log cabin takes you to another level of luxury through beautifully designed spaces — with high ceilings in living and dining areas, spacious bedrooms with walk-in closets, en-suite toilets and baths, and a semi-furnished kitchen equipped with a complete cabinet system, refrigerator, oven, cooking range, and range hood.

Cherish a home that’s built to last with a state-of-the-art reticulation system for mess-free termite control log protection.

Other unit features include emergency power systems, water heaters and engineered wood floorings. The Western red cedar log is decay and insect resistant, as well as fragrant — all pointing towards a distinct living experience.

Aside from savoring the comfort, luxury, and tranquility of the community, homeowners can enjoy the

The exclusive community is enveloped in Tagaytay’s cool weather

Woodlands Point boasts of its lush community with only five log cabins per hectare, allowing residents to maximize space and views.

various recreational opportunities of- a Woodlands Point home, giving resifered at the exclusive Tagaytay High- dents access to world-class leisure falands Country Club. Membership to cilities to take pleasure in. the Country Club comes with owning Let the rustic charm of the log cab-

The log cabins are made of Western red cedar imported from Canada

ins enchant you as you come home to your own perfect hideaway. Settle seamlessly and be enthralled by the luxuries of countryside living.

Each stylish home features beautifully designed spaces

Life

D2

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

Remaking an icon N

ICCOLÒ POLO, together with his brother, Maffeo, were Italian merchants who travelled from Europe to the Mongol Empire in Asia, MERCURY RISING selling their wares, while

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO bringing the ancient and modern worlds together.

Upon reaching China, they were very pleased with the interesting culture they came face to face with.

However, the brothers had to return to Europe to deliver a message to the Pope.

After some time, they both decided to go back to China. Niccolo brought his son, Marco, with him chronicling their journey in his popular journal, The Travels of Marco Polo.

Marco Polo Hotels is a hotel management company based in Hong Kong and banners a total of 13 hotels in that city, in China and in the Philippines, since it opened in 1986. Next year, another Marco Polo Hotel will open in China, bringing the total to 14.

Niccolo Hotels is the luxury brand of Marco Polo Hotels and prides itself with its first hotel in Chengdu, China, which opened two years ago. By next year, four new Niccolo hotels would have been added to the list. This collection of contemporary urban chic hotels in desirable, highly priced addresses promises fastidious travelers a luxury experience, style and taste coupled with impeccable hospitality from the golden era of travel.

The new Niccolo Hotels brand was designed to cater to the growing sophistication of the luxury hotel sector in China, and Chengdu was chosen as the location for its first property as the city

posted the most successful economy in mainland China.

Dr. Jennifer Cronin, president of Niccolo Hotels, at a recent get-together with friends of the brand, announced the tremendous success of Niccolo Hotel Chengdu, and their new, much anticipated landmark project in Hong Kong.

year. It will have a stunning rooftop bar with a breathtaking view of the city, a series of specialty restaurants, and a variety of meeting and events spaces.

This new flagship property of the brand will be the first new luxury hotel to open in Hong Kong for several years. I’m sure that anybody who frequents Hong Kong is familiar with that tall while landmark structure in the city’s business district, with its distinctive arches and unique recessed windows. It was built in 1969 and has since won many awards for its groundbreaking and energy efficient design.

Tasked to undertake the multi-million-dollar project of converting the iconic building into luxury accommodations, are world-renowned architects Foster and Partners, whose works include the city’s Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank headquarters, and the Hong Kong International Airport.

The new luxury hotel’s managing director, British-born hotelier Duncan

YOUR SATURDAY CHUCKLE On their 25th wedding anniversary banquet, Joseph was asked, “Tell us Joseph, just what is it you have learned from all those wonderful years with your wife?” Joseph responds, “Well, I’ve learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, meekness, forbearance, self-restraint, forgiveness -- and a great many other qualities you wouldn’t have needed if you’d stayed single.”

The iconic and historic Murray Building in the city’s central business district, right by Hong Kong Park, will now be The Murray, a Niccolo Hotel, with 336 luxuriously designed rooms on 27 floors, set to open in October this

Palmer, has promised to bring his many years of experience with The Savoy, The Connaught, Mandarin Oriental and Langham Hotels, and many others, to create a truly world-class hotel for Hong Kong through The Murray.

The Murray, a Niccolo Hotel, in Hong Kong’s central business district

Having seen the Management’s plans for the hotel and its facilities, I am sure that travelers from Manila and other parts of the country who go for the finer things in life, will now be pleased to have another choice of accommodations that will match, if not surpass, the usual favorites---the Hong Kong Peninsula in Kowloon, and the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong side.

If Marco Polo were alive today, I’m sure he would be pleased to see how his namesake’s hotel management company is paying fitting tribute to his father’s legacy, through this luxury brand that will soon be a standard against which all other luxury brands will be measured.

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Must-haves for your next adventure trip THE sun is out, the temperature is getting hotter and the days are getting longer. Yes summer season has officially started, and the longest break of the year is just a few weeks away.

For the seasoned traveler, you know that the lack of proper preparation can ruin an entire trip.

Besides a carefully planned itinerary, having the right, and more importantly, durable gear with you is crucial especially if you’re going on a more outdoor or extreme adventure this time around

WEATHER PROOF BAGS

“It’s the only bag you’ll ever need in your lifetime,” was how URGe Founder Jay Tengco, described the bags from Mission Workshop. Not only because of its quality materials and durable build but it is also one, if not the only brand that has a Lifetime Guarantee. Mission Workshop originated in the US and was initially made for the urban bikers. They have backpacks which are designed to evenly distribute weight so as not to disrupt the balance of the biker, comes in several sizes (Sanction, Fitzroy, Vandal)and fabrics (Cordura, wax leather and VX Cordura) which makes it weatherproof and waterproof. For mountaineers and serious cyclists, do check out their Arkiv Modular Backpacks which allows you to add and remove compartments depending on the gear you intend to bring. So the next time you hear someone saying #WalangForever, tell them there is—if you’ve got a Mission Workshop bag.

URGe is also the exclusively distributor of a couple of other bag brands, namely Ethnotek and Drifter. Ethnotek is a brand that brings together quality, style and cultural diversity in its laptop and travel bags and are made of handmade textiles from artisan villages in Ghana, Guatamela, India,

So we went around the metro and found a shop that exclusively sells bags which would last you a lifetime, audio devices to get the party started, and cases that turns your smartphone into an underwater camera. The shop is called URGe ,which stands for Urban Rugged Gear. It carries several international brands known for their quality and designed for the urban adventurer.

PORTABLE SPEAKERS

Urban Rugged Gear founder Jay Tengco

For the true audiophiles, there is only one name when it comes to audio equipment—Bang and Olufsen. Their newest brand B&O Play delivers portable products that are intuitive to use, easy to integrate into your daily life, and deliver excellent high-quality experiences. Perfect for those camping or glamping trips is the B&O Play A1, an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker that you can bring anywhere since it is dust and splash resistant. It is small enough to sit in the palm of your hand, weighs only 600g, and features ambient True 360 sound so you don’t have to huddle round it to enjoy your music. URGe is also the exclusive distributor of B&O so you can also experience other speakers such as the BEOLit and A2 at the URGe Shop. For those who want a personal listening experience,

Bring B&O Play A1 to enjoy music when you travel

there’s the B&O Play H2, H3, H5 and H8 depending on your preference.

Indonesia and Vietnam. So when you purchase one of their bags, know that you will also help sustain the employment of these artisans.

Lastly there is Drifter, another US brand which initially started in the business of making parachutes.

Using their expertise in the parachute making business, each Drifter bag is made of the same fabric they use for parachutes making it very lightweight.

B&O Play delivers portable products that are intuitive to use

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

URGe carries Lifestime Guarantee, Ethnotek and Drifter bags

Underwater shots are amazing PERIOD. But buying an underwater camera can be a bit expensive. But if you already own an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy phone however, all you need is a Watershot case and you can take your smartphone beyond the shoreline and deep underwater. Watershot is built to withstand rocks, reefs, salt, sand and extreme pressure and it also features a full suspension system that “floats” your iPhone inside the housing for maximum protection.

“Backed by the latest technology and worldclass standards, URGe brings you innovative products that are designed to take your active lifestyle to greater heights,” says Tengco. URGe brings in-

novation, style and convenience in one destination to cater to the needs of people who live an active and diverse urban lifestyle.

“So whether you have a demanding job that takes you out of the comforts of your office, a road warrior who is always out working on the field, or a weekend wanderer in search of a new adventure URGe has the perfect products that best suits and protects your precious gadgets.”

Want to get up close and personal with their products? Visit the URGe showrooms at the 2nd Floor, Greenbelt 1, Ayala Center, Makati City and 2nd Floor, Theater Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center or check out their website at www.urge.ph .

SMART PROTECTION

If you’ve ever had an iPhone and value it as much as its price tag, then you’ve probably owned an Otterbox Case. One of the first, and probably the most imitated, Otterbox cases protect your phone from shocks and accidental drops while some models also make it waterproof. Whether you choose the stylish Achiever and Symmetry series or the tough Commuter and Defender series, you can be sure that your precious phone is protected at all times—that is if you get the authentic ones available at URGe.

Take underwater shots with your smartphone covered in Watershot case Cases from Otterbox

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

FARMER IS ‘TAWAG NG TANGHALAN’

PARK BO GUM thanks Filipino fans

grand champion

N

OVEN Belleza, a rice farmer from Negros Occidental, was crowned the first-ever “Tawag ng Tanghalan” grand champion inn It’s Showtime after beating out five grand finalists in the competition’s highly anticipated final showdown on March 11 at Resorts World Manila.

“I can’t believe it. ‘Tawag ng Tanghalan’ really changed my life. Thank you so much to my Showtime family, my family, the Lord. I can’t believe that I won out of all the thousands who auditioned. God is really good,” said Noven in an interview with the media after the announcement of his victory.

Noven performed “May Bukas Pa” to get through the finals’ first round and enter the final three. He then brought the house down in the second round with a medley of Air Supply songs “The One That You Love,” “Now and Forever,” and “Without You” that received a standing ovation from all the hurados.

The 22-year-old “Bukid Boy Wonder of Negros Occidental” received the highest average score of 99.96 percent from the combined judges’ scores and madlang people’s votes, beating final three contenders Sam

Mangubat (49.09 percent) and Froilan Canlas (45.78 percent).

As the first-ever grand champion of “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” Noven won P2 million, house and lot from Camella, a recording contract with Star Music, a musical instruments package from JB Music, a negosyo package, and a family vacation package.

Second and third placers Sam and Froilan, meanwhile, received P500,000 and P250,000, respectively. Top 6 finalists Pauline Agupitan, Carlmalone Montecido, and Marielle Montellano also received P100,000 each.

Aside from the grand finalists’ final showdown, the program also brought together the competition’s hurados Rey Valera, Ogie Alcasid, Karla Estrada, K Brosas, Mitoy, Erik Santos, Rico J. Puno, Billy Crawford, Karylle, Louie Ocampo, Nyoy Volante, Jaya, and Yeng Constantino in a performance with previous “Tawag ng Tanghalan” winners Boy Leonardo, Arnaldo Agarin, and Esterlita Liñan.

The conclusion of the competition’s morethan-a-year-long search pulled in viewers nationwide and prompted netizens to post their comments about the grand finals online. The hashtag #TnTAngHulingTapatan also became the top trending topic on Twitter worldwide.

Tawag ng Tanghalan, the legendary singing contest that was launched in 1950s, returned to It’s Showtime in January 2016. For more than a year, it scoured the country for the best singers to represent Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Metro Manila.

South Korean TV and film actor Park Bo Gum

PRIDE OF NEGROS. Young singer Noven Belleza

beats out other Tawag Ng Tanghalan grand finalists to win the top prize in the much anticipated finale of the singing talent search.

Disney’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ movie passes with Globe At Home

The "Beauty and the Beast" themed Globe booth at SM Megamall

BEAUTY and the Beast is one of the most anticipated movies of 2017, and it’s no surprise why. Many people grew up watching the Disney animated feature and seeing it transform into a live-action adaptation is a childhood dream come true.

Globe At Home is turning that dream into a reality as new subscribers get two free movie tickets to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. New subscribers of Globe At Home Plan 1299 and up are eligible to receive two movie tickets. They will receive an email from Globe containing movie tickets via GMovies claim codes

after completion of the application.

“We are committed to giving Globe At Home subscribers experiences that don’t just end at home,” says Barbie Dapul, VP Globe At Home Marketing. “Aside from watching the movie for free, we invite our subscribers to witness this childhood favorite come to life and visit our Globe At Home booth at SM Megamall until March 19.”

Promo period is until March 31.

For more information on the list of participating Globe stores, visit www. globe.com.ph/beauty-and-the-beast/ broadband, or call 730-1010.

GMA Kapuso Foundation wins Silver Anvil Award GMA Network’s socio-civic arm, GMA Kapuso Foundation Report Designer Celso Divino.

(GMAKF), bagged a Silver Anvil Award in the Public The Anvil Awards, organized by the Public Relations Relations Tools category of the 52nd Anvil Awards held on Society of the Philippines, honors the most outstanding public March 10 in Makati City. relations programs, tools, and practitioners in the country.

GMAKF’s 2015 annual report entitled, Empowering the Youth: The GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc. 2015 Annual Report, was recognized for “providing a comprehensive account of the Foundation’s milestones and life changing initiatives dedicated to the holistic welfare of Filipinos.”

The report highlighted how GMAKF remained committed to helping Filipinos get back on their feet, amidst numerous disasters that the country experienced in recent years, by ensuring a better future for the youth. In 2015, the Foundation successfully turned over 403 housing units to the victims of Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban while the Kapuso Village in Palo, Leyte was likewise inaugurated.

The Silver Anvil was received by GMAKF Founder and Ambassador Mel C. Tiangco together with GMAKF EVP Senior news anchor Mel Tiangco (center) receives the Silver Anvil and COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog and GMAKF Annual award for GMAKF

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, March 18, 2017

ACROSS 1 Medieval entertainer 5 Kebab holder 9 Adventure 13 Charles Lamb 14 Green Hornet’s aide 15 Without help 17 Skater’s jump 18 Pakistan’s language 19 Red Cloud, e.g.

20 Warrior women 22 Ribbon ornament 24 Resembling 25 Uses mouthwash 26 Inns 29 Portends 31 Hem and haw 32 “Vogue” rival 33 Polka — 36 Family mem.

37 Swords 40 Earlier 41 Circle part 42 Wins at rummy 43 Monastery 45 Racecourse 47 Advantages 48 Small accident 51 Cameron — of films 52 Clings

54 Area past the goal line (2 wds.)

58 — and desist 59 Canned fish 61 Follow the rules 62 Calcutta attire 63 Shed, as light 64 Links warning 65 For fear that 66 Tot’s cry 67 Govt. agents DOWN 1 Gymnastics coach — Karolyi 2 Styptic 3 Coolidge or Hayworth 4 Awed 5 Striped animals 6 Diagram a sentence 7 — take forever 8 Barnstorm 9 Dog star 10 UFO pilots 11 Cheers on 12 Coach — Rockne 16 Ballot marks 21 OPEC vessel 23 Mandate 26 Consort of Zeus 27 Above 28 Bath powder

29 Flash on and off 30 Corrida shouts 32 Tale of adventure 33 Tiny amounts 34 Ess molding 35 Fiddles with 38 Wide open 39 Buffet item 44 Get lost! (2 wds.)

45 Grad student’s bane 46 Most unusual 47 Fiesta decor

48 Rainwear, briefly 49 Perfect 50 Portion 51 Sturdy material 53 Curb 55 Wind instrument 56 Brain, maybe 57 Potato buds 60 Emma in “The Avengers”

KOREAN superstar Park Bo Gum thanked his Filipino fans for their support in the pilot telecast of his Love in the Moonlight on March 6 on ABS-CBN. Bo Gum tweeted to Park Bo Gum Philippines Twitter account and said, “Many thanks to you all! I’m so grateful!”

This is in reply to the fan group’s tweet to him that said, “Yay! We didn’t just trend on Twitter, we rated #1 in media ratings too! Filipinos love @BOGUMMY, alright! #ParkBoGum #KimYooJung #LITMEunuch.”

Love in the Moonlight, indeed, won the ratings game and scored 11 percent nationwide compared to rival’s 7.4 percent. The pilot episode also conquered Twitter trends with the official hashtag #LITM, Love in the Moonlight, and Bo Gum landing on the top 10 trending topics in the country.

It features the love story of Crown Prince Lee Yeong (Park Bo Gum), a rebel prince who aspires for change in his community, and Sam Nom (Kim Yoo Jung), an ordinary girl that will do everything even as far as pretending to be a man named Ra-On just to find her mother. Lee Yeong’s journey will teach viewers to stand up for their beliefs and uphold the welfare of the common good, while Sam Nom shows the importance of knowing who you really are.

Aside from netizens swooning over Bo Gum, who was recently named as most influential Korean star and topped the Forbes Korea’s list of 2017 Top 40 Power Celebrity, fans also tweeted and commended ABS-CBN for the excellent job at dubbing the Asianovela to Filipino.

“I really like ABS-CBN’s dubbing when it comes to Asianovelas. It’s like listening to the characters real voices but in Filipino,” said Twitter user @navarro_ roselie.

“I like it when ABS-CBN gets the nice Korean dramas. Good job, good dubbing unlikes others,” said Twitter user @aigoo_oppa.

I Love OPM grand winner Yohan Hwang sings the theme song of the series, which is the Korean version of Yeng Constantino’s hit song “Ikaw.”

Love in the Moonlight airs weeknights after A Love to Last only on the first and true home of Asianovelas, ABS-CBN.

IPHOTO

Kuya Kim flies with Skyjet

Kuya Kim Atienza of Matanglawin on board Skyjet Airline together with Skyjet Airline President Dino Reyes Chua and Captain Edgardo Tamayo, executive pilot of the airline during the TV host’s recent trip to Batanes.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

"Ika-6 Na Utos" lead cast Sunshine Dizon, Gabby Concepcion, and Ryza Cenon

Audiences crazy over

‘IKA-6 NA UTOS’ ISAH V. RED

G

MA Network’s Ika-6 Na Utos is unquestionably the country’s top daytime drama show as it continues to deliver strong ratings performance in the Afternoon Prime block.

A scene from the top-rating AlDub series "Destined to be Yours"

Viewers are hooked to the brilliant performances of Sunshine Dizon, Ryza Cenon, and Gabby Concepcion as they excellently play their roles in the series about Emma, the rightful wife who fights to keep her husband from leaving her for his mistress.

Apart from the positive feedback and reviews, Sunshine, Ryza and Gabby are extremely overjoyed because of the program’s consistent high TV ratings.

“We owe it to the public. We would like to thank them. Masaya kaming lahat dito sa set. Kung ano ang ginawa namin sa first day, ganun pa rin ang ginagawa namin. Kaya thank you sa lahat ng mga sumusuporta at patuloy na tumatangkilik. It shows kasi how connected they are sa programa, di

ba? Actually, I’ve been hearing stories din na kahit sa bus pinapanood nila ang show natin. At kahit sa ibang bansa, may mga friends ako na mine-message pa ako. It’s actually very nice na all over the world pinapanood ang Ika-6 Na Utos.

So maraming, maraming salamat,” said Sunshine.

Ryza, who plays Georgia, is very happy that the show continues to remain on top of its game.

“Nakakatuwa at nakakataba ng puso na ganun ang suporta nila sa amin.

Masaya talaga kami dahil hooked na hooked sila sa bawat episode.

Nagpapasalamat din ako sa lahat ng nakaka-appreciate sa ginagawa ko, at sa hard work naming lahat. Nakaka-inspire ang suporta nila sa amin.”

Gabby, on the other hand, is very grateful for the loyal viewers and

netizens’ overwhelming support for Ika-6 Na Utos since it premiered in December last year.

“Hindi namin iniisip na aabot na ganung kataas ang ratings. So again uulitin ko na we have nothing to complain about and everything to be thankful for.”

Expect more revelations and twists as the drama continues in Ika-6 Na Utos, directed by Laurice Guillen, weekdays after Eat Bulaga on GMA Afternoon Prime. *** “Non-stop kilig” is how fans describe the primetime series Destined To Be Yours with Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza.

Viewers can’t help but notice the natural chemistry between Alden and Maine both on and off-cam. One Twitter user with the handle @CindieChoi

exclaimed “Omg! Wala talaga akong masabi! Ganda ng Destined to be yours!! Kilig, iyak at tawa na namn..#DTBYBuking” Netizens even pointed out that some scenes seem too real to be mere acting. @lookforjen tweeted, “Yung kilig at ngiti ni @ aldenrichards02 sa Destined To Be Yours parang di acting e.”

In the story, Benjie (Alden) continues to court Sinag (Maine), while Sinag keeps receiving signs she asked from destiny for when it’s time for her to fall in love again. The two became even closer after finding out that they were the kids who became friends years ago.

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Pelangi project is set to happen soon.

Will Sinag discover that Benjie, a Rosales himself, has been fooling her all the while and is actually one of the architects for the development? Is all hope lost for

their budding relationship?

Destined To Be Yours airs weeknights after Encantadia on GMA Telebabad.

Due to the c success of GMA Telebabad’s Meant To Be, on-screen partners Barbie Forteza and Ivan Dorschner scored an endorsement deal with Xcess Salon, owned by the son of late Master Showman German “Kuya Germs” Moreno.

Federico Moreno, president and CEO of Xcess Salon, expressed his trust in the love team on March 14 as he officially introduced the two Kapuso stars as its newest ambassadors.

The Xcesss Salon founder took pride in having two of the hottest primetime stars represent the brand.

“We are proud and excited to have our new brand endorsers Barbie Forteza and Ivan Dorschner. They are truly an asset to any brand they will be attached with and I’m looking forward to working with them,” Moreno said.

Meanwhile, as the boys in Billie’s (Barbie Forteza) life start to get straightforward with their feelings, fans of Meant To Be will have to look forward to how Ethan (Ivan Dorschner), Yuan (Ken Chan), Andoy (Jak Roberto) and Jai (Addy Raj) would compete for her affection. *** Before their highly anticipated teleserye reunion, Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson team up in MMK to play lovers separated by fate, only to be reunited in each other’s arms in the wrong time.

Bernard (Gerald) already knew that it was love the moment he laid his eyes on Cze (Kim). When they were young, Bernard secretly sent handmade love letters to Cze to express his admiration for her.

The two eventually get acquainted with each other until Cze finds out that Bernard is her secret admirer. Bernard continues to pursue her, nonetheless, until they finally become a couple.

Their relationship goes smoothly, until Bernard’s father petitions him to go live with him in the U.S. At first, they try to continue their relationship, but their communication gets lost along the way. And in the long run, Cze gives up hopes of saving their relationship.

Time passes by, and Cze meets Rico (Edgar Allan De Guzman) and gets pregnant with his child. Their parents then decide to get them married, but weeks before their wedding, Bernard returns to Cze’s life.

Will Cze still marry Rico? Is there still a chance for Cze and Bernard to be together again?

Joining them in the episode are Eva Darren, Jong Cuenco, Gigi Locsin, Daisy Reyes, Myel de Leon, Avery Balasbas, and Yogo Singh.

"Meant to Be" main stars Barbie Forteza and Ivan Dorschner

‘Ang Babaeng Humayo’ on Sky Pay-Per-View ANG Babaeng Humayo, Charo Santos-Concio’s triumphant comeback film, which became last year’s international critical hit, debuts on Philippine TV via SKY Cable’s Critics’ Choice Pay-Per-View.

The groundbreaking masterpiece from Lav Diaz runs until March 31 with a seven-day commercial-free continuous viewing.

In the film, Charo plays Horacia, a woman who spent 30 years behind bars for wrongful imprisonment.

After her release, Horacia tracks down the former lover responsible of framing her for murder to exact revenge.

It continues to reap international recognition, including three nominations at the coming 11th Asian Film Awards – Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Actress. The Asian Film Awards will be held in Hong Kong on March 21.

Last year, Ang Babaeng Humayo was the first Filipino film to win the Golden Lion, the top prize at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, the oldest film fest in the world.

John Lloyd Cruz and Charo Santos starrer "Ang Babaeng Humayo" is now cable TV

The film produced by Cinema One Originals and Sine Olivia Pilipinas and its lead star SKY’s pay-per-view offer also includes the acclaimed film, Honor Thy Father starring Charo’s co-star in Ang Babaeng Humayo, John Lloyd Cruz.

The pay-per-view is available to SKY subscribers with SKYcable, Destiny Cable, and SKYdirect plans for only P199.

Alternatively, SKY subscribers may also choose to stream the movies online via its video-on-demand site and app, SKY On Demand using a SKYbroadband or SKYmobi internet connection.

SKYcable, and Destiny subscribers can register by texting HUMAYO to 23662 or activating online via mysky. com.ph/humayo. SKYdirect postpaid subscribers may text SKY to 23668, while SKYdirect prepaid subscribers may convert their ABS-CBNmobile load to avail of this payper-view offer by texting PPV HUMAYO <box ID> to 23667.

Meanwhile, SKYbroadband subscribers can visit mysky. com.ph/skyodsubscribe to activate the pay-per-view.