Manila Standard - 2017 May 17 - Wednesday

SUBDUED. Authorities claimed victories in two fronts in their war on terror this week, as VOL. XXXI • NO. 92 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

police and funeral parlor workers carry away the remains of an Abu Sayyaf militant killed in an encounter with troops in Calape, Bohol on Monday (above), while Marines inspect landmines and other weapons left behind by New People’s Army rebels after a gun battle in the mountains of Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat province (below). AFP and Mark Navales

Rody drops emergency power bid

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he will no longer push Congress to grant him emergency powers to solve Metro Manila’s traffic woes, citing the resistance of some lawmakers to some members of his Cabinet.

“No. If the Congress would want to give it to me, fine. It would expedite things,” Duterte told reporters after arriving from working visits in Cambodia,

Hong Kong and China.

“But if they are fearful of corruption there because [there will be no bidding], then they have every right to doubt.”

Duterte said lawmakers should not doubt the integrity of his Cabinet members in case Congress granted him emergency powers, adding he would not allow corruption under his watch.

“I told them that corruption has no place in my government. I will not allow it,” he said.

P3.8-t nat’l budget set for anti-graft war

By Christine F. Herrera THE national budget will grow by 14.6 percent from P3.35 trillion in 2017 to P3.84 trillion in 2018, with a strong focus of fighting corruption to restore the people’s trust in public institutions, the Department of Budget and Management said Tuesday.

In a national budget memorandum dated March 23, the department said the government’s spending level for 2018 is based on such macroeconomic assumptions as seven to eight percent in real gross domestic product or GDP growth, two to four percent inflation and and exchange rate of P48 to P50 to the US dollar.

Based on the budget memo, the government is expected to generate some P2.91 trillion in revenues and disburse P3.44 trillion, incurring a fiscal deficit of P532.5 billion.

The department said the national budget is meant to advance the Duterte administration’s “0 + 10” socioeconomic agenda, as set out in the 20172022 Philippine Development Plan.

The memo says the national budget will support the pillars reflected in the PDP, including enhancing the social fabric or

malasakit (compassion).

“This social fabric is meant to restore people’s trust in public institutions and nurture trust in fellow Filipinos by ensuring people-centered, clean and efficient governance,” the DBM said.

Next page

Duterte, who first raised the need for emergency powers during his first State of the Nation Address, earlier met with several officials from Congress to discuss his priority measures to solve Metro Manila’s traffic crisis.

Senator Grace Poe, who heads the Senate committee on public services, earlier said that it was “not that easy” to grant emergency powers to Duterte to solve the traffic crisis in the country, especially Next page

Digong weighs martial law call Won’t rush declaring it in Sulu amid terror attacks

‘Ambitious budget must show teeth’

By Christine F. Herrera POLITICAL analysts and lawmakers on Tuesday challenged the government to show some teeth and take specific actions to protect the public from corruption.

“The government must show some teeth and specific interventions on how it plans to rid the system and bureaucracy of corruption,” said Dindo Manhit, managing director of Stratbase Research Institute.

Manhit said the next challenge for the Duterte administration is how to fund the “ambitious budget” without imposing new taxes.

Ramon Casiple, executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reform, warned that the general outline Next page

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera

D

AVAO CITY― President Rodrigo Duterte said he must carefully consider a call for him to declare martial law in Sulu after a series of terrorist attacks in the area.

Her personal property included cash amounting to P8.9 million; furniture, appliance and other equipment amounting to P1.5 million; Some P100,000 worth of jewelry; prepaid insurance worth 630,000 and two vehicles: a Toyota Grandia acquired in 2014 worth P1,750,000 and a Toyota Innova acquired in 2010 worth P1,123,000.

Her liabilities remained at P6.9 million, and those were mostly loans from her relatives and inlaws.

Robredo likewise declared shares of stock at power distribution utility Meralco and two in-laws working at the UP-Philippine General Hospital in Manila, Josephine and Rafael Bundoc.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday challenged Rep. Gary Alejano to bring his complaint to the International Criminal Court following the allegations of summary killings in Davao City when he was mayor there.

“What do they want? Some guys are being taken for a ride a thousand times over,” Duterte told reporters at the Davao City airport, where he arrived after working visits in Cambodia and China.

“He can go ahead. He’s free to do it,” he said.

Duterte made his statement even as Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the impeachment complaint against Duterte was as “good as dead.”

Alvarez said there was no way the complaint filed by Alejano would prosper.

“The dismissal of the impeachment complaint against the President affirms that it was

“I need time to ponder on it deeply... [as] it is not only a political decision, [but] an emotional decision,” Duterte said when asked about the call of the grassroots group Save Sulu Movement to declare martial law in six municipalities due to a series of atrocities by the Abu Sayyaf Group.

Save Sulu Movement spokesman Octavio A. Dinampo tagged the six municipalities―Patikul, Indanan, Parang, Maimbung, Talipao, and Kalingalan Caluang―as the center of terrorism in Sulu.

But Duterte said that if he declares martial law, it will not only be to solve the rebellion in Mindanao, but everything that ails the island.

Duterte recalled that he already issued a warning months ago to terrorists not to force his hand to declare martial law after he received reports that a bomb was thrown at a school and several improvised explosive devices were planted in different areas of Sulu.

The Maute Group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and other Islamic State sympathizers in Mindanao have also launched attacks.

Eight months ago, Duterte declared the entire country under a state of lawlessness after the Sept. 2 bombing in his hometown that killed 15 civilians.

Next page

Next page

Next page

BACK HOME. President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he speaks shortly after his arrival in Davao City on

Tuesday from a working visit to China. The President said he was open to join exploration with Beijing in the disputed West Philippine Sea after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. AFP

Du30 open to sea exploration with China, Vietnam

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera and AFP PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he was open to exploring the South China Sea’s natural resources with rival claimants China and Vietnam, after securing

a “windfall” while in Beijing.

Duterte also emphasized he had no immediate plans to pressure China over an international tribunal’s ruling last year that its sweeping claims to most of the sea were unlawful.

“If we can get something there

with no hassle at all, why not,” Duterte told reporters when asked about a proposal for jointly exploring the sea with China and Vietnam.

He emphasized, however, that the deal would have to be “fair and balanced.”

Duterte did not mention Malaysia and Brunei, the two other Southeast Asian nations that also have claims to the sea.

The competing claims to the sea, which is believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits, have for Next page

VP’s net worth down to P8.8m

Disputed claims in the South China Sea. AFP

VICE President Leni Robredo’s net worth dipped by P2.1 million six months after she won the country’s second highest post, her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth revealed.

Robredo’s SALN, filed on May 2 or two days after the April 30 deadline, showed her net worth fell from P11,053,138 on June 30, 2016, to P8,878,111.13 by the end of the year, down by P2,175,026.57.

Her total assets fell from P17,953,138 to P15,778,111.43 during the same period.

She declared eight pieces of real property totaling P1,735,000, including a residential house and lot, several agricultural land, an orchard and a memorial lot all in Naga City.

Solon told: Bring EJK case to ICC

A2

News

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Duterte backs Asean expansion D

AVAO CITY―President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he would push for the inclusion of Turkey and Mongolia in a grouping of Southeast Asian nations, dismissing concerns about their geographic location.

Duterte said the leaders of Turkey and Mongolia had told him about their desire to join the Association of Southeast Asian Nations while they were in China

over the weekend for a summit on a global trade infrastructure project.

Duterte, whose nation holds the rotating Asean chairmanship

Du30...

vulnerable negotiating position.

Duterte said he wanted discussions to involve a code of conduct for the sea, which China and Southeast Asian nations have been discussing for some 15 years.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin and Philippine Ambassador Jose Santiago Santa Romana will co-chair the meeting in China’s southern Guizhou province, the Beijing said on Tuesday.

Their talks will follow the 14th meeting on Thursday of senior officials from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on the implementation of a code of conduct in the South China Sea. The Philippines, under then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, entered into an agreement with China and Vietnam in 2005 to jointly study potential oil deposits in the sea.

But the deal collapsed after Filipino politicians questioned its legality. They alleged it infringed on Philippine sovereignty and accused Arroyo of treason.

On Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines was open to buying Chinese arms, including planes, fast boats and drones with the help of a $500 million long-term loan.

But Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Tuesday said there was no need to borrow from China and warned the administration against taking the loan being offered by Beijing.

“We must stop relying on foreign suppliers to modernize the military equipment of our armed forces....We should tap our domestic industries for the equipment needed by our policemen and soldiers,” Recto said.

Recto cited the existence of a vibrant local firearms industry which has been exporting its products for many decades now.

“Some of them were licensees of world’s leading gun makers,” he said.

From A1

decades made it one of Asia’s potential military flash points.

Beijing’s efforts to cement its claims in the sea in recent years by building artificial islands and expanding a military presence there have added to the tensions.

Duterte, who took office last year, abandoned the policy of his predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, to forcefully challenge Beijing in diplomatic circles and instead sought to repair bilateral relations.

Duterte has said his decision has earned the Philippines billions of dollars in Chinese investments and aid.

Duterte spoke Tuesday after returning from Beijing, where he had separate meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Keqiang on the sidelines of a summit on a global trade infrastructure project.

Duterte praised China’s leaders as “generous” “very liberal” and “sincere.”

Duterte described his trip to Beijing, his second since assuming office, as a “windfall” for the Philippines, saying more Chinese investments or aid had been offered although he gave few details.

Duterte said he told Xi and Li that he would not raise last year’s international tribunal ruling, which was filed by Aquino and deeply angered China.

“We decided that there is a time for me to ask about the ruling but it is not now,” Duterte said.

Xi hailed the “all-round improvement” of relations between the two nations during the forum, calling the Philippines an “important partner” in his Belt and Road infrastructure project.

Chinese and Philippines officials will meet in China on Friday for the first round of bilateral talks on their dispute.

Aquino had avoided direct talks with China for fear of placing the Philippines in a

Rody...

From A1

with the trillions of pesos that his administration was seeking for its big-ticket infrastructure projects.

Special powers would allow Duterte to conduct selective bidding, direct contracting or negotiated procurement to deal with the traffic problem.

Those powers would also prevent the courts from issuing temporary restraining orders against his projects, with only the Supreme Court having the authority to do such.

Duterte said he had told the judiciary not to paralyze government projects by issuing Temporary Restraining Orders.

this year, held separate meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Mongolian Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat on the sidelines of the summit.

“They want to join Asean and since I am now the chair, the Philippines is, they wanted me to sponsor their entry and I said, ‘Yes, why not,’” Duterte told reporters.

The 10-member Asean groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the

“There are many of them, from boat builders to vehicle manufacturers to firearms and ammunition makers who can step up to the plate once there are firm orders from the government,” Recto said.

“Buy local, create jobs. This should be the new mantra of the government,” he added.

At the same time, a former national security adviser, Roilo Golez, warned against a proposal by Jose de Venecia, special envoy for inter-cultural dialogue, for the Philippines and China to jointly explore the South China Sea. “Dear Mr. President, please do not listen to JDV [Jose de Venecia] on his proposal for China to explore natural resources in our exclusive economic zone... this JdV proposal is plain one sided for China,” Golez warned.

Golez slammed De Venecia’s suggestion and reminded the former speaker that joint exploration in the country’s exclusive economic zone is prohibited by the law.

Golez also questioned that how the country can have a joint venture with China, which “brings on the table guns and warships.”

University of the Philippines professor and maritime expert Jay Batongbacal added that joint exploration is not allowed by the Constitution and might need a treaty and enabling legislation.

“The devil is in the details.

Other countries’ experience in joint development with China has been rather spotty,” Batongbacal said.

“It’s rather risky given previous experiences with China, and those between China and other states,” he added.

He said the government must create terms that will need to be “fair, transparent, reciprocal, and without prejudice to claims.”

“Above all, no recognition of [China’s] nine-dash line claim, nor repudiation of arbitral award,” he said.

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

While he was going to do his job, the Supreme Court should act on various cases involving the lower courts that would hamper government projects.

“And I am asking the Supreme Court to do something about it... I will do my share of cleaning the government,” Duterte said.

He said some companies could also try to delay government projects should they lose in the public biddings.

“The bidders. If A wins the bid and B and C [lose], they’re going to file a case, not really asking for justice. I am now addressing myself to the judiciary, do not, do not for Christ’s sake play with TROs,” he said.

Duterte likewise claimed that some courts were issuing TROs because their judges were being paid.

Solon...

VP’s...

bereft of any probative value,” Alvarez told reporters.

The House committee on justice led by Rep. Reynaldo Umali dumped the complaint on Monday, with all 42 of the members present voting it was insufficient in substance.

But Alejano said he was considering bringing the case against Duterte before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Duterte said the war on drugs would have collateral damage but he was not the type to order summary killings.

“Ano ba namang giyera sa droga na walang namatay?” Duterte said.

He said he had been investigated many times over the summary killings that had been attributed to his campaign against crime in Davao City when he was mayor there.

“I was investigated by the human rights... I was investigated again when [Leila De Lima] was Justice secretary. I was investigated again by the Senate and I was investigated again by the House,” Duterte said. John Paolo Bencito and Maricel V. Cruz

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte reported a net worth of P27,428,862.44 in December 2016, an increase of over P3.3 million (14 percent) from the P24,080,094.04 he declared in June 2016.

Duterte’s total assets totaled P28,428,862.44 million as of the end of 2016. However, he also declared total liabilities of P1 million due to a personal loan from Samuel Uy. John Paolo Bencito and Rio N. Araja

From A1

From A1

Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

A Nato member bordering the Middle East, Turkey straddles Europe and Asia. It’s application for membership of the European Union has been bogged down for years.

Mongolia is a landlocked nation wedged between China and Russia.

Geographic location is the first criterion for Asean membership, along with recognition by all other members.

Duterte said Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who also attended the summit in China, asked him if he had considered geography in deciding to sponsor Turkey and Mongolia’s Asean membership.

However, Duterte insisted that the two nations were part of the region.

“They are. I would say that they are,” Duterte said.

“Turkey seems to be ambivalent on whether to be a bridge

Digong...

the country said the threat of violent extremism and terrorism was not solely the problem and responsibility of the government and political leaders, but of religious leaders as well, because terrorists misrepresent and misuse Islam to justify their wrongdoings.

At the end of a three-day Ulama Summit Against Tourism, the scholars said such misrepresentation tarnished the image of Islam and Muslims.

“If violent extremists and terrorists are brave enough to do evil, we must be braver to do good to prevent and counter them,” the scholars said in a statement released Monday.

Alih Sakaluran Aiyub, associate professor at the Western Mindanao State University and a member of the Summit Secretariat, urged Muslim communities, the security forces and the local government units to protect relitious leaders from the terror threat.

“We are calling upon our people, security sector and LGUs to protect our Ulama since ter rorists have threatened them in their statement to the media, before the start of ARMM Ulama Summit Against Ter rorism,” Sakaluran posted on his FB account.

A group called Dawla Islamiya, which has ostensibly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, issued a statement warning Muslim scholars to stay away from the event.

“To those who have Ulama relatives, warn your parents, brothers and children not to attend the said summit because if something happens to them along the way or in the end, don’t tell us you were not warned,” the Dawla Islamiya statement said.

With Florante S. Solmerin and Nash B. Maulana

From A1

At the same time, Duterte said he is considering extending the grant of liberty to Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari, who still faces charges for the Zamboanga siege of 2013.

“In the name of peace, I can wait. I will not be imposing timelines,” he said. when asked if he will extend the liberty grant of Misuari.

Seven months ago, Duterte gave a grant of liberty to Misuari to include the MNLF in the ongoing talks to create the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Also on Tuesday, a member of the Bohol provincial board denied rumors that the civilian who tipped off the government about the whereabouts of Abu Sayyaf bandits who attacked the province in April received only P450,000 of the P1-million reward money offered by Duterte.

Board member Ricky Masamayor said the civilian from Clarin town, was instrumental in the neutralization of three more Abu bandits in Bacani town and received the reward money through the military’s Central Command led by Lt. Gen. Oscar Lactao.

He said the provincial government added P100,000 to the reward.

A handwritten document circulating in social media claiming to come from the informant said he received only P450,000.

But Masamayor questioned the veracity of the document and defended the military and police. He also condemned the media spin, calling it an example of “crab mentality.”

In Cotabato City, some 300 Muslim scholars from all over

P3.84-t...

From A1

Aside from intensifying anticorruption campaigns, the government intends to streamline key processes in the delivery of public goods and services, enhance citizen engagement and empowerment programs and strengthen the civil service.

The government also vowed to pursue “swift and fair administration of justice” by instituting a shift in from a traditional institutions-based approach to a sectorbased approach.

It also plans to establish a unified corrections framework and systems covering custody, rehabilitation and social reintegration.

There will also be allocations to promote Philippine culture and values by raising cultural awareness; integrating cultural education and values formation in the basic, technical, vocational and

‘Ambitious...

From A1

of the national budget did not say how it would meet the government’s targets.

“There is nothing new, nothing concrete in assuring how the targets can be met and how the usual shortfall can be remedied,” Casiple told the Manila Standard.

“Projection is a projection.”

He said if the government was really serious in eliminating corruption, it should start from top government collection agencies such as the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

“Every President makes a vow to rid the country of corruption.

But at the end of their term, it’s

of Europe and Asia or being an Asian...Sometimes they say they are part of Asia. Sometimes they say they are a bridge of Asia to Europe.”

There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the Asean Secretariat, which is based in Indonesia.

Countries within the region like East Timor and Papua New Guinea have for years sought Asean membership but only hold observer status. AFP

Activists told: Have mine laws amended

By Julito G. Rada and Anna Leah E. Gonzales FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Tuesday told critics to work to get mining laws repealed instead of attacking those in the government who believe it is part of their duty as civil servants to uphold the laws of the land.

Dominguez made the statement in response to criticism hurled against him by antimining activist and rejected Environment secretary Regina Lopez and her allies.

“My only comment is if certain quarters think the law is unfair, they should work to change the law, as violation of the laws is not an option for any government official or any good citizen for that matter,” Dominguez said in a statement Tuesday.

Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin, who has also been attacked by Lopez, added: “We are a government of laws, not men. The Mining Act sets the terms and conditions under which mining should be conducted, as well as the conditions for its suspension or cancellation. It is the duty of government officials to implement the law.”

Dominguez said last week in a mining forum that suspension of mining operations in the country would “never” happen again without due process as a strong governance framework was what the industry needed, not an arbitrary ban.

higher education systems; and promoting co-use of existing government broadband-ready assets.

The government vowed that the national budget would “enable ordinary Filipinos to feel real change.”

It will expand economic opportunities in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

The government would use integrated color-coded agriculture map based on crop sustainability, improve agriculture infrastructure and facilities, increase investments in research and development, reduce the vulnerability of the sector to climate and disaster risk, increase the access of farmers and fisherfolks to agriculture insurance through better information-education campaign and ensure and protect land tenure and security.

It will also expand economic opportunities in industry and services by simplifying the rules and regulations on business registration and licensing, strengthening industry-academe linkages,

marketing and promoting Philippine goods and services and addressing infrastructure gaps of the identified priority tourism development areas.

The government vowed to accelerate human capital development by lowering the prevalence of stunting and wasting children, raising the utilization of health insurance, pursuing full implementation of K to 12 program, providing access to globally competitive and relevant TVET opportunities, improving skills-job matching and providing greater access to opportunities for skills development and retooling.

It also aims to reduce the vulnerability of individuals and families by implementing the convergence approach in assisting vulnerable groups to be selfsufficient and self reliant, enhancing the conditional cash transfer program and intensifying social protection programs for overseas Filipinos and their families.

still a shortfall,” he said.

Casiple said the rampant smuggling in the Bureau of Customs remains unabated.

“Has the Customs found the missing 2,000 container vans that mysteriously disappeared in the previous administration? The story simply died down,” Casiple said.

Casiple also said the government can only show good governance if it is able to pursue tax evaders.

But both political analysts said it was a good indicator that the government is now spending on infrastructure to pump prime the economy considering that underspending in the previous administration resulted in the country lagging behind its neighbors.

“The greater challenge now is if the government is spending the

national budget properly and ensuring good governance. Imposing new taxes seems not a proof of good governance when you propose a huge budget and source the funds from new taxes,” Manhit said.

As the Department of Budget and Management was preparing the breakdown of the P3.84-trillion national budget, House Assistant Majority Leader Salvador Belaro Jr. of the 1-Ang Edukasyon party-list, urged the education agencies to propose adequate funding for free college education in state universities and colleges.

“Free college education in SUCs should also include miscellaneous fees and other fees, not just tuition,” said Belaro, who got hold of a copy of the DBM’s National Budget Memorandum 128.

News

A3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Marcos asks PET to name 3 hearing officers

NO TO HPV. Dr. Ma. Cristina Crisologo, medical adviser for vaccines for MSD in the Philippines (left) joins Dr. May Montellano, past president of the Philippine Foundation for

Vaccination and adviser of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of the Philippines, and Dr. Ricardo Manalastas, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the College of Medicine of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, during a media forum and dialogue on cervical cancer and the prevention of the Human Papilloma Virus titled ‘Strictly HPV-Free Future.’ The event held at New World Hotel in Makati City commemorated Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Lino Santos

Solons urged to reject tax reform bill

Ombudsman, Justice clash on Janet Napoles

By Maricel V. Cruz

By Rey E. Requejo, Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

A MILITANT lawmaker on Tuesday called on his colleagues to reject the Palacebacked tax reform package when it is deliberated in the plenary.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate was referring to the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion bill that seeks to lower personal income tax rates, expand the value-added tax base, adjust excise taxes on petroleum and automobiles, and ease the rates of estate and donor’s taxes— which the House committee on ways and means approved last Monday.

“This bill will definitely hit the poor hard because it would mean higher prices of basic goods and services,” Zarate warned.

Once enacted, Zarate said diesel, which is P31 now would be P34 next year, P36 in 2019 and P37 in 2020. Gasoline which is P45 now would be P52 next year. On the hand, LPG that is P541 now, would be P574 next year, then P596 and P607 after.

Zarate also noted the basic remittance charge, like the Philippine-based courier company LBC, which is currently pegged at P6 would increase to P7.25 for P100 and increase depending on the amount sent.

“These are just a few of the strategic products that would increase and would cause a domino effect to other products and services,” Zarate said.

“As members of Congress, we should listen to the sentiments and clamor of our people by stopping this antipeople tax reform bill,” he added.

Quezon Rep. Dakila Cua, House committee ways and means chairperson, said his committee is expected to come up with a committee report on the committee-approved bill next week.

“Hopefully, we can submit the committee report to House Committee on Rules today [Monday],” he said.

Cua said declaring the tax reform package as urgent measure would ensure its immediate approval at the lower chamber.

“The DoF is already working on that [certification of the bill as urgent],” he said.

Even without the certification of urgency, Cua, however, said the lower chamber could still pass it on third and final reading before the Congress goes on sine die adjournment in June.

Under the bill, workers earning P250,000 will be exempted from paying personal income taxes.

T

HERE is a looming turf war between the Office of the Ombudsman and Department of Justice on which agency has the primary authority to determine the admissibility of suspected pork barrel scam architect Janet Lim Napoles into the government’s Witness Protection Program.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Tuesday insisted that it is the prerogative of the DoJ to decide on who should be admitted into the government’s WPP, reacting to the statement made by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales that she would block Napoles’ admission as government’s state witness.

“It is the right of anybody to do anything as long as it not against the law,” Aguirre said. “But since

the DoJ has the exclusive right to put a witness under the Witness Protection Program, we will exercise it if need be.”

Morales declared that as far as the prosecution panel handling the plunder, graft and malversation charges against Napoles before the Sandiganbayan is concerned, they do not find her qualified to become a state witness considering that she is one of the principal accused in

the multi-billion peso scam.

“It’s up to them if they wish to reinvestigate. But as I said we are not bound by any findings over cases over which the Ombudsman has the final authority to determine whether or not there is probable cause. As the prosecution is concerned she is one of the principal alleged benefactors. Certainly the Office of Special Prosecutors [OSP] will block any attempt to make her state witness,” Morales told reporters.

Morales argued that as a principal accused and benefactor in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, Napoles is not the least guilty among the other respondents charged for plunder, graft and other offenses before the Sandiganbayan.

“As far as the prosecution is concerned, she [Napoles] is one of the principal alleged benefactors,” she said.

“We don’t find her to be a candidate for being a state witness,” she added.

The Makati City Regional Trial

Court convicted Napoles and ordered her imprisonment at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City, but the appellate court recently junked the lower court’s decision.

Morales, however, insisted the Ombudsman shall have the last say if it would recommend Napoles could qualify to turn into a state witness or not.

She invoked Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedures that only the court that could decide who gets qualified as state witness “upon the motion of the prosecution before resting its case.”

Aguirre, however, argued that the DoJ has the authority to make Napoles a state witness.

“All I can say is that everybody is entitled to his or her own opinion, we have the right to do things that we believe is right. But I believe that in the event that the DoJ considers making Janet Napoles a state witness, it is our prerogative under the Witness Protection Program of the DoJ,” Aguirre said.

THE Supreme Court, acting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has been asked to designate at least three hearing officers aimed at expediting the proceedings on the election protest filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo.

In a seven-page motion, Marcos through lawyer George Erwin Garcia, appealed to the PET to appoint at least three hearing officers who will assist the tribunal during the preliminary conference.

Marcos said the designation of at least three hearing commissioners “will better facilitate an orderly, simplified and expeditious disposition of this electoral contest considering that there are three causes of action raised in this election protest.”

He argued the need for Marcos’ election protest to be decided with dispatch, saying the designation of three separate hearing officers would certainly aid PET in resolving the case in a prompt and efficient manner.

“Public interest demands that this electoral controversy be resolved with dispatch to determine once and for all the genuine choice of the electorate for the contested position. The designation of three hearing commissioners, as suggested by protestant Marcos, shall surely aid this Honorable Tribunal in achieving its mandate to ensure a prompt and expeditious resolution of this election protest,” Marcos’ motion stated.

He said the designation of hearing officers prior to the conduct of the preliminary conference is consistent with the summary nature and preferential status of election protest cases.

“In a long line of decided cases, this Honorable Tribunal has consistently ruled that an election case, unlike an ordinary action, is imbued with public interest since it involves not only the adjudication of the private interests of rival candidates but also the paramount need of dispelling the uncertainty which beclouds the real choice of the electorate with respect to who shall discharge the prerogatives of the office within their gift,” Marcos pointed out.

DFA to assist Pinay who ‘adopted’ Snowden House okays Integrated

By Sara Susanne DFabunan SAYING that he respects the decision of Hong Kong to reject Vanessa Me Rodel’s asylum application, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said that the Philippines is ready to extend appropriate consular assistance to the Filipina involved in helping Edward Snowden, one of the world’s most wanted figures, hide from the United States authority.

“We got in touch with our Consulate General in Hong Kong and they have taken note of the reported denial of Ms. Rodel’s asylum application,” Bolivar said.

He said that the decision is an immigration matter and that the DFA respects the Hong Kong decision.

“This is an immigration matter, and we will respect the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong immigration

authorities,” Bolivar said, adding that the DFA will continue to monitor the situation.

“That being said, our Consulate General is monitoring the situation and is ready to extend any appropriate consular assistance to Ms Rodel should she request it,” he said.

The 42 years old Rodel, who has a five-yearold daughter, was indicted for giving shelter to Snowden when he went hiding in Hong Kong in June 2013.

In an interview by the CNN, Rodel said that she was not aware that the young American who showed up on her doorstep one night in May 2013 asking for shelter was the most wanted man in the world.

Rodel said she and her daughter offered their bed to Snowden while they slept on the kitchen floor for the duration of his stay.

LUPUS LEARNING. Diwa party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar (second from right) points out a detail

on a poster to Leyte 4th District Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez about the Hope For Lupus Foundation, which Villar —a lupus survivor herself—founded. The lady lawmakers opened the Foundation’s butterfly exhibit at Glorietta 3 in Makati City along with Villar’s husband, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar (background) and actress Patricia Javier. The event aimed to raise awareness on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE or simply lupus), a potentially fatal autoimmune disease that still has no cure. Ey Acasio

Public Schools measure

By Maricel V. Cruz A PANEL in the House of Representatives on Monday night approved a substitute bill that seeks to ensure access of elementary graduates to quality public high school education through the establishment of integrated schools providing complete basic education.

The House committee on basic education, chaired by Rep. Ramon Durano IV of Cebu, approved as substitute, “An Act Ensuring Access To Free Secondary Education By Converting The Public Elementary Schools Into Integrated Schools” authored

by Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto of Batangas.

Santos-Recto said the bill seeks to expand existing public elementary schools to become integrated schools which will offer complete basic education, including high school.

The creation of integrated schools will allow elementary graduates, especially from rural communities, to continue their education at lesser cost, especially on travel expenditures.

This will also result in savings for the government as facilities of existing elementary schools may be utilized for use of incoming high school students with only repairs and a few additional classrooms to be constructed, rather than constructing a separate high school in the area, Santos-Recto said.

Section 3 of the unnumbered substitute bill provides that a public elementary school shall be converted into an Integrated

School, subject to compliance with several conditions that are applicable.

These conditions include: No public schools offering complete basic education in the catchment area; the number of elementary graduates does not warrant the establishment of a separate public secondary school; there are not enough items for teachers and school heads that would justify the establishment of separate public elementary and secondary schools; there is difficulty in acquiring a school site for the public secondary school; and there are inadequate equipment and resources to support the operation of separate public elementary and secondary schools.

Integrated School as defined in the bill refers to “a public school that offers kindergarten, elementary and junior high school education and has unified instructional program: The IS may be expanded to include a senior high school education, as necessary, to be determined by the Department of Education.

“There has been an alarming increase of elementary graduates who are unable to pursue secondary education because of the limited number of high schools and school facilities accessible within their communities,” Santos-Recto said.

Santos-Recto cited that School Year 2015-2016 data from the DepEd showed there are only 8,159 public secondary schools as compared to 38,688 public elementary schools, which means there is only one public high school for every five elementary schools.

A4

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Abaya must pay

W

E WERE flummoxed by the breathtaking claims of former Transport secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya before the Senate committee on public services Monday.

First, he disavowed any responsibility for the deterioration of the MRT 3 commuter train service—even though he had signed the questionable P3.8-billion maintenance contract with an untested, undercapitalized and unqualified company that allowed the train system to deteriorate to a point where breakdowns and service interruptions are the rule rather than the exception.

Second, Abaya suggested that it was all right for public officials to sign contracts on behalf of the government without doing due diligence.

Testifying during the hearing, Abaya

admitted he was not aware that PH-Trams CB&T that won the maintenance deal for MRT 3 was only two months old and had no more than P500,000 in capitalization. He signed the contract anyway because he was just new on the job and trusted his predecessor, Manuel Roxas II, and his people who had decided on the contract.

“There was a presumption that the organization, that the bureaucracy was doing its job,” Abaya said.

Third, Mr. Abaya insinuated that it was all right to do a shoddy job as long as you could fix it down the road.

Speaking once again about the maintenance contract, Abaya said he was advised not to interfere in the bidding process because “the eventual appeal” would be brought to his office anyway. Who, we demand to know, gave Mr. Abaya such poor advice?

Fourth, Mr. Abaya all but said it is all right for Cabinet members to make serious mistakes that hurt and even endanger the public simply

because they are still learning the ropes.

Questioned about his ignorance of the PHTrams deal, Mr. Abaya said at the time he signed the contract, he was busy familiarizing himself with air and sea transportation issues, and the MRT was the least of his concerns.

Yet later on in his term, Mr. Abaya also signed a contract to buy 48 light rail vehicles from China’s Dailan that will reamain unusable for the next three years because they are not compatible with the MRT system’s signaling system.

Mr. Abaya’s only defense in this regard was that under the contract’s terms of reference, all of the trains should have had “full compatibility.”

That they turned out not to be fully compatible means nobody in Mr. Abaya’s department bothered to check before he signed on the dotted line.

Will Mr. Abaya claim once again that he had more important things to occupy his time than the MRT?

Finally, Mr. Abaya exhibited the kind of arrogance that we hope we will never again see in a public servant.

In the face of overwhelming evidence of his wrongdoing, Mr. Abaya expected all of us to simply take his word for it that there nothing nothing irregular with the contracts he signed.

In fact, he said, he was answerable only to “the Lord and not to anyone else.”

“I guarantee you that no one made money out of this. There is no truth to the allegations.

All these actions are above board and our conscience are clear,” he said. “I can answer the Lord and tell him that we did our jobs well.”

First, Mr. Abaya and his ilk must be reminded that in a secular democracy, they are answerable to the people, not to God. Also, given the number of times Mr. Abaya has got things completely wrong, it seems much more likely that he will have a dialogue with the fallen angel who was cast from heaven than God himself, when he is finally called to account for his actions.

VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ

Duterte and China

be unflinchingly pro-Aquino, she was also “connected” to his successor-in-office.)

After yesterday, I have no doubt whatsoever that Morales is performing the job that Aquino believed Gutierrez had signed up to do: To protect the previous president from suit, now that he is no longer immune from legal action.

I am aware that there has also been an impeachment case filed against Morales. But because Congress is still populated by the same people who will not act without first checking the mood in Malacañang, this bid is going nowhere fast; besides, Congress is also still made up by the people who, to paraphrase Senator Panfilo Lacson, would be declaring attendance during sessions from a jail cell, if the pork-barrel case is given due course.

So there you have it: Both Gutierrez and Morales were apparently given very specific instructions on what to do when the people who appointed them gave them their

AS THE Philippines’ key geopolitical strategy, President Duterte has gravitated towards China’s sphere of influence.

There are three reasons for this shift, away from the United States.

One, China has plenty of money—for development assistance, for loans, for investments. The Philippines needs plenty of that money. Also, China provides the most tourists to the world. In 2016, China sent out 55-million tourists to Asia. Barely one million of that 55 million went to the Philippines. In the tourism game, the Philippines has been badly overtaken by Vietnam, and by this year, even

by Cambodia.

The Philippines is embarking on its most ambitious growth program ever, backstopped by the largest infrastructure spending, P8.4 trillion, in the next six years, 2017 to 2022. It is the biggest six-year spending by any government in the country’s history. Infra spending will reach 8.4 percent of GDP (P1.898 trillion) of economic output by 2022, beginning with 5.3 percent (P847.2 billion) in the first year, 2017. The average infra spending of the past 50 years (six presidents): 2.6 percent of GDP. Two, Duterte has realized there is no point arguing with or battling with China over claims in the South China Sea, claims validated by an Arbitral Court in favor of the Philippines, in July 2016. For three reasons: One, Manila cannot guard these reefs, islets, and islands 24/7. In Asean, the Philippines has the most primitive armed forces. Its naval boats are older than their captains.

Two, Manila cannot develop these reefs, islets and islands.

It cannot even develop the Kalayaan island, the biggest of the land claims, which it has occupied since 1978, nearly 40 years ago. Three, it is better to cut a deal with China and develop the islands and share jointly in the profits of that development. As long as it is not unfairly treated in this sharing, the Philippines will stop thinking, temporarily, it owns the islands as part of its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Joe de Venecia has a term for that kind of deal—condominium-type development. The Philippines provides the land, China the buildings.

Three, Duterte seems to see

Turn to A5

Turn to A5

A tale of two Ombudsmen LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES I REMEMBER former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who resigned shortly after being impeached by the House of Representatives rather than face trial in the Senate. Gutierrez had been told in no uncertain terms that she would be convicted and removed after a Senate trial because that was the instruction to the senators of then President Noynoy Aquino.

Gutierrez knew that the main reason Aquino was going after her was that he was convinced that she had been appointed by Noynoy’s predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in order to protect the latter from the cases that would be filed against her as soon as she stepped down from Malacañang in 2010. Rather than fight her removal on the grounds that she had a fixed term of office, Gutierrez resigned; if she was re-

ally made Ombudsman to protect Arroyo—who was subsequently jailed for five years by Noynoy on trumped-up charges—no one will never know.

What made me remember Gutierrez was a statement made yesterday by the current Ombudsman, Conchita Carpio-Morales, to the effect that she (Morales) would block any attempt to turn alleged pork-barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles into a state witness. Why Morales would make such a declaration is easy to see, for someone who recalls what went before as far as Napoles is concerned.

Morales joins jailed Senator Leila de Lima in dismissing the value of Napoles’ testimony, which Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II is currently considering as he ponders the reopening the case of one of the biggest scandals to rock the Aquino administration. And there is a very important reason why both Morales and De Lima would oppose any move for Napoles to testify: Both of them were in charge of the filing of cases that

stemmed from “Ma’am Janet’s” earth-shaking revelations about the massive theft of an estimated P14 billion in congressional allocations using bogus nongovernment organizations.

De Lima worked closely with

Morales is performing the job that Gutierrez had signed up to do: To protect the previous president.

Morales in making sure that only those whom Aquino wanted charged for involvement in Napoles’ scam and other similar

thriving “cottage industries” run

by Napoles-like wheeler-dealers were haled to court. The vast majority, consisting mainly of political allies of Aquino in his once-powerful Liberal Party, went scot-free, thanks to the efforts of De Lima and Morales.

This is where the GutierrezMorales comparison breaks down: The key difference between the situations of the two Ombudsmen is that while Aquino made it perfectly clear that he was hell-bent on pursuing both his predecessor and the graft-buster she appointed, President Rodrigo Duterte hasn’t made political vendetta a state policy and will not go after Aquino, Morales and his political allies.

(I doubt very much that the reason Duterte has not gone after Morales is because his daughter, Davao City Mayor “Inday” Sara Duterte is married to the Ombudsman’s nephew. This revelation was conveniently made by Morales after Duterte won the presidency last year—apparently to serve notice to everyone that while she was perceived to

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

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

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

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

ManilaStandard

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

ONLINE MEMBER

PPI

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

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors City Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Night Editor Art Director Chief Photographer

Opinion TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Truth and lies I HAVE refrained from com- Constitution. menting on the raging controThe Speaker questioned the versy between Speaker Pantaleon lease period of 25 years “instead Alvarez and Rep. Antonio “Tony- of the prevailing practice of leasboy” Floirendo over Tagum Agri- ing with a term of just 10 years.” cultural Development Co. and its How can the Speaker be so ignouse of the Bureau of Corrections’ rant of leases that go not only for land, 5,308.36 hectares of it, for 50 years but 75? decades now.

He also said that the freight-onThe quarrel between Alvarez board price of bananas is $12 per and Floirendo supposedly arose box. Isn’t he aware of spot prices, from conflict between their girl- like in China, which swing widefriends. But that’s beside the ly? point.

Tadeco, however takes a longer The Speaker alleged that the view and a more stable approach, joint venture agreement between careful not to subject itself to a Tadeco and the Bureau of Correc- feast-or-famine type of market. It tions is grossly disadvantageous said: “That would be a recipe for to the government. The BuCor commercial disaster.” is paid P25.6 million per year whereas the prevailing lease rate What hurt Tadeco the most in the area is P25,000 per hectare. was that the Speaker claimed Speaker Alvarez calculates that Tadeco workers were ill-treated the government is prejudiced by and exploited. Nothing could be more than P106 million. farther from the truth.

However, last year, Tadeco Records show that Tadeco was actually paid the BuCor a total the first banana plantation to obof P142.7 million, which equates tain the Global GAP (Good Agto P26,900 per hectare. Tadeco ricultural Practices) certification paid not only the guaranteed an- from abroad. Tadeco is audited nual production and profit share, yearly by foreign auditors. It is but also the inmates of the Davao the first and only banana plantaPenal Colony its farm training tion to obtain PHILGAP certifisupport, stipend and support pro- cation from the Department of gram, and trainAgriculture. ing subsidy. So Tadeco what’s Alvarez workers enjoy bellyaching the highest about? salaries and I wonder Tadeco arbenefits in the gues that aside where the ag r icu lt u r al from the resector – medihabilitation of arguments cal coverage some 42,000 infor the entire mates, the JVA against Tadeco family, elprovided the ementary and banana planta- are coming secondary tion operations from. schools, a hossome 30,000 pital, recreadirect and indition facilities. rect jobs. These I honestly translate to a sedon’t know cure livelihood of at least 181,000 where these arguments against Filipinos.

Tadeco are coming from. Perhaps The JVA is also responsible from ignorance. for P438 million in taxes and fees paid to the government in 2016 *** alone.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s Solicitor General Jose Calida war on illegal drugs has spawned added fuel to the fire when he is- collateral problems like congestsued a statement that the JVA vio- ed jails. lates the Public Land Act. He said There have been so many arthat under this Act, agricultural rests and surrenders. Imagine public lands such as the davao then how these prisoners are Penal Colony may be disposed crammed into detention centers. of only through homestead, sale, It’s sub-human! lease, or confirmation of imperWhen former Vice President fect title and not through a JVA. Jejomar Binay was mayor of Santa Banana, this is the crux Makati, he proposed the creaof the problem. The Davao Penal tion of an integrated jail facility Colony is neither an agricultural for Metro Manila, which could public land nor an alienable and accommodate more than 5,000 disposable public land but a res- inmates. ervation.

Recently, Binay sent a letter The Speaker and Calida failed to the acting Interior and Local to tell the difference—and they Government Secretary Catalino are both lawyers, my gulay!

Cuy proposing the same.

Such being the case of the Binay added that as early as Davao Penal Colony land, it 2005, the Bureau of Jail Managecannot be a lease. The principal ment and Penology proposed this objective of the JVA is the re- facility. habilitation of the inmates. The That is the problem of bureauproperty where Tadeco has a ba- cracy. When members of the nana plantation is a reservation, Cabinet get proposals, they turn inalienable and indisposable, pe- into that Mona Lisa song: “They riod. just lie there and die there.”

Let’s go back to when Tadeco The BJMP has actually prowas under scrutiny by the Mar- posed the creation of an intecos administration. Then-Justice grated facility to house Metro Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile said Manila’s 21 jails, all its offices in a memorandum to the Senate as well as housing for jail perBlue Ribbon Committee dated sonnel. A 96-hectare property June 29, 1970: “We are firmly of in San Mateo, Rizal was identhe belief that the contract estab- tified, with P300 million in lished a joint venture between the initial allocation for its conparties.” struction.

Such being the case, the Tadeco I wonder what happened to this plantation cannot be a proper plan. I also wonder what became subject of a lease agreement un- of that proposed P50-billion jail der Section 3, Article XII of the facility in Nueva Ecija.

A tale...

From A4 jobs. The only real difference is, one of them never got to do as ordered, while the other would risk the wrath of an entire nation just to make sure she does. *** I’ve always wondered why giant media network ABS-CBN never directly replied to repeated charges made by President Rodrigo Duterte that it took his money but never aired his ads during last year’s presidential campaign. I guess the Lopezowned network intends to keep stonewalling (the traditional term for “dedma”) until Duterte tires of making the accusation.

Except that it doesn’t look like Duterte ever will. Yesterday, the President said that his reported net worth grew by P3 million in the past year, based on his official statement of assets and liabilities, because that was the

amount he gave to ABS-CBN as payment for campaign ads that were never aired.

The owners of the Inquirer, Duterte’s other “favorite” media outfit, have at least said that they will not comment on the case of their alleged refusal to return government land leased to them at concessional rates because the matter is still being deliberated on by the courts.

The Lopezes don’t even want to acknowledge Duterte’s charges against them in any official statement.

Which is sad, really, because ABS-CBN is supposed to be a reputable media organization that should be responsible and upfront with its viewers. If it won’t even react to charges of fraud leveled by the president himself, how is it supposed to convince the public of its credibility?

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Impeaching Duterte BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE impeachment case filed against President Rodrigo Duterte could not have ended in any other way. Impeachment, after all, is a political process. It is a numbers game.

The House is dominated by members of the President’s ruling PDP-Laban. After going through the motion of hearing out complainant Magdalo Party-List Rep. Gary Alejano, 42 of the 50 House justice committee members threw out the case for being defective in form and consequently lacking in substance.

Justice committee chairman Rep. Reynaldo Umali described Alejano’s attempt to impeach President Duterte as “frivolous and will not be allowed to happen again.” House Majority Leader Rudy Fariñas shot Alejano’s case full of holes particularly on the aspect of the complainant not having any personal knowledge in the charges he lodged against the President.

Fariñas was bar topnotcher. He

said this was hearsay and double tional Criminal Court. hearsay. He went further to say The ICC cannot really do that Alejano’s allegations were much against an incumbent head mostly sourced from Senator of state. The ICC, at this point Antonio Trillanes IV, a known cannot charge or take Duterte critic of the President. into custody until he’s out of The charges included betrayal office and an opposition party of public trust for not defending takes power to hand him, over to the territorial sovereignty of the the international body. This was country against China, graft for what happened to Serbian strong allegedly amassing millions of man Slobodan Milosevic when pesos in several bank accounts a new Serbian government surand for the rendered him to the ICC. ext rajudicial killings in DiMilosevic was gong’s deadly responsible for war on illegal the massacre Congress is drugs. of thousands of An impeach- now expected to Muslims durment case concentrate on ing the Balkan against the War in the 90s President or legislation. in his ethnic any head of a cleansing to duly constituset up a contional body like solidated cothe Chief Justice of the Supreme alition of countries that formed Court, and the Office of the Om- the former Federal Republic budsman, can only be filed once of Yugoslavia ruled by the late a year.

Marshal Broz Tito.

It does not look like Alejano is Milosevic died of natural going to wait until next year to causes while in prison. He cheatfile a more substantial impeach- ed a final verdict by the ICC. His ment case against Duterte. If at other cohorts are still in prison all, the impeachment case he and undergoing trial. filed was only to serve as prePresident Duterte was in cursor to the one submitted by China on official visit while a private citizen in the Interna- Alejano’s case was being heard

Health

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO LAST Monday, I motored from Taipei for an hour to the town of Loudong in Yilan County in Taiwan’s northeastern tip.

I was asked to sign as witness to a Memorandum of Understanding between St. Mary’s Hospital and two hospitals in the Philippines, one in Calbayog City in Western Samar, another in Mati City in Davao del Sur. All hospitals are run by the Order of St. Camillus, an almost 450-year old religious order founded in Italy by St. Camillus de Lellis. The hospitals in Mati and Calbayog are named after the Camillian Order’s founder.

The MOU seeks to broaden the assistance given by the Taiwan hospital to its sister-hospitals in our country in terms of visitations of medical specialists from Taiwan as well as consultations for difficult cases by local physicians.

It also aims to broaden assistance to indigent patients in the Philippines as well as disaster relief.

The Camillian priest from Calbayog City was almost teary-eyed when he described how Taiwanese doctors brought hope to the poor people of his ministry in what is the fourth poorest province in the Philippines. All because to our poor, health care, especially in the countryside, is such a rare commodity. And in our cities, so very expensive that what little savings a workingman’s family earned in

in the House. The President simply shrugged off the complaint, confident that his supporters in Congress will not allow it to reach first base.

With the impeachment case out of the House agenda, Congress is now expected to concentrate on legislation. The next big thing that can occupy the House and the Senate would be the testimony of proposed state witness Janet Lim Napoles. The businesswoman is deemed the mastermind of the pork barrel scam carved out of the Priority Development Assistance Fund. There are certain quarters that doubt Napoles was the sole architect of the PDAF scam, done by using dummy NGOs to siphon off community development funds. Suspected are high-ranking officials of the executive branch with the connivance of the Department of Budget and Management that releases the Special Allotment Release Order or SAROs. A Napoles list of more senators and congressmen is making the rounds of offices and coffee shops. The names however are only mentioned in whispers until Napoles herself blurts out the names in court.

a lifetime often evaporates when a major illness strikes a member.

Sunday evening, I was a guest in the annual Tzu Chi Foundation’s celebration of their founding anniversary which also serves to commemorate Buddha Day. It was a very solemn and moving ceremony with tens of thousands of devotees.

Prior to the ceremony, each country representative and ambassador was assigned a host who described the mission and vision of Tzu Chi as epitomized by their founder, Dharma Master Cheng Yen. I expressed the eternal gratitude of our people for the many works of charity and humanitarian assistance that Tzu Chi has extended, and continues to extend to the Philippines, as epitomized by the awesome work they did, and continue to this day, for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Tzu Chi also runs hospitals and free medical clinics in various parts of Taiwan. I am tying these two incidents up to the manner by which the Taiwanese regard health as an issue of utmost importance.

Mang Ramon, who has been official driver for the resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office for 22 years here in Taiwan, recounted to me how marvelous the health care system in this country is, under the auspices of their National Health Insurance system.

He went on an extensive medical checkup years ago, and paid only 2,000 NT dollars (3,000 pesos), and that was for the room charge. My predecessor as chairman had an accident and needed extensive orthopedic surgery. In

the Philippines, that would have cost more than a million in a private hospital. He paid less than a hundred thousand in peso equivalent, and that was only because he stayed in a fairly large private suite. Another former Meco official recently had three stents inserted into his arteries to prevent myocardial infarction in a privately run hospital. He paid about a tenth of what I paid five years ago to a government specialty hospital for similar coronary intervention.

All these through the Taiwan government’s National Health Insurance system.

Two weeks ago, I took my blood pressure as has been my wont after my brush with a cardiac problem years ago. The systolic was a bit high; the diastolic was pretty normal. I decided to test-run my health insurance card in a private hospital.

After paying a registration fee of 380 NT dollars (600 pesos at current exchange), which covered the doctor’s consultancy as well, and getting my BP taken, I was ushered in to the room of the physician. She ordered a blood test and an ECG to test for heart, kidney, liver, cholesterol and sugar levels. All that was free.

Going back to the hospital this Tuesday morning, I was so relieved that the test registered pretty normal levels. She prescribed continuation of my medical maintenance pills. Through her computer, she wrote out the prescription, which went direct to the hospital pharmacy’s computer.

I waited out my turn at the pharmacy, and after some 10 minutes, I got a month’s maintenance medication, already wrapped up, with

dosage instructions printed on each. And I did not have to pay.

My health insurance card had a memory chip where my medical history is encrypted, along with the medication I take, so that if I should go to any other hospital or clinic, they would have an immediate read-out of my condition.

Would wonders never cease?

A new driver from Manila who would be my personal assistant once Mang Ramon retires pretty soon, and who himself got free medication from the same hospital a week ago, remarked as we left the hospital, “Dito sa Taiwan, mahalaga ang buhay ng lahat, maski mahirap. Sa atin, pag mahirap ka, magtitiis ka na lang hanggang sa mamatay.”

The words were uttered not so much to condemn the state of our health system, though he has reallife stories to tell about his own family and their misadventures with the public health system back home.

They were said in awe and admiration.

I just came from Hong Kong a few days ago, meeting with the President last Saturday afternoon.

The day before, I met with some Filipino workers at a Hong Kong park. They were so full of enthusiasm that the man they call “Tatay Digong” was in their island of work. They were also so hopeful that finally things would change.

If all that could change in the Philippines is a health system that could at least approximate that of my present country assignment, “Tatay Digong” would be so wellremembered.

Sana naman.

the No. 1 economy during the 1500s to the early 1800s. The most obvious symbolism of this is the One Belt, One Road project where China will spend up to $900 billion at the rate of $150 billion a year to benefit 65 percent of the world’s population, one-third of world GDP, and a third of all goods and services. The road is not a road but a sea route connecting southern China to East Africa and the Mediterranean. The belt is a series of highways, railways, and bridges connecting China with Europe, thru Central Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.

Since 2008, China has been the biggest contributor to the growth of the world economy.

It is the world’s biggest manufacturer, exporter, creditor, and provider of capital (it has $3 trillion foreign reserves and its savings rate is more than 50 percent of GDP). Of course, it is also the world’s biggest polluter (No. 8 in per capita pollution).

Adds the World Bank: “Such rapid growth has been accompanied by many other achieve-

ments: for example, two of the world’s top 10 banks are now Chinese; 61 Chinese companies are on the Global Fortune 500 list and China is home to the world’s second-largest highway network, the world’s three longest sea bridges, and six of the world’s 10 largest container ports. In 2010, China became the world’s largest energy user.

In 2015, China registered one million patents. (Only 400 for the Philippines). In 20 years, China will produce 200 million college graduates –more than the entire labor force of the US. Throughout human history, China has been the world’s most successful in solving poverty.

For 30 years, its economy grew consistently at 10 percent (9.9 to be exact), per year. Its poverty rate fell from more than 65 percent to less than 10 percent, lifting 600-million people out of poverty. This is the greatest social mobility revolution in the history of man—more than 600 million people crossing the poverty line.

I once visited a poor man’s village in China. The poor there had a two-story house, a car, ap-

pliances, and livelihood. There are 55 million such “poor” people in China. Still, China suffers from high income-inequality China achieved all the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015. The Philippines failed in meeting all the MDG targets, except in one.

Why? Incompetence and corruption of the Philippine presidents before Duterte.

Xi Jingpin has launched a vicious anti-corruption campaign.

It has cracked down on gambling, golfing (China’s 88 million Communist Pary members are banned from playing golf), and commercial bribery (like sales incentives) in the private sector. It will set up in 2018 a state inspection commission to run after corrupt government men at all levels.

The anti-corruption campaigns have been undertaken mainly by the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, focusing on high-ranking party officials. The corruption campaign was so effective that tourism in Hong Kong and Macau went down and sales of Hermes bags in Paris slowed.

Duterte...

From A4 in China a model of development that is hugely successful.

Aside from drugs and criminality, President Duterte is bothered, to the point of wanting to kill people, by two problems— massive poverty (25-million Filipinos are dirt poor) and massive corruption in government. The country’s oligarchy has in turn exploited these problems to further enrich itself and entrench itself. Duterte wants to grapple with this bullshit.

In 30 years, China transformed itself—from rural and agricultural to urban and industrial, from a command economy to market economy, from a closed economy to the biggest advocate and beneficiary of globalization.

In the future, according to the World Bank, China will create an urban population equivalent to a Tokyo or Buenos Aires, every year.

In 2015, China surpassed the United States as the largest economy in terms of GDP, purchasing power parity. By 2030, if not earlier, China will be the world’s largest economy at current prices, displacing the US, recapturing its primacy as

News

A6

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Inadequate’ monitoring of Ebola virus at Naia hit A

By Joel E. Zurbano

IRPORT authorities have expressed concern over the inadequate monitoring procedures for passengers coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo following the reported outbreak there of the deadly Ebola virus.

Officials of the Manila International Airport Authority— Bureau of Quarantine are now waiting for the instruction or ‘go signal’ from the Department of Health to resume the distribution of health forms to arriving passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The said procedure, they said, was stopped on February after

all kinds of virus were reportedly put in control.

But Naia physician Geraldine Yangson said that although the health form distribution was stopped, the fever scanning system remains 24/7.

Manila has no direct flight from Congo but Quarantine personnel strictly monitor arriving passengers with connecting flights from

the Middle East countries and those from Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.

“If given the go signal, we will resume the distribution of health forms to all passengers on these flights,” Yangson said.

Three years ago, airport and health authorities had tightened the screening of arriving passengers at the Naia amid fears of a worldwide spread of the virus. Passengers of all foreign flights arriving at the airport terminals are required to fill out health declaration checklist which asks for their travel histories, addresses and contact details.

Also, passengers coming from all destinations will also have to

walk past the thermal scanners set up in quarantine desks.

The World Health Organization confirmed that at least one person has died from Ebola after contracting the virus, signaling another outbreak of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

MIAA general manager Eddie Monreal has instructed airport personnel to make sure there is enough hand soap and sanitizer in all rest rooms at the four terminals.

Late last year, WHO published the results of a major trial of an experimental Ebola vaccine in Guinea, one of the three West African countries hardest hit by the Ebola outbreak, showing this

IN BRIEF Arrest warrant on Ampatuan out THE Sandiganbayan Sixth Division on Tuesday issued three warrants of arrest against former Maguindanao governor Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan in connection with multiple criminal cases leveled against him.

Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada ordered the arrest of Ampatuan for 137 counts of falsification of public documents, four counts of malversation of public funds and four counts of graft in connection with an allegedly anomalous P72-million school buildings project.

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division ruling also covered the arrest of Ampatuan’s coaccused—John Estelito Dollosa Jr., Kasan Macapendeg, Osmeña Bandila, Norie Unas, Datu Ali Abpi, Al Haj, and Landap Guinaid. Ampatuan was asked by the court to post P3.5 million.

Ampatuan, the son of the late former Maguindanao governor and clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., was released from jail on March 9, 2015 after posting a P11.6-million bail.

He posted bail two months after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 granted his appeal in January 2015 for temporary liberty and set his bail at P200,000 per murder count, or a total of P11.6 million for the 58 counts filed before the court. Maricel V. Cruz

vaccine to be highly protective against the deadly virus.

According to WHO, the vaccine, rVSV-ZEBOV was studied in a trial involving 11,841 people in Guinea during 2015.

Among the 5,837 people who received the vaccine, no Ebola cases were recorded 10 days or more after vaccination. In comparison, there were 23 cases 10 days or more after vaccination among those who did not receive the vaccine.

The Ebola virus was first identified in 1976 and caused sporadic outbreaks in Africa. However, the 2013-2016 outbreak in west Africa that killed more than 11,300 people underlined the urgent need for a vaccine.

Customs agents seize 2 handguns

Ex-PBA player Peña charged for drug use

By Vito Barcelo and Eric Apolonio THE Bureau of Customs seized two semiautomatic pistols hidden inside electric water heaters to be delivered to Hong Kong and Vietnam at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The customs agents led by Customs District III Collector Ed Macabeo arrested Alfonso Martin Sanchez who inquired on the status of the two outbound parcels stored in a Pasay warehouse, for failure to present the required documents from the Philippine National Police.

The two handguns were found at the Thomas Nationwide Transportation Warehouse at the Naia in Pasay and consigned to Christopher Yeung of Hong Kong, China and a certain Lau of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.

Customs Enforcement Group Deputy Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said that when the boxes were opened, they found a 9mm pistol and .45 pistol with empty magazine.

Charges were filed against Sanchez before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office for violation of Republic Act 10863, or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016, and RA 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act. The seized items are now in the custody of the BoC–Naia.

Nepomuceno said the recent apprehension will send a strong signal to the public that the bureau strictly secures the country’s border against illegal shipments.

Customs authorities said the suspect has been coordinating with them to divulge who was behind the gun smuggling.

PACKING HEAT. Bureau of Customs X-ray Inspector Major Jaybee Cometa and BoC Deputy Commissioner for Enforcement Ariel Nepumuceno present two guns hidden inside electric water heaters that were packaged into parcels bound for Vietnam and Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Wednesday. Norman Cruz

NCRPO orders dismissal of ‘awol’ cops THE National Capital Region Police Office has ordered the dismissal from the service of all Metro Manila police personnel involved in illegal activities and those who went absent without official leave at the time President Rodrigo Duterte ordered them to be deployed in Mindanao.

Metro Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde said the order is part of the Internal Cleansing Program of the NCRPO in its aim to instill discipline, build ethics, and evaluate the commitment level of each police officer to their sworn duties.

Albayalde ordered the Discipline Law and Order Section, Regional Investigation Detective Management Division and the Regional Legal Service to hasten the cases and complaints against erring policemen for appropriate charges as well as those on AWOL status.

He gave his order during a Command Conference at the NCRPO

after the presentation from the five Police Districts on the Alleged Illegal Activities perpetrated by NCRPO personnel within their respective area of responsibility.

Albayalde also emphasized that all police officers with AWOL status should be accounted, have a thorough study of their cases.

“After due process has been made, file appropriate charges against these police officers, then make sure to recover their issued firearms, badges, identification cards and police uniforms to avoid misuse,” he added.

Albayalde also ordered the dismissal of the rookie cops who went on AWOL during the Orientation Program that the NCRPO currently conducts.

The Orientation Program is an additional 45 days training as part of the Internal Cleansing.

“Since these rookie cops are still on a temporary status, it is better to remove them from the list before

they put the organization on a bad light. There are many applicants who wanted to become police officers more qualified and deserving,” Albayalde said.

The NCRPO chief also directed all District Directors, Chiefs of Police and StationCommanders to take full responsibility of their subordinates or face the consequences.

“Impose necessary disciplinary actions or file administrative sanctions against police officers who violate the law. Coordinate with the Internal Affairs Section as well as intensify Counter Intelligence in your Area of Responsibility to pave way in verifying complaints against our personnel,” Albayalde said.

The Internal Cleansing is an integral part of a progressive process; we must see to it that we discipline our subordinate and even ourselves.

While we lead our men, we also make sure that their actions are guarded and in consonance with our

organizational values,” he added.

Last February, several police officers, who were among the erring cops reassigned to Mindanao due to their alleged involvement in illegal activity and other abuses, went AWOL. More than 300 police personnel were reassigned to the Southern Command as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte. Some of these cops went on AWOL. The rogue cops are composed of police commissioned officers including one superintendent, four chief inspectors, nine senior inspectors, three inspector; and 293 non police commissioned officers. These cops came from the regional headquarters and five police districts in Metro Manila. Forty-nine from Northern Police District, 10 from Eastern Police District, 72 from Manila Police District, 51 from Southern Police District, 35 from Quezon City Police District, and 94 from NCRPO-Regional Headquarters. Joel E. Zurbano

THE Department of Justice has filed before the Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court a complaint for violation of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act against former Philippine Basketball Association player Dorian Alan T. Peña.

In a six page resolution, the DoJ found probable cause to hold Peña criminally liable for violating Section 15 Article II of RA 9165 after he tested positive for the use of methamphetamine and its metabolite Amphetamine.

“Respondent Peña was subjected to a drug test or screening laboratory examination after the apprehending officers observed that he manifested signs and symptoms of someone under the influence of dangerous drugs,” the DoJ resolution said, noting that “after confirmatory test, he was certified as showing reactions indicative for the presence of Methamphetamine and its metabolite Amphetamine.’

“Based on the foregoing, we find that there is probable cause to charge respondent Dorian Alan Peña for violation of Section 15 Article II of RA 9165,” the resolution stated.

Peña, along with Ledy Mea Vilchez and Jose Paolo Ampeso were arrested in a buy-bust operation last May 9 in Merryland Village, Mandaluyong City.

During the arrest, authorities confiscated shabu, aluminum foils, glass inhaler, scissors, improvised burner, electronic pocket scale and the marked money.

The DoJ has deferred the resolution on the complaint for violation of Section 7 of RA 9165 which provides penalty against employees and visitors found in a drug den after his corespondent Ampeso and Vilchez asked for a preliminary investigation. Rey E. Requejo

PCSO: STL gains ground vs illegal gambling

DRUG CATCH. Officials of the National Bureau of Investigation’s Special Action Unit present Japanese national Takahiro Yano (center) after his arrest on May 13 in a hotel in Manila on illegal drugs charges. Norman Cruz

THE profitability of illegal gambling operations has decreased prompting some gambling lords to use the government’s Small Town Lottery as a front for their illegal activities in some provinces to avoid being pursued by the law, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Alexander Balutan said on Tuesday.

“STL is being used by illegal operators, as front in some provinces as they are now afraid for the viability of their illegal activities,” Balutan said.

Balutan was referring to reports that the provinces of Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya and General Santos City were into “jaiteng” (jai-alai fronting for jueteng), “STL-teng” (STL fronting for jueteng), and “lotting” (lotto fronting for jueteng).

Jueteng is an illegal numbers game that continued to proliferate despite the presence of STL, and there are gambling lords who tapped the STL as front of their illegal business.

Currently, the three provinces have STL Authorized Agent Corporations (AACs). These are Golden Go and Rapid Gaming Corp., (Pangasinan), King’s 810 Gaming Corp. (Nueva Vizcaya) and Trento Gaming Leisure Corp. (General Santos City).

“I expect another one to pop out so I’m urging the law enforcement units from different provinces, particularly those that have STL players to be vigilant and arrest those illegal operators using STL as front,” Balutan said.

Balutan reminded AACs to report to authorities, including the PCSO and the PNP of any unauthorized movement within their areas adding that failure to do so may lead to the revocation of their authority to operate STL and forfeiture of cash bonds.

“The full might of the law will be used against these forces using the STL to hide their illegal activities,” he said.

For his part, Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz clarified the report of Supt.

Maximo Layugan, director of the General Santos City Police Command, who said lotting has become rampant in SOCCSKSARGEN. According to Layugan, the 20-30 STL operators are licensed by the PCSO but engage in lotting without fear of being caught because they operate “guerrilla style using digital technology.”

“Layugan is unclear on the concept.

There is only 1 AAC per province or city.

His report that these jueteng operators were PCSO authorized STL operators is grossly incorrect and no doubt created a negative impression about PCSO that needs to be corrected,” Corpuz said.

“It was ignorance on their part because what they refer to as lotting are actually STL-AAC betting stations in different barangays of GenSan. It was clarified to me already over the phone

by Engineer Mercado of Trento Gaming Corp., our AAC in GenSan, and I advised him to call Layugan to enlighten the latter,” Corpuz added.

Sports

A7

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

PH bets seek rebound in golf C ARMONA, Cavite—The local aces aim for nothing but redemption after being shut out of the Top 10 last year with Miguel Tabuena, Tony Lascuña and Clyde Mondilla spearheading the challenge against a crack foreign field in the $60,000 ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship firing off today (Wednesday, May 17) at the Legends course here.

Malaysian Gavin Green led last year’s foreign domination with a two-shot win over Koh Deng Shan of Singapore with Tabuena emerging as the best local finisher at joint 13th. But the

hosts hope for a better finish this time with a fully rested Tabuena seeking a second crown in three weeks, Lascuña out for a followup to his Manila Masters romp last month and Mondilla upbeat

after a runner-up finish to Thai Gunn Charoenkul at Orchard last week.

“It’s always a happy feeling playing at home. And I’m looking forward to another great week,” said the 22-yearold Tabuena, who skipped the Orchard tilt to rest following a grueling campaign that included stints in the Asian Tour and Japan PGA. The former Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner, who rallied from seven down to edge South African Mathiam Keyser at Luisita, drew American Nicolas Paez and Jhonnel Ababa

in the 8:10 a.m. flight on No. 1.

One thing going for the locals is that they’ll be playing on a course so familiar with them, particularly Lascuña, who calls the bunker-laden layout his home although the veteran campaigner stressed the need for the Filipinos to stand up to the challenge posed by their long-hitting foreign rivals in the 72-hole championship sponsored by ICTSI. “We’re confident of our chances but there’s a lot of long hitters in the field and that is the key here,” said Lascuña, also pointing to putting as a key factor to winning at Legends.

He tees off two flights ahead of Tabuena at 7:50 a.m. with Jay Bayron and Mondilla, who missed setting a record victory last week on a stunning six-shot swing on a birdie-birdie finish coupled with and lost by one to Charoenkul at Orchard.

“Judging for what I saw, this will all boil down to putting. Most likely, a 15-under total will win it,” said Tabuena after yesterday’s pro-am graced by officials and guests of the event’s chief backers, including ICTSI, BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT.

Chooks-to Go backs Gilas PH CHOOKS Gilas Pilipinas began its quest for its eighth Southeast Asia Basketball Association crown last Friday. And after 16 years, the National Team will have home-court advantage in the tournament.

“We are very excited to be part of the journey of Chooks Gilas Pilipinas as they take the first step towards realizing the country’s dream of reaching the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Championship and the 2019 FIBA World Cup,” President and General Manager of Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. Ronald Mascariñas said about Gilas’ first major tournament for the year.

The 2017 SEABA Championship, the region’s main qualifier to the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, is ongoing at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum featuring seven of the toptier teams in Southeast Asia.

With just one ticket for the FIBA Asia Cup at stake, Mascariñas, who founded Chooksto-Go, calls on every Filipino to show the same support as they did back in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship or even more.

“Our guys will be playing against the best national teams in the region and they will need all the support they can get, especially prayers,” Mascariñas furthered.

“Let’s show Chooks Gilas Pilipinas team how we value all their sacrifices by cheering them on in every game, because every single win is a victory for the country.”

This batch of Chooks Gilas Pilipinas will be led by national team veterans Jayson Castro, June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Troy Rosario, and Andray Blatche. Completing the team are national seniors team debutants Raymond Almazan, Allein Maliksi, RR Pogoy, Jiovani Jalalon, and Matthew Wright.

All Chooks Gilas games will have a tip-off time of 7 p.m.

Philracom Commissioners Lyndon Noel Guce (left), Bienvenido Niles, Jr. (center) and Jose Magboo, racing manager of the Manila Jockey Club Inc., are shown during their guesting at the PSA Forum at the Golden Phoenix Hotel to discuss the racing events celebrating MJCI’s 150th year. Ey Acasio

Pacquiao of horse-racing possible HORSERACING’S Manny Pacquiao?

The Manila Jockey Club Inc. (MJCI) and the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) would like to believe they are headed in that direction with the Philippines’ associate membership in the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), whose mission is to promote good regulation and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport.

MJCI Racing Manager Jose Magboo and Philracom Commissioners Bienvenido Niles Jr. and Lyndon Noel Guce are one in saying that the Philippines is capable of producing a worldclass horse in the future, now that they are working hand in hand with the IFHA.

“Ang pangarap po namin ay ang magkaroon ng Manny Pacquiao sa horseracing, na ngayon ay posibleng maging realidad sa ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa IFHA,” said Magboo, a goal seconded by Niles Jr., “Our IFHA membership will make sure that horseracing in the Philippines is held at the highest level. It will ensure that Philippine racing will move towards globalization as our top horses can compete in future races abroad and vice versa. This can only mean that we can develop horses that are world-class,” Niles said.

The three racing officials graced the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday at the Golden Phoenix Hotel to discuss the 150th founding anniversary of

the MJCI and the eight racing events celebrating it on Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite.

Magboo said that Sunday’s races are the most anticipated in recent memory, what with the total record prizes up for grabs—P14.5 million in all in just a single raceday.

MJCI’s Founder’s Cup, for one, is offering a staggering P6 million in total prizes, also a record payday for a single race.

“Ito ang pinakamalaking papremyo sa larangan ng karera sa ating bansa, first time po ito para sa ating selebrasyon ng ating ika-150 taong anibersaryo ng MJCI,” said Magboo in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Golden Phoenix Hotel, Accel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming

Corp., and aired live over DZSR Sport Radio 918.

“Labing-talong horses po ang maglalaban-laban sa Founder’s Cup. May mga early favorites po, pero alam naman ng bayang karerista, na depende pa din po sa araw na ‘yun,” said Magboo, who mentioned Shakira, Dixie Gold, Spice Land, Manalig ka, Kanlaon as among the early favorites.

Niles and Guce also promoted the 1st leg the Triple Crown Series, the Hopeful Stakes Race and the Philracom 3YO Locally Bred Stakes Race, all of which are also part of Sunday’s racing extravaganza.

Other races slated are the Fundador Cup, the City of Dreams Stakes Races, Resorts World Stakes Races and the PCSO Stakes Cup.

Aces top Cebuana netfest THE region’s heavyweight young tennis talents took over at the recent Mambajao, Camiguin leg of the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series as familiar names emerged winners anew, though perennial double champion Marc Nicole Suson had to settle for only the boys’ 16-under as he lost in the finals of the 18-under.

Suson, a native of Cebu City, has been dominating the two age groups but this time, he was thwarted by Tubod, Lanao del Norte bet John Renest Sonsona in the finals of the 18-under, 7-5, 6-3.

Earlier though, Suson stamped his mark anew in the 16-under, beating Dipolog City’s Stephen Guion Zia, 7-6, 3-6, 13-11, in an extended three-set championship match in the tournament supported by Dunlop as the official ball.

Misamis Oriental lass Merkisslyn Ubayubay, meanwhile, extended his domination of the girls’ 18-under by posting a close 7-6, 7-5 victory over another familiar name Ellaine Bahonsua from Siquijor in the finals.

Brent Signmond Cortes continued to rule the boys’ 14-under with a 7-5,6-0 whipping of Surigao del Norte’s Ivan Macalos; while John Christopher Sonsona from Tubod, emerged champion anew in the boys’ 12-under with an easy 6-1, 6-0 win over Vince Luis Serna from Butuan in their championship match.

“Looking at the list of winners, we believe that our efforts in discovering and developing young tennis talents in the provinces are paying off as these young champions have certainly upgraded their skills level with their consistent victories,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.

Other individual champions in the tournament played at the Provincial Plaza Tennis Courts were Cagayan de Oro’s up-andcoming Nanami Suzuki, who took care of citymate Clarissa Pabillore, 6-4, 7-6, in the finals of the girls’ 14-under, and Klan Sanchez, also from CDO, who topped the 10-under unisex age group, defeating Beejay Macalos, 5-4, 4-1, in the finals.

KAMAO PARA SA CANCER. Joseph ‘Joy’ Encabo, Presidential Management Staff Asst. Secretary for Regional Concerns hands over the check worth P1 million to Jara Corazon Ehera, Deputy Director for Hospital Support Service of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center as Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation Asst. Vice President for Community Relations and Social Services Arnel Ignacio and PMS Director Victor B. Lorenzo looks on. The PCMC out-patient division for cancer patient was chosen as beneficiary by Malacanang Kamao basketball team, which placed runner-up in the just concluded UNTV Cup.

Lady Bulldogs sustain run in national softball meet NATIONAL University and University of the Philippines hacked out a pair of thrilling victories to keep their 1-2 posts in the Cebuana LhuillierASAPHIL National Softball Intercollegiate Championships at the Sto. Niño Ballpark in Marikina yesterday.

The Lady Bulldogs battled back from a pair of one-run deficits in the second and fourth innings then leaned on Ethel Cuyo’s crucial hit in the fifth and their

defense in the sixth to pound out a 4-3 decision over the Polytechnic University of the Philippines side.

NU later kept its win run going, holding off guest team Manila Youth, 7-4, to notch its fourth straight victory in the annual event which drew five of the top softball teams in Metro Manila.

UP Diliman also turned back Rizal Technological University, 3-2, in the other game to pick up its second win in three games.

The Lady Maroons were playing

with the defending UAAP champion Adamson Lady Falcons at presstime.

Adamson totes a 1-1 card while PUP dropped to 1-3 and RTU took its third straight defeat.

“I’d like to commend all the participants and players for this year’s Intercollegiate Softball tournament for showing us great games and sportsmanship,” said ASAPHIL and Cebuana Lhuillier president, Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“This year, the teams have been

surpassing their own records which only proves how bright and promising the future of Philippine softball really is.”

After a scoreless start, PUP took charge off Angeline Madrona’s RBI, scoring Nazarel Alipio, who earlier hit a triple. But the Lady Bulldogs cashed in on PUP’s catching error, enabling Chad Tulalian to hit base and Elsie dela Torre to score an RBI. Alipio then batted-in another long ball on top of the fourth,

sending Jacqueline Mallari home but NU’s Nicole Ordoyo countered with her own hit, pushing Tulalian and Kristine Paclar for two more RBI’s as the Lady Bulldogs grabbed 3-2 lead.

But PUP equalized in the fifth as Pamela Cindy Banculo scored a run from a base-on-ball RBI although Cuyo came through with a big hit for another RBI before the Lady Bulldogs toughened up on defense in the sixth to frustrate their rivals.

16 chosen as All-Stars of Jr NBA YOUTH players from the Regional Selection Camp in Metro Manila shone the brightest among 72 boys and girls in the National Training Camp of Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska held at the Don Bosco Technical Institute May 12 and 13 and at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on May 14, attended by Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton and former WNBA All-Star Sue Wicks.

Payton and Wicks joined Jr. NBA Coaches Chris Sumner and Jeffrey Cariaso in training and working with the young campers throughout the National Training Camp. Jr. NBA Asia Advisory Council members including NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo also attended the final day of the National Training Camp.

Eight boys and eight girls— comprised of players from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao—were selected as Jr. NBA All-Stars.

Kenji Trey Duremdes, 14, Jan Clement Macalalag, 13, and Victorino Torres, 13, of La Salle Greenhills; Joachim Eddie Laure of University of Santo Tomas High School; Johndel Austria, 13, of Escuela de Sophia-Caloocan; Ian Dominic Espinosa, 13, of Ateneo de Iloilo; Reinhard Jumanoy, 13, of University of San Carlos-North Campus; and Jeryk Dwight Bait, 14, of St. Francis National High School in Lucena represent the boys named as Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 All-Stars.

The girls selected as Jr. NBA All-Stars are composed of Boni Marylene Solis, 12; Jane Araza, 13, and Jeehan Nikaela Ahmed, 13, of Chiang Kai Shek College; Jazmine Ann Maniquis, 13, of St. Paul Pasig; Lindsey Nacional, 13, of La Salle College Antipolo; Camille Nolasco, 14, of Miriam College; and Chinnsai Demana, 13, of the University of the Visayas in Cebu.

Olivarez net tourney lures huge roster CLOSE to 300 entries, including the leading junior players and rising stars from various regions, gear up for a week-long battle for top honors and ranking points in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Olivarez leg age-group tennis tournament at the Olivarez Sports Center in Sucat, Parañaque.

Jose Maria Pague from Zamboanga, a gold medalist in the recent Palarong Pambansa, Jeremiah Macias II, Cenon Gonzales and Emmanuel Fuellas banner the field in the boys’ 18-and-under class while Cagayan de Oro’s Aubrey Calma and Gennifer Pagente, Danna Abad from Davao and Bea de Ocampo from Valle Verde, Pasig headline the girls’ cast in the premier division of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger.

The event, backed by Asiatraders Corp. and the new Unified tennis group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s and B-Meg, actually got under way yesterday (Tuesday) with hostilities in the boys’ 14- and 16-U sides, both 64-player draws, and 12-U with action heating up today in all age categories.

“Drawing the leading regional players into this week’s tournament and a huge field such as this further inspires us to provide more topnotch tournaments for our youth from where the future members of the national pool will come from,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Others tipped to contend in the boys’ division are Khenz Justiniani from La Carlota, Negros, Olongapo’s Axl Lajon Gonzaga, Andre Sing from Davao, Malabon’s Daniel Estanislao III, Kean Enriquez and EJ Geluz from Imus, Cavite, Canlubang’s Ison Nicos, Pete Rodriguez from Bacolod City, Iriga, Bicol’s Jan Trillanes.

Casey Padilla, another top bet from CdO, is also in the hunt in the girls’ 12- and 14-U sides, which also drew National Capital Region’s Kaye and Mica Emana, along with Francine Dizon from Laguna, Sydney Enriquez from Zamboanga and Puerto Princesa’s Amelie Matta (14-U and 16-U) and Bliss Bayking from San Carlos, Negros (16-U).

LOTTO RESULTS

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

P0.0 M+ P0.0 M+

A8

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor Reuel Vidal, Assistant Editor sports@thestandard.com.ph sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Reyes impresses coach Vicente

By Peter Atencio

Sports Boston Celtics big man Kelly Olynyk (41) spins past Washington Wizards defender Ian Mahinmi (28) during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 15 at TD Center in Boston. AFP

Olynyk powers Celtics past Wizards, 115-105 N

EW YORK—Kelly Olynyk scored 26 points from the bench as the Boston Celtics outmuscled the Washington Wizards 115-105 to clinch their Eastern Conference semi-final series on Monday.

Olynyk produced a superb display of shooting from distance as Boston pulled clear of the Wizards in the late stages of the game to take the series 4-3 and set up a Conference final clash with Cleveland.

Isaiah Thomas topscored for the Celtics with 29 points and weighed in with 12 assists while Al Horford (15), Jae Crowder (14) and Marcus Smart (13) also made double figures.

But it was Olynyk’s remarkable

display off the bench that proved decisive as the Celtics clinched their first Eastern Conference finals berth since 2012.

Olynyk had entered the game averaging only 8.3 points per game in the playoffs but delivered a career-high playoff performance when it mattered.

“A friend called me and said ‘Be at your best when your best is needed’ and my best was needed tonight,” Olynyk said after the win.

“Everybody gave it their best and it turned out for us tonight,” added the 26-year-old Canadian power forward.

Olynyk described the series win as a “a team effort.”

“It was hard work, that was a tough seven-game series. Both teams played tough—we just kind of outlasted them at the end there. We’re lucky to move on,” Olynyk said.

Boston, who had the top seed going into the postseason, now host NBA champions Cleveland, the second seeds, on Wednesday.

Cleveland—who have not dropped a game in the playoffs— got the better of Boston over the course of the regular season, winning 3-1 over four games.

But Olynyk believes Boston will

have more than a fighting chance of being competitive against the Cavaliers.

“We’ve just gotta keep playing our brand of basketball and we’ll see what happens,” Olynyk said.

Celtics coach Brad Stevens said his team faced a daunting challenge, stating the Cavaliers have raised their game in the postseason.

“I think they’re playing better this year than they did last year,” Stevens said. “I’ve seen them play before.

We played them four times. I think they’re better than any of the four times they played us.”

The defeat marked another frustrating end for Washington.

Bradley Beal exploded for 38 points but it was not enough to overcome the Celtics rugged de-

Nunes wants Lee’s crown

Johnson commercial slammed SYDNEY, Australia—A controversial commercial by an Australian sports betting company featuring disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson has been slammed by the government for glorifying drug cheats.

The 90-second advert by gambling firm Sportsbet introduces Johnson, at a desk surrounded by a medal and a trophy, as the 1988 Olympic gold medalist while attempting to make light of the scene by superimposing “*For 48 hours” below the fallen star.

“When it comes to performance enhancement Ben really knows his stuff, which is why he is happy to endorse Sportsbet’s new juicedup Android app,” the narrator says, claiming the firm’s phone betting application was putting “the roid into Android”.

Australian Sports Minister Greg Hunt blasted the ad as “sending a message that cheating’s okay and should be rewarded and laughed at and glorified”.

“They’re glorifying a drug cheat and they’re paying a known drug cheat a huge princely sum of money,” he told radio station 2GB late Monday.

“So it’s an insult to clean athletes and, frankly, my view is they should pull the ad and they should pay the same amount to junior sport as they paid a known drug cheat.”

Johnson was stripped of his 100-meter gold medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympics after testing positive to steroids.

The Canadian is joined in the advert by a range of drug-cheating stereotypes, including a cyclist in a yellow jacket, a muscular swimmer and a Hulk-like body builder. AFP

fense. Otto Porter Jr added 20 points while John Wall and Markieff Morris scored 18 each.

No other Washington player made double figures, highlighting the team’s threadbare relative lack of options off the bench. Wall meanwhile made only one of eight attempted three-pointers.

“I hate losing, especially (because) we felt like we were the better team,” Beal said. “You credit them because they played their tails off.”

The decisive passage of play came in the third quarter when the Celtics trailed by five points with 5:39 left in the period.

Yet Boston rallied brilliantly to outscore Washington by 21-9 over the rest of the quarter to build a lead they would never relinquish. AFP

FORMER La Salle standout Mika Reyes took a step closer in earning a spot to the national women’s volleyball team that’s going to see action in the coming Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

She won the admiration of national head coach Francis Vicente not only for her sterling performance Pilipinas Blue Team but for her big heart last Monday in one of the two charity games of the “Clash of Heroes.”

Reyes struck with 17 points and helped top scorer Frances Molina lead Blue past Pilipinas Red, 19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 25-15, 15-10, at The Arena in San Juan.

Earlier, Team Blue also won over Team Red, 25-27, 25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 15-9, in the men’s match, and with Johnvic de Guzman leading with 19 points.

After being handled by Ramil de Jesus during her college days with La Salle, the 5’11” middle hitter said she is ready to submit to the instructions of coaches other than who have handled her in the past.

“It’s time for me to grow at makipag-interact and makipagcommunicate sa iba’t ibang teammates and coaches,” said the 22-year-old Reyes.

Reyes rose to the occasion in the fourth set, with her attacks and blocks past Jaja Santiago allowing Team Blue to move out of range after Team Red threatened at 13-15.

Two of her attacks saw Blue taking an 18-13 cushion.

Another teammate, Shaya Adorador, chipped in 13 and also left good impressions.

Team Blue also got impressive showings from CJ Rosario, Roselle Baliton and Lourdes Clemente, who combined for 15 points.

Vicente also is also looking into the game of Bia General, who tallied 11 digs and 30 excellent receptions.

For Pilipinas Red, it was Jaja Santiago, who led with 19 points and 11 digs while Aiza Maizo-Pontillas, Gen Casugod and Rhea Dimaculangan provided eight apiece.

Vicente said he appreciated the efforts of the players who showed up.

“Humahanga ako sa ganyang mga player na binibigyan ng time ‘yung kapag sinabi mong for flag they’re there to support the flag,” said Vicente.

There were players who did show up. These include Premier Volleyball League players Alyssa Valdez of Creamline, Grethcel Soltones of BaliPure and the Pocari Sweat tandem Elaine Kasilag and Myla Pablo.

Istela Nunes (left) elevates as she unloads a front kick at her opponent during their match inside the ONE Championship cage. ONE Championship

ISTELA Nunes is completely focused on her mission to defeat “Unstoppable” Angela Lee at ONE: Dynasty of Heroes and become the first Brazilian to hold a ONE Women’s World Championship.

The two unbeaten heroines, who are set to do battle on May 26, have quite a lot in common.

For instance, they both want to be positive role models, they both love their families, and their parents got them both started on their respective martial arts journeys.

Nunes’ tale is an unfamiliar one filled with triumph and tragedy.

Born to a mother who worked as a cleaning lady and a father who was an artist craftsman, Nunes grew up in the municipality of Pau dos Ferros in the Rio Grande de Norte state of Brazil.

Nunes’ martial arts journey began when her father enrolled all three of his children in capoeira. She was only five, but she absolutely loved it. By the time she reached 10 she transitioned into another discipline.

“I met an instructor through my mother — she was working at his house — and I began to train Muay Thai, which became a passion of mine,” the 24-year-old Brazilian said.

Nunes’ love for the “art of eight limbs”

Batang Gilas ready for Thai challenge BATANG Gilas will be ready for whatever challenge that Thailand will have to offer when they meet at 12 noon today in the 2017 Southeast Asian Basketball Association Under-16 Tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

When Team Pilipinas pulled off a 96-73 rout of Indonesia, it was the speed of their rivals which they needed to overcome.

This time around, it is the height and talent of the Thai cagers which Batang Gilas will have to deal with.

“Mas malaki sila kesa Indonesia.

Ang Indonesia mabilis, sila naman, hindi gaano,” said Oliver.

The Philippines needs to beat Indo-

nesia in order to catch up with Malaysia, and move in contention for one of three qualification slots to 2017 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship They have two straight wins since their game with Indonesia.

In that game, promising McLaude Guadana took charge briefly in the third period and finished with a triple double, 19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Oliver will not only be banking on RC Calimag, Rence Padrigao and big man Kai Sotto to provide the needed points and rebounds, he will count on the likes of Guadana, Terence Fortea and John Bismarck Lina in their coming game.

In yesterday’s game, Malaysia

moved into the solo lead with their third straight victory.

They took win no. 3 at the expense of Singapore, 77-56.

John Tang Jun Kai showed the way for Malaysia with 19 points, and this earned them a first qualifying seat.

Thailand picked up its first win in two games after stopping Indonesia, 79-69, with Amagom Homthuanlom finishing with 21 points.

Meanwhile, in the men’s action, Singapore claimed its first win in four outings after smothering winless Myanmar, 85-32.

Raj Lavin provided 19 points for the Singaporeans while Chiao Zao Liang Lyon added 12. Peter Atencio

brought her all over the globe, and led to an incredibly successful career. The Rio De Janeiro native accumulated 52 victories and just four defeats in competition, capturing the WMF and WMO Muay Thai World Titles along the way.

She proudly proclaims: “I was the first Brazilian woman to become World Champion in Thailand.”

However, in order for her to acquire all of that prestige, she had to make some sacrifices. That meant lots of sleepless nights away from her loving family, and at times, a belly without any food.

“I spent a lot of time away from my family to sleep on mats, and to choose between eating lunch or dinner, because that is all I had,” she remembers. “I would be in the gym in the mornings, afternoons, and nights. Sometimes, it was not even the training session I should be at, but I would do it just to see if I would improve in some way.”

In 2015, Nunes relocated to Curitiba, where she started training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, grappling, and other disciplines in anticipation of a career inside the cage. The Brazilian martial artist made her debut later that October, and has not looked back since, racking up a perfect 5-0, 1 NC professional record in the process.

WRIGHT MAN FOR JOB. Gilas Pili-

pinas standout Matthew Wright (35) dribbles past a Singaporean defender. The PBA rookie was a surprise addition to the national team but he has proven all doubters wrong with his exceptional performance during the team’s past few games.

Business

Rice, corn output higher B3 in Q2

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

Closing May 16, 2017

8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

7,791.07 18.14

By Alena Mae S. Flores

PESO-DOLLAR RATE Closing MAY 16, 2017

45.00 46.50 48.00

P49.680 CLOSE

51.00

HIGH P49.590 LOW P49.710 AVERAGE P49.650 VOLUME 532.000M

P427.00-P647.00 LPG/11-kg tank P38.25-P50.40 Unleaded Gasoline P27.75-P32.96 Diesel

OPRICES IL TODAY

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

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, May 16, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

49.7100

Japan

Yen

0.008790

0.4370

UK

Pound

1.289400

64.0961

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128418

6.3837

Switzerland

Franc

1.003714

49.8946

Canada

Dollar

0.733676

36.4710

Singapore

Dollar

0.715564

35.5707

Australia

Dollar

0.741200

36.8451

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652520

131.8568

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

13.2557

Brunei

Dollar

0.713012

35.4438

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.028956

1.4394

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

13.5350

Euro

Euro

1.097700

54.5667

Korea

Won

0.000895

0.0445

China

Yuan

0.144991

7.2075

India

Rupee

0.015615

0.7762

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.231214

11.4936

New Zealand

Dollar

0.687800

34.1905

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033299

1.6553 Source: PDS Bridge

IN BRIEF Govt extends lower tariff on meat, offals

THE government signed an amendment to Executive Order No. 190 to extend the importation of meal, bone meal and other edible offals at a lower tariff rate over the next three years.

“It was signed already and extended for three years,” Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said.

The original text of the EO provides that the reduction of tariff for MBM imports to 5 percent is in compliance with the country’s commitment to the World Trade Organization as concession to the extension of protective measures on rice imports.

The tariff on edible meat and animal offals would have reverted back to the original tariff of 40 percent on July 1, 2017 if not for the extension.

Meat processors welcomed the development, saying this would continue to stabilize canned meat prices for the next three years. MBM and offals are used as extenders for processed and canned meat goods.

MBM and animal offals are among the agricultural products that were subjected to tariff rate reduction under the most favored nation rates in exchange for the continuation of the quantitative restriction on imported rice. Former president Benigno Aquino III signed the original EO in 2015. Othel V. Campos

Shell investing P12b over the next 3 years

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. budgeted P12 billion in capital expenditures in the next three years for its refinery upgrade, bitumen facility and retail network expansion.

Pilipinas Shell, the country’s second biggest oil refiner, plans to put up 1,200 retail stations around the country by 2020 while instituting refinery improvements to allow for longer refinery turnaround and increased efficiencies.

The company owns a 110,000-barrelper-day oil refinery in Tabangao, Batangas.

“It’s roughly P4 billion capex budget [a year] for the next three years for expansion on retail network as well as refinery optimization and enhancement,” Jose Jerome Pascual III, Pilipinas Shell chief finance officer, told reporters.

Pilipinas Shell president and chief operating officer Cesar Romero said the refinery enhancements would help increase turnaround period to six years from four years.

“We continue to evaluate the opportunity to enhance robustness of our refinery, we are looking at enhancing hydrogen balance in our refinery to increase the turnaround from four years to six years and allow it to process more sour crude,” Romero said.

Alena Mae S. Flores

B1

Petron expects profit to hit P20b

PSE COMPOSITE INDEX

49.50

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

SPI HEALTHCARE’S ACQUISITION. ADEC Innovations signs a deal to acquire SPi Global’s healthcare business in the Philippines. Shown during the signing of the agreement at The Palms Country Club in Alabang, Muntinlupa City are (from left) ADEC Innovations chief operating officer David Young, ADEC Innovations chief executive James Donovan, SPi Global president and chief executive Ratan Datta, chief financial officer Kumar Subramanian and chief people officer Marie Ampeloquio.

Govt opens rice imports to foreign private firms

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

T

he government allowed foreign private suppliers to participate in rice bidding, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco said Tuesday.

Evasco said the National Food Authority Council approved the rice importation via government to private or G2P arrangement to augment the buffer stock for the lean months of July to September.

The council, however, is still waiting for the National Food Security Committee’s recommendation on how much rice imports should be allowed. Members of NFSC are set to meet on May 18.

Evasco said NFA was shifting from government-to government importation to government to-private importation―a move seen more competitive, less corrupt and transparent.

He said instead of limiting the bidders to government counterparts, private suppliers from participating countries would now be allowed to participate in the auction, making

the whole process covered by the Government Procurement Reform Act, unlike the current G2G scheme.

“We have to make drastic changes in order to ensure a corrupt free and competitive bidding process at the NFA. Hence instead of doing a G2G, the council will push for a G2P to increase accountability and transparency. While the G2G is exempt from the Government Procurement Reform Act, G2P is not,” said Evasco.

The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council requires NFA to maintain a rice buffer that is good to last for 15 days at any given time and for 30 days at the onset of the lean months. At present, the country’s daily consumption rate requirement is 32,720 metric tons or 654,600 bags.

NFA spokesperson Marietta Ablaza said the current NFA rice stocks would only last for eight days.

“It is good that the council approved the importation. The NFA is now drafting the terms of reference for the importation and that will be presented to the meeting on Thursday,” Ablaza said in a telephone interview.

The lean months is a period of low or zero harvest, thus buffer stock requirement is doubled to ensure that the government has

enough to supply the needs of calamity victims anywhere across the country.

NFA rice stocks are prepositioned from surplus to deficit and calamity prone areas within two months prior on the onset of the lean months.

Meanwhile, the NFAC also approved the importation of 805,000 metric tons of rice under the minimum access volume scheme this year.

MAV refers to the volume of commodities that is allowed to be imported by a member country, as a commitment to the World Trade Organization.

The NFA Council also directed the NFA management to amend the MAV Guidelines to require participating traders to import 25-percent brokens rice from their 25-percent to 30-percent quota.

Evasco said this would ensure adequacy of supply and stability of consumer prices at levels within the reach of low-income families.

“We are looking at requiring the private sector to use 25 to 30 percent of their import quota to buy 25 percent brokens. This way, we are assured that cheap rice will be made available in the local market. This policy shift is more consistent with the president’s pro poor policy,” Evasco said.

PETRON, the country’s biggest oil company, expects net income to exceed P20 billion this year, based on monthly earnings of P2 billion a month, a top executive said Tuesday.

Petron president and chief executive Ramon Ang told reporters at the sidelines of the stockholders’ meeting that a P20-billion full-year income was not only attainable but could be the “minimum” of what the company could earn this year.

Petron owns a 180,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Bataan, the country’s largest. Petron generated P10.8 billion in net income in 2016.

Petron’s refinery was generating P2 billion a month, but the 30-day maintenance in April and May could affect the full-year projection, Ang said.

“If crude prices are stable, Petron should deliver P2-billion net income per month. This April, May, the refinery underwent maintenance,” he said.

Ang said that once Petron completed the reconfiguration of the existing refinery, income could go up further by 50 percent to 70 percent.

The reconfiguration will increase the refinery’s capacity to 250,000 barrels per day and is estimated to cost $500 million. Construction will take two years.

“We are tweaking something in the refinery. If we are able to do that, [it would be] 50 to 70 percent better in income. We tweak it to produce petrochem and aromatic,” he said.

Ang said the company was also readying the construction of a new refinery that would cost around $15 billion.

The new refinery will have a capacity of 260,000 barrels per day and will be built in partnership with two foreign companies, Ang said.

“We are in talks with two foreign partners and this is the biggest investment ever undertaken in the history of the Philippines,” he said.

Bangko Sentral warns banks against ransomware attacks

By Julito G. Rada THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Tuesday asked banks and other financial institutions to become vigilant and build “multiple layers of defenses” in the wake of the recent ransomware attacks, or cyber-extortions.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr., who will succeed Amando Tetangco Jr. as governor in July, issued a memorandum warning domestic financial institutions

about an increased risk of loss or unauthorized disclosure of propriety or sensitive information, operational disruptions and financial losses because of ransomware attacks.

“Ransomware remains a viable threat that is expected to evolve to more sophisticated and destructive forms, such as crypto-ransomware. Webbased applications, including legitimate cloud-based services, are particularly vulnerable to this type of threat,” Espenilla

PAL Holdings reverses to a net loss of P904.7m

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE operator of Philippine Airlines said Tuesday it incurred a net loss of P904.7 million in the first quarter on costlier jet fuel prices and higher aircraft maintenance expenses.

This was a reversal of the P2.71-billion income that PAL Holdings Inc. booked in the same period last year.

PAL Holdings, which is led by tycoon Lucio Tan, said revenues climbed 14.4 percent to P33.3 billion from last year’s P29.12 billion, while expenses jumped 32.4 percent to P34.4 billion from P25.94 billion.

The 14.4-percent improvement in revenues was due to the increase in number of passengers, additional flight frequencies and introduction of new

routes, the airline company said.

Passenger revenues increased in the first quarter to P27.78 billion from last year’s P24.65 billion, while cargo revenues rose to P1.8 billion from P1.47 billion.

“The increase in expenses was attributable to higher flying operations, maintenance, aircraft and traffic servicing, reservation and sales, passenger service and general and administrative expenses,” PAL Holdings said.

Flying operations expenses climbed 34.5 percent over last year’s P14.09 billion on higher fuel costs and aircraft lease charges.

Fuel costs went up by 52.9 percent due to the ncrease in average fuel price per barrel in 2017 to $76.15 from $58.16 in 2016 and higher fuel consumption as a result of increase in number of flights.

said.

“In this regard, financial institutions are advised to heighten their vigilance and ensure that robust protection against ransomware is in place. Financial institutions should provide multiple layers of defenses by implementing appropriate controls at the host, network, and endpoint level to prevent and detect malicious codes,” he said.

Bangko Sentral said banks and other financial institutions

should “refrain” from paying or communicating with suspected individuals as this “does not guarantee that ransomed or encrypted files will be released.”

It said paying would only encourage these criminals’ illicit activities.

Bangko Sentral said the “least privilege” principle in granting access to all systems and services must be applied and prohibit the download and use of unauthorized files and software, and access to doubtful websites.

Banks are also encouraged to install and timely update their anti-malware software provided by reputable vendors, periodic vulnerability scanning and effective patch management procedures for all systems and applications.

“To mitigate the potential catastrophic impact of ransomware attacks, financial institutions should ensure that adequate backup and recovery procedures.... are in place,”Bangko Sentral said.

PLDT-ORANGE PARTNERSHIP.

PLDT and wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. now make international calls more accessible to overseas Filipinos who want to get in touch with their families, thanks to Libon, an app developed by French telecommunications giant Orange. Shown are (from left) Orange senior vice president Julien Hodara, PLDT first vice president Katrina Abelarde, Orange International Carriers managing director Louis De Guillebon and PLDT US general manager Evarcito Ocampo.

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rises; ALI, Petron climb GT Cap’s income S rises 5% to P3.1b TOCKS rose Tuesday, following overnight gains on the US and European markets sparked by optimism over China’s sweeping plan to boost global infrastructure and a rally in oil prices.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, picked up 18 points, or 0.2 percent, to close at 7,791.07, lifted by property issues. The bellwether was up 13.9 percent this year.

The heavier index, representing all shares, gained 9 points, or 0.2 percent, to settle at 4,642.15, on a value turnover of P8.3 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 106 to 92, while 49 issues were unchanged.

Eight of the 20 most active

stocks ended in the green, led by developer Ayala Land Inc. which climbed 3.9 percent to P38.90 and oil refiner Petron Corp. which advanced 3.2 percent to P10.32. Alliance Global Group Inc., the holding company of billionaire Andrew Tan, rose 3.1 percent to P15.16.

Meanwhile, equity markets in Frankfurt, London and New York ended at fresh records Monday, lifted by a rally in oil prices that boosted energy shares and by upbeat German

election news.

World oil prices leapt after oil ministers from Saudi Arabia and Russia—the world’s two biggest oil producing nations—declared Sunday that they would consider extending an output cut into 2018.

That gave a boost to petroleum producers such as Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron. Mining stocks, which have heavy representation in the FTSE 100, also rose.

“We are seeing finally some rebound in the oil prices and that is definitely helping the energy sector,” said Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at Convergex, a brokerage firm.

The news sent oil prices soaring about two percent on Monday, in turn dragging global energy firms with them.

Monday’s gains come after the commodity was battered earlier this month on worries that the production cut was not enough to make a dent in a worldwide supply glut and increasing output from the US and other nations.

“The comments from Saudi Arabia and Russia are driving prices up but I’m sceptical that crude will see a new level,” Hong Sung Ki, a commodities analyst at Samsung Futures, told Bloomberg News.

“As producers in the US are expected to increase output, prices will continue to be restricted from rising.”

But Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader pointed out that traders were overlooking the fact that the need for a further cut in oil output suggested problems persisted. With Bloomberg, AFP

By Jenniffer B. Austria GT CAPITAL Holdings Inc., the investment company of tycoon George Ty, said consolidated net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company increased 5 percent in the first quarter to P3.1 billion from a year ago on higher sales of core businesses.

The company said minus nonrecurring income, core net income grew 12 percent to P3.18 billion.

GT Capital said in a filing with the Philippine Stock Exchange

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, MAY 16, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.6 280,000 49 10,400 106 1,824,150 4 2,000 121.8 1,751,770 1.39 420,000 35 1,270,800 16.58 140,500 22.8 701,300 8.37 14,400 0.67 3,000 1.7 35,000 0.7 1,838,000 88 3,632,500 0.7 478,000 15.6 72,200 26.5 100 67.8 104,500 243 380 109 50 87 1,210 54 311,680 216 287,600 83.05 119,970 1.25 2,001,000

1,001,050 508,950 193,755,209 8,000 213,587,906 572,840 44,481,875 2,314,202 15,968,460 121,654 2,010 59,500 1,281,760 321,542,127.50 338,100 1,123,490 2,650 7,049,724.50 92,196 5,450 105,470 16,999,903 62,026,890 9,961,406 2,631,830

-7,170 489,400 467,338 9,250,259 327,460 2,056,068 -2,570,905 87,630 -160,720 1,583,476.50 924,294 17,435,744 -4,635,610.50 29,840

39.6 5.73 0.84 1.6 21.25 0.28 7.14 16.8 22.95 14.68 71 82 85.1 1.9 5.75 11.7 12.6 9.98 6.56 5.83 19.96 70.7 13.24 14.98 9.05 1.54 203.2 4.74 3.6 27 30.5 18.92 18.6 273 0.245 6.08 3.38 10.28 11.48 2.09 10.14 2.03 71 5.89 297.4 4.76 1.8 3.15 13.22 4.35 0.145 1.38 158.3 4.13 1.57 31.5 1.1

INDUSTRIAL 39.75 1,982,600 5.79 2,725,300 0.84 1,281,000 1.6 7,705,000 21.3 10,500 0.3 20,750,000 7.21 9,439,900 17 666,500 23.45 28,300 14.68 5,300 71 341,310 82 520 86 430 1.91 377,000 5.75 7,600 11.9 56,600 12.8 3,133,700 10.32 4,683,100 6.6 3,045,300 5.91 19,342,100 20 3,484,300 70.7 60,360 13.3 53,800 15.1 184,900 9.33 3,067,100 1.54 94,000 205 980,280 5.06 1,567,000 3.6 45,000 27 500 31 547,100 19 2,845,500 18.76 3,775,500 274.2 103,390 0.245 1,870,000 6.08 76,800 3.49 58,000 10.32 21,630,900 11.5 88,700 2.12 6,385,000 10.48 1,035,100 2.05 1,009,000 71 1,270,640 6.08 436,600 299 27,750 4.8 93,000 1.8 2,000 3.24 120,000 13.3 2,425,900 4.4 25,000 0.151 3,330,000 1.39 105,000 158.4 2,283,990 4.13 67,000 1.59 1,880,000 31.5 2,900 1.1 404,000

78,750,235 15,798,111 1,097,330 12,593,880 227,665 6,149,500 67,843,268 11,324,748 653,160 78,214 24,233,010 42,667 36,630 721,140 43,715 670,740 40,119,926 48,252,596 20,106,767 114,028,790 69,760,424 4,284,083.50 715,218 2,790,890 28,358,960 146,130 201,222,986 7,774,200 162,150 13,500 16,864,180 54,856,662 70,877,862 28,372,028 458,180 469,893 196,660 223,923,138 1,019,676 13,678,630 10,882,634 2,060,920 91,026,227.50 2,641,116 8,324,620 442,840 3,600 386,120 32,200,034 109,750 493,980 145,230 365,062,015 276,780 2,969,970 91,880 444,400

-831,030 6,018,380 2,352,370 -585,000 14,354,302 6,774,098 -24,222,360 -402,220 30,714,346 141,838 4,237,395 2,793,892 -4,329,130 -2,542,686 -2,402,336 8,354,121 -69,219,740 14,550.00 -108,000 -3,897,125 -20,104,072 -31,939,392 8,800,832 -12,250 -13,530 -8,561,238 -12,100 274,416 10,250 -12,058,630 852,650 -1,020,000 361,920 -3,600 18,548,502 -64,871,407 127,980 -

0.365 75.45 14.98 1.14 6.02 0.345 0.345 860.5 8.17 13.08 7.89 5.9 0.198 1,241 6.5 81.55 0.99 7.03 16.5 0.4 6.64 3.25 0.062 0.76 1.88 107.9 2.7 770 1.39 306.6 0.28 0.201 0.246

HOLDING FIRMS 0.365 340,000 75.95 1,437,270 15.16 47,276,100 1.14 667,000 6.28 54,400 0.345 24,480,000 0.35 8,730,000 866 375,980 8.18 1,908,900 13.18 12,909,800 7.89 13,000 6.18 39,300 0.198 530,000 1,254 97,855 6.5 2,300 82.5 3,478,190 1 944,000 7.05 636,800 16.62 1,049,900 0.4 350,000 6.67 30,437,100 3.25 2,000 0.063 132,960,000 1 30,000 1.89 3,150,000 109 162,880 2.82 67,000 772 651,840 1.4 27,000 310 4,900 0.28 980,000 0.218 260,000 0.246 130,000

124,650 108,941,652.50 712,948,392 761,290 329,423 8,523,500 3,058,450 325,668,790 15,644,678 169,935,744 102,573 232,542 105,940 122,718,830 14,955 287,695,192.5 ( 939,840 4,527,556 17,447,020 142,700 203,447,051 6,550 8,446,080 27,780 5,939,610 17,730,989 183,620 503,821,300 37,580 1,510,068 276,550 56,740 31,980

-29,710,624 29,638,868 123,450 33,965,040 2,845,436 120,863,104 -2,370 920 36,671,900 66,473,187.5) -200,000 -3,529,504 4,738,818 88,875,188 -18,900 4,276,720 11,243,882 8,560 224,326,195 -249,330 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

3.41 49.2 106 4 122.1 1.29 35 16 23 8.37 0.67 1.7 0.7 89.05 0.73 15.6 26.5 67.2 243 109 88 55.5 217 83 1.19

3.61 49.2 106.8 4 122.1 1.45 35.3 16.6 23 8.68 0.67 1.7 0.71 89.15 0.73 15.6 26.5 68 243 109 88 56.35 217 83.15 1.44

3.41 48.8 104.5 4 121.8 1.29 34.8 16 22.6 8.3 0.67 1.7 0.69 88 0.7 15.5 26.5 67.05 242.6 109 87 53.35 214.4 83 1.19

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

40 5.8 0.86 1.63 22.4 0.29 7.14 16.8 23.35 14.68 71 82 85.1 1.92 5.78 11.9 12.6 9.98 6.59 6 20.3 71.8 13.32 15.3 9.13 1.59 205.6 4.86 3.61 27 31.2 20.2 18.92 274 0.245 6.25 3.38 10.32 11.48 2.15 10.6 2.05 71.6 6.21 297.4 4.76 1.8 3.15 13.28 4.35 0.146 1.38 160 4.14 1.61 32.05 1.1

40.1 5.84 0.87 1.72 22.5 0.305 7.27 17.02 23.45 14.8 71 82.15 86 1.94 5.78 11.9 12.86 10.48 6.67 6.05 20.3 71.8 13.32 15.34 9.34 1.59 208 5.06 3.61 27 31.2 20.2 18.96 275 0.246 6.25 3.49 10.44 11.5 2.18 10.6 2.1 72.45 6.21 300 4.8 1.8 3.24 13.34 4.4 0.151 1.39 164.1 4.14 1.61 32.05 1.1

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 FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV MJC INVESTMENTS PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA PRIME ORION SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER UNIOIL HLDG WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.37 76.4 15.1 1.2 6.1 0.365 0.37 864 8.18 13.28 7.9 5.9 0.202 1,260 6.5 84.95 1.01 7.25 16.52 0.41 6.69 3.3 0.066 0.93 1.88 108.7 2.78 772.5 1.4 307 0.285 0.228 0.246

0.37 76.4 15.16 1.2 6.28 0.37 0.37 870 8.22 13.28 7.9 6.18 0.202 1,276 6.55 84.95 1.01 7.25 16.66 0.41 6.75 3.3 0.066 1 1.89 109.2 2.84 779.5 1.4 310 0.285 0.228 0.246

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

6.78 1.15 2.25 1.37 38.2 4.19 5.31 0.495 1.07 1.39 0.158 0.51 51.6 0.68 0.162 1.69 1.02 1.11 4.15 4.2 0.37 0.36 0.71

6.78 1.25 2.28 1.37 39 4.2 5.31 0.5 1.07 1.44 0.159 0.52 51.8 0.68 0.162 1.7 1.02 1.12 4.15 4.26 0.37 0.37 0.77

6.77 1.14 2.22 1.3 38.05 4.12 5.31 0.49 1.07 1.39 0.158 0.51 50.8 0.68 0.16 1.66 1 1.05 4.01 4.19 0.335 0.35 0.69

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

4.08 27.55 24 1.71 3.24 32.2 0.98 6.99 0.89 5.15

4.15 27.55 24.5 1.71 3.3 32.85 1.02 7 0.91 5.25

4.04 27.55 24 1.68 3.24 32.15 0.98 6.12 0.88 5.15

4.15 27.55 24.4 1.69 3.3 32.6 0.99 6.98 0.91 5.25

620,000 200 1,083,200 182,000 3,000 10,247,400 8,859,000 31,400 603,000 3,836,100

2,527,760 5,510 26,403,460 309,040 9,830 334,636,360 8,877,190 202,456 534,230 19,941,690

-5,538,600 25,200 173,029,415 3,125 -6,628,147

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

16.8 43.9 1.6 0.51 0.045 11.94 5.69 10.08 0.086 1.92 98.15 9.95 8.71 3.51 2,006 6.16 16.16 2.86 3.6 98 9 0.182 1.36 3.69 15.5 3.98 4.44 2.47 8.4 3.98 2.56 5.46 3.07 8.22 175 8.71 1,650 1.55 0.405 43 80.25 5.9 2.36 1.09 3.65 0.68 5.45

17.58 43.9 1.6 0.51 0.048 12 7.5 10.18 0.089 1.93 98.5 9.95 8.86 3.51 2,016 6.16 16.4 2.96 3.6 98 9 0.185 1.36 3.69 18.72 3.99 4.57 2.5 8.5 3.98 2.61 5.46 3.08 8.22 175 8.85 1,655 1.55 0.405 44.4 80.75 5.95 2.39 1.14 3.67 0.72 5.49

16.8 43.8 1.6 0.51 0.045 10.8 5.51 9.8 0.086 1.9 96.6 9.95 8.71 3.51 1,980 6.12 16.16 2.86 3.49 97.35 8.99 0.182 1.36 3.65 15.5 3.66 4.3 2.38 8.3 3.83 2.54 5.46 3.07 8.21 170 8.08 1,621 1.53 0.4 43 79.7 5.9 2.3 1.09 3.51 0.66 5.39

SERVICES 17.48 43.8 1.6 0.51 0.046 12 5.99 9.8 0.087 1.91 97.95 9.95 8.86 3.51 2,000 6.12 16.4 2.93 3.55 97.4 8.99 0.183 1.36 3.65 17.94 3.79 4.4 2.39 8.38 3.85 2.6 5.46 3.08 8.21 171 8.1 1,631 1.55 0.405 43.6 80 5.9 2.36 1.13 3.55 0.69 5.4

740,500 10,400 2,000 416,000 28,600,000 31,700 10,359,400 14,744,900 29,030,000 4,276,000 141,800 800 13,600 3,000 116,825 186,500 130,200 2,278,000 459,000 2,727,920 297,000 1,980,000 396,000 4,000 115,900 4,002,000 3,065,000 348,000 1,958,400 5,369,000 657,000 700 14,000 200 220 2,662,200 201,890 2,000,000 1,210,000 1,327,900 1,189,240 602,500 2,840,000 10,467,000 3,420,000 27,737,000 13,286,000

12,814,598 455,850 3,200 212,160 1,326,300 378,778 77,304,493 146,957,499 2,545,450 8,168,170 13,842,573 7,960 118,786 10,530 232,728,165 1,144,163 2,124,036 6,651,720 1,617,360 266,205,347.50 2,670,080 361,840 538,560 14,720 1,911,920 15,357,970 13,564,110 837,860 16,446,374 20,880,850 1,692,020 3,822 43,040 1,643 37,470 22,170,418 329,414,210 3,082,890 487,900 57,984,405 95,264,399.50 3,559,252 6,659,610 1 11,753,400 12,190,580 19,012,830 1 71,993,755

345,728.00 -107,500 51,192,372 4,300 9,550 -8,699,386.50 -46,392,445 26,170 453,210 61,100,377.50 9,250 5,010 1,917,450 2,191,310 2,033,683 -8,846,050 822 551,924 -188,788,165 45,564,185 66,974,521.50 1,840,710 ,789,869.9997 844,150.00 -964,630 ,477,830.0001 29,314,528

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

0.0033 1.97 5.1 2.01 0.89 0.41 8.97 2.55 0.255 0.19 0.195 0.012 0.011 1.84 6.17 2.22 0.48 0.87 0.011 0.011 5.7 0.013 9.05 3.35 158 2.65 0.009

0.0033 2.01 5.1 2.01 0.91 0.41 8.97 2.58 0.26 0.192 0.195 0.012 0.011 1.9 6.22 2.22 0.48 0.88 0.011 0.011 6 0.013 9.05 3.37 159 2.69 0.009

0.0032 1.92 5.09 2.01 0.88 0.4 8.37 2.5 0.25 0.189 0.195 0.011 0.011 1.82 6.09 2.14 0.48 0.85 0.011 0.011 5.3 0.012 8.91 3.26 157.6 2.6 0.009

MINING & OIL 0.0032 181,000,000 1.94 5,444,000 5.1 97,800 2.01 2,000 0.91 1,677,000 0.4 1,980,000 8.9 12,000 2.51 1,128,000 0.255 330,000 0.189 1,160,000 0.195 880,000 0.012 127,800,000 0.011 10,200,000 1.9 453,000 6.18 2,808,800 2.2 472,000 0.48 90,000 0.87 286,000 0.011 5,100,000 0.011 900,000 5.33 1,647,300 0.013 7,800,000 9 180,500 3.33 2,217,000 157.8 721,330 2.69 150,000 0.009 2,000,000

579,700 10,631,990 498,746 4,020 1,509,540 802,300 103,306 2,844,950 83,300 220,320 171,600 1,438,200 112,200 857,230 17,293,475 1,010,810 43,200 246,640 56,100 9,900 9,130,005 94,700 1,620,901 7,380,750 113,829,777 392,200 18,000

9,600 5,880 -5,600 -90,000 3,980.00 10,400 -113,100 3,439,481 1,700 60,480 63,874 -3,340 -1,445,464 -

AC PREF B1 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H

517 106.2 104.6 112.5 525 5.82 1,015 1,030 1.11 1,020 106 111 2.39 77.75 80.3 76.1 79.85 80 78.5

517 106.2 105.5 112.5 525 5.82 1,015 1,030 1.11 1,025 106 111 2.39 77.75 80.3 77.5 81.1 80.4 78.6

517 106.2 104.5 112.5 525 5.8 1,010 1,022 1.1 1,020 106 111 2.11 76 80.2 76.1 79.85 80 78.5

PREFERRED 517 1,000 106.2 500 105.5 32,430 112.5 2,150 525 30 5.81 159,300 1,010 305 1,022 1,045 1.1 179,000 1,025 1,200 106 670 111 10 2.12 10,000 76 40,640 80.2 180,010 77 22,820 81.1 5,800 80.4 12,440 78.5 199,800

517,000 53,100 3,403,780 241,875 15,750 925,058 309,075 1,068,350 197,680 1,227,000 71,020 1,110 22,550 3,090,734.50 14,443,654.5 ( 1,758,060 469,775 998,984 15,684,980

-606,438 14,442,851.5) -

LR WARRANT

2.18

2.18

2.14

WARRANTS 2.17 348,000

750,910

64,500

1,255,330 327,503 53,057,493

-6,680,318

824,811

116,100

4,170

-

MS

PROPERTY 6.78 1.23 2.25 1.33 38.9 4.2 5.31 0.495 1.07 1.44 0.158 0.52 50.8 0.68 0.16 1.67 1.01 1.06 4.01 4.24 0.335 0.365 0.75

208,100 13,872,000 286,000 16,115,000 11,907,200 9,711,000 1,000 5,681,000 50,000 77,000 2,420,000 1,490,000 360,140 16,000 2,330,000 5,249,000 4,681,000 1,223,000 5,000 22,730,000 259,910,000 2,900,000 76,785,000

1,410,033 16,805,710 642,410 21,459,010 462,867,535 40,695,150 5,310 2,813,700 53,500 108,780 382,380 760,300 18,390,063 10,880 375,180 8,787,830 4,722,900 1,319,320 20,450 96,199,910 90,186,750 1,041,000 55,304,260

-821,951 -211,500 -569,180 236,946,185 17,441,750 -589,300 -53,500 102,000 11,044,636.50 -6,579,150 10,100 9,131,470 685,350 40,700 -261,860

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.1 6.47 8.01

4.29 6.47 8.1

4.1 6.38 7.78

FIRST METRO ETF

129.9

129.9

129

USD DMPL A1

10.5

10.5

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

SHARES

15,912,529

INDUSTRIAL

137,043,683

HOLDING FIRMS

274,675,987

PROPERTY

483,531,636

SERVICES

180,496,850

MINING & OIL

356,688,399

GRAND TOTAL

1,455,438,324

10.4

4.24 6.45 7.8

SME

301,000 51,200 6,730,600

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 129.5 6,380 10.4

DDS

400

VALUE 1,920.41 (DOWN) 3.80 949,562,453.52 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,963.23 (DOWN0 29.17 1,688,102,749.93 HOLDING FIRMS 7,920.49 (DOWN) 10.36 2,593,453,178.51 PROPERTY 3,561.89 (UP) 86.06 SERVICES 1,605.33 (DOWN) 18.30 1,324,315,333.68 MINING & OIL 12,553.20 (DOWN) 13.96 1,508,468,745.29 PSEI 7,791.07 (UP) 18.14 171,012,764.662 All Shares Index 4,642.15 (UP) 9.98 8,290,380,776.59 Gainers:92; Losers: 106; Unchanged: 49; Total: 247

first-quarter consolidated revenues jumped 32 percent to P48.7 billion from P36.8 billion in the same period a year ago.

The revenue growth came from increased sales of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. and higher equity contributions from Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Axa Philippines and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

“We started 2017 on solid footing. The robust revenue and core earnings growth momentum from our component companies resulted in GT Capital’s healthy performance. The sound fundamentals of the Philippine economy coupled with the dominant strengths of our subsidiaries provide us with a very positive outlook for the rest of the year,” GT Capital president Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista said.

Metrobank reported unaudited consolidated net income of P5.6 billion in the first quarter of 2017, up 6 percent from the previous year.

TMP also reported a 32-percent increase in consolidated sales to P37.1 billion in the first quarter, on the back of a 33-percent increase in vehicle sales to 40,689 units. Net income reached P2.5 billion.

The group’s property businesses under Property Company of Friends Inc. and Federal Land Inc. fell 17 percent to P3.5 billion while net income amounted to P590.5 million.

DMCI allots P28b for capex this year DMCI Holdings Inc., the investment company of the Consunji family, is spending P28 billion this year to sustain expansion, a top executive said Tuesday.

DMCI chief finance officer Herbert Consunji said in an interview following the annual stockholders’ meeting the 2017 capital expenditures would include P14.5 billion for the expansion of Semirara Mining and Power Corp. and P4 billion for residential projects under DMCI Homes.

The group’s power unit will spend P1 billion this year while the construction arm will get an allocation of P900 million.

This year’s programmed spending is 75 percent higher than P16-billion actual spending in 2016.

DMCI president Isidro Consunji said he expected the company to perform better this year with coal mining, power and housing businesses delivering strong growth.

“We expect to post better financial results in 2017 with the continued expansion of SMPC, strong rebound of the DMCI Homes and higher electricity sales from DMCI Power,” Consunji said, “The growth of DMCI will likely be moderated by legal and regulatory issues arising from delays in the project bidding, contract awarding and right of way acquisitions,” he said.

Consunji said he expected DMCI Mining to continue to face challenges with the changing regulatory landscape. The company intends to exhaust all remedies so that its two nickel mining projects can resume operations, he said. Jenniffer B. Austria

Business

B3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

CEBUANA LHUILLIER PARTNERS. Clients may now go to any of Cebuana Lhuillier’s over 2,000 branches nationwide to pay for Cebu Pacific Air and Robinsons Land Corp. products and services. Signing the partnership contract are (from left) Cebuana Lhuillier general manager Hamilton Angluben, Cebuana Lhuillier Services Corp. senior wxecutive vice president Philippe Andre Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier chairman Ambassador Philippe Jones Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, JG Summit Holdings Corp. president and chief operating officer Lance Gokongwei, Robinsons Land president and CEO Frederick Go and Robinsons Land chief financial officer Kerwin Tan.

Rice, corn output higher in Q2

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

P

ALAY or unmilled rice production and corn output in the second quarter of the year are expected to be higher than in the same period in 2016 as farmers have sufficient irrigation for their crops, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday.

The PSA said in a rice and corn situation outlook palay production from standing crops would reach 4.128 million metric tons from April to June, up 11 percent from 3.174 million metric tons on year.

Philippine harvest areas may increase 11.9 percent to 948,610 hectares from 848,000 hectares, while yield per hectare may contract to 4.35 metric tons from 4.38 MT in 2016.

“All regions may possibly have increments in production except Central Luzon. Probable growths in production are expected due to increments in harvest areas resulting from availability of irrigation water/sufficient rainfall during planting period and availability of seeds from Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Offices and local government units,” said the PSA.

It said palay production in the first half of the year might reach 8.55 million MT, 11.78 percent above the 7.65-million MT output in 2016 as the harvest area might increase from 1.93 million to 2.10 million hectares.

The PSA said corn production in the second quarter, meanwhile, might reach 1.31 million metric tons, up 45 percent from 911,000 MT in the same quarter last year.

The harvest area may increase by 48 percent to 400,000 hectares from 271,000 hectares last year, while yield per hectare may decline by 2.1 percent from 3.36 MT level in 2016 to 3.29 MT “Cagayan Valley, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN and ARMM may post significant increments in production and harvest areas. These may be attributed to sufficient rainfall

during planting period and availability of high-yielding variety seeds from DA (Department of Agriculture),” the PSA said.

The agency corn production in the January-to-June 2017 period might increase to 3.68 million MT, up 30 percent from 2.83 million MT in 2016. The harvest area may expand 22 percent from 0.90 million hectares to 1.10 million hectares.

Based on farmers’ planting intentions, the July-to-September 2017 production may reach 2.7 million metric tons, up 3.6 percent from 2.66 million MT in 2016.

“Cagayan Valley, Caraga and ARMM may contribute to substantial increments in production.

Most farmers are optimistic on early occurrence of rainfall for the cropping season,” said the

PSA. Agriculture and fishery production rebounded with a 5.28-percent growth in the first quarter from a contraction of 4.62 percent a year ago, the PSA said Monday.

The agriculture sector, which accounts for more than a tenth of gross domestic product, is expected to contribute to gross domestic product growth in January to March, after dragging economic performance in the past quarters.

“The 5.28-percent growth of the agri sector could be attributed to the blessings of a good climate and favorable conditions in the farming sector. It is also an indication that we are on the right track in agri and fisheries development,” said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.

ABS-CBN income fell by 59% in 1st quarter

By Darwin G. Amojelar ABS-CBN Corp. of the Lopez Group said net income fell sharply in the first quarter of the year, dragged down by weak advertising sales due to the lack of election-related advertisements.

The country’s largest media and entertainment company reported a net profit of P314 million in the January-to-March period, down by 59 percent from last year’s P761 million.

ABS-CBN generated consolidated revenues of P9.6 billion from advertising and consumer sales, 3.2 percent lower from P9.89 billion last year.

Advertising revenues declined 13.4 percent to P4.84 billion from P5.58 billion due to the absence of election-related advertising placements.

Excluding election related placements, advertising revenue for 2017 is up 1 percent year-on-year.

Consumer sales increased 10 percent to P4.7 billion from P4.30 billion mainly resulting from the sale of ABS-CBN TVPlus and higher revenue from Sky Cable’s broadband business.

Sky Cable Inc.’s revenue rose 11 percent year-on-year due to an increase in the broadband and direct-to-home subscriber count by 156,000 and 51,000, respectively. Subscriber count of Sky increased by 189,000, moving up to 1 million subscribers at end-March.

ABS-CBN TVPlus contributed a significant increase in revenues during the first quarter with a total of 482,766 boxes sold, up 150 percent from almost 300,000 additional boxes sold on year.

ABS-CBN mobile generated an additional 160,000 subscribers, increasing its total subscribers to over one million at end-March, while O-shopping posted P241 million in revenues, 15 percent higher than in the first quarter of 2016.

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM. British life insurer Pru Life UK and non-government organization Save the

Children Philippines reinforce their partnership in advocating literacy among children. Pru Life and the organization held a kick-off program in Pru Life’s head office to share the First Read project to employees.

Shown from left) are First Read Project manager Airene Manzano, Pru Life UK assistant vice president for brand and communications Anna Gizelle Camua, Save the Children senior manager Riel Andaluz, Pru Life UK employee welfare committee chairperson Marc Galang and Pru Life UK AVP Sheila Cruz.

Dominguez seeking Japan’s support in currency swap

By Julito G. Rada FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has asked Japan to support a proposal of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to raise the International Monetary Fund’s de-linked portion for its $240-billion currency swap mechanism from 30 percent to 40 percent.

Dominguez, in his speech at the recent Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting between Asean and Japan held at the Pacifico Yokohama Conference Center, sought the support to further strengthen the region’s finan-

cial safety nets in the face of global market uncertainties.

The proposal pertains to the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization mechanism, which is a currency swap agreement among the finance ministries and central banks of the Asean + 3 (China, Japan and South Korea) economies that aims to provide financial support for short-term liquidity problems.

Under the agreement, each Asean mmember can swap its local currency with US dollars based on certain conditions.

The size of the CMIM doubled from $120 billion to $240 billion and the IMF-delinked portion increased from 10 percent

to 30 percent, which means members can now draw up to 30 percent of their maximum borrowing amount without requiring IMF lending conditions.

The Asean finance ministers and central bank governors have been discussing since 2012 to raise the de-linked portion to 40 percent. Dominguez also cited the decadesold “symbiotic relationship” between Asean and Japan. He noted that Japan remained the Philippines’ biggest aid provider and a major source of investments and remittance from overseas Filipino workers.

The meeting was attended by finance and central bank officials from the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.

“This will strengthen the region’s financial safety nets, project a positive signal in the global markets, and enhance the credibility of the CMIM,” Dominguez said.

He said “the increase in the IMF de-linked portion will also minimize the downside risks from the normalization of US monetary policy and the Brexit, among other external factors.”

D&L’s net profit rises 15% to P633m

By Jenniffer B. Austria D&L Industries Inc. said net income in the first quarter of the year rose 15 percent to P633 million from P576 million year-on-year, boosted by the strong performance of its food ingredients business.

First-quarter revenues increased 35 percent to P6.3 billion from P4.6 billion in 2016, driven by strong domestic demand and accelerated export sales.

D&L president Alvin Lao said in a press briefing export sales posted their highest quarterly growth of 73 percent. Exports now account for 24 percent of total sales from 18 percent in the full year of 2016.

Lao expects exports to sustain their growth over the next quarters as food exports are expected to pick up through the company’s partnership with Ventura Foods, following roughly two years of certification and audits.

“Our company continues to see growth across all segments. The strong performance of our export business shows that our commitment to R&D and innovation is being appreciated overseas,” Lao said.

“Looking forward, we will continue to look for more ways to expand internationally to complement the growth in our domestic business,” he said.

Lao said the company was also finalizing plans to expand the current production capacity to sustain growth across all businesses.

“We expect our capacity to reach full capacity in the next two to three years and we need to plan our next expansion,” he said.

D&L currently operates six plants with a total production capacity of 200,000 metric tons.

The oleochemicals group, meanwhile posted a revenue growth of 17 percent year on year to P1.9 billion, largely due to the recovery of higher margin on other specialty chemicals segment.

The biodiesel segment, which contributed 46 percent to group revenues and 16 percent to group gross profits, saw its volume decline by 22 percent.

2Go nets lower, blames sharp rise in fuel prices

By Darwin G. Amojelar 2GO Group Inc. said net income dropped just 8 percent in the first quarter despite the hefty increase in fuel prices.

The country’s largest shipping company reported a net profit of P267.6 million in the first three months of the year from P290.9 million year-on-year.

Total consolidated revenues increased 17 percent to P4.9 billion from P4.2 billion on year, with the non-shipping cornering 52 percent.

The group’s non-shipping businesses, largely logistics and supply chain solutions, posted a 27-percent increase in revenues to P1.05 billion in the first quarter from P831.75 million last year.

The shipping group posted a 23-percent growth to P1.27 billion from P1.04 billion last year mainly due to higher volumes and better vessel utilization for both cargo and passenger vessels.

Freight volume increased 8 percent while passenger volume rose 10 percent for the long haul trips.

The passenger business generated P1.06 billion in revenues, up 14 percent from last year’s P932.93 million.

Cost and expenses increased by 19 percent to P3.98 billion mainly as a result of rising fuel prices, which increased by a staggering 52 percent or a P151million price variance over the same period last year.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

B4

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

Business

Kuwait backs extension of oil cuts

K

uwait joined Saudi Arabia and Russia in supporting an extension of oil-output cuts by Opec and other global producers through the first quarter of 2018 to help trim global stockpiles.

Extending the cuts at already agreed-upon volumes is needed to reach the goal of trimming global stockpiles to the five-year average, Kuwait’s Oil Minister Issam Almarzooq said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

“There are positive signals that have started to show, as April and May monthly reports are showing

that global stockpiles have fallen significantly,” Almarzooq said.

Russia and Saudi Arabia, the largest of the 24 producers that agreed to cut output for six months starting in January, said on Monday that they favor a ninemonth extension of the reductions.

Oman, a non-Opec producer like Russia, expressed support the same

day for curbs to continue until the end of March. Opec is due to meet with fellow producers on May 25 to decide on the extension. Surging US output has raised concern that the cuts are failing to reduce a glut. Oil has surrendered about half its gains since the producers’ accord to cut output late last year.

Members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed in November to cut 1.2 million barrels a day of oil production.

Several non-members, including Russia, agreed in December to contribute a combined 600,000 barrels a day of output reductions.

Amid the cutbacks, production

in the US, which isn’t part of the agreement, has risen to the highest level since August 2015. But US crude inventories are finally showing some signs of shrinking, falling for the past five weeks from record levels at the end of March.

The deliberations come as two Opec members exempt from the cuts boost output. Libya’s crude production has risen to more than 800,000 barrels a day, the most since 2014, while Nigeria’s 200,000-barrel-a-day Forcados pipeline is ready to export again after almost continuous halts since February 2016. It’s unclear whether the countries would still be exempt

if the deal is prolonged.

The dollar, meanwhile, weakened for a fifth straight day and the euro soared to the highest since November amid a report US President Donald Trump revealed classified information to a Russian diplomat. Oil extended gains while stocks were mixed.

The euro jumped to the highest level since Trump’s election, while the yen also strengthened with the Mexican peso. Crude rose for a fifth day as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said willingness by Saudi Arabia and Russia to extend output cuts will likely sway other countries to follow suit. Equities in Asia

climbed, following a rally that sent the S&P 500 Index above 2,400 for the first time, while European shares slipped. Gold increased for a fourth day.

Trump’s top foreign policy advisers raced to contain political damage from a report saying he revealed sensitive classified information to Russia’s top diplomat during an Oval Office meeting last week. The president is already fending off questions about his firing of FBI Director James Comey, and the controversies are raising concerns over Trump’s ability to deliver on his economic agenda. Bloomberg

JPMorgan moving to Dublin on Brexit DUBLIN, Ireland―JPMorgan on Monday announced a deal to buy a bigger Dublin office to accommodate more than 1,000 employees as the US banking giant seeks to relocate London staff over Brexit.

The bank, which employs 500 people in the Irish capital, had already said that it would relocate hundreds of workers from London to Dublin, Frankfurt and Luxembourg because of Britain’s vote in favor of exiting the European Union.

“Dublin has the vibrant business and technology communities that suit a global firm like ours,” Carin Bryans, senior country officer for JPMorgan in Ireland, said in a statement Monday.

“Given the momentum of our local businesses, this new building gives us room to grow and some flexibility within the European Union.”

Britain’s financial sector fears the loss of “passporting” rights that allow EU member states to trade across national borders.

US investment bank Goldman Sachs and HSBC have also spoken of switching staff out of London because of Brexit.

On the other hand, Germany’s Deutsche Bank recently picked a site for its new British headquarters, highlighting its commitment to London.

A consortium comprising Kennedy Wilson, Fairfax Financial Holdings and Irish state-run National Asset Management Agency on Monday said that it had sold the 12,000 square-meter Capital Dock office building, due for completion in the final quarter of 2018, for an undisclosed amount.

“We are excited to welcome JPMorgan, through its acquisition of 200 Capital Dock, as the first major office occupier to commit to this best-in-class, mixed-use, campus development, to grow its existing business and meet its long-term plans in Ireland,” said William McMorrow, chairperson and CEO of property group Kennedy Wilson.

The Irish government welcomed the deal, describing it as “a huge vote of confidence in our economic policies.”

“This announcement by a leading investment bank will create a large number of high-quality jobs and this is very positive and very welcome,” Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor said in a statement. AFP

Singapore state fund reduces stake in UBS SINGAPORE’S sovereign wealth fund GIC Pte ceased being the biggest shareholder in UBS Group AG after cutting its ownership by almost half, saying it was “disappointed” that it lost money during nearly a decade in which it was invested in the Swiss bank.

GIC sold a stake of about 2.4 percent at 16.10 francs ($16.20) a share, according to people familiar with the matter, for total proceeds of about $1.5 billion. The fund’s stake fell to 2.7 percent.

“Conditions have changed fundamentally since GIC invested in UBS in February 2008, as have UBS strategy and business,” GIC Chief Executive Officer Lim Chow Kiat said early Tuesday in a statement.

“It makes sense now for GIC to reduce its ownership of UBS and to redeploy these resources elsewhere.”

GIC invested in Switzerland’s biggest bank early in the financial crisis, purchasing debt that converted into stock when UBS needed capital to cover losses on subprime mortgage bonds. In 2010, the Singapore wealth fund became the bank’s largest investor after the securities were converted into stock. UBS has since given up its ambitions to become a top global investment bank, focusing instead on the more predictable business of wealth management.

The shares were bought by about 140 investors, and the top 10 took about half of the deal, according to a person with knowledge of the

transaction. UBS shares fell as much as 2.5 percent in early Zurich trading and were down 1.9 percent at 16.30 francs as of 9:34 a.m.

GIC’s shift from UBS comes after the investor warned that it is bracing for lower returns amid elevated market volatility and persistently low interest rates. The sovereign fund, which invests Singapore’s foreign reserves, said in July that a key measure of returns fell to 4 percent in the 20-year period ended March 31, 2016. In the past year, GIC has embarked on a series of leadership changes and elevated many investment managers to key roles.

The 2008 crisis “offered a rare chance to take major stakes in the international banking sector,” GIC said in its statement. The fund made a profitable investment in New York-based Citigroup Inc. “The combined return on the UBS and Citigroup investments has been positive in mark-tomarket terms,” GIC added in a later statement.

GIC was among a number sovereign funds to pour money into struggling banks during the financial crisis, underestimating the severity of the downturn and betting that the industry would recover quickly. Instead, new regulations forced banks to scale back risk-taking with their own money. Many lenders, particularly in Europe, are still trading below their peaks reached before the crisis.

Bloomberg

GENERAL STRIKE. Two women walk in front of docked ferries at the port of Peiraeus during a 48-hour strike by the sailor union on May 16, 2017. Greek unions today kicked off two days of labor action, shutting down ferries and news services ahead of a general strike on May 17 aimed at a new round of austerity cuts. Journalists walked off the job and sailors began a two-day shutdown that severed maritime links to the Greek islands. AFP

Spain’s economic recovery draws takeovers

By Manuel Baigorri and Charles Penty SPAIN Inc. is back in fashion.

Italy’s Atlantia SpA announced on Monday a 16.34 billion-euro ($17.9 billion) bid for Abertis Infraestructuras SA to create the world’s biggest toll-road operator, a deal that may be the largest takeover of a Spanish company in a decade. The offer is a sign of the growing attractiveness of the country’s assets as the economy, ravaged during the financial crisis, continues to heal.

The volume of mergers and acquisitions involving Spanish targets has increased 57 percent to about $63 billion in the last 12 months, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

If successful, Atlantia’s bid to buy Abertis would be the biggest since 2007 when Italy’s Enel SpA along with Spanish infrastructure firm Acciona SA bought power company Endesa SA in a landmark deal before the economy lapsed into a five-year slump at the end of 2008.

Atlantia’s offer is “a vote of confidence in Spain and shows how the country’s companies are now becoming anchored in the global economy,” said Mauro Guillen, a professor of management and international relations at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

Interest from foreign investors has grown as Spain’s economy continues a recovery that has now extended for 14 consecutive quarters. The election of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the pro-business People’s Party to a second term in office last year has also helped seal a period of political stabil-

ity for the country.

Buyers and Sellers The increasing confidence in Spain paved the way for three significant deals last year. Europe’s biggest publicly traded health-care provider Fresenius SE agreed to buy Spanish hospital group IDC Salud Holding SLU, also known as Quironsalud, for 5.76 billion euros.

Canada’s Global Infrastructure Partners bought a 20 percent stake in Spain’s gas supplier Gas Natural SDG SA for 3.8 billion euros, and Europe’s largest engineering company Siemens AG and Gamesa Corp.

Tecnologica SA agreed to combine their wind-turbine manufacturing businesses.

That compares with previous

years when some of Spain’s biggest publicly traded companies bought businesses abroad to reduce exposure to their home markets. In 2014 alone, Spanish companies spent $22 billion buying assets outside the country, mainly adding businesses in the Americas, according to the Bloomberg data.

‘Sweet Spot’ To be sure, there may be clouds on the Spanish horizon.

As the leader of a minority government, Rajoy may struggle to achieve much more in terms of economic reforms. The opposition Socialists, whose goodwill on key legislation Rajoy needs to ensure parliament doesn’t become gridlocked, are also embarking on a leadership

contest with party primaries due on May 21. A win for former leader Pedro Sanchez, a fierce critic of corruption scandals swirling around Rajoy’s People’s Party, would lead the Socialists into more open conflict with Rajoy and his government.

For now, Spain’s economic recovery is on course and set to attract more foreign investment as the government expects the economy will average 2.5 percent growth over the next four years.

“The combination of growth and value means Spain will stay in an investment sweet spot,” said Daniel Lacalle, chief investment officer at Tressis Gestion, a Madrid-based asset management firm. Bloomberg

Visitors view buildings on the Madrid skyline, including the 43-story Picasso Tower office building, center, from the roof terrace of the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday, March 26, 2014. Amancio Ortega Gaona, already the world’s fourth-richest person based on the success of his Zara fashion retail stores, has quietly amassed a real estate empire worth as much as $10 billion and is emerging as a formidable competitor for prime properties from London to Beverly Hills. Bloomberg

LGUs

‘Fix street parking issues or get sued’

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

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

C1

By Sandy Araneta IN SUPPORT of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to involve barangay officials in clearing roads of obstructions, Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada on Tuesday warned he will charge barangay officials that are uncooperative with the city government’s ongoing road clearing operations.

Since June last year, Estrada has been conducting a citywide road clearing campaign, driving away more than 3,500 illegal vendors and removing countless obstructions and illegal structures.

“Yes, we are getting there,” Estrada said when asked if he will also sue barangay officials who neglect or refuse to cooperate with concerned government agencies and local government units in clearing roads of all types of obstructions.

“President Duterte’s directive is correct, to engage the barangay chairmen, no one is stopping them from helping the traffic situation. It’s also their responsibility,” he added.

In Manila, Estrada stressed that most barangay officials have so far been helping the city remove illegal structures, sidewalk vendors, and illegally parked vehicles in their communities.

In an April 12 memorandum, the Department of Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region issued a memorandum enjoining all barangay chairmen “to ensure that all roads within their area of jurisdiction are free from all kinds of obstructions.”

DILG-NCR said Duterte has instructed its office and the Metro Manila Development Authority o sue barangay officials for neglect of duty who will tolerate illegal parking and all kinds of road obstructions in their territorial jurisdictions.

Dennis Alcoreza, head of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, said they have sent letters to the 896 barangay chairmen requesting their assistance and cooperation in their road clearing campaign.

“We have already written letters to a lot of barangay chairmen. So now we are trying to talk to them first,” he said.

Inspection of QC dorms set

By Rio N. Araja

Q

UEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Tuesday ordered the inspection of all student dormitories and boarding houses in the city to determine whether they are properly complying with existing regulatory requirements governing business operations and building safety standards.

MILLENNIUM TREE. Tourists gather at the Balete Park in Barangay Quirino, Maria Aurora, Aurora province to behold the Millennium Tree, the largest banyan tree in Asia. With a circumference of 52 meters and a height of 47 meters, the tree is estimated to be around 600 years old. Manny Palmero

He instructed Garry Domingo, Business Permits and Licensing Office head, to oversee the inspection, together with representatives of the City Building Official and Bureau of Fire Protection.

“While the city acknowledges the universities’ need for dormitories, it is also imperative that owners of such establishments comply with existing laws to ensure public safety,” Bautista said.

Up for inspection are dorms operating without business and building permits and necessary safety and security features, including fire alarms, emergency lights and fire exits.

Based on the database of the QC Information and Technology Development Office, headed by Reynald Paul Imjada, there are 61 registered dormitories in Quezon City as of May 2, with 16 located in Fairview and 15 in Loyola Heights.

Bautista ordered the dormitory inspection in time for the forthcoming school opening in June to ensure the health and public safety of the students.

Meanwhile, the Quezon City Council has passed a resolution authorizing Bautista to grant the use, supervision, upkeep and security of road lots and an open space to Capitol Homes 1 in Barangay Matandang Balara.

PITC boss Almarinez comes to Mocha’s defense PHILIPPINE International Trading Corp. president and CEO Dave Almarinez on Tuesday defended the appointment of Margaux “Mocha” Uson as Assistant Secretary of the Presidential Communication Operations Office, saying people “should not judge the past activities” of the popular blogger and entertainer.

A staunch supporter of President Rodrigo Duterte, Uson was appointed to the PCOO last week, moving the former leader of the so-called

“Mocha Girls” from her previous post with the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

Almarinez, whom Duterte appointed to the PITC last February, told Manila Standard in an exclusive interview that Uson’s past—as a model, leader of a sexy dance group, a columnist for men’s magazines, and a controversial blogger—wasn’t important compared to what she could do as a member of the Cabinet.

“Hindi naman importante ang nakaraan, importante ano ‘yung

magagawa ni Asec Mocha. Ang importante ay mai-relay ‘yung tamang message sa mamamayan, that’s the main reason of Mocha’s [appointment, to tell the public], it’s for the people, what the President is doing,” the PITC chief said.

[The past isn’t important, what’s important is what she can do.

What’s important is she can relay the right message to the citizens.]

Detractors of both Duterte and Uson have accused the latter of spreading fake news, especially

on social media, but Almarinez said the President would not appoint her without good reason.

“I think Asec Mocha is appointed by the President, and he knows the procedures and protocol,” he said. “About fake news she is just after sharing her own opinion. On the premise [of putting her in the] PCOO as Asec, we have follow the protocol.”

Almarinez said Uson’s experience was similar to his. “On my side, it’s OK for me to be part of the govern-

ment service, because like her I’m newly appointed with the trust and confidence of the President.”

The PITC chief, who holds an Undersecretary rank in the Cabinet, said Uson was “a good add” to the PCOO “because she has more followers and influence [on social media]. “She is giving her best to serve to the government, and will give and write news in a timely fashion on the information coming from the President. So give her a chance.” Roy Tomandao

Book on late Bohol solon launched on Thursday

By Ben Cal A BOOK about the colorful life of Atty. Erico Boyles Aumentado, former governor and congressman of Bohol, will be launched at the Fortridge Hotel resort in Songkulan, Dauis in Bohol on Thursday.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco will grace the event as guest of honor and speaker.

The 158-page book, entitled “Erico Boyles Aumentado, a Great Boholano Leader,” is co-authored by veteran journalists Bingo Dejaresco, editor of the Bohol Chronicle, and Ben Cal, former acting executive editor and managing editor of the Philippines News Agency.

Former Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now a congressman of Pampanga, wrote separate forewords for the book.

Ramos and Arroyo both praised Aumentado for his dedication to public service as board member, governor and lawmaker who also served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives for several years before he passed away on Christmas Day in 2012.

Aumentado died due to pneumo-

nia with complications of diabetes at the St. Luke’s Medical Center at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

The book is published by Art Angel Printshop Commercial Quests, Inc. in Quezon City.

Expected to attend the book launching are other congressmen and top public officials from Bohol.

Before entering politics in the 1960s, Aumentado was a hard-hitting journalist of the Bohol Chronicle, the province’s pioneering community newspaper, and a news correspondent of The Manila Times for Bohol.

Poverty did not hinder Aumentado’s pursuit of his studies, as he worked his way through college. He was always at the top of his class until he graduated from law school at the Rafael Palma College, now Bohol University, and passed the bar examinations.

As a journalist, Aumentado had a weekly column in the Bohol Chronicle, which he labelled “Between Extremes” that hit hard on corruption in government.

His greatest accomplishments as governor and congressman representing Bohol’s second district were various infrastructure and agricultural projects.

During his term as governor, Aumentado gave Bohol the district honor as the first province in the country to eradicate the nagging communist insurgency.

Among the bills he authored as congressman were the Limited Portability Scheme (RA 7699), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Act of 1995 (RA 7875), Agricultural Tarification Act of 1998 (RA 8555), GSIS Act of 1997 (RA 8291), Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1998 (RA 8178), Home Guaranty Corporation Action of 2000 (RA 8763) and Fair Election Act (RA 9006).

Despite being busy and workaholic as a congressman and governor whose passion was how to bring about economic development for Bohol in particular and the Philippines in general, Aumentado, a civic leader, was a caring husband to his wife, Grenie, eight children and 21 grandchildren and great grandchildren.

His unfinished vision and mission in life to serve the country is being pursued by his son, Rep. Aris C. Aumentado, who is currently serving his second term in Congress for Bohol’s second district. PNA

The cover of the book on former Bohol governor and congressman Erico Aumentado, co-written by veteran journalists Bingo Dejaresco and Ben Cal.

The grant came after the approval of City Resolution 7073-2017 introduced by Councilors Alexis R. Herrera and Franz Pumaren, authorizing the mayor to sign a memorandum of agreement with Capitol Homeowners Association, Inc., represented by its president Ricardo B. Hernandez Jr. The Quezon City government owns 18 road lots and one open space in Capitol Home I Subdivision, which were donated by the Manila Remnant Corp. Inc. on Nov. 17, 1970.

The resolution states that Capitol Homeowners Association, Inc. “shall secure written clearance and approval from the Quezon City government” if it decides to undertake any construction, improvement, changes or build any structure on the properties from the City General Services Department, in cases of road lots, and the Parks Development and Administration Department, if it concerns the open space.

The association will submit a report on the status of the properties to the QC government through the City General Services Department and/or the Parks Development and Administration Department at the end of every year, including the facilities, improvements, and changes thereon.

Turn to C2

P’sinan aids war veterans, students LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—The Pangasinan provincial government led by Gov. Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III distributed medical and educational assistance amounting to P105,000 to some living World War II veterans through their beneficiaries on Monday at the Ceremonial Hall of the Urduja House.

Screened by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, medical assistance of P5,000 each were given to 12 eligible WW-II veterans through their children, while educational assistance also amounting to P5,000 each were awarded to nine veterans’ grandchildren.

The project is a realization of Governor Pogi’s pledge to extend support to the veterans and their families in terms of medical and educational assistance during the Lingayen Gulf Landings and Pangasinan Veterans’ Day last January.

Receiving medical assistance were Benigno S. Baldoz, 93 yrs. old (Rosales); Sergio R. Casamiro, 94 (Umingan); Paulino M. Antolin, 94 (Umingan); Floro D. Pollante, 98 (Balungao); Pedro F. Ramos, 94 (Laoac); Lorenzo M. Mortera, 96 (Villasis); Reynaldo V. Siador, 90 (San Fabian); Celestino T. Balagot, 99 (Urdaneta City); Miguel T. Monegas, 95 (Alcala); Eulogio Caguin, 92 (Manaoag); Alfredo P. Laroco, 95 (San Fabian); Hilario P. Meriales, 95 (Sta. Maria). Dexter A. See

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 Standard C2 TODAY Manila

CagVal forces to suppress NPAs B

By Ben Moses Ebreo

AYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya— Officials of the Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council have assured villagers in the Cagayan Valley region that anti-insurgency efforts are being done to prevent a repeat of atrocities by New People’s Army rebels.

In a statement, Police Chief Supt. Robert Quenery, the new Philippine National Police regional director and RJPSCC chairman, said they will act swiftly to address the NPA insurgency in Cagayan Valley.

The statement was issued after the RJPSCC meeting with Major General Paul Atal, commander of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division based in Gamu, Isabela.

“We have deployed our troops to the fullest in areas recently harassed and threatened by the NPA, and to intensify intelligence gathering to address these threats,” Quenery said.

The PNP issued the statement to allay fears of villagers over the series of NPA attacks on military and police stations. These include harassment of an Army patrol base in San Mariano, Isabela; a raid of

the “Pulisya ti Umili” station in Barangay Annafatan in Amulung, Cagayan; and a raid at the police station in Maddela, Quirino.

Police said the rebels took 10 highpowered firearms and nine low-powered firearms in the attacks. Police Officer 2 Jerome Luwi Cardenas of the Maddela police station was killed during one of the raids.

The rebels also burned a private dump truck and a Mahindra

police car.

He also encouraged villagers to cooperate in reporting to the PNP the communist rebels involved in the attacks and activities of armed criminal groups in Cagayan Valley.

“The support of the local government units are also needed to harness every resource of the government against these threats,” Quenery said.

Inspection...

From C1

In another development, the QC Council has passed a resolution exempting mall owner SM Development Corp. from the city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance, paving the way for the construction of Time Residences Building, a residential complex in Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon.

City Resolution 7056-2017, introduced by Councilor Marvin C. Rillo, declared that SMDC has complied with all the necessary requirements prescribed by law and after determining that the project “will not affect public health and safety, and welfare, and in keeping up with the general pattern of development in the community.”

Time Residences is located inside a Medium Intensity Industrial Zone along Reliance Street in Sitio Kapre, Barangay Nagkaisang Nayon.

The residential complex is composed of seven six-storey and four five-storey buildings.

The resolution also authorized the city government to issue a Certificate of Exception to the NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SMDC, allowing SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE WITH WAIVER deviation from the AND RENUNCIATION OF parking requireRIGHTS ments provided unNotice is hereby given that the estate of the late der Ordinance No. ANGEL VELANTE and PHOEBE VELANTE was SP-918, S-2000, othextra-judicially settled by and among their heirs as per erwise known as the Doc. No. 8663; Page No. Quezon City Com18; Book No. XXXV; Series of 2015, executed before prehensive ZonCARLYN A. MONASTRIAL - Vice Consul (Philippine ing Ordinance, as Consulate-San Francisco, amended.

California, USA).

FOR THE SCHOOL. Anna Liza Villarente, Principal II of Masapang National High School in Victoria, Laguna, repaints a chair as she leads the repair of a classroom in preparation for the coming school year. Joining her in the Department of Education’s annual ‘Brigada Eskwela’ program with the theme: ‘Isang DepEd, Isang Pamayanan, Isang Bayanihan Para sa Handa at Ligtas na Paaralan’ (One DepEd, One Village, One Cooperation for a Prepared and Safe School) were volunteer barangay officials, police, firemen, senior citizens, and local government executives. Roy Tomandao

(MS-MAY 10,17 & 24, 2017)

Regional Bids and Awards Committee (RBAC) - XII 2nd Floor, Vensu Building, National Highway General Santos City, South Cotabato Tel. No. (083) 250-1093/302-2040 Email: rbacxii@gmail.com

INVITATION TO BID The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) through its Regional Bids and Awards Committee (RBAC) - XII, invites Rural Banks and Cooperatives to bid for the hereunder project: Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Items

Non-Refundable Fee

ITB No. RBAC XII-CCT 2017-01 Service fees for the distribution of DSWD Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program cash grants to Non-Cash Card/ Prepaid Card Beneficiaries in various Municipalities for six (6) payouts -- May, July, September & November 2017 and January & March 2018 payouts (Regional Coverage): Note: Bid shall be on a per Province basis.

COTABATO (NORTH COTABATO) 16,089 Beneficiaries/Payout Alamada, Aleosan, Antipas, Arakan, Banisilan, Carmen, Kidapawan City, Kabacan, Libungan, Magpet, Makilala, Matalam, Midsayap, M’lang, Pigkawayan, Pikit, President Roxas, Tulunan

P

4,005,660.00

P

2,003.00

COTABATO CITY 2,162 Beneficiaries/Payout Cotabato City

P

544,824.00

P

500.00

SARANGANI 13,509 Beneficiaries/Payout Alabel, Glan, Kiamba, Maasim, Maitum, Malapatan, Malungon

P

3,780,540.00

P

1,890.00

P

4,884,624.00

P

2,442.00

P

3,389,508.00

P

1,695.00

SOUTH COTABATO 15,240 Beneficiaries/Payout Banga, Koronadal City, General Santos City (Capital), Lake Sebu, Norala, Polomolok, Santo Niño, Surallah, Tampakan, Tantangan, T’boli, Tupi SULTAN KUDARAT 12,039 Beneficiaries/Payout Bagumbayan, Tacurong City, Columbio, Esperanza, Isulan (Capital), Kalamansig, Lambayong (Mariano Marcos), Lebak, Lutayan, Palimbang, President Quirino, Senator Ninoy Aquino MAGUINDANAO 100,246 Beneficiaries/Payout Ampatuan, Buluan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Gen. S.K. Pendatun, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Mangudadatu, Pagagawan, Pagalungan, Paglat, Pandag, Rajah Buayan, Shariff Aguak, Maganoy (Capital), South Upi, Sultan sa Barongis (Lambayong), Talayan, Talitay SHARIFF KABUNSUAN 59,937 Beneficiaries/Payout Barira, Buldon, Datuh Blah T. Sinsuat, Datu Odin Sinsuat (Dinaig) (Capital), Kabuntalan (Tumbao), Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, Sultan Kudarat (Nuling), Sultan Mastura, Upi

P 25,502,808.00

P 12,751.00

P 15,322,860.00

P

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows:

3. Submission / Opening of Bids / Bids Evaluation 4. Post-qualification 5. Notice of Award 6. Performance Bond 7. Issuance of Notice to Proceed

BONTOC, Mountain Province— Some P301 million worth of farmto-market roads or FMRs financed by the World Bank-funded Philippine Rural Development Program have been given the green light for implementation in several towns of this province.

Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan Jr. said once completed, the projects will spur economic activities in the remote villages and interconnect the sources of agricultural products to the markets to provide farmers with sustainable sources of income.

Among the ongoing PRDP FMR projects in the province are the P65million Banata-Sumey-ang-Sadsadan road in Bauko, PoblacionBantay road in Paracelis worth P40 million, the P102.5-million Besao

to Nacauang road in Besao, and the P92-million Nacauang-Mabalite road in Tadian.

“We were able to address the problems that cropped up during the course of the bidding of the projects, that is why the winning contractors were issued their notices to proceed with their works,” Lacwasan stressed.

The Besao-Nacauang road is an 11.7-kilometer road linking several barangays of Besao town with works ranging from concreting, construction of drainage systems, slope protection walls, among others, that will ensure the smooth transport of agricultural crops from the farms to the markets.

The Nacauang-Mabalite road is an 8.933-kilometer road that shall be concreted and built with sufficient drainage systems and slope protection walls.

The 3.1-kilometer PoblacionBantay road and the 4.5-kilometer Banata-Sumey-ang-Sadsadan road have similar works of concreting, put-up of drainage systems, and construction of slope protection walls that will allow the free flow of vehicles geared towards supporting the agriculture and tourism industries in their municipalities.

The governor said the provincial government will be aggressive in sourcing out funds from national and international funding agencies to improve the infrastructure development of the province that will translate to better economic growth even in the remote villages.

He appealed to the residents who will be inconvenienced by the implementation of the projects to understand the present situation and be patient, because they will reap the fruits of development in the future.

IN BRIEF Pangasinan groups get P2-m livelihood aid LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Gov. Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III awarded more than P2 million in livelihood assistance to 17 cooperatives, farmers associations, women’s groups and micro, small and medium enterprises on Monday at the Ceremonial Hall of the Urduja House.

The distribution is part of the provincial government’s regular livelihood assistance program and is the second batch to be awarded this year.

To recall, the livelihood assistance program was launched in 2008 during the term of Espino’s father, former governor and current Fifth District Rep. Amado T. Espino, Jr., designed to help Pangasinense women become self-sufficient.

Since then, the program was enhanced to involve not only women but other groups like farmers and fisherfolk, among others. Dexter A. See

Pugo, Besao officials vow better ties

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).

ACTIVITIES

By Dexter A. See

7,661.00

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. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference

P301-m infra in Mt. Province

SCHEDULE May 17 to June 6, 2017 May 24, 2017, 1:00 PM 2/F Vensu Building, National Highway, General Santos City June 6, 2017, 1:00 PM 2/F Vensu Building, National Highway, General Santos City June 7 to 19, 2017 June 20, 2017 June 21 to 30, 2017 July 3, 2017

Bid Documents will be available at LANDBANK General Santos Highway Branch to prospective bidders upon payment of the applicable non-refundable amount to the LANDBANK Cashier, General Santos Highway Branch.

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.

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE REGION XII

PUGO, La Union—Local officials of this municipality and their counterparts from Besao, Mountain Province vowed to work closer together to enhance their towns through partnerships that will bring their localities to greater heights.

The commitment was made by Mayor Priscilla M. Martin and Besao Mayor Johnson Bantog II during the signing of the memorandum of understanding to establish a sisterhood relationship between the municipalities at the municipal hall here.

The twinning relationship with Besao is the first sisterhood relationship established by Pugo in the first 10 months of the incumbency of Martin as a first-term mayor of the fifth-class municipality.

We are elated that we were able to establish this twinning relationship with a municipality which is close to our heart,” Martin stressed. Dexter A. See

200 Subic volunteers join bay cleanup SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Members of the Freeport community have again answered the call for community cooperation and banded together for another initiative to protect the coastal environment.

Some 200 volunteers from various community groups and government agencies joined the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and the Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. or RP Energy for a one-day coastal cleanup project at Sitio Kinabuksan in Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales last Saturday.

The volunteers included students from Kinabuksan, members of the Calapandayan Fisherfolks Association, personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Olongapo City, Philippine Coast Guard, SBMA Ecology Center, SBMA Public Relations Department, and representatives of RP Energy. Butch Gunio

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World IN BRIEF ‘Sri Lanka drags feet on reconciliation’ COLOMBO―Sri Lanka’s failure to address its wartime past nearly a decade after its bloody conflict jeopardizes any hope of a lasting peace in the ethnically-divided island, a global rights group warned Tuesday.

In a new report, the International Crisis Group urged President Maithripala Sirisena to come good on his promise to deliver justice for tens of thousands of war victims or risk renewed conflict.

“Two years into President Sirisena’s term, Sri Lanka’s fragile hopes for lasting peace and cooperation across party and ethnic lines are imperilled,” ICG stated in its report “Sri Lanka’s Transition to Nowhere”.

Sirisena came to power in January 2015 with strong backing from Tamils, the largest ethnic minority in Sri Lanka, who bore the brunt of the 37-year separatist war that ended in May 2009.

He had promised to investigate atrocities under his predecessor Mahinda Rajapakse, especially in the final months of the war, when Sri Lanka’s security forces were accused of massacring up to 40,000 Tamil civilians.

But the president has resisted calls for internationallybacked courts to try generals and soldiers accused of atrocities, and has been critical of police investigations into the murder of a prominent antigovernment cartoonist.

Progress on promised reforms has also been slow or slid backwards, the group said, raising doubts over Sirisena’s pledge to ensure reconciliation after a war that left more than 100,000 dead.

“Ambitious promises to improve the economy, eliminate corruption, restore the rule of law, address the legacy of war and write a new constitution remain largely unrealized,” the report said. AFP

Ancient human sacrifice in South Korea SEOUL―Evidence of human sacrifice to try to ensure the success of ancient construction projects has been found for the first time at a Korean site, officials said Tuesday.

Two skeletons dating from the 5th century were found under the walls of the Wolseong, or Moon Castle, in Gyeongju in South Korea, the capital of the former Silla kingdom, Seoul’s Cultural Heritage Administration said in a statement.

“This is the first archaeological evidence that folklore about humans being sacrificed for the foundations of buildings, dams or walls were true stories,” spokeswoman Choi Moon-Jung of the Gyeongju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage told AFP. The burial of living victims with dead kings to serve them in the afterlife is well known in ancient Korean cultures.

How the Wolseong victims were put to death was not yet clear and further research was being carried out, but they did not appear to have been buried alive.

“Judging from the fact that there are no signs of resistance when they were buried, they must have been buried when they were unconscious or dead,” said senior researcher Park Yoon-Jung.

“Folklore indicates humans were sacrificed to appease gods and plead with them to ensure the structures being built lasted a long time.”

The two skeletons were found side by side under a western corner of the castle’s earth and stone walls, with one facing upward, the other turning its face and arms slightly towards the first.

The Silla kingdom was one of three that emerged on the Korean peninsula in the first millennium, eventually conquering the other two to unify the territory in 668. It later split up and was finally overwhelmed in 935.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

C3

More cyberattacks expected S EOUL―More cyberattacks could be in the pipeline after the global havoc caused by the Wannacry ransomware, South Korean cybersecurity experts warned Tuesday as fingers pointed at the North.

FASHION WEEK. A model wears a creation by Australian designer Victoria Bliss at the St.George NextGen show for Fashion Week in Sydney on May 16, 2017. AFP

China denies schools hit hard by attacks SHANGHAI―Chinese authorities have said 66 of the country’s universities were affected by the global ransomware attack, but have rejected reports of widespread damage in higher-education computer systems as “malicious” hype.

The China Education and Research Network, which operates under the Ministry of Education, said 66 out of 1,600 Chinese universities were affected, mainly due to operating systems not being regularly upgraded rather than any major security shortcomings in university systems.

The statement issued late Monday was perhaps the most detailed comment yet on the cyberattacks by Chinese authorities, who have said little about the contagion since it erupted on Friday even as reports emerged of widespread infection in China.

Qihoo 360, one of China’s leading suppliers of anti-virus software, had said Sunday that at least 29,372 institu-

tions ranging from government offices to ATMs and hospitals had been “infected”, singling out universities as particularly hard-hit.

But the China Education and Research Network pushed back against such claims.

“These inaccurate statements have seriously misled public opinion, caused panic among teachers and students, and affected the normal order of instruction and life,” it said, giving no further details.

Beijing University and Tsinghua University, two of the country’s premier institutions located in the capital, have issued statements saying quick security action prevented “large-scale” infection on their campuses, without giving details.

Major universities in Shanghai told AFP on Monday they were not affected.

The indiscriminate attack began Friday and struck banks, hospitals and government agencies worldwide, exploiting

vulnerabilities in older Microsoft operating systems. But it appeared to have peaked over the weekend.

Security researchers on Monday said it bore the technical hallmarks of North Korean hacking, though the evidence remained inconclusive.

The muted public response by China could be linked to the sensitive fact that use of pirated computer software is rampant in the country, a sore point with trading partners like the United States who have complained for years of Chinese counterfeiting.

Security experts say pirated software is particularly vulnerable to security threats, but so far no evidence has emerged indicating whether that played any role in the virus’s spread in China.

Chinese state media quoted the official Cyberspace Administration of China as saying the ransomware’s spread had slowed significantly in China by Monday. AFP

More than 200,000 computers in 150 countries were hit by the ransomware attack, described as the largest ever of its kind, over the weekend.

Since Friday, banks, hospitals and state agencies have been among the victims of hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in the older versions of Microsoft computer operating systems and demanding payment in the virtual currency Bitcoin.

The code used in the latest attack shared many similarities with past hacks blamed on the North, including the targeting of Sony Pictures and the central bank of Bangladesh, said Simon Choi, director of Seoul internet security firm Hauri.

Choi, known to have vast troves of data on Pyongyang’s hacking activities, has publicly warned against potential ransomware attacks by the North since last year.

“I saw signs last year that the North was preparing ransomware attacks or even already beginning to do so, targeting some South Korean companies,” he told AFP. He cited a major attack last year that stole the data of over 10 million users of Interpark, a Seoul-based online shopping site, in which hackers demanded bitcoin payments worth about $3 million.

Seoul police blamed the North’s main intelligence agency for the attack.

More attacks were possible, Choi said, “especially given that, unlike missile or nuclear tests, they can deny their involvement in attacks in cyberspace and get away with it”.

Security researchers in the US, Russia and Israel have also reported signs of a potential North Korean link to the latest cyberattack, although there is no conclusive evidence yet.

Google researcher Neel Mehta posted details showing similarities between the “WannaCry” malware and computer code used by the Lazarus hacking group, widely believed to be connected to Pyongyang.

The isolated, nuclear-armed state is known to operate an army of thousands of hackers operating in both the North, and apparently China, and has been blamed for a number of major cyberattacks.

In November 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment became the target of the biggest cyberattack in US corporate history, linked to its release of North Korea satire “The Interview”, hated by Pyongyang.

Washington blamed Pyongyang for the hacking, a claim it denied-though it had strongly condemned the film, which features a fictional CIA plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong-Un. The North appears to have stepped up cyber-attacks in recent years in a bid to earn hard foreign currency in the face of United Nations sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programs, Choi said.

He claimed to have last year tracked down an elite North Korean hacker who boasted online that the country was conducting tests for ransomware attacks.

On an online messenger system, Choi told AFP, “He said he and his colleagues were running tests for ransomware attacks.”

The hacker was believed to be from the North’s elite Kim Chaek University of Technology in Pyongyang and suspected of launching multiple cyber-attacks on North Korean defector organisations in Seoul, Choi said. AFP

Venezuelans block roads in 7th week of protests CARACAS―Thousands of Venezuelans blocked roads on Monday in a seventh week of anti-government demonstrations, vowing not to budge all day in protest at a deadly, deepening political and economic crisis.

An 18-year-old died during a protest in the western state of Tachira after being shot by gunfire in the thorax, prosecutors said, bringing to at least 39 the number of people killed since April 1.

Local media reports said clashes broke out and opposition members were arrested at protests in six states in the latest unrest in the oil-rich country.

In the capital Caracas, crowds sat playing cards and tunes on the guitar as they blocked a major highway, while a small group of hooded protesters mounted barricades.

Near daily clashes have lasted more than six weeks during protests against moves to strengthen President Nicolas Maduro’s hold on power and his refusal to hold early elections.

The center-right opposition blames socialist leader Maduro for an economic crisis that has caused severe shortages of food and medicine.

“My father died because of a lack of medicine. There is no food and when you do find some, it is

very expensive,” said demonstrator Katty Biagioni, 43, who sat reading in a tent in Caracas.

A senior opposition lawmaker, Freddy Guevara, told reporters the rally was held for 12 hours until 2300 GMT. He said 50 roadblocks were planned across the country, with the aim of generating a state of “ungovernability” to pressure Maduro.

“This is a day of resistance, of endurance, of showing that we are organized and firm,” Guevara said at the rally.

He repeated the opposition’s claim that Maduro was installing a “dictatorship.”

Maduro has vowed general elections will take place as scheduled in late 2018 but not before.

He has accused the opposition of mounting an “armed insurgency” and “terrorist acts” against him with US backing.

His Social Movements minister Aristobulo Isturiz said Monday that protesters were “demanding the impossible” by seeking early elections.

“That is why they are intensifying their violence with the support of the international oligarchy and imperialism,” he said.

Maduro has set no date for postponed regional polls or for mayoral elections due this year.

AFP

MISS USA. Miss District of Columbia USA 2017 Kara McCullough answers a question during the interview portion of the 2017 Miss USA pageant at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on May 14, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She went on to be named the new Miss USA. AFP

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

C4

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

World

Trump accused of telling Russians top intelligence W ASHINGTON― Embattled US President Donald Trump faced explosive allegations that he divulged top secret intelligence to Russian diplomats in the Oval Office, a charge the White House scrambled to rebut Monday.

The Washington Post reported that Trump revealed highly classified information on the Islamic State group during a meeting last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Moscow’s man in Washington Sergey Kislyak.

In a shock twist, the intelligence reportedly came from a US ally who did not authorize Washington to share it with Moscow. That development could shatter trust that is essential to intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation.

National Security Advisor HR McMaster denied the president had revealed “intelligence sources or methods,” but acknowledged that Trump and Lavrov “reviewed a range of common threats to our two countries, including threats to civil aviation.”

The Post, citing unnamed officials, said that Trump went off script during the meeting, describing details about an Islamic State terror threat related to the use of laptop computers on airplanes, revealing the city where the information was gathered.

The Trump administration recently barred the use of laptops in the passenger cabin from several countries in the Middle East and is mulling the expansion of that ban to cover jets originating in Europe.

“There’s nothing that the president takes more seriously than the security of the American people. The story that came out tonight as reported is false,” McMaster said without elaborating on which elements were wrong.

“Two other senior officials who were present, including the secretary of state, remember the meeting the same way and have said so. Their on-therecord accounts should outweigh those of anonymous sources. I was in the room. It didn’t happen.”

McMaster earlier refused to answer questions to a group of journalists gathered in the West Wing, saying “this is the last place I wanted to be” before leaving.

The revelations are the latest in a wave of crises to hit the White House, which late Monday was in a state of shock, with aides frantically trying to put out the fire and determine the source of such damaging leaks.

Since coming to office in January, Trump has lurched from crisis to crisis, lampooning the intelligence services, law enforcement and the media along the way.

Last week, Trump threw his administration into turmoil by taking the virtually unprecedented step of firing his FBI director James Comey. AFP

Syria peace talks restart in Geneva GENEVA―A new round of Syria peace talks opened on Tuesday in Geneva, the latest United Nations push to resolve a six-year conflict that has killed more than 320,000 people.

Five previous rounds of UN-backed negotiations have failed to yield concrete results and hopes for a major breakthrough remain dim.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has strengthened his position on the ground, with the rebels reeling from a major setback in the capital Damascus.

Assad has also recently called the Geneva process “null”, telling Belarus’s ONT channel that it had become “merely a meeting for the media”.

The Syrian leader has however given more credit to a separate diplomatic track in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, which is being led by his allies Russia and Iran along with opposition supporter Turkey.

The Astana track produced a May 4 deal to create four “de-escalation” zones across some of Syria’s bloodiest battlegrounds.

The UN’s Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has dismissed suggestions that the Astana negotiations were overshadowing the Geneva track.

“We’re working in tandem” he told reporters on Monday.

Syrian regime delegation chief Bashar al-Jaafari was holding an initial meeting with de Mistura at the UN on Tuesday.

The main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), led by Nasr al-Hariri and Mohammad Sabra, was due to meet the UN envoy later in the day.

The UN negotiations are focused on four separate “baskets”: governance, a new constitution, elections and combating “terrorism” in the warravaged country.

With Assad’s negotiators and the HNC expected to be in the Swiss city until the weekend, de Mistura said he wanted to drill down on several issues in hopes of generating solid proposals.

But one issue―Assad’s fate―remains a daunting roadblock.

The HNC has insisted the president’s ouster must be part of any political transition, a demand unacceptable to the Syrian regime. AFP

Brisk business for post-IS liquor store

PARTY. Damon J. Gillespie, Ted Sutherland, Auli’i Cravalho and Taylor Richardson attend the Entertainment Weekly and PEOPLE Upfront party presented by Netflix and Terra Chips at Second Floor on May 15, 2017, in New York City. AFP

S. Korea, US to hold summit in June SEOUL―South Korea’s left-leaning new leader Moon Jae-In will travel to the US for a summit with President Donald Trump next month, Moon’s spokesman said Tuesday, amid high tensions over the North’s nuclear ambitions.

The summit will be held in Washington in late June, Yoon YoungChan said, adding that details of the precise date and agenda would be decided later.

Moon backs engagement with nuclear-armed North Korea to try to reduce tensions, while Trump’s administration has said military action was an option under consideration.

“We will prepare the summit as an opportunity to cement personal ties

and friendship between the two leaders,” Yoon said.

The announcement came a day after the North boasted a “successful” launch of the longest-range missile it has ever tested, sparking global alarm.

Tensions have been ratcheted up as Pyongyang and Washington exchanged hostile rhetoric, but Trump recently softened his posture, saying he would be “honored” to meet the North’s leader Kim Jong-Un. Sunday’s missile launch angered the White House, which said the North had “been a flagrant menace for far too long” and called for tougher sanctions against Pyongyang.

Moon has said he would be will-

ing to visit the North “in the right circumstances”, but also slammed Sunday’s launch as a “reckless provocation”, saying dialogue would be possible “only if the North changes its attitude.”

Tuesday’s announcement came as Matt Pottinger, senior director for Asian affairs at the US National Security Council, vowed joint efforts to curb the North’s military ambitions during a visit to Seoul.

Pottinger and his South Korean counterpart agreed that the two allies would seek a “bold and practical” approach over the North, with dialogue with Pyongyang possible but only “when conditions are right”, Yoon said. AFP

MOSUL, Iraq―Abu Haidar tries to keep a low profile and there is no sign on his shop, the first liquor store to reopen in Mosul since the jihadists were beaten back.

But it’s hard not to notice the steady stream of customers walking out with black plastic bags filled with Turkish beer, Iraqi arak liquor and cheap whisky.

The young man said he could get up to 1,000 customers a day at his tiny shop in an industrial area of east Mosul, which the Iraqi security forces retook from the Islamic State group in January.

Alcohol never completely disappeared from the city which, for more than two years, was the de facto Iraqi capital of the “caliphate” IS proclaimed in 2014 over parts of Iraq and Syria.

But drinking was an expensive and dangerous hobby.

“You only had smuggled alcohol―this bottle used to fetch 50,000 or 60,000 dinars,” he said, holding a quarter bottle of whiskey.

“For a liter, you’d pay... up to $100.”

Now prices have returned to their pre-IS levels, and the quarter bottle costs around $5.

“In the afternoon it gets very busy here,” said Abu Haidar, standing behind his counter as he served more customers.

“For three years, people were deprived of it yet they had been used to it before. There used to be bars, clubs and casinos. All of them were closed and only now are people returning to drinking,” he said.

His shop is stacked to the ceiling with alcohol, the same selection of ouzo, arak (a regional anise-flavored spirit) and obscure brands of cheap vodka and whiskey that can be found in Baghdad or in the Christian quarter of the neighboring Kurdish regional capital Arbil.

Two large top-loading refrigerators were filled with cans of beer, including Miller, Heineken and a wide selection of Turkish and South Korean brands. AFP

Thailand retreats on Facebook ban BANGKOK―Thai authorities Tuesday backed down on their threat to ban Facebook over posts deemed critical of the royal family after officials said the social networking giant had agreed to expunge such content.

Thailand ferociously enforces a draconian lese majeste law which outlaws any criticism of the monarchy.

Since ultra-royalist generals seized power three years ago more than 100 people have been charged, many for comments made online, and some people have been jailed for decades.

The authorities have redoubled efforts to purge the Thai web following the October ascension of the country’s new king Maha Vajiralongkorn.

Last week Thailand’s telecom regulator, the NBTC, said it would file a police complaint against Facebook’s Thailand office and

shut down the hugely popular site if it did not remove more than 130 “illegal” posts by Tuesday.

“Facebook is cooperating with Thailand,” Takorn Tantasith, secretary general of the NBTC told reporters after the 10am deadline passed.

Takorn said some 97 web pages deemed critical of the monarchy remained on the platform but authorities were seeking court orders to send Facebook demanding their removal.

Thai authorities last week said Facebook had already removed some 170 posts.

The social network giant declined to comment on how many posts it had made unavailable in Thailand since the recent requests.

Under its published policies, Facebook says it will comply with a country’s request to remove content if it receives a valid court order.

“When we receive such a request, we review it to determine if it puts us on notice of unlawful content,” the company told AFP. “If we determine that it does, then we make it unavailable in the relevant country or territory and notify people who try to access it why it is restricted.”

According to its published data, Facebook made 50 posts unavailable to Thai users after requests from the government in 2016.

No items were restricted in 2015 and 35 items were removed in 2014, the year of the coup.

Vajiralongkorn, 64, became king following the death of his father King Bhumibol Adulyadej who reigned for seven decades.

He has yet to attain his father’s widespread popularity.

At least seven people are known to have been charged with lese majeste since he took the throne. AFP

ATMOSPHERE. A view of the general atmosphere during Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath-FYC Event at Wolf Theater on May 15, 2017, in North Hollywood, California. AFP

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

FASHION & BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

D1

Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish Church commemmorates the feast day of Sta. Rita with a grand celebration entitled ‘Sta. Rita @ 60’ ongoing until May 28

International fashion designer is

‘Queen Helena’

T

O WALK in a dramatic self-designed gown with a long canvas train rendered in textile and acrylic paint, then embellished with beads upon beads and appliques upon appliques of flora and finished by crown glitter, Mrs. Universe South Asia 2017 Joyce Penas Pilarsky escorted by Cian Fider is Queen Helena in the SantaCruzan of the 60th anniversary of Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish in Philam Homes on May 28, 2017. The procession starts at 6 p.m. and goes around the residential village.

Pilarsky is the statuesque and people-oriented Jocelyn Javellana Penas who graduated Bachelor of Science in Education Major in English at St. Paul’s College Manila in 1976. Apart from her stint in Practice Teaching at St. Paul’s Pasig, Penas never became a teacher.

The local fashion world claimed her as model, and then she worked as a cabin attendant with Philippine Airlines and Saudia Airlines.

Penas is a woman for others. She shares, “My younger years were not easy as people know it. I faced so many challenges and trials when Dad passed on at 52. I am where I am now because of hard work. It was not given to me. When everybody had good time, I worked and studied from morning until night. I took care of everybody especially my family. I am a very loving and caring person; I give a lot of love and passion in all that I do.”

She married German national Gunter Pilarsky, though she improved her finances and accumulated properties through sheer hard work even before this happened. She even turned visual artist and sold her paintings to multinational passengers to augment regular earnings.

Pilarsky, like every woman, loves looking beautiful. With her impeccable taste for clothes and accessories, she does not go out unless she is dressed properly.

She won Mrs. Philippines Germany 2000, Mrs. Philippines for Mrs. Asia International 2014, Mrs. Asia International Global 2014, and now as Mrs. Ecotourism International 2017. And that’s not counting the no-crown victory at the Miss MBA Ateneo Graduate School for Business 1982.

And she is working to add another one as Mrs. Universe South Asia 2017 with the title to be awarded in Durban,

South Africa between Aug. 26 and Sept. 3. Pilarsky will compete with over 80 beauty queen mothers from all over the world.

As champion of the Toastmaster International District 75 Annual Convention Next Top Model held on April 29, where she stood out among candidates, will be a plus factor in the public and private interviews.

The role in director Anthony Hernandez new advocacy film, New Generation Heroes, came at the right time.

She wanted to show that behind her success is God’s order to love one another and share one’s blessing, pure hard work, being unafraid to pursue herself, the good of others and her dreams.

Produced by Tiger Films, the drama feature tackles the lives of four teachers as played by Aiko Melendez, Jao Mapa and Anita Linda. Pilarsky plays a widowed model public school science teacher in Tarlac.

Meanwhile, The SantaCruzan’s splendid glory and pageantry with 36 traditional characters and biblical personifications in eye-catching costumes and carrying symbols that contribute to the religious ambiance, the real queen is Blessed Virgin Mary.

Her image consistently occupies the final spot while a choir continuously chants Dios Te Salve (Hail Mary) throughout the colorful procession.

Queen Helena and Queen Emperatriz, second and third to last of the

Mrs. Universe South Asia 2017 Joyce Penas Pilarsky is Queen Helena in the SantaCruzan of the 60th anniversary of Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish on May 28

Continued on D2

Students transform trash to treasure

Fashion design students transform waste into wearable apparel

STUDENTS from three leading fashion schools in the country recently joined the Aboitiz Foundation’s Green Fashion Revolution, a fashion design competition that challenges participants to transform what is considered to be waste or trash into wearable and practical apparel, shoes, bags and accessories.

This year’s contest featured collections with the theme Life Flourishing on Land and in Water. This is the sixth installment since the Aboitiz Foundation scholars launched the event in Cebu in 2012.

The School of Fashion and Arts (SoFA) Design Institute, De La SalleCollege of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), and Asia Pacific College (APC) fielded their creations in a runway show that coincided with the celebration of Earth Day. The organizers revealed that the schools recycled approximately 200 ki-

los of ready-to-be-discarded materials to give birth to their designs.

SoFA Design Institute was awarded Grand Champion, with their compilation entitled Pagbabago (Transition), inspired by mangrove trees which exemplify resilience and flexibility, being able to thrive both on land and on water.

Benilde’s entry, which placed second, was called Retaso (Scraps), which used discarded denim and Pilmico flour and feed sacks sourced from Aboitiz companies to create clothes that were inspired by the sea. It also received the People’s Choice Award, which was decided on by online voting.

APC’s ensemble named Abaddon garnered third, which aimed to showcase reverse creation and the slow decline of the planet due to carelessness of its stewards.

Jean Goulbourn, a designer, mental health advocate, and Benilde Fash-

ion Design and Merchandising industry fellow, explained “According to statistics, an average person owns six to 10 pairs of jeans, but only uses three or four pairs. We thought about what happens to those jeans that we just leave in our closets unused or those that we just throw away. We made them into jackets and applied them on the accessories, as well.”

Goulbourn said the Aboitiz event was a rewarding experience for the groups.

“More than receiving the awards and cash prizes, the process we went through was more memorable. Until the last minute, we were working on the garments like how it is during a real runway show. Seeing our collection on stage was very fulfilling. It carried all the time and labor we put into making our mere sketches come to life. Producing our own version of sustainable clothing was already an achievement for our team.”

Life

D2

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

Summer in color S

UMMER is here, which means road trips and vacations are current mode among a lot of us. It’s important to remember that any adventure starts on foot.

Just make sure you are stepping in to your summer destination prepared and ready to explore in color, comfort, and style.

Planning a trip always begins with a little inspiration that can come from the right color or pattern that tickles your brain and gets you daydreaming about your next adventure.

Banana Peel has been providing explorers, adventure seekers, and wanderers with the perfect adventure buddy in the form of functional and stylish footwear. They are affordable and proudly Filipino made and come in a variety of designs. Designs range from flip flops that are lightweight and durable to sandals and wedges for the more fashion conscious traveler. This is why for over the past 15 years Banana Peel has become the favorite brand of Filipino consumers and will continue to cater to their needs for the next 15 years and beyond.

In celebration of the brand’s 15th year anniversary, Banana Peel will be having a Flashback Sale every 15th day of the month until Dec. 15.

The mechanics are simple. Just visit any regular Banana Peel store from 10 a.m. to 12 nn and pick up a new pair of flip flops for just P39.

Affordable, fashionable, and functional Banana Peel slippers are the perfect travelling companions. Whether you find yourself walking along the coast of a secluded beach, on board a bangka headed to your next island des-

One of PhiBrows’ top PhiMasters Dovile Zilinskaite imparts her expertise in microblading to Filipino cosmetic artists.

Microblading is a semi-permanent makeup procedure that gives beautiful and hyperrealistic brows

women power

By Ayunan Gunting-Al-hadj

Flip flops brand Banana Peel celebrates its 15th anniversary with a Flashback Sale happening every 15th day of the month until end of the year

tination, getting pampered at the spa, enjoying a lazy day at home, or hanging poolside with your friends your flip flops are never far away. After all aren’t the best days spent wearing flip flops?

So pick a destination, pack a bag, and

don’t forget to bring your pair of flip flops on the way out the door and on to your next big adventure.

To know more about Banana Peel, go to www.facebook.com/bananapeelflipflops.

Raising the bar for eyebrows THERE is power in perfect eyebrows.

If your face is your brand, then your eyebrows are definitely your logo.

These days having on-fleek eyebrows can greatly change the way people perceive you. It’s no wonder there has been a heightened interest for products and services such as threading and waxing that promise perfect eyebrows. One service that has been gaining popularity in the beauty world is microblading.

This semi-permanent makeup procedure can give you timelessly beautiful brows that look so natural yet so picture-perfect that you’ll have eyebrowgoals without even trying. PhiBrows, Europe’s premiere microblading academy has been combining art and science in creating the perfect brows. And this year, PhiBrows will be bringing the holy grail of eyebrow enhancement to the Philippines.

What makes PhiBrows stand out?

ARMM bats for

Branko Babic, founded PhiBrows on the principle of PHI, or the “golden ratio,” or the perfect proportion. By adhering to this principle, complimented by the strictest European standards on safety and quality, PhiBrows was able to come up with a procedure where brows are timeless, beautiful, and hyper-realistic.

As part of the academy’s mission of being the best, aspiring PhiBrows artists undergo a three-tier training program to breed masters in the art of microblading. These PhiMasters are then tasked to travel the world to educate others on the unrivaled PhiBrows technique. Through this stringent process, you can be certain that only the best of the best can be called a PhiBrow artist.

One of PhiBrows’ top PhiMaster, Dovile Zilinskaite, is in the Philippines to impart her expertise in microblading

to Filipino cosmetic artists, making the dreaded ‘overdrawn brows’ a thing of the past.

Having trained directly under Babic, Dovile has transformed her passion for the perfect brows into an art.

Currently, there are 37 certified and accredited PhiBrows artists in the Philippines. While in the country, Dovile will be conducting several intensive training courses as PhiBrows prepares to establish their Philippine branch.

Dovile said, “I am grateful for what I have learned from Branco. He treated me like family, which is how I am with my students. I want us to be like a family. This is also the kind of relationship I want to build here in the Philippines for PhiBrows. I want to build a strong and professional community. Which, of course, will translate to our relationship with our clients as well.”

IF WE want to see peace in the country, women would do a great job in resolving conflicts with their empathy and nurturing qualities.

“Women are indispensable in establishing peace, stability, and economic and social progress,” says Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

To commemorate International Women’s Month, the regional governor puts women in a pedestal as partners in progress.

Lauding them for their resilience, he says, “The world has always regarded women in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for their grace, courage and resilience.

These are the women who, for centuries, have boldly stood by their male counterparts to resist the countless attempts of foreign powers to establish dominion over their homeland. And today, they persist amidst the on and off conflicts of our time, and in the everyday struggle that life throws at them.”

He added that these women don’t see themselves as inferior Anak-Mindanao Partylist Representative Sitti nor do they allow themselves to Djalia Turabin be restricted by traditions and social pressures.

“Women of our time want to rise up and take meaningful role in advancing society,” says Hataman.

He explains that women have experience in managing their roles as mothers, home-makers, employees, entrepreneurs and public servants. These tasks require the capacity to inspire, influence, express, negotiate and mediate between significant members within their circle. Women have shown their nurturing skills for benefiting the common welfare. These qualities are what organizations are looking for in today’s leadership.

He points out that several women are occupying key positions in ARMM whether in local government or the executive and legislative branches. They have initiated programs that have improved the community welfare. He also commended Moro women who led the advocacy of such causes as education, health and human rights, to securing peace and stability in Mindanao.

Hataman also lauds the women in the rank-and-file that have made the ARMM a well-oiled machinery on a daily basis.

However, despite the progressive status of Moro women, many are still inhibited or held back due to maltreatment, illiteracy, displacement of war and poverty.

“The working government of ARMM is committed to enabling women to take their rightful place in the society apart from protecting them from all forms of abuse. Not only do we recognize their capacity, we promote, at all times, their active involvement in our development efforts, “says Hataman.

He maintains that their participation is necessary solving some of the region’s social problems.

“This can only be possible if they are empowered and given adequate influence,” he says.

“Let us all work to guarantee that women from all walks of life are able to enjoy their freedom and rights, rise up against abuse and pursue their dreams and potential. We are likewise hopeful that it can help bring us closer to the society we longed for—distant from the insecurities brought about by armed conflicts and poverty.”

Samira Gutoc Tomawis ARMM Women, like Lanao Del Sur Governor Soraya Alonto Adiong, Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra Sema, Congressman Ruby Sahali, Anak-Mindanao Partylist Representative Sitti Djalia Turabin, Jehan Mutin of the Regional Commission on Bangsamoro, Taraka Mayor Nashiba G.Sumagayan, Samira Gutoc-Tomawis, ARMM-DAR Sec. Amihilda Sangcopan, NCMF Commissioner Fatmawati Tulawie Salapuddin, and Maguindanao Prosecutor Atty. Kookai Lao, are great examples of leadership and femininity.

“Women’s Month is not just about having women in position, or being heard.

It is about rethinking our ways as a community and as a people, that everything else is connected to each other, that the air we breathe has to be thanked for and can be damaged by our ways of doing,” adds Gutoc.

Says Atty. Maisara C. Dandamun-Latiph, commissioner, Bangsamoro Transition Commission, “Women make the other half of peace. Their gentle voices can muffle the barrel of a gun. Because war begins in the hearts and minds of men and women, it is women who instill ideas of peace and forgiveness in a child from birth to adulthood. Their participation in the peace process makes the quest for peace real and possible.”

International...

From D1

long row before Virgin Mary, are the same biblical personalities who have distinct characters. Queen Emperatriz is another representation of St. Helena alluding to the imperial Roman title of Agusta, which her son Constantine bestowed upon her. Queen Helena is the actual personification of St. Helena who carries a crucifix in her arms escorted by the young Constantine dressed in princely raiment.

Sta. Rita de Cascia, patroness of impossible causes, abused wives, and heartbroken women, was an Italian widow. Rita married at an early age that lasted for 18 years. She is

remembered for her Christian values as a model wife and mother who converted her husband from abusive behavior. Upon his murder, she dissuaded her sons from revenge.

Originally a community chapel built for the homeowners of the Philam Homes, the Sta. Rita de Cascia Parish Church is a fully air-conditioned church.

To give importance to this well-loved annual celebration to commemorate the feast day of Sta. Rita celebrated on May 22, the Organizing Committee under Rev. Msgr. Daniel Sta. Maria, Parish Priest and Vicar General of the Diocese of Cubao, decided to hold a grand celebration entitled “Sta. Rita @60” with the theme “Maturing as a Communion of Communities” that began on May 14 and ends on May 28.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

W

E CAN only have one search engine (Google), socmed app (Facebook), video sharing site (YouTube), photo sharing account (Instagram), or microblog (Twitter).

All the rest are just alternatives, novelties, or new players that will be out of the picture in no time.

In the same sense, audience can only handle one major film festival. We already have the Metro Manila Film Festival that sells commercial movies during the Holidays, and the culture cultivating Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival that normally runs between July and August. All the rest remain obscure to rest of the world, more specifically to the mass audience.

Now here comes Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP).

The film event, which coincides with Buwan ng Wika, will run a few days after the 13th edition of Cinemalaya from Aug. 16 to 22. It will feature 12 genre films, which according to FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño, are produced from 2015 up to 2017 and will be selected by Joey Reyes, Ricky Lee, Erik Matti, Lee Briones, and Manet Dayrit, film critic Oggs Cruz, and actress Iza Calzado.

For a film to be considered in the selection, it should not have been previously commercially released in the country, or have been exhibited on the Internet, and should have English subtitles.

“Our main goal is to give more platforms for films to screen exclusively. We know the sentiments of film producers and film workers. So, Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino is our answer to their appeal,” Diño told Manila Standard.

Kim, Gerald reunion bring ‘kilig’ to audience

From left: MTRCB Vice President Emmanuel Borlaza, FDCP Chairperson Liza Diño, and National Youth Commission Chairperson Aiza Seguerra sealed their partnership during a joint press conference for the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino

Do we really need another Tagalog film fest?

The FDCP chairman explained that the festival wants to address the economic aspect of the industry to encourage development and sustainability.

She was proud to announce that the films entries will be seen in more than 700 commercial screens dedicated to the weeklong film festival. This remarkable endeavor was made possible by the film agency’s partnership with 20 cinema operators including SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, Ayala Malls Cinemas, and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, to name a few.

“It’s a collective effort between cinema operators, the film agency and film workers,” Diño added.

In a separate presscon, the FDCP chair announced that the National Youth Commission (NYC), National Commission

on Culture and Arts (NCCA), and the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) are all now onboard to ensure PPP’s success.

“Of course, we also wanted to make this an annual film celebration. But that would depend on the success of the first PPP,” Diño said.

PPP aims to connect with a wider Filipino audience through its nationwide release. As an audience-oriented event and a nationwide festivity, the event will offer a variety of film genres.

It also hopes to create a venue for the local film audience to let the industry know what films move

and appeal to them, thereby creating a dialogue between film stakeholders.

In addition to the nationwide screening, there will be caravans, audience surveys and forums to maximize the participation of its stakeholders, which basically the same activities conducted by the already established indie film festival mentioned earlier.

Nonetheless, Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino is a welcomed addition to the list of local festivals that we have. But audience might concentrate in just two festivals – the one in early August and another one in the latter part of December.

Would it been better if FDCP just channeled its energy into an existing festival, which already has a solid following, by developing it into a national event?

Darren Espanto surprises fans THE Total Performer Darren Espanto released the Deluxe Edition of Be With Me on May 5 surprising his fans. It debuted at no.1 on the iTunes Philippines album chart on the date of the release.

Prior to the release, he held a Twitter Party on May 4 then announced on midnight the coming out of the Deluxe Edition. The same day, Espanto sold his album in two Astroplus branches: Mall of Asia and SM Megamall.

Be With Me: Deluxe Edition features his new single “My Baby & Me” featuring Malaysian teen singer Nik Qistina. It was highlighted on Spotify’s “New Music Fridays” playlist. Also included is his collaboration for Qistina’s song “Young Hearts (Stripped)”.

“It was such an honor for an international artist like Nik Qistina to have guested in my song after I did the duet with her for ‘Young Hearts’. It was nice that two people from different countries can work together and make beautiful music. I’m so excited about this collaboration which I hope will open more doors for me especially in Southeast Asia,” Espanto said.

Other bonus tracks in the album are “I’ll Be

There” with Jed Madela, acoustic versions of “7 Minutes” and “Alam” and the viral hit, his cover of Sia’s “Chandelier”.

The album boasts top-notch producers Kiko Guevarra, Jungee Marcelo, Jay-R, Kiko Salazar and a line-up of international and top Filipino songwriters.

Darren also penned two songs – “Home”

and “Hanggang Hi Hello” – signaling his growth as an artist. The Standard version came out digitally worldwide but the CD was released in Singapore (where he had a promotional tour in 2016) and Korea.

Espanto recently won the Favorite Artist and Favorite Male Artist award at the 2017 MYX Music Awards and has achieved countless trophies from prestigious awardgiving bodies. He has likewise Platinum (Darren) and Gold Record (Be With Me) albums, has nine no.1 singles, the youngest performer to hold a solo concert at Mall of Asia Arena, still in demand for concerts and gigs here and abroad, is one of the mainstays of ABS-CBN variety show ASAP and got noticed by international artists Nicki Minaj, Ashton Kutcher and Fantasia Barrino.

Be With Me: Deluxe Edition is now on digital downloads (iTunes, Spinnr) and streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, Spinnr) and in CDs at leading record stores.

For bookings and inquiries, please contact Kerwin Rosete of MCA Music artist management at +632 9162504, +639209682991 or email mcabooking@ umusic.com.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, May 17, 2017

ACROSS 1 Winter Palace resident 5 Fray 10 Stole, perhaps 14 Cronyn of “Cocoon” 15 Split to join 16 Paperless exam 17 Lotion additive 18 Type of parking 19 Grind, maybe 20 Gem which doesn’t sparkle 22 Kayak cousin 23 Website 24 Zippy’s word 25 First-aid devices 29 Office computer 33 Pens 34 Twelve, maybe 36 It can hide a bed 37 Elev.

38 — out (culls) 39 P.O. service 40 Spy — Hari 42 Lifesaver 43 Late bloomer 45 More arrogant 47 Genuine 49 Large cask 50 Compass pt.

51 Border state 54 Strongly motivate

60 Average (hyph.)

61 Turkey neighbor 62 Cat’s-paw 63 Cracked 64 More than asked 65 Jedi ally 66 The Keystone — 67 Legendary pioneer 68 Pond makers DOWN 1 — does it!

2 Kirk’s helmsman 3 Roman love god 4 Supply new gear 5 Coup 6 Jai — 7 Encyc. sections 8 Dueler’s weapon 9 — on (pretend) 10 Punk hairdos 11 Tailor’s need 12 Metric prefix 13 Swiss painter Paul — 21 Earns homophone 22 IBM and GE 24 Has a hankering 25 Rascal 26 Type of bear 27 State-run game

28 Deride 29 Extinct birds 30 Nut cake 31 Bid 32 Tijuana dad 35 Donne’s “done” 38 Timely question 41 Royalty receivers 43 Governess in Siam 44 Fragrant 46 Half a double date 48 Attack

51 Baroness Karen 52 Karate studio 53 Right now!

54 Pita treat 55 Medea sailed on her 56 Claim on property 57 Where Keokuk is 58 Kind of lens 59 Wapitis 61 Long sandwich

MORE viewers tuned in to the much-awaited reunion of Bianca (Kim Chiu) and Gabriel (Gerald Anderson) in the Kapamilya series Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin. The show scored high in national TV ratings and brought kilig to Kimerald fans. The series scored a national TV rating of 15.7 percent, compared to its rival program Trops that only got 10.4 percent. The episode was also a trending topic on social media as the show’s official hashtag, #ILAIMulingPagkikita harvested thousands of tweets on Twitter.

Meanwhile, as Bianca and Gabriel finally crossed paths, their friendship will once again be put to test as Carlos (Jake Cuenca) tries to separate them.

Will Bianca and Gabriel’s friendship continue to blossom?

Will Carlos succeed in keeping them apart?

Don’t miss the series that will show how people can fight for their love and their dreams, Ikaw Lang ang Iibigin, on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (Sky Cable ch 167).

Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson in their much anticipated reunion in "Ikaw Lang Iibigin"

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017

ISAH V. RED

O

NE of GMA Network’s top leading men Mikael Daez is loyal to the Kapuso network. He recently renewed his contract.

Mikael said he is very excited about this new milestone in his career as a Kapuso, “I love it here. I think a big factor for that is I’ve grown here. Dito na ako lumaki. Going on my seventh year in showbiz on GMA, ang dami ko ng friends. It feels good, kasi when you mix your work and personal life, it feels fun. Your work is your life already.

Nag-e-enjoy talaga ako.”

GMA Entertainment TV’s Senior Vice President Lilybeth G. Rasonable; Senior Assistant Vice President for Alternative Productions Gigi SantiagoLara and GMA Artist Center Assistant Vice President and Head for Talent Imaging and Marketing Unit Simoun Ferrer were there during the contract signing along with Mikael’s comanager, Betchay Vidanes. Mikael is co-managed by GMA Artist Center.

Mikael is one of the lead stars of the Afternoon Prime series Legally Blind.

He said he really enjoys working with everyone on set and he feels challenged with his character’s transformation as the story progresses. From being Grace’s (Janine Gutierrez) knightin-shining armor, Edward becomes drug dependent because of his brother William’s (Marc Abaya) manipulative ways.

“Actually, hindi ko alam na mangyayari ito sa character ni Edward.

I am super thankful because they gave me an opportunity to do something challenging. I am even more thankful dahil Direk Ricky (Davao) and the whole cast, they’ve been supporting me, at ang laking bagay nun. So I think we’ve enjoyed and we’ve done our best to portray our characters in their truest sense, so we are very happy.”

Meanwhile, Rasonable has nothing but praises for Mikael and she believes that he is one of the Network’s hardworking actors.

“He started out talagang very new.

We noticed him in a commercial and we asked him to come in because we saw a lot of potential in him. So we

MIKAEL DAEZ

remains a Kapuso

From left: Vice Ganda, Keri Zamora, Francis Zamora, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, James Yap and Michela Cazzola.

enjoyed the spectacular view of the city’s lights at night, amid an overflow of food, drinks and non-stop music provided by a live acoustic band.

Spotted at the party were Kapamilya bosses Charo Santos-Concio, Cory Vidanes, and Carlo Katigbak; Vice Ganda; lovey-dovey couple James Yap and Michela Cazzola; and of course, the better half of the trendsetting KathNiel loveteam, Kathryn Bernardo.

Former San Juan Vice Mayor and former DLSU cager Francis Zamora also felt equally at home in the presence of longtime showbiz friends and fellow cagers including James, whose son MJ is Zamora’s godson.

Greatly excited about an impending business partnership with the Teen King, Zamora also disclosed that Daniel and Vice Ganda will be his partners in District 8, a gastropub opening soon in San Juan where celebrities, athletes and high-profile personalities will converge for good food, drinks and music.

Their other business partners include PBA stars James Yap and Marc Pingris, former PBA cager and San Juan councilor Paul Artadi, superstar DJ Ace Ramos, chef Kel Zaguirre and Ayala Land premier senior manager Charlton Yu. *** Expect cuteness overload on weekends with the cutest game show on Philippine TV, Bet On Your Baby.

To kick off the season, five celebrity babies with their celebrity moms or dads joined the fun with host Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo and played different games in the Baby Dome – Hashtag Nikko’s baby Aiden, Patrick Garcia’s baby Michelle, Matt Evans’ baby Marley, Dimples Romana’s baby Alonzo, and Amy Perez’ baby Seyah.

Will one of them become this season’s first Babynaryo or baby millionaire? Also, meet Bet on Your Baby’s’ newest buddy Piggy Bangs.

Bet On Your Baby airs Saturdays (5:15 p.m.) and Sundays (5 p.m.) on the game show capital of the Philippines, ABS-CBN. For updates, like www. facebook.com/ betonyourbabyph or follow @ betonyourbabyph on Twitter and Instagram.

invested in him, in time, in giving him projects that would build him up. Siya naman for his part, he really greatly improved as an actor and host, at kumbaga, it was a mutual decision to partner together. So, we are very glad that he’s happy with GMA. Sabi nga niya kanina sa akin, he’s not going anywhere, and we’re very gratified with that. At the same time, tayo rin naman, we will always be here to support him.” *** Teen King Daniel Padilla was pleasantly surprised when his mom Karla and ABS-CBN executives hatched an advance celebration at Manila House, Bonifacio Global City on April 24—two days before his actual birthday.

The guests, including family, friends, showbiz movers and media colleagues,

Judy Ann Santos returns as host for the new season of "Bet On Your Baby"

Support Smart Gilas with Smart360 BASKETBALL never stops and with the Filipinos arguably the best basketball fans in the world, love of the game is experienced like never before when the Philippines plays host to international basketball tournaments. When Smart Gilas players suit up with the familiar jerseys this week, fans drop everything watch every play unfold while praying fervently that when the final buzzer is heard, the final score favors our national team.

Filipinos will be glued, again, to every game played by the Smart Gilas selection tasked to rule the 12th Southeast Asian Basketball Championship (SEABA) until tomorrow at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for the team to qualify for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, which to us can only mean one thing: A clear shot at basketball glory. SEABA is our only return ticket to FIBA Asia, which will lead the Philippines back on the Olympic basketball map.

“We are hopeful that we will be better and should be better to win the SEABA tournament to enter the 2017 FIBA Asia Championship,” said Manny V. Pangilinan, PLDT and Smart chairman and former Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president. “We will make sure that our subscribers will have access to the game wherever they may be so there’s no reason to miss out on any of

Smart gives subscribers access to watch SEABA even if they're on-the-go

the games and the action that comes with each game.”

Immersive 360-degree viewing experience Filipinos all over the Philippines can support our Smart Gilas heroes like never

before when they watch the non-stop action with Smart360 via http://360.smart. com.ph/, which live streams all Gilas Pilipinas’ six games since last Friday. The nationals continued to battle it out against SEABA’s last Saturday and Sunday. After

a one-daybreak on Monday again the team is back on the hard court since yesterday until tomorrow.

To maximize your viewing through Smart360, load up with Gigasurf 50 by keying in GIGA50 and sending it to 9999.

Gigasurf 50 comes with 1GB of data plus 300MB for iflix, YouTube, Spinnr, Vimeo, Dailymotion and Dubsmash. It also comes with unlimited texts to all networks, valid for three (3) days.

By logging into Smart360, Smart subscribers will be right in the middle of the basketball action and they will never miss any crossover move by Terrence Romeo or an eye-in-the-sky connection from Jayson Castro to Japeth Aguilar because watching the game via Smart360 provides immersive 360-degree viewing access for a richer experience even when watching the games on-the-go.

Also playing for the Philippine flag are June Mar Fajardo, Calvin Abueva, Raymond Almazan, Jio Jalalon, Allein Maliksi, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Matthew Wright, and naturalized reinforcement Andray Blatche.

Recently named fastest LTE network

by UK-based internet mapping company OpenSignal, Smart has been improving internet service so subscribers and basketball fans can enjoy the action in real time via Smart360 which also airs key PBA games, streams movies, concerts, music videos, and online contents from D5 Studio, Fox Sports, and GG Network among others. Links to mobile games and subscriptions are also featured when you visit Smart360.