Manila Standard - 2017 June 03 - Saturday

TRUMP PROVOKES ANGER AS US PULLS OUT OF PARIS CLIMATE DEAL (Related Story on C4)

WASHINGTON―President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States is withdrawing from the Paris climate accord, prompting a furious global backlash and throwing efforts to slow global

warming into doubt.

In a sharply nationalistic address from the White House Rose Garden, Trump announced his administration would immediately stop implementing the “bad”

195-nation accord.

“I cannot, in good conscience, support a deal that punishes the United States,” he said, decrying the “draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement im-

poses on our country.”

In Manila, Senator Loren Legarda said Friday Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement reeked of ignorance and condemned US foreign policy into infamy.

“It is unfortunate that Mr. Trump decided to pull out from the Paris Agreement,” Legarda said.

“It is truly a sad day, but we are not hopeless. The way forward is for US cities and states to enforce it.”

Trump repeatedly painted the pact―struck by his predecessor Barack Obama―as a deal that failed to “put America first” and was too lenient on economic rivals China, India Next page and Europe.

VOL. XXXI • NO. 109 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

ON FIRE. Smoke comes out of the roof of the Resorts World Manila following an assault by a lone gunman (right panel) on June 2, 2017 while policemen prepare to fire their guns at their target. AFP

Resorts World fire kills 37, injures 54 Gunman torches hotel; PNP, AFP rule out terror

By Ayee Macaraig and Joel E. Zurbano

‘Airstrikes to continue despite failed bombing’

By John Paolo Bencito THE military on Friday said that airstrikes against Maute terrorists in Marawi City would not stop despite a botched bombing run that accidentally killed 10 soldiers.

“We continue to apply commensurate military power on these existing threats and pockets of resistance, and we’ll continue to do so, including the use of airstrikes,” Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Restituto Padilla said.

Following the incident, however, all Marchetti S-260 jets would be temporarily grounded, he said.

“There are other air assets available to the ground commander that he can employ to support our troops,” Padilla said.

The aircraft and crew involved in the ill-fated airstrike have been

pulled out of Marawi and brought back to their headquarters for debriefing and counseling.

“You know, the worst scenario that can be likened to the worst nightmare for every pilot... is to have an incident like this,” Padilla said.

“So we need to assist and help our personnel overcome this. At the same time, our Army is also helping the bereaved families go through this very trying time.”

Padilla corrected his earlier pronouncements that 11 soldiers died in the incident.

He said that only 10 soldiers died as a result of friendly fire.

One was killed by the enemy after the incident.

Padilla said there would be no let-up in the attack, despite a threat from the terrorists that would kill Next page civilian hostages.

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MASKED gunman set fire to a gaming room at the Resorts World Manila casino on Friday, igniting a toxic blaze that killed 37 people, authorities said, but they insisted it was not a terrorist attack.

The victims suffocated inside one of the main gambling venues of the upscale casino and hotel, while dozens of other people were injured in a panicked crush to escape, police said.

The gunman committed suicide inside a hotel room by burning himself about five hours after storming the casino with an M4 assault rifle and a bottle of gasoline that he used to start the fire, police chief Ronald dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa and other police officials insisted the assailant was not carrying out a terrorist attack, pointing out he did not shoot anyone, and said it appeared to be a bizarre robbery attempt by a “deranged” man.

“This is not an act of terror. There is no element of violence, threat or intimidation that leads to terrorism,” Dela Rosa told reporters.

However, 37 people died from inhaling smoke from a fire that Next page

Police look into ‘security lapses’

By Francisco Tuyay THE Philippine National Police will summon the management of Resorts World Manila to shed light on the security breach at the casino hotel after a gunman entered it and torched some of its facilities, killing 37 people and wounding 54 others at dawn Friday, an official said Friday.

Chief Supt Jose Espino, head of the PNP’s Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies, said they will invite Resort World’s top officials to explain how the gunman was able to enter their facility without being accosted.

“We will summon the management and the security guards that were on duty at the time of the incident,” Espino said.

He made his statement even as Malacañang expressed its condolences to the families of those slain and wounded at the entertainment complex in Pasay City.

“The Palace wishes to express its deep condolences to the families and friends of the victims [at] Resorts World Manila,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

“This is a reminder that civilized society has no place for this kind of violence. The safety of citizens and the security of communities are our primordial concerns.”

Next page

Reds offer help, Du30 sets terms

By John Paolo Bencito

Travel warnings out after attack on casino

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada have included Metro Manila in their travel advisories after a masked gunman set fire to the Resorts World Manila, suffocating 36 guests and employees of the casino.

US President Donald Trump prematurely labeled the attack as “an act of terror.”

“It is really very sad as to what’s going on throughout the world with terror,” Trump said during his announcement in the White House that the US will withdraw from a landmark 2015 global agreement to fight climate change.

He said the American government was closely monitoring the situation in Metro Manila.

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim called on all American citizens working and residing in Manila to contact their family and friends and let them know that they are safe.

“US citizens in Manila, please check in with family or friends to let them know you are safe,” Sung said.

“We offer our deepest condolences to families and friends of the victims of the Resorts World incident,” he added.

In its updated travel alert, the US embassy on Thursday night urged its citizen to exercise caution.

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BOMB RUN. Smoke billows from houses after aerial bombings by Philippine Air Force planes on Maute militant positions in Marawi City on June 2, 2017. The militants have destroyed two tanks and damaged two others in a battle with Philippine troops. Inset shows a military OV-10 bronco plane. AFP

COMMUNIST rebels on Friday offered to “cooperate and coordinate” with the Duterte administration in its fight against terrorism should the government return to the negotiating table, but President Rodrigo Duterte demanded they first rescindits orders to the New People’s Army to intensify attacks on government troops.

After last-minute backchannel talks between negotiators of the government and the National Democratic Front in The Netherlands, the NDF said the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the NPA may be bound by a ceasefire agreement in specific areas to “counteract the Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf.”

“In this connection, all panelists, legal and political consultants and other personnel in the peace negotiations must be Next page

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News

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

House condoles with solon

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE House of Representatives on Friday extended its condolences to the family of Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. over the death of his wife following the attack on Resorts World Manila.

House Majority Floor Leader tional Police Chief Ronald dela Rodolfo Fariñas, quoting Na- Rosa, confirmed that the wife of

‘Airstrikes...

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“The current focus of operation of our military forces remains to be the clearing of Marawi from armed elements that have still holed up in the area; the continued rescue operations for trapped residents; the continued recovery of civilian victims and potential casualties who have been victimized from atrocities from the armed elements; and the continued assistance that we can provide to the LGUs, the NGOs, CSOs who are conducting white helmet or relief operations,” he said.

“Continued efforts also are being exerted in our collaboration and coordination with other concerned agencies to ascertain the status of victims whose families continue to ask for assistance on their whereabouts, as well as those of the hostages that are known to us,” he added.

Padilla said the terrorists must surrender or face the consequences.

“We hope the armed bandits will come to their senses, surrender or face the dire consequences of military action and that means sure death,” he said.

Padilla acknowledged that the military would be hard-pressed to meet the original June 2 deadline set by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to get Marawi City back to normal.

Trump...

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“I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” he said.

“We don’t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore. And they won’t be.” aTrump offered no details about how, or when, a formal withdrawal would happen, and at one point suggested a renegotiation could take place.

“We’re getting out but we’ll start to negotiate and we will see if we can make a deal that’s fair.

And if we can, that’s great. And if we can’t, that’s fine,” he said.

That idea was unceremoniously slapped down by furious allies in Europe, who joined figures from around the United States and the world in condemning the move.

“The agreement cannot be renegotiated,” France, Germany and Italy said in a joint statement.

The United States is the world’s second largest greenhouse gas emitter after China, so Trump’s decision could seriously hamper the efforts to cut emissions and limit global temperature increases.

Trump’s domestic critics included Obama, who said the United States was “joining a handful of nations that reject the future.”

Nicaragua and Syria are the only countries not party to the Paris accord, the former seeing it as not ambitious enough and the latter being racked by a brutal civil war.

Hillary Clinton, Trump’s opponent in last year’s White House race, called the decision to pull out a “historic mistake.”

Reds...

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allowed to return to the Philippines and subsequently attend the fifth round of formal talks,” Fidel Agcaoili, chairman of the rebel panel, said in a statement.

Agcaoili also suggested a ceasefire agreement “in specific areas of cooperation and coordination … pending the issuance of ceasefire declarations that are

“Based on the reports that we’re getting, I don’t think we can meet that deadline today to completely free Marawi of every single armed element in every street,” Padilla said.

“Until such time that every member of this armed group, this rebellious group that still wants to make a stand inside Marawi, exists, we cannot totally say we have cleared Marawi,” added Padilla.

“The enemy continues to occupy commercial buildings as their defensible enemy lairs, and this is the subject of military action being conducted for the past few days until now,” Padilla said.

Complicating the situation, he said, was the terrorists’ use of civilians as human shields.

The National Bureau of Investigation on Friday began the search for members of the terrorist groups accused of staging a rebellion in Marawi City.

NBI spokesperson Deputy Director Ferdinand Lavin said agents have been mobilized to carry out Lorenzana’s order to arrest the Maute group suspects.

Lorenzana, who is the martial law administrator in Mindanao, ordered the police, military, and the NBI to arrest 139 individuals identified as members of the Maute group, Abu Sayyaf group, and their sympathizers for the crime of rebellion. With Sandy Araneta “The world is moving forward together on climate change. Paris withdrawal leaves American workers & families behind,” she wrote on Twitter.

The Democratic governors of New York, California and Washington states formed a quick alliance, vowing to respect the standards agreed on under the Paris deal.

In New York, some major buildings, like the World Trade Center and City Hall, were lit green in solidarity with the climate agreement, echoing a move in Paris.

With much of the implementation of the accord taking place at the local level, the Paris accord’s supporters hope the deal will be in hibernation rather than killed off entirely.

Trump’s decision is likely to play well with the Republican base, with the more immediate damage on the diplomatic front.

Vice President Mike Pence, interviewed late Thursday on Fox, said Trump “has demonstrated his commitment not just to keep his word, but to put American workers, American consumers, American energy, and the American people first.”

Trump is “a president who is fighting for the American people, fighting for American jobs,” Pence said.

The US president called his counterparts in Britain, Canada, France and Germany to explain his decision.

But traditional US allies were uncharacteristically blunt in their condemnation, which comes amid already strained relationships with the hard-charging president. AFP, with Macon Ramos-Araneta unilateral but simultaneous and reciprocal.”

He said both sides “must stand together to oppose and fight terrorism, terrorist groups and acts of terrorism.”

“We must condemn and must be resolved and determined to counteract the Maute group and Abu Sayaff which are wreaking havoc in Marawi City,” he said.

“By terrorism we mean actions that intimidate, terrorize and harm civilians solely or

Deputy Speaker Gonzales, Elizabeth Panlilio-Gonzales, was among the 37 people who died during the attack early Friday morning.

“Sir, positive wife of Rep. Dong Gonzales of Pampanga is Elizabeth Panlilio Gonzales―died in the incident. We are still looking for her sister, Consolacion P. Mijares. No report yet,” said Dela Rosa’s text message sent by

Fariñas to House reporters.

Reports said the remains of Elizabeth Panlilio-Gonzales were recovered, along with the other bodies, when police and firefighters arrived following the attack of the resort-hotel by a still unidentified gunman.

Mrs. Gonzales was reportedly with her sister Consolacion P. Mijares who was reported still missing.

Rep. Gonzales was among the 60 congressmen who joined the Central and Northern Luzon inspection trip being undertaken by the House leadership led

by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez when news about the attack was relayed to them.

Rep. Gonzales immediately left the group at the Baluarte in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, to take a helicopter ride to Manila.

Resorts...

Apolinario said 36 people, most of them women, died from smoke inhalation. Their bodies were found in the gaming area on the second floor.

People inside the casino recounted a terrifying ordeal when the shooting broke out.

“I was about to return to the second floor from my break when I saw people running.

Some hotel guests said someone yelled ‘ISIS’,” Maricel Navaro, an employee of Resorts World, told dzMM radio.

ISIS is another acronym for the Islamic State group.

“When we smelled smoke, we decided to go for the exit in the carpark. That’s where we got out. Before we exited, we heard two gunshots and there was thick smoke on the ground floor,” Navaro said.

Outside the complex, relatives of people caught inside waited on Friday to hear news of their loved ones.

“Our daughter called us past midnight saying she was in the VIP section of the casino and there was smoke and they were suffocating,” Gil Yongco, 42, said.

“We are very worried about her. We haven’t heard from her.”

Witnesses said a number of guests, including Korean and Japanese nationals, rushed to the emergency exits, while others went to the basement where the employee locker rooms and a canteen were located.

In a radio interview, Julio Silva, a casino guest, said he hid in the third-floor washroom for about 30 minutes.

“We heard gunshots and the people inside were in a panic,” he said.

Airport operations in Manila were disrupted by the attack for more than two hours, delaying several flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of Philippines said.

The main gates of the four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport were shut down from 1:45 a.m. to 3:45 a.m. following the shooting at the Resorts World.

Airport general manager Eddie Monreal ordered the terminals closed due to the proximity of the hotel.

“We wanted to make sure that the situation would not pose a

threat to our operations,” he said.

Resorts World Manila released the names of 29 fatalities, 11 of them employees and 18 of them guests.

The employees were Hazel Yangco, Jellah Ramos, Melvin Herrera, Arvi Gavino, BJ Pagsibigan, Rojie S. Uy, Jessica Alindogan, Merylle Gwen Ala, Lea Grace Mozo, Lourdette Santos and Kay Nuguerra.

The guests who died were Caccam Katherine Cervantes, P. Ling Hung Lee, Pacita Guillermo Comquilla, Pomenciano Vargas Jr., Susan Abulencia, Lai Wei Chung, Jaime Gaboy Jr., Ariel Abrogar, Lai Yu Cheeh, Cliff Reyneira, Rolando Pena Sison, Eluterio Reyes, Antonina Yuzon Allanigue, Shiela Malicse, Carmelita Taylo dela Cruz, Mielle Oliveros, Pamela Silvestre, and Elizabeth Gonzales.

The company said it would provide assistance to the families of those killed as well as those who were injured in the incident. ”This unexpected violent attack on innocent lives will not break the spirit on which Resorts World Manila was built. We ask [for] your prayer[s] during these dark hours,” the company said.

Malacañang on Friday said the incident at the Resorts World Manila was not an act of terror, but a criminal act carried out by an emotionally disturbed individual.

At a Palace briefing, Abella said that initial findings of police investigation have shown that “there are no indications of terrorist activity.”

“All indications point to a criminal act by an apparently emotionally disturbed individual. Although the perpetrator gave warning shots, there apparently was no indication that he wanted to harm or shoot anyone,” he said.

“All the deceased died due to suffocation at the second floor gaming area which had been set on fire by the perpetrator who eventually committed suicide in the fifth floor of the Maxims Hotel where he set himself on fire and then shot himself,” Abella said. With AFP, Macon RamosAraneta, John Paolo Bencito and PNA

“Local media reports gunfire and explosions at Resorts World Manila near the Manila International Airport. Exercise caution and review your personal security plans, remain aware of your surroundings, including local events, and monitor local news stations for updates. Heed any instructions given by local authorities,” the US Embassy said.

While expressing his condolences, outgoing United Kingdom Ambassador to Manila Asif Ahmad said there were no Britons harmed in the Resorts World incident.

“My condolences to relatives and friends of the victims,” Ahmad said in his official Twitter account.

“Our Consular team checking all hospitals treating people

from Resorts World Manila. No reported harm to Britons. Wish all a speedy recovery,” he added.

In its updated travel warning, the UK called on its British citizens to be prepared for additional security measures or delays.

“You should avoid the immediate area of the incident and follow the advice of local authorities,” the UK govenment stated.

It also reminded its 154,000 British citizens working or residing in the Philippines, that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport remains on “red alert” status.

Australian Ambassador Amanda Gorely expressed sadness on the outcome to the Resorts World incident.

In its travel warning, the Australian government told its citizens to exercise heightened caution due to “high terrorist attack in the Philippines, including Manila.”

“Some flights have been redi-

rected from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, contact your airline or tour provider for latest information on flight disruptions,” the Australian government said.

Canada also updated its travel alert, echoing the advisories of other countries.

The Canadian government advised its citizens to remain vigilant and avoid the affected areas.

“Check with your airline to confirm that status of your flight,” the Canadian government stated to its citizen traveling around the Philippines.

“There is no nationwide advisory in effect for the Philippines.

However, you should exercise a high degree of caution due to the threat of terrorism and the high level of crime,” the Canadian government said, citing the incident involved gunfire and explosions in Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.

mainly in violation of human rights and international humanitarian law,” he added.

The fifth round of formal talks originally scheduled to end June 2, Friday was aborted May 28 as a result of a rebel call to increase attacks on government troops as a way of opposing martial law, which Duterte declared in Mindanao to combat the Maute group terrorists.

Duterte, however, said that he would not allow Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza and

government chief negotiator and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello to proceed with the fifth round of talks unless the Communist Party of the Philippines signs a unilateral ceasefire document.

“On our fight with the NPA, I don’t know what will be the developments because Agcaoili wrote to me and I’ve shown it to the officers. They have offered to fight alongside us against terrorism,” Duterte said.

“I will not allow any talks on

my behalf, [by either] Dureza or Bello. I will not allow them or authorize to go back to the negotiating table without them [the communists] signing a document [saying they] would stop fighting,” he added.

Duterte also said he was not keen about the latest communist proposal.

Duterte earlier threatened to arrest and jail NDF consultants who might return to the Philippines after the aborted talks.

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spread quickly because of flammable carpet on the gaming room floors, according to Manila police chief Oscar Albayalde.

The gunman initially disappeared into the chaos of smoke and running people, leading to aa five-hour manhunt through the complex, which also includes a hotel and shops, Dela Rosa said.

He said the assailant, who appeared to be a foreigner because he spoke English and looked caucasian, was found just before dawn in a hotel room having committed suicide.

“He lay down on the bed, covered himself with a thick blanket, apparently poured petrol on the blanket and burned himself,” Dela Rosa said.

Before the gunman had been killed and police had confirmed any motive, there was an unconfirmed claim of responsibility from the Islamic State group. US President Donald Trump also branded it a “terrorist attack.”

But government officials were adamant it was not related to terrorism.

“This particular situation in Manila is not related in any way to a terrorist attack,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters.

Dela Rosa said the man, acting alone, walked into one of the gaming rooms and fired the rifle at a large television screen, then poured gasoline onto a gambling table and set it alight.

He said the man then fired again at a stock room containing gambling chips and filled a backpack with chips worth P113 million ($2.3 million).

The man left the room and went upstairs to the hotel section, but left the backpack, Dela Rosa said.

The police chief said 18 of 54 injured people were in hospital.

He said the others sustained only minor injuries.

Citing a scene of the crime report, Southern Police District chief Tomas Apolinario said the gunman set hotel Room 510 on fire then shot himself.

Police said they found a backpack with stolen chips worth more than P113 million and two firearms.

Travel...

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Oops, PCOO did it again

By John Paolo Bencito A PIRATED version of the Hollywood film Logan inadvertently played on the official Facebook page of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, prompting an apology from state broadcaster Radio Television Malacañang following the series of blunders involving the Palace communications team this week.

The opening scenes of the film, which is part of the X-Men franchise and stars Australian actor Hugh Jackman, played for a few minutes through the Facebook Live feature of the social networking site before it was pulled out by page administrators.

“RTVM would like to apologize for a film that was accidentally aired live at the Presidential Communications Facebook page today, June 2, 2017,” RTVM said in a statement.

“The film was erroneously played for a few seconds by our technician that was doing a test on the equipment setup,” the state broadcaster said.

RTVM promised to prevent another blunder in the documentation of the President’s activities.

“We regret that this slip-up happened while we continued to work on our daily broadcast documentation and coverage of presidential engagements,” RTVM said.

“We remain committed to our mission in serving the Filipino people through news dissemination with the widest communication reach.”

The RTVM blunder was the fifth faced by the PCOO this week, and following the apologies made by the state-run Philippine News Agency on Tuesday for publishing incorrect information in two articles on its website, including one about the Marawi clash that used a photo from a scene during the Vietnam War; alleged “fake photos” by Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson for posting about Filipino soldiers amid the Marawi crisis but accompanying her post with a photo of the Honduras police.

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Resort World’s officials said they will extend assistance to the families of those who died of suffocation or were injured when the gunman torched gaming tables and himself in the casino hotel. ”It is with deep sadness that in addition to the 54 injured, there were 35 reported casualties from this tragic incident. Initial unconfirmed reports indicate that the deaths were caused by smoke inhalation,” the hotel’s management said in a statement. ”We cannot release the information on the identities of the victims at this time as we are awaiting SOCO’s final confirmation. We shall be informing their next of kin as soon as the information is officially confirmed and released to us

by SOCO.” The lone gunman, clad in black attire and a black bonnet and armed with a rifle, entered the casino without being noticed.

Reports said the suspect proceeded at the gaming area and then went to the second level and started firing upward. He then proceeded to the fifth level where he set the area on fire.

Several guests in the burning area panicked and ran for their safety while the gunman later doused himself with gasoline and lit himself.

Espino said they were looking at the lapses in the hotel.

How come the man was able to enter with a firearm?” he said.

With John Paolo Bencito and PNA

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SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Fugitive Korean-American nabbed in Zamboanga

By Sandy Araneta

HIGH-POWERED. Supervisory Office and Security and Investigation Agencies Chief P/C Supt. Jose Mario Espino with P/Dir. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, director for Operation, inspects thousands of high-powered firearms after several private security agencies turned over their respective firearms to the custody of the PNP, particularly the office of Civil Security Group after President Duterte prohibited security agencies from using high-powered firearms and were ordered only to use shotguns and handguns. Manny Palmero

Pagcor told to regulate, not operate casinos IN ORDER to promote a level playing field in the gambling industry and avoid conflict of interests, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. may have to give up its operation of casinos, if his proposed measure is passed into law.

Lacson’s Senate Bill 1471 aims to address the “conflicting” roles of Pagcor—regulating and operating gambling casinos.

Lacson said Pagcor should just focus on regulating the industry and should give up its role as operator of such establishments.

“Pagcor should cede its role as operator of all gambling and gaming activities.

Through such manner, it can focus and put premium to its regulatory authority, which is its governmental role,” Lacson said in his bill.

Under the bill, existing Pagcor casinos are to be privatized one year after the measure is passed. Proceeds from the sale of its assets shall be remitted to the Bureau of Treasury for appropriation by Congress.

Also, the bill seeks to consolidate Pagcor’s authority to regulate newly developed gaming and gambling activities, premises and technologies, including online gaming sites, while protecting minors and problem gamblers and making sure gambling and gaming will not be used for illegal activities like money laundering and terrorist financing.

The bill’s provision of unequivocal regulatory authority to Pagcor seeks to revitalize the operation of gaming operations to generate funds and implement priority programs, Lacson added.

Pagcor’s earnings will finance socio-economic development projects, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program getting a 5-percent share in Pagcor’s gross gaming revenues, less the franchise tax and 50-percent government share.

Meanwhile, the bill also seeks to prevent the licenses Pagcor issues to gaming operators from being used for criminal or illegal activities and the Pagcor board shall hold an exhaustive investigation of applications for licenses, “so as to ensure that gaming is kept free of corrupt or criminal influence.” The licensee shall shoulder expenses for the investigation.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

IN LINE with the continuing anti-illegal drug campaign of the government, the National Bureau of Investigation on Friday said operatives of NBI-Task Force Against Illegal Drugs, in partnership with the NBI-Western Mindanao Regional Office, Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, arrested one of the most wanted fugitives in the country, Thursday morning in Zamboanga City.

NBI Director Dante Gierran identified the suspect as Jun No, a Korean-American businessman who is wanted for drug trafficking involving the sale of a party drug ecstasy after he escaped from the hospital following his surgery for appendectomy last April 15, 2017.

On April 15, No escaped from his guards at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City, where he was confined after undergoing an operation for acute appendicitis.

The police said SPO2 Michael Macarubbo of the PNPDrug Enforcement Group went out to eat breakfast while Intelligence Officer 2 Ernie Eugenio of the Philippine Drug Enforce-

ment Agency fell asleep.

Acting on the Bureau of Immigration’s lookout bulletin order issued by the Department of Justice against the suspect NO, alias “Jazz” and “Justine”, and under strict orders from Gierran, the NBI-TFAID, headed by lawyer Ross Jonathan V. Galicia, mobilized its operatives to track down the suspect.

Investigations disclosed that from April 18 to April 22, 2017, No hid in different condo units and motels in Manila, Parañaque and Makati City to avoid the authorities, then decided to go to Cebu via Philippines Airlines.

The suspect stayed in Cebu City from April 29 to May 26, 2017 where he has reportedly hopped from one hotel to another to avoid detection.

While residing in the area, he spent most of his time with drug junkies and escort girls whom he used to hang out with.

The NBI-TFAID chased No in Cebu but the suspect managed to elude arrest on several occasions. Nevertheless, some of his personal belongings were recovered from his hotel in Cebu City, which provided an indication of the suspect’s plan to leave the country using the back door going to Malaysia.

DoH may also ban vapes, e-cigarettes under EO No. 25

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

F

OLLOWING an advisory from the Food and Drug Administration that electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes are harmful to health, department Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial said they will study if it can be included in the implementing rules and regulations of Executive Order No. 25, which bans smoking nationwide.

A 2013 advisory from the FDA warned that “secondhand exposure to e-cigarette emission which may lead to adverse health effects cannot be excluded.

The same FDA advisory noted that the levels of most harmful substances are lower in the e-cigarettes than in conven-

tional cigarette smoke, but they do accumulate in indoor air.

“If several people are using e-cigarettes in a room at the same time, considerable indoor air pollution will accumulate and may result to harmful second-hand exposure,” also read the FDA advisory.

While e-cigarettes are not

covered by EO No. 26, Ubial said they will look into the possibility of its inclusion in the IRR. The DoH is in the process of crafting the IRR of EO 26 with various government offices but has excluded any representative from the tobacco industry because “we don’t think that their representation in fact will add value to the executive order.”

The DoH expects to come out with the IRR of the national smoking ban before President Rodrigo Duterte delivers his second State-ofthe Nation Address.

Ubial said the effectivity of Executive Order 26 or the national smoking ban is 60 days after its signing. It will take effect in July 16.

The EO, which provides for the establishment of smoke-free environment in public and enclosed spaces, was patterned after

the Davao City ordinance “when it was in the early years of implementation.”

Ubial said the EO covers LGUs that have not passed local ordinances on tobacco control.

She also said thaf while e-cigarettes were not specifically mentioned in the EO, an earlier FDA advisory had said that “it cannot be undertaken indoors or [in] enclosed places.”Ubial also disclosed they are already working on bringing to the Philippines a technology that will detect ambient nicotine present indoors —whether it’s from cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

“Like in this particular room, if there’s nicotine, even if nobody is smoking here but people who used the room before you came in smoked, then that gadget can detect it,” Ubial explained.

She added that “even if they

only use vape and there is ambient nicotine or vapors or particles, that’s what the gadget can detect, so they don’t even have to prove that it’s harmful to other people.

Once we’ve detected that there’s nicotine, even if they’re using e-cigarettes, then that is already a proof that it is not 100 percent smoke-free, so there’s violation of the executive order.”

Ubial said the technology is already available in the United Kingdom.

An August 2016, World Health Organization (WHO) report on e-cigarettes or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems and Electronic Non-Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS/ENNDS) said scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of these devices as a smoking cessation aid “is scant and of low certainty, making it difficult to draw credible inferences.

Binay Jr. okayed to travel abroad Villar: Hasten repatriation

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Sandiganbayan Third Division has granted the petition of dismissed Makati mayor Jejomar Binay Jr. to travel abroad for a family trip in the United States pending the graft, malversation and falsification charges over the alleged overpriced Makati car park building.

In its resolution, the anti-graft court allowed Binay Jr.’s travel motion to go to California, New York, and Washington with his children from June 8 to 30.

The court added the former mayor to post a travel bond amounting to P608,000. But since Binay Jr. has not yet withdrawn the amount he earlier deposited for a previous travel bond, he is no lon-

ger required to deposit anew, the court said.

The court also said that Binay Jr. must only travel within his itinerary and schedule. At the same time, he must present himself before the clerk of court with his passport and documents of his stamps of departure within five days after his return, the court said.

The court adder that should he fail to return to the Philippines, it would deem his absence a waiver of his right to be present in the hearings or trial that shall continue despite his absence.

The court earlier said in a resolution that it found probable cause to try Binay Jr. for the falsification and graft charges over the anomalous construction of the P2.2-billion Makati parking building.

FIFTH ALARM. This fire that broke out inside a warehouse at the Bureau of Customs in Port Area, Manila on Thursday night, June 1, reached the fifth alarm, according to Bureau of Fire Protection officials.

Norman Cruz

of worker’s remains

SENATOR Cynthia Villar has asked the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to hasten the return of the remains of an overseas worker who was stranded for two years in Dammam, Saudi Arabia after his company declared bankruptcy and died last March of stomach cancer.

“I think both the DFA and OWWA must explain why it has taken so long for his body to be brought home,” said Villar as she promised to personally look into the delay in the repatriation of the remains of 45-year-old Roger Dignadice.

“Dignadice died on March 11 and until now, his body is in the morgue, awaiting repatriation. His widow had to fly from Iloilo to Manila and go from one agency to another to seek help because she cannot afford to pay the remainder of his hospital bills. His family had been suffering even while Roger was still alive and fighting for his benefits and back wages. He was a stranded OFW for two years. Now that he is dead, the family continues to suffer because they cannot even grieve over his coffin.

I want to understand why this happened and which agency should be held accountable,” added Villar.

The repatriation process involving the remains of a deceased OFW, Villar said, should be simplified, with every griev-

ing OFW family’s request treated with utmost urgency and compassion.

OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac had promised to take care of the unpaid hospital bills so that the body of Dignadice can finally be brought home and laid to rest.

The DFA also promised to help the Dignadice family. It took several requests from the Dignadice family and the Blas F. Ople Policy Center before such assurances were obtained.

Villar said that nearly three months have passed since Dignadice died, and the undue delay has added to the anxiety and grief of her wife and children.

The staunch OFW advocate urged the DFA and OWWA to make it easier for grieving families to receive the remains of relatives who died abroad.

“Why must the widow travel all the way from Iloilo to Manila to seek the help of our government? I will officially write to the DFA and OWWA to seek an explanation on this matter,” Senator Villar said.

Dignadice’s widow was among six beneficiaries of livelihood assistance extended by the senator through the Villar family’s SIPAG Foundation.

The Villar SIPAG Foundation’s OFW livelihood assistance package consisted of grocery items and an initial capital that would allow the beneficiaries to open a small store.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Sobriety. Now.

I

T HAS been deleted from the official site, but many were able to save the video released Wednesday by the Presidential Communications Operation Office exhorting the people to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao. Martial law is a way to fight extremist [sic], the video said.

The controversial message was delivered haphazardly using bad cartoons and baffling language. “In the free society, there are groups who don’t want to give independence. They are adamant on detaining peaceful spirits.

They are distressing feelings with fears. Let us not allow

them to terrify us. We will all fight in unity. Martial law should be the rule of the land.

Martial law. Now.” It’s an utter waste of taxpayer’s money. Even the presidential spokesman has distanced himself from the video and has pointed to the communication secretary

who has been committing so many gaffes it is a marvel he still has a job.

Such blunders are unacceptable, per se, but even more so during uncertain times like this. Many are at a loss on what is truly happening in Marawi City, for instance, and it is easy to give in to confusion, fear, speculation—even hysteria.

And these do not just happen in places remote from the capital.

Friday morning’s incident at Resorts World Manila, a stone’s throw away from the international airport and a

showcase of the country’s tourism, hospitality and gaming industry, showed us that wrong information could be just as bad as no information.

In Friday’s early hours when hardly any details were yet available, social media was flooded with theories and speculation about what was happening and what will yet occur. The acrimonious exchange of views among influencers, impassioned social media users and trolls also did not help.

We must also see past the hype. These things occur because they have root causes.

They are symptoms of a bigger problem, which will continue long after we become weary talking about them.

Getting carried away by the tide or making this all about politics will not do us any good. Instead, we have to look into the causes, break them down into their components, and address them, squarely and without fanfare.

These are challenging times for the Philippines.

Now, more than ever, everybody from the leader of the land to the most ordinary citizens need a level head on his or her shoulders.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Eva Estrada Kalaw (1920-2017)

did not in these instances.

For the duration of our visits, we were not supposed to go out without companions no matter if we were just going to walk around their area.

We were told that most, if not all homes and families in Marawi had guns. This was just how things were, and I guess, still are. We would stay in the homes of our women leaders when we were there.

One night, while my companions were fast asleep, I needed to go to the toilet which was outside our room. As soon as I was out of the door, I was surprised to see a group of at least five heavily armed men huddled over a radio transmitter (mobile phones were still rare then). They smiled at me as these were men I personally knew and was friends with. It was my first time to see them armed and it was a bit disconcerting. In the morning I told the homeowner what I saw. She smiled and said that the men

LAST week, former senator Eva Estrada Kalaw passed away at the age of 96. She was a leading political opposition leader during the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos.

Eva Estrada was among the few female students of the Commonwealth era who dared enroll in the University of the Philippines, which was then based in Manila. Her enrollment in UP was a daring feat because back then, Catholic high schools for girls discouraged their graduates from enrolling in UP on the mistaken assumption that UP is a godless institution.

Eva Estrada took education.

Because she stood out among her classmates, and because she was a headturner, Eva Estrada quickly became a campus figure.

She was a member of the Sigma Delta Phi, an exclusive sorority and the counterpart of the equally exclusive Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity.

Many UP students were smitten by Eva Estrada, including the statuesque Enrique M. Fernando, the smartest law student in UP. Although Fernando was unable to win Eva Estrada’s heart, he graduated at the top of his class, and became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1979.

It was another UP student, Teodoro Kalaw, Jr., who won Eva Estrada. Kalaw, Jr. was an Upsilonian and his family was wealthy and noted for intellectuals like his father, the famous newsman Teodoro M. Kalaw, and the outspoken UP dean Maximo Kalaw.

They made an ideal couple.

Eva Estrada Kalaw was the vocal, outgoing and dynamic type of woman. Teodoro Kalaw was a mild-mannered businessman who preferred a quiet, private life.

After the war, Teodoro Kalaw put up several successful enterprises, while Eva Estrada Kalaw became noted for civic and humanitarian causes.

In time, Eva Estrada Kalaw developed an interest in politics, and joined the Nacionalista Party. With the unwavering support of her husband, Eva was elected to the Senate in 1965—the same

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Set Marawi free POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO MARAWI has a special place in my heart. I have visited this city many times in the course of my involvement with community women and my former political party. It is the home of friends and comrades, women and men I have worked with for decades.

Many of them were former leaders and active Moro National Liberation Front fighters under Nur Misuari. The women were members of the MNLF Women’s Committee. I became friends with many, calling them by their real names, not knowing their “nom de guerre.” It turned out that among my friends that I would spend time joking and laughing with, were “legendary” fighters who were feared by many. I only discovered this

when other Moro friends told me that so-and-so was actually the feared so-and-so. Often, such information came as a big surprise because they were really kind, gentle, jolly men.

We did numerous training among Maranao women. We talked about gender sensitivity, violence against women, women’s political participation, and sexual and reproductive health and rights at a time when organizing Moro women was virtually unheard of. I personally learned a lot about the Maranao culture from my sisters in Marawi. (Well, they also revealed their skin regimen when I wondered aloud about their fair, smooth skin). Oh, we had many beautiful and happy times together!

Marawi is where I learned to eat and like “palapa,” which I still crave to this day. Each time, along the road from Cagayan de Oro City going there, I would check if I could get Durian or Marang. Whenever available, my Moro sisters and

brothers would oblige to get me some that I would consume during the trip. They knew how much I liked these fruits.

Marawi was also where I would get my beautiful handwoven Malongs, shawls, and scarves. My sisters would bring me to their friends’ shops and would haggle for me for items I

Maranaos do not deserve what is happening in their city. wanted to buy.

By the time that we were beginning to organize these women in Lanao de Sur, I was already familiar with the longstanding Mindanao problem.

The many first-hand stories of

injustice I got from my comrades taught me many valuable lessons, including why they wanted to be called Moros rather than Muslims. My own readings and our political discussions on the struggle of the Moro people were given substance by those who actually experienced how they, as a people, were abused and discriminated against for many decades. Thus, organizing the women was something that I became passionate about.

Marawi was our base. This was a not-so-safe-time to go because of reports of kidnappings and fighting in the area.

We knew the danger but we were confident that we were adequately protected. We would fly to Cagayan de Oro City and would be fetched from there.

We were not allowed to directly go to, or leave Marawi on our own. I knew that each time we travelled, the men with us were armed but they were always very discreet. We never really got to see any guns, at least, I

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Opinion

THE imposition of martial law is always in reaction to a violent threat to the country’s national security. Whether the reaction is false or exaggerated, the opposition is not supposed to prejudge the decision by questioning the emergency measure. It can never be interpreted as proactive for that would connote dictatorship. It is only until and after the objective has been achieved that one can judge whether there was basis for the imposition of martial law.

This explains why the public could not understand why the framers of that illogical Constitution have accorded Congress the leeway to question how the President would go about implementing martial law. This provision is in fact an attempt to divert the issue of national security to one of political intramural where the opposition, as hecklers, would again make their grandstanding in accusing President Duterte of curtailing the civil liberties of the people.

This is exactly the strategy being followed by the yellow hypocrites. The six opposition senators who filed Resolution No. 390 were Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Risa Honteveros, Antonio Trillanes IV, Bam Aquino and the now detained Leila de Lima.

Arguing the usual rhetoric of that statement—“Pursuant to the constitutional mandates of t ransparency and accountability in gove r n me nt , respecting the right of the citizen to information of public interest,” the six senators wanted to make brouhaha of the blo o d le t t i n g that is now threatening to spill over to Metro Manila.

Even the one who has been styling herself as vice president, despite questionable mandate, did not waste time visiting the wounded for photo-ops while her cohorts continue to badmouth the administration for imposing martial law.

These brazen hypocrites did not even attempt to express their concern to the 120 casualties killed in the fighting, 61 of whom were identified as militants, 16 civilians and 22 soldiers, 11 of whom died as a result of the accidental bombing by a Cory Aquino-acquired SF260 Marchetti light trainer aircraft on the ground soldiers’ position.

The necessity of imposing martial law in the whole of Mindanao is urgent. The latest to surface is the Maute group also known as the Islamic State of Lanao, composed of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front guerrillas and some foreign fighters led by Abdullah Maute, the alleged founder of a Dawlah Islamiya, or Islamic State based in Lanao del Sur. It is suspected as the branch of the dreaded ISIS in the Philippines. Many believe that Isnilon Hapilon, a member of the Abu Sayyaf, has sneaked in to join the fighting.

The facts are clear that there are several armed groups operating in Mindanao and committing terrorism in various degrees. They are the New People’s Army, the various

Islamic armed groups consequent to the split of the Moro National Liberation Front, beginning with the MILF, and further fragmented by the forming of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Alien indoctrination and influence

by Al Qaida gave birth to the dreaded Abu Sayyaf. Others that sprouted are the shadowy Moro Army Committee and the Khilafa Islamiya.

The second sentence of Section 18, Article VII, of the Constitution states: “In case of invasion or rebellion, when public safety requires it, he may, for a period not exceeding sixty days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law.” The yellow opposition, in their attempt to gather wider audience, wanted to hold the hearing of their resolution in joint session. They are relying on the provision which states that, “Within forty-eight hours from the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, the President shall submit a report in person or in writing to the Congress.”

What the opposition is doing is clipping the power of the President by pre-empting it. Given a limited time frame to make a progress report, one could deduce that this portion of the provision amounts to giving Congress the loophole to castigate the President, and invariably weaken the Republic. As to when peace and order will be restored to warrant the lifting of martial law cannot be resolved by mandating him to report to Congress just as he can never hope to convince the opposition to agree with him.

The opposition is not really out to examine the propriety of the imposition of martial law but to grandstand before their foreign brokers on their malice-laden concern for human rights and the effects in the curtailment of civil and political rights. As one would quip, “if confronted with the same problem, would they not do the same just as what their icon Cory Aquino did to shamelessly beg the US to save her beleaguered government in the 1989 putsch?”

One could clearly see that the yellow opposition has a different perspective of the situation and this is evident in their agenda.

They would not care about the price that our people will pay for their political bigotry. The position of Congressman Edcel Lagman, whose brother was gunned downed by the same terrorist group now fighting against the government, is much glaring that he is not out to know on how martial law has progressed to contain the rebellion but to make it appear that it is Duterte’s instrument to curtail the rights of the people.

The traitorous Liberal Party is behaving in a manner short of what the rebels are doing.

Nobody from among them, in a gesture of patriotic unity, has extended a hand so that peace and order could be restored fast in Mindanao. On the contrary, they are doing every-

It is only after the objective has been achieved that one can judge whether there was basis for the imposition of martial law.

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Justice Tony Carpio, hero

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

Reactive, not proactive

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

THESE past few months, in more than one occasion, President Duterte has been quoted as criticizing Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio for “just talking” and not doing anything about the South China/West Philippine Sea dispute. What a strange thing to say about the man who has in fact done the most about the issue, to whom the country owes so much for defending its territory and constitution.

Although I have sometimes disagreed with him, I can say with absolute certainty—Justice Tony is a hero, a defender of the country’s territory and of our Constitution.

Definitely, on the South China/West Philippine Sea dispute, few can equal the passion and dedication of Justice Carpio. In particular, the most senior Justice of our Supreme Court has used his brilliance, encyclopedic knowledge of the law, his mastery of history, and formidable reputation to propagate the legal, historical, political, and moral arguments of the Philippines through his speeches and lectures delivered in various fora, both in the Philippines and abroad. Thankfully, all these speeches and lectures are now compiled in an e-book The South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Sovereign Rights and Jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea that is available for free in the internet.

The e-book is a collation of 140 lectures and speeches delivered in a span of five years from October 2011 to March 2017. They recapitulate and emphasize the compelling

Eva...

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year Ferdinand Marcos of the NP won the presidency.

Despite her partisan political affiliation with President Marcos, Senator Kalaw opposed measures espoused by NP senators known to be loyal supporters of the president. Soon, Kalaw became very critical of the Marcos administration both in and outside the Senate.

In 1971, when Senator Kalaw’s term was almost over, she decided to seek reelection again under the NP. Party bigwigs, however, eased her out of the picture. Seeing her as a strategic ally, the opposition Liberal Party asked Kalaw to run for reelection under its wings. Senator Kalaw agreed.

During the LP proclamation rally at Plaza Miranda in Quiapo, Manila held in the evening of August 21, 1971, two grenades were hurled at the crowded stage Senator Kalaw shared with other LP candidates.

Kalaw was seriously injured, but survived the bombing. In the end, she was one of six LP senatorial candidates who won in the elections.

Senator Kalaw’s injuries at Plaza Miranda cemented her anti-Marcos stance. She be-

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where securing us, and that there were always at least two with, or near us for protection.

This was how they operated when friends, especially nonMoro ones, come over.

This set-up went on for a few years. At some point, I guess it was when things were much better, our brothers and sisters felt confident that we could already safely go on our own to thing, even sell this country to the devil, to regain back their political power at whatever price it will cost to our people.

Because of their distorted ideological perspectives they

moral and legal strength of the Philippine claim and the illegality of the incursions undertaken by Beijing in territories which by legal and historical right indisputably belong to the Philippines.

To honor Justice Carpio, at this time when he is being unfairly attacked (including by ignorant trolls who have no idea who the man is) and more importantly to celebrate our sovereignty as we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, I am serializing in a four-tofive-part series the salient parts of Justice Carpio’s book.

Justice Carpio begins by tracing the sea migration of the Austronesian people, from which the Malayo-Polynesian languages including Tagalog, were derived, beginning approximately 4,200 years ago and ended about 1250 CE. They migrated over vast distances in three oceans including the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and South China Sea by outrigger sailboat what is now known as balangay in the Philippines, vaka in Hawaii, vawaka in Polynesia, and vahoaka in Madagascar.

According to Carpio, the Austronesians from the Philippines navigated the waters of South China Sea, pillaged the villages of the islands and plied their trade long before Kublai Khan’s failed invasion of Southeast Asia. The ancient Chinese named the sea Nan Hai or the South Sea, but not South China Sea while the ancient Malays also called this sea Laut Chidol or the South Sea. For centuries, the South China Sea was known to navigators as Champa Sea named after an empire in Vietnam. Early in the 15th century, from 1405 to 1433, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty sent Admiral Zheng He on seven voyages to Ma-

lacca, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya to promote trade and to project the power of the Ming Dynasty. But he never claimed for China the territories he visited.

After this historical section, Justice Carpio makes us look at the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, adopted on 10 December 1982 and entered into force on 16 November 1994. The UNCLOS is the constitution that governs the oceans and seas and maritime disputes among member states. It is a codification of customary international law. It also introduced novel concepts such as the exclusive economic zone and the extended continental shelf, and institutionalized the common heritage of mankind. To date, it has been ratified by 167 states and the European Union.

Carpio outlines the main principle of UNCLOS encapsulated in the phrase “land dominates the sea.” Citing a treaty provision, he states the rule as “all maritime zones or entitlements are measured from the coast of continental land, island or rock above water at high tide (Articles 3, 57 & 76, UNCLOS),” and “The rights of a coastal state over the continental shelf do not depend on occupation, effective or notional, or on any express proclamation [Article 77(3), UNCLOS]. If the coastal state does not explore the continental shelf or exploit its natural resources, no one may undertake such activities without the express consent of the coastal state [Article 77(2), UNCLOS].

Restating the Supreme Court case of Magallona v. Ermita, which the author himself penned, Carpio said that “Supreme Court upheld the con-

stitutionality of Republic Act No. 9522, which was enacted in 2009 to align the Philippine baselines to conform with UNCLOS. The Supreme Court rejected the argument that the Treaty of Paris lines should be the baselines of the Philippines from where to measure its territorial sea, EEZ and ECS.” On the South China Sea Dispute, Justice Carpio points out that the dispute started when in December 1947, the Kuomintang Government of China adopted the nine-dashed line claim as embodied in a map, entitled Location Map of the South Sea Islands with 11 dashes forming a broken Ushaped line covering almost the entire South China Sea, claiming “indisputable sovereignty” over all the islands and the “adjacent” waters enclosed by the line, and “sovereign rights and jurisdiction” over the “relevant” waters enclosed by the line.” The author insists that the nine-dashed line claim is bereft of any merit in international law. The author argues on the force of the well-entrenched international law doctrine of “land dominates the sea,” and all maritime entitlements must be measured from baselines along the coast of continental land, island or rock above water at high tide, which China fails comply. According to the author, “In short, these Chinese legal scholars claim that China is entitled to rights akin to EEZ and ECS rights beyond what UNCLOS provides, even at the expense of depriving other coastal states of their own EEZs and ECSs.” In claiming so, China wants to grab 80 percent of Philippine EEZ in the South China Sea.

came a staunch anti-administration senator, and even advocated giving a student representative an ex-officio seat in the UP Board of Regents. Together with Senator Salvador “Doy” Laurel, Kalaw protected UP students, who had barricaded the Diliman campus in 1971, from soldiers of the Philippine Constabulary Metropolitan Command or Metrocom who were determined to attack UP. After the proclamation of martial law in the Philippines in 1972 led to the closure of the Senate, Kalaw was considered an enemy of the state. Undaunted, Kalaw kept the LP alive when other party leaders like Jovito Salonga found refuge in the United States.

In 1980, Kalaw and Doy Laurel organized the Unido party to oppose its pro-Marcos counterpart, the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan. The Unido started from scratch, but under the brave leadership of Laurel and Kalaw, the party won one-third of the seats in the Batasang Pambansa in the May 1984 elections.

Kalaw herself won handsomely in Manila, and she became the Joan of Arc of the political opposition.

The Laurel-Kalaw duo chose to fight against a wellentrenched administration, at a

time when many ex-politicians preferred to avoid trouble by keeping silent.

Laurel and Kalaw were staunch political allies of ex-Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., who was living in exile in the USA. They could have conveniently joined the Marcos government and held important posts in his administration, but Laurel and Kalaw remained allied with Ninoy Aquino.

After the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983, Salonga returned to the Philippines and seized the LP leadership from Kalaw. As a result, Kalaw strengthened her ties with Laurel and the Unido.

Laurel and Kalaw were expected to be the Unido bets against the KBL tandem of Marcos and Assemblyman Tolentino in the 1986 presidential and vice presidential elections. Unfortunately, Corazon Aquino exploited her status as Ninoy Aquino’s widow and joined the derby.

Eventually, Aquino succeeded in double-talking Laurel and in pushing Kalaw to the sidelines, and in becoming the Unido presidential candidate, with Laurel as her running mate. Aquino used the Unido campaign machinery to install herself in office.

Kalaw still ran for vice presi-

dent but lost her bid. After 1987, she made an unsuccessful attempt at re-election to the Senate, and in 1988, she lost her bid for city mayor of Manila against Gemiliano “Mel” Lopez.

President Corazon Aquino made the Philippines the brownout capital of the world, and circumvented her promise to institute a genuine agrarian reform program. Her relatives lorded it over the country during her presidency.

Vice President Laurel and Eva Estrada Kalaw reconciled in 1990. Under the NP, they ran for president and vice president, respectively, in the May 1992 elections, but lost. The ungrateful Corazon Aquino, who in 1985 disunited the Unido (which single-handedly fought the Marcos administration), actively campaigned against Laurel and Kalaw.

Laurel and Kalaw retired from the political scene in 1992, victims of the scheming widow of the opposition leader they supported during the trying times of martial law.

Salvador Laurel passed away in January 2004.

Eva Estrada Kalaw has also departed, but her unheralded contribution to Philippine democracy will be difficult to match by today’s female senators.

Marawi, and we did. After the women’s groups were established and operational on their own, my visits became less frequent. Over the past years, I only got to see my sisters when they went to Manila.

This year, I have plans of going back to meet with the groups there. And then Maute happened. When I first heard about the ISIS flag being displayed in Marawi, I immediately contacted the daughter of one of our leaders and she confirmed that things are bad. My

Maranao sisters and brothers are always on my mind as I follow the horrific events happening there. I can only hope that they are all unharmed.

It saddens and angers me that innocent people are getting killed, families are forced to leave their homes for their dear life, and that the city has become a warzone. When I heard that Maranaos were hiding Christians in their homes to keep them safe, I got emotional and memories of having been protected by my Moro sisters

and brothers came back like it only happened yesterday.

The Moro people have always been at the receiving end of injustice. This so called Mindanao problem is caused by longstanding social injustice. I do not pretend to have the solution but I do know that Maranaos do not deserve what is happening to their city.

Set Marawi free.

ranger Officer Abe Purugganan wrote: “When the nation is at risk or at war, the minority block should be more concern of how to help and support our forces accomplish their

mission. They should stop looking for weaknesses in our strategy and disclosing them to the media.”

could no longer distinguish what constitutes human rights violation from the barbaric practice of decapitating the heads of those who disagree to their belief. As former scout

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News

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SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Drilon castigates ‘arrogant’ Pernia

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon assailed National Economic and Development Authority chief Ernesto Pernia and called him arrogant for “pressuring” them to approve the administration's proposed tax reform package..

Pernia has been urging lawmakers to listen to and “trust” the economic team more because the senators “are not as well-versed” on the matter.

Drilon said that while he does not claim expertise, he certainly knows something about the budget.

The former Senate president said he has been scrutinizing the national budget for the past 19 years.

“He’s so arrogant. Such arrogance,” Drilon shot back at Pernia.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said Pernia should also prove that they are experts when it comes to spending money.

He said government should first prove it could spend its budget before seeking new taxes.

“First, what I can say is that in the debate, we will see if they had spent and are spending their budget for this year because if not, and the absorptive capacity is weak, why the need for new taxes? What will you do with the money if you can't spend it?” said Recto.

He also questioned the disparity between the amount of tax relief the public will get and the additional

Somco implements ‘Oplan Balik Eskwela’ STARTING June 5 up to June 16, 2017, the operator of the Skyway System and the Naia Expressway (NAIAx) will implement a traffic safety and security operation dubbed as Oplan Balik Eskwela 2017.

The traffic safety and security management department of Skyway O&M Corp. (Somco) expects the traffic build-up at the major entry/exit points of Skyway System and Naia Expressway (NAIAx) and other traffic-prone stretches of the tollway when schools open on June 5.

Motorists are advised to anticipate heavy traffic during the morning hours on Alabang Viaduct up to Skyway Main Toll Plaza B, C5 and Nichols toll plazas and on the Magallanes area on the northbound at-grade section; and at Skyway Alabang toll plaza up to Skyway Main Toll Plaza A, Skyway Main Plaza B and the approach of Runway Toll Plaza, the Magallanes, Don Bosco, Amorsolo and Buendia Off-ramps and the NAIAx Old Toll Plaza on the elevated section.

During the early evening hours, traffic peaks at the NAIAx Ph 1, Doña Soledad and Dr. A. Santos Off-ramps of the elevated section.

Meanwhile, evening peak traffic hours at the southbound direction are expected at the Magallanes-NAIAx entry ramp, C5-Bicutan-Sucat-Alabang atgrade section; and at the Magallanes-NAIAx entry ramp, approach of Doña Soledad and Dr. A Santos Off-ramps, Skyway Main Toll Plaza A and Skyway Offramp to Alabang, on the elevated section.

In coordination with the local police units, the PNP Highway Patrol Groups and the concerned local units, all involved departments and the traffic safety units Somco will be in full-force operation during this period to ensure a safer and more convenient travel.

Support groups like Lifeline Rescue Ambulances, Blue Light ambulances, AAP Lingkod Towing Services and the Quick Response Team, among others, will be strategically deployed on the tollway to help the Somco operatives manage the flow of traffic and keep the Skyway and NAIAx motorists safe.

Adequate number of traffic control personnel and ambulant tellers will be deployed on trafficdense plazas to speed up entry/exit transactions and minimize vehicle queueing. Highly visible traffic and security patrols and road maintenance personnel will be on hand to promptly assist distressed motorists or clear road crash sites.

Days-off and leave applications are momentarily suspended.

taxes they will pay.

“There are a lot of issues there, I keep on saying this. For example, what you will put in your left pocket by way of income tax reduction is P200, but in exchange, they will get P500 from your other pocket.

Their net will be P300 billion. Will you win in that case?” he asked.

But Senate President Koko Pimentel expressed hope Congress will carry the Department of Finance’s proposed tax reform bill.

“That is the hope. That is what they want because that is what they submitted. If you submit something to Congress, you hope that it would pass. But of course they are also realistic, we have a system, give and take. It passes through a process and that will of the representatives of the people. You accept the will of the representatives of the people,” related Pimentel.

On the affected industries once the proposed tax reform bill is approved, Pimentel said it is not just the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO). He said there are many current exemptions which we are lifting or erasing.

“So many are complaining. But you know, if you want a modern country, a modern society, a fairer society, we really have to have funds to improve our society,” said Pimentel.

He acknowledged though that there will be complaints in case of changes.

PRICE WATCH. Quezon City market officials conducted a surprise inspection at the Mega Q Mart market in Quezon City last June 2, 2017 to ensure that prices of school supplies and other basic commodities sold to consumers are within the price ceiling as prescribed by the Department of Trade and Industry. Manny Palmero

‘No more long lines for seniors on election day’

By Maricel V. Cruz

T

HE House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the bill allowing qualified senior citizens and persons with disability the opportunity to vote before election day.

House Bill 5661 titled, “An Act Providing for Early Voting for Qualified Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities in National and Local Elections,” was passed at the Lower House by a 220 vote last May 29.

Cibac Party-List Rep. Sherwin Tugna, House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms'

chairperson and main sponsor of the bill, said the measure will make the entire voting process convenient by setting an earlier voting date and designating accessible polling places for senior citizens and PWDs. “We believe that the government should ensure a hassle-free voting experience for our elders

and persons with disability.

Through HB 5661, we hope that we can make elections more inclusive and more representative by increasing the voter turnout from vulnerable sectors of our society,” Tugna said.

Commission on Elections data show a total of 323,210 PWDs and 7,369,735 senior citizens are registered voters as of August 2016.

Under the proposed early voting bill, a nationwide registration shall be carried out for seniors and PWDs who may wish to avail of their early voting privileges to qualify them for early voting.

The bill provides that those

who choose not to register shall vote on the designated election day.

“We recognize and laud the efforts of the Commission on Elections to make the May 2016 elections more accessible. However, during the public hearings of the House committee on suffrage, it was mentioned that despite the existence of RA No. 10366 or the ‘Accessible Polling Places Act,’ PWDs and senior citizens still had a hard time voting during the last elections,” Tugna said.

“In some areas, seniors had to wait in line for more than three hours under the intense heat of the sun just so they can cast

their vote,” he added.

The bill also seeks to ensure the full implementation of the Accessible Polling Places. It guarantees that polling places are safe, highly accessible, and fitted with the necessary communication, visual, and physical aids for PWDs. “The right to suffrage is an essential right in keeping democracy vibrant. No sector should be discouraged to exercise the right to vote. We hope that this bill is a step forward towards promoting greater involvement of the citizens in the electoral process and making elections in our country more disabledinclusive,” Tugna said.

5th alarm fire engulfs Customs warehouse

By Vito Barcelo

DRUG FREE. Quezon City Police District Director PCSupt. Guillermo Eleazar puts a ‘Drug Free Tag’ at the

Salam Compound Culiat in Quezon City during a consultative meeting with tribal leaders last June 2, 2017.

Manny Palmero

A FIRE believed triggered by faulty electrical wiring razed a warehouse at the Bureau of Customs in Port Area, Manila and destroyed an undetermined amount of abandoned and condemned cargoes stored inside the warehouse, a Customs official said.

The blaze broke out in warehouse 159 where seized and abandoned articles for condemnation are stored.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Fire officials said the lack of fire hydrants within the area made it difficult for firefighters to control the situation as the fire reached the fifth alarm.

“Unfortunately, we reached fifth alarm because of lack of fire hydrant near the area.

They need to go inside the BoC compound to get water,” BoC-Enforcement and Security Service director Isabelo Tibayan III said.

Among the articles damaged were non-serviceable vehicles, tires, counterfeit products such as slippers, bags, “ukay-ukay” clothes, and fabrics.

Tibayan said the highly combustible materials stored inside the warehouse caused the fire to spread widely, thereby damaging the entire warehouse. Chemicals which were also housed inside caused the burst of explosions.

500,000 Jehovah witnesses join 3-day meeting ABOUT half-a-million Jehovah’s Witnesses and interested ones in the country will attend 142 three-day Bible conventions in various cities and towns in June, July and August this year.

The first such gathering will be held on June 2 to 4 at the Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Novaliches, Quezon City. Eleven others will follow weekly in the same venue for these Christians living in Metro

Manila and Bulacan with some 5,000 expected to attend each week.

One hundred thirty more regional conventions are scheduled throughout the country with the last 11 conventions to be held on Aug. 18 to 20.

According to Danilo Calso, spokesman of the Witnesses, this year marks the first time that these conventions in the Philippines will be held simulta-

neously with those in the United States. “Actually, close to 15 million Witnesses and interested ones in 240 countries will be attending these assemblies featuring the same Bible-based program,” Calso added.

Overall theme of this year’s Bible seminars is, “Don’t Give Up!” Calso said that the theme is timely as it focuses on how one can remain hopeful today despite difficulties resulting

from widespread addiction and criminality, terrorism and violence and graft and corruption in government. “Bible teachings and principles will be highlighted to show how one can cultivate qualities that promote endurance, at the same time keep faith and hope” Calso pointed out.

A three-part drama entitled, “Remember the Wife of Lot,” is an exciting feature presented

each day of the convention.

On Saturday, following a Bible-based talk, “Do Not Give in to Fear,” some 5,000 new Witnesses will be baptized through water immersion at these conventions.

On Sunday, the public discourse entitled, “Never Give Up Hope!,” will be delivered as a fitting climax to the faithstrengthening 2017 worldwide series of regional conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Sports Ceres hosts Global Cebu in football Matches Today (Panaad Stadium) 4 p.m. – Ceres Negros vs Global Cebu (Rizal Memorial Stadium) 7 p.m. – Meralco Manila vs Davao Aguilas

BACOLOD CITY—Powerhouse Ceres Negros makes its home debut in the Philippines Football League when it hosts rival Global Cebu in what promises to be an explosive encounter on Saturday, even as Meralco Manila tries to extend its unbeaten start to four matces.

Just three days after conquering Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta’zim to reach the AFC Cup Asean zonal finals, the Busmen resume their domestic campaign at 4 p.m. against a Global side still hurting from a semifinal exit in the AFC Cup last Tuesday.

The match will be aired live on PTV 4.

The Sparks stake their perfect record against the Davao Aguilas in the 7 p.m. kickoff at Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Meralco has enjoyed a sensational start under coach Aris Caslib, beating Stallion (5-1), Ilocos United (2-1) and JPV Marikina (1-0) to seize top spot. But they will be up against a dangerous Davao side, which is looking for its first win of the campaign.

The Aguilas only have a point to show from their first three matches, with their last match against Kaya Makati ending in a 0-2 defeat.

Davao will miss skipper Jason Cordova due to suspension after he was sent off in the match against Kaya.

Nonetheless, Caslib isn’t looking past the Aguilas, who will also miss midfielder Andreas Esswein who is out due to an illness.

“This will be a tough match,” said Caslib, whose team’s eight goals so far have come from eight different players. “Our players must improve their organization in attack.”

Caslib pointed to Davao’s Serbian striker Nikola Grubješić and 19-year-old attacking midfielder Dylan De Bruycker as scoring threats for the Aguilas.

Hitting Spree leads winners in richest PH racing festival C ARMONA, Cavite—Kelvin Abobo had a good feel of the racetracks at the San Lazaro Leisure Park recently.

The 30-year-old veteran jockey used his familiarity of the tracks to steer three of five horses he rode to victories, including the Manila Jockey Club’s 1867 Founder’s Cup, the race of the richest Sunday racing extravaganza in history.

On top of Hitting Spree, Abobo and his four-year-old imported colt came charging from the middle of the pack in the final turn to rule the 1750-meter course.

In finishing with a time of one minute and 49.2 seconds, Hitting Spree went on to grab the top purse of P2.88-million.

Hitting Spree was four lengths ahead of his closest pursuers, Atomic Seventynine and Kanlaon.

“Kabisado ko ang course.

Araw araw akong nag-eensayo dito,” said Abobo, who rode the day’s races, with his wife and three kids watching and cheering him from the stands.

For Abobo, it was his third win for the day. He earlier rode Brilliance (SC Stockfarm), a threeyear-old filly to the 2017 Philracom Hopeful Stakes Race honors.

Abobo was also on top off Atty.

Narciso Morales’ If Your Honor Please when they won Resorts World Manila Cup. With Selfie ruling Philracom’s 3YO Locally Bred Stakes Race, Brilliance topping the Hopeful Stakes Race and Sepfourteen winning the 1st leg of the Triple Crown Series, Hitting Spree made

it four wins of the eight races at stake for the day for Oliver Velasquez’s SC Stockfarm.

It was an unusual finish for Hitting Spree. Skway, a favourite, was in front when the race started.

He was chased by Hitting Spree from the outside, with Lakan at the left side.

Before the final turn, John Alvin Guce, who was on top of Sakima, made a push to third. But he was overtaken by Val Dilema on board Kanlaon.

This kept Guce from claiming a second win for the day as he earlier took the Triple Stakes crown while on top of Sepfourteen.

The MJCI made Sunday’s festival celebrating MJC’s 150th anniversary at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite the richest ever in the history of PH racing.

Eight races, highlighted by the Founder’s Cup, which itself of-

(PNP Sports Center) 2 p.m.—Wang’s vs PNP 3:30 p.m.—CdSL-V Hotel vs. Diliman-JPA

MANUEL Luis Quezon University-Victoria Sports relied on the one-on-one brilliance of Jason Grimaldo to subdue Emilio Aguinaldo College, 73-68, in the 2017 MBL Open basketball tournament at the fully-airconditioned Victoria Sports Tower in Edsa, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City.

Grimaldo came away with 19 points, including two clutch free throws with 7.5 seconds left, as the Stallions survived repeated fightbacks by the Generals to secure their second win in six matches.

Before Grimaldo’s free throws, the Generals blew two chances to tie the score when they missed their three-point attempts with the shot clock winding down.

Juan Miguel Gula added 15 points and Nikko Lao contributed 13 points for the Stallions, who are hoping to improve their third-place finish in the MBL First Conference last year.

Grimaldo and Gula combined for 18 of 25 third-quarter points of the Stallions of manager Jomar Acuzar, consultant Jinino Manansala and coach Rainier Carpio.

Jethro Mendoza led the Generals with 28 points, including a conference-high eight three-point shots, in the tournament sponsored by Smart Sports, Ironcon Builders, Star Bread, Dickies Underwear and Gerry’s Grill.

Rustan Bugarin added 15 points, highlighted by two in-your-face dunks at the height of the Generals’ comeback.

The Generals, who were handled by coach Bong Melocoton in the absence of head coach Ariel Sison, dropped to 0-5 with still two games left in their schedule.

fered a record prize of P6 million, comprised the P14.5-million racing extravaganza, presented by the MJCI and supported by the Philippine Racing Commission.

“The success of these historic races on our 150th year wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the racing public, the participants and our backers, such as Philracom, Resorts World, City of Dreams and Fundador,” said MJCI President Atty. Alfonso Reyno III. As the birthplace of Philippine horseracing, the Manila Jockey Club was established in 1867 by Gov. General Jose dela Gandara y Navarro and a group of around 100 founding partners, whose members come from prominent Spanish, American and Filipino families of Manila.

In the first leg of the Triple Crown, Sepfourteen, ridden by Guce, found an opportunity to

Jerry Cuapingco (second from left), Chief of Global Premium Marketing, City of Dreams, congratulates Ed Gonzales, owner of Gee Prize, winning horse in the City of Dreams Cup. They are joined by Atty. Alfonso G. Reyno III (left), MJCI President, and Eduardo Ramirez De Arellano (right),VP for Marketing, MJCI.

MLQU five turns back Generals Games Saturday:

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SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Presentors (from left) Atty. Alfonso G. Reyno III, President, MJCI; Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez; Presidential Legal Counsel Sec. Salvador Panelo and Atty.

Alfonso R. Reyno, Jr., Chairman & CEO, MJCI, are shown with SC Stockfarm’s Jojo Velasquez, owner of Hitting Spree, which won the MJC Founder’s Cup.

our subscribers the chance to be right in the action through Globe at Home,” said SVP for Globe Broadband Business, Martha Sazon. “Through our Globe At Home Plans starting at Plan 1299, customers can get access to the NBA League Pass, which lets them watch the games live and enjoy other exclusive benefits.”

There are three easy steps in availing the promo code and enjoying the game right when it happens. When you are subscribed to the Globe At Home plan 1299 and up, here is how you can watch the NBA Finals: Step 1: Go to Globe Broadband NBA Promo Codes and register your name, birthday, and email address (must be the same as the application form details).

The promo code will be will be sent within 48 hours upon receipt of registration.

Step 2: After you receive your promo code, go to NBA League Pass Premium - Globe and choose “Redeem your 30-Day Code” Step 3: First time users can create an account by using your e-mail address or via Facebook, while existing users can sign in using your account. You can then enter your promo code in the promotion box and submit in order to activate your NBA LEAGUE PASS. Those using their laptop or PC can watch the game via Watch NBA, while those using their mobile device can download the NBA app from iTunes or Google Play.

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replays and in-game highlights on-demand on the NBA League Pass, as well as have access to the NBA archives, which has over thousands of hours’ worth of replays from recent seasons, classic games, special features, interviews, and documentaries.

Those who subscribe to Globe Broadband Plan 1299 and up until June 30 have six months of free access to the NBA League Pass. They can also complement this with speeds of up to 10 mbps and 100 GB worth of data allocation per month.

For more information on Globe at Home’s NBA League Pass promo, visit www.globe.com.ph/ broadband/entertainment-packs/ nba, call the hotline at 730-1010, or visit any Globe store.

AFP vows to bounce back in UNTV Cup WE will bounce back for sure.

These were the words spoken by AFP Cavaliers Head Coach Sonny Manucat as his side vows to bounce back in the UNTV Cup Faceoff.

“Many of our officers are affected by what is happening in Mindanao. Most of the time, two of our players are in the conference and came late because of the Marawi incident. We will be completed next Sunday. For sure, 100 percent, we will bounce back,” said Manucat.

The Cavaliers are looking ahead to

league, prepares for each meet at 3:30 p.m. the BOC Transformers led by Bureau Games Sunday (Pasig City Sports Center) ball game in order to extend 2 p.m.-Senate Sentinels vs more help to the Filipinos. of Customs Commissioner, DOJ Justice Boosters “Commitment natin Nicanor Faeldon, at the Pasig 3:30 p.m.-BOC Transformers vs AFP Cavaliers sa mga kasangbahay saka City Sports Arena.

Last Sunday, in a game 5 p.m.-PNP Responders vs Judiciary Magis public service ito so responsibilidad bilang head against the PNP Responders, Commissioner Faeldon made 14 points, 9 re- of office na itaguyod natin yung magandang programa ng UNTV na ihatid itong bounds and 3 steals.

The Bureau of Customs chief, who sup- programa sa ating mga kababayan,” Comports Kuya Daniel Razon’s charity basketball missioner Faeldon said.

Puerto Princesa hosts FIM Asian Motocross tourney SPORTS Tourism Capital Puerto Princesa City hosts Rounds 3 and 4 of the FIM Asian Motocross Championship Series on June 9 to 11.

The annual event, also dubbed “Mayor Luis Marcaida III Cup,” will be be staged at the city’s worldclass motocross race track and is organized by the National Motorcycle Sports and Safety Association (NAMSSA), the

national sporting authority for motorcycle sports in the Philippines.

Also held in collaboration with the City of Puerto Princesa, Asia Brewery, Shakeys, Summit Water, FoilaFly, Globe Telecom and Cobra Energy drink, the event is expected to draw an estimated 60,000 spectators.

National motocross champions from Japan, Indonesia, Guam, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand ,

USA and the Philippines are joining the race for the bragging rights for motocross supremacy in the Asian continent. Asian Categories are Asian Veterans, Asian Junior MX85 and Asian MX2.

Philippine National Motocross Rider of the Year Kenneth San Andres, who finished fifth place overall in Rounds 1 and 2 in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia last March 24 and 25, heads the Philippine

Mayor Marcaida

contingent of young local athletes competing in the

Atty. Alfonso G. Reyno III hands the Resorts World Cup trophy to a representative of Atty. Narciso Morales. At center is Stephen Reilly, RWM CEO.

SC Stockfarm’s Jojo Velasquez (center) raises his trophy after his horse Sepfourteen ruled the 1st leg of the Triple Crown. He is joined by (from left, front row) Philracom Commissioners Ramon Bagatsing, Jr. and Victor Tantoco, Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez, Commissioners Jose Gutierrez Santillan, Jr. and Bienvenido C. Niles, Jr. and Atty. Alfonso G. Reyno III, President, MJCI.

Watch NBA Finals with Globe at Home

THE 2017 NBA Finals is proving itself to be one of the most exciting matchups in recent history, with many anticipating an epic showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors—the first time in NBA history that the same teams are meeting in The Finals for the third consecutive season.

For those who want to watch The Finals in the comfort of their own homes, Globe At Home is offering customers the chance to watch it with the NBA LEAGUE PASS, a subscription service that allows access for live NBA games, complete with multi-game views and high-definition quality.

“The NBA Finals is the most important event in the world of basketball, and we want to give

pull away in the last 400-meters to win by a big margin.

The 30-year-old Guce prodded the three-year-old colt to move past two bets that were trying to outdo each other right from the get go-- Smokin Saturday and Biglang Buhos. Sepfourteen responded and overtook the two, sprinting to the finish line some 20 meters ahead of the pack when it was over. He had a clocking of one minute and 49.2 seconds when Sepfourteen completed the 1,600-meter course.

In the Fundador Cup, Pinagtipunan (Jockey JB Hernandez) of owner Benjamin Abalos III, emerged triumphant, even as Palos (PJA Guce) of owner Atty. Morales, topped the PCSO Cup. Gee Prize (AP Navarosa) of Eduardo Gonzales, on the other hand, rounded out the day’s winners after topping the City of Dreams Cup.

premier Asian MX2 class, as well as the other races in the Round 3 of the NAMSSA Philippine National Motocross Championship.

David Xander Viterbo of Taytay, Rizal, who placed second place overall in Malaysia, will also be seeing action in the Asian Junior MX85 class.

Guam will be represented again by Sean Lipanovich, who won Rounds 1 and 2, while Thailand

will be represented by the 2016 FIM Asian Motocross Championship overall winner, Chaiyan Romphan who placed second overall in Malaysia and will try to regain his lead over his rival Sean Lipanovich.

Riders from various parts of the country are also expected to join the event for their quest for individual supremacy and the trophies with cash prizes up for grabs.

IronKids starts today in Subic BEFORE some of the big names of triathlon slug it out in the Regent 5150, kids aged 6-to14 take center stage as they clash in the Alaska Ironkids Aquathlon II today (Saturday) at the WOW Recreation and Activity Center/Remy Field in Subic Bay. They dispute the titles in the 13-14, 1112, 9-10, and 6-8 categories and spots in the culminating race of the four-stage circuit, the Alaska IronKids Triathlon II slated August in Mactan, Cebu.

The Ironkids serves as the appetizer to the Regent 5150 Triathlon tomorrow (Sunday) where Aussie ace Sam Betten seeks a record three-peat in the men’s pro side.

Also to be disputed in the Alaska Ironkids Aquathlon II are the relay long and short titles with the regular campaigners bracing for a fierce challenge from a slew of newcomers raring to pull off some surprises.

The event, produced and organized by Sunrise Events, Inc. and sponsored by Alaska Milk Corp., also serves as the third of a four-stage Ironkids circuit, which culminates in the Alaska IronKids Triathlon in Mactan, Cebu this August.

All category winners will be given free entry to the Cebu IronKids with free flights and accommodations, all courtesy of Alaska.

The Alaska IronKids, the junior version of the Ironman, is held to promote a well-balanced lifestyle for kids and at the same time serving as a perfect venue for family bonding.

Meanwhile, the third Regent 5150 Triathlon, a 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run event sponsored by the country’s leading snack manufacturing company, will have a record field clashing for top honors in the local version of the world’s largest Olympic distance triathlon series.

For details, visit regent.5150philippines.com.

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

Sports

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

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SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

Fil-Am swimmer dominant LOS BAÑOS—Filipino-American Nicole Oliva made a splashing debut in the Philippine Swim National Championships on Friday, sweeping both of her individual events in contrasting fashion at the Trace Aquatic Sports Complex here.

Oliva capped the day in a riveting three-way battle in the women’s 100-meter backstroke with Bhay Maitland Newberry and Xiandi Chua, emerging with her second gold in as many events with a time of one minute and .04.99 seconds.

She narrowly beat Chua, fresh from a five-week training camp in Xiamen, China, who took the silver (1:06.19) and bronze medalist Newberry (1:06.24) in the meet organized by the Philippine Swimming Inc. and supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission.

“I’m happy with in winning both events, although the conditions are different back in the US,” said Oliva, a rising star in the Santa Clara Swim Club, whose personal best in the event is 1:04.12, as she tried to shrug off jet lag since arriving in Manila last Tuesday.

“Xiandi did a great race and executed what we planned,” noted Chua’s coach and former national team mentor Pinky Brosas. “She swam a good race so I have no complaints.”

“I just faded in the last 15 meters,” lamented Antipolo-based Newberry, who led at the halfway mark but couldn’t keep pace with her rivals.

Wacky Santos also fashioned a close triumph in the men’s 100-meter backstroke in 1:01.29, relegating Aki Carino to the silver (1:02.63) and Miguel Karlo Barlisan (1:02.64), respectively.

Oliva opened her campaign with a splash, ruling the women’s 400-meter freestyle in runaway fashion with a time of 4:29.29, nearly 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Kirsten Chloe Daos (4:39.89). Portia Drago was a distant third (4:47.24).

Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors watches his three-point shot go in as fans react wildly in Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. AFP

Warriors win Game 1, warn best yet to come O

AKLAND—It wasn’t bad enough the Golden State Warriors overwhelmed defending champion Cleveland in winning Thursday’s NBA Finals opener 113-91.

The worse news for the Cavaliers and star playmaker LeBron James was that it wasn’t even the best effort for an undefeated squad whose 13-0 playoff win streak matches the longest in NBA playoff history.

“We could be a lot better than we were tonight, but in the finals, you get the W, we’ll take it,” Warriors forward Kevin Durant said.

Durant scored 38 points on

14-of-26 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and passed off eight assists while Stephen Curry added 28 points, sinking 6-of-11 3-pointers as Golden State dominated Cleveland in almost every area of the game.

The Warriors had 12 steals to none by Cleveland, outscored the Cavaliers 56-30 in the paint and 27-9 on fast breaks. They scored 21 points off 20 Cavaliers turnovers

while making only four giveaways, tying the fewest by any team in any NBA Finals game.

“We feel like we can play much better, especially offensively, just finishing better around the rim,” Curry said. “There were open opportunities that we had because we were moving the ball well and trying to force them into a tough decision on the defensive end.

“The best thing was just our defensive presence and effort for 48 minutes. They’re going to make tough shots, so you’ve got to just keep pressing, sticking to the game plan but focus what’s in front of you.”

The Warriors seized a 1-0 lead

in the best-of-seven series that continues Sunday in Oakland.

While the Warriors are making NBA history as they did last year, they know the feeling will be bittersweet without a title. Last year the Cavaliers made the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, rallying from 3-1 down to take the title.

“We’ve been here before and know there’s a lot of work left to do,” Curry said.

Golden State’s Draymond Green grabbed 11 rebounds and scored nine points while making Cleveland’s Kevin Love work hard for his 15 points and 21 rebounds.

“Overall it was a complete

PH tracksters to train in Japan

By Peter Atencio AT LEAST six tracksters will be brought to Japan by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association to join a Nagasaki training camp that would prepare them for the Tokyo, Olympics.

PATAFA president Philip Ella Juico said they plan to do this at least three months before the 2020 Summer Games begins.

Juico revealed that this will help potential athletes prepare better in their bid to win the

country’s first Olympic gold.

They were given an opportunity to do this following an invitation by Japanese entrepreneur Katsutoshi Shimizu, who informed Juico that he will host Filipino athletes who will train at the Nagasaki Athletics Stadium in Isahaya as part of their buildup.

“It is a very good offer from Mr. Shimizu. I thank Mr. Shimizu for his kind gesture of giving our athletes access to a worldclass facility,” said Juico.

The Japanese businessman

Beermen secure Top 2 finish

frequently visits the country as he is into the shipping and food service business.

Juico explained that while PATAFA will shoulder the air fare and the board and lodging, it will be Shimizu who will take care of the training program.

And this is for Filipino athletes who will make the cut for the Olympics.

The PATAFA is confident that they will be able to send pole vaulter EJ Obiena, along with FilAmerican hurdler Eric Cray to the Tokyo games.

By Jeric Lopez

Huey, pal advance in French Open FIL-AMERICAN Treat Huey stayed in contention in the men’s doubles of the 2017 French Open men’s doubles at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France.

The world no. 38 Huey and men’s doubles partner Dennis Istomin are set to clash with fifth seed Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the second round after prevailing over Robin Haase of France and former partner Dominic Inglot, 7-6 (12-10), 3-6, 6-3, in the first round.

In Huey’s previous doubles sorties, he managed to reach the third round of the French Open back in 2012, 2013 and 2016.

The fifth seeded Murray and Soares earlier repulsed Janko Tapsarevic and Viktor Troacki, 6-3, 7-6

(7-0), to arrange to a fight with Huey and Istomin.

So far, Spanish netters David Marrero and Tommy Robredo have reached the second round after upsetting the top-seeded pair of Henri Kontinen and John Peers, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.

They will meet Scott Lipsky and Leander Paes, who prevailed over Radu Albot and Hyeon Chung, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Huey was not as fortunate in the mixed doubles as he and partner Racquel Attawo took a 6-1, 2-6, 7-10 setback from third seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Edouard Roger-Vaselin in the first round.

Hlavackova and Roger-Vaselin scored on four out of eight receiving points in the final set to keep Huey and Attawo at bay. Peter Atencio

Marcio Lassiter of SMB sprints to the basket and beats GlobalPort’s Terrence Romeo with his first step in a PBA game won by the Beermen, 112-101.

Cavs need heart, fewer mistakes

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers appears helpless during Game 1 of the 2017 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. AFP

STRUGGLING with turnovers and defensive communication, the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers are counting on learning from their mistakes to fight their way back in the NBA Finals.

Powered by 38 points from Kevin Durant and 28 from Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors ripped Cleveland 113-91 in Thursday’s opener of the best-of-seven championship series, aided by 20 Cavaliers turnovers to only four for the hosts.

“A lot of our actions on the defensive end, a lot of our communication, we’re just going to have to dig our feet in and be able to guard the basketball,” Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving said.

“It’s more or less a heart thing, a prideful thing. Going into game two we’ll be a lot more settled in, a lot better on the

team effort,” Green said. “We just tried to make him take tough shots. And he can still hit those shots. So we just got to continue to play great team defense.”

Warriors interim coach Mike Brown, filling in for Steve Kerr while he recovers from complications after back surgery, agrees with his stars that his team did not show its best in ripping the Cavaliers.

“I’m sure they feel like they could play better but we feel like we can shoot better,” Brown said.

“We had some bunnies around the rim we didn’t finish that we normally finish. So that’s one area we can do a better job in. AFP

defensive end. We’ll get better.”

The Cavaliers can level the series by winning game two Sunday before the series shifts to Cleveland for two games next week.

And while the Cavs rallied from 3-1 down to win last year’s crown in the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, it’s not a hole they want to get into again, especially with the Warriors on a 13-0 run to match the NBA’s record playoff long win streak.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” Cavaliers star LeBron James said. “They capitalized.

And we get a couple days to see what they did and see what we did wrong and how we can be better in game two. We know we’re capable of playing a lot better.”

Golden State scored 21 points off Cavaliers turnovers while making only four

giveaways, matching a one-game NBA Finals record low. The speedy Warriors fast break proved more than Cleveland could silence.

“When you turn the ball over, that’s when they become very dangerous because those guys, they sprint down the lane, they sprint to the 3-point line, they put a lot of pressure on your defense,” James said.

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue dubbed the Warriors “the best I ever seen,” but added: “They’re playing good basketball. But we can play better.”

Durant dominated early with dunks when the Cavs tried to silence 3-point sharpshooters, only to have Curry catch fire in a 13-0 run that opened the second half and put Cleveland down double digits for good. AFP

IN A must-win situation, San Miguel Beer once again stepped up to the plate, routing GlobalPort, 112101, to ensure a favorable finish in the penultimate game of the elimination round of the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Charles Rhodes had one of his best games of the tournament, scoring a game-high 34 points, on 13-of-19 shooting, to show the way for the Beermen.

With the win, San Miguel finished at 9-2 and it guaranteed itself with of a Top 2 finish and a twice-tobeat incentive in the quarterfinals.

Now, the Beermen have to wait for the result of the final game of the eliminations to know if they will be No. 1 or No. 2.

Barangay Ginebra (8-2) is looking to finish as the top seed as it is currently battling Mahindra (3-7) as of this report.

A fourth straight victory for the Gin Kings will earn them the top seed and a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinals.

If it loses, it will fall to No. 3 and Star and San Miguel will be No. 1 and 2 with the Beermen being the top seed.

Despite the loss, all is not lost for GlobalPort as it will still have the chance to make the quarters.

The Batang Pier will now figure in a playoff for the No. 8 seed and the last ticket in the next phase against either Alaska or Phoenix, depending on the result of the final game as well, tomorrow.

Knowing the importance of the game, the Beermen came out swinging. They started the game on a 12-0 blast to take control right away.

From there, they methodically handled the Batang Pier and led by double-digits for most of the way before sealing the victory.

Justin Harper led GlobalPort with 25 points.

The quarterfinals start on Monday.

CEB adds flights to HK, Cebu and Davao

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Business

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

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SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

Ongpin completes divestment

By Jenniffer B. Austria

B

USINESSMAN Roberto Ongpin on Friday completed his divestment from PhilWeb Corp., a gaming company listed in the stock exchange.

PhilWeb said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Ongpin sold 118.5 million shares in the company to Gregorio Araneta III Holdings Inc. of businessman Gregorio Araneta at a price of P2.60 per share. The transaction represented the second and final tranche of the sale of Ongpin’s full holdings to GA Inc. GA Inc now owns 54.75 percent of PhilWeb. “The two transactions selling Mr. Ongpin’s shares to GA Inc. mark the culmination of the exit of Mr. Ongpin from the company,

a process started last August 4, 2016 when he resigned as chairman, continued as he negotiated a sale of his entire shareholdings in the company to Mr. Araneta, and which were concluded today with the completion of the second and final tranche of the sale,” PhilWeb said.

Ongpin was forced to sell his Philippine gaming assets after President Rodrigo Duterte targeted him in a crackdown on online gaming.

Meanwhile, PhilWeb said the entry of Araneta into PhilWeb

Ongpin marked a new beginning for the company.

“On behalf of the board of directors of PhilWeb, I would like to thank Mr. Ongpin for his un-

paralleled contributions to the company since its inception on January 18, 2000. Over the past 17 years, WEB consistently delivered value to all its shareholders, and it was under Mr. Ongpin’s stewardship that the company became the largest and most profitable provider of IT technology in the country,” Araneta said.

“We expect to rebuild PhilWeb’s revenues by renewing our efforts in gaming services and increasing our focus into other areas in gaming,” he added.

GA Inc. is a company founded in 1931 to manage the business interests of renowned lawyer Don Gregorio Araneta. Today, the company is headed by the founder’s grandson and namesake, Gregorio Araneta III. GA Inc. is a holding company engaged in real estate, transportation, telecommunication, secu-

rity and protection services, environmental protection and other businesses.

Its projects include the largest solar energy farm in the country, a 132.5-megawatt facility in Cadiz, Negros Occidental, a joint venture with the solar energy firm Soleq.

Ongpin, who was named by President Duterte as one of the oligarchs in the country that his administration wanted to destroy, decided to sell its entire stake in PhilWeb to Araneta for P2 billion, after the state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. rejected all his offers just to have the gaming license of the company renewed.

PhilWeb’s gaming license expired in August, resulting in the closure of 286 operating e-Games cafes across the country, majority of which are owned and operated by independent operators.

BSP: Hot money up on bullish investors

Cebu Landmasters gains in mart debut SHARE price of Cebu Landmasters Inc. rose 3.2 percent in its debut at the Philippine Stock Exchange, as the company plans to aggressively acquire properties in Visayas and Mindanao to support expansion plans.

Cebu Landmasters chairman Jose Soberano III in an interview following the listing ceremony the company planned to double its current land bank of 60 hectares using proceeds from the initial public offering.

“We are finalizing the acquisition of more land to double our landbank. These properties are located in Bacolod, Dumaguete, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Cebu,” Soberano said.

The company also plans to increase over the next five years the share of the recurring business to total revenues to 20 percent from the current five percent.

Jenniffer B. Austria

Increased Napocor universal charge STATE-OWNED National Power Corp. asked the Energy Regulatory Commission to approve a petition to collect P13.3 billion from the universal charge for missionary electrification, or UCME, that will bring the UCME rate to P0.1530 per kilowatt-hour.

Napocor’s petition is expected to push up power rates again.

The proposed basic universal charge for missionary electrification for 2018 of P0.1530 per kWh will result in an increase of P0.035 per kWh in the UCME rate of P0.1163 per kWh. The UCME is collected from all power users around the country.

Napocor said the proposed basic UCME rate of P0.1530 per kWh was necessary in order to cover requirements to maintain reliable and stable funding source for its operating costs, including sufficient subsidy payment to generators and developers. Alena Mae Flores

By Julito G. Rada FOREIGN portfolio investments or hot money from May 15 to 19 posted a net inflow of $181 million, higher than $123 million a year ago, as foreign fund managers remained bullish on the country’s macroeconomic fundamentals, data from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Friday show.

Total inflows for the period reached $437.92 million, offsetting gross outflows of $256.86 million. The figure brought hot money since the start of the year to a net outflow of $400.84 million, significantly higher than the net outflow of $77.65 million a year ago.

Foreign portfolio investments are overseas funds that are temporarily invested in local stocks, government securities and money market. These are also called “hot money” because of the ease they are invested in and taken out of the local markets.

Hot money in April posted a net inflow of $51.49 million, a reversal of the net outflows of $354 million a year ago and $459.86 million a month ago.

Bangko Sentral attributed the turnaround as a positive reaction to the recent World Bank view that the Philippine economy would continue to be a top performer in the region.

The World Bank in mid April said the Philippine economy had the potential to expand by close to 7 percent in the next three years and remained one of the top performers in the region.

IN BRIEF

MARKET DEBUT. Shares of Cebu-based real estate developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. are listed at the Philippine Stock Exchange Friday.

Shown during the listing ceremony are (from left) CLI director Aurora Geotina-Garcia; CLI marketing manager Janelle Mae Soberano; Jose Gabrielle Soberano; CLI vice president and marketing director Joanna Marie Soberano-Bergundthal; SLI senior VP and chief operating officer Jose Franco Soberano; CLI executive VP and treasurer Ma. Rosario Soberano; CLI chairman and president and CEO Jose Soberano III; PSE chairman Jose Pardo; PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon; PSE firector Ma. Vivian Yuchengco; PSE chief operating officer Roel Refran; PSE treasurer Omelita Tiangco and PSE director Alejandro Yu.

Corporate gifts now a thriving industry in PH

By Othel V. Campos THE country’s corporate gifting industry expects negotiated sales to breach P80 billion in the last Corporate Giveaway Exposition in 2016.

Corporate Giveaway organizer World Expos and Concepts Inc. general manager Racquel Romero said the company attracted new brands and new concepts as the annual event pushed on its 20th year.

“People see us as an alternative to billboards and other mar-

Manufacturing grew 12%—Moody’s report THE manufacturing sector likely grew faster at 12 percent in April over the 11.1 percent expansion a month ago, driven mainly by increasing demand for locally-manufactured products overseas, Moody’s Analytics, a unit of Moody’s Corp., said in a report Friday. “... The archipelago’s manufacturing sector has received a boost in recent months from the uptick in global demand. In particular, this should boost electronics manufacturers,” Moody’s said.

“Domestic demand continues to be the main driver of production growth though, as rising incomes fuel consumer spending. Infrastructure projects, both public and private, are supporting industrial production,” it said.

The manufacturing sector in March grew 11.1 percent, faster than 8.2 percent a year ago, due to the increased production in petroleum products, food and transport equipment.

Government data showed the Value of Production (VaPI) rose 12.2 percent in March 2017 from 0.8 percent during the same period in the previous year.

“We must continue to foster a competitive and innovative environment to help the manufacturing sector realize its full potential as a growth driver,” National Economic and Development Authority officer-in-charge and Undersecretary Rolando Tungpalan said in a statement.

“The sector is expected to benefit from the sustained growth economic momentum and increasing infrastructure and human capital investments. It can also benefit from the country’s ‘BBB-’ or ‘good quality rating’ with a positive outlook for both foreign and local currency denominated obligations,” he said. Julito G. Rada

keting devices with a twist on functionality and usability of the gifts of products,” she said in a briefing Friday.

Industry estimates show the cost of doing advertising in the Philippines could reach $1.85 billion, with digital media accounting for $345 million. Total media advertising, meanwhile, may rise 4 percent The sector, including institutional suppliers, is worth more than P100 billion.

The industry noted that about 89 percent of consumers who

INNOVATION AGENDA.

Leaders from the business community, including the Ayala Group, academe and government attend the Inclusive Innovation Conference 2017 on May 31 to June 1. Ayala Corp. president and chief operating officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala reiterates the impetus to innovate for competitiveness and inclusive development.

received promotional items had brand recall.

About 50 percent of the consumers keeps the product for an average of three years while 50 percent uses it at least once a week.

In addition, 85 percent of those who received the products get into business with the company that gave the product.

For the 2017 expo, the event expects 106 exhibitors to participate from 91 in 2016.

Novelty gifts like mugs, notebook, pens and umbrellas, among others, still comprise the

bulk of gifts at 40 percent.

Trending this year are tech giveaways as well as eco-friendly products.

The Corporate Giveaways Expo 2017 will run from June 13 to June 15, 2017.

Romero noted that corporate gifting had been a traditional practiice among companies and other institutions.

“It is growing at a pace that will make it one of the top events in the country as well as a reliable destination for corporate gifts and gifts seekers,” she said

GMA, ABS-CBN claim higher ratings GMA Network Inc. and ABS-CBN Corp. on Friday both claimed higher television ratings nationwide in May. Based on Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, the Gozon-led broadcasting company posted a nationwide audience share of 42.5 percent in May, beating ABSCBN’s 36.7 percent.

GMA also sustained its dominance in Urban Luzon, which accounts for 77 percent of the total urban TV household population in the country, garnering 49.8 percent versus ABS-CBN’s 30.5 percent.

ABS-CBN, meanwhile, widened its ratings lead over rival TV stations nationwide in May as it recorded an average audience share of 46 percent, 12 points higher than GMA’s 34 percent, according to data from Kantar Media.

The network said half of the country’s households also tuned in to its primetime block, which garnered an average audience share of 50 percent, a solid 17-point lead over GMA’s 33 percent. Darwin G. Amojelar

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Friday, June 2, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

Japan

Yen

0.008981

0.4471

UK

Pound

1.288300

64.1329

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128350

6.3894

Switzerland

Franc

1.029442

51.2467

Canada

Dollar

0.740028

36.8393

Singapore

Dollar

0.721605

35.9222

Australia

Dollar

0.737200

36.6986

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654491

132.1432

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266688

13.2760

Brunei

Dollar

0.719011

35.7931

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

0.029293

1.4582

UAE

Dirham 0.272309

13.5558

Euro

Euro

1.121500

55.8294

Korea

Won

0.000892

0.0444

China

Yuan

0.146925

7.3141

India

Rupee

0.015519

0.7726

Malaysia

Ringgit 0.233318

New Zealand Dollar

0.705800

Taiwan

0.033233

Dollar

49.7810

11.6148 35.1354 1.6544 Source: PDS Bridge

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Business

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market slips; casino stocks fall

T

HE stock market retreated Friday on bargain hunting after surging Thursday, ignoring gains in the region.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 19.83 points, or 0.2 percent, to 7,907.66 on a value turnover of P13.3 billion.

Share prices of gaming stocks dropped on knee-jerk reaction to the attack at Resorts World Manila, the integrated gaming and resort development of Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan. A masked gunman set fire to a gaming room at a casino in Resorts World, igniting a toxic blaze that killed 36 people, authorities said, but they insisted it was not a terrorist attack.

The victims suffocated inside one of the main gambling venues of Resorts World Manila, while dozens of other people were injured in a panicked crush to escape, police said.

Shares of Travellers slumped nearly eight percent to P3.13 from the previous day’s close of P3.40.

Bloomberry Resorts Corp., which operates Solaire Resorts and Casino, and Melco Resorts and Entertainment, which runs City of Dreams Manila, dropped 5.6 percent and 4.2 percent, respectively.

Analysts said the decline in other gaming stock was just a

knee-jerk reaction to the attack.

“The other gaming stocks were also victims of Resorts World Manila incident. Several investors are worried about the short term dragged to the gaming industry,” Astro del Castillo, managing director of First Grade Finance Inc. “Some are also speculating that patrons in the casino industry may shy away for now given the tragic incident,” he added.

The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing casino hubs in Asia, after Macau and Singapore.

The rest of Asian markets headed into the weekend with another round of gains Friday, following a record close for all three major New York indexes as traders welcomed a forecastbusting jobs reading.

But oil retreated on concerns

of a ramp-up in fossil-fuel production following Donald Trump’s controversial decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement, though there was little major impact on equity markets.

While there are concerns about the future of Trump’s economic agenda, strong data have taken the front seat in driving global equity gains in recent weeks, pushing them to multi-year highs.

Tokyo ended up 1.6 percent, breaking the 20,000 mark for the first time since December 2015 as the jobs data lifted the dollar against the yen, boosting exporters. Hong Kong added 0.4 percent, while Sydney put on 0.9 percent and Seoul gained 1.2 percent.

Singapore, Wellington and

Taipei also posted healthy gains while Shanghai edged up 0.1 percent.

Energy-related firms were barely affected by the decision to leave the Paris agreement.

And the advance was given a bump Thursday when payrolls firm ADP said the world’s biggest economy created more than a quarter of a million jobs in May, far more than expected and boosting hopes for government figures due later in the day.

With AFP

The daily quotation report of the Philippine Stock Exchange for June 2, 2017 is not available as of press time.

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017

NAME

OPEN

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIAL 4.03 65,000 49.8 62,300 106.5 729,700 4.1 4,000 123 3,015,550 1.46 99,000 37 420,200 10 400 16.06 72,200 26.9 1,929,800 7.76 9,100 1.7 66,000 0.81 70,294,000 88.4 1,860,410 0.8 891,000 15.4 21,700 25.5 8,100 69.85 1,646,780 241 240 108.3 180 89.5 390 65.25 466,140 221 973,660 1,650 10 84.55 112,790 1.22 145,000

257,210 3,101,620 77,428,977 16,290 370,744,237 141,140 15,559,060 4,000 1,160,112 51,098,215 70,616 106,160 56,321,600 164,335,932.50 710,460 334,382 206,550 114,149,979 57,150 19,644 34,905 30,428,566 213,476,580 16,500 9,535,520 176,550

4,050 2,713,975.00 32,813,598 42,909,552 -4,022,075 -1095886.0002 10,636,400 -397,050 34,249,503 15,400 -27,737,849.50 -1,423,045 53,498,012 -482,565.50 -

39.2 7.59 0.82 1.75 30 0.25 7.56 17.6 170 22.9 14.4 71.2 85.1 1.95 5.4 11.56 12.44 15.68 9.85 6.83 6.02 1.72 18.82 69.95 13.42 14.68 10.18 1.8 204.6 70.95 4.12 3.47 23 32 18.92 19 273.4 6.2 3.3 10.66 3.87 10 1.96 9.63 2.02 66.1 6.1 296.6 4.67 4.24 13 5.17 0.15 1.37 158.2 4.1 2.08 1.15

INDUSTRIAL 39.4 2,112,100 7.83 3,652,500 0.83 700,000 1.85 8,574,000 30.45 2,044,700 0.265 47,720,000 7.65 5,081,500 17.9 2,925,300 170 50 23.1 464,800 14.42 4,700 74.85 1,360 85.1 80 1.96 328,000 5.4 96,000 11.84 7,900 12.48 8,916,600 15.98 19,361,200 10 5,381,600 7 5,847,200 6.06 17,004,900 1.72 1,000 18.96 1,803,300 71.45 76,470 13.5 19,700 14.78 208,400 10.28 848,400 1.82 1,472,000 216 1,770,280 70.95 10 4.24 432,000 3.68 44,000 24.95 9,400 32.55 1,281,800 19.64 2,495,800 19.28 940,900 274.2 141,680 6.2 69,400 3.3 285,000 11.08 15,595,100 4.06 269,000 10.1 12,600 2 7,536,000 9.83 1,408,400 2.06 557,000 67.45 1,239,150 6.15 1,964,000 296.8 2,920 4.7 12,000 4.68 491,000 13.56 956,900 5.42 311,200 0.151 8,000,000 1.38 38,000 159.6 3,435,830 4.24 9,000 2.1 19,344,000 1.15 996,000

83,190,120 28,117,979 583,020 15,840,400 63,581,740 12,505,350 38,871,052 52,097,110 8,500 10,699,765 67,722 97,460 6,808 644,180 524,906 91,696 111,167,114 308,424,068 53,708,719 40,899,188 102,901,163 1,720 34,245,228 5,408,028.50 265,574 3,079,302 8,701,002 2,696,900 378,449,284 709.5 1,802,760 157,600 222,210 41,725,630 48,630,336 17,911,600 38,843,708 430,280 968,210 170,953,476 1,074,390 131,688 14,988,230 13,704,019 1,137,550 83,189,442.50 12,044,791 867,548 56,310 2,264,710 12,874,300 1,667,854 1,213,890 52,740 548,622,970 37,580 41,184,180 1,165,940

-22127779.9996 1,381,122 -102,000 707,395 102,000 15,003,661 -3,250,328 -5,999,760 86,380 1,184 -22,023,010 3,711,210 -20,081,776 -2,532,681 42,370,399 -1,642,054 -117,077.50 -2,634,678 1,215,492 117,518,472 29,210 18,340 16,551,075.00 -4,773,350 -1,589,422 5,457,236 -71,430 11,648,576 -51,340 573,519 -4,621,625.50 -9,540,804 -128,140 10,172,860 91,845 -30,600 -117,758,660 1,376,200 -

0.4 76.25 15.42 1.26 6.09 0.36 0.36 876.5 8.25 13.44 7.65 0.22 1,191 7.89 83 1.17 7.35 16.2 0.4 6.44 3.24 0.059 1.05 2.03 2.49 107.5 2.79 784 0.87 1.42 307.4 0.29 0.235 0.246

0.375 75.7 15.22 1.15 6.08 0.335 0.34 869 8.18 13.38 7.55 0.207 1,150 7.5 78.9 1.11 7.08 15.9 0.4 6.25 3.24 0.057 0.93 2.03 2.49 105.3 2.7 770 0.87 1.38 305 0.285 0.211 0.244

HOLDING FIRMS 0.39 21,880,000 76 1,205,390 15.32 6,717,800 1.21 1,564,000 6.08 7,300 0.36 7,020,000 0.36 200,000 873 676,820 8.18 2,582,000 13.42 12,879,400 7.58 53,200 0.219 2,330,000 1,162 494,525 7.5 236,300 80.9 2,287,030 1.13 10,319,000 7.35 1,057,800 16 349,300 0.4 170,000 6.42 46,493,700 3.24 4,000 0.059 53,490,000 1.05 33,000 2.03 75,000 2.49 9,000 106 143,800 2.72 42,000 783.5 507,190 0.87 10,000 1.38 403,000 306.4 3,340 0.29 220,000 0.233 2,580,000 0.246 1,230,000

8,500,800 91,594,833.50 102,823,440 1,911,210 44,434 2,419,200 68,950 591,615,815 21,215,877 172,785,000 402,033 503,900 574,827,650 1,787,328 184,444,543 11,612,960 7,644,493 5,584,958 68,000 296,133,053 12,960 3,119,270 32,100 152,250 22,410 15,265,094 114,040 395,890,225 8,700 560,440 1,020,766 63,350 589,880 301,520

38,500 33,441,873 19,371,448 -81,865,470 -5,356,216 60,644,458 94,760 -98,878,160 46,003,637.0002) -87,488 -710,636 -36,002,284 -5,398,272 -108,509,745 27,700.00 -6,148 -11,350 117,120

6.29 1.22 6.8 2.4 1.28 40.7 4.25 5.32 0.55 1.15 1.54 0.167 0.53 49.15 0.7 0.161 1.7 1.11 1.06 4.12 4.74 0.35 0.405 0.76 3.95

6.25 1.18 6.8 2.33 1.26 39.5 4.09 5.28 0.53 1.11 1.4 0.161 0.51 48 0.69 0.156 1.67 1.09 1.02 4.12 4.67 0.32 0.37 0.72 3.85

2,514,754 9,263,530 1,360 1,112,660 5,364,340 857,728,680 13,974,110 28,062 17,761,410 134,780 512,520 2,957,970 1,299,000 16,420,660 5,677,940 250,780 19,168,850 7,619,960 483,860 16,480 211,185,950 58,721,150 3,904,600 33,146,100 2,165,470

2, 215,409.0002) 127,950 602,330 -32,328,480 935,480 -4,118,840 34,100 55,275 -5,230,200 16,000 13,817,320 -22,580,150 226,650 -406,800 88,800 -385,000

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE 4.07 ASIA UNITED 49.8 BANK PH ISLANDS 105.3 BDO LEASING 4.14 BDO UNIBANK 122.5 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.46 CHINABANK 37 CITYSTATE BANK 10 COL FINANCIAL 16.12 EAST WEST BANK 25.7 FILIPINO FUND 7.76 IREMIT 1.61 MEDCO HLDG 0.76 METROBANK 87.35 NTL REINSURANCE 0.78 PB BANK 15.42 PBCOM 25.5 PHIL NATL BANK 68.1 PHIL STOCK EXCH 238 PHILTRUST 113.7 PSBANK 89.5 RCBC 64.1 SECURITY BANK 217.6 SUN LIFE 1,650 UNION BANK 85 VANTAGE 1.19

4.07 49.8 106.5 4.14 123.3 1.46 37.25 10 16.12 26.9 7.76 1.7 0.83 88.95 0.81 15.44 25.5 69.85 241 113.7 89.5 66 222 1,650 85 1.3

3.85 49.6 105.3 3.93 122.4 1.42 37 10 16.04 25.7 7.76 1.6 0.76 86.5 0.78 15.4 25.5 67.95 238 108.1 89.5 64.1 215.2 1,650 84.2 1.19

ABOITIZ POWER 39.3 AGRINURTURE 7.61 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.83 ALSONS CONS 1.75 ASIABEST GROUP 30 BASIC ENERGY 0.26 CEMEX HLDG 7.61 CENTURY FOOD 17.8 CHEMPHIL 170 CIRTEK HLDG 22.95 CNTRL AZUCARERA14.42 CONCEPCION 75 CONCRETE B 85.1 CROWN ASIA 1.96 DAVINCI CAPITAL 5.4 DEL MONTE 11.84 DNL INDUS 12.5 EAGLE CEMENT 15.7 EEI CORP 9.85 EMPERADOR 6.83 ENERGY DEVT 6.04 EUROMED 1.72 FIRST GEN 19.02 FIRST PHIL HLDG 70 GINEBRA 13.5 HOLCIM 14.7 INTEGRATED MICR 10.26 IONICS 1.8 JOLLIBEE 204.6 LIBERTY FLOUR 70.95 LMG CHEMICALS 4.19 MABUHAY VINYL 3.64 MACAY HLDG 23.6 MANILA WATER 32 MAXS GROUP 18.92 MEGAWIDE 19 MERALCO 274 PANASONIC 6.2 PEPSI COLA 3.55 PETRON 10.8 PHIL H2O 3.87 PHINMA 10.52 PHINMA ENERGY 2.03 PHX PETROLEUM 9.7 PHX SEMICNDCTR 2.06 PILIPINAS SHELL 66.1 PRYCE CORP 6.15 PUREFOODS 298 RFM CORP 4.7 ROXAS HLDG 4.55 SHAKEYS PIZZA 13.1 SPC POWER 5.6 SWIFT FOODS 0.15 TKC METALS 1.38 UNIV ROBINA 162 VICTORIAS 4.1 VITARICH 2.22 VULCAN INDL 1.2

39.6 7.83 0.84 1.9 33.45 0.275 7.74 17.9 170 23.1 14.5 75 85.1 1.97 5.53 11.84 12.5 16.04 10.1 7.05 6.06 1.72 19.22 71.45 13.56 14.84 10.3 1.86 219.6 70.95 4.24 3.68 24.95 32.75 19.8 19.36 275 6.2 3.55 11.18 4.08 10.52 2.03 9.86 2.07 67.7 6.35 298 4.7 4.72 13.56 5.6 0.154 1.4 162.5 4.26 2.23 1.2

ABACORE CAPITAL 0.375 ABOITIZ EQUITY 76.25 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 15.42 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 1.2 ANSCOR 6.09 ATN HLDG A 0.35 ATN HLDG B 0.34 AYALA CORP 874 COSCO CAPITAL 8.24 DMCI HLDG 13.44 FILINVEST DEV 7.55 FORUM PACIFIC 0.207 GT CAPITAL 1,186 HOUSE OF INV 7.6 JG SUMMIT 79.65 LODESTAR 1.17 LOPEZ HLDG 7.2 LT GROUP 15.98 MABUHAY HLDG 0.4 METRO PAC INV 6.27 MJC INVESTMENTS 3.24 PACIFICA 0.058 PRIME MEDIA 0.93 PRIME ORION 2.03 REPUBLIC GLASS 2.49 SAN MIGUEL CORP 107.4 SEAFRONT RES 2.74 SM INVESTMENTS 770 SOC RESOURCES 0.87 SOLID GROUP 1.39 TOP FRONTIER 307.2 UNIOIL HLDG 0.285 WELLEX INDUS 0.23 ZEUS HLDG 0.244 8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND 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 PRIMEX CORP

6.29 1.2 6.8 2.37 1.27 39.5 4.14 5.28 0.53 1.14 1.45 0.161 0.51 48.5 0.69 0.161 1.7 1.1 1.03 4.12 4.7 0.335 0.38 0.74 3.95

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

PTFC REDEV CORP 28.5 ROBINSONS LAND 24.8 ROCKWELL 1.75 SHANG PROP 3.25 SM PRIME HLDG 33.5 STA LUCIA LAND 1.03 STARMALLS 7.25 SUNTRUST HOME 0.93 VISTA LAND 5.53

28.5 25.25 1.76 3.28 34.35 1.03 7.25 0.93 5.57

28.5 24.8 1.71 3.25 33.15 1.01 7.25 0.89 5.47

28.5 25 1.75 3.28 33.75 1.01 7.25 0.89 5.57

300 1,491,300 914,000 5,000 14,466,600 1,838,000 200 18,000 4,732,400

8,550 37,320,005 1,575,300 16,280 487,719,985 1,863,840 1,450 16,560 26,175,978

-14,990,330 68,800 -3,280 -34,939,080 -1,242,004

2GO GROUP 29.05 ABS CBN 43 ACESITE HOTEL 2.1 APC GROUP 0.51 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.045 ASIAN TERMINALS 11 BLOOMBERRY 9.49 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.086 CALATA CORP 2.17 CEBU AIR 101 DFNN INC 8.5 DISCOVERY WORLD 2.34 EASYCALL 3.3 FAR EASTERN U 1,000 GLOBE TELECOM 2,096 GMA NETWORK 6.06 GOLDEN HAVEN 15.94 GRAND PLAZA 13.16 2.9 HARBOR STAR IMPERIAL 3.5 INTL CONTAINER 100 IPM HLDG 8.94 ISLAND INFO 0.182 ISM COMM 1.34 JACKSTONES 3.68 LBC EXPRESS 16.9 LEISURE AND RES 3.94 MACROASIA 4.45 MANILA JOCKEY 2.25 MELCO RESORTS 9.82 METRO RETAIL 3.69 MLA BRDCASTING 15.6 NOW CORP 2.6 PACIFIC ONLINE 11.6 PAL HLDG 5.31 PAXYS 2.98 PHIL RACING 8.22 PHIL SEVEN CORP 169.8 PHILWEB 10.62 PLDT 1,736 PREMIUM LEISURE 1.61 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.39 PUREGOLD 43.4 ROBINSONS RTL 85.8 SBS PHIL CORP 6 SSI GROUP 2.67 STI HLDG 1.14 TRAVELLERS 3.4 WATERFRONT 0.88 WILCON DEPOT 5.75

30.9 43 2.3 0.52 0.046 11.08 9.85 0.089 2.24 101.3 8.74 2.34 3.3 1,000 2,170 6.08 16.3 13.16 2.91 3.68 102 8.94 0.184 1.34 3.87 16.9 3.99 4.48 2.32 10.1 3.71 15.6 2.64 11.6 5.31 2.98 8.22 170 11.6 1,818 1.61 0.395 45.25 88.1 6 2.72 1.16 3.42 1.03 6.27

27.2 42.65 2 0.51 0.044 11 9.36 0.086 2.15 99.7 8.5 2.31 3.3 1,000 2,068 6.06 15.94 13.16 2.84 3.48 100 8.9 0.182 1.33 3.5 16.4 3.92 4.41 2.25 9.78 3.65 15.6 2.59 11.58 5.29 2.98 8.22 168.9 10.62 1,736 1.58 0.39 43 85.8 5.75 2.65 1.13 3.37 0.84 5.75

SERVICES 27.25 3,340,100 43 27,500 2.29 3,672,000 0.52 2,875,000 0.045 32,900,000 11.08 9,600 9.85 14,876,600 0.087 26,740,000 2.18 3,426,000 100.1 180,660 8.74 234,300 2.32 12,000 3.3 1,000 1,000 20 2,160 114,970 6.07 251,700 16.3 25,900 13.16 500 2.85 2,436,000 3.48 80,000 102 2,446,310 8.93 320,000 0.183 3,120,000 1.33 183,000 3.7 1,207,000 16.44 72,900 3.98 786,000 4.48 343,000 2.32 16,000 10.1 6,480,800 3.65 2,673,000 15.6 1,000 2.64 1,773,000 11.58 10,000 5.29 23,900 2.98 5,000 8.22 2,300 168.9 2,330 11.42 7,708,300 1,816 319,075 1.61 12,636,000 0.395 490,000 45.2 4,049,500 88 1,948,160 5.98 309,700 2.71 9,518,000 1.16 19,659,000 3.4 731,000 1.02 84,218,000 6.2 56,495,300

95,472,935 1,179,420 8,081,870 1,466,290 1,467,100 106,168 143,153,154 2,334,200 7,504,890 18,049,680 2,017,281 27,890 3,300 20,000 246,737,920 1,528,081 419,908 6,580 6,973,830 280,820 249,170,940 2,856,750 570,500 243,910 4,405,290 1,198,686 3,120,800 1,530,680 36,480 64,513,483 9,790,450 15,600 4,638,200 115,900 126,702 14,900 18,906 395,610 85,869,156 571,546,310 20,178,060 191,850 180,668,735 170,738,922.50 1,851,915 25,711,110 22,600,360 2,475,590 81,177,810 343,903,512

-2,311,790 21,930 -4,500 -43,173,965 415,200 -4,614,147 67,826,570 57,200 3,480 37,312,857 302,494 3,930 -441,480 -13,547,878 1,696,270 528,200 14,900 140,934 -9,039,566 261,536,440 1,402,090 34,777,020 61,587,662.50 -14,596,750 1,188,080.00 10,240 -1,526,540 92,125,878

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

0.0032 1.68 5 13.38 1.97 0.84 0.4 10.2 2.45 0.3 0.186 0.191 0.011 0.011 1.71 6.3 2.15 0.47 0.97 0.01 0.011 5.8 0.012 8.98 3.2 158 2.6 0.0085

0.0032 1.73 5.11 14 2.2 0.84 0.4 10.7 2.45 0.3 0.188 0.195 0.011 0.011 1.73 6.32 2.2 0.47 0.99 0.011 0.011 6.11 0.013 9 3.28 159.8 2.61 0.0085

0.0032 1.68 5 13 1.97 0.83 0.395 9.6 2.4 0.29 0.184 0.191 0.011 0.011 1.68 6.06 2.14 0.47 0.97 0.01 0.011 5.79 0.012 8.96 3.2 157.7 2.6 0.0085

MINING & OIL 0.0032 164,000,000 1.71 9,145,000 5.01 4,700 14 17,100 2.2 4,000 0.83 558,000 0.4 620,000 10.14 145,500 2.43 3,061,000 0.3 2,120,000 0.187 11,950,000 0.195 530,000 0.011 1,100,000 0.011 100,000 1.7 398,000 6.08 4,032,400 2.2 165,000 0.47 190,000 0.99 126,000 0.011 43,800,000 0.011 800,000 6.09 303,300 0.012 23,600,000 9 610,600 3.28 513,000 157.9 889,560 2.6 31,000 0.0085 2,000,000

524,800 15,592,010 23,544 230,832 8,140 463,240 245,500 1,446,884 7,392,950 620,300 2,215,980 102,470 12,100 1,100 679,930 24,672,921 354,280 89,300 122,240 457,800 8,800 1,800,848 283,300 5,492,035 1,654,590 140,641,870 80,750 17,000

1,805,200 -20,460 753,950 -29,000.00 -51,600 -5,980,611 1,300 675,997 -327,320 21,763,659 10,440 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

42 514 520 106 104.5 112.5 114 513 5.83 1,005 1,023 1.1 109.5 1,025 1,012 104.1 77.3 76.7 80 78.5 79.25

42.5 514 520 106 105 112.5 114.1 513 5.83 1,006 1,023 1.1 109.5 1,025 1,012 104.5 77.75 76.7 80 78.5 79.25

42 514 520 106 104.1 112.5 114 513 5.82 1,005 1,022 1.09 109.5 1,025 1,012 104.1 77.3 76.2 80 78.5 79.25

PREFERRED 42.5 205,500 514 20 520 1,010 106 54,000 104.3 5,880 112.5 10 114.1 8,300 513 500 5.82 177,500 1,006 1,550 1,022 300 1.09 10,000 109.5 20 1,025 100 1,012 115 104.5 8,130 77.75 50 76.2 10,300 80 3,600 78.5 20,300 79.25 34,950

8,698,450 10,280 525,200 5,724,000 612,350 1,125 946,780 256,500 1,034,652 1,559,000 306,780 10,990 2,190 102,500 116,380 849,357 3,869.50 786,310 288,000 1,593,550 2,769,787.50

850,000 -399,773 -732,620 -

LR WARRANT

2.17

2.23

2.15

WARRANTS 2.16 501,000

1,085,330

-

4.15 2.93 6.17 8.23

4 2.93 5.98 8.06

SME 4.04 2.93 6.1 8.1

4,442,670 20,510 2,166,334 16,551,125

200,900 4,864 -2,111,432

131.5

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 129.9 131.5 6,670

872,876

-

20,031

-

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 6.25 401,300 1.22 7,716,000 6.8 200 2.4 472,000 1.26 4,231,000 40.55 21,266,800 4.22 3,352,000 5.3 5,300 0.54 33,012,000 1.15 120,000 1.45 349,000 0.164 17,930,000 0.53 2,496,000 48.7 336,000 0.69 8,221,000 0.16 1,570,000 1.69 11,409,000 1.1 6,937,000 1.03 471,000 4.12 4,000 4.69 44,901,000 0.345 175,690,000 0.405 9,840,000 0.74 44,843,000 3.85 556,000

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.15 2.93 6.15 8.1

FIRST METRO ETF 129.9

1,105,000 7,000 359,600 2,030,100

DDS USD DMPL A1

10.02

TRADING SUMMARY

10.02

SHARES

FINANCIAL

82,896,174

INDUSTRIAL

204,334,570

HOLDING FIRMS

197,612,880

PROPERTY

421,374,861

SERVICES

313,687,293

MINING & OIL

271,184,341

GRAND TOTAL

1,494,599,083

10

10

2,000

VALUE 1,957.25 (up) 17.48 1,109,549,155.91 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,143.20 (up) 81.92 2,417,861,294.165 HOLDING FIRMS 7,876.08 (up) 50.47 2,714,231,659.002 PROPERTY 3,693.14 (up) 45.37 1,726.81 (up) 51.92 1,893,383,698.105 SERVICES MINING & OIL 12,411.01 (down) 63.01 2,582,724,951.47 PSEI 7,927.49 (up) 90.37 205,271,922.664 All Shares Index 4,730.32 (up) 44.82 10,947,081,299.77 Gainers: 127; Losers: 82; Unchanged: 49; Total: 258

CEB adds flights to HK, Cebu and Davao

By Darwin G. Amojelar CEBU Pacific Air on Friday said it raised the frequency and capacity of its flights to Cebu, Davao and Hong Kong, upgrading the aircraft from an Airbus A320 to an A330.

The airliine, owned by the Gokongwei Group, said it would increase frequency of its Manila-Hong Kong route by 50 percent, resulting in thrice-a-day flights, or a total of 21 flights a week, from the current twice-a-day starting July 4.

The airline will also use the A330s to fly between Manila and Cebu three times daily, or 21 times a week; while the Davao hub will get a boost with two additional daily flights to and from Manila, bringing the frequency to four times daily, or 28 weekly flights.

The upgrade from an 180-seater A320 to a 436-seater A330 makes available an additional 256 seats for each flight, or 59 percent more capacity.

“Using larger aircraft will make flying more efficient, freeing up some aircraft and slots at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. This will also enable us to increase capacity and frequency for other routes moving forward,” Cebu Pacific vice president for corporate affairs JR Mantaring said.

The brand-new ATR 72600 aircraft, meanwhile, will form part of the existing ATR fleet of wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo.

The latter recently announced five new domestic routes set to start operations in July, namely Cebu to Masbate, Cagayan de Oro to Zamboanga, Davao to Dumaguete and Tacloban, and Zamboanga to Cotabato.

CEB boasts of one of the youngest fleets in the world, with an average aircraft age of 4.99 years.

PLDT expands internet coverage

By Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT Inc. has rolled out fiber-to-the-home services in south Metro Manila, adding over 300,000 homes that may gain access to world-class internet service.

The company’s FTTH rollout covers areas in Makati, Pasay, Parañaque, Muntinlupa, and Las Piñas cities, including private villages and subdivisions such as Dasmariñas Village, Better Living Subdivision, Merville, BF Homes Parañaque and Ayala Alabang Village.

“PLDT’s Fibr footprint expansion in Manila’s vibrant south will benefit the area’s rapidly growing commercial district as well as enhance the digital lifestyles of the residents,” PLDT first vice president and head of Home Business Oscar Enrico Reyes Jr. said.

The FTTH expansion in Metro Manila’s southern communities is the latest phase in PLDT’s aggressive nationwide fiber expansion program. It has also transformed entire cities into a Fibr-powered PLDT Smart City, starting with Toledo City in Cebu and followed

by General Santos in Mindanao and Naga City in the Bicol region.

PLDT expects to expand its FTTH coverage to 4.4 million homes passed by end of 2017. At the end of March, PLDT’s fiber homes passed stood at 3 million. It is also deploying hybrid fiber technologies, such as Huawei’s G.fast, which can boost data speeds up to 600-700 Mbps over copper lines.

Home / Design

What

“akyat-bahay”

B3

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Y

OU’VE put heart, soul and a lot of pesos into turning your house into a home. The last thing you want is for someone to break in and rob you. A home intruder is scary to even think about, but spending a few minutes of time recognising and fixing ways your home is vulnerable can pay off big down the road.

gangs look at when casing your home

NON-EXISTENT ALARM SYSTEM. It’s a financial investment, but a quality alarm system is a huge burglar deterrent. Do your research and pick a reputable alarm company – thieves know the bad and bogus alarm system signs – and consider high-tech options, such as alarms with a camera that allow you to monitor your home from anywhere.

Here are few ways you may be inadvertently making to attract thieves to your home.

Rundown front door

Your front door is the first place burglars will look, and a dilapidated front door signals that your home is an easy target. A clean, painted front door gives the impression that the entire home is well-cared for and harder to breach.

Single lock

Burglars look to see what kind of locks they’ll have to navigate to enter, and when they see only the standard cylinder lock they’re more likely to have a go than if there’s also a padlock visible. In short: doubling up on locks makes your door physically more difficult to break into and your home less appealing to burglars.

The discarded boxes and bags from all your big-ticket purchases are like advertisements to burglars of the valuables inside your home. Prevent thieves from getting as excited over your new flat screen TV box as you are with your new TV by keeping this type of garbage inside until trash pickup day.

Dark exteriors

LOVE THOSE BALI DOORS, BUT….Run down doors give off a “come hither” look to eagle-eyed burglars.

Burglars don’t like to risk being seen, so when you create a barrier of light around your home using motion sensor activated and basic exterior lights, you’re creating a barrier around your home through which they’re not likely to penetrate. Pay special attention to vulnerable areas like front and back doors and walkways.

Welcoming landscaping

When planted beneath windows, bushes and shrubs are not only pretty, but they’re an obstacle to climbing into windows. Burglars are especially deterred by the kind of greenery that has thorns or makes loud snapping noises. For trees reaching up to second story windows, be sure to clean up lower branches so they can’t function as a ladder.

Overflowing mailbox

Piles of mail are a sign that you’re out of town and primed for a robbery.

If you’re going away for a while, stop delivery while you’re gone. For shorter periods, a neighbour will likely be glad to pick up your deliveries.

Visible interiors

You don’t want burglars to get a peek at all the goodies you have inside your home, so shut the curtains, pull the shades, put a giant house plant in front of a street-facing window – do whatever you have to do to keep unwanted eyes out. Be especially mindful at night when the dark sky and lit interior combine to create a fishbowl effect in your home.

Empty house

Encountering the resident is way more than most burglars are bargaining for. If they think you’re in the house, they’re staying out of it, so make it look like someone’s home by turning on a light or two and even leaving on a TV or radio to make some noise. For prolonged periods away, you can use electronic timers to

SNEAK PEEK INTO VERTIS NORTH. Ayala Land in partnership with the QC MASTERPLANNED FOR THE FUTURE. Filinvest City is a fully-integrated, self-contained 244-hectare central business district

that combines modern conveniences with nature – a work-live-play environment that brings together a residential refuge, a business central, a leisure destination, learning and education zones, and a medical and wellness hub. “A key element in our plan is the enhancement of existing open spaces into functional ones like parks,” said Filinvest Alabang Inc. executive vice president Catherine A. Ilagan. “We have all the components of a township which we are presently enhancing to make it an even more exciting ‘green’ community.”

government and the National Housing Authority (NHA), recently opened Vertis North, with the completion of the first phase of the development highlighted by simultaneous launches of ALI’s five major brands. “Vertis North is anchored on the development’s thrust of being innovative, young, entrepreneurial and full of energy, its infrastructure ensures that these values are supported by the city’s blueprint,” said Jay Teodoro, senior division manager of Vertis North. “To that end, the completion of its first phase is marked by the simultaneous launches of Seda Hotel, Ayala Malls, Ayala Land Offices, Avida and Alveo.”

NEW NBI HQ IN PUEBLO DE PANAY. The Department of Public Works and

Highways (DPWH), together with Gov. Antonio del Rosario of Capiz and Pueblo de Panay officials, recently turned over a new office building of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), soon to be upgraded from a satellite office to a district office.

The building stands on a thousand square meter parcel of land in Pueblo de Panay, a 350-hectare mixed-use township development dubbed as the “city within a city” of Roxas. At the awarding rites were (from left) Pueblo de Panay Inc. general manager Ramon H. Aldaba; NBI regional director Max B. Salvador; PDPI president and CEO Jose Nery Ong; Gov. Antonio Del Rosario; DPWH district engineer Sanny Boy O. Oropel; NBI national deputy director Eleanor Rachel M. Angeles; and NBI Architect Domingo I. Tablizo Jr.

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

B4

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

FIND THAT BALANCE. The

more openings in a house, the better the air flow. But too many windows also bring in heat. Find the design balance between the two: to create more efficient air flow, thus a cooler home.

Beat the hot, humid days of summer I

STACK EFFECT. Create a stack effect, where warmer, lighter indoor air is displaced by denser outdoor air. If you create an opening high in the building and another low in the building, this causes a natural, cooling flow.

N the Philippines, heat and humidity are givens. They’re also the reasons why our electric bills tend to go up during summer months. But there are homes that are cooler than others throughout the year. Their secret? Climate-conscious design.

“Some designs just don’t make sense in a tropical climate like ours,” said architect Gelo Mañosa, son of renowned designer Francisco “Bobby” Mañosa, and CEO of Mañosa & Co. “When designing a home, you need to keep in mind the conditions that surround it. A house designed, for say, Finland, might be beautiful, but not appropriate for the reality of Philippine climate.”

Mañosa said there are three important factors to consider when designing for hot and humid climates: direct solar radiation, orientation, and wind direction.

“If you want a cooler home, maximize passive cooling and minimize ‘heat gain,” he advised. “A wellthought-out design, which includes choosing the right materials, proper sun protection, landscape design and proper orientation, can make an enormous difference.”

Mañosa gave 10 tips for creating cooler homes, that could shave off pesos from your airconditioning costs.

house,” Mañosa said. The cooler you can keep the interior of your house, the less you have to spend on air conditioning. Indoor shade is helpful, but doesn’t keep the heat out. “External shade -- eaves, overhangs, sunshades, even trees and plants to block the sun’s rays … these are more effective,” he added.

Allow for cross ventilation Cross ventilation is a natural form of wind ventilation that drives air from openings at one side of a structure through to the other. Its success depends on the tightness of the building envelope, the position and size of your openings (windows, doors, vents) as well as the path in between

degrees. When wind passes through an oblique angle, it causes interior air to be more turbulent, allowing air to hit the corners of the structure.

Use fans to promote better airflow

Hot air rises and escapes through the higher parts of your home. You can help it escape faster by pushing the air upwards with the use of fans. If you have standing fans, position them to move the hot air in the direction you want it to go (up). If you have a ceiling fan, it should be spinning counterclockwise to push hot air up and out.

Buy and use appliances wisely

Despite having all these design fea-

Use light colors for your home’s exterior

“One of the biggest mistakes a person can make in a country like ours is to use dark colors for external walls,” said Mañosa. Dark colors absorb the sun’s energy and retain heat for much longer. Stick to light colors, which reflect the heat from the sun and keep it away from your home.

Insulate your building envelope

TANZA DREAMING. PHirst Park Homes®, the first-home division of listed real estate developer Century Properties Group, Inc., recently unveiled a P4.5 billion development in Tanza, Cavite, south of Metro Manila. The 26-hectare horizontal community is a partnership of Century with the Mitsubishi Corporation. At the launch event were (from left): Piolo Pascual, Century Properties’ brand ambassador; Rebecca Caisip, Accounts manager, PHirst Park Homes; Kiyoto Asari, senior manager, Mitsubishi Corp.; Masahiro Nagaoka, Deputy Manager at Mitsubishi Corp.; Ricky Celis, President of PHirst Park Homes; Amb. Jose E.B. Antonio, Chairman and CEO of Century Properties; Keiichi Matsunaga, general manager, Mitsubishi Corp; Jose Marco R. Antonio, chief operating officer, Century Properties; Shunsuki Tanaka, head, Mitsubishi Corp.; Loren Sales, VP for marketing and sales, PHirst Park Homes; and Kerwin Amar, technical head, PHirst Park Homes.

The building envelope is the physical separator between the interior and the exterior environments of a structure. “A well-insulated building envelope gives you less heat gain, so your home cools faster and your appliances don’t have to work as hard,” Mañosa said.

Insulating an already existing structure can be costly, depending on the method you choose – but it’s well worth the investment in the long run.

“If you’re looking for a quick and relatively economical fix to an existing roof, look into a polyurethane foam spray for your roof,” he said. “Aside from waterproofing, it also helps to insulate your home from the sun’s heat.”

LANDSCAPE. Let air pass through shaded areas to keep the air cool. Vegetation can

also be used to funnel wind and free air movement maintained around the structure.

Plants and grass reduce ground temperature, compared to hard surfaces like concrete.

tures incorporated into your home, there really will be days that it’s just too hot,” Mañosa said. This happens more often in this age of climate change and global warming.

“If you have to use air conditioning regularly, consider investing in Inverter type air-conditioning combined with solar energy, which is getting more and more affordable as the years go by,” he said.

Look for energy star-rated appliLet wind enter at an ances, and minimize the use of energy oblique angle sucks like mini-oven toasters and othYou get better air circulation when the er heating appliances. Making energyCreate shade wind enters the opening of your struc- conserving changes to your lifestyle “Keep the sun away from your ture at an oblique angle of about 45-50 can help to balance things out. the two sides of the house.

“You need to know beforehand the direction in which the wind blows. It goes without saying that cross ventilation is only effective if you actually keep your openings open,” Mañosa said.

When wind enters through a smaller opening and exits through a bigger opening, that’s a ‘squeeze point.’ This creates a natural vacuum which increases wind velocity.

URBAN FARMING. Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Agriculture Undersecretary for special concerns Ranibai Dilangalen, and officials of Barangay Bahay Toro lead the ceremonial planting during the relaunching of the Department of Agriculture’s Urban Farming project ‘Pagkain para sa Masa’ at the Barangay Bahay Toro covered court in Quezon City. Lino Santos

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor Roger M. Garcia, Assistant Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

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LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Makati’s top taxpayers feted in vin d’honneur

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE city government of Makati named the city’s top 10 Outstanding Corporate Citizens for 2017 during its 347th Foundation Day Vin d’honneur at the Peninsula Manila Thursday night.

The awardees, in no particular order, were Ayala Land Inc. (ALI); ALI Commercial Center, Inc.; BDO Unibank Inc.; Phinma Energy Corp.; HP PPS Philippines Inc.; Pepsico Inc.- Philippine Branch; Rockwell Land Corp.; Homeworld Shopping Corp.; Asalus Corp. (Intellicare); and Bank of the Philippine Islands.

Mayor Abigail Binay led the ceremony and congratulated the awardees, represented by their top executives, and thanked them for

being loyal and reliable partners of the city government in building the city and its communities.

“Congratulations to the top taxpayers of Makati. I am grateful for your deep sense of community and social responsibility,” the mayor said.

Each of the 10 awardees received a plaque of recognition made of wood with bronze and gold trimming. The companies were chosen on account of their correct and timely tax payments, which formed their overall per-

formance in 2016.

Former vice president Jejomar Binay and Dr. Elenita Binay were also present at the event attended by more than 300 guests.

Among those who attended include foreign dignitaries and members of the diplomatic and consular corps, national government officials, members of the Makati business community, business organizations, and local officials.

Representatives Monsour del Rosario and Luis Campos, Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo, City Administrator Claro Certeza, members of the City Council, and department and office heads of the city government were also present.

Mayor Binay said the traditional holding of the vin d’honneur in honor of the city’s partners in the private sector aims to recognize those who have contributed much to citybuilding and shared the benefits of

progress to the people of Makati.

“Our greatness as a city has always been anchored on our faith in the Almighty, our sense of community, and on our oneness,” she said.

“I am here to fulfil my personal commitment to you. My administration will support you unequivocally because I want our Makatizens to have the global competitive edge,” she assured.

The mayor also vowed that her administration will “enable business, not stifle business,” and “assist business, not compete with business.”

Binay also shared with the guests her vision of a “bolder, more exciting future for Makati” through public-private partnerships, which the amended PPP Code of Makati enacted in 2014 recognizes as essential to the development of Makati.

Mining firm SDMP aids 3 towns in NV

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Sixteen barangays and three municipalities in this province are expected to benefit from the Social Development and Management Program of the FCF Minerals Corp. here.

Peter Storey, FCF’s general manager for operations, said the SDMP will be pursued with the commercial operations of the company’s gold-molybdenum extraction in full swing this year.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau has approved FCF’s allocation of P24 million for the first year implementation of the SDMP. DENR Department Order No. 2010-21 requires the permit holder mining firms to assist in the development of host and adjacent communities to promote general welfare of the mining communities.

The source of the development assistance is obtained from the allocation of 1.5 percent of the

La Loma eyed as tourist hotspot

QC probes markets for unscrupulous biz AS SCHOOL opening draws near, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista ordered on Friday a surprise inspection of school supplies and basic commodities at a big private market to go after unscrupulous traders.

He tasked Market Development and Administration Department head Malou Arrieta to spearhead the price monitoring at Mega Q-Mart located along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue and Kamuning Road.

The city government must ensure that prices of school supplies and other basic commodities sold to the consumers were within the price ceiling prescribed by the Department of Trade and Industry, he said.

The inspection highlighted the city government’s con-

tinuing effort to protect city residents against unscrupulous traders and manufacturers, Arrieta said.

“Consumer protection will continue to remain a priority for the city government,” she added.

She underscored the need for market owners to install price tags and price monitoring boards to guide consumers as to the prevailing price ranges of school supplies and other commodities in the market.

“What we want is give consumers more value for their hard-earned money,” she said.

The city government issued notices to 13 stall owners for violations on the Price Tag Law during yesterday’s inspection. Rio N. Araja

By Rio N. Araja

BAGS FOR KIDS. Elementary schoolers of Barangay Vista Hills in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya show their bags with notebooks and pencils given by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines on Friday. A total of 674 indigent schoolers received the free school supplies as part of the NGCP’s Corporate Initiative Advocacy program. Ben Moses Ebreo

Razed Del Pilar school rebuilt in time for classes

By Sandy Araneta JUST in time for the opening of classes on Monday, Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada has rebuilt an elementary school in Tondo, which was destroyed by a huge fire two years ago.

Estrada had released a total of P222 million for the reconstruction

of the two school buildings of Gregorio Del Pilar Elementary School at the corner of CM Recto Avenue and Jose Abad Santos that were razed by fire on Feb. 17, 2015.

The first building, built at the cost of P153 million, has 24 classrooms and is now being used, while the adjacent building is set to be completed in the

operating expense for the project, 75 percent of which goes to community development.

“This amount will be shared by the host and identified communities based on the stakeholders consultation sometime in 2015,” Storey said.

He said the SDMP will benefit 11 barangays of Quezon town, 4 barangays of the neighboring Kasibu town in Nueva Vizcaya and another barangay of Diffun town in Quirino province. The mother LGUs will also get a share from the SDMP, Storey added.

The implementation of the SDMP programs, projects and activities within the beneficiaries will be closely monitored by the MGB and the Multi-Partite Monitoring Team.

Signing of the Memorandum of Agreements between the company and the beneficiary LGUs is now in the process to facilitate and hasten the fund release once the mining project’s commercial operations stage will be approved and declared by the MGB.

third or fourth quarter of 2017, according to Estrada on Friday.

“Our students and teachers will no longer be holding their classes on makeshift classrooms.

I have ordered our city engineers to hasten the construction of the new classroom buildings for the coming school year,” he said.

Phase 1 of the project was the

main four-storey school building, which was completed late last year.

The second building, with a project cost of P72 million and will have 16 classrooms, is still being completed, according to engineer Henry Alcantara of the Office of the City Engineer.

In the poverty-stricken community of Baseco Compound,

Estrada also built from scratch a technical-vocational school in a 500-square meter vacant lot used as a dumpsite by residents.

Alcantara said the city government has set aside another P10 million to build a third floor at the twostorey Cory Aquino Senior High School, which was completed only last year at the cost of P52 million.

ON ORDERS of Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, District 1 Councilor Anthony Peter “Onyx” Crisologo has spearheaded the discussion to redevelop the district of La Loma into a tourist site.

Bautista formed a technical working group composed of representatives from different departments and directed Crisologo to oversee the project plan and implementation.

Crisologo recently met with the members of the technical working group.

A meeting with the owners of various restaurants selling roasted suckling pigs in La Loma will soon be set.

Divina Gracia Pascua, the city’s tourism chief, recommended to Crisologo to also look into the economic aspects of redeveloping the district into an annual tourism destination as the country’s lechon capital.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

TODAY

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LGUs

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

2k cops to protect schools

By Roy Tomandao

Biñan City Chief of Police Supt. Elpidio ‘Jong’ Ramirez discusses with the Manila Standard’s Roy Tomandao issues about police preparation for Balik Eskwela 2017 on June 5, and strengthening the security measures in all school areas in the city. Biñan was number one in accomplishment for its anti-criminality campaign and was cited for having one of the best security practices in the Calabarzon region.

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AMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna— The Calabarzon police will deploy about 2,000 policemen to secure schools and schoolchildren for the start of the school year next week, regional police director Chief Supt. Ma. O Aplasca said Friday.

Republika ng Pilipinas

National Irrigation Administration (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Regional Office No. III

Office Address: Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone Nos. : (044) 766-2467 766-4839, 816-6808 Website: www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address:niar03@yahoo.com Telefax No.(044) 766-2467 TIN: 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Improvement of Canal System & Various Irrigation Facilities of Pampanga Delta RIS, Candaba, Pampanga ITB NO. NIAR3-RRENIS-2017-PAM-PDRIS-28 1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested PhilGEPS registered Contractors to bid for the project through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of Twenty Seven Million Three Thousand Nine Hundred Forty Four Pesos and 74/100(P 27,003,944.74) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for NIAR3-RRENIS-2017-PAM-PDRIS-28. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding.

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, now invites bids for Improvement of Canal System & Various Irrigation Facilities of Pampanga Delta RIS, Candaba, Pampanga. Completion of the Works is required within Two Hundred Forty (240) calendar days. Bidders should have completed within the last three (3) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction to Bidders.

5.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on May 31, 2017 to June 22, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and June 23, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Seven Thousand Pesos (P 27,000.00).

7.

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

8.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on June 07, 2017, 10:30 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 9:30 a.m. (PST) of June 23, 2017 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of June 23, 2017 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12. For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608

(SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman (MS-JUNE 3, 2017)

Republika ng Pilipinas

National Irrigation Administration (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Regional Office No. III

Office Address: Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Telephone Nos. : (044) 766-2467 766-4839, 816-6808 Website: www.region3.nia.gov.ph

Email Address:niar03@yahoo.com Telefax No.(044) 766-2467 TIN: 000-979-570-000

Invitation to Bid Slope Protection Works of Angat-Maasim RIS, San Rafael, Bulacan ITB NO. NIAR3-RRENIS-2017-BUL-AMRIS-29 1.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered Contractors to bid for the project through the General Appropriations Act of CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of Twenty Eight Million Five Hundred Eighty Five Thousand Six Hundred Seventy Six Pesos and 97/100(P 28,585,676.97) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for NIAR3-RRENIS-2017-BULAMRIS-29. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

Bidders must secure Site Inspection Certificate from IMO Office as a technical requirement for Eligibility and Technical Document (Envelop A). Non compliance will be a ground for disqualification.

3.

Only those Letter of Intent with a company profile, submitted by the owner or its authorized liaison officer, will be accepted to participate in the bidding.

4.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3, now invites bids for Slope Protection Works of Angat-Maasim RIS, San Rafael, Bulacan. Completion of the Works is required within Two Hundred Forty (240) calendar days. Bidders should have completed within the last three (3) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction to Bidders.

5.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

6.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders on May 31, 2017 to June 22, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and June 23, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., except holidays from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Twenty Eight Thousand Pesos (P 28,000.00).

7.

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

8.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on June 07, 2017, 10:30 a.m. at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan, which shall be open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

9.

Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 9:30 a.m. (PST) of June 23, 2017 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bid opening shall be on 10:00 a.m. (PST) of June 23, 2017 at NIA-R3 Office, Conference Room, Brgy. Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. All particulars relative to the eligibility screening, bid security, performance security, pre-bid conference/s, evaluation of bids, post qualification and award of contracts shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of RA 9184 and its revised IRR. 11.

The NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION – REGION 3reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

12. For further information, please refer to:

BAC Secretariat/s; NIA – Region 3,Tambubong, San Rafael, Bulacan Tel No. (044) 766-4839 and 816-8608 (SGD) VIRGILIO J. ILAO BAC - Chairman

(MS-JUNE 3, 2017)

“We are all ready for security measures in this coming classes in Calabarzon on June 5, 2017,” Aplasca said.

He said the policemen will provide security coverage, traffic management, and other related public safety services to ensure the safety of students, members of the educational institutions, and other stakeholders for the duration of the school year.

The Calabarzon police are also deploying policemen at seaports, transport terminals, malls, business centers and other areas of convergence regionwide, Aplasca added.

Special dedicated police teams were also organized in all police stations specifically to conduct mobile and foot patrols along major routes and high-

ways and within the immediate vicinity of school premises.

Gen. Aplasca also said they have established almost 700 Police Assistance Desks or PADs in major school campuses and clustered schools in the region in coordination with school authorities and local security forces.

Continuous anti-criminality operations shall be conducted in crime-prone areas before, during and after the opening of classes. These activities, Aplasca said, is supported by dedicated intelligence teams for crime prevention and suppression efforts and maintenance of peace and order and public safety.

Organized non-governmental organizations and civic groups were also tapped to assist in security, traffic management and other related safety services.

Trash for supplies program in Subic

By Butch Gunio SUBIC, Zambales—Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. has exchanged the trash collected by students from the coastline of Barangay Cawag here with school supplies during the second tranche of the energy company’s “Protect the Bay Initiative” coastal cleanup on Saturday.

“Over 150 sets of school supplies were distributed as part of the ‘Basura Palit Gamit Eskwela’ program of the initiative,” said RP Energy Corporate Social Responsibility officer Jason Gavina.

The set of school supplies distributed included notebooks, pad paper, crayons, ball pens, and pencil.

“We want village folks especially children, to imbibe the value of environmental care by keeping the surroundings clean and not dumping garbage along the coast,” said Litz Santana, vice president and head of External Affairs of Meralco PowerGen, who joined the cleanup and led the distribution of school supplies to students.

“This is part of our social responsibility. We believe in supporting our community, and we believe in environmental awareness and preservation,” she said.

Sacks of recyclable, biodegrable, and residual garbages were collected from the coast of Sitio Kinabuksan, Cawag by about 200 students from Kinabuksan Integrated School, and volunteers.

“The recyclable trash we collected will be sold to buy school supplies for distribution again to students,” Gavina said.

The Rotary Club of Quezon City District 3780 and Rotaract Downtown Olongapo also joined the Cawag coastal cleanup on Saturday. “We are glad that Rotary Club of Quezon has joined us in this noble environmental care project,” said Santana.

Earlier, Marife Castillo, Community Environment and Natural Resources officer for Olongapo, lauded the energy company for initiating the program stressing the need for everyone to be environment stewards.

RP Energy, which is developing a state-of-the-art coalfired power plant at Subic’s Redondo Peninsula, will be using environment-friendly technology for its 600-megawatt power plant.

The energy company is a consortium composed of Meralco PowerGen Corp., Aboitiz Power Corp., and Taiwan Cogeneration Corp.

120 in Navotas get livelihood training AROUND 120 residents of Navotas will benefit from the city government’s free skills training this month.

The training includes hair and make-up services, manicure and pedicure with foot spa, hair cutting for men and women, and bangus deboning, with each category accommodating 30 participants.

“Having additional knowledge and skills, aside from the education one gained from formal schooling, provides an individual more opportunities to succeed in life,” Mayor John Rey Tiangco said.

“This is why we in the city government continue to push

for more projects and programs that would equip Navoteños with more skills that would help them secure gainful employment or start a business,” he added.

Slots are still available for Navoteños who want to undergo the trainings, except for the hair and make-up service.

Hair and make-up classes have started today and will end on June 7.

Meanwhile, trainings for manicure and pedicure with foot spa will be on June 8-9 and 19-23; haircutting for men and women, June 26-30 and July 3-4; and bangus deboning, July 5. Jun David

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

Trump’s in Waters’ mind as he returns

IN BRIEF Russia protests new sanctions on N. Korea MOSCOW―The Kremlin on Friday said it regretted the new sanctions against North Korea by the United States that include Russian firms and a company director.

The US slapped fresh sanctions Thursday on several North Korean entities and officials as well as two Russian companies trading with Pyongyang, adding more economic pressure on the isolated regime over its nuclear weapons push.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the measures “are a factor that continues to have a negative effect on our bilateral relations,” quoted by RIA Novosti news agency.

He said the measures “continue, unfortunately, the previous line. This provokes nothing but regret.”

Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov criticized the sanctions as “showing a lack of ability to look at things more broadly and a knee-jerk return to a discredited approach” in comments to TASS state news agency.

“I got a sense of bad dejavu,” he added.

Thursday’s announcement listed Moscow-based ArdisBearings LLC and its director, Igor Aleksandrovich Michurin, for business they do with North Korean firm Korea Tangun Trading Corporation.

Tangun was already placed under sanctions in 2009 for its involvement in North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and missile programs, the Treasury said.

Another Russian firm, the Independent Petroleum Company, has a contract to sell oil to North Korea and “may have” worked to help the country circumvent sanctions, it said. AFP

Japanese men take out groper insurance TOKYO―In Japan, where train travel can often be a perilous ordeal for women, an insurance company is reporting a sudden run on a policy that protects men falsely accused of groping.

The spike in takers for the 6,400 yen ($57) “false groping accusation benefit” plan was triggered by a spate of incidents where men suspected of molesting female commuters fled the scene along the railway tracks, the Tokyo-based firm told AFP. Japan has made efforts to tackle the problem of rush-hour sex pests with posters on trains and television campaigns, while railway operators provide women-only carriages for the busiest times of day.

But the plan, devised by the Small Amount and Short Term Insurance company in 2015, covers lthe egal costs for policy-holders who find themselves on the wrong end of such a charge.

It was initially set up as a fringe benefit under which fees for any legal consultation, including domestic or traffic accidents, were covered, Japan’s Mainichi newspaper reported.

But the firm’s helpline service―which alerts lawyers practicing in the vicinity of the alleged groping incident―has proved a hit with customers.

Contracts for the policy, which hitherto totaled less than 50 a month, have soared to several hundred in the past month, the company said.

“It is impossible to know whether one will be caught up in a groping incident,” company president Shoji Sugimoto told the Mainichi. “We are here to provide help to people who feel anxious about the issue.”

Around 1,800 arrests are made yearly under public nuisance laws, but in 2006 a professor at the National Defense Medical College appealed his conviction all the way to the Supreme Court and had his conviction―and 22-month prison sentence― overturned. AFP

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RAMADAN. Palestinians wait to cross the Qalandia checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem as they head to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first Friday prayers of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on June 2, 2017. AFP

Cosby goes on trial for indecent assault N EW YORK―For decades Bill Cosby was “America’s Dad,” loved by millions for his role as an affable doctor and benevolent father on the long-running hit TV sitcom “The Cosby Show.”

On Monday the disgraced 79-year-old goes on trial for aggravated indecent assault, accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a former university basketball director at his home in Philadelphia 13 years ago.

Some 60 women have since emerged to publicly accuse Cosby of four decades of serial sexual abuse―pulverizing his reputation, ending his career and cementing a brutal fall from grace for an actor who shattered racial barriers.

In remarkably similar allegations the women say that the pioneering black comedian gave them sedatives and alcohol, which left them powerless to resist his advances.

But the trial in Norristown, Pennsylvania, is likely to be the only criminal case brought against

Cosby, formerly one of America’s most popular entertainers, as the vast majority of the alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute.

A 12-person jury in the Montgomery County Courthouse will decide Cosby’s guilt or innocence in a trial expected to last two weeks.

If convicted, he risks spending the rest of his life behind bars on a minimum 10-year sentence and a $25,000 fine.

His accuser is Andrea Constand, 44, who at the time was director of basketball operations at Temple University, Cosby’s alma mater.

The comedian served on the university’s Board of Trustees until his resignation under an avalanche of scandal in 2014.

Constand alleges that Cosby

plied her with pills and wine, and then sexually assaulted her when she went to his home in early 2004 to discuss plans to move to Canada and switch careers.

Cosby admits giving her a pill, but insists relations were consensual. Constand, who is gay, waited a year to report the incident then initially settled the case with a civil suit in 2006.

Her case, however, was reopened in 2015 by Montgomery County prosecutor Kevin Steele, who claimed new evidence had come to light, at a time that US airwaves were flooded with allegations of other sexual assaults by Cosby.

The actor was arraigned in December 2015 and released on a $1 million bail.

In a rare interview last month Cosby suggested that racism could have played a role in the allegations against him, and insisted that he hoped to perform on stage again.

He also said he did not expect to testify, although his lawyers refuse to rule out that possibility.

The case is fraught with challenges on both sides - and ultimately comes down to her word against his.

Judge Steven O’Neill has permitted only one other Cosby accuser to testify, a defeat for the prosecution which had asked for 13 women to be allowed to speak.

The defense have mocked Constand’s credibility, questioning why she waited a year to come forward and why she continued to meet with Cosby after the alleged rape.

In her original deposition in January 2005, Constand said the actor handed her three blue pills to “take the edge off” and urged her to sip wine. Within minutes, she claimed she started to have “blurred vision” and could not talk properly.

“I had no strength in my legs.

They felt rubbery and like jelly,” she alleged.

Cosby then laid her down on a couch and allegedly fondled her breasts, put his fingers in her vagina and put her hand on his erect penis. AFP

NEW YORK―On his first album in 25 years, Roger Waters has brought back the tense mood of isolation that characterized Pink Floyd. But this time the nemesis isn’t abstract―it’s Donald Trump.

The rock legend Friday released “Is This the Life We Really Want?”, his first studio album since 1992, accompanied by an extensive tour with a characteristically elaborate show that incorporates his signature work, Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”

The 73-year-old has long conceptualized rock albums around ideas―”The Wall” about a boy’s struggle to connect to humanity and “The Dark Side of the Moon” probing the roots of mental illness.

The characters in “Is This the Life We Really Want?” similarly conjure up terrifying worlds.

“The Last Refugee,” spliced with radio snippets, depicts the treacherous flight to safety at the end of a calamitous war.

“Deja Vu” is the latest in a series of theological ruminations on Waters’ albums, as he imagines a God who is impotent to stop violence and environmental destruction.

Yet if his previous music often took on a timelessness, “Is This the Life We Really Want?” is unambiguously an album of 2017.

Trump pervades the music, with the title track even sampling a recording from one of the US president’s regular complaints about media coverage.

“Picture That,” one of the hardest-edged songs on the album, erupts into a rock interlude when Waters makes a charged reference to Trump―”Picture a leader with no fucking brains.”

Waters―an Englishman who lives in New York and once owned an apartment a few blocks from Trump Tower―elsewhere bemoans the trajectory of the planet since World War II, the conflict in which his father died and has weighed heavily on the artist.

“We could have picked over them broken bones / We could have been free / But we chose to adhere to abundance / We chose the American Dream,” he sings.

Waters has sold a respectable number of albums since leaving Pink Floyd but his superstardom comes as a live act, with his 2010-13 “The Wall Live” world tour the highest-grossing ever for a solo artist. AFP

Mattis in Singapore for defense meeting SINGAPORE―Pentagon chief Jim Mattis arrived in Singapore on Friday ahead of a key defense summit where longstanding US allies will look for clear messages about America’s regional security goals under President Donald Trump.

Mattis’s visit, his second to the region, is the latest in a string of appearances by top US officials who have scrambled to reassure partners about US commitments.

While campaigning, Trump sparked broad anxiety by calling into question long-standing security assumptions and mutual defense treaties with Japan and South Korea.

But the US leader’s views have shifted since he took office, and Mattis told reporters he would be underscoring American support for the region.

“I will emphasize the United States stands with our Asia-Pacific allies and partners,” Mattis told reporters traveling with him, “reinforcing the international order necessary to secure a peaceful, prosperous and free Asia with respect for all nations upholding international law.”

Mattis will deliver his message at a policy speech at the ShangriLa Dialogue on Saturday.

The summits have in recent years been dominated by concerns over China’s rapid build up of islets and maritime features in the South China Sea, where Beijing has reclaimed thousands of acres

of land and installed military fortifications.

The issue remains front and center, but this year the focus is also on North Korea and its accelerating push to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Pyongyang on Monday test-fired another rocket, the latest in a series of launches and atomic tests that have ratcheted up tensions over its quest to develop weapons capable of hitting the US―something Trump has said “won’t happen”.

Since taking office, Trump, who laced his campaign rhetoric with anti-China sentiment, has made an about-face and turned to China to apply pressure on North Korea to rein in its nuclear weapons program.

After meeting with President Xi Jinping in April, Trump, who once accused China of “raping” the US, praised its leader as a “good man”, saying it would be inappropriate to pressure Beijing while Washington is seeking its help with Pyongyang.

The posture shifts have left some in the region seeking clarity on US policy.

“There’s concern over China’s rise and it’s assertive behavior, particularly in maritime space,” said David Helvey, a top Pentagon advisor for Asian and Pacific security affairs.

“And there’s also questions about where the United States is going to be in the Asia-Pacific region in the new administration.” AFP

POWER BALL. Ann Kaplan Mulholland and Jana Webb attend Power Ball XIX: Stereo Vision Presented By Max Mara at The Power Plant on June 1, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. AFP

World

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

C4

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

Arctic people’s pleas go unheeded FAIRBANKS―When ministers from the eight states of the Arctic and representatives of the region’s native peoples met last month in Alaska, evidence of global warming was all around them.

Locals all had stories to tell, from the appearance of new ticks that came from the south to the boreal forest, to the subsidence caused by thawing permafrost toppling trees and undermining house foundations.

But if the delegates to the Arctic Council had hoped for reassurance from their host, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, that his government would tackle the issue, they were disappointed.

On Thursday they found out why Tillerson had refused to re-commit to the terms of the Paris climate accord: President Donald Trump was about to pull the United States out of the deal altogether.

In hindsight, the low-key gathering of foreign ministers and indigenous groups prefigured the later high drama in Washington. The United States was going it alone to the dismay of would-be friends and partners.

Passing the baton to Finland after the two-year US presidency of the council, Tillerson warned delegates that Trump was already reviewing how to “approach the issue of climate change.”

In Alaska―and in the circle of territories around the Pole in Canada, Russia and Scandinavia―climate change is not an abstract policy matter, as delegates to the council attempted to persuade their host.

“We are connected to the land. It is who we are,” said Bill Erasmus, an envoy from the Arctic Athabaskan Council, which represents a native Arctic people living on lands that span the Alaska-Canada border.

“Climate change in the Arctic is not just an environmental issue. It is a matter of culture and our rights to exist as indigenous peoples,” he said.

The Athabaskan rep was joined at the council in Fairbanks by representatives from other indigenous groups from as far away as Finland and Russia―and all told a similar story of a way of life under threat. AFP

YACHT CRUISE. Model Savannah Kennick and Chiquita Crawford are seen dancing at the DoctorFrank.com Memorial Day Yacht Cruise on May 29 in Marina del Rey, California. AFP

World leaders promise to defend climate pact P ARIS―World leaders reacted with anger and defiance after President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the United States, the world’s second biggest carbon emitter, was quitting the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

With France’s Emmanuel Macron taking the lead, they lashed Trump’s decision as misguided and vowed to defend an accord they portrayed as crucial for the planet’s future.

In an exceptional step, continental Europe’s three biggest economies―Germany, France and Italy―issued a joint statement to criticize Trump’s move and slap away his offer of renegotiating the deal.

“We note the United States’ decision with regret,” they said, describing the carboncurbing accord as “a vital tool for our planet, our societies and our economies.”

“We are firmly convinced that the agreement cannot be renegotiated,” they added, referring to Trump’s announcement that Washington was open to negotiating a new agreement.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Trump to express his disappointment at the decision, but said he was inspired by “the growing momentum around the world to combat climate change and transition to clean growth economies”.

Mexican ministers said the world had a “moral imperative” to live up to the commitments made in the Paris climate pact, while Brazil’s foreign ministry

said it was concerned and disappointed by Washington’s move.

Venezuela and Argentina also denounced the decision.

Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who will serve as president of UN climate talks in Germany later this year, labeled Trump’s announcement “deeply disappointing”.

“While the loss of America’s leadership is unfortunate, this is a struggle that is far from over,” he said.

In unusually strong comments, Japanese environment minister Koichi Yamamoto said: “It’s as if they’ve turned their back on the wisdom of humanity.

“In addition to being disappointed, I’m also angry.”

In France, the Elysee presidential palace said newly elected leader Macron had phoned Trump to say that “nothing was negotiable” in the Paris agreement.

France and the United States “would continue to work together,” but not on climate change, it said.

In a TV broadcast made both in French and English, Macron said he believed that Trump had made a historic mistake, and invited frustrated US climate scientists and entrepreneurs to come and work in France.

“They will find in France a second homeland,” he said. “I call on them, come and work here with us, to work together on concrete solutions for our climate, our environment.”

And cheekily adapting the nationalist slogan used by Trump on his election campaign trail, Macron urged defenders of the climate to “make our planet great again.”

Trump said America was “getting out” of a deal he said imposed “draconian” burdens costing millions of US jobs and billions of dollars. AFP

Beijing vows to uphold agreement on climate

PROTEST. This file picture taken on May 12, 2017 shows opposition activists confronting riot police during

a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas. The Venezuelan government and the opposition have blamed each other for the violence during protests, with Maduro denouncing the opposition for promoting ìterrorist acts, and the opposition holding Maduro responsible for savage repression. AFP

BEIJING―Beijing vowed Friday to uphold the Paris climate accord after the United States withdrew from the pact, saying it was a “responsibility shouldered

by China as a responsible major country”.

“We think the Paris accord reflects the widest agreement of the international community with regards to climate change, and parties should cherish this hard-won outcome,” said foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

“We also hear that our actions and leading role are applauded by the international community,” Hua told reporters. “We will earnestly implement our obligations.”

Hua spoke in Beijing as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels, where the two sides were expected to adopt a joint statement stressing their commitment to the Paris deal.

Hua said China wanted to strengthen cooperation with various parties to “push for the followup negotiations on the articles of the agreement and promote lowcarbon green development”.

Despite Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement, Hua said: “We also stand ready to cooperate with the international community members including the US to push forward green, low-carbon development globally.”

President Donald Trump caused international consternation on Thursday when he announced the United States was ditching the agreement, arguing that it was too lenient on China, India and Europe.

China and the US, the world’s first and second biggest polluters respectively, are together responsible for some 40 percent of the world’s emissions and experts had warned it is vital for both to remain in the Paris agreement if it is to have any chance of succeeding.

But China has also been investing billions in clean energy infrastructure, as its leaders battle to clear up the notorious choking pollution that envelops its biggest cities, including Beijing.

Hua said the Chinese government will take “concrete action” in response to climate change. AFP

Business groups lament decision WASHINGTON―Captains of industry, corporations and business groups distanced themselves from the White House on Thursday, as many expressed frustration with President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

The reactions from across the business world―including oil producers, the tech sector and finance―stood apart from Trump’s portrayal of the decision as a needed corrective to rules that could stymie commerce.

Tesla founder Elon Musk confirmed he would quit White House advisory councils on business in protest.

“Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real.

Leaving Paris is not good for America or the world,” Musk wrote on Twitter shortly after Trump’s announcement.

Disney chief Robert Iger followed suit, saying he was resigning from the panels “as a matter of principle.”

Other tech and industrial sector representatives expressed frustration with the White House’s decision and pledged to continue working to combat global warming.

“Disappointed with today’s decision on the Paris Agreement,” Jeff Immelt, CEO of General Electric, wrote on Twitter. “Industry must now lead and not depend on government.”

The Information Technology Industry Council was equally scathing.

“This is clearly disappointing, and a setback for America’s leadership in the world,” ITI President Dean Garfield said in a statement.

“Despite this, the tech industry’s determination to innovate and problem-solve for the threats posed by climate change and generate clean energy opportunities that create jobs and grow our economy remains unchanged.”

In his first ever tweet, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein called the decision a “setback” for the environment and for US global leadership.

The statement created clashing appearances, with several former Goldman bankers having taken on important roles in the administration, including former Chief Operating Officer Gary Cohn, who was present for Trump’s announcement in the White House Rose Garden. AFP

Life TRAVEL AND LEISURE

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

BASILAN’S

D1

secret charms

BEAUTIFUL BEACH. A favorite among local tourists, Malawali beach in Basilan has pristine white sand and crystal clear water at par with that of Boracay.

By Ayunan Gunting- Al-Hadj

T

HE island of Basilan, off the coast of Zamboanga City, is as beautiful as Boracay.

Yet, news of terrorist threats prevents it to be a destination of choice for many tourists, domestic or foreign.

Malawali beach is pristine with crystal clear water and white sand at par with that of Boracay. A favorite of local tourists, many guests also come from Zamboanga City, where they catch a Ro-Ro to Isabela, Basilan’s capital, then travel by tricycle to Malawali, which has a few amenities for those who might want to stay the night.

An elegant two-story hotel has rooms that can accommodate couples and small families. The theme for both architecture and interiors are distinctly Balinese. It also has a restaurant that serves hot meals and snacks.

There’s a farm and a hill where a view deck has been built. From this high vantage point, one can have a spectacular view of the hills and the sea that surround Isabela City and a glimpse of Zamboanga City across the Basilan Strait.

Nature lovers will enjoy the drive through some of Basilan’s rubber tree plantations, actually there are forests of rubber trees on both sides of the road. So

An elegant two-story hotel in Malawali can accommodate couples and small families visiting the island of Basilan, while the rubber trees in the province offer a relaxing view to nature lovers driving through the roads.

thick high and are these trees they seem to form a natural tunnel. Basilan, I am told, was once a top supplier of rubber for a major American tire manufacturer, which had co-owned one of the plantations.

The island of Basilan is no larger than Bohol but it has an eclectic culture, indig-

enous to its population of the predominantly Muslim tribe called the Yakan and the Christians from Zamboanga City, commonly known as the Chavacano Zamboangeños. The most spoken language is Zamboangeño Chavacano. The Chavacanos originated from the Spanish-

Jesuit settlement that established in the town of Fuerte de San Jose in 1635.

First time visitors to Basilan will be surprised to see numerous road and commercial signs written in Spanish.

This fact isn’t lost to certain officials of Instituto Cervantes with its research

on Spanish influences in Basilan and its neighboring provinces in Sulu. Hopefully, when peace is restored on these islands, the Institute can invite Spanish nationals to visit Basilan and the rest of the Sulu islands.

The city of Isabela isn’t crowded but it’s hardly a backward place. The city roads are bustling with activity and tricycles jockey for space along with the latest SUVs. Although the younger people might want to enjoy a burger snack at the Jollibee fast-food restaurant, tourists will enjoy the Muslim delicacies, which include their version of suman.

The Yakans are famous for their malong made of pineapple cloth and cotton and come in bright and vivid colors, all painstakingly hand woven. Worn

by Yakan men and women on special occasions, it takes an entire week to complete a malong. But since tourists rarely get a chance to visit Basilan, malongs are sold at the Yakan Weaving Center in Zamboanga City. Veteran Yakan weaver Brainy Ilul said that with this store in Zamboanga, they’re able to reach a bigger market. Mr. Ilul followed into the footsteps of his parents and grandparents and continues the tradition of weaving malongs. Born and raised in Basilan, he hopes his own children would continue the practice.

With its rich culture and breathtaking landscape, Basilan is haven for travelers searching for less uncharted destinations.

The stunning beaches that beckon remain tranquil and safe. After all, Paris, the romantic City if Lights, hasn’t lately been immune from terrorist threats. Yet as they still say, we’ll always have Paris. We also say, we’ll always have Basilan.

Iloilo is 2017 Aliwan Fiesta champion DINAGYANG, captured the championship in the festival street dance competition of the recently concluded 2017 Aliwan Fiesta.

Tribu Salognon comprised of students from Jaro National High School, bested contingents from various regions of the Philippines i n -

cluding neophyte entry Manggahan festival of Guimaras, which placed second, and two-time champion Tribu Katbalaugan for the Manaragat festival of Catbalogan City, which settled for third place. The Antipolo Maytime festival, essayed by the Maharlika Dance Troupe of San Jose National High School, took fourth, while the Meguyaya festival of Upi, Maguindanao, represented by students of Nangi National High School, came in fifth.

Runner-up honors went to the Inaul festival of Datu Piang, Maguindanao; the Timpuyog festival of Kiamba, Sarangani; the Cinco de Noviembre festival of Bago City, Negros Occidental; Balitok ti Alicia festival of Isabela; and the Panagbenga flower festival of Baguio, which was also awarded for Best Folkloric Performance. Iloilo Dinagyang also took home special awards for Best Costume and Best Music.

Turn to D2

2017 Sinulog Queen and Reyna ng Aliwan Marla Alforque

Enjoy a two-night stay at Resorts World Sentosa or Genting Hotel Jurong and get tickets for two to key attractions such as Universal Studios and Adventure Cove Waterpark when you book using MasterCard

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Life

D2

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

THE AIRPORT

OF A KING

MERCURY RISING

BY BOB ZOZOBRADO

M

Y FIRST job out of college was with what was then the biggest international airline in the world, Pan Am. It had a Satellite Office in Cebu City and when I decided to quit medical school to pursue my lifelong dream of traveling the world, I went into that office just to try my luck for a job, and presented my resumé to the lady manager. Somebody up there must have willed the job for me, as I was led me to that office, not knowing that there was, in fact, a vacant position for a reservations and ticketing officer. The manager interviewed me and, after what seemed like an eternity of questions, I was hired onthe-spot.

In spite of the Suvarnabhumi Airport’s terminal’s size, these moving sidewalks make it easy for passengers to get from one point to another

fers to the Golden Kingdom proclaimed by the Hindu and Buddhist religions to be somewhere in Southeast Asia, which the late king believed to be Thailand.

Approximately 55 minutes away from downtown Bangkok through the Skyway, Suvarnabhumi Airport stands on what was previously a cobra swamp.

Designed by German-American architect Helmut Jahn, and built at a cost When I started work, it was a reof $5 billion, the airport lays claim to quirement of the airline to have its new having the world’s tallest free-standing employees trained immediately, at any control tower, 132 meters high. The sinof its international Training Centers— gle-building airport terminal covers an Hong Kong, London and New York. area of more than half-a-million square Lucky for me, the basic two-week bemeters, making it the fourth largest in ginner’s course on Reservations and the world, after that of Dubai, Beijing, Ticketing was scheduled at the Lonand Hong Kong, in that order. don Training Center around that time Suvarnabhumi Airport is now used of the year, so my manby 95 airlines and handles ager sent me there. Off to more than 56 million pas“visit the Queen” I was, sengers yearly, 85 percent and this was only two of which are international weeks after I got hired! flights. It has two runways What is the difference between a girlfriend You can imagine how and two taxiways, running thrilled I was to live my parallel to each other, to acand a wife? About 40 pounds. dream, after making the commodate simultaneous bold decision of going takeoffs and landings. The against my parents’ wishterminal has 172 landing es for me to become a docbays for the 800 flights it tor, and find employment, instead, in a Airways International, when I learned handles every day. company that will allow me to travel the that Bangkok opened a new airport I have actually been through Suworld. Since Pan Am flights from Ma- which covers an area of 3240 hectares, varnabhumi Airport countless times nila were solely trans-Pacific, I had to the Suvarnabhumi Airport (pronounced since it opened, but it was only durtake a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight “swarnapoom”). Sanskrit for “Golden ing this recent trip to Thailand, when to Bangkok and take the Pan Am flight Land,” the name Suvarnabhumi was I had a three-hour layover prior to my from there to London. chosen by the late King of Thailand connecting flight to Manila, that I reI immediately noticed that Bangkok’s Bhumibol Adulyadej himself, and re- ally had the time to go around, marvel Don Mueang Airport was huge compared to our own. I was pleased to see all the shops along the hallways, teeming with items that tempted travellers like me to shell out their pocket money.

It was during that first trip to Bangkok, albeit on a connecting flight, that I had the opportunity to appreciate what an airport terminal really is for.

After that first trip to Europe, I must have used Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport again around seven or eight times, either for connections or as an arriving and departing passenger. Each time, I was very comfortable in the airport and pleased with what it offered the travelling public.

It was in late 2006, while doing publicity work for the local office of Thai

YOUR SATURDAY CHUCKLE

EXPERIENCE South America visa-free Discover the charming and culturally rich Sao Paulo, as Emirates offers flights from the Philippines to Brazil

ENORMOUS, intimidating, charming and culturally rich, Sao Paulo in Brazil is all these and more.

Sao Paulo is a sprawling metropolis—a bustling city of high-rise buildings, elegant apartments, contemporary art galleries and a lively night scene. Sao Paulo is defined by its unique charisma brought by the overwhelming structural masterpieces, which go side by side with the charming art-house cinemas and experimental theaters. More importantly—Filipinos do not need a visa to visit Brazil.

Without the hassle of getting a visa, you can have the trip of your dreams in this top South American destination. Sao Paulo has almost everything for everyone. It is a shopping mecca, and has a wide array

of food markets and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, as well as an exciting nightlife.

Sao Paulo also has more than a hundred world-class museums that showcase several collections from European art and Brazilian art to soccer memorabilia.

Aside from these housed collections, Sao Paulo is also known for its hip street art scene like the colorful and bohemian neighborhood of Vila Madalena.

With Emirates, you can fly to Sao Paulo in style. Filipinos can experience traveling on the A380 from Dubai, to Sao Paulo, Brazil. On Emirates‘ A380s, First Class passengers can look forward to quiet luxury in the comfort of their private suites and enjoy the Onboard Shower Spa. First Class and Business Class passengers can social-

ize and sample canapés and cocktails at the popular Onboard Lounge and passengers in all classes can enjoy the gourmet cuisine, Emirates‘ award-winning inflight entertainment, ice, with more than 2,500 channels and free Wi-Fi, which is available on all of Emirates’ A380s.

The world-renowned airline flies to South America’s largest city daily from its hub in Dubai. From the Philippines, the airline currently operates 25 flights to the global hub (18 weekly flights from Manila and seven from Cebu/Clark), so you don’t have to miss important appointments just to catch your flight.

For more information and to check flights to Sao Paulo, visit www.emirates.com/ph.

Iloilo...

besting 19 other lovely candidates including first runner-up Apriel Smith, 2012 Sinulog Queen, who represented the Utanon festival of Dalaguete. Sharing second runner-up honors were Arielle Jazmine Roque for the Tuna festival of General Santos City, Ma. Ahtisa Manalo for the Niyogyugan festival of Quezon Province, and Venisse Charm Costibolo for the Sangyaw festival of Tacloban.

Manalo likewise took home the awards for Most Photogenic and Miss

Unique Smile, while Smith was named Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown. Patricia Kate Gonzales of the Antipolo Maytime festival won Best in Festival Costume, while Cherry Rose Fernandez of Baguio City’s Panagbenga festival, was selected by her fellow candidates as Miss Friendship.

In the Tugtog ng Aliwan Rhythm Competition, the Meguyaya festival musicians emerged champions, followed by the Inaul festival in second, and Iloilo Dinagyang in third place.

From D1

In the float design competition, Tacloban City won the top plum for its rendering of the Santa Cruz de Mayo float, with the Kapaginaul of Datu Piang coming in second, and Al Cinco de Noviembre copping third place.

In the Search for Reyna ng Aliwan, 2017 Sinulog Festival Queen Marla Alforque retained the crown for Cebu,

The airport’s Control Tower is the tallest freestanding control tower in the world

at its architectural design and appreciate its facilities.

The structure is nothing short of grand! When I entered the departure lobby where all the airline checkin counters are, the sheer size and height of the trusses that support the main canopy of the terminal awed me. The humongous interior space can easily accommodate a regularsized helicopter flying freely inside the terminal. The roof’s design uses translucent membranes, maximizing daylight use and saving a substantial amount of energy.

The other thing I like about the terminal is its liberal use of pocket gardens, softening the look of steel and its other structural elements. And, of course, since it is in Thailand, you can expect the preponderance of attractive orchids. Most of these pocket gardens are set up along the moving sidewalks that traverse the length and breadth of the terminal, giving travellers time to be awed by these iconic blooms of Thailand.

There are many other things I like about Suvarnabhumi Airport. The air-conditioning is consistently cold, no matter which part of the building you are in. The rest rooms always smell clean, even when all the cubicles and urinals are occupied. It has information counters at strategic locations, making it easy for people to get directions when lost. Most of all, it offers a wide array of food and beverage outlets that even include Thai restaurants offering traditional Thai cuisine, for those who may want to savor it one last time prior to departure.

There are many other things that make the airport a class of its own.

I guess the airport is a living testimony to the Thai people’s respect and love for their late king, who named it himself, by seeing to it that nobody will ever have any reason to criticize or complain about it. Suvarnabhumi Airport will always stand tall in the perception of worldwide travellers that, indeed, it is The Airport Of A King, specially designed for those who want to travel like kings!

For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

Cebu Pacific’s new Visayas routes out of Cebu FROM food to scenic spots, to its lovely and friendly people, the Visayas region has so many undiscovered treasures just waiting to be shared with the rest of the world.

The Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific, changes this by introducing three new routes to Eastern and Western Visayas to connect Cebu—the Queen City of the South—to Leyte, Samar and Panay Island.

Cebu Pacific has daily flights from Cebu to Ormoc Roxas, and four times weekly (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday) to Calbayog using ATR 72-500 aircrafts.

With the lowest all-in year-round fare, Cebu Pacific one-way flights from Cebu to Calbayog is priced at P1,927, Cebu to Ormoc at P1,591 and Cebu to Roxas at P1,983.

and pineapple plantations in the mountains. And don’t leave Ormoc without enjoying a glass of fresh pineapple juice--it’s the best.

Bountiful Roxas

Known as the seafood capital of the Philippines, Roxas City in Capiz is one of Panay Island’s centers of education, trade and economic activity, owing to its geography and proximity as a seaport.

Enjoy the city’s festivals, including Sinadya sa Halaran Festival celebrated in the first week of December in commemoration of the city’s founding. Also not to be missed is the Diwal Festival signifying the city’s importance as the country’s seafood capital. Diwal is a prized and sought after shellfish, which is delicious when baked with cheese and garlic.

When in Roxas, don’t forget to visit Resilient Ormoc Panay Church and the Our Lady of Despite the natural disasters, Or- Lourdes Shrine or the beautiful Liktimoc stands as proof of man’s resilience non Falls. You can also shop for Capiz and determination, and a wonderful products hand-crafted by local artisans. travel destination. You can enjoy the city’s delicacies like chocolate moron Charming Calbayog and cassava cake or stay at the resorts, There’s a lot to see and experience in where you are guaranteed good food Calbayog. Located in the western part and excellent service. of Samar, it is known as the City of WaWhen in Ormoc, don’t fail to see Lake terfalls. Places you must visit are Nijaga Danao Natural Park and Lake Danao, Park and the Guinogo-an, Tinago-an the famed violin-shaped body of water. and Danao Caves, as well as the TaboIt is one of the eight lakes in the Philip- kno and Pan-as Falls. pines that you must visit, according to For bookings and inquiries, guests can online news Web site Rappler. Experts visit http://cebupacificair.com or call the say the lake is volcanic in origin. reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) Other places worth visiting in the 230-8888. The latest seat sales can be found economic, cultural, and commercial on Cebu Pacific’s official Twitter (@Cebuhub of Western Leyte are the sugarcane PacificAir) and Facebook pages.

Cebu Pacific now has flights from Cebu to Ormoc and Calbayog

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

Rodeo country

Kapuso leading ladies celebrate another year by giving back

charmers crowned M ASBATE, the Rodeo Capital of the Philippines, recently crowned its ambassadresses of tourism of goodwill in the second Miss Masbate pageant as part of the 24th Rodeo Masbateño Festival.

Topping the revitalized beauty and talent search is Vanna Vefsie Discaya who represented the Municipality of Uson, followed

by Rose Marie Barrun of Placer and Rochelle Lagamayo of Monreal Other pageant judges included internet and TV celebrity “King of Catwalk” Sinon Loresca, Asean Youth Leaders Association President Neil Soria, Masbate Board Member Lovely Abapo; Provincial Accountant Glenda Escauriaga, Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Rany Sia, National Movement for Young Leaders former president Kirk Asis.

Last year’s crown was won by

17-year-old Kirsten “Kisses” Delavin from San Fernando town in Ticao Island. She later became a Pinoy Big Brother Housemate in 2016.

According to Vice Governor Kaye Revil who spearheaded the event, the pageant aims to discover and empower young women who will help promote the province as an emerging tourist and adventure destination.

Masbate takes pride in its unspoiled powdery beaches, idyllic islands, and a host of natural wonders.

Rodeo Masbateño is the country’s biggest annual gathering of cowboys and ranchers who showcase the skills in a sporting

"PBB" Housemate Kisses Delavin in her farewell walk as Miss Masbate 2016

extravaganza, and Masbate, Department of supported by the Province Tourism-Region 5 and of Masbate, of City of Filminera Resources Corp.

Celebration and giving thanks are more fun when shared with people who matter. And as Kapuso prime stars Kris Bernal, Julie Anne San Jose, and Andrea Torres turned a year older, they spent their birthdays in a meaningful way with people who are close to their hearts.

Bernal, who just turned 28, decided to take a leap in her career and posed for the cover of a men’s magazine. It was courageous on her part, and she has her fans to thank for that. Her gratitude came in a form of a karaoke party, which she personally organized to make sure her fans would have fun.

“This is the least I can do to return their love. They are always there for me, so kailangan ‘di ba, I make time for them too. Because to be honest, I feel very lucky to have these people around me who are supportive of me kahit anong mangyari.”

With her fans’ support, Bernal keeps motivated to keep growing as an artist.

Now that she is about to star in the afternoon prime series Impostora, she is determined to challenge herself and show a different side of her skills in acting.

Julie Anne San Jose says her fans are her most treasured blessing. Known for her warm affection towards her supporters, she invited some of them to a bowling game in Quezon City where they exchanged life updates with one another, just like a typical barkada.

Her fans initiated the #JAPSMonth project as a gift, in which they would tweet and trend something about Julie Anne for the entire month of May. The Kapuso star still gets overwhelmed with her fans’ dedication, “They’re doing it every year, and hindi sila nagsasawa. Grabe ang suporta talaga nila sa akin.

Sobrang thankful talaga ako and blessed to have them.”

JC and Bianca Intal’s secrets to a happy marriage and family life CELEBRITY marriages have spurred conversations about what it promote ways to create precious bonding moments with the family.

Titled Comfortable Living, the first webisode has Bianca revealing means to practice work-life balance and how they can make their personal and professional lives work. With undeniably busy schedules her favorite parts of the home, which include her baby’s room, the dining area, and the bedroom. The young and work responsibilities, how do they celebrity mom also explains how these keep their family together? areas are important in keeping her family JC and Bianca Gonzalez-Intal are close and intact. Couple Time, on the other widely known in their respective careers, hand, tackles how JC and Bianca keep their with JC being a star basketball player and relationship growing despite having busy Bianca a face on TV screens. The couple schedules. Both videos feature snippets of got married in 2014, and welcomed their the Intals’ ordinary but treasured everyday first child, Lucia, in 2015. experiences—something that families all Recently, the family of three was over the Philippines can also relate to. introduced as ambassadors for Samsung The webisodes also show how the Intal Digital Appliances, further strengthening family conquers daily challenges and lets awareness on the brand’s innovations for go of their worries with the help of the the home.

Samsung Wind-Free™ Air Conditioner.

“The Intals embody many Filipino With the world’s first Wind-Free™ families that make an effort of balancing cooling technology, families like them the demands of work and quality can feel cool fast without the unpleasant family time. By having JC, Bianca, feeling of cold draft or direct wind. Cool and Lucia on board, we hope to reach air is gently dispersed through the 21,000 more consumers who continuously seek micro holes to reach the room’s ideal smarter solutions for their home,” says temperature, making cherished moments Samsung Marketing Director Chad at home more comfortable.

Sotelo.

Watch Comfortable Living here: Samsung believes that no matter how https://www.facebook.com/SamsungPH/ challenging life can get, spending time videos/10154711556917857/ with the entire family remains a top Watch Couple Time here: priority. That is why the brand commits h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / to providing home appliances that make SamsungPH/videos/10154745360747857/ tasks as easy, as fast, and as efficient Catch the webisodes and learn how as possible. Bringing this vision to life, to keep your home comfortably cool by the tech giant partnered with renowned visiting the Samsung Facebook page. For director Pepe Diokno and Honor Thy more information, visit www.samsung.

Father screenwriter Lilit Reyes for a com/ph. two-part web video series that aims to

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Saturday, June 3, 2017

ACROSS 1 “Who Made Who” rockers 5 Nature’s bandage 9 Sport on horseback 13 Ephron of “You’ve Got Mail” 14 Ad award 15 Canoe anagram 17 Easy gait 18 Fearsome cape 19 Ice, water or steam 20 Driving force 22 Feels a loss 24 Many a rambler 25 Breaks in 26 Chipmunk pouches 29 Safe experts?

31 Jane Fonda’s dad 32 Pastrami purveyor 33 The Plastic — Band 36 URL suffix 37 Giant stele 40 Worthless coin 41 Duffer’s goal 42 N. Mex. neighbor 43 Flashlight carrier 45 Jazz

instruments 47 Shining examples 48 Face 51 Nae sayer 52 Lunar features 54 Rainwater catcher 58 Fairy-tale black 59 Playground shout 61 Roast pig repast 62 Pegasus or Grani 63 McKellen and Fleming 64 Viking name 65 “So Big” author — Ferber 66 Baseball gear 67 Hopped the train DOWN 1 Not pro 2 Crocus “bulb” 3 Precipice 4 Party provider 5 Go downhill fast 6 Stuffy 7 Vanish into thin — 8 Dull clang 9 Model’s job 10 Sonnet stanzas 11 Bug off 12 Movie with a posse

16 Monster’s loch 21 Godzilla’s favorite city 23 Host — Philbin 26 Karate blow 27 Juno, in Athens 28 Amtrak driver 29 Loses one’s cool 30 Charles Lamb 32 Hockey feint 33 Labor Dept. agcy.

34 Eggnog time 35 Theirs, to them 38 Kind of shorts 39 Accolades

44 Pioneer, perhaps 45 Lustrous fabric 46 Meeting outline 47 Slickest 48 TV hookups 49 Fit to be tied 50 Hoarded 51 Whiff 53 Dog paddle 55 Mark’s successor 56 Surprise attack 57 Throw in the microwave 60 Shogun’s yes

Meanwhile, a charity institution that caters to children with special needs was granted a day with Andrea Torres. To celebrate her birthday, the Kapuso actress joined the children of REACH Foundation in watching the local animated film Urduja at Cinema ’76. She engaged them in fun discussions and played with them, bringing out their beautiful smiles.

“This is more than a celebration.

I enjoy doing this because I get the opportunity to heighten public awareness towards these angels that God sent us from heaven. Let’s understand them better and do what we can to attend to their special needs.

They deserve all our love,” the Kapuso star shared.

Torres is an advocate of children with special needs. Having a brother who is diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome, she personally chose this charity to empower his brother.

Kris Bernal organized a karaoke party for her fans on her 28th birthday

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017

Kapamilya stars Gerald Anderson and Arci Muñoz top bill a Prime Cruz film about lovers and exes

Gerald and Arci reunite in

‘Can We Still Be Friends’ S

TAR Cinema closes the second quarter of the year with Can We Still Be Friends – the biggest romantic movie of the season, starring Gerald Anderson and Arci Munoz.

Directed by Prime Cruz from a screenplay written by Jen Chuaunsu, Can We Still Be Friends is a love story that celebrates the indomitable millennial spirit as it attempts to ask the proverbial question, can exes really be friends?

The movie is centered on Digs (Anderson) – a no fuss, no frills kind of guy – and idealistic achiever Sam (Muñoz) who are friends turned lovers turned exes. Their relationship as a couple lasted for almost eight years until they both decided on an amicable breakup. As they face the dating world separately, the ex-couple consistently check on each other under the guise of “friendship.” This turn into a competition on who will find a new relationship first only to find out that one of them is still in love with the other.

It should be noted that this is the much-awaited and grand movie comeback of Team Lablab after their 2016 blockbuster hit Always Be My Maybe. With such notable works as The Manananggal Unit 23B and Sleepless under this belt, Can We Still Be Friends also marks the directorial debut of Cruz for Star Cinema.

The movie is Anderson’s return to the big screen since the back-to-back success of Always Be My Maybe and How To Be Yours in 2016. With his daily series Ikaw Lang Ang Iibigin, Gerald Anderson, who recently celebrated over a d e c a d e

of being one of the most accomplished young actors of ABS-CBN, is rightfully anointed as Star Cinema’s millennial leading man as he effortlessly embodies the definition of how to be handsome, successful, fresh, hip, young, and very talented rolled in one.

Muñoz, on the other hand, is one of the sexiest young actresses in the industry. Also recently tagged as the hottest bachelorette in the business, she epitomizes the archetypal sexy rom-com leading lady – someone who exudes sensuality but is brilliantly comedic and very identifiable to fans at the same time.

Together, Anderson and Muñoz breathe life on the universally relatable characters of Digs and Sam to perfection in this timely love story that explores how current art forms and sensibilities, along with modern technology, such as dating apps like Tinder and Laundromat, greatly affect the millennial community in dealing with their relationships.

What will really become of Digs and Sam after they brokeup with each other? When is an ex really an ex? Can exes be a couple again?

Can We Still Be

ISAH V. RED

Friends also assembles a remarkable millennial supporting cast led by Bryan Santos, Ria Atayde, Brian Sy, Gege Severo, Erika Padilla, Markie Stroem, and Emmanuelle Vera.

Can We Still Be Friends hits theaters nationwide on June 14. *** Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson, or “Kimerald” to their fans, reunite once again this time to figure out a “scientific” puzzle from Kuya Kim Atienza 10 a.m. in Matanglawin on ABS-CBN tomorrow.

Watch the Kimerald magic as the popular love team take on this week’s Matanglawin challenge.

Meanwhile, online sensation Mikey Bustos shows his pet ants to fellow animal lover Kuya Kim and shares his pets’ amazing traits.

Grade 12 students Kenneth, Jonel and Aureen of Limay National High School in Bataan will also talk about the hydroelectric generator they created out of ordinary materials.

Matanglawin airs Sundays, 10 a.m. on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD and on DZMM TeleRadyo on Tuesday at 2 p.m and online via iwantv.com. ph and skyondemand.com.ph.

For updates on the program, follow @MatanglawinTV on Facebook and Twitter. *** Actress Sylvia Sanchez is BeautéDerm ambassador.

This is Sanchez’s first beauty endorsement and it comes on the heels of her sensational performance as mother afflicted with Alzheimer in ABS-CBN’s The Greatest Love.

Sanchez was presented to members of the press on May 26 at Cities 30 Events Place in Quezon City.

Coincidentally, BeautéDerm was also celebrating for being awarded as one of Superbrands for 201718.

Proud to be 46, Sylvia exudes that natural glow with her flawless and radiant skin. It is now an open secret. It is only BeautéDerm Soap that keeps her skin youthful and fresh.

Beautéderm is an awardwinning, FDA approved beauty and skincare brand that many have been wanting to get their hands on.

Sanchez discovered BeautéDerm soap when she was in London, but found out later it is hundred percent made in the Philippines.

Actress Sylvia Sanchez (right) with an executive from BeautéDerm

When asked, “Sylvia, anong sikreto mo?” the actress feigning it a secret she keeps says, “BeautéDerm soap yan!” *** Filipino creativity and ingenuity were celebrated at the 33rd Filipino Hairdressers MultiPurpose Cooperative’s (FilHair)

Ricky Reyes

Hair and Make-Up Trends 2017 competition on May 24 at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City.

Hair and Make-Up Trends brings together the country’s best hairdressers and makeup artists in a showcase of technique, talent, and creativity. Finalists were winners of the FilHair regional competitions nationwide.

The qualifiers competed in four categories: Men’s Cut and Blow Dry, Avant-Garde Hair Styling, Evening and Party, and Bridal.

Beauty expert and TWGRR host Ricky Reyes said that hair styling today is less about following a certain look and more of finding the right cut and color to suit the client.

The winners for this year were as follows: Men’s Cut and Blow Dry - Redgie Cruz; AvantGarde Hairstyling - Benjie Galino; Evening Party Make-up

- Rhea Mercado, and Zedrick Eleponga for the Bridal Makeup who also emerged as the overall champion.

Upcoming teen singer LA Santos, Kapuso stars Marika and Kris Bernal with One-up B delighted the audience and participants as well.

The World of Gandang Ricky Reyes (TWGRR) airs 9-10 a.m. on GMA News TV today. *** You may have missed On May 27, the country’s biggest drone event, Game of Drones 1st Flight at Circulo Verde, Ortigas & Co.’s 10-hectare master planned mixed use community in Quezon City.

Drone professionals and hobbyists had a field day in four races – Time Trial, Drone Sprint, Rotocross, and Drone Photography. *** Newbie Jelai Espino was chosen by Natura Organics to endorse its Dear Teens lipstick.

“I am honored by this new endorsement and I would like to thank Natura Organics for trusting me,” says Jelai, who also endorses Natural Blend Coffee with mentor Aiai de las Alas.

Award winning Natura Organics is the pioneer in organic hair and skin care. In 2014, it was awarded the Golden Globe Business Excellence.

The endorsement comes as a fitting gift to Jelai who turne 14 ton May 30.

Showbiz newbie Jelai Espino

Ex RCS member has new OPM single POPPERT Bernadas one of the original members of the award-winning vocal group (Ryan Cayabyab Singers) RCS releases his first OPM single “Go With the Flow.”

Popper wrote the song as a birthday gift for his supporters.

It is a light and upbeat song, which is a perfect reminder that whatever situation or circumstance we are in our lives, we need to roll with the punches and keep moving on. It is distributed under Curve Entertainment.

Bernadas was a contestant in The Voice of the Philippines season 2 in 2015 where all four celebrity judges turned their chairs.

He eventually was coached by pop star Sarah Geronimo.

He is also a theater actor noticed by critics for his performances in musical theater productions Rak of Aegis, Lorenzo, and recently God Spell by Stephen Schwartz.