Manila Standard - 2017 April 19 - Wednesday

DU30 BANKS ON INFRA TO SPUR GROWTH

By Darwin G. Amojelar

VOL. XXXI • NO. 64 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

THE Duterte administration has lined up an ambitious infrastructure program that will spend P8.4 trillion over the next six years, and include a subway system for Metro Manila that will be completed by 2024.

“Our program of infrastructure build up will entail trillions in economic investments,” Ernesto Pernia, secretary-general of the National Economic and Development Authority [Neda] said in a forum

Tuesday.

Pernia described the P8.4-trillion infrastructure program the country’s most ambitious in history.

For this year, the Duterte administration’s infrastructure spending will amount to P847 billion or 5.3 percent to gross domestic product.

This is higher than the 2.6-percent average infrastructure spending for the last six administrations, Pernia said.

For 2018, infrastructure spending will Next page rise to P1.13 trillion.

Peso rides on Rody’s high rating LAWMAKERS on Tuesday lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for landing in the top spot of TIME Magazine’s online reader poll of who should be in its list of 100 most influential people for 2017.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said Duterte fully deserves to be on the list because of his style of leadership, governance and unorthodox methods in solving the country’s problems.

Despite the President’s use of profanity, Barbers said he is still well-loved by most Filipinos because he is truthful and sincere in his words and deeds.

“Filipinos love guys who are very realistic and down-to-earth, and of course with a sense of humor that the masses can easily identify with,” he added.

Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano said Duterte probably wouldn’t care about the poll.

“Does the President give a damn about it? That should be Next page

BACK TO NORMAL. Following the end of the Holy Week vacation nationwide, vehicular traffic situation in Metro Manila, as this one Tuesday along Edsa in Kamuning, Quezon City reflects the literally outrageous bumper-to-bumper scenario in most parts of the rising megapolis where 15 million of the 105-million people hack out a living. Manny Palmero

Ecija bus crash kills 27 Ex-cop indicted for Korean’s kidnap-murder

By Rey E. Requejo THREE more suspects have been indicted for the kidnap-slaying of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo in October last year, according to the Department of Justice.

As a result, the department filed before the Angeles City RTC Branch 58 criminal charg-

es against Police Supt. Rafael Dumlao III, former official of the Philippine National Police AntiIllegal Drugs Group; Jerry Omlang, a striker or errand boy at the National Bureau of Investigation who surrendered and confessed to his participation in the crime; and Gerardo Santiago, the retired police officer who owns the Gream funeral parlor where Jee’s

body was cremated.

Dumlao and Omlang were both named principal accused in the kidnapping for ransom with homicide, while Santiago as an accessory.

Omlang and Santiago both surrendered to the NBI earlier and tagged Dumlao as the mastermind in the kidnapping of Jee. The prosecutors concluded

after hearings that Dumlao had a direct knowledge of Jee’s kidnapping and conspired with Sta. Isabel, Villegas and Omlang.

“As one of the planners of the kidnapping, Dumlao was, at the very least, a principal by inducement who was a conspirator with Sta. Isabel and the others,” the DoJ panel says in a resolution.

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Blasts hit gas station, 7 injured SEVEN people were injured when two bomb explosions rocked a gasoline station in a southern Philippine city near rebel enclaves, police said Tuesday.

An improvised explosive was thrown on Monday night on the roof of the gasoline station in Tacurong city on Mindanao, which has been plagued by a decades-old Muslim insurgency.

Two soldiers, three policemen and two civilians were wounded when a second blast went off minutes later as security forces were about to cordon off the area, said regional police spokesman Superintendent Romeo Galgo.

He made his statement even as the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday advised its citizens to cancel or postpone their travel to Bohol following the attack by the Abu Sayaff that killed three soldiers, a policeman and at least six other armed men.

In a “temporary, special travel advisory,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Cho Junehyuck said the restrictions had Next page

HEAT SHIELD. Scores of umbrellas adorn Craig corner Dimasalang Street in Sampaloc, Manila Tuesday to

parry off the scorching heat of the summer sun, which goes past 30 degrees Celsius daily. Weathermen have warned Filipinos against heat stroke and other heat-related diseases as the humid weather prevails nationwide this month of April. Norman Cruz

San Miguel taps ex-druggies for MRT job

By Rio N. Araja SAN Miguel Corp. on Tuesday tapped former drug dependents from Quezon City to help build work the Metro Rail Transit line 7 project in the next three years.

San Miguel president Ramon Ang approved the employment of

rehabilitated drug users from the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council led by Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte.

At least 100 former drug users have completed the city government’s community-based rehabilitation program.

Meanwhile, Manila Cardinal

Luis Antonio Tagle expressed apprehension over the spate of killings in the country as he called on the faithful to resist the “culture of death” which, he said, continued to claim many innocent lives.

He said killing was increasingly being passively accepted by Next page

Forty-five seater dives into Dalton Pass ravine

B

AYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—At least 27 people were reported to have died when a 45-seater bus plunged 80 feet into a ravine at the Dalton Pass section of the Maharlika Highway.

Senior Insp. Robert de Guzman, OIC of Carranglan police, said the accident took place in Barangay Capintalan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija before noon Tuesday.

Initial reports from responders indicated that some 26 passengers may have died at the crash site.

One survivor was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival, bringing the number of fatalities to at least 27.

Carranglan police who first entered the site said the bus was a total wreck.

Bystanders said the speeding Leomaric bus, which took off from Tuguegarao City bound for Ilocos Sur and Abra, may have

been overloaded.

The bus plunged about 24 meters into a ravine before noon after its brakes failed while traveling on a winding road, police and local officials said.

“The vehicle is totally wrecked,” said De Guzman, police chief of the town of Carranglan where the accident occurred. The impact appeared to have ripped the top off the vehicle, he added.

“Almost all of the passengers, both dead and injured, were found outside the bus.”

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the accident but Carranglan Mayor Mary Next page

Tribunal clears Gloria of plunder charges

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court on Tuesday sustained its earlier decision dismissing the plunder case filed against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in connection with the misuse of P366 million from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office fund.

During its en banc session in Baguio City, the Court resolved to deny the motion for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Ombudsman for lack of merit.

Court spokesman Theodore Te

said 11 magistrates voted to junk the appeal of the anti-graft body, while four other justices voted to grant the motion for reconsideration seeking a reversal of its earlier ruling.

In its July 2016 decision, the Supreme Court granted Arroyo’s petition for demurrer of evidence, which sought the dismissal of her case for lack of sufficient evidence.

The decision written by Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin effectively acquitted the former President of plunder. Next page

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Firetrucks overpriced, DILG told

By Rey E. Requejo

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PETITIONER who earlier asked the Supreme Court to nullify the government’s P2.8-billion contract to buy 76 firetrucks from an Austrian firm has urged the Interior Department to block what he described as a “brazen attempt” of some officials to approve the deal that was overpriced.

That deal had prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to fire former Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno.

In a letter to DILG officerin-charge Catalino Cuy, Leo Romero, who is the counsel in a petition filed last year with the high court questioning the supply contract with Rosenbauer

International AG, said officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Austrian company were trying to “countermand the legal position of the DILG and the official directive of the President” on the supply contract.

“Your office, which has administrative supervision and control over BFP, must act with

Tribunal...

Ecija...

The Court also granted the same relief to her co-accused, former PCSO assistant general manager Benigno Aguas, and ordered his release from the Philippine National Police Custodial Center.

“The Court noted that its decision had granted petitioners’ respective demurrers to the evidence which resulted in their acquittal and thus any attempt to reconsider the decision would amount to double jeopardy,” Te said.

In the case of Aguas, 10 magistrates voted against the granting of Ombudsman’s motion, while five voted to grant the appeal.

Before granting Arroyo’s petition, the Court initially stopped the Sandiganbayan from further conducting proceedings in connection with Arroyo’s plunder case pending resolution of her petition before the Supreme Court.

It also directed the antigraft court to forward to the Supreme Court all the records pertaining to the case, which involves the alleged misuse of P366 million from the PCSO fund from 2008 to 2010.

Arroyo was arrested in 2012 in connection with the plunder case.

In seeking demurrer to evidence, Arroyo noted that the prosecution failed to offer a single piece of evidence to prove that she amassed even a single peso of the alleged illgotten wealth amounting to P366 million or any part of that amount.

She insisted that the filing of the plunder case against her was part of the political persecution by the Aquino administration.

Abad told ABS-CBN television there were 60 passengers onboard although the bus had a capacity of only 45.

Abad said the wounded, some of whom sustained critical injuries, were rushed to nearby hospitals.

“The road is really risky. There are many ravines along that road going to Abra,” Abad said, referring to the northern province

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Ex-cop...

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“Dumlao’s denials have no evidentiary weight and do not deserve our scant consideration.”

The DoJ has already indicted Senior Police Officer 2 Ricky Sta. Isabel, Senior Police Officer 4 Roy Villegas and Ramon Yalung in the case. They were charged with kidnapping for ransom with homicide case before the RTC, which included unidentified people with the aliases “Dumlao,” “Ding” and “Pulis.”

After the reinvestigation ordered by the court, the prosecutors affirmed their findings on Sta. Isabel but cleared Yalung.

In its latest resolution, the DoJ also found probable cause to file a separate case for kidnapping and serious illegal detention against Sta. Isabel, Dumlao, Omlang and Villegas for the abduction of Marisa Dawis Morquicho, the housemaid of the Jees in their Angeles city residence.

It also filed another case of carjacking against the three for taking away Jee’s vehicle .

However, the panel cleared three NBI officials implicated by Dumlao in the crime: former NBI deputy director for investigation services Jose Yap, former National Capital Region director Ricardo Diaz and former Task Force against Illegal Drugs head Roel Bolivar.

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immediate dispatch to prevent any and all acts intended to cause grave and irreparable loss, damage and injury to the paramount interest of the Republic of the Philippines and its people,” Romero told Cuy in his letter a copy of which was furnished the President.

The lawyer attached a copy of Bureau Order COM-2017-018 issued by BFP Director Bobby Baruelo on March 17, which created an Inspection and Acceptance Committee for the 76 units of Rosenbauer TLF 4000 firetrucks.

Romero expressed frustration that despite the position taken by no less than the President on the issue, some officials were still trying to pull a fast one to favor the questionable contract.

“Once the fire trucks are accepted, that will trigger the pay-

ment process for Rosenbauer,” he said.

“There is really a syndicate here that stands to gain once this anomalous contract pushes through. The President has taken action based on a whiff of corruption, but this one involves multiple whiffs of corruption.

The President already knows their scheme, yet they are still trying to get away with graft and corruption.”

Romero said the BFP order was in response to a March 22 letter of Rosenbauer informing the arrival of 14 brand-new fire trucks at the Port of Batangas on April 18 for inspection and acceptance.

“Even prior to the receipt of the aforementioned March 22 letter, BFP Director Baruelo was quicker to the draw when he unlawfully and illegally issued Bu-

reau Order No. COM-2017-018,” Romero said.

He informed Cuy of the pending petition before the Supreme Court assailing the validity of the supply contracts for the purchase of 76 Rosenbauer fire trucks. on June 24, 2016, Romero, as lawyer for former Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz, filed a petition before the SC seeking to nullify the two supply contracts entered into by the DILG and Rosenbauer International AG for not only being anomalous and grossly disadvantageous to the government, but also for being unconstitutional.

Romero also wrote a separate letter to IAC chairman Supt.

Jorge Fariñas and committee members Sr. Insp. Le Roy Enriquez, Insp. Ruel Geronimo, Geoffrey Agcambot, and FO3 Jonathan Alfonso urging them not to follow Baruelo’s order.

where the bus was headed.

Dr. Arlene Jara, chief of the nearby provincial hospital treating the wounded, said children were among those injured.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman Ernesto Abella expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said those responsible would be held accountable.

The Nueva Ecija accident was the fourth mishap this year and the third major road tragedy following the death of 15 students of the Best Link Colleges of the

Philippines when the bus they were riding crashed into an electric post in Tanay, Rizal.

In March, two successive road accidents occurred in Zambales and Zamboanga City killing 11 and five people, respectively.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board issued on Tuesday a show-cause order on the minibus company that figured in the accident.

Aileen Lizada, the agency’s spokesperson and board member, said the bus operator has been sum-

moned to a hearing on May 2 to explain why the firm’s franchise must not be revoked or canceled.

“We have issued a 30-day preventive suspension to stop the operation [of the company],” she told the Manila Standard.

She said the bus company had a franchise, and was not operating out of line.

“The company’s drivers must go through the usual drug testing and its vehicles through the road-worthiness inspection,” she said. Francisco Tuyay, Rio N. Araja, AFP

BUS CRASH.

Rescuers search for survivors of a passenger bus that plunged into a ravine in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija, on Tuesday, April 18, 2017. At least 27 passengers were killed in the accident. (Story on A1) Contributed photo

Peso...

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our question to him,” Albano said.

“I do not think he cares if he is not in the list or in the list as long as he is doing the right thing about his crusade. Remember the guy shuns publicity,” Albano added.

Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting said the poll result provided an insight into how the President is viewed internationally.

Albano and Tambunting also took note of the President’s

continuing popularity despite controversies hounding him as shown by the latest Pulse Asia survey, which said that most or 78 percent of Filipinos approve of the work done by President Duterte.

But Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin, a member of the opposition, said he was not convinced with the poll result of TIME. “Now that even reputable media institutions are being either hijacked or attacked by populist leaders and their online supporters,” Villarin said. “I think we should take what we see online

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Pernia said spending 7.4 percent of GDP on infrastructure will increase economic output by five percent and would generate 1.7 million more jobs.

The government targets a GDP growth of between 6.5 percent and 7.5 percent

San Miguel...

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the people because of the almost daily reports of deaths due to the war on drugs.

“The spate of killings in the country today should shock and sadden all of us.

Let us not allow a culture, where killing is normal, to spread because we might get used to it,” Tagle said.

In another development, President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Maria Belen

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taken effect from April 13 until the 23rd, a day after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting in Panglao, Bohol.

“Judging the public insecurity could continue for some time in

with more than a grain, if not bags of salt.”

The Palace on Tuesday said the President’s fiercest critics have failed to dampen public sentiment in favor of Duterte, as the recent Pulse Asia survey shows.

“This tells us that a great majority of Filipinos appreciate the President’s priority of protecting the nation’s patrimony --- the next generation --- from dangerous drug traffickers and violators; to restore a trustworthy government free from corruption; to keep our streets safe from crime; and our society just

and fair,” Abella said.

Abella also said the sustained strength of the Philippine peso mirrors the high business and investor confidence in the leadership of President Duterte.

On Tuesday, the University of the Philippines’ Board of Regents offered Duterte an honorary doctor of laws degree.

“In keeping with tradition, the UP will confer an honorary degree on the President,” Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Patricia Licuanan said.

The President has yet to accept the offer. Maricel V. Cruz, Sandy Araneta and Rio N. Araja

Palace appeases Agri chief

By Sandy Araneta THE complaint raised by Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol that the Presidential Communications Operations Office is “too slow,” should be settled behind the scenes, the Palace said Tuesday.

“From his point of view, this is a question of work and there is nothing personal about the whole thing,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

“It’s not a question of meddling. He’s just voicing his own opinion. He is voicing his own concerns. These things actually should be settled behind the scenes,” Abella said.

Abella, who handles the content and messaging of the PCOO, said he did not take Piñol’s opinions personally.

Abella said that the PCOO would continue its operations while being open to improvements.

Piñol on Monday criticized the media operations of Malacañang as “slow.”

“Personally, as a former newsman myself, I think the handling of media operations at Malacañang is poor.

I’m saying this frankly. Their operations are slow, and the independent media entitites beat them to the release of stories,” Piñol said in Filipino in an interview with reporters.

Piñol said he has already taken this up with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar.

Piñol said he doubted there was a media campaign to push President Rodrigo Duterte to the top of TIME Magazine’s reader poll for its 100 most influential people feature.

“I’m just saying there are no operations of that sort because they cannot even organize the media operations of Malacañang very well,” Piñol said. “How much more a contest or popularity contest that has nothing to do with governance in the Philippines?”

He said Duterte’s out of town activities are not given extensive coverage as he also scored media entities for focusing on the President’s cuss words and remarks on his campaign against illegal drugs.

“That does not give justice to the programs that this guy is doing for the Filipino people,” Piñol said.

“What’s happening is that instead of releasing the official version of a story, Malacañang is issuing denials and corrections,” he said.

He added, however, that even the poor media operations would not hurt Duterte because “the guy doesn’t care.”

this year, and seven percent to eight percent from 2018 to 2022.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said the government’s infrastructure investment would be funded by official development assistance and tax collections.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade said the agency is set to sign by November a deal with the government of Japan

to build a P227-billion Mega Manila Subway Project.

“This is one of the very ambitious projects of the Duterte administration.

We call it the Mega Manila Subway project, and this [will be] the first subway in the Philippines,” he said.

Tugade said the project is expected to start by 2019 and will be completed by fourth quarter of 2024.

The Transport department will also oversee the building of the PNR North Rail Project, PNR South Rail Project and the Mindanao Railway.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said his agency will be spending P450 billion on infrastructure this year.

“We intend to increase our spending every year until we reach the $160 billion over the next six years,” Villar said.

Angelia Matibag to head the Dangerous Drugs Board to replace outgoing Chairman Benjamin Reyes.

Belmonte and SMC representatives will sign a memorandum of agreement on the hiring of former drug dependents to work on MRT line 7 on April 25.

“Aside from San Miguel, there are other private companies that have signified the interest to enter into a memorandum with the city government,” Belmonte said.

“We know for a fact that there are those who are suitable for clerical work or for

call center jobs.

This way, we can help them find jobs.

It does not actually mean that if you have used illegal drugs, you are a bad person.”

The MRT line 7 project will traverse Quezon Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue all the way to Bulacan’s San Jose del Monte. It is expected to be completed in three years.

Data from the Philippine National Police showed there are 16,000 drug surrenderers in Quezon City under its Oplan Double Barrel.

Around 10,000 are registered in the integrated drug-profiling system.

The city government’s rehabilitation program is composed of 12 mandatory clinical counseling sessions that run for three months.

After the three-month period, the drug surrenderers will undergo drug testing and psychological evaluation.

Those who need further treatment will be sent to Tahanan, the city’s drug treatment and rehabilitation center, in Barangay Payatas. With Vito Barcelo

the island of Bohol, the venue of the Asean summit from April 18 till 22, the Foreign Ministry has made the move to protect nationals of the Republic of Korea there,” Cho said.

Galgo said two suspects had been arrested but their identities and the motive for the attack were still under investigation.

“We cannot conclude yet that this is an act of terrorism. We are looking at all angles as there are threat groups in surrounding areas,” Galgo told AFP, referring to Muslim rebels in the strifetorn province of Maguindanao.

Nearby towns are also home to communist rebels waging one of Asia’s longest insurgencies

and the incident could have been linked to extortion, Galgo added.

The blasts occurred in a section of Mindanao that had been troubled by the Muslim insurgency and high crime.

Mindanao is the ancestral homeland of the Muslim minority in the largely Catholic Philippines.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest Muslim rebel organization, is in peace talks with the government but other extremist gangs that have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group routinely carry out bombings and kidnappings. AFP, with Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

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RTC judge appointed S’bayan justice

JUBILANT GRADUATES.

Nearly 100 erstwhile drug dependents under the Community-Based Treatment Program of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council go full blast Tuesday as they wave their certificates of completion of the 24 Counselling Sessions prescribed by the program held at Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City.

Manny Palmero

IN BRIEF Filipinos urged to prioritize local travel A MEMBER of the House opposition bloc on Tuesday urged Filipinos to prioritize local travel over going overseas to boost economic activity in the countryside while learning more about why it is more fun in the Philippines.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat said tourism was an industry that promoted inclusive growth, a key objective of the Duterte administration, as the revenues were enjoyed by a long supply chain that included the local hotels, restaurants, tour guides, food establishments, souvenir producers, private tour operators and the local government units.

“Local travel means more money going to our fellow Filipinos in the tourism trade and gives the locals more reason to preserve our cultural heritage and our natural wonders,” Baguilat said, noting the summer months were the times when tourism would hit its peak.

In Ifugao, for instance, Baguilat and his family support a group of weavers in the World Heritage Site of Kiangan.

“The objective is for the weavers to earn enough from their products such as tablecloths to encourage the younger generation to take up the craft,” he said. Maricel V. Cruz

House: Higher penalties for ‘adulterated’ fuel A PANEL in the House of Representatives has created a technical working group that will finetune a bill imposing stiffer penalties for people who make adulterated petroleum products.

The House committee on energy, chaired by Rep. Lord Alan Jay Velasco of Marinduque, said the TWG shall be tasked to refine House Bill 27 or the bill seeking to amend Sections 3-A and 4 of Presidential Decree 1865.

The group will be chaired jointly by Reps. Reynaldo Umali of Oriental Mindoro and Rep. Carlos Roman Uybarreta of 1-Care party-list.

PD 1865 is also known as “Amending Batas Pambansa Bilang 33, titled ‘An Act Defining And Penalizing Certain Prohibited Acts Inimical To The Public Interests And National Security Involving Petroleum And/Or Petroleum Products, Prescribing Penalties Therefor And For Other Purposes,’ By Including Shortselling And Adulteration Of Petroleum And Petroleum Products And Other Acts In The Definition Of Prohibited Acts, Increasing The Penalties Therein, And For Other Purposes.”

By Rey E. Requejo

SC stops QC govt from implementing new law

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Supreme Court on Tuesday stopped the Quezon City government from implementing a local ordinance, which imposes heavy tax on residential, commercial and industrial properties.

In its full court session in Baguio City, the SC granted the plea for temporary restraining order sought by petitioner Alliance of Quezon City Homeowners’ Association Inc. (AQCHI) enjoining the city government from implementing its City Ordinance No. 2556 (Series of

2016).

The ordinance approved the fair market value of lands and basic unit construction costs for buildings and other structures for the revision of real property assessments in the city.

The ordinance effectively increases existing fair market

values from 100 percent to 500 percent, to be effective in 2017 for lands and in 2018 for buildings and other structures.

The petitioner argued that rates were “unjust and excessive” and would unduly burden landowners in Quezon City.

While it recognized the need to increase property valuation in the city, the petitioner was pushing for smaller or staggered increases.

The AQCHI named Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, the Quezon City Assessor’s Office and the city’s treasurer’s office as respondents in the petition.

Aside from issuing a TRO, the Court directed the respondents to comment on the petition of AQCHI within 10 days from notice.

The Quezon City government earlier said it expected to yield around P700 million in additional collections in the first year of implementation.

Aside from AQCHI, other affected sectors including business groups have expressed their opposition to the implementation of the ordinance, saying the additional tax would have to be passed on to their customers.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Judge Lorifel L. Pahimna of Taguig City Regional Trial Court as magistrate of the Sandiganbayan.

In a transmittal letter to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea informed her of the appointment of Pahimna as associate justice of the anti-graft court vice Associate Justice Napoleon E. Inoturan who retired early in August last year.

Pahimna was admitted to the Bar on May 30, 1987.

The new Sandiganbayan justice had handled highprofile and controversial cases during her stint as a judge, notably the annulment of marriage of actress Carmina Villaruel and actor Rustom Padilla as well as the denial of the temporary protection order of model Deniece Cornejo.

In December 2007, Pahimna also convicted 12 Abu Sayyaf members for kidnapping 20 people from Dos Palmas resort in Puerto Princesa in Palawan on May 2001.

Among the abducted tourists were Peruvian-American Guillermo Sobero, as well as American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham.

In 2008, Pahimna was among the three Regional Trial Court judges recognized by the Supreme Court for their outstanding performance in the Judiciary.

Pahimna was given the Jose Abad Santos award.

Last year, the lady judge convicted a woman for pimping out minors including her own 10-year-old daughter for cyber sex.

EU envoy reaffirms peace commitment Du30’s memo ensures

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan EUROPEAN Union Ambassador Franz Jessen has reaffirmed commitment to peace and development actions in Mindanao by creating a new “major program” with the Philippine government in 2018.

In a statement during the closing ceremony of the Mindanao Trust Fund Reconstruction and Development Program in Davao City, Jessen gave assurances the EU would be “a reliable, impartial and committed partner in the country’s pursuit of peace and development in Mindanao.”

“It remains steadfast in its resolve to continue strengthening this partnership in the future,” Jessen said.

He also said EU was now planning to step up its support to the region and was currently preparing a major new program to be signed in 2018. “(This is intrended) to help consolidate peace and development through confidence building measures and inclusive growth,” Jessen said.

The EU recently approved a new contribution amounting to over P200 million for the next 18 months to support the peace process by monitoring the situation, to defuse tensions on the ground and to create a more inclusive political platform that would bring together Mindanao’s diverse population.

In addition, the EU is also developing a comprehensive peace and development program to push for peace and development in Mindanao.

The EU is currently the main contributor to the multi-donor trust fund providing around 80 percent of its total amount.

Over the past 11 years, the program has delivered more than 500 community sub-projects for over 650,000 people in 316 conflict-affected communities in Mindanao, to demonstrate the benefits of reaping the dividends of peace.

The Mindanao Trust Fund is a facility where various donors have agreed to contribute to the socio-economic recovery of conflict-affected communities of Mindanao.

MARGINALIZED WORKERS. A nationwide organization of workers in private and public as well as

those from the agriculture, informal, transport, migrant, women and youth sectors hold a media forum Tuesday to express their opposition to the continuing contractualization policy. Andrew Rabulan

thorough evaluation

By Sandy Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday issued a memorandum circular to ensure that all agreements entered into by the government will have a thorough evaluation.

“The Memorandum Circular ensures that all agreements entered into by the government undergo thorough evaluation of all the agencies concerned, specially the DFA which is the lead agency for PH’s foreign relations,” said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement.

“Considering the massive and growing interest of foreign governments and investors in the country, the Office of the President has deemed it appropriate to issue the MC to ensure the effective and efficient coordination among agencies,” said Abella.

Duterte issued Memorandum Circular No. 16, titled: “Requests for Authorization to Negotiate and Sign International Agreements, and Agreements Covering Borrowings, Guarantees, and Foreign Grants.”

Memorandum Circular No. 16 said the President was the sole organ of the country’s foreign relations and the constitutionally assigned chief architect of its foreign policy.

Section 2, Title I, Book IV of Executive Order No. 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987, designates the Department of Foreign Affairs as the lead agency that shall advise and assist the President in planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and evaluating the total national effort in the field of foreign relations.

EO No. 459 (s. 1997) defines an international agreement as a contract or understanding, regard-

less of nomenclature, entered into between the Philippines and another government in written form and governed by international law, whether embodied in a single instrument or in two or more related instruments, and provides guidelines for the negotiation and ratification thereof.

Section 20, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution provides that the President may contract or guarantee foreign loans on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines with the prior concurrence of the Monetary Board and subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.

Under Section 3 (5), Title II, Book IV of EO No. 292, the Department of Finance is tasked to undertake and supervise activities related in the negotiation, servicing and restructuring of domestic and foreign debt incurred or guaranteed by the government and its instrumentalities.

Memorandum Circular No. 68 (s. 2004) directs all departments and agencies to submit requests for Presidential issuances and/or approvals only after a complete staff work has been conducted, and submitting therewith the basic papers and all pertinent documents, with a covering Memorandum containing a brief statement of the jurisdiction, legal basis, coordination done with other agencies, potential problems and fund availability, and attaching therewith a draft action document.

To enhance the coordination between and among various departments and agencies in the negotiations and signing of international agreements and agreements covering borrowings, guarantees and foreign grants, the following are hereby ordered:

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Reading the polls

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has topped a TIME Magazine reader poll on who should be in the publication’s annual list of 100 most influential people in the world, beating out the likes of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pope Francis, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.

Before we start beating our chests over the achievement, however, let’s take a few things in perspective.

First, the result doesn’t make Mr. Duterte the most influential leader in the world; it just means more of the President’s supporters took the time to fill out an online form on the magazine’s

website to tell TIME that they believed he belongs on the list. TIME Magazine, in fact states quite clearly that it is its editors, and not the result of any survey, that will determine the final TIME 100 list, which will be released April 20.

Second, TIME Magazine itself does not say how many people actually voted from March 24 to April 16, saying only that Dutere received five percent of the total “yes” votes in the poll, beating out Trudeau, the Pope, Gates and Zuckerberg, all of whom received three percent. The lack of absolute numbers suggests that TIME Magazine might have been hedging against a low turnout for its online poll.

Third, TIME itself hints at the possibility of having its own poll skewed by an organized online effort. In a March 30 post on its website in which it announced the President’s lead, the magazine writes:

“Duterte has been known to use social media to promote his agenda and has reportedly paid people to push him to popularity online.”

Still, the Palace welcomed the results and recognition given to the President.

“What makes President Rodrigo R. Duterte so admired by Filipinos and international leaders alike is his national agenda—he has prioritized public interest first and foremost, especially the needs and aspirations of the poor and common people,” said Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella, forgetting, perhaps, that the TIME reader poll was all about being influential, and not necessarily admired.

A more relevant poll released at about the same time showed that a majority of Filipinos—about 78 percent—approve of the work the President is doing. The March 2017 Ulat ng Bayan Survey from Pulse

Asia Research also showed that Filipinos generally approved of the work done by Vice President Leni Robredo (58 percent) and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III (55 percent).

Unlike the TIME poll, the Pulse Asia survey clearly states that its findings were based on interviews with 1,200 representative adults 18 years and above, and that it had a ± 3 percent error margin at the 95 percent confidence level.

But even these results need to be taken with a grain of salt. We only need to recall how, as the nation’s public transport system went to hell in a handbasket during the last administration, nameless survey respondents were still giving President Benigno Aquino III high approval and trust ratings—certainly proof positive that opinion polls measure the public’s satisfaction with its own ignorance.

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

Duterte vs. the oligarchs; A tribute to Al Yuchengco

ally wanted an environmentalist to head up the DENR in order to shake it up, he could have chosen from among any number of people who have committed their lives to the preservation of our natural resources. He needn’t have settled for someone like Gina, whose only previous work as an environment advocate was a highly questionable stint as head of the Pasig River rehabilitation program and a campaign to popularize “glamping” (or glamor camping) in Palawan.

And the only reason why Lopez made a name for herself as a so-called environmental advocate was because of her connection to ABS-CBN. All the other environmentalists who did not have such an illustrious and powerful surname had no chance at all, apparently.

The owners of the Inquirer, at least, can claim that they didn’t get anyone from their family appointed to a juicy government post with Duterte’s victory. The Lopezes of ABS-CBN (and yes, First Balfour) cannot make the same assertion.

So, should we all just wait for Gina Lopez to rule on the ap-

IT SEEMS Rodrigo Roa Duterte is on track to become one of our best presidents and the most popular ever. Proof is his continuing popularity. He also topped TIME’s online poll on who would be in the magazine’s 100 most influential people. He got 5 percent of the yes votes, far ahead of second-placers Justin Trudeau, Pope Francis, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg (whose Facebook has 1.86 billion active users), each of whom got 3 percent. Imagine that, Duterte beating in an online voting the guy whose business has 1.86 billion users online!

Duterte got global attention by focusing on one major issue —peace and order. And that to achieve peace and order, a president must kill all the drug addicts and drug lords he could get his hands on. His target was 100,000 to be fed to the fishes of Manila Bay. According to former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, 70 percent of crimes are drug-related or drug-induced. By the way, Mayor Erap is celebrating his 80th birthday today, April 19. So if you want to achieve peace and order, focus on the major source of crime— drugs. This, Duterte is doing.

And damn the world if it complains about his violent tactics.

Duterte also wants the world to know that he is an honest man. During the TIME poll, he fired his local government cabinet secretary and a deputy cabinet secretary in charge of irrigation and agriculture. He has urged overseas Filipinos visiting Manila to shoot customs people who try to ask for even a tenpeso bribe.

The President has also started a shame campaign against the Philippine oligarchy and tax evaders. In a speech in Qatar on April 15, he accused tycoon Roberto V. Ongpin of influence peddling since the term of the late President Corazon Aquino (February 1986-June 1992). Duterte also claimed Ongpin was given a concession by Cory in which he pays the government only one percent of his income while others pay 10 percent.

Bobby Ongpin was minister of trade and industry under President Marcos from 1979 to 1986.

Knowing how much Cory hated Marcos and anyone associated with the late strongman, I doubt very much if she would dare give Bobby Ongpin any business concession or accommodation or a sweetheart deal.

To be sure, Bobby’s younger brother, Jaime Ongpin, served

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Gina acts like an employee LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES THE real news would have been if the Supreme Court reversed itself and granted the motion for reconsideration filed by the Ombusdman. But the upholding by the tribunal of its decision last year dismissing the plunder charges against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is really nothing to write home about.

Of course, the Ombudsman cannot be faulted for seeking a reversal of the ruling on the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office case; that is its duty. What the Ombudsman really should be blamed for is filing such a stupid case in the first place, so that a mere demurrer to evidence would cause it to collapse.

Because that’s what happened: Arroyo’s lawyers decided that they needn’t even present their own evidence and asked the high court to rule on the evidence brought before the court by the prosecution.

And Arroyo won her case.

Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales must be so proud of herself. *** I’ve never really understood why President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Gina Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

And now that Duterte keeps railing against the “oligarchs” who own certain media companies, singling out the Lopez family’s ABS-CBN broadcasting network and the Philippine Daily Inquirer of the Prietos, I profess that Gina’s continued stay in his Cabinet baffles me even more.

Duterte’s beef against the Lopezes, as the President has explained it on various occasions, is that the network refused to run a television commercial that he had already paid for during last year’s campaign. I don’t recall ABS-CBN ever replying to Duterte’s charge that it took his money and yet refused to run his ad—a serious charge that should merit a direct reply from the country’s biggest broadcast network.

Be that as it may, Duterte’s repeated broadsides against the network should at least merit

some sort of response from Gina Lopez, whose family owns the TV station. But Lopez, who has never shied away from voicing her opinions in the past, has always avoided the topic of her family’s media company and

Despite her contempt for mere salaried workers, Lopez hangs on to her job.

why his boss believes he never gets fair treatment from it.

This week, Duterte once again reappointed Lopez, who was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments before Congress adjourned its sessions. And no, there is no sign that Duterte will stop accusing the Lopezes’ media outfit (run by Gina’s brother

Gabby) of bias and of defrauding him during the campaign period.

On one level, I think Duterte’s choice of Lopez to head up the DENR is perfectly understandable: He wanted an advocate for the environment to head up a department that had, in the past, always been in a cozy relationship with those who made a living out of exploiting it.

But if Duterte wanted to end the long-standing problem of regulatory capture in the DENR, he couldn’t have picked a worse person for the job than Lopez.

And I’m not even talking about the personality quirks of Gina, which compel her, on occasion, to bawl people out for being mere employees.

The truth of the matter is, Gina’s family is also engaged in mining, the industry that the secretary-designate seems monomaniacally against. While the Lopez-owned First Balfour still has not started quarrying operations in Taysan, Batangas, pending the issuance of the required government permits, this is still a clear case of a conflict of interest that seems to have slipped the mind of Gina.

The point is, if Duterte had re-

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Opinion

PRESIDENT Duterte came home last Monday from a sixday trip to the Middle East. He came wth promises of investments and jobs for Filipinos.

The problem, however, is that these are just pledges: Will they really make a difference in the lives of Filipinos?

Other Presidents before him also claimed similar achievements during their state visits.

But do we not wonder whether all these in fact came in?

Unfortunately, the Philippines seems to be at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to investments in Southeast Asian nations. Compared to our neighbors, we are only getting the crumbs. *** It has been close to 10 months since President Duterte assumed office. He is still waging war on illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.

The former mayor of Davao City said, while he was campaigning, that he only needed three months to end these problems.

What happened?

drug problems! *** Manny Villar, former Speaker of the House and Senate President, and one of the 14 Filipino billionaires in the most recent Forbes list, claims that the problem of housing in the Philippines is a social volcano about to erupt. I can believe him.

Villar and his family made their fortune in social housing. He says there is a housing backlog of 5 million to 6 million units.

He cites the takeover of idle housing projects by the militant Kadamay. This, he says, shows how the poor look at the problem. It was pure anarchy when the group occupied about 4,000 units of the government’s social housing project in Pandi and San Jose del Monte City, both in Bulacan. There were similar attempts to occupy other housing projects.

President Duterte allowed the homeless to stay on. He promised them that he would build more and better projects for the military and police, for who the houses were originally intended.

But that is not the point. The Kadamay group committed an illegal act. Villar said this should jolt government.

What happened in Pandi tells us that this social volcano is about to erupt, Villar said.

Despite efforts of the private sector to build homes to catch up with the demand, the government now threatens it with loss of incentives and other policy actions, including restrictions on land development. *** Former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada turns 80 today.

I cannot forget Erap, him being the most famous among my students in Ateneo High School. I taught him English and History.

I saw him when he was a 14-year-old kid in short pants.

He was asked to transfer to another school for getting into a fight.

I tracked his progress from being an actor, mayor, senator, vice president and president.

Happy birthday, Erap, from your “prof, sir.”

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE US didn’t have to drop its Mother of All Bombs on North Korea after all.

Pyongyang did it to itself when its much-publicized long-range missile exploded on launch-off. The trigger-happy, loose-cannon Kim Jong-Un must be so red in the face.

As is the norm in the closely controlled state, no information nor details were provided by Pyongyang, except to say it never was a nuclear bomb they launched. They were only testing long-range missiles, they said.

So okay, the only one who went ballistic was Kim. The USS Carl Vinsons, a state-of-the-art aircraft carrier, was already at sea in the area, ready to fire or intercept any nuclear threat from North Korea.

Lucky for Kim, his missile launch backfired. Otherwise he would have been blown to ashes by firepower from the USS Vinsons’ big guns.

The US has shown it cannot be trifled with when it dropped the Mother of All Bombs on Syria’s military installation that launched the chemical nerve gas sarin on helpless Syrian civilians. The US also unleashed the MOAB on known lairs of the terrorist group ISIS in Afghanistan. A non-nuclear device, MOAB is the latest in America’s arsenal. It’s a bunker buster and must have blasted IS out of the caves they

MAIL MATTERS No sacred cows during my term at DENR THIS refers to the news article “Lopez attacking rival miners—Rody” that appeared in the April 17 issue of Manila Standard.

With all due respect to President Duterte, First Balfour is not operating an open-pit mine in a watershed in Lobo, Batangas. It has an application for a permit to operate an aggregates quarry in Taysan, Batangas where there is no watershed but it has not been issued such permit. Thus, First Balfour has not started operation. The quarry operations that may have been referred to as First Balfour is Montevil. Montevil is not owned by the Lopezes.

From my Day 1 as Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, I have made it absolutely clear that my family should take full responsibility should any of our business operations infringe environmental laws rules and regulations.

I would like to reiterate what I have said during my Senate confirmation hearing on March 8, 2017 that “if any member of my family or any institution violates environmental laws, they will be treated just like everybody else. That’s the right thing and they’re fully aware of that and they support it.”

Again, I assure everyone that there will be no sacred cow during my term as Secretary of the DENR. REGINA PAZ LOPEZ Secretary Department of Environment and Natural Resources

used as hideouts.

The US action in Syria, Afghanistan and preventive measure against North Korea met with approval from the International community.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, Britain, France were the first to hail the US action.

And why not? Every peace-loving country in the world would love to see the likes of Bashar al-Assad, and Kim Jong-Un go—if not peacefully, even dragged kicking and screaming.

Well, not like the way a United Airlines passenger was dragged along the aisle by the airline’s security personnel. The passenger, an Asian doctor, protested because he was scheduled to see patients at his destination.

It’s hard to believe he was chosen at random by United Airlines because UAL had overbooked and needed “volunteers” who can be offloaded. Forcefully pulling a passenger from his seat and dragging him along the aisle is not the way to do it.

The spectacle was has since gone viral after other passengers took pictures with their cellphone cameras. The result is a public relations nightmare for the airline. For sure, prospective passengers will boycott United for its ugly manner of handling paying passengers.

Except for a letter to former Foreign Secretary Roberto R. Romulo, the father of Maria Cristina Romulo, Philippine Airlines has not issued a public statement on the matter.

PAL’s public relations department must have chosen to keep the matter under wraps knowing full well a re-

sponse would only further publicize the incident.

But hey, the public following the case would like to know how PAL is settling the issue, if it is at all. Or is PAL’s PR department just waiting until the issue blows over?

No amount of apology and compensation for the Asian doctor can repair the damage done to the airline’s reputation or whatever is left of it. This reminds us of our own national carrier Philippine Airlines’ shabby treatment of business class passenger Maria Cristina.

After cancelling its flight because of “technical problems,” PAL put Ms. Romulo on an overbooked Cathay Pacific to New York. To her grief, she was not boarded in Hong Kong as the CP flight to New York was also overbooked. PAL did not bother to check with Ms. Romulo in Hong Kong for the onward flight to New York. She was to attend the opening of the Romulo Cafe of which she is a stockholder.

There ought to be a law against airlines overbooking their flights.

Passengers are treated like cattle just so airlines can put butts on seats and not fly half empty.

This is the pitfall of business.

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. Sharp marketing and proper handling of passengers are what make other airlines profitable.

But airlines cannot be too greedy and overbook to cover operational downsides. IATA and the Warsaw Convention are supposed to protect airlines and passengers from unwarranted bad treatment. But apparently these international conven-

tions are not helping right the wrong in the system.

A Department for OFWs? On arrival from his official visit to three Middle East countries, President Rodrigo Duterte touted the million of US dollars he reaped for the country.

To his credit, the President also brought home some 90 Filipino workers charged for various offenses but pardoned by the Saudi King.

Exhilarated by the success of his visit to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, Duterte, upon his return to Manila, announced he would create a Department for Overseas Filipino Workers.

Whoa, isn’t there already a Department of Labor and the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency looking after OFWs interest? To create another agency duplicating the work of DoLE and POEA would be superfluous. Imagine the additional budgetary outlay and bureaucratic maze it would create.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello who was with the Duterte official delegation to the Middle East, is not on the same page with the President on the creation of the new department. He thinks that DoLE and POEA are already performing the functions of taking care of OFWs’ interest.

Careful, Bebot, you just put your President in a bad light.

President Duterte at the moment has been cutting off heads of his Cabinet for alleged wrongdoing.

While Bello cannot be accused of anything, he might have incurred the President’s ire for speaking his mind.

Ways and means

Our housing problem deserves a second look.

There are reports that more than 8,000 have been killed already.

The President’s methods have also spawned other problems like violations of human rights.

The police claim that the war against drugs has made our streets and homes safer. But look at the evening news and you will still see a lot of criminality!

Killing those involved in the drug trade is only half the problem solved. The other need is for the rehabilitation of victims. This brings up the problem of rehabilitation centers, with adequate and competent staff complement. How many rehab centers have been built since Mr. Duterte took over?

Another problem is the congestion in jails, given the sheer number of prisoners. They exist in sub-human conditions. I wonder whether President Duterte and PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa are aware of these conditions.

Other countries have laws on the drug trade, but the problem continues anyway.

Even the United States with its powerful Drug Enforcement Agency has to keep fighting its

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Mother of all duds

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

A social volcano

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO PRESIDENT Duterte came back from a highly successful Middle East trip where in three capitals he repeated an oft-stated sentiment: That he will do everything possible to create more and more jobs in the homeland, so that the day will come, hopefully soon, when Filipinos need no longer leave to get a job in some foreign land.

The message resonates deep in the hearts of millions of Filipinos who have had to suffer the pain of being separated from their loved ones, along with the often hostile environment, be it climate or culture, if only to be able to send their children through school and somehow assure them of a better future. Duterte sounds sincere when he utters these sentiments.

OFWs know that finally they have a leader who cares, truly cares for them and the ordinary man. But there is a big IF as to how government no matter how well-intentioned, can deliver on these and other promises, such as more classrooms, better health care, housing, and the myriad of social services that previous governments have just marginally achieved.

Yesterday, the infrastructure managers went to Malacañang to present some of the big-ticket projects that ought to usher in what they call the “golden age of infrastructure.” The mantra is “Build, Build, Build” and the audio-visual presentation is remarkable and impressive.

To ensure that the message will get across our long-suffering commuters and riding public, the projects that the “Build, Build, Build” team—composed of the

Duterte...

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as Cory’s first finance secretary.

He committed suicide after barely ten months in office because the President didn’t appreciate fully her reform-minded finance chief’s sacrifices. Jimmy Ongpin gave up a lucrative CEO post as head of a large Marcos cronyowned mining company and campaigned for Cory to win the presidency, to the chagrin of Bobby.

Cory’s successor, Fidel V. Ramos, also didn’t give any concession to Bobby Ongpin. Neither did President Joseph Estrada who succeeded FVR. Under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Bobby’s PhilWeb got the franchise

Gina...

From A4 plication of her family’s mining company and trust that she will do the right thing, even if it hurts her own clan? Or shouldn’t

Departments of Budget and Management, Finance, Transportation, Public Works and Highways, the National Economic and Development Authority and the Bases Conversion Development Authority—has come up with a communications plan that will get the people to look forward to something that would create maximum impact on their lives, and more importantly, build for their future and that of coming generations.

I have sat with some of their officials in discussions, and have witnessed the hard spadework done. I have seen their zeal and determination. They are likewise pursuing these projects with absolute dedication to transparency.

Moreover, the President and his team have quietly but very purposively discussed foreign assistance and investment initiatives in the past six months with their counterparts in China, Japan and elsewhere. The budget this year, and those lined up for the next four years, have all been attuned to this grand economic vision.

Even as the President’s singlespeak has been on drugs, criminality and corruption these last nine months, he has been quietly immersing himself with his economic team, giving them his full support in the infrastructure plans.

As the Build, Build, Build team says, finally all these dreams can come to fruition because “the Duterte administration does not stop at anything to get things done.”

But there is an anchor to implementation. It is a must. And it is called “ways and means.”

It means simply that we have to raise the wherewithal, not just from foreign sources, but counterpart funding from our own “ways and means.” It means that because we are playing a catchup game, with our public infra-

structure woefully inadequate and even antiquated compared to the rest of the world, we need to generate needed revenues from within our shores.

That is why Congress must pass the Comprehensive Tax Reform Law that pends before it.

And SOON, because time does not wait. And the people’s future (and their present situation) cannot wait either.

For starters, our poor and middle class have to fork over taxes based on 1987 price indicia, which means the level of income taxation were pegged without adjusting to inflation. The peso then traded 23 to 25 vis-à-vis the dollar. It is twice that now.

Oil, and its concomitant effect on electricity bills and practically every other basic need, has doubled, if not tripled. The same goes with the price of food.

Through the years, inflation has pushed some 70 percent of our salaried employees to the highest tax bracket, which means some 32 percent of their pay is withheld for income tax prepayments. On the other hand, self-employed businessmen and professionals are able to get away with paying a pittance.

In short, daily wherewithal has become awfully expensive, and yet, from meager take-home pay, we fork over the same amount of taxes which are withheld from paychecks. Almost one-third of what aging teachers earn goes to taxes, as an example. This is clearly unjust.

Duterte and his economic team want to correct the injustice.

But there is another side of the coin. We need to address the daily suffering of commuters who line up at early dawn for public transport to get them to office on time, and then reach home late at night, past dinnertime of their kids. And so many other needs that the “Build, Build, Build” slew of projects hope to solve.

Apart from giving relief to ordinary taxpayers, we have to fund the “golden age” of infrastructure.

We have to make “sinners” pay for consuming goods that are detrimental to their own health, and which exact a great toll on public spending for the health requirements of those who “sinned” through vices such as smoking and drinking alcohol and sugared drinks.

We need to adjust excise taxes on fuel, with gasoline getting taxed more than diesel, which is the energy source of public transport. We need to increase taxes on imported cars (everything is imported, since we hardly assemble cars these days anyway) and hopefully reduce somewhat the volume of new cars that people buy because public transport is inadequate, and hit the rich who buy dozens of cars to beat the number-coding of their plates.

If they want to indulge, then let them pay more.

There are more components of the comprehensive tax reform package that Sec. Sonny Dominguez of Finance is pushing for. And Congress, be it House or Senate—please listen to him.

Ways and means.

Suffer and stagnate, or liberate our economy from years and years of lethargy. *** Let me also take this opportunity to wish Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, my mayor, my kompadre, my one-time boss as president of the country, a very happy birthday on his 80th.

May he have more years to fulfill his covenant with the people of the once-beautiful but long-decaying city which happens to be the capital of the benighted isles. Along with former Davao mayor and now president Rodrigo Duterte, may they form a partnership and “build, build, build.”

to provide software to the stateowned casino entity Pagcor’s online gaming business. PhilWeb was giving the government P2 billion a year as its share of the income.

When Duterte became president, Pagcor lost this huge yearly income. Bobby sold his control of PhilWeb at a loss of P18 billion and simply moved on.

As I said in previous columns, whatever money the Harvardtrained Ongpin made, he did it through the old fashioned way— through hard and honest work, and sheer talent. He is not at all an oligarch, not an oligarch embedded in government, and certainly not a businessman who did or has done damage to the country and the Filipino people—unlike some so-called venerable tycoons

who run or control utilities which charge the highest prices in the world.

And yes, Ongpin pays more taxes than billionaires far richer than he is.

Al Yuchengco Speaking of patriotic tycoons, I am shocked and sad that a good friend Alfonso Yuchengco has died, last April 15, at the age of 94.

I remember Al Yuchengco for three things—for his entrepreneurship, for his love of his country, and for fighting the Marcos dictatorship (he helped finance the Light a Fire Movement and back Cory’s presidential bid in 1986).

At first, AY tried to recruit his two sons, both named Alfonso Yuchengco, to help him manage the business but both found the

business too much of a challenge.

Helen Dee then took over. She is tough. And good.

In 2007, Helen hired Lorenzo Tan as CEO of RCBC. With AY, Helen Dee and Lorenzo Tan, RCBC took off.

Unlike other conglomerates which are backstopped by property and power assets, RCBC grew by using the capital markets in what Tan called “a prudent, calculated strategy.”

Muses Lorenzo Tan: “Al Yuchengco was a visionary, a patriot, a great business leader, a diplomat and a philanthropist. We will dearly miss him.”

In July 2016, Lorenzo left RCBC. He is back to his old love, investment banking.

Lopez just quit while she’s not forced into such a situation, especially with Duterte repeatedly calling the people at ABS-CBN a bunch of crooks who took his money but didn’t even allow the airing of his commercials?

Maybe Duterte is just waiting

for Lopez to leave on her own steam, because he doesn’t relish the prospect of firing her. If he did that while he goes on and on about the biased network owned by her family, it would look like he was getting back at Gina by removing her from DENR.

But if that is Duterte’s game plan, then he will have to wait for a very long time. Because despite her oligarchic contempt for mere salaried workers, Gina Lopez appears to be dead set on hanging on to her job, whatever happens.

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News

Orbos to village chiefs: Free roads from ‘obstructions’ G

By Joel E. Zurbano

ENERAL manager and acting chairman Thomas Orbos of the Metro Manila Development Authority reiterated his call on community leaders to free secondary roads in their areas from obstructions affecting the flow of traffic and compromise the safety of pedestrians.

Orbos made the appeal as the MMDA is preparing the filing of another administrative complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against at least two barangay officials for negligence and not cooperating with the government’ campaign in clearing city streets of illegally-parked vehicles and other road obstructions.

The MMDA public information office, however, temporarily withheld the names of those who will be charged, but said that the filing of cases will bring to six the

total number of barangay officials slapped by the agency since President Rodrigo Duterte directed Orbos to start filing charges against village officials who would be remiss on their duty.

“Holding them accountable for their inaction on such programs of national importance is only proper since they are ones on the ground who should safeguard the welfare of their constituents,” Orbos said.

Recently, Orbos and other MMDA officials conducted an inspection and had a dialogue with

barangay officials and vendors in Barangay Baclaran at the boundary of cities of Pasay and Paranaque and discussed the government’s continuing campaign against all road obstructions to further ease traffic in Metro Manila.

“It has been long established that local village officials’ cooperation and support for the undertakings and projects of the national government is essential to make them a success. We only have to engage them again and remind them of their responsibility to implement and sustain these programs,” said Orbos.

Some motorists suggested that barangay officials should identify vacant spaces in their respective areas of jurisdiction which could be used by their constituents as common parking spaces for their vehicles.

A group of barangay officials in Makati City and Quezon City already pledged their support to

the government’s sidewalk clearing and anti-illegal parking operations as part of the solution to ease traffic in Metro Manila.

Aside from the continuous clearing operations in their localities, Orbos said that barangay officials in two cities also agreed to write commercial establishments within their jurisdiction which are guilty of allowing vehicles to park illegally, particularly supermarkets and restaurants.

The clearing operation is also in close coordination with Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and Department of Transportation.

Orbos said his agency is encouraging people to cooperate and report illegally-parked vehicles and other obstruction on major roads through its website MMDA “I Will Act” portal.

The MMDA chief also encouraged the public to post videos on

the site.

The agency launched the social media reporting system in a bid to encourge the public and the private sector in reporting to the agency all traffic obstructions on all roads in Metro Manila.

The report should include the name of the sender and the actual picture including the detailed location where the illegally parked vehicle or the obstruction was spotted and the time when it was taken.

In 2015, the MMDA launched Mabuhay Lanes as alternate routes for motorists avoiding the congested Epifanio de los Santos Avenue.

But Task Force Mabuhay Lanes chief Ed Lara said the lack of cooperation from barangay officials hampers their campaign. He added some barangay officials failed to comply with the memorandum issued by the DILG ordering local government officials to cooperate in the clearing operations.

Ejercito hits NHA for slow action

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR JV Ejercito on Tuesday criticized the National Housing Authority for the “snail-like” pace of distribution of the housing units to the intended beneficiaries.

Ejercito said this included housing projects for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, and the housing and relocation for informal settler families that needed to be relocated from danger zones, and for families who were rendered homeless due to calamities like “Sendong,” “Yolanda,” Zamboanga seige, and others.

He cited a Commission on Audit Report of 2015 which showed that the occupancy rate in the AFP/PNP was only 8.09 percent out of the 57,494 completed housing units since the NHA built the units.

Ejercito said in the NHA report dated Sept. 30, 2016, the occupancy rate increased to just 13.8 percent.

He said occupants of the housing units under the NHA programs usually complain of the same problems—the lack of electricity, and access to schools and health centers.

“It is sad that we have reached this [point]. What happened to the thousands and thousands of houses that were built? Where are those already distributed and being occupied by our less fortunate people?

Also, where are those thousands of unoccupied housing?” asked Ejercito, who is the chairman of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement.

Ejercito also questioned how many of housing units truly benefitted the people.

“When government builds homes without regard for the immediate need, safety, and comfort of those who would live in it, then it becomes a sheer act of shameless profiteering,” he said.

IN BRIEF Kang lawyer asks CA justice to inhibit self THE lawyer of Korean businessman Kang Tae Sik asked a Court of Appeals Justice to inhibit himself in his client’s deportation case for failing to act on his petition for the issuance of Temporary Restraining Order.

Kang, president of a company engaged in Korean liquor distribution in the country, was arrested last month by Immigration agents after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II reversed the final and executory decision of his predecessor, now Supreme Court Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguiao.

Reden Viaje, Kang’s lawyer, said CA Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr., refused to rule on his petition for fear of not being nominated as associate justice of the Supreme Court by the Judicial Bar Council to which Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II is a member.

Viaje filed a motion for inhibition after Bruselas refused to act on the prayer for issuance of TRO for the deportation of Kang.

“The case was reraffled to Bruselas, last April 3, after Justice Elihu Ybañez voluntarily inhibited himself on grounds that the complainant against Kang, his former lawyer, Alex Tan, was his classmate in San Beda College,” he said.

Tan, Ybañez, DoJ Secretary Aguirre II and DoJ Undersecretary Ricardo Paras were classmates in San Beda. President Rodrigo Duterte also came from the same school. Paras is the DoJ in-charge of the affairs of the Bureau of Immigration.

The petition for issuance of TRO was filed and raffled last March 27, 2017, according to Viaje.

He said that under the rule, the records of the case is supposed to have been transmitted to the CA justice immediately after it was raffled because it has a prayer for TRO. Vito Barcelo

Hospitalization tops PCSO aid —Balutan

HOUSING MATTERS. Senate Committee on Urban Planning Housing and Resettlement chairman, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, meet with team leaders of the KADAMAY urban poor group led by its Chairperson, Gloria Arellano (in glasses), shortly after yesterday’s senate inquiry into the group’s occupation of the government’s housing project in Pandi, Bulacan. Ey Acasio

‘NLEX harbor road link completed by yearend’

By Vito Barcelo THE P10.5-billion elevated NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 expressway is expected to be completed before the end of 2017, which will cut travel time by more than minutes from the Port of Manila to the North Expressway, the Department of Public Works and Highways said.

The elevated expressway will provide direct access between the port area in Manila and the northern provinces of Luzon via NLEX. It is the second and last component of NLEX Harbor

Link, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said.

Villar said the 5.65-kilometer Segment 10 expressway will connect Segment 9 at MacArthur Highway in Valenzuela City to C-3 Road (5th Avenue) in Caloocan City.

The Public Works chief said that the program, dubbed “Build, Build, Build” is the administration’s infrastructure program where several government agencies are partnered in implementing major projects such as roads, bridges, railways, airports, and green cities to bolster development and ease traffic congestion

in the country.

“When completed, travel time from the Manila Port to the NLEX will take only 10 minutes as it is designed to provide direct access between the port area and the northern part of Luzon via the NLEX. It will decongest Metro Manila by providing an alternative entry to NLEX, without passing Edsa and other busy streets of Manila,” he said.

“The NLEX Harbor Link will be a great boost to the country’s cargo transport industry as cargo trucks will have 24/7 direct access from the port area to the northern provinces of Luzon

and vice versa,” according to Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

Chairman Manuel Pangilinan.

“The P10.5-billion project, which is using the alignment of the Philippine National Railways [PNR], traverses Karuhatan in Valenzuela City, Governor Pascual Avenue in Malabon City, and C3 road in Caloocan City,” Villar said.

“The Duterte administration is keen on prioritizing projects which not only aim to address traffic problems but also generate massive investments to help improve the lives of the Filipino people,” Villar added.

DEFRAYING the expenses for hospitalization of patients remains on top of the list of financial assistance of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan revealed Tuesday.

“PCSO has spent a total of P3.93 billion for hospital confinement for 145,531 beneficiaries out of 319,091 in 2016, maintaining its lead spot through the years,” he said.

Balutan said that in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s “free medicine” program, the charity agency has been enhancing the delivery of health services especially to cases that needs immediate medical attention.

“The bulk of our fund disbursements always go to hospital confinement but we are looking to expand our services to those with specific conditions,” Balutan said.

A second priority is chemotherapy with the agency spending P1.95 billion for 46,423 patients, while dialysis came third with a total of P81.7 million for 5,679 patients.

Assistant general manager for Charity Dr. Larry Cedro said everyone is welcome to avail of services and can approach PCSO. “There are catastrophic illnesses such as cancer, chronic kidney disease, organ transplantation among others, that even if you could afford treatment now, the question is sustainability,” Cedro said.

Brgy leader nabbed in buy-bust operation

By Joel E. Zurbano POLICEMEN arrested a barangay official during a buybust operation in East Rembo, Makati City late Tuesday afternoon.

The suspect, Virgio Sombero Awit, 59, an incumbent barangay councilman and resident of 155R 19th Avenue, East Rembo, is now detained at the Makati City Police and will be charged with violation of Sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 (Dangerous Drugs Act).

Police confiscated four sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride, locally known as shabu, and the P1,500 marked money from the possession of

the suspect who was apprehended inside a barangay service multicab.

Elements of the Makati City Police planned the buy bust operation along the northbound of Circumferential Road 5 (C-5 Road) in the said barangay following a week-long surveillance on the reported illegal activity of the suspect.

Mayor Abigail Binay commended the Makati City police for the successful operation.

Last month, Binay led a series of training for members of the Makati City police and Makati Anti-Drug Abuse Council to improve their capabilities in their anti-drug operations and handling evidences

against the suspects.

The Makati City Peace and Order Council headed by Binay in close coordination with other government agencies, led the training dubbed as Capacity Building Program, which is aimed to raise the level of competence of the city’s law enforcers and force multipliers in conducting the citywide campaign against illegal drugs.

The mayor said with more competent and capable enforcers, lapses in operational procedure and filing of cases, including the mishandling of evidence, could be avoided. “This will help in promoting faster and more efficient administration of justice,” she said.

BOMBED. A police forensic investigator points to the site where two bombs exploded on April 17 at a gasoline in Tacurong town, Sultan Kudarat province, in the southern island of Mindanao. Seven people were injured when two bomb explosions rocked a petrol station in the southern Philippine city near rebel enclaves, police said. AFP

Sports

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Saso, Corpus take charge Y

UKA Saso checked a rollercoaster backside start with an eagle-spiked windup at the front, firing a four-under 68 to seize a three-stroke lead over Junia Gabasa while Carl Corpus took control of the boys’ field at the start of the Philippine Junior Amateur Open Golf Championships at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martirez, Cavite yesterday.

Saso bounced back from a bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie stint with three birdies and an eagle against one more bogey in the next 14 holes as she put her title-retention bid in motion while firming up her spot in this year’s SEA Games

squad, this being the last part of a three-stage selection process for spots in the national team for the biennial event in Malaysia in August.

The reigning national champion, also the World Junior Girls

gold medalist in Canada last year, highlighted her 33-35 card with a solid drive on the par-5 No. 8 and nearly holed in an albatross off a superb 9-iron second shot from 150 yards that stopped inches off the cup.

Gabasa trailed Saso by one at the turn but the Cebuana bet grabbed the lead with a birdie-birdie feat from No. 1, only to fumble with bogeys on Nos. 3 and 5 before ramming in another birdie on the par-3 sixth to string a 35-36 and a 71 for second.

Harmie Constantino, winner of the WExpress RVF Cup crown, the second national elims, last February, mixed three birdies with four bogeys for third at 73 while Kristine Torralba carded a 74 and

Kayla Nocum shot a 76 and Nicole Abelar and Korean Yang Ju Young each made a 78 in the event also serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Corpus, the NGAP Doubles winner last year with Yuto Katsuragawa, birdied the last hole to card a 71 and grab a two-stroke lead over Carlo Gatmaytan, who turned in a 73, while defending champion Kim Joo Hyung of Korea struggled in the heat and wind and hobbled with a 74, the same output put in by Ryan Monsalve.

Perry Bucay shot a 75 while

Paolo Wong and Weiwei Gao made a pair of 76s to stay in contention in the 72-hole championship backed by Cignal and Metro Pacific Investment.

Meanwhile, former national champion Rupert Zaragosa groped with a 75 but still led the Special Division (18-and-above), two clear of Dan Cruz, who had a 77, while Lizbeth Alcantara seized control in the girls’ side with an 83, seven shots clear off Annika Guangko, who skied to 90.

Miguel Ilas shot an 81 and took a two-stroke lead over Francis Lanuza, who had an 83, in the 13-and-below section with Grace Quintanilla carding an 81 to post a 10-shot lead over Daniella Gatti, who struggled with a 91.

Garahista TV show airs at S+A Thursday BRACE yourself for the first, reality-based motorsports show on Philippine TV. Named Garahista, derived from the words garahe (garage) and karerista (racer), this half-hour show, which will have its premiere on Thursday at 10:30 p.m. on ABS-CBN Sports + Action after the NBA playoffs, features teams from different walks of life as they build and race their vehicles in different racing platforms.

Garahista director Cesar Marquez and host Milo Rivera appeared at the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday at the Golden Phoenix Hotel to promote their TV show.

Marquez revealed that for the first season of Garahista, seven teams from all walks of life are given a second-hand car to tinker with and transform into racing machines with the use of just P30,000.

The teams worked 30 hours non-stop and are now preparing to race their “builds.”

“There are shows like this abroad, but this is the first of its kind on Philippine television, and I’m sure car and racing enthusiasts will be elated to have this show just for them,” said Marquez in the forum backed by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Accel and Golden Phoenix Hotel.

“Garahista is about us. It is about our sincere desire to excel, to achieve our dreams despite the limitations and challenges. No matter what is given us, we will be determined to finish the race that has been set before us,” he added.

Rivera, who will co-host the show with DJ, Vlogger and Racer Joyce Pring, said Garahista is their means to spread to the world that motorsports is for everyone, not just for the elite.

“This is a good avenue to promote motorsports. It will be held in mall parking lots so that people coming out from the department stores and groceries can watch something as they go out or before they go in,” said Rivera, a World Gymkhana Racing Champion. “We want to show what motorsports is since the perception of people on motorsports is that it is for the rich, so we want to try to change that perception. Racing is for everybody especially for people who love cars.”

Garahista is held under the supervision of the Automobile Association of the Philippines and is backed by Dunlop, Rota Wheels, Tru Health, Fontana, Back Stage, Solaire, Palawan International Circuit, Batagas Racing Circuit, Carmona Race Circuit, Clark International Speedway, AeroMed, WalterMart Taytay, United Auctioneers, Dad and Mom’s Family Restaurant, Rosario Cars and Brembo Brakes.

World Gymkhana champion Milo Rivera announces the airing of Garahista, the Philippines’ first reality-based TV show during an appearance at the PSA Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel on Tuesday. He is joined here by the show’s director Cesar Marquez. Ey Acasio

Premier volley league ready to blast off THE 2017 season of the Premier Volleyball League is firing off on April 30 with a tripleheader to open the Reinforced Conference, which will air live from the Fil-Oil Flying V Arena in San Juan City starting at 1:30 p.m. on S+A on free TV, S+A HD on cable TV, and via livestreaming on sports.abs-cbn.com.

All six teams will be seeing action on opening day with the Balipure Water Defenders going head-to-head with the Philippine Air Force Lady Jet Spikers at 2 p.m., followed by the clash between the Power Smashers and defending champion Pocari Sweat Lady Warriors at 4 p.m. and the showdown between Creamline Cool Smashers and Perlas Spikers at 6 p.m.

On the men’s side, the Philippine Air Force Jet Spikers and IEM Phoenix Volleyball Masters take on each other at 10 a.m., with the match available via livestreaming on sports. abs-cbn.com.

With a three-headed monster in Myla Pablo, Fille Cayetano, and Jeanette Panaga, coach Rommel Abella’s Pocari squad remains a favorite but will face tough competition from Roger Gorayeb’s Bali Pure led by NCAA MVP Grethcel Soltones and National University setter Jasmine Nabor, and newcomer Creamline, which reunites coach Tai Bundit with his former ward, Philippine volleyball phenom Alyssa Valdez.

Also vying for the crown are Jerry Yee’s Perlas Lady Spikers, which will rely heavily on the troika of Amy Ahomiro, Dzi Gervacio, and Amanda Villanueva; Nestor Pamilar’s Power Smashers headlined by Arellano University standout Jovielyn Prado; and coach Jasper Jimenez’s Philippine Air Force Lady Jet Spikers, still led by veterans Wendy Semana and Joy Cases.

Meanwhile, completing the men’s field are the Café Lupe Sunrisers, Philippine Army Troopers, Sta. Elena Wrecking Balls, and

Alyssa Valdez leads newcomer Creamline Cool Smashers in the PVL.

Cignal HD Spikers.

The Reinforced Conference will feature foreign players such as Rupia Inck (Perlas), Michelle Strizak and Edina Selimovic (Pocari Sweat), Patcharee Saengmuan (Air Force), and Taj Chupungco and Laura Schaudt (Creamline), each bringing their own international brand of volleyball. The six teams vying in the Women’s division will go through a double round-robin elimination round, while there will only be a single round for the Men’s division. There will be premiere volleyball action from PVL all year long with the All-Filipino Open Cup, the Collegiate Cup, and an All-Star Sunday—featuring the best players throughout the season—in the horizon.

ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena said that beyond launching a new league, they hope to further strengthen the volleyball community through PVL. He also announced a new model for sports cover-

age in PVL as they introduce “multi-cam livestreaming.”

“We’re putting something forward that hasn’t been done before in the Philippines, much like what FIFA has done. We are giving the viewer the power to choose from three camera angles for our livestream,” he said.

Sports Vision chairman Moying Martelino, meanwhile, vowed that the inaugural season of the PVL is all but a beginning.

“I would just like to say, that with the partnership between ABS-CBN Integrated Sports and Sports Vision doing the PVL, this is only the start of something big.”

Don’t miss the maiden season of PVL on S+A, S+A HD and on‪ sports.abs-cbn. com’s livestream, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday starting April 30 at 1:30pm. For more information and stories, visit ABS-CBN’s sports hubsports.abscbn.com and follow @ABSCBNSports on Facebook and Twitter.

Uichico: Gilas’ SEA rivals have improved

By Peter Atencio GILAS Pilipinas national basketball assistant coach Jong Uichico said the level of play in Southeast Asia has improved.

Uichico made the observation after visiting many tournaments around the region and scouting participating squads.

“The team always has to improve its level of play. That’s because the others are improving,” said Uichico Uichico talked about his observations after discussions with Gilas Pilipinas national men’s coach Chot Reyes.

He believes that many teams are improving their game following their ex-

posure to regional tournaments like the ASEAN Basketball League.

Among the teams that Gilas has to watch out for are Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Because of the this, Uichico feels that Gilas must be well-balanced and at full strength when it plunges into action in the 12th Southeast Asian Basketball Association tournament next month.

“We must send a full-strength squad.

If not, it means, we take the other teams for granted. They say it’s an overkill, but we’re there to win,” said Uichico.

Reyes said they have not chosen the final 12 members of Gilas with the pool undergoing daily practice sessions.

A final decision will be known on April 29, which is the deadline set by FIBA to send a final roster, The day before, a PBA All-Star game will be the time that they will make their final cut.

Action starts on May 12 with Gilas set to meet Myanmar at 7 p.m.

Earlier, Indonesia battles Singapore at 3 p.m. while Malaysia clashes with Thailand at 5 p.m.

A total of seven teams are in the men’s division. This also includes Vietnam.

The SEABA Under 16 is also taking place from May 14 to 18, with Batang Gilas set to go against Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

10-team Sumilang cagefest begins IT’S all systems go for the Rain or Shine-Sumilang Invitational for the Santa Rosa de Lima Parish today at the Sumilang Covered Court in Pasig City.

Lead organizer and former PBA chairman Buddy Encarnado has assembled a competitive 10-team cast composed of current and past champions of their respective collegiate mother leagues for a sure blockbuster to further heat up the summer.

Reigning National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities champion Saint Clare College of Caloocan will usher in hostilities against Technological Institute of the Philippines at 1 p.m. followed by the tussle between Universities, Colleges and Schools Athletic Association champion Manuel L. Quezon University and NAASCU runnerup Our Lady of Fatima University at 3 p.m.

National Capital Region Universities and Colleges of Luzon Athletic Association runner-up De Ocampo Memorial College will then play City University of Pasay at 5 p.m., while the nightcap features Philippine Merchant Marine School and AMA University at 7 p.m.

Drawing opening day byes are Men’s National Collegiate Athletic Association and Universities and Colleges Basketball League champion Centro Escolar University and Philippine Christian University.

The 10 varsities have been divided into two groups of five and will play a single round robin among themselves for four games each.

The top four in each group will advance to the knockout crossover quarterfinals with the winners progressing to the semifinals and eventually the championship game on Thursday.

3-day clinic spices up PPS tennis meet THE Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Peara Padala holds another three-day MCTA-ATPCA Tennis Teachers/Coaches Conference and free clinic beginning Thursday, coinciding with the PPS-PEPP Gen. Santos leg regional age group tournament at the GenSan City tennis courts.

The seminar-clinic comes on the heels of the successful nationwide program put up by the PPS-PEPP in cooperation with the Macs Crankit Tennis Academy of Australia and the National Tennis Coaches Association of the Philippines in Cagayan de Oro last February aimed at providing a high quality experience to every coaches and athletes alike.

MCTA coach Patricia Concon-Puzon will conduct the Teachers Conference and the free tennis clinic for grassroots and advance under the Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association.

The project, headed by MCTA foundercoach Patricia Concon-Puzon, will run till Saturday, including free clinics among the participants in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger. The Australian group will also conduct a feeding program for the street children of the host city.

Concon-Puzon, a former mainstay of the Philippine team, is a member of the Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association with a Master Pro Level 3 title. She is also a client service officer at Villawood Immigration Detention Center in New South Wales who’s also into golf and martial arts.

The teachers’ confab and clinics are originally set in the Mindanao region but organizers decided to make it a nationwide affair in response to the requests of the various LGUs to help develop and promote the sport and boost their respective youth programs.

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Cojuangco earns spot in SEAG squad

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

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

Sports Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) protects the basketball against Indiana Pacers counterpart Jeff Teague (44) during the first half in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on April 17 in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

Cavaliers survive shaky finish to beat Indiana

L

OS ANGELES—The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a bout of fourth quarter jitters to take a grip of their NBA playoff series against the Indiana Pacers on Monday as San Antonio seized control of their duel with Memphis.

Cleveland appeared to be coasting to victory after opening up an 18-point lead at the end of the third quarter at the Quicken Loans Arena.

But the Cavs put the home fans through the wringer in a nervy finale as the Pacers punished a litany of mistakes to cut the gap to four points with 18 seconds remaining.

It mirrored a similar shaky finish in Game 1, when Indiana wiped

Grizz coach blasts referees LOS ANGELES—Memphis coach David Fizdale ripped the officiating after his team slumped to a 96-82 playoff defeat against San Antonio on Monday.

Kawhi Leonard finished with 37 points as the Spurs took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven series at San Antonio’s AT&T Center.

Fizdale was furious after seeing his side outgunned, complaining that the officiating crew had unfairly skewed the free throw count against his players.

“It was a very poorly officiated basketball game,” Fizdale fumed.

“First half we had 19 shots in the paint and had six free throws.

They shot 11 times in the paint and had 23 free throws.

“I’m not a numbers guy but that doesn’t seem to add up. Overall we shot ball in the paint 35 times and we had 15 free throws—for the game. They shot 18 times and had 32 free throws. Explain it to me.”

Fizdale, who is likely to face disciplinary action from league chiefs for his rant, claimed officials had shown his team “disrespect.”

“We don’t get the respect that these guys deserve because Mike Conley doesn’t go crazy. He has class, he just plays the game,” Fizdale said.

“But I’m not going to let them treat us that way. That’s unacceptable. That’s unprofessional.

My guys dug in that game and earned the right to be in that game —and they did not even give us a chance.” AFP

out a 10-point fourth quarter lead before Cleveland ground out a win.

They also blew a 26-point fourth quarter lead in a defeat to Atlanta earlier this month.

But the NBA Champions just about held their nerve on Monday, eventually winning 117-111 thanks to a 37-point haul from Kyrie Irving as well as 27 points from Kevin Love and 25 from LeBron James.

James was unfazed by the Pac-

ers’ fourth quarter fightback after the Cavs held on to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 3 takes place in Memphis on Thursday.

“We’re right there,” said James, who also had 10 rebounds and seven assists. “We’re right there of what we know we can become, and we’ll figure it out.”

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue blamed fatigue for the high turnover count that allowed San Antonio to claw their way back into the contest in the fourth quarter.

“I just saw turnovers,” Lue said.

“We’ve gotta take care of the basketball. We turned the ball over and it hurt us. Nineteen turnovers for 24 points. It’s hard to win playoff games like that.”

The victory came at a cost for

Cleveland however, with guard J.R. Smith limping off with a hamstring injury. However Smith’s replacement, Iman Shumpert, impressed from the bench with five points.

“We have so many pieces on this team, but everyone has to stay ready,” Irving said of Shumpert’s cameo.

“He had that mindset, came in and executed, and it’s hard to come off the bench right after halftime. We just need Shump to stay focused and understand the task at hand and I think he did a good job of that tonight.”

In San Antonio, Memphis coach David Fizdale was left fuming after watching his team slide to a 9682 loss against the Spurs in their Western Conference showdown.

Kawhi Leonard finished with 37 points as the Spurs took a 2-0

lead in the best-of-seven series at AT&T Center.

But Fizdale unleashed a spectacular post-game tirade against the officiating crew, which is almost certain to bring disciplinary action from the league.

Fizdale complained bitterly that officials had unfairly skewed the free throw count against his players.

“It was a very poorly officiated basketball game,” Fizdale fumed.

“First half we had 19 shots in the paint and had six free throws.

They shot 11 times in the paint and had 23 free throws.

“I’m not a numbers guy but that doesn’t seem to add up. Overall we shot ball in the paint 35 times and we had 15 free throws—for the game.

They shot 18 times and had 32 free throws. Explain it to me.” AFP

AMAYA Paz Cojuangco is expected to be back in the coming 2017 Southeast Asian Games.

The two-time SEA Games gold medalist earned her spot in the list of candidates to the national pool after earning the silver medal in the women’s compound final at the Asia Cup in the Huamark Archery Venue in Bangkok, Thailand last month.

The 31-year-old Cojuangco emerged as the only podium finisher among a 16-member team that represented the Philippines in the 10-event competition.

Philippine Archers National Network and Alliance (PANNA) secretary-general Rosendo Sombrio in a radio interview said Cojuangco is among those who currently have high scores during ongoing practices.

He also named 15-year-old Nicole Tagle as another prospect for the Games.

Tagle made it to the semifinals of the competition and to the playoff for the bronze medal in women’s recurve.

Paul de la Cruz, a top performer in the men’s compound, is among the new faces along with Joseph Vicencio who are also being eyed to have a spot.

Sombrio also believes that Jennifer Chan can make it along with women’s receurve specialist Karyl Hongitan.

In the men’s side, they are reviewing the performances of Flor Matan and Gab Moreno.

Peter Atencio

Kvitova targets French Open PARIS, France—Petra Kvitova is planning a surprise return at the French Open, six months after her left hand was badly injured in a knife attack, she said on Monday.

The two-time Wimbledon champion suffered severe injuries to her playing hand as she fought off a knife-wielding intruder at her home in the eastern Czech town of Prostejov in December.

Doctors had estimated that the Czech star, ranked 14 in the world, would not be able to return to competition before the second half of the year.

“My name will appear on the entry list for Roland Garros tomorrow,” Kvitova said of the May 28-June 11 tournament in a post on her Instagram account.

“As the entry deadline approached, I had made good progress in my recovery process and I want to give myself every last opportunity to be able to compete at one of my favourite events. AFP

Folayang promises to school challenger Ting

By Randy Caluag ONE Championship lightweight champion Eduard Folayang, a former school teacher, has vowed to teach challenger Ev Ting a neat fight lesson in the cage.

The 33-year-old ace of Team Lakay said it’s not easy to reach the top of the ONE pole and for Ting to become the champion, “I will give him a difficult final exam.”

Folayang will defend his ONE title for the first time against Ting on Friday at Mall of Asia Arena in an explosive card dubbed ONE: Kings of Destiny.

“We have arranged one of the best cards and this one will top the previous ones in terms of excitement and explosiveness,” said ONE Championship Vice President Loren Mack during the ONE

ONE Championship lightweight champion Eduard Folayang, a former school teacher, has vowed to teach challenger Ev Ting a neat fight lesson in the cage when he defends his title at ONE: Kings of Destiny.

Unbeaten Beermen face Floodbuster

By Jeric Lopez SAN MIGUEL BEER has no plans of staining its immaculate slate.

The Beermen, the league’s only unbeaten team, want to stretch their winning streak to four as they plunge back to action in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. San Miguel (3-0) will be heavily favored when it goes up against ailing Mahindra (1-5) at 4:15 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

Following that is the game between streaking Barangay Ginebra (2-1) and hapless NLEX (0-6) at 7 p.m.

Through three games, the threetime reigning Philippine Cup champions are showing everyone that they are picking up where they left off last season.

San Miguel, who is sitting in first place, steamrolled to victories in its first three outings.

The Beermen demolished Star, 103-97, just last Easter Sunday as their fine form continued.

They will face a Mahindra side which has lost three straight and is in need of a win to keep a fair chance of making the top eight.

After dropping its opening game, the Gin Kings are slowly but surely gaining steam.

They won their last two and are now seeking a third straight win.

Ginebra trounced the Hotshots, 113-98, 10 days ago.

The Road Warriors, the only team without a victory, are in dire need of a win as they will try to salvage what’s left of their sagging campaign.

Another loss will more or less leave them out of playoff contention.

Meanwhile, the league fined Phoenix assistant coach Nic Belasco P40,000 and Rain or Shine import Shawn Taggar P30,000 in their post-game scuffle last Wednesday after a heated battle between their teams.

press conference on Tuesday at the City of Dreams.

Ting (13-3) is riding on a fourwin streak on the cage and has taken the scalp of not a few Filipino fighters, including Lakay teammate Honorio Banario.

And revenge is Folayang’s battlecry when they finally face off.

“Marami kang dadaanan bago makarating sa taas, at may final exam bago ka maging kampiyon. Ang mahirap nito yung teacher ay siya ding champion.”

Of course, Folayang was just teasing the challenger.

Folayang, described by ONE Championship Vice President Loren Mack as the “nicest person around,” is typically a silent, softspoken type who would rather let his fists and kicks do the talking.”

“Seriously, alam naman natin na malakas at all-around fighter

si Ev. Magandang laban ito and may the best fighter wins,” said Folayang, who won the title with a KO win over Japanese warrior Shinya Aoki in Kuala Lumpur.

Ting could only agree.

“Everything about Eduard is good. We’re both well-rounded fighters and we both want to own the cage. So expect a dogfight,” said Ting, a New Zealander of Malaysian descent.

Another Lakay fighter, Gina Iniong, wants to make a name for herself on the cage as she faces Fil-Briton Natalie Gonzales Hills in the women’s atomweight bout.

Serving as the main supporting bout is the tussle between Malaysia’s rising star Christian “The Warrior” Lee and Wan “The Werewolf” Jian Ping of China.

San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo (15) defies the triple-teaming defense of Mahindra Floodbuster players, from left: Philip Paniamogan, Mike DiGregorio and Mark Yee. SMB stakes its unbeaten slate against Mahindra today at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Business

GT Capital hikes Metrobank stake B3

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

PH set to issue Panda bonds THE government plans to issue $200 million worth of the socalled “Panda bonds” in China before the end of the year, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Tuesday.

Dominguez, speaking at the sidelines of Dutertenomics Forum at Conrad Hotel in Pasay City, said the issuance aimed to “raise additional funds” for the government’s projects.

A Panda bond is a Chinese renminbi-denominated bond from a non-Chinese issuer sold in the People’s Republic of China. The first two Panda bonds were issued in October 2005 by the International Finance Corp. and the Asian Development Bank.

Dominguez said earlier this year the lineup of major infrastructure projects under the Duterte administration would require the government to explore “hybrid” financing arrangements.

He said the proposed hybrid financing arrangements would combine development aids and loans to raise more funds for future projects.

The Philippines previously entered into similar financing arrangements for other infrastructure developments. These projects include Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental, which was built through a combination of loans from the Korea Economic Development Cooperation Fund and an export loan from Korea Eximbank.

The government eyes hybrid financing arrangements for both the Edsa Bus Rapid Transit and the Metro Manila flood control project. Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF Galoc’s new well found inconclusive

TEST drilling of Galoc-7 well showed “inconclusive” results in terms of potential commerciality of the Galoc Mid Area, an extension north of the existing Galoc oilfield in northwest Palawan, Nido Petroleum Ltd. said Tuesday.

Nido Petroleum said in a disclosure to the Australian Securities Exchange that drillship “Deepsea Metro I” reached total depth of 2,373 meters at the Galoc Mid Area.

“The Galoc-7 well results are inconclusive in terms of the potential commerciality of the Galoc Mid Area of Block C1 of service contract 14,” Michael Fischer said in a report.

The company said it would continue to evaluate the results of the Galoc-7 well over the coming weeks and incorporate the information along the results of the Galoc7ST1 well once they were available.

“The Deepsea Metro is now in the process of plugging and abandoning the Galoc-7 well and preparing to drill out the Galoc-7ST-1 well at the next casing point,” it said.

Nido holds a combined 55.8 percent interest in Block C1 of SC 14 through wholly-owned Nido Production Co. Ltd. and Galoc Production Co. WLL. Alena Mae S. Flores

BDO, subsidiary bag Asian awards

TWO foreign publications have separately cited BDO Unibank and its subsidiary BDO Private Bank as the Philippines’ bests in the recently held Asian awards.

BDO was named one of the region’s Icons of Corporate Governance

by Hong Kong-based Corporate Governance Asia after being consistently recognized for its good governance practice. BDO chairperson Teresita SyCoson was also cited one of Asia’s best corporate directors.

BDO has the distinction of being the only bank in the country among the Top 50 Asean Publicly Listed Companies in Corporate Governance based on the Asean Corporate Governance Scorecard. This recognition was given in recognition of the Asean members’ commitment to promote good governance in order to increase foreign direct investments into the region.

The Asian Banker named BDOPB, the Best Private Bank-Philippines Domestic in the 2016 Asian Private Banker Awards for Distinction.

According to The Asian Banker, “not only does BDOPB offer a full-spectrum service, including advisory and discretionary portfolio management, but the bank’s holistic wealth planning platform has enabled it to meet a diverse range of financial goals and objectives set by their clients across insurance, philanthropy, retirement, and new business venture requests.”

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

B1

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX Closing April 18, 2017

8000 7600 7200 6800 6400 6000

7,588.98 0.45

PESO-DOLLAR RATE

Closing APRIL 18, 2017 45.00 46.50 48.00 49.50

P49.640 CLOSE

51.00

HIGH P49.550 LOW P49.650 AVERAGE P49.603 VOLUME 339.400M

P465.00-P685.00 LPG/11-kg tank

DUTERTENOMICS FORUM. Cabinet officials explain the economic program of President Rodrigo Duterte during the Dutertenomics forum

at Conrad Hotel in Pasay City. Shown are (from left) presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia and Public Works Secretary Mark Villar. Norman Cruz

IMF expects economy to grow 6.8% this year

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE International Monetary Fund said it expects the Philippine economy to post the fastest growth among major Southeast Asian economies this year and next, as strong macroeconomic fundamentals will likely weather the impact of external headwinds.

The multilateral lender said gross domestic product growth could be stronger at 6.9 percent next year. The forecasts for the Philippines in 2017 and 2018 are expected to be the highest among Asean-5 economies, which include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia

and Vietnam.

“Growth is projected to remain robust at 6.8 percent in 2017 and 6.9 percent in 2018, led by strong domestic demand and a recovery in exports,” IMF said in a statement after the release of the latest World Economic Outlook.

“Spillovers from lower growth in China or higher global financial volatility should be manageable for the Philippines due to its strong economic fundamentals, ample policy space, and limited trade and financial linkages with China,” it said.

The IMF said the Philippines could be affected more strongly if the growth of the region slowed. It said the impact from the tightening of US monetary policy would depend on the extent to which it was driven by stronger US growth.

“Protectionist policies in advanced economies would have an overall negative impact in Asia including the Philippines but the

magnitude of impact and channels would depend on the specific policies that are still uncertain,” it said.

It said higher commodity prices would result in faster inflation at 3.6 percent in 2017 and 3.3 percent in 2018, although still within Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ target range of 2 percent to 4 percent.

IMF said public spending was expected to rise as the fiscal deficit target was increased to 3 percent of GDP in 2017 and provide a stimulus to economic activity.

“The external position of the Philippines will continue to be comfortable with ample international reserves and the lower current account surplus related to higher capital goods imports and investment,” it said.

The IMF said the fiscal policy correctly focused on more inclusive growth by increasing social and infrastructure expenditure, financed with additional borrowing and higher revenue.

P38.20-P47.75 Unleaded Gasoline P27.68-P38.84 Diesel

OPRICES IL TODAY

P32.85-P41.15 Kerosene P20.75-P21.75

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, April 18, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

49.5350

Japan

Yen

0.009184

0.4549

UK

Pound

1.256800

62.2556

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128664

6.3734

Switzerland

Franc

0.995718

49.3229

Canada

Dollar

0.751033

37.2024

Singapore

Dollar

0.715359

35.4353

Australia

Dollar

0.758600

37.5773

Bahrain

Dinar

2.655267

131.5287

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

13.2086

Brunei

Dollar

0.712809

35.3090

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.029197

1.4463

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

13.4866

Euro

Euro

1.064700

52.7399

Korea

Won

0.000883

0.0437

China

Yuan

0.145275

7.1962

India

Rupee

0.227118

11.2503

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.700300

34.6894

New Zealand

Dollar

0.032971

1.6332

Taiwan

Dollar

0.032649

1.6252 Source: PDS Bridge

Online gaming industry returns, boosts demand for office space

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE online gaming industry resumed its robust expansion in the Philippines, boosting takeup of office space and residential units, according to real estate consulting firm LeeChiu Property Consultants.

LPC chief executive David Leechiu said in a news briefing the online gaming industry was expected to take up 400,000 to 500,000 square meters of office space this year.

Leechi said the figure would ac-

count for half of the 800,000 sqm projected takeup of the business process outsourcing industry.

This will make the online gaming sector the second biggest demand driver for office space, he said.

“In the last 15 years, the BPO has the office market all for itself. Now, we have somebody also chasing space from the mark and that is online gaming industry and they did this practically overnight,” Leechiu said.

“The online gaming industry could potentially reach BPO in-

dustry demand numbers within the first year of entry in the market. That’s how big the potential could be,” he said.

Data from LPC showed that over the last six months, the online gaming industry took up 83,960 sqm of office space mostly in the Bay Area, Alabang and Bonifacio Global City.

The consulting firm said aside from boosting office demand, the new industry also contributed to the takeup of residential units in key Metro Manila locations.

State-owned Philippine Amuse-

ment and Gaming Corp. already approved 35 applications for Philippine offshore gaming operations licenses. Each licensee can accommodate 7 to 8 sub-licenses.

Average office space required by online gaming firms range from 10,000 sqm to 20,000 sqm.

This trend is expected to keep office vacancy rates at a minimum while rental rates are expected to remain high.

Vacancy rate across Metro Manila is currently at 4.2 percent.

Leechiu said the supply of office space over the next six years

is expected to remain strong. At least 5.4 million sqm of office space will be completed from 2017 to 2023, including 4 million sqm in Metro Manila.

He said this year alone, 1.29 million sqm of office space in Metro Manila would be completed with nearly 500,000 sqm already pre-committed.

Aside from BPO and online gaming sectors, other industries taking up most office space in the country are banking and office, healthcare and information technology and manufacturing.

Mighty must pay P3B in full amount—Aguirre CIGARETTE manufacturer Mighty Corp. must pay P3 billion worth of taxes in full, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said.

Aguirre was referring to the compromise tax deal demanded

by President Rodrigo Duterte from Mighty, the oldest Filipino cigarette company.

“The President is asking for only P3 billion in one full payment if the government wants to have its cases against MC dropped,” Aguirre said.

Aguirre noted that the President said the tax evasion complaint filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue against MC might drag on for years in court, thus, the compromise was in order for the government to be able to utilize the hefty sum on urgent needs.

BIR officials conducting the auditing of Mighty’s warehous-

es were reportedly clearing only 80 master cases a day in the San Simon, Pampanga warehouse where the government seized 73,244 master cases. Each master case contained 50 reams or 500 packs that BIR officials were scanning one by one.

Duterte earlier pronounced that the P3 billion would be given to the Department of Health to construct much-needed hospitals in the war-torn provinces of Basilan and Sulu.

The DoJ formed a panel of prosecutors composed of senior assistant state prosecutor Sebastian Caponong Jr. as chairman and assistant state prosecutors Ma. Lourdes Uy and Mary Ann Parong as members to conduct the preliminary investigation over the tax evasion complaint filed by the BIR.

FAST ROAD REPAIR. Construction solutions provider Holcim Philippines Inc. helps the government

execute quick repairs of busy national roads, with its building solution SuperFast-Crete allowing a southbound stretch of the C5 truck lane closed for maintenance on Holy Thursday to be passable 24 hours after the concrete pouring was done. Motorists were already using the said section of the road by the morning of April 15. Shown are Holcim employees endorsing the use of SuperFast-Crete cement for infrastructure projects.

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market ends flat; RCBC advances Lopez Holdings bares S net income of P6.6b TOCKS closed flat Tuesday, as it tracked regional markets that were weighed down by geopolitical concerns.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, was nearly unchanged at 7,588.98, as four of the six major sectors ended in the red.

The heavier index, representing all shares, picked up 6 points, or 0.1 percent, to finish at 4,536.84, on a value turnover of P5 billion.

Nine of the 20 most active stocks rose, led

by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. which surged 11.6 percent to P47 and conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc. which climbed 3 percent to P14.52. MRC Allied Inc. went up 1.6 percent to P0.32.

Meanwhile, Asian equities fell, with Australian shares slumping as a selloff in iron ore pulled down commodity producers. The

dollar gained while gold fell for a third day.

Markets in Sydney and Hong Kong dropped after a two-day holiday, as investors caught up with global markets that have been weighed down by geopolitical concerns.

Tokyo shares rose amid weakness in the yen after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the dollar’s strength is “a good thing.”

Iron ore futures slid, extending losses after falling into a bear market earlier this month.

Investors continued to assess risk factors in the absence of any major international incidents that damped the prospects for global growth. The US has gotten encouraging signs that China will act to pressure Kim Jong Un’s regime to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, a State Department official said, but the Trump administration is holding on to military action—alone or with allies—as an option.

Readings on American housing and New York manufacturing lowered the odds for higher interest rates, while faster growth in

China boosted optimism about the strength of the global economy.

Japanese shares got a boost Tuesday on a weaker yen but elsewhere in Asia some key markets drifted lower despite a positive lead from Wall Street as geopolitical concerns kept traders on edge.

North Korea’s envoy to the United Nations warned Monday that Pyongyang was preparing for “any mode of war” triggered by US military action, just days after it defiantly test-fired another missile.

US Vice President Mike Pence was due to arrive in Tokyo Tuesday bringing a renewed commitment to Japan’s security amid growing threats from the isolated state.

There are fears that Pyongyang could react to a potential US strike by targeting South Korea or Japan, and officials in Tokyo and Seoul have been ill at ease with the more bellicose language deployed by President Trump’s administration.

With AFP, Bloomberg

By Jenniffer B. Austria CONGLOMERATE Lopez Holdings Corp. said Tuesday net income rose 6 percent in 2016 to P6.55 billion from P6.1 billion in 2015 despite a 5-percent drop in revenues.

Lopez Holdings said in a disclosure to the stock exchange consolidated revenues decreased 5 percent last year to P91.91 billion from P96.51 billion in 2015, because of lower electricity sales by power arm First Gen Corp.

Lopez Holdings, formerly

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.12 13,000 48.6 17,100 106.1 327,090 4.2 102,000 119 2,296,500 1.22 43,000 36.8 1,074,400 9.99 200 16.2 57,200 20.85 128,400 7.75 45,800 1.7 8,000 770 110 0.67 2,228,000 81.5 3,679,890 0.75 676,000 14.62 12,000 26 3,300 57.5 124,770 240 30,690 47 2,272,700 216 766,170 1,670 365 79.7 2,030

40,560 829,740 34,533,206 408,430 274,654,724 49,570 39,504,675 1,998 926,640 2,676,275 354,952 13,310 84,950 1,502,950 300,983,588 503,350 175,440 85,550 7,172,428 7,365,590 101,973,610 164,948,530 609,975 161,725

766,760 4,377,578 -94,330,286 -48,350 -1,016,420 -925,020 -825,295 82,960 -133,937,501.50 338,490 3,390,291.50 16,201,235 -2,535,110 -192,050 -27,891

41.4 5.3 0.81 1.41 18.54 0.247 96.55 8.15 16.98 170.1 23.35 14.88 70.95 88 1.94 5.89 11.84 12.9 9.21 6.4 6.07 1.7 21.15 72.55 12.3 15.5 7.65 1.61 205 69 4.9 3.65 32.5 24.9 18.48 283 0.241 6.3 3.9 9.05 11.32 2.15 8.27 1.9 70.9 5 299 4.76 2.73 13.8 4.71 0.142 1.43 169.8 4.16 1.69

INDUSTRIAL 41.65 1,252,400 5.35 1,116,800 0.85 1,781,000 1.41 501,000 19.16 600 0.248 4,340,000 96.55 10 8.2 12,095,400 17.1 162,400 170.1 30 23.5 113,000 14.88 1,200 71.7 312,270 88 950 1.94 1,637,000 5.89 5,000 12 82,700 13.1 6,795,800 9.24 483,600 6.43 1,177,800 6.11 6,008,800 1.7 8,000 21.6 1,612,500 72.95 42,170 12.3 1,000 16.08 602,900 7.75 2,089,400 1.63 100,000 207 482,940 69 10 4.91 772,000 3.83 121,000 32.55 2,079,400 24.9 32,900 18.5 1,435,500 283 46,750 0.244 1,290,000 6.33 51,500 3.9 412,000 9.06 1,489,500 11.32 12,700 2.15 3,173,000 8.38 4,829,500 2.05 3,012,000 71.45 1,142,110 5 81,400 300 7,330 4.76 12,000 2.73 40,000 14 3,862,400 4.8 237,000 0.143 2,210,000 1.43 93,000 170.2 496,610 4.16 10,000 1.71 3,126,000

52,226,160 5,989,160 1,465,120 708,740 11,376 1,075,630 965.5 99,432,295 2,768,726 5,103 2,644,900 17,880 22,343,983 83,611.50 3,198,820 29,450 990,276 88,889,858 4,465,560 7,584,713 36,642,287 13,600 34,817,280 3,072,203.50 12,310 9,694,226 16,092,214 161,840 99,724,750 690 3,803,330 458,850 67,630,570 820,390 26,561,074 13,248,144 312,540 328,952 1,615,050 13,512,905 143,960 6,835,320 40,471,934 6,014,760 81,266,197 407,239 2,198,904 57,160 109,270 54,023,858 1,142,090 314,600 134,570 84,507,163 41,600 5,369,560

6,123,645 32,040 47,281,009 1,634,352.00 -23,500 -7,691,472 -46,743,442 590,923 330,259 1,475,056 767,140 709,440 -186,544.00 8,038,060 -1,257,446 478,300 61,590 18,226,840 -286,585 -9,543,576.00 2,492,442 153,000 -2,711,513 3,497,600 685,473 -40,000 42,353,882.50 311,500 4,800 5,460 9,982,990 8,580 -2,860 9,956,790 -234,220

0.375 76.65 14.6 1.15 6.32 0.425 0.46 865 8.4 11.96 7.8 6 1,241 6.4 81.9 4.5 5.49 1.04 7.83 15.5 6.49 0.061 1.95 110.7 2.9 723 0.85 1.42 284.8 0.29 0.242

0.365 74.7 14.2 1.13 6.2 0.41 0.42 852 8.35 11.8 7.65 6 1,225 6.39 80 4.5 5.03 1.01 7.72 15.04 6.37 0.059 1.87 109 2.78 714 0.85 1.41 283.2 0.29 0.24

HOLDING FIRMS 0.37 3,780,000 76.2 1,612,060 14.6 22,887,200 1.15 2,000 6.2 61,700 0.41 6,120,000 0.42 5,160,000 859 92,520 8.37 333,100 11.8 12,098,400 7.7 269,600 6 300 1,230 80,260 6.4 512,400 81.9 933,460 4.5 2,000 5.44 6,200 1.03 2,293,000 7.75 143,100 15.4 2,364,600 6.49 11,126,600 0.059 82,380,000 1.87 203,000 110 642,110 2.78 29,000 718.5 81,070 0.85 3,000 1.42 257,000 284.2 1,860 0.29 30,000 0.24 540,000

1,383,450 122,636,919 331,486,434 2,280 383,520 2,529,800 2,197,800 79,463,080 2,787,671 143,742,550 2,082,263 1,800 98,617,000 3,279,176 76,070,426.50 9,000 31,323 2,334,590 1,110,885 36,182,446 71,765,439 4,903,290 381,240 70,595,987 80,920 58,246,710 2,550 364,550 527,462 8,700 129,710

-35,276,449 67,398,546 86,250 -653,960 237,854 -58,065,724 -7,800 -28,387,980 -2,613,569.50 -282,947 -19,854,398 5,675,434 23,784,455 19,345,805 -314,592 -

6.92 0.97 2.35 1.45 35.45 3.95 5.17 0.51 1.03 1.3 0.157 0.53 53.9 0.194 1.65 0.99 1.14 4.02 0.335 0.3 0.66 4.64

6.82 0.95 2.28 1.32 34.85 3.91 5.12 0.5 1.02 1.28 0.155 0.52 53.3 0.178 1.62 0.98 1.05 3.94 0.31 0.3 0.61 4.4

697,241 257,580 332,030 48,057,450 116,929,640 4,594,440 565,902 1,138,380 30,650 221,710 1,089,980 574,660 5,103,237.50 388,430 9,759,890 2,338,760 2,815,200 100,259,480 68,769,200 12,000 9,242,280 491,120

-41,898 2,350 896,570 -16,648,970 63,120 1,813,748.50 -2,691,060 28,121,300 -444,550 26,690 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

3.12 48.5 105.2 4 119.8 1.16 37 9.99 16.2 21 7.76 1.65 775 0.67 82.95 0.73 14.62 25.8 57.5 243 42.3 219 1,670 79.75

3.12 48.6 106.1 4.21 120.3 1.22 37.05 9.99 16.2 21.1 7.76 1.7 775 0.69 84 0.76 14.62 26 57.5 243 47 219 1,675 79.75

3.12 48.2 104.6 4 119 1.15 36.5 9.99 16.2 20.8 7.75 1.65 770 0.67 81.5 0.73 14.62 25.8 57.25 239 42.3 213.4 1,670 79.45

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

42 5.43 0.86 1.42 19.16 0.255 96.55 8.25 17.08 170.1 23.35 14.96 71 88.1 1.99 5.89 12.04 12.9 9.38 6.44 6.09 1.7 21.15 73 12.32 15.5 7.71 1.64 209 69 5.02 3.65 32.5 25 18.58 283 0.241 6.3 3.93 9.06 11.36 2.18 8.32 1.9 72.1 5.04 300.2 4.76 2.74 13.8 4.75 0.144 1.43 170.2 4.16 1.76

42.2 5.48 0.86 1.42 19.18 0.255 96.55 8.35 17.1 170.1 23.5 14.96 71.7 88.2 2 5.89 12.28 13.16 9.38 6.49 6.12 1.7 21.75 73 12.32 16.1 7.75 1.64 209.8 69 5.02 3.89 32.8 25 18.62 284 0.244 6.5 3.93 9.25 11.36 2.18 8.5 2.05 72.1 5.49 300.2 4.8 2.74 14.14 4.95 0.144 1.45 171.8 4.16 1.77

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG ZEUS HLDG

0.375 76.5 14.2 1.13 6.2 0.42 0.43 859 8.4 11.94 7.65 6 1,241 6.39 81.45 4.5 5.05 1.03 7.78 15.04 6.4 0.061 1.95 109 2.8 723 0.85 1.42 284.8 0.29 0.241

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP

6.82 0.95 2.35 1.34 34.85 3.94 5.17 0.51 1.02 1.28 0.156 0.53 53.4 0.178 1.64 0.99 1.08 3.94 0.32 0.3 0.65 4.45

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

25.4 1.77 3.34 30 0.99 0.91 5.2

25.55 1.77 3.34 30.1 1.02 0.91 5.28

25 1.77 3.34 29.75 0.99 0.91 5.2

25 1.77 3.34 29.8 1 0.91 5.28

1,186,700 99,000 4,000 2,005,300 4,575,000 8,000 1,416,400

29,749,450 175,230 13,360 59,865,195 4,604,740 7,280 7,446,135

-458,215 15,301,570 -309,432

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

12.16 46 1.45 0.54 0.046 12.18 5.33 8.3 0.073 2.2 103.5 8.75 4.14 2,040 6.4 16.12 14.5 3.23 3.65 89.8 0.0093 12.78 9.03 0.193 1.36 3.79 14.24 4.73 0.95 4.5 2.47 6.45 3.81 15.22 3.06 11.52 5.49 3.05 172 7.97 1,760 1.6 0.425 42.5 78.95 6.24 2.32 1.1 1.81 3.21 0.395 5.22

12.32 46 1.53 0.54 0.047 12.18 5.34 8.5 0.077 2.21 105 8.79 4.14 2,050 6.4 16.48 14.5 3.27 3.65 89.8 0.0093 12.78 9.03 0.194 1.54 3.86 15.7 4.85 0.95 4.56 2.52 6.51 3.92 15.22 3.13 11.66 5.5 3.09 172 8.04 1,799 1.6 0.43 42.9 79.1 6.25 2.34 1.1 1.9 3.3 0.405 5.22

12.04 45.95 1.45 0.52 0.045 11.9 5.33 8.3 0.073 2.1 102.5 8.45 3.98 2,020 6.2 16.12 14.5 3.15 3.62 86.3 0.0091 12 9.02 0.191 1.36 3.66 14.22 4.73 0.95 4.5 2.37 6.34 3.8 15.22 3.03 11.52 5.32 3.05 169.5 7.91 1,759 1.59 0.425 42.35 78.6 6.1 2.22 1.08 1.81 3.2 0.395 5.16

SERVICES 12.2 45.95 1.49 0.52 0.046 11.9 5.34 8.38 0.075 2.14 103.9 8.7 3.98 2,040 6.25 16.48 14.5 3.24 3.62 88.5 0.0092 12.76 9.02 0.193 1.43 3.83 15.6 4.79 0.95 4.52 2.4 6.35 3.87 15.22 3.06 11.66 5.5 3.05 169.9 7.95 1,760 1.59 0.43 42.8 78.7 6.1 2.24 1.09 1.9 3.21 0.395 5.19

528,200 20,600 43,000 2,490,000 25,000,000 8,500 500 2,461,400 56,900,000 7,876,000 390,540 174,000 7,000 65,250 601,700 91,900 700 1,819,000 9,000 1,023,250 11,000,000 11,200 255,000 13,380,000 4,601,000 147,000 27,700 2,879,000 70,000 1,114,000 64,000 3,483,100 2,991,000 1,900 4,373,000 3,200 30,200 54,000 110 245,200 115,775 5,164,000 180,000 4,669,400 1,216,140 56,100 7,834,000 10,737,000 5,000 1,295,000 670,000 4,933,600

6,451,984 947,515 64,730 1,310,800 1,146,200 101,430 2,667 20,589,524 4,271,290 16,892,680 40,610,734 1,499,791 28,320 133,266,450 3,767,294 1,508,174 10,150 5,819,830 32,820 90,521,032 100,600 135,184 2,300,150 2,568,630 6,690,930 553,820 422,698 13,805,190 66,500 5,061,460 156,140 22,295,240 11,580,750 28,918 13,520,640 37,120 165,190 164,820 18,802 1,952,968 206,055,550 8,245,590 76,900 199,513,550 95,737,453.50 346,788 17,779,990 11,746,700 9,230 4,195,740 270,300 25,596,354

4,994 -46,000 1,711,144 3,040 171,800 -1,800,082 -865,230 -63,059,260 28,410 -33,070,435.50 -19,300 -72,000 -4,315,850 9,266,692 -7,219,010 13,960 155,550 -11,977 -845,338 84,142,905 617,410 -23,958,905 39,867,615 -543,230 -1,833,740 -2,756,390 7,900 1,831,595

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

0.0034 1.57 5.22 1.83 1.95 0.78 0.39 9.05 2.67 0.25 0.183 0.197 0.011 1.83 6.12 2.12 0.9 0.011 0.012 4.05 0.013 8.6 3.4 150.3 2.77

0.0034 1.59 5.45 1.83 1.96 0.85 0.395 9.05 2.7 0.25 0.183 0.197 0.011 1.83 6.2 2.13 0.9 0.012 0.012 4.05 0.014 8.61 3.41 150.5 2.77

0.0033 1.54 5.22 1.83 1.94 0.77 0.385 8.67 2.6 0.247 0.179 0.197 0.011 1.72 6.12 2.08 0.89 0.011 0.012 4.02 0.013 8.55 3.25 150 2.72

MINING & OIL 0.0033 17,000,000 1.55 7,161,000 5.35 58,100 1.83 2,000 1.94 18,000 0.83 20,880,000 0.39 880,000 8.99 2,800 2.61 1,866,000 0.25 800,000 0.179 8,230,000 0.197 80,000 0.011 100,000 1.82 545,000 6.16 2,065,000 2.11 46,000 0.89 135,000 0.012 17,700,000 0.012 10,000,000 4.05 50,000 0.014 388,800,000 8.55 616,500 3.26 1,362,000 150 410,610 2.72 60,000

56,300 11,136,100 310,124 3,660 35,040 17,064,820 340,800 24,438 4,909,830 198,420 1,482,200 15,760 1,100 961,060 12,729,620 95,850 120,520 195,600 120,000 201,900 5,056,700 5,295,129 4,482,270 61,634,110 164,300

6,800 -2,564,480 42,234 141,400 78,100 2,490 11,820 -7,690,156 -677,000 -1,769,244 -119,250 -21,855,682 -

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

46.2 528.5 107.5 105 103.9 524.5 5.75 1,033 107.7 105.5 112 80.15 76.5 78 80 77.65 78.3 78.2

46.2 528.5 107.5 105 103.9 524.5 5.75 1,033 107.7 105.5 112 80.15 76.5 80 80 77.65 78.3 78.25

46.15 528.5 107.5 104.5 103.9 523 5.69 1,033 107.7 105 112 80.1 76 78 80 77.65 78.3 78

PREFERRED 46.15 18,000 528.5 4,400 107.5 600 104.5 2,000 103.9 100 523 9,420 5.69 8,110,500 1,033 155 107.7 20,000 105 38,900 112 4,460 80.1 39,610 76 10,770 79.6 105,050 80 25,000 77.65 70,700 78.3 15,230 78.25 79,890

830,825 2,325,400 64,500 209,075 10,390 4,928,520 46,196,373 160,115 2,154,000 4,089,982 499,520 3,173,031 820,170 8,357,640 2,000,000 5,489,855 1,192,509 6,232,397.50

461,500 -1,372,446 105,200 -3,173,031 -

LR WARRANT

2.42

2.62

2.42

WARRANTS 2.5 3,085,000

7,858,120

-

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

3.97 7.16 9.92

4.09 7.64 10

3.91 7.16 9.91

4 7.25 9.95

1,660,470 4,338,267 17,621,436

323,200 -1,912,799

FIRST METRO ETF

126

126

124.8

1,275,025

670,176

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 6.82 0.96 2.28 1.44 35.3 3.93 5.15 0.5 1.03 1.29 0.155 0.53 53.3 0.193 1.63 0.99 1.1 3.99 0.315 0.3 0.62 4.52

101,800 269,000 144,000 34,109,000 3,316,500 1,170,000 110,000 2,269,000 30,000 172,000 7,010,000 1,090,000 95,270 2,080,000 5,975,000 2,365,000 2,594,000 25,093,000 213,590,000 40,000 14,762,000 110,000

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES

14,875,001 75,112,403 156,276,164

PROPERTY

328,732,987

SERVICES

193,362,678

MINING & OIL

478,914,101

GRAND TOTAL

1,250,056,523

SME

415,000 588,000 1,769,700

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 125.8 10,160

VALUE 1,873.42 (DOWN) 4.31 1,083,608,442.64 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,298.00 (DOWN) 1.07 971,426,125.698 HOLDING FIRMS 7,681.95 (UP) 11.31 1,228,319,467.43 PROPERTY 3,312.21 (UP) 7.20 SERVICES 1,598.12 (DOWN) 0.28 572,057,941.445 MINING & OIL 12,083.21 (DOWN) 16.95 1,039,892,249.57 PSEI 7,588.98 (UP) 0.45 126,651,006.823 All Shares Index 4,536.84 (UP) 6.34 5,046,852,661.90 Gainers: 87; Losers:104; Unchanged: 49; Total: 240

Benpres Holdings Corp., has investments in sustainable energy development, infrastructure, property development, green manufacturing and broadcasting.

Lopez Holdings said First Philippine Holdings Corp. reported an 84-percent increase in net income attributable to equity holders to P9.933 billion, boosted by arbitration settlement proceeds and collection of liquidated damages. Lopez Holdings owned 46 percent of FPH and 56 percent of broadcast unit ABS-CBN Corp. as of end-2016.

ABS-CBN reported a 39-percent increase in net income to a record P3.525 billion last year, boosted by election-related advertising revenues.

Lopez Holdings reported that it received P880 million in cash dividends from major investees in 2016, including P365 million from ABS-CBN and P515 million from FPH. This is higher than P800 million in cash dividends received in 2015.

Consolidated costs and expenses decreased 10 percent to P67.408 billion from P74.670 billion, reflecting essentially the decrease in the costs of sale of electricity.

Lopez Holdings had $5 million in direct obligations as of end-2016.

PBCom’s net profit doubles to P400m

By Julito G. Rada PHILIPPINE Bank of Communications, the 19th largest lender in terms of assets, said Tuesday it posted a net income of P400.1 million in 2016, almost double the net profit of P203.3 million in 2015, on the strength of core businesses.

PBCom said in a disclosure to the stock exchange one of the main drivers for the solid growth was the increase in loans and receivables which expanded 28 percent from P34.6 billion to P44.3 billion.

“This contributed to the increase in interest income from loans and receivables

by P240.2 million to P2.5 billion,” the bank said.

“Interest and finance charges were also under control, with interest charges on deposit liabilities going down to P799.7 million from P825.4 million despite the growth in deposit liabilities from P56.6 billion to P61.2 billion, with focus on low-cost funding source,” the bank said.

PBCom said it achieved a low-cost ratio of 36 percent over total deposit liabilities.

Non-interest income, netting out fair market value gains, grew 31 percent on the back of improved securities and trading gains.

Total operating expenses declined to P3.1 billion from P3.3 billion because of efficiencies derived in areas of manpower, communications, and fees and services.

Total assets expanded from P74 billion to P84.4 billion, supported by the infusion of the third tranche of capital from PG Holdings Inc. in the amount of P1.4 billion.

PG Holdings Inc. is majority owned by Lucio Co of Cosco Capital Inc., the holding firm of top retailers Puregold and S&R.

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Metro Pacific eyes Davao expressways

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SUN LIFE PARTNER. Sun Life Financial is teaming up with premiere health club Fitness First to help more Filipinos get on track with their health and wellness goals through the GoWell program. GoWell is Sun Life’s health and wellness community that promotes holistic wellness through a fit and active lifestyle, eating healthy, and living a balanced life. At the media launch are (from left) Fitness First–Philippines marketing manager Jill Santiago, Fitness First-Philippines country manager Mark Ellis, Sun Life Philippines president and CEO Riza Mantaring and Sun Life Philippines chief human resources officer Hiyasmin Ledi Mattison.

METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. on Tuesday said it is interested to build the planned expressway projects in Davao City.

MPTC president and chief executive Rodrigo Franco told reporters the company was looking at proposed expressway projects in Davao City of the Public Works Department.

“We would take a look and see if viable as PPP (Public-Private Partnership). If viable, then we’ll be interested. But we don’t know yet if those are really suitable for PPP or whether they would be government-funded,” Franco said.

The Public Works Department has proposed the P24.5billion Davao City Expressway, a 23.3-kilometer expressway within Davao City proper connecting the Sta. Ana Port near the outskirts of the city proper in Panacan Road and Carlos P. Garcia National Highway.

The project aims to improve

and decongest traffic congestion within Davao City by connecting its port to the outer part of the city The agency is also proposing the Davao-Digos Expressway, which will start at the Bukidnon-Davao National Highway in Davao City and terminate at Digos-Sultan Kudarat Road.

It has an indicative length of 60 km. The project will traverse the town of Toril and Santa Cruz and will serve as an alternative route for the Davao-Cotabato National Highway (AH26).

The project provides an alternative route between Digos City and Davao City since the lone primary road connecting the two cities will be prone to traffic congestion in the coming years.

MPTC operates Manila Cavite Expressway, North Luzon Expressway and SubicClark-Tarlac Expressway.

The company is also building expressways in Luzon and Visayas worth over P150 billion in the next three years.

GT Capital hikes Metrobank stake

By Jenniffer B. Austria

G

T Capital Holdings Inc. is raising its stake in Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. to 36.092 percent from 26.47 percent by acquiring 306 million shares held by several Ty-owned companies. The shares are valued P24.72 billion.

GT Capital and Metrobank are both owned by business tycoon George Ty. Ty’s family, meanwhile, is consolidating its ownership in GT Capital by acquiring 18.3

million shares, or equivalent to a 9.5-percent stake, for P21.69 billion.

The acquisition, to be made through Ty Group’s privately owned Grand Titan Capital

Holdings Inc., will increase Ty Group’s ownership in GT Capital to 55.93 percent.

GT Capital said in a disclosure to the stock exchange two separate agreements had been signed for the transactions, “There are several advantages to GT Capital’s increased ownership in Metrobank. First of all, it enables GT Capital to benefit from a more balanced income contribution from its investments.

This will also be accretive to our earnings per share. Furthermore, the additional Metrobank shares

put us at par with our peer conglomerates with respect to the percentage ownership of our banking subsidiaries and affiliates,” GT Capital president Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista said.

The purchase price of the Metrobank shares and the subscription price for the GT Capital shares were both based on their respective 30-day volume weighted average prices as of the date of execution of the agreement.

The acquisition by GT Capital of Metrobank’s secondary shares, subject to regulatory approvals,

will be done through the Philippine Stock Exchange and executed by First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp.

With Grand Titan’s acquisition of additional shares, GT Capital’s total issued and outstanding shares will increase to 192,596,685 from 174,300,000.

GT Capital earlier reported that it earmarked P47.3 billion in capital expenditures for 2017 primarily to fund acquisitions in the financial services and infrastructure sectors.

GT Capital said it allotted P25

Trade, financing arm finalize ‘Pondo’ rules

By Othel V. Campos THE Trade Department and its micro-financing arm Small Business Corp. have finalized the implementing guidelines that will help micro-entrepreneurs across the Philippines get access to financing.

“We’re very much excited because this is our vision in the agency—to help underprivileged by giving better chances to elevate from poverty. Through this micro-financing program, those from the bottom of the pyramid will get to climb the ladder by expanding their businesses,” said Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya.

The department is set to introduce the national conduits and local micro-financing institutions for the Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso program.

P3, is a P1-billion financing program designed to give MSMEs better access to finance and to reduce their cost of borrowing. The fund will also give priority to the country’s 30 poorest provinces.

Following President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to replace the “5-6” money lending sys-

tem, P3 is also seen to help stabilize supply and cost of commodities in public markets, encourage small entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and offer employment and generate income for Filipinos.

The P1-billion fund of the P3 program from the Office of the President will be coursed through SB Corp., which will accredit partner institutions such as non-bank MFIs, cooperatives and associations to serve as conduit for the P3 funds.

“We’re very grateful that this program has become a reality.

MSMEs now have an option to avail of cheaper funds to expand their business,” Maglaya said The Trade Department launched the P3 Program in Tacloban in Leyte on January 25, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on January 27, and Alabel, Sarangani on January 30.

The primary beneficiaries of the P3 Program are microenterprises and entrepreneurs that do not have easy access to credit. These include market vendors, agri-businessmen and members of cooperatives and industry associations.

Shell’s refinery back to normal

By Alena Mae S. Flores

GRAB-CHEVRON TIE-UP. Grab teams up with Chevron Philippines Inc. to give discounts to Grab

drivers who gas up at Caltex stations. The partnership is expected to be beneficial to Grab drivers as they can enjoy various perks. Sealing the partnership are Chevron Philippines country chairman Peter Morris (left) and Grab Philippines country head Brian Cu.

National Grid bares major physical and technological upgrades

By Alena Mae S. Flores NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines on Tuesday said it has introduced major physical and technological upgrades to aging state-owned lines and facilities since taking over the operations of the country’s power transmission network in 2009.

National Grid president and chief executive officer Henry Sy Jr. said the company was committed to modernizing and creating a grid at par with its counterparts in Southeast Asia.

“At NGCP, we dream big,

so we can be big. There are no two ways about it. Apart from a unified power grid, we want to revolutionize our entire transmission network to exceed those of our Asian neighbors. With every technical upgrade, every facility addition, every process modernization, we are getting there. We want to lead the way,” Sy said in a statement.

He said National Grid was committed to ensure the reliability all its facilities. “We want to be the best utility in Southeast Asia,” he said.

“We will begin this journey

billion for acquisitions and P11 billion for real estate units under Property Company of Friends Inc. and Federal Land Inc. Banking unit Metrobank will get P5 billion to fund branch expansion and renovations and systems enhancements.

The balance of P6.3 billion is earmarked for the expansion plans of GT Capital’s automotive, insurance and dealership units.

The conglomerate plans to finance this year’s capital expenditures through internal funds and debt.

by upgrading the outdated facilities we inherited from TransCo and putting in place state of the art technology.

Our customers can be assured that NGCP is continuously looking to improve its performance across all its functions that are part of its mandate,” he said.

National Grid conducted a physical upgrade of the National Control Center, the heart of its nationwide transmission operations in 2012.

The company introduced Open3000 system replacing the old CRT monitors and unreliable

monitoring systems, allowing the synchronized operation of the three main grids (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao) from only one platform snd the efficient overall monitoring and quick response in case of system faults and grid disturbances.

The system forms the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), a collection of computers, equipment and application software integrated into a system to acquire real-time data on power system parameters and provide monitoring and control facilities for remote devices

such as breakers.

National Grid also reinforced the Backup Luzon Regional Control Center, which duplicates the function of the National Control Center and its operations in times of emergency.

Back-up centers are also in place in the Visayas and Mindanao grids, ready to operate should the existing regional control centers be unable to carry their function. At the district level, upgraded District Command Centers manage and administer power transmission services at a provincial level.

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp.’s oil refinery in Batangas, the smaller of the two oil refineries in the country, has resumed normal operations after a controlled shutdown following the April 8 earthquake that struck Batangas province.

“Following the controlled shutdown of the Tabangao refinery of Pilipinas Shell, SHLPH is pleased to advise that the refinery has resumed its normal operations,” Pilipinas Shell disclosed to the Philippine Stock Exchange Tuesday.

The company re-started operations of the 110,000-barrelper-day refinery on April 11 but did not immediately start production. The company earlier announced it would start production by April 14.

“Shell refinery has started up already. Crude oil is already being processed. All finished products are expected to be on grade/within specification by this evening subject to product quality tests,” Energy Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella said during the weekend.

The company said it was committed to provide continuous supply of fuels to its retail stations and customers.

Pilipinas Shell said last week that “a controlled shutdown was instituted in line with operating protocols in order to ensure the safety of personnel and assess any damage potentially caused by the earthquakes.”

The province of Batangas was hit by four strong earthquakes that caused a power outage at Pilipinas Shell’s Tabangao Refinery.

Pilipinas Shell’s refinery has three turbine generators, including one that serves as backup. The turbine generators generate power and produce steam utilized for the manufacturing of fuel products.

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

Business

US reviews trade ties with Korea T he US trade relationship with South Korea is “falling short,” with the freetrade deal between the countries under review, Vice President Mike Pence said Tuesday.

“We’ll pursue trade that is both free and fair,” Pence said during remarks at a US business chamber gathering in Seoul.

“And that’ll be true in all our trade relationships, including Korus,” he said, a reference to the US-South Korea deal.

“We’re reviewing all our trade

agreements across the world to ensure they benefit our economy as much as they benefit our trading partners,” Pence said.

“We have to be honest about where our trade relationship is falling short. Most concerning is the fact that the United States trade deficit with South Korea

has more than doubled since Korus has come into effect.”

Pence’s visit to North Asia― he is now in Japan―was originally focused on economic and trade matters, though it has been overshadowed by tensions over North Korea’s weapons program. While Pence said on Monday he was “heartened” by signs from Beijing on helping rein in Pyongyang, the Trump administration continues to press China over its trade policies, and has targeted South Korea and Japan for alleged barriers to US

automobile exports.

During Pence’s comments in Seoul he called the trade gap with South Korea a “hard truth,” with “too many” barriers to entry for US businesses.

Pence’s comments come just days after South Korea, the US’s sixth-largest trading partner, avoided being tagged a currency manipulator by the US Treasury, though it remains on a watch list of nations deemed at risk of engaging in unfair conduct. The US hasn’t named any country a manipulator since 1994.

During his election campaign, Donald Trump called the trade pact with Seoul, which came into effect five years ago, a destroyer of US auto industry jobs. South Korea is on a list of countries Trump has ordered probed for potential trade abuse, a process he said is aimed at cracking down on “foreign importers that cheat.”

That study, announced in early April, is due to be completed within 90 days.

South Korea moved to downplay Pence’s remarks, with a government official in charge of

trade matters noting the comments were directed at an audience of US business executives. The US is not singling out Seoul in its trade policy review encompassing a large number of countries, the official added, asking not to be identified given the sensitivity of the issue.

As part of its efforts to avoid the manipulator label and a major renegotiation of its trade deal, South Korea has announced plans to import more energy products from the US, while encouraging its companies to invest more in America. Bloomberg

United first-quarter earnings fall sharply NEW YORK―United Continental reported sharply lower firstquarter earnings Monday but they still bested analyst expectations, and the airline vowed to remake its customer service after its rough treatment of a passenger stoked global outrage.

Net income for the period ending March 31 fell to $96 million, a 69.3-percent plunge from the year-ago levels due to higher fuel and labor costs.

Revenues were up 2.7 percent to $8.4 billion.

United, which has been under fire since ordering a customer forcibly removed from an overbooked Chicago flight last week, projected passenger revenue per seat mile would post its first positive growth in two years in the second quarter. The closely watched benchmark was flat in the first quarter.

“We saw positive trends in the revenue environment in the quarter and are optimistic about the year ahead,” United president Scott Kirby said in a statement.

Still, chief executive Oscar Munoz acknowledged much work remains to be done after the company’s violent removal of passenger David Dao from an overbooked flight prompted widespread public condemnation after a video of the battered Dao went viral.

“The incident that took place aboard Flight 3411 has been a humbling experience, and I take full responsibility,” Munoz said in a press release.

“This will prove to be a watershed moment for our company, and we are more determined than ever to put our customers at the center of everything we do.”

Dao suffered a broken nose and concussion and is planning to sue the airline, his attorney said last week.

Munoz himself came in for heavy criticism for his response early in the crisis in which he appeared to put partial blame for the incident on the passenger, saying in a note to employees that he had “defied” authorities and “compounded” the incident.

But the United chief later shifted tone, telling a television interviewer last Thursday that he felt “shame” for the incident and hoped to speak personally with Dao. United has also vowed to stop the practice of using police to remove passengers and will likely undertake further changes after a full audit of the incident.

Earnings translated into 41 cents per share, excluding one-time costs, three cents better than analyst expectations.

Shares of United parent United Continental rose 1.0 percent to $71.50 in after-hours trading. AFP

Netflix’s subscriber growth missed target SAN FRANCISCO―Netflix subscriber growth missed its mark in the first quarter of this year, but the on-demand television star expects to hit the 100-million milestone this weekend.

Along with posting strong earnings on Monday, US-based Netflix reported a net increase of 4.95 million subscribers, most of those overseas where it has been investing in becoming a global entertainment network.

In comparison, Netflix gained 7.05 million subscribers in the prior quarter, raising expectations in the market.

“We have come to see these quarterly variances as mostly noise in the long-term growth trend and adoption of internet TV,” Netflix said in a letter released along with the earnings figures.

Netflix finished the first quarter of this year with 98.75 million subscribers and predicted that its ranks would crest 100 million this weekend.

“That is a bit accomplishment,” Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings said during a video briefing with analysts.

“We are super excited.”

The company expected it would add about 8.15 million subscribers overall during the first half of this year as compared with 8.42 million in the same period in 2016.

Netflix shares dipped and then

rose in after-market trades that followed release of the quarterly earnings figures, eventually gaining more than a percent to reach $149.25.

Executives declined to reveal details about viewing trends at Netflix, but Hastings disclosed that people watch more than a billion hours worth of shows weekly at the service while Google-owned YouTube boasts that much viewership daily.

“We definitely have YouTube envy,” Hastings said.

“We are a little over a billion viewing hours a week, and YouTube has a billion a day so we have a ways to go to catch up.”

He downplayed competition, saying “entertainment is not a zero-sum game” and it is more about winning fans with content in the on-demand viewing market.

Netflix has no interest in getting into the live television streaming game, so is not facing off with services such as PlayStation Vue, DirecTV and YouTube TV, according to executives.

Hastings saw Netflix and rival Amazon Prime Video as competing more with people’s limited viewing time than they are with one another.

Both Amazon and Netflix have been investing heavily in original programming to win subscribers to their on-demand video services. AFP

MEAT EXPO. French presidential election candidate for the En Marche! movement Emmanuel Macron (center) listens to explanations at the meat pavilion during a visit at the International Food Market, in Rungis, south of Paris, on April 18, 2017. AFP

Mystery shrouds Hong Kong’s paper billionaires

By Robert Olsen and Benjamin Robertson THEY are classic Hong Kong stories: people who, in a blink, became stock-market billionaires.

But exactly what’s behind much of this wealth is something of a mystery.

Take Wong Wing-wah, who used to be a fishmonger before starting a civil engineering firm.

He took his company public last year―and its stock then soared 9,800 percent. Wong and a partner, who together own nearly all of the stock, are each now worth roughly $1 billion. Their company, Luen Wong Group Holdings Ltd., reported just $1 million in profit last year.

What’s going on? The answer lies in one of the murkiest corners of Hong Kong finance: small-cap stocks.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange and its sibling, the Growth Enterprise Market, have become a breeding ground for paper billionaires.

In the past three years alone, perhaps as many as a dozen executives, many from mainland China, have amassed billion-plus wealth as their companies’ share prices soared, usually for no apparent reason.

The executives and their companies haven’t been accused of wrongdoing. But the phenomenon has raised flags for Hong Kong regulators, who warn that the stocks can be susceptible to manipulation, particularly when few of the shares are in the public’s hands.

Wild Swings In some cases, the public float of these companies is effectively less than 1 percent, leading to wild price swings and gaping differences between the prices at which investors are willing to buy and sell. In the case of Luen Wong, the bid-offer spread recently hit 68 percent.

“A lot of these guys are very rich on paper, but if they were to sell their shares, there’s no way they would be able to realize any

of the consideration of the share price,” said Philippe Espinasse, the Hong Kong-based former head of Asia equity capital markets at Nomura Holdings Inc. and author of “IPO: A Global Guide.”

Again and again―124 times since 2009―the Securities and Futures Commission has warned about what it calls “high shareholding concentration,” where most of a company’s stock is held in few hands, and where low trading volumes and triple-digit gains signal investors to be cautious. The companies’ market value totaled $79.6 billion as of the dates of each of the notices.

‘Extreme Caution’ In April 2016, after Luen Wong began trading, the SFC recommended “extreme caution” in buying its shares because 96 percent of them were held by its two founders and 19 other investors. Yet shares are currently trading more than 7,500 percent higher than their IPO price. The PE, or price-to-earnings ratio, is now an extraordinarily high

2,450 in a city where the benchmark index median for small-cap stocks is 13.

Luen Wong didn’t respond to multiple emails, phone calls or a hand-delivered letter to its office seeking comment.

Hong Kong companies, which are often family-run, have been using various means to artificially inflate their share prices, according to Jie Gan, a Hong Kong-based finance professor at Beijing’s Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, who was speaking generally. “And now mainlanders are also coming here and using similar tricks or gimmicks to maximize their wealth.”

Thorough Review A representative for the SFC and a spokesman for both exchanges declined to comment.

Since a speech last June, when SFC Chief Executive Officer Ashley Alder said the regulator and bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing Ltd. were working to review and possibly enhance listings supervision, the two bodies issued several state-

ments over general exchange misconduct.

Hong Kong has also been stepping up scrutiny of its markets.

The SFC has been doubling enforcement staff since 2010 to more than 200 people as of next year.

New Funding A high market value, even if it’s an unwitting side effect of concentrated ownership, helps a company’s principals court new business as well as funding sources they might not otherwise tap.

“Even if they’re just a billionaire on paper, they’re still able to access hundreds of millions that are not due them in real money,” said Dan David, a co-founder of Pennsylvania-based research firm GeoInvesting and an investor in, and short-seller of, Hong Kong stocks.

Shares of all the paper billionaires’ companies have traded between 5 and 335 times their respective book values. Hong Kong companies ranged between 1 and 1.3 last year. Bloomberg

LGUs

‘Talomo route to Mt. Apo is illegal’

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

C1

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte on Tuesday warned mountain hikers and trekkers who enter Mt. Talomo to reach Mt. Apo—the highest peak of the country— that they face sanctions if they are caught by the authorities.

Mt. Talomo has been excluded from the list of Mt. Apo entry points for years to preserve its ecological value, especially since it is identified as the watershed area of the local government and the home of the Philippine eagle.

“We have received evidence that mountaineers and tour operators are entering Mt. Apo through Mt. Talomo,” Duterte said.

“These illegal activities must be stopped, and the Davao City Government strongly reminds the public of the possible sanctions to be meted out to violators.”

Duterte, however, said Mt. Talomo will be open for tourists who would like to see its beauty after the city government, the Department of Tourism in Region 11, the Philippine Eagle Foundation and the Bagobo community living in the mountain rolled out a comprehensive eco-tourism and cultural plan.

“This will cover regulations that will ensure that the watershed area is protected from human activities that are injurious and destructive to the environment,” Duterte said.

Mt. Apo was closed to tourists for a year due to a forest fire that lasted for two weeks, but the Protected Area Management Board ended the closure last April 12.

PAMB limits the number of trekkers to 50 people per trail, and increased its environmental fees to P2,000 per person as the standard entry fee, P2,500 during peak season. The bureau also raised the exit fee to P1,000 for the regular season and P1,500 for peak season.

REHAB PRODUCTS. Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla (center) inspects woven baskets made of straw crafted by former drug dependents that went through a 45-day citysponsored rehabilitation program. More than 20 former drug dependents attended graduation ceremonies dubbed ‘Lingap ng Mapagkalingang Rehabilitation’ at the Bacoor City Hall on Monday. Norman Cruz

‘New’ Fort Santiago unveiled

By Sandy Araneta

I

N LINE with the “Intramuros Revival Project” initiated by the Department of Tourism last year, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo on Monday led the opening of the newly renovated Paseo Soledad and Plaza Moriones in Fort Santiago.

Plaza Moriones, the area leading to the iconic Fort Santiago, has been smoothed out with flowering trees and a colorful fountain at the center.

Paseo de Soledad, a portion of the linear park built along the banks of Pasig River, is now accessible through the river gate called Postigo Nuestra Señora de Soledad.

According to Teo, the Tourism department, through the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority, has allotted P230 million for the renovation of Fort Santiago, which is part of a larger plan to redevelop Intramuros.

“This is part of the continuing efforts to preserve and revive the glory days of Intramuros as the nation’s foremost bastion of culture, history and faith,” Teo said.

“Having been at the helm of one of the country’s destination management companies [or DMCs], I know very well the importance of having good at-

tractions, facilities and services.

Our Manila DMCs will always have Intramuros as the highlight of their city tours and thus, welcome continued physical enhancement and more exciting ways to retell history. The rest is up to them to liven up the conversation.”

Lawyer Guiller Asido, the newly appointed Intramuros Administration head, revealed that more areas such as Rajah Soliman Theatre, reception venues for visitors, and the dungeons will be opened to the public once the rehabilitation is completed

by the end of the year.

“We are looking at the completion of the first phase of the Intramuros Museum and the Maestranza Chambers this year,” Asido said.

Data from Intramuros Administration revealed that around 500,000 tourists visited Fort Santiago in 2016.

Asido added the DoT is aiming for a significant increase in arrivals this year by extending the park’s operating hours until 9 p.m. with no raise in entrance fees, which will remain at P75 for adults and P50 for students.

Binay urges UMak graduates to excel

By Joel E. Zurbano

SUMMER WORKERS. Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez congratulates 600 indigent students getting short-term but gainful employment this summer season under the Special Program for the Employment of Students in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment.

The SPES beneficiaries will be engaged by city hall for 20 to 52 days of various summer work appropriate to their skills until May. The student beneficiaries, who will receive minimum wage every day for 30 days, will be assigned in different city hall offices as tax mappers, encoders, assistants, and barangay survey personnel.

MAYOR Abigail Binay exhorted some 1,029 new graduates of the city-run University of Makati or UMak to value discipline and make the city proud by excelling in their chosen careers.

Speaking at the 44th Commencement Exercises of UMak held at the Philippine International Convention Center Plenary Hall in Pasay City, Binay also asked the graduates not to hold a grudge against their strict professors, but should instead be grateful.

She shared her own personal experience with a strict teacher, which drove her and her classmates to be diligent in their studies.

“We learned discipline, we learned to study hard because we cannot cheat. That is what is good about strict teaching. So, let us honor and appreciate our teachers because we are indebted to them,” Binay said.

The mayor also urged the graduates to make their city and alma mater proud by working hard to succeed in their chosen fields.

“After today, your goal is to come back to the University as alumni, and be able to proudly tell your former professors and fellow alumni, ‘This is what I am now,’” Mayor Binay said.

“That is your goal—not just to make your parents proud, but to make your city and your alma mater proud,” she added.

Ombudsman suspends Policy war leads to 1-m idle rice bags in Cebu 9 Iloilo execs in bad deal

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement a three-month suspension order on nine officials of Iloilo for irregularities in the procurement of medicines and medical supplies.

Those found guilty of simple misconduct were Lyd Tupas, accountant; Sandra Bionat, assistant accountant; lawyer Edgar Sumido, Ramie Salcedo, Corazon Beloria, Romeo Andig, Glenda Losanta, Antonio

Muralla and Julius Tidon, all members of the bids and awards committee or BAC. In January to May 2010, 14 contracts for the procurement of various medicines and medical supplies worth P5,342,100 were awarded to a single supplier, the anti-graft and corruption office said.

“A closer look at the bidding documents showed the respondents resorted to the alternative method of emergency procurement claiming that the province was severely hit by Typhoon “Frank” in 2008,” the Ombudsman said.

CEBU CITY—At least one million bags of imported rice, mostly from Vietnam, are sitting idle at the Cebu International Port since last March owing to a clash of policies between Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. and National Food Authority Administrator Jason Laureano Aquino.

The shipment of rice arrived at the Port of Cebu on board m/v SITC Fujian last Jan. 21, and the National Plant Quarantine Services Division Station 16 in Cebu certified the consignees, Pilmico Foods Corp., complied with the pre-inspection requirements on Feb. 28, the Manila Standard learned.

However, the processing of subsequent shipments that arrived later could not meet the February 28 deadline when a policy disagreement on rice importations erupted in the Duterte Cabinet.

The rice shipment formed part of an allocation of 10,000 metric tons obtained by Pilmico under the 2016 Minimum Access Volume of the NFA. Documents at the Bureau of Customs in Cebu showed only a shipment that arrived on Feb. 21, 2017 containing 10,000 bags was released.

The processing of the shipment that left Hanoi, Vietnam, onboard MV SITC Fujian was

finished on Feb. 28. This is the importation deadline specified by import permit number MAV2016-0433 signed by NFA chief Aquino.

Aquino, who was formerly with the Intelligence Group of the Bureau of the Customs during the previous Aquino administration, wants governmentto-government or G2G rice importation.

However, Evasco, who chairs the NFA Council overseeing rice importation, prefers importation through private traders. Neither official has commented on the issue at press time.

Just before the Duterte admin-

istration came to power, Aquino and 15 others at the BoC were either forced to resign or sacked

by Customs Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Jessie Dellosa because of “loss of trust and confidence” in them for allegedly receiving “tara” (grease money) from smugglers.

The Manila Standard learned that in a three-page memo to NFAC members last March 8, Evasco accused Aquino—whom he called a “crook”—of not attending NFA Council meetings, not signing import documents, and Aquino going over Evasco’s head as Council chair straight to the President. Junex Doronio

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

Standard WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 C2 TODAY Manila

Manila

Standard

TODAY

‘Minahang Bayan’ bids pass review B

By Dexter A. See

AGUIO CITY—Seventeen applications for the establishment of Minahang Bayan sites in the different parts of the Cordillera region have hurdled the initial review undertaken by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau central office, and the applicants have been notified of their deficiencies for their applications to proceed to the next stage.

Engineer Alfredo Genetiano, mine management division, said officer-in-charge of MGB-CAR’s the 17 MB applications were part

of 59 total applications that were endorsed by the regional office to the central office for the initial review of their documentary requirements and their compliance with existing laws, rules and regulations.

“We gave them sufficient time to allow their applications to proceed to the next stage of the tedious processing of Minahang Bayan sites in the different parts of the region,” Genetiano stressed.

The MGB-CAR official said nine MB applications are in Apayao, four are in Benguet, three are in conflict-stricken Abra and one is situated in Kalinga.

Among the deficiencies uncovered by the MGB central office on the pending applications include documents that will prove that previous applications over the applied areas have already been abandoned; the existence of documents that will prove there are no overlapping claims over the applied areas; and pertinent studies showing the suitability of the area for the desired Minahang Bayan sites.

Genetiano said there is still a long way to go for the applications to be converted into Minahang Bayan sites because the applicants

need to pass the rigid free and prior informed consent or FPIC process, where they will have to secure the consent of indigenous peoples within their applied areas.

This is prior to the issuance of the pertinent resolutions to support the issuance of the mandatory area clearance over the identified applied sites.

To ensure the continuous operation of small-scale mining associations in the different parts of Benguet pending the approval of the submitted MB applications, Genetiano said the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board

granted temporary permits to 12 small-scale mining associations in the different parts of the province to operate until such time the MB applications shall have been approved.

Genetiano admitted the applications for MB sites in any part of the region are almost like the requirements for large-scale mining companies, which is why applicants have a difficult time hurdling the tedious processes prescribed for the purpose. They are still required to secure the consent of patent holders once their applications fall within patented claims.

Biggest ‘patupat’ offered in Mt. Province festival BONTOC, Mountain Province—Thousands of residents and visitors waited for an early afternoon thunderstorm to stop before partaking of the biggest “patupat” and the traditional “sinab-ang,” two of the primary delicacies of the province served to them by local organizers of the province’s 50th founding anniversary and Lang-ay Festival.

The delicacies were served during the “Lang-ay on the Street,” one of the major highlights of this year’s festivities.

Residents and visitors already positioned themselves along the 500-meter stretch of the main road in front of the Bontoc public market to await the unveiling of the biggest native rice cakes.

Paulino Tumapang, chairman of the Lang-ay Festival Organization, said over 50 members of the Afeo and

Fuyayeng women’s’ organizations took th ree days to prepare the biggest “patupat ” that was six meters long and four meters high.

The ingredients of the biggest “patupat” included 500 kilos of “diket” or sticky rice, 50 kilos of brown sugar, and 360 pieces of grated coconuts.

“We encountered various challenges in our effort to provide a distinct identity for Mountain Province in this year’s Lang-ay Festival, but we were able to hurdle the obstacles through combined efforts of the people and officialdom of the province. We want to sustain our efforts to provide new attractions in future Lang-ay festivals,” Tumapang stressed.

Lang-ay organizers also served to the public some 5,000 pieces of well-wrapped “patupat” to the public. Dexter A. See

Regional Bids and Awards Committee - IV B LANDBANK UP Los Baños Branch Victoria M. Ela Avenue, Los Baños, Laguna Telephone Nos. (049) 536-5058; 827-4954 Email: rbac_4b@yahoo.com

INVITATION TO BID The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) through its Regional Bids and Awards Committee - IV-B (RBAC IV-B), invites Rural Banks and Cooperatives to bid for the hereunder project: PHILGEPS Solicitation Number 4463201 Services for the distribution of DSWD’s Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program cash grants to beneficiaries for six (6) payouts for February 2017 to January 2018 payouts.

Number of Beneficiaries

Items LAGUNA Alaminos, Bay, Biñan, Cabuyao, Calauan, Cavinti, Calamba, Sta. Rosa, Famy, Kalayaan, Liliw, Los Baños, Lusiana, Lumban, Mabitac, Magdalena, Majayjay, Nagcarlan, Paete, Pagsanjan, Pakil, Pangil, Pila, Rizal, San Pablo, San Pedro, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Maria, Siniloan, Victoria QUEZON Adangan, Alabat, Atimonan, Buenavista, Burdeos, Calauag, Candelaria, Catanauan, Dolores, General Luna, General Nakar, Guinyangan, Gumaca, Infanta, Jomalig, Lopez, Lucban, Lucena, Macalelon, Mauban, Mulanay, Padre Burgos, Pagbilao, Panukulan, Patanungan, Perez, Pitogo, Plaridel, Polilio, Quezon, Real, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Narciso, Sariaya, Tagkawayan, Tayabas, Tiaong, Unisan MARINDUQUE Boac, Buenavista, Gasan, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz, Torrijos

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Non-Refundable Fee

3,524

P

465,168.00

P

500.00

39,843

P 8,791,620.00

P

4,400.00

10,868

P

2,436,528.00

P

Each set of bidding documens shall cost a non-refundable fee, in accordance with Section 17.4 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of R.A. 9184.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs).

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows: ACTIVITIES

4. Deadline of Submission of Bids and Documentary Requirements 5. Opening of Bids Post Qualification of IPSEC by NOD

6. Post Qualification of RBAC IV-B

7. Issuance of Notice of Award

By Lance Baconguis CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The regional police here on Tuesday released its quarterly report on the ongoing war on drugs in Region 10.

“In line with the directive of the PNP Chief PDG Ronald M. dela Rosa under Project Double Barrel, Police Regional Office 10 stepped up its anti-illegal drugs operations in the entire region,” Police Senior Supt. Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the regional police headquarters, said.

Gonda said that from Jan. 1 to

March 31, police in the region conducted 608 anti-drug operations.

The police conducted 192 raids in Cagayan de Oro City, 105 in Iligan City, 103 in Bukidnon, 94 in Lanao del Norte, 77 in Misamis Oriental, 51 in Misamis Occidental, and six in Camiguin, Gonda said.

The operations resulted in 887 persons arrested by anti-drug authorities. Gonda said in Cagayan de Oro, 292 have been arrested, followed by 148 in Iligan City, 143 in Bukidnon, 141 in Lanao del Norte, 86 in Misamis Oriental, 71 in Misamis Occidental, and six in

Camiguin.

Gonda said these police operations resulted in the confiscation of 1.8 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and 2.9 kilos of dried marijuana leaves, with an estimated street value of P9.5 million in the entire region.

“A total of 931 cases were filed in court against the arrested persons.

Meanwhile, 64,039 households were revisited and 8,449 new households visited by our police stations, as 88 self-confessed drug users and eight drug pushers have voluntarily surrendered,” Gonda added.

Iloilo City ponders solar-powered lights

1,200.00

Bid shall be per province, bid for municipality shall not be considered. The detailed requirements will be seen on PhilGEPS website (www.philgeps.gov.ph) and look for the opportunities of LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES - OAH IV-B.

3. Pre-Bid Conference

R10 police drug war report out

IN BRIEF

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last five (5) years from the date of submission and receipts of bids, with an amount of at least 50% of the ABC. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

1. Posting or Publication of Invitation to Bid 2. Issuance of Bid Documents

‘GENTRI’ HEROES. General Trias City Mayor Antonio ‘Ony’ Ferrer (second from left) and city police chief Supt.

Sandro Jay Tafalla pay their respects to the heroes whose names are etched on the Memorial Wall for World War II veterans, as the Cavite city commemorated the 75th Araw ng Kagitingan on April 10 after the regular flag raising ceremony at the City Hall promenade.

SCHEDULE April 19, 2017 April 19, 2017, LANDBANK UPLB Branch Victoria M. Ela Avenue, Los Baños, Laguna April 26, 2017, SELBG Conference Room LANDBANK San Pablo Branch, Colago Avenue, Brgy. 1-A, San Pablo City, Laguna May 15, 2017 - 12:00 Noon, LANDBANK UPLB Branch Victoria M. Ela Avenue, Los Baños, Laguna May 17, 2017, SELBG Conference Room LANDBANK San Pablo Branch, Colago Avenue, Brgy. 1-A, San Pablo City, Laguna May 18 to 26, 2017, SELBG Conference Room LANDBANK San Pablo Branch, Colago Avenue, Brgy. 1-A, San Pablo City, Laguna June 5 to 7, 2017, SELBG Conference Room LANDBANK San Pablo Branch, Colago Avenue, Brgy. 1-A, San Pablo City, Laguna

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of the applicable non-refundable amount which is equivalent to 0.05% of the total ABC of lots to be bid in a particular province rounded off to the nearest hundred or Five Hundred Pesos (P500.00) whichever is higher to the LANDBANK Cashier. A complete set of bidding documents may acquired on April 25 to May 15, 2017 from the address given below and through Philgeps website.

Bid must be accompanied by a bid security stated above in cash or manager’s check.

Qualifications and documentary requirements shall be submitted simultaneously with the deadline of submission of bid.

Failure to submit the needed qualifications and documentary requirements set forth (posted in PhilGEPS) shall not be considered LANDBANK reserves the right to (1) reject any and all bids at any time prior to the award of the contract; (2) waive any minor formal requirements in the bid documents; (3) accept such bids it may consider advantageous and beneficial to the Bank, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

SEC Memorandum Circular No. 7 Series of 2017 To

: ALL FINANCING COMPANIES AND LENDING COMPANIES

SUBJECT : LIMITING THE REQUIREMENT FOR “GROUP C” ACCREDITED INDEPENDENT AUDITORS/CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS OF FINANCING AND LENDING COMPANIES PER ASSET SIZE DATE : 30 March 2017 x--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------x WHEREAS, Part I (3) (A) (i) of the Securities Regulation Code (SRC) Rule 68, as amended, states that the Financial Statements required to be submitted by the corporations covered by the said Rule shall be accompanied by an auditor’s report issued by an independent auditor and presented in accordance with the requirements of the said Rule.

WHEREAS, Part I (3) (B) (i) (c) and (3) (b) (iii) (f) of the same Rule require that independent auditors of financing companies (FCs) and lending companies (LCs) shall be those accredited by this Commission under category “C” or higher.

WHEREAS, failure to comply with this requirement subjects the concerned company to a Twenty Five Thousand Peso (P25,000.00) penalty per year as provided under Section 12.4 of SEC Memorandum Circular No. 13, Series of 2009.

WHEREAS, there have been several cases where financing companies and lending companies were penalized for this violation because of the limited number of accredited external auditors under Group “C” category compared to the huge number of financing companies or lending companies in a particular area.

WHEREAS,because of the apparent disparity between the number of FCs and LCs with valid CA and the number of accredited external auditors under Group “C” category who can accommodate only so many number of said companies, more and more FCs and LCs fail to comply with the subject requirement.

WHEREAS, most of the FCs and LCs which are penalized for this violation are those whose asset size is so small that requiring them to pay out of whatever asset is left will jeopardize their continuous operations.

WHEREAS, there is a need to limit the unnecessary burden imposed upon these financing companies and lending companies so as to promote further investments and economic contributions by them.

IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, the mandatory requirement for Group “C” accredited External Auditors/Certified Public Accountants for the following shall NO LONGER BE REQUIRED: 1. Financing companies whose asset in the preceding fiscal year is Ten Million Pesos (P10,000,000.00) and below; 2. Lending companies whose asset in the preceding fiscal year is Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) and below.

This Circular shall take effect immediately.

Pasay City, Philippines. 6 April 2017.

For the Commission:

For further information, please refer to: The RBAC IV-B Secretariat UPLB Branch, Los Baños, Laguna Telephone Nos. (049) 536-5058; 827-4954 Email: rbac_4b@yahoo.com

TERESITA J. HERBOSA Chairperson

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE REGION IV-B

ILOILO CITY—Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is considering converting all lampposts in the metropolis into solar-powered light-emitting diode or LED units to avoid illegal connections that may cause fires.

Using solar LED lights is one way to discourage residents from connecting their electrical lines to the city’s streetlights, the mayor said.

“If there are no streetlights, which use electricity, then there will be no illegal connections anymore. We are also looking for the efficiency brought by these solar power LED lights, too,” he added.

The city is paying P7 million for electricity every month for all streetlights in the metropolis, Mabilog said. “Using solar power LED lights can save the city from paying P84 million per year. If the life of solarpowered LED light is 10 years, then that is big savings for the city,” he added. PNA

EV cops tighten up after Bohol attack TACLOBAN CITY—The Philippine National Police has tightened security in coastal communities in Eastern Visayas after the foiled attack of the Abu Sayyaf Group in nearby Bohol province.

Chief Insp. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, PNP Eastern Visayas spokesperson, said Tuesday coastal villages have been guarded by police, especially in Biliran and Southern Leyte provinces, given their proximity to Mindanao and Bohol.

“The Police Regional Office directed police stations in the provinces and towns to double their security measures. The intelligence community has been stepping up coordination efforts. The intelligence fusion started after the Hilongos town plaza bombing on Dec. 28, 2016,” the official said. PNA

(MS-APR. 19, 2017)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World IN BRIEF Taipei to study request for asylum TAIPEI―Taiwan said Tuesday it was reviewing a request for political asylum by a Chinese tourist, reportedly an anti-corruption activist who was previously jailed on the mainland.

The man named Zhang Xiangzhong has been identified by local media and a human rights group as the same person who was part of a movement calling for Chinese government officials to disclose their assets.

Zhang arrived in Taiwan on April 12 but separated from his tour group the next day.

He sought help on Monday from the Taiwan Association for Human Rights in applying for political asylum.

Taiwan’s immigration department said Tuesday it had located Zhang and was providing him with temporary accommodation while authorities investigate his case.

Any decision to let Zhang stay could further sour relations between Beijing and Taipei, which has worsened since China-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen won Taiwan’s leadership last year.

“We have to clarify details of his case to make further judgment and conclusions,” said Chiu Chuicheng of the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan’s top policymaking body on China.

“He would need to provide sufficient proof, including his involvement with democratic movements and that his life may be endangered if deported back to China,” Chiu, the council’s vicechairman, told AFP. Chui said mainland Chinese could not be granted political asylum but the government would evaluate whether he qualifies for a “long-term stay” permit. AFP

Alleged drug lord denies link to drugs BANGKOK―An alleged Laos drug lord linked to some of Thailand’s rich and famous denied being a major player in the regional narcotics trade when he appeared in a Bangkok court Tuesday.

Xaysana Keopimpha, 42, was nabbed by Thai police on his way through Bangkok’s main airport in January, shining a rare spotlight on communist Laos’ shadowy role in the Southeast Asian pill trade.

Narcotics cops alleged he was an “international drug kingpin” and trumpeted his capture in a part of the world where major cartel figures are not big names in criminal folklore and are rarely caught.

The heavy-set Xaysana faces a string of charges including drug smuggling and possession -- mainly of methamphetamine, which is known in Thai as “yaba” or crazy medicine for its effect on addicts.

“He denies all the charges,” said his lawyer Vorakon Phongtanakul, adding his client had also backtracked on a confession he allegedly signed in police custody.

“He didn’t understand Thai laws and officials told him he could change his plea at court,” Vorakon said.

Under Thai law the maximum penalty for drug smuggling is death though the country has not executed anyone for years.

Xaysana’s arrest drew widespread coverage in Thailand after police said a string of celebrities, including a famous soap opera star, and wealthy individuals were linked to his smuggling network.

Thai police have linked him to a massive seizure of 1.2 million methamphetamine pills made shortly before his arrest. Such pills are hugely popular across Southeast Asia.

The Golden Triangle, a region in the borderlands of Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and southern China, is the world’s second largest drug-producing region after Latin America.

Large amounts of opium and heroin and hundreds of millions of methamphetamine pills are churned out in remote jungle labs each year and smuggled through the Golden Triangle across Asia and beyond.

Porous borders and rampant corruption have allowed the lucrative drug trade to flourish.

Yet compared to Latin America, cartel leaders face little risk and garner none of the public notoriety.

Drug experts say Thai, Chinese, Myanmar and Malaysian police make frequent arrests and seizures but rarely catch any top figures, and there is little information on Xaysana’s seniority in the criminal chain. AFP

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

C3

Protest set against Maduro C

ARACAS―Venezuela’s defense minister on Monday declared the army’s loyalty to President Nicolas Maduro, who ordered troops into the streets ahead of a major protest by opponents trying to oust him.

PREMIERE. Charlize Theron arrives for the premiere of Netflix’s ‘Girlboss’ at ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood on April 17. AFP

Bangkok to ban food stalls in cleanup BANGKOK―Street food stalls will be banned from all of Bangkok’s main roads in a sweeping clean-up crusade, a city hall official said Tuesday, prompting outcry and anguish in a food-obsessed capital famed for its spicy roadside cuisine.

For months city officials have hemmed in hawkers of all kinds across the metropolis, where hitting the pavement for everything from late-night noodles to fried insects is the closest Thailand has to a national pastime.

“All types of stalls including clothes, counterfeit goods and food stalls will be banned from main city roads,” Wanlop Suwandee, a chief advisor to Bangkok’s governor, told AFP. “They will not be allowed for order and hygiene reasons,” he said, justifying the ongoing crackdown after complaints from the public.

Officials say nearly two-thirds of the city’s 30,000 street vendors of all kinds have already been removed or relocated for clogging the pavements, leaving little space for pedestrians and aggravat-

ing traffic.

“I don’t think there will be any stalls on major roads... we have nullified their permission (to operate),” he added, without giving a deadline for the sellers to clear out.

Yet many Bangkokians say this curbside chaos is part of the capital’s charm and an affordable food option for all in a city where other costs of living are surging -- a stick of grilled pork goes for 10 baht (30 cents) while a bowl of chicken noodles costs as little as 35 baht ($1).

“If you want to clean out all the vendors it’s like you are cleaning out our culture itself,” said Chiwan Suwannapak, who works for a Bangkok tour agency.

“You can see the people who cook, you can interact with them... you can see what the ingredients are,” she added.

Street dining is also a social leveler in a city cut by inequality, with everyone from business execs to motorcycle taxi drivers pulling up plastic chairs to slurp down spicy soups or dig into fried chicken as cars tear by.

The rich variety of foods ladled out from the push carts is also a major draw for tourists, who power a vital sector of the kingdom’s economy.

Bangkok is a fixture on established international lists for street cuisine and curious tourists are easily found picking through areas renowned for their street treats.

“If they go against the vendors, that will that affect business and it will affect the charm of Khaosan Road,” said Sanga Ruangwattanaku, the president of a business association in the backpacker hotspot in Bangkok’s old town.

Since seizing power in 2014 Thailand’s junta has embarked on a widespread morality and orderliness campaign, seeking to corral a kingdom where many revel in a spirit of flexibility, convenience and organized chaos.

Critics say an attempt is underway to remodel Bangkok into a Singaporelite, enforcing regulations that have long been abandoned or skirted around by a rampant culture of bribery. AFP

Venezuela is bracing for what Maduro’s opponents vow will be the “mother of all protests” Wednesday, after two weeks of clashes between police and demonstrators protesting against moves by the leftist leader and his allies to tighten their grip on power.

The center-right opposition has called on the military -- a pillar of Maduro’s power -- to turn on the president amid an economic and political crisis that has triggered severe food shortages, riots and looting.

But Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said the army “confirms its unconditional loyalty to the president.”

He made the comment before thousands of riflecarrying members of the pro-Maduro “Bolivarian militia,” who cheered with fists raised at a rally outside the presidential palace.

Maduro thanked the army and the militia for their support and announced he planned to expand the latter civilian force to half a million armed members.

“Loyalty is repaid with loyalty,” he said.

The rally came hours after Maduro ordered the military into the streets to defend the leftist “Bolivarian revolution” launched by his late mentor Hugo Chavez in 1999.

“From the first reveille (on Monday morning), from the first rooster crow, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces will be in the streets... saying, ‘Long live the Bolivarian revolution,’” he said Sunday night in a televised address.

He called for the militia to be in “permanent training” and “permanent deployment” to defend Venezuela against “any imperialist aggression” -- a thinly veiled reference to the United States.

Senior opposition leader Henrique Capriles dismissed Maduro’s announcement.

“The old fogey has announced one rifle for every militia member. He is more desperate than ever,” Capriles wrote on Twitter.

“Venezuela does not want rifles, it wants food and medicine!”

Venezuela has been rocked by unrest since March 30, when Maduro’s camp moved to consolidate its control with a Supreme Court decision quashing the power of the opposition-majority legislature.

The court partly backtracked after an international outcry, but tension only rose further when authorities slapped a political ban on Capriles.

Five people have been killed and hundreds wounded in the ensuing protests as demonstrators clashed with riot police firing tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets.

Non-government groups have accused the authorities of repression of protesters and of using firearms to put down the rallies.

Padrino Lopez on Monday blamed the violence on criminals, retorting that “action by the state to restore public order cannot be called repression.”

Maduro’s opponents have called for a massive protest Wednesday, a national holiday that marks the start of Venezuela’s independence struggle in 1810.

The president’s supporters have called a counterdemonstration the same day.

It is a touchy date in Venezuela, where Chavez and Maduro have built a politics of populist, leftwing nationalism around the fight for independence from colonial Spain and around the hero of the struggle, Simon Bolivar. AFP

Court denies request to carry out execution WASHINGTON―The US Supreme Court on Monday denied a last-minute request from Arkansas state authorities for permission to carry out its first execution in more than a decade.

The US high court decision is the latest in a flurry of legal setbacks to the southeastern state’s original plan to carry out eight executions between April 17 and 27, an unprecedented pace.

Justices declined an appeal from the state’s attorney general to lift a stay barring the execution of Don Davis, who was slated to be the first of several inmates to die this month.

The Arkansas Supreme Court on Monday had blocked the executions of Davis and one other inmate, after lawyers had requested the executions be delayed until the US Supreme Court hears a separate case concerning prisoners’ access to mental health experts who are independent of the prosecution.

But Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge swiftly filed an application with the US Supreme Court to obtain permission to proceed with the execution of just Davis.

As he awaited the court to decide his fate Davis ate fried chicken, mashed potatoes and strawberry cake -- what could have been his last meal.

The US Supreme court’s de-

nial of the state’s request came minutes before Davis’s execution warrant expired at 12:00 am local time (0500 GMT), wrapping up a day of legal wrangling among state and federal courts over the state’s accelerated execution plan.

The legal roadblock constitutes yet another setback for Arkansas’s Republican governor, Asa Hutchinson, who had pushed for the accelerated executions as the expiration of the state’s supply of midazolam drew near.

“While this has been an exhausting day for all involved, tomorrow we will continue to fight back on last minute appeals and efforts to block justice for the victims’ families,” Hutchinson said in a statement.

He said the state would continue towards carrying out the executions of the other inmates.

Hours prior to the US Supreme Court decision, state courts had lifted obstacles to continuing those plans.

The US Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Monday reversed a federal judge’s broader stay on the executions, clearing the path for deaths scheduled to take place later this month to proceed.

The state’s Supreme Court on Monday also vacated an order blocking the use of the drug vecuronium bromide as part of a lethal-injection protocol. AFP

SHOW. Flower bouquets at the Stella & Dot trunk show to benefit the HollyRod Foundation on April 17. AFP

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

World

SUPPORTER. A woman flashes a four-finger sign called ‘the rabia sign’ as she celebrates and greets the Turkish president during his speech at the conservative Justice

and Development Party headquarters in Istanbul on April 16, 2017, during a rally after the results of a nationwide referendum that will determine Turkey’s future destiny.

Erdogan on April 16, 2017, hailed Turkey for making a “historic decision” as he claimed victory in the referendum on a new constitution expanding his powers. The ‘Yes’ campaign to give Turkish President expanded powers won with 51.3 percent of the vote a tightly-contested referendum although the “No” camp had closed the gap, according to initial results. But Turkey’s two main opposition parties said they would challenge the results. AFP

Pence reassures Japan over N. Korea’s threats T OKYO―US Vice President Mike Pence reiterated his country’s commitment to the security of Japan on Tuesday, as North Korea intensified concerns over its weapons program with a vow to launch missile tests “every week”.

The North, which is intent on developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States, defied international pressure Sunday with a test that failed immediately after launch.

As fears grow that it may also be preparing for its sixth nuclear weapons test, Vice Foreign Minister Han SongRyol said that its program would only escalate.

“We’ll be conducting more missile tests on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis,” Han told the BBC in an interview, threatening “all-out war” if the US took any action against it.

Arriving in Tokyo for talks with

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Pence hailed the two countries’ longstanding security ties.

“The alliance between the United States and Japan is the cornerstone of peace and security in Northeast Asia,” he told Abe. The Japanese leader called for a peaceful resolution to the North Korea tensions but did not rule out the need for tough measures.

“It is a matter of paramount importance for us to seek diplomatic efforts as well as peaceable settlements of the issue,” he said.

“At the same time dialogue for the sake of dialogue is valueless and it is

necessary for us to exercise pressure.”

In South Korea on the first leg of an Asian tour, Pence on Monday visited the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas and warned Pyongyang against further provocations, saying “all options are on the table”.

North Korea could react to a potential US strike by targeting South Korea or Japan, and officials in both countries have been ill at ease with the more bellicose language deployed by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Pence pointed to Trump’s recent strikes on a Syrian airbase and an Islamic State complex in Afghanistan as a warning to Pyongyang not to underestimate the administration’s resolve.

Throughout his bare-knuckle election campaign, Trump repeatedly called into question a mutual defense treaty between Japan and the United States, suggesting Tokyo should pay for its own security.

But now, Pence will try to reassure

his jittery hosts that those decades-old security commitments are ironclad, a necessity made more acute after Washington’s refusal to rule out military action against the regime.

Tensions between Pyongyang and Washington have soared in recent weeks as a series of North Korean missile tests have prompted ever-more severe warnings from Trump’s administration.

Asked by a reporter what message he had for North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong-Un on Monday, Trump replied “Gotta behave”.

North Korea’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations reiterated on the weekend that the North is ready to respond to any US missile or nuclear strike.

“If the United States dares opt for a military action... the DPRK is ready to react to any mode of war desired by the Americans,” Kim told a news conference, using the abbreviation of the country’s official name. AFP

Family see shark mauling teenage daughter SYDNEY―A 17-year-old girl has died after being mauled by a shark in full view of her parents on Australia’s southwest coast, authorities said Tuesday.

Laeticia Brouwer was on holiday and went surfing with her father near Wylie Bay late Monday afternoon, police said.

The girl had lost a leg and was bleeding heavily when she was pulled from the water and rushed to hospital in the Western Australian town of Esperance.

Her mother and two younger sisters witnessed the attack from the beach and alerted emergency services.

“Father and daughter were surfing out where the waves were breaking

and that’s where the attack occurred,” Acting Senior Sergeant Ben Jeffes told reporters.

“The father obviously tried everything he could to save his daughter.

“He’s brought her to shore and then the family have contacted emergency services.”

The West Australian newspaper said he “heard her scream before she was pulled under water by the shark.

“When she resurfaced, her father paddled over and dragged her to the shore with the help of another teenager.”

“Condolences to the family and friends of the victim involved in to-

day’s tragedy,” Esperance police tweeted. “Devastating circumstances”.

Family spokesman Steve Evans read a statement saying “the ocean was her and her family’s passion.

“Surfing was something that she treasured doing with her dad and her sisters.

We can take some comfort that Laeticia died doing something that she loved.”

Local authorities closed Wylie Bay beach until further notice and people were urged to stay out of the water.

The fisheries department was patrolling the area Tuesday and spokesman Russell Adams said a great white was likely responsible for the attack.

“Since 2000 all fatal attacks in WA (Western Australia) have been caused by great whites, so you could assume safely it was a great white but we can’t say for sure,” he told reporters.

A man lost his left arm and right hand when two great whites attacked him at Wylie Bay in October 2014.

Brouwer was the third person killed by a shark off Western Australia in the past 12 months.

A 29-year-old man died in June following an attack at Falcon Beach, near Mandurah, and the same month a great white killed a 60-year-old woman near the state capital Perth. AFP

Trump calls Erdogan after his victory ANKARA―Donald Trump called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on winning a referendum granting him sweeping new powers that exposed bitter divisions in the country.

The White House said they also discussed a US missile strike in Syria and the fight against the Islamic State group.

Trump’s congratulations on Monday were in contrast with EU leaders who have been reserved in their reaction to the narrow victory and even his own State Department, which earlier noted concerns expressed by international observers over the “uneven playing field”.

Returning in triumph to his presidential palace in Ankara, Erdogan angrily rejected the criticism, telling the monitors: “Know your place.”

The referendum was seen as crucial not just for shaping Turkey’s political system but also the future strategic direction of a nation that has been a NATO member since 1952 and a European Union hopeful for half a century.

Showing no sign of pulling his punches, Erdogan said Turkey could hold further referendums on its EU bid and re-introducing the death penalty.

The “Yes” camp won 51.41 percent in Sunday’s referendum, according to complete results released by election authorities.

But the opposition immediately cried foul, claiming a clean vote would have made a difference of several percentage points and handed them victory.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) said they would challenge the results from most ballot boxes due to alleged violations.

“There is only one decision to ease the situation in the context of the law -- the Supreme Election Board (YSK) should annul the vote,” the Dogan news agency quoted CHP deputy leader Bulent Tezcan as saying.

The referendum has no “democratic legitimacy”, HDP spokesman and lawmaker Osman Baydemir told reporters in Ankara.

There were protests in Istanbul with a few thousand people crowding the anti-Erdogan Besiktas and Kadikoy districts, blowing whistles and chanting “We are shoulder to shoulder against fascism”.

The opposition had already complained of an unfair campaign that saw the “Yes” backers swamp the airwaves and use billboards across the country in a saturation advertising campaign.

International observers agreed the campaign was conducted on an “unlevel playing field” and that the vote count itself was marred by procedural changes that removed key safeguards.

“The legal framework... remained inadequate for the holding of a genuinely democratic referendum,” the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitors said in a statement.

The Turkish opposition was particularly incensed by a decision by the YSK to allow voting papers without official stamps to be counted, which they said opened the way for fraud.

“Late changes in counting procedures removed an important safeguard,” said Cezar Florin Preda, head of the PACE delegation.

But Erdogan said Turkey had no intention of paying any attention to the monitors’ report.

He added: “This country held the most democratic polls that have never been seen in any other country in the West.”

Erdogan earlier congratulated cheering supporters at Ankara’s airport for “standing tall” in the face of the “crusader mentality” of the West.

Getting back to business as usual, his cabinet swiftly extended by another three months the already nine month state of emergency imposed after last July’s failed coup.

There were also signs of a looming crisis with the EU. Erdogan reaffirmed he would now hold talks on reinstating capital punishment -- a move that would automatically end Turkey’s EU bid -- and would hold a referendum if it did not get enough votes in parliament to become law.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that if Ankara were to bring back the death penalty, the move would be “synonymous with the end of the European dream”.

In an interview in the Bild newspaper to be published Tuesday, he warned Turkey that “joining would not work right now”.

Erdogan said Turkey could hold a referendum on the membership bid. “What George, Hans or Helga say does not interest us,” he said, using typical European names. AFP

Israel vows no talks with strikers JERUSALEM―Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan vowed on Tuesday not to negotiate with hundreds of Palestinian detainees on the second day of a hunger strike led by popular leader Marwan Barghouti.

More than 1,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons launched the hunger strike on Monday, issuing a list of demands ranging from better medical services to access to telephones.

Issa Qaraqe, head of prisoner affairs for the Palestinian Authority, said on Monday that around 1,300 prisoners were on hunger strike and the number could rise.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club had put the number at 1,500.

A spokesman for the Israel Prisons Service said around 1,100 prisoners started the hunger strike and roughly the same number were believed to be continuing on Tuesday.

Erdan vowed that Israeli authorities would not negotiate with the prisoners and said Barghouti had been moved to another prison and placed in solitary confinement.

“They are terrorists and incarcerated murderers who are getting what they deserve and we have no reason to negotiate with them,” Erdan told army radio.

He said Barghouti had been placed in solitary confinement because calling for the hunger strike was against prison rules.

Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel for a range of offenses and alleged crimes.

Of those, 62 are women and 300 are minors.

Some 500 are held under administrative detention, which allows for imprisonment without charge.

Palestinian prisoners have

mounted repeated hunger strikes, but rarely on such a large scale.

Barghouti’s call for the strike has given it added credibility, with the 57-year-old serving five life sentences over his role in the second Palestinian intifada or uprising.

He was convicted of attacks that killed five people.

He is popular among Palestinians, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency.

“Decades of experience have proved that Israel’s inhumane system of colonial and military occupation aims to break the spirit of prisoners and the nation to which they belong, by inflicting suffering on their bodies, separating them from their families and communities, using humiliating measures to compel subjugation,” Barghouti wrote in a New York Times opinion piece. AFP

LEAVING. Migrants carry belongings while walking to board buses in Grande-Synthe, northern France, on April 14, 2017, as they leave a makeshift camp where around 300 migrants had found shelter after the destruction by a fire of their nearby camp to head to reception and orientation centers. The fire gutted one of France’s biggest migrant camps housing 1,500 people, which started after a brawl involving hundreds of Afghans and Kurds on April 10. The Grande-Synthe facility near the northern French port of Dunkirk was the only one in the area providing hundreds ofhuts for shelter as well as cooking facilities and showers. AFP

Relaxed sophistication is achieved with an all-white ensemble, such as this roundneck boxy top with frills on sleeves and skinny pants

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

Life

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

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Ruffled off-shoulder bikini set

FASHION & BEAUTY

Spring/Summer on neutral grounds

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OPULAR Spanish brand Sfera’s Spring/Summer 2017 Collection is inspired by the popularity of historic references, leisure looks combined with feminine items, and a significant emphasis on structure. With this, the a-temporal focus or non-trend concept plays a bigger role.

With a mélange of fashion influences, practical and classic neutral colors keep the collection together. Beautiful pieces are drenched in calming neutrals and subtle shades, classic black and white, with a fun mix of bright colors like energetic shades of purple, blue, and yellow, here and there.

The season continues its love affair with sporty and relaxed styles that ingeniously lead to leisure looks, and combined with feminine items. The collection also has a significant emphasis on the structure, including inspirations from the ‘80s. Structured lines and excessive volume that accentuate the shoulders and that are renewed in the focus on the waist and hips. Tailoring, cutouts, and asymmetry emphasize a solid feminine shape, while corseting, cutouts, and shoulder pads support a firm attitude.

Sfera, under Spain’s renowned El Corte Ingles Group, focuses on quality, constant renewal, variety in its collections, and customer service. The brand offers clothing for Men, Women, Kids and Babies, and also includes smaller lines for Accessories, Confidentials, and Swimwear. Sfera started in the year 2000 and has more than one hundred retail outlets across Spain, Europe, and Mexico. The brand opened its first store in Asia in 2014 in the heart of Metro Manila, at The SM Store Makati.

Sfera is located at the 2/F The SM Store Makati, 2L Mega B SM Megamall, UG/F SM Seaside City Cebu, and The SM Store at SM Aura Premier. You can follow the latest from Sfera on Instagram @sfera_ph, on Facebook SFERA Philippines, and on its international website www.sfera.eu.

STRIPES FOR SUMMER. Striped button-down shirt and fluid belted trousers

Fluid V-neck top and skirt with contrast stitching

Swimwear redefined for every woman

SM Woman’s new collection is cruise classic resort wear designed for the everyday woman. This season, the department store private label affords its clientele a game-changing product edit for Spring/Summer 2017.

Keying into consumer behavior, local trends, and a truly global aesthetic, the new SM Woman caters to discerning women of style; women of informed taste, eclectic preferences, and specific influence. It’s a brand that caters to every woman, fit to clothe all ages, body types, and lifestyles.

The beachwear collection begins with a printed lineup of Botanicals, swimwear separates tailored in sharp shapes: with only grommets, knotting and, ties for detail.

The Nautical set edges up classic onepiece swim styles with sailor stripes and lace-up details. The Romantic collection’s flounced black and white bikinis highlight poolside chic in sheer embroidered cover-ups cut close to the body. All swim styles are available in a wide range of shapes and cuts for all body types at all SM Stores nationwide.

The visual campaign is brought to life by an international roster of models from Ford Modeling Agency. The women were flown-in from New York and were selected to represent the archetypes of the new SM Woman: Adriana @adrianacernanova is feminine in her classic beauty, Clair @clairwesternberg is youthful with her elfin features, and Harmony @harmonyboucher is strong in her versatility, nuanced with a closecrop of jet-black hair.

Making Waves in a black twopiece bikini set and thin-strap mesh cover up

White halter bikini set and mesh cover up with floral applique

The new SM Woman campaign signals a return to form, and an ambitious vision for the future of Philippine fashion. Beginning with Spring/Summer 2017—and upward and onward—SM Woman redefines homegrown fashion for the modern global Filipina, living up to its promise of being the Fashion for Every Woman. For style updates, new product deliveries and upcoming promotions, follow @smwoman and @gtwbysm.

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Life

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

isahred@gmail.com

35 years of denim innovations

The collection’s campaign is photographed inside an actual California denim washing facility

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ETTING ready for an iconic summer? Let GUESS help you prepare your streetwear #OOTDs with its 1981 Anniversary Capsule.

American brand Guess celebrates its 35th year with an iconic campaign featuring Guess girl Hailey Baldwin alongside heartthrob Stefano Sala, and an anniversary capsule collection

GUESS celebrates its 35th year with an iconic advertising campaign featuring GUESS Girl Hailey Baldwin, alongside heartthrob Stefano Sala.

The advertising campaign, directed by Paul Marciano, chief creative officer for GUESS, Inc., and shot by renowned fashion photographer Tatiana Gerusova, perfectly reflects GUESS’ allAmerican style and rich denim heritage that has characterized the brand for several decades. Gerusova’s lens transports the viewer back to an era when the Marciano brothers transformed denim workwear jeans into must-have fashion pieces.

Photographed inside an actual California denim washing facility, the campaign follows Hailey and Stefano as they exemplify the sensual and carefree essence of the GUESS brand. The denim creations and iconic logo tees demonstrate that GUESS, 35 years after creating the fashion denim culture and introducing the category to the global fashion industry, still remains a pioneer in denim.

The GUESS Originals 1981 Anniversary Capsule keeps the unique stone-washed and hand treated denim techniques developed by the Marciano brothers back in the ‘80s, which have re-

AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search 2017 AIRASIA Runway Ready Designer Search, the regional fashion designer competition kicked off its first round of auditions with Jerome Tayao, 21, and Maria “Esme” Palaganas, 23, chosen to represent the Philippines to the Grand Finale in Kuala Lumpur in August.

The AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search 2017 has expanded to cover all 10 Asean countries this year, and will provide aspiring designers the opportunity of a lifetime to compete on a regional level and showcase their collection on a professional runway during the KL Fashion Week Ready to Wear.

A total of over 50 participants were shortlisted from a pool of online submissions with representations from top fashion schools across the Philippines such as De La Salle University of St. Benilde, Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and School of Fashion and the Arts.

Hannah Serrano, head of Crewing for Philippines AirAsia says, “The great turnout signifies how AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search has evolved into a powerhouse competition for aspiring fashion designers from across the region to compete. The local designers we met have some very bold and fresh perspec-

tives to the Asean-inspired theme. Surely, it will be a tough competition and we are sure that the Top 2 selected today will do the Philippines proud during the Grand Finale in August.”

Both finalists from Manila will stand a chance to win 150,000 AirAsia BIG Points; P280,000.00 fund to produce a capsule collection to be sold on fashionvalet.com; a six-page fashion spread in AirAsia’s in-flight magazine, Travel3Sixty; AirAsia flights and mentorship from the KLFW RTW, apart from a confirmed slot to showcase their full collection in KL Fashion Week RTW 2018.

Jerome Tayao and Maria ‘Esme’ Palaganas are the Philippine representatives to the AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search 2017

mained a key part of the brand’s roots. Woven labels, buttons, and rivets embrace the same aesthetic as the original pieces, which mirror the assortment of American and Italian fabrics used in the collections from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Mixing equal parts modern and

Stone-washed denim and selvedged jeans are highlighted in the collection

vintage, the denim heavy women’s assortment delivers a range of jeans, skirts, jackets, vests and chambray shirts in a variety of both oversized and fitted designs.

‘90s logo-mania returns making a big statement in the stone-washed denim group using logo letter ap-

pliqué, archival embroidery patches and laser printing to update the modern aesthetic and lend a classic nod to the era’s varsity look.

Oversized longline tees and vests are styled as dresses and worn over baggy high-waisted jeans to reflect the 35th anniversary collection’s laid-back, vintage vibe.

Form-fitting bodysuits as well as cropped tops, racerback tanks and sweatshirts stamped with a classic GUESS logo balance out any oversized piece in the capsule and add a touch of sexy to your vintage ensemble.

The Men’s Spring 2017 GUESS Originals 1981 Anniversary Capsule brings back the ‘90s retro brights with pop colors splashed on oversized tees and swished on old school GUESS logos. Blending its all-American heritage with collegiate-cool, a head-turning varsity vintage jacket in vibrant coral, patched with artwork from the brand’s archives, steps up your sartorial layering game and adds a punch of color to your wardrobe.

For denim, selvedge 1981 jeans with destroyed details in dark and light indigo shades as well as indigo denim jackets with bold authentic GUESS embroidery and patches are classic hits that pair well with sashed indigo and heather grey drop shoulder sweatshirts that can either be worn alone or layered over a semi-distressed chambray button-down shirt.

The GUESS Originals 1981 Anniversary Capsule is available at select GUESS stores nationwide.

For more information, visit www.GUESS.com and www. facebook.com/GUESSPhil.

VANITY CORNER

Family-friendly skincare They say men are from Mars and women are from Venus. We all acknowledge that each person has his or her own little quirks. Just as our fingerprints are different, so are our personalities and needs. But the good news is, despite our uniqueness, we can all trust just one skincare line to respond to all our different skin types. The Cetaphil line of skincare products employs the Science of Gentle. They are non-comedogenic, fragrance-free and moisturizing. This means each product is mild and leaves your and your family’s skin smooth and soft. It moisturizes effectively but does not leave any pore-clogging residue.

It turns out that skincare that responds to your teenager’s breakouts, your daughter’s sensitive skin, your husband’s hardy skin constitution and your own thirsty skin can be found in just one line. That means: no more guessing and especially, no experimentation that can leave indelible results on your skin. We’ve all experienced products that dry out our skin or moisturizers that cause too much oil and shine. Cetaphil even soothes some skin problems with its dermatologically tested formula.

“Cetaphil is non-soap, non-alkaline and clinically proven safe for all skin types. It is all your family needs to have healthy skin,” says Catherine Palma-Dilanco, Cetaphil Brand Manager. Buying Cetaphil for your family shows that you care for each of them. This also makes shopping for your family’s skincare easy and hassle-free. With a healthy skincare regimen, there is less damage on your skin.

Use the entire line of Cetaphil products for best results: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion, Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer, and Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream. Cetaphil is available in drugstores, department stores and supermarkets nationwide.

‘Wear your best skin ever’ – Drs. Manny and Pie Calayan APART from the potential the Calayan couple, Drs. Manny and Pie Calayan, saw in their newest endorser, PBB Season 737 Big Winner - Miho Nishida, they were also touched with the story behind Miho’s sweet and bubbly character.

As a single mother, it’s not easy to raise a child alone, that’s why the Calayan decided to help her and in return be part of her success as an artist.

Miho said she was very delighted to have been invited to be part of the Calayan family. In fact the other half of the Tomiho love team–Tommy Esguerra–also Miho’s offscreen sweetheart, is very happy she has a skin care endorse-

ment. “I’d like to convince Doc Manny and Pie to take him in as well,” he joked when asked how he feels about her doing the Calayan gig.

Meanwhile, Angelica Jones (who dabbled in local politics) is set to return to show business. She asked for Doc Manny and Pie’s help to get back in tip top shape.

Angelica has been the couple’s client for over six years.

“She has been one of our loyal celebrity endorsers,” Doc Manny and Pie chimed.

Angelica admitted that she got lost along the way and didn’t have time to take care of her body. She gained weight when she was in public service.

The Calayan couple offered her immediately a weight-loss program that helped her to lose a lot of weight, from 170lbs to 120lbs, with strict diet and regular workout, naturally.

This summer, Calayan has a big campaign — bringing out the Confidence within.

“We tend to forget to take care of ourselves because we are too busy taking care of others and It’s about time to C the beauty in us,” says Doc Manny and Pie Summer is here and it’s perfect that Miho is Calayan’s model for Underarm Hair Removal — Cutera Laser. This campaign is about bringing out the confidence for a smoother, fairer and hair free underarm.

‘PBB Season 737’ Big Winner Miho Nishida (second from left) can now bring out the confidence from within her as she has been chosen as the new endorser of Drs. Manny and Pie Calayan

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

Filipino-American firefighter in ‘Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge’

A

MERICAN Dream Team’s Gillian Del Mar-Gallego is a firefighter based in the US. A fitness enthusiast most of her life, she was first inspired by her high school coach who saw her race at a middle school track competition and made sure she signed up for track and field when she got to high school. Since then, her love for running, working out, and being competitive was awakened.

Gillian’s parents are both from the Philippines, however she and her younger brother grew up in California. A state known to have a big Filipino population, she grew up close to her native culture.

Unfortunately, she has not visited the Philippines yet but she sure has great love and pride for her motherland. “The [proudest] part of having my roots from the Philippines is how supportive the Filipino community is,” she said.“ We have such an amazing community that really shows how proud we are of our culture.”

How she landed in the race started with great motivation. She had never joined any of the Spartan Races but her aspiration was more than enough for her to get in.

This good-looking mother of one can easily catch someone’s attention with her charming smile. She may be considered petite at 5’3” but this wonder is packed with will and determination big enough to bring out the best in her. Gillian is a short distance runner and keeping a fast pace for longer runs does not come easy. What helped her overcome that challenge was the unwavering support of her team.

Fil-Am Gillian Del Mar-Gallego (second from right) with rest of the members of American Dream Team

She shared that being a firefighter served her well in the race. Since 2011, she constantly trains to keep up with the physical demands of her profession. Because of these trainings, she didn’t have much problem transitioning from one obstacle to another. In her line of work, taking risks was a given and dangerous situations are critically handled with teamwork. She believes that because of her deep association to teamwork, it has helped her play well with her team.

The Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge experience taught Gillian very important lessons.

“The [race] really showed me how far you can go when you just work hard, have good people around you, and don’t give up,” she narrated.

She will also forever cherish the experience and friendship she gained during the race.

For aspiring participants of the Spartan Race, she urges them to get on that obstacle course.

“Starting is always going to be the hardest part, but I promise you that once you finish, it is a

great feeling to know that you can mentally and physically push yourself,” she said.

Gillian believes that people can do a lot more than they think, by picking one goal to strive for, having the strong will to put in some hard work eventually all that pays off.

Tagged as the United Nations of the Spartan Race, the American Dream Team has team members whose roots come from different parts of the world. However, they have shown that cultural differences don’t matter if everyone is united to achieve a bigger goal. Gillian said that her relationship with her teammates can be summarized in two words – love and respect.

Catch Gillian and the rest of her team compete against five others in a brutal one-mile race in the premiere of Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge on April 22, 9:35 p.m., first and exclusive on RTL CBS Extreme.

Available on SkyCable HD channel 209 on and Destiny Cable Digital channel 104.

RGMA ‘Pera Sorpresa’ jumpstarts new season with bigger prizes PERA Sorpresa, Radio GMA’s proof-of-purchase (POP) promo, is back on its seventh wave with bigger and more prizes to be given away nationwide.

Starting April 24, 12 weekly winners from each of the 15 RGMA areas (Manila, Tuguegarao, Dagupan, Baguio, Lucena, Naga, Legazpi, Palawan, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, Kalibo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and General Santos) will be drawn for eight weeks. On top of the weekly winners who will take home P1,500 each, additional 15 bonus prize winners nationwide will get P10,000 each and six more winners will receive P5,000 each, which will be drawn randomly during the eight-week period.

Weekly draws will be held every Saturday of the playing week in all RGMA Stations nationwide.

All non-winning entries will get a chance to become the lucky winner of P1 million during the grand draw on July 8. Five winners from South Luzon, North Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and Mega Manila will also win P25,000 each during the grand draw.

Participating sponsors this season are Petron, Tang, Bear Brand Powdered Milk Drink, Bravo Male Supplement, Wellmade, and Sunsilk CoCreations Shampoo.

To join, simply write name, age, address, contact number, and signature on a piece of paper and enclose it together with the required proof-ofpurchase in a white envelope. Participants must write “RGMA Pera Sorpresa”, week number, POP/brand attached, and RGMA Station listened to at the back of the envelope.

Participants can drop their entries in designated drop boxes located in selected Petron outlets, RGMA Stations, or via registered mail to RGMA Stations. Entries will be accepted until June 30.

For additional details, tune in to Barangay FM and Super Radyo AM stations nationwide, like the promo Facebook page at www.facebook. com/PeraSorpresaNationwidePromo, watch the Pera Sorpresa mechanics plug, see posters or visit www.gmanetwork.com/radio.

More local web series, please!

MILLENNIALS and the generation after them prefer subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming for their entertainment. No wonder, due to accessibility and affordability of high- speed Internet and streaming video technology, web series is now called the future of entertainment and a better alternative to “traditional” series.

Web series production is many things. It is an outlet for independent producers with brilliant and innovative ideas, it is an avenue for actors to find opportunities denied by traditional media, and it’s a platform that can give audiences options and better choices and make decisions without the influence of advertisers.

There’s an unlimited supply of brilliant entertainment you can find on YouTube, Vimeo, and SVOD apps, but while the entire world is hooked on South Korean drama and Netflix produced contents, whose popularity mainly relies on built-in audience and hype through word-of-mouth, we can hardly find locally produced series with content completely relatable because of their local humor and sensibilities.

If you were diligent enough though, sifting through Filipino contents online, specifically on YouTube, you would stumble upon a few local contents like the ones produced by D5 Studio.

According to its About page, the studio is ran by a team of communicators and creators who are “storytellers, wordsmiths, artists, tech mavens and strategists.” The site is a multi-discipline and multi-channel creative network offering a full suite of digital-first products and services, and is a proud part of the TV5 Network.

After debuting with a vampire romance last year, these guys came out with Sabagay Life, a romantic comedy that hits a little too close to home. It talks about six friends namely Jinno (played by Brian Sy), Jackie (Joyce Pring), Bryan (Dino Pastrano), Timi (Gabby Padilla), Gail (Pocholo Barretto) and Din (Kat Argao) who are in the process of figuring out what the real world has in store for them.

Discovering Sabagay Life was just an accident. It suddenly appeared on my Facebook feed and the next thing I know, I was already watching its last episode.

There are four things that will easily attract you to this web series: it’s made for the millennials but the story appeals to all generations; the scenes are too familiar, not to mention the script is so natural, as if the

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, April 19, 2017

ACROSS 1 Mutt’s crony 5 Wisdom tooth 10 Recover 14 Singer — Guthrie 15 Crumble away 16 La senorita 17 Prefix for logical 18 Mideast desert 19 “Hi- —, Hi-Lo” 20 Ungoverned 22 Like some subs 24 RR terminal 25 “Hold on Tight” rockers 26 Galaxy locale 29 Baton Rouge sch.

32 Meat jelly 36 Diva’s solo 37 Kind of racket 39 Brian — of rock 40 Where to start (2 wds.)

43 Aberdeen single 44 Double-headed drums 45 Hawkeye portrayer 46 Ship bottoms 48 Business suff.

49 Cap’n’s helpers 50 ECU issuer 52 Column ender 53 Broker?

57 Sent

61 Remnant 62 Rome’s Via — 64 Mystique 65 Murray or Rice 66 Scorpion attack 67 Crash scene org.

68 Accordion parts 69 Ms. Lauder 70 Movie-lot locales DOWN 1 Clink or cooler 2 Wagner’s earth goddess 3 Winged it 4 Yellow pad 5 High-IQ group 6 Rocks to refine 7 Journal 8 Yemen’s gulf 9 Ziegfeld show 10 Greeting words 11 Mr. Wiesel 12 “— en el Rancho Grande” 13 Wildlife refuge 21 Summer in Cannes 23 Fastener 26 Emcee Pat — 27 Trim 28 Anouk — of film 29 Not prohibited 30 Pony’s comment 31 Probably hungry 33 Bell tower

sounds 34 Early Andes dweller 35 “Fargo” filmmakers 37 Old C&W channel 38 Hypotheticals 41 Japanese immigrant 42 Thai neighbors 47 Window sills 49 Merit badge grp.

51 Discontinue 52 Reflection

53 Can. neighbor 54 Sea eagle 55 Counting-rhyme word 56 Sch. papers 57 One, to Helmut 58 Mandolin’s kin 59 Prefix for while 60 Smidgens 63 Quarry

conversation between actors are the same conversation you always have with your friends; the actors are virtually unknown, loving the characters they play solely depends on their acting skills; and each episode runs roughly around 10 minutes it won’t take much of your time.

If you are familiar with the popular US TV series Friends that starred Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry, then it’s safe to say that Sabagay Life is its local version.

The main protagonist is Jinno, who for the longest has been trying to find the courage to reveal his true feelings to Jackie, an independent, outgoing and adventurous young woman. Their friends play pivotal roles in the story and each character can take you to the time when you have graduated college and started working yet still unsure on what path to take.

Like a normal “barkada,” the cast features a jerk, an on-and-off couple, an alpha male, a drama queen, and a nerd. Meanwhile, the story touches on the romantic and professional struggles of each character making the series even more relatable.

And if D5 Studio would come up with second season, or anything similar to this series, for sure, netizens will welcome it with open arms.

D5 Studio is also the creator of Forever Sucks, a web series launched in February 2016 starring Jasmine Curtis-Smith and JC Santos. The series, which story revolves around a 170-year-old female vampire pretending to be a normal 20-year-old, was popular among netizens it was renewed for a second season with Felix Roco on board. Its first episode garnered more than a million views on YouTube since it was uploaded on the video sharing site in October last year.

The cast and director of "Sabagay Life," a web series that talks about the life and struggles of millennials

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com

LA SANTOS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

demythifying

AUTISM

LA Santos is not your ordinary teen singer

ISAH V. RED

H

E WAS diagnosed with first stage autism when he was only three years old.

LA Santos (born Leonard Antonio), Flor Santos, his mother, said she was bothered when her son was unable to speak as three years old kids would. She sought medical help and that was how she found out her third child was autistic.

Now, 17 (he was born on Jan. 27, 2000), if you didn’t know he was diagnosed with first stage autism, you would think he’s just like other young men in your family.

“I made a lot of sacrifices to make sure LA could go past the challenges of being autistic,” Flor related.

She had to quit her employment to focus on taking care of LA as the child was growing up.

“Kids with this condition need more than just lip service of love and understanding. You have to let them feel you love and understand them.”

She is very grateful to have found a considerate partner that not only extended empathy and care for her son but also became her partner in raising LA who was then growing up with

Teen singer LA Santos launches his eponymous album under Star Music

ADHD, another condition that bears the same behavioral pattern with those suffering autism.

LA loved (and still does) playing basketball. When he started going to school, he gravitated naturally to the sport.

Since Grade 7 at University of Sto. Tomas (now in Grade 9), he was a Tiger Cub. Then, he stated liking music, specifically singing.

Flor and her husband made sure LA would get the necessary things to make him focus on singing.

And in no time at all, Lnard Antonio Brioso Santos or L.A. Santos has been dubbed “Singing Idol.”Mind you, he isn’t just a singer. He is also a songwriter.

And now, his passion is music. While appearing as guest performer in various concerts, someone thought of giving the young boy a concrete chart for a future in singing. Eventually, LA got the chance to sing with famous international singers (The Stylistics and Air Supply) in their shows in Manila. He also has his own band called

Winchester Street formed after attending a recent workshop at ABS-CBN. According to record producer Jonathan Manalo, himself a songwriter and a top gun in Star Music, the record company that is distributing LA Santos’ album, “The boy has improved musically since I first heard him perform.

We brought in a vocal coach to help him cope with the difficult phrases in the songs and thus far what I hear is good.”

Manalo also acknowledges LA’s mother, Flor, and his siblings Kin, Kanish and Ken as factors in the young boy’s success in his quest to perfect music.

An avid fun of Bruno Mars, Bamboo and pop icon Michael Jackson (his ultimate idols), there’s no stopping him from reaching his dream of becoming a singing sensation, notwithstanding his condition.

“I am very thankful to my family for the love they have given me and for the understanding,” he remarked when asked how he feels about having an album.

The nine-track eponymous album is downloadable from online music apps and also available on physical album (CD) at music stores nationwide. *** The photo of carrying Maine Mendoza on his shoulders at the concert of Coldplay at the MOA concert grounds became viral. But wait, it wasn’t only the love team known as AlDub that attracted the audience’s attention.

There was also Juancho Triviño among the VIP crowd and like Alden he carried fellow Kapuso Thea Tolentino on his shoulders. Well, the two actually did an ersatz for fun.

Netizens liked it and said the two have chemistry. But will the characters being played by the two in Destined To Be Yours ever meet?

Will it be soon and will it mark the end of the good things Badong and Sinag have as well as Benjie and Trish’s relationship?

That’s what we will all wait. *** “Me, god?” Zoren Legaspi exclaimed when he heard some Encantadia fans called him “god.”

Zoren told fellow actors in the series the impact of being in the show and the role he plays As Bathalumang Emre, god of the fairies. Says Zoren, “ When he was offered a role in the show, he didn’t have any second thought to accept it, afte all, this is the kind of show that he likes, action-packed. But he never anticipated that the audience would easily associate his off screen self to the character he plays. He added how happy he was when after a couple of days in the show, the fans have been calling him Emre (the character he plays). “When I go out, they call me Emre. It makes me happy dahil ang bilis ng tatak, maganda naman yung feedback, kaya natutuwa ako, kaya lalo akong na-e-excite.” *** With earthquakes shaking Metro Manila recently, the fans also met the cast of Meant To Be with similar intensity that rocked Market! Market! during their mall show.

Barbie Forteza, Ken Chan, Jak Roberto, Addy Raj, and Ivan Dorschner were welcomed warmly by their fans. The mall was enveloped with resounding screams each time the guys performed for them.

Co-stars Manilyn Reynes, Tina Paner, Keempee de Leon, Sef Cadayona, Stephanie Sol, Tess Bomb, and Mika dela Cruz also gave their best to entertain the fans. They can only say “Thank You” over and over again in appreciation of the fans’ support.

Tribute to Pinoys summer station ID ABOUT 100 Kapamilya stars share the limelight with ordinary Filipinos that brighten up our day in ABS-CBN’s much-anticipated 2017 Summer Station ID, launched on April 17 in TV Patrol. The lyric video for the featured song “Ikaw Ang Sunshine Ko, Isang Pamilya Tayo,” meanwhile, has already over a million Youtube views less than a week after its debut.

The music video, shot in various locations in the Philippines, show how Filipinos spread joy and hope even through simple ways just like how a guitar-playing nun, a colorful water vendor, and an elder serenading pedestrians with a bamboo flute - whose stories will be featured in the video – have brought smiles to other people.

Also featured in the Summer Station ID are the country’s biggest stars, hottest love teams, and respected journalists enjoying different activities every Filipino family would love to do this vacation season. The video is produced by ABS-CBN’s Creative Communications Division (CCM) headed by Robert Labayen and directed by Paolo Ramos and Peewee Azarcon Gonzales.

Anticipation has been high for the station ID especially after the launch of the lyric video featuring BoyBandPh, Pinoy Big Brother Big 4 Maymay Entrata, Kisses Delavin, Yong Muhajil, and Edward Barber, “Tawag ng Tanghalan” Top 3 Noven Belleza, Sam Mangubat, and Froilan Canlas, and teen stars Sue Ramirez, Kristel Fulgar, Sharlene San Pedro, Alexa Ilacad, Kira Balinger, and Ylona Garcia in It’s Showtime on April 7.

The video already has over a million views on ABSCBN Entertainment’s official YouTube account alone, with netizens liking the song’s refreshing sound, catchy melody, and positive message. This year’s summer theme was written by Labayen with Love Rose De Leon, Johnny Delos Santos and Lloyd Oliver “Tiny” Corpuz of CMM, with music by Thyro Alfaro and Yumi Lacsamana.

Alexa Ilacad

Zoren Legaspi

PBB Big 4 at the studio after recording ABS-CBN's Summer ID Maine Mendoza sits on Alden Richards' shoulders during the Coldplay concert at the MoA Concert Grounds