Manila Standard - 2017 August 31 - Thursday

VOL. XXXI • NO. 198 • 4 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Lifestyle check on Mabilog ordered PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he has ordered a lifestyle check on Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, who he tagged as a narco-politician living ostentatiously in a mansion.

“His house is like a palace,” Duterte said in Filipino during a speech before newly promoted star-rank officers at the Palace. “I asked the NBI and the BIR to check on his house,” referring to the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Mabilog, in a radio interview on Tuesday, requested for a meeting with Duterte to clear his name.

Mabilog’s palatial house, popularly known as the “White House” mansion, sits on the banks of the Iloilo River. It has a declared value of only P3 million, but estimates by his critics place the value of the controversial mansion at P50 million to P70 million.

In previous interviews, Mabilog said the house was his inheritance from his mother.

Duterte this week aimed the spotlight on Mabilog when he assigned Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido to Iloilo City.

Previously, Espenido had been assigned to Albuera, Leyte and Ozamiz City, where the mayors, Next page

ILOILO MANSION. The deluxe house, known to many Ilonggos as the ‘White House’ beside the Iloilo River, is under intense scrutiny by President Rodrigo Duterte after its owner, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, was placed under the former’s list of alleged narco-politicians. Mabilog immediately said ‘I have nothing to hide. My house, while often described as a palace, is not quite a palace. It is not as big as pictures would make it appear. Last year I opened our doors to the local media for them to see the inside.’

Kian won’t be the last—Rody Tells critics ‘war on drugs a fight for life’

By John Paolo Bencito and Rey E. Requejo

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HERE is no guarantee that the death of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos will be the last in the bloody war on drugs, President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday.

FINAL TWITCH. Experienced newsman Joel Palacios, 70, in the throes of death after being stabbed Tuesday night by a crestfallen knife-wielding man outside his 16th floor condo unit in Pasay City, after the latter had a quarrel with his police-identified girlfriend whom he also stabbed dead before he ran amok inside a 25-story condominium in Pasay City.

“That’s bullshit,” Duterte said, responding to calls by his European critics, including UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard, to stop the killings with Delos Santos’ death.

“You’re saying that Kian’s death should be the last, but [son of a bitch], who are you to say that?” he said.

Duterte said if he stops fighting drugs, more families will become “dysfunctional.”

“I’m sensitive [about] this. I told you before, do not destroy the Filipino. But these silly people, they don’t understand that it’s really a fight for life,” the President said.

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Newsman, 4 Marcos deal eyed—Aguirre others killed by amok

By Joel Zurbano and Ben Cal VETERAN newsman Joel Palacios and four others met their violent death when a crestfallen knife-wielding man, who had a quarrel with his cop-identified girlfriend, ran amuck inside a high-rise condominium in Pasay City Tuesday night, police said.

Joel Palacios, 70, former news editor of the Manila Standard, had just come out from his condo unit at the 16th floor of Central Park Condominium to jog when he met Alberto Garan, armed with a knife and seething with Next page anger.

THE Duterte administration may consider a possible compromise agreement with the Marcos family in exchange for the return of their so-called illgotten wealth, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Wednesday.

“The President is authorized and has the power to make a compromise or any agreement with the Marcoses. If there

will be a new agreement, there should be enabling law or initiative to be issued by the President himself,” Aguirre said in an interview.

However, Aguirre, who exercises administrative supervision over the Presidential Commission on Good Government , said a compromise agreement would need further study.

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A PITCH FOR. Leyte 1st District Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez (right)

Rody defends son-in-law PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday once again defended his son-in-law, lawyer Manasas Carpio, from the tirades of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes from claims he was involved in smuggling.

Duterte insisted there was nothing irregular with Carpio’s visits to the Bureau of Customs, twitter.com/ MlaStandard

since he was representing clients who had dealings with the agency, particularly Mighty Corp., previously tagged in tax evasion allegations.

“Lawyering is never and would never be a wrong,” the President said of Carpio, who is married to presidential daughter, Davao City Next page Mayor Sara.

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

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delivers her sponsorship speech Wednesday on House Bill 344 creating the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency management during the Committee on Government and Reorganization meeting at the House of Representatives. To her right is Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. Ver Noveno

France to Rody: Law must prevail FRANCE on Wednesday rejected claims by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte that people were guilty until proven innocent in its legal system, as it emphasized the importance of human rights and rule of law.

The statement released by the French embassy followed Duterte’s assessment of the judicial system in France on Monday as he defended his controversial war on drugs that has claimed thousands of lives.

“We have to point out that, as in the Philippines, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is at the core of the French judicial system, based on the principles enshrined in the French Declaration of Human and Civic Rights of August 26, 1789,” the statement said.

“France strongly believes in the importance of the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights in all countries, including the Philippines.”

In Monday’s press conference, Duterte had reacted angrily to comments by the United Nations’ special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Next page

25 solons: Impeach Sereno

By Maricel V. Cruz A LAWYER on Wednesday night filed at the House of Representatives an impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes A. Sereno for culpable violation on the Constitution.

Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon filed his 52-page complaint against the chief justice at the House’s Secretary General’s Office― and was endorsed by at least 25 congressmen.

“Respondent Sereno committed a culpable violation of the Constitution when she failed to truthfully disclose her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN,” Gadon said in the complaint.

Reps. Gwendolyn Garcia of Next page

SEA Games: PH contingent falls short

By Randy Caluag

times, but what makes it disturb- tion for change. ing is that everybody seems to Debacle should no longer be know the answer but no one is the operative word here because WHAT ails Philippine sports?

Next page This has been asked a countless bold enough to lead the revolu-

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Housing, federal push top Ledac agenda

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ALACAÑANG and Congress agreed to pass 28 bills as part of the common legislative agenda for the 17th Congress―including the creation of a separate department for housing, amendments to the procurement act and the push for a federal system of government―during the second Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council Tuesday night.

“We are pleased that the approved CLA [Common Legislative Agenda] responds to what the Philippine Development Plan ‎ 2017-2022 has laid out,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said in a statement.

“In fact, 21 out of the 28 measures are identified as priority legislations in the PDP. This development only

shows that the whole of government is moving forward in the same direction.”

The CLA, approved during the second Ledac meeting convened under Duterte, included 14 bills that were recommended as urgent in July and which emphasized the necessity of having them passed into law within the year, Pernia said.

He made his statement even as the House of Representatives on Wednesday renewed its commitment to push for President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for federalism as the measure would be on top of Ledac’s priority agenda, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said.

He said the proposed shift to a federal form of government was among the measures that the President would want Congress to attend to soonest.

“The proposed shift to a federal form of government as being pushed by President Duterte must begin as soon as possible,” Alvarez said after Duterte met with Senate and House leaders at the Ledac meeting Tuesday night.

But the Freedom of Information bill, the Death Penalty and the Anti-Political Dynasty were not among the priority measures approved by Ledac during a meeting in Malacañang Tuesday night.

When Congress opened its second regular session on

July 24, Senator Grace Poe, head of the Senate committee on public information and mass media, vowed to pursue the approval of the FOI bill in the Senate.

She had earlier expressed optimism that the anticorruption measure would be approved by the Senate.

She said the measure would breathe life to the people’s right to information on matters of public concern as enshrined in the Constitution.

Among the bills listed as priorities of the Duterte administration were the following: 1. Unified National Identification System Act 2. Security of Tenure Bill (End of contractualization) 3. Utilization of the Coconut Levy Fund 4. Comprehensive Tax Reform Program 5. National Transport Act to address the traffic problem 6. Budget Reform Act 7. National Land Use Act 8. Rightsizing of the National Government 9. Amendments to the Anti-Cybercrime Act 10. Amendments to the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996 11. Amendments to the NIA Charter RE: Free Irrigation Act 12. Amendments to Public Service Act

13. Ease of Doing Business Act/Fast Business Permit Act 14. Government Procurement Reform Act Amendments 15. Federalism 16. National Mental Health Care Delivery System 17. Occupational Safety and Health Hazards Compliance 18. People’s Broadcasting Corporation Charter Bill 19. Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill 20. Strengthening the Balik-Scientist Program 21. Philippine Qualifications Framework 22. Amendments to Repunlic Act (RA) No. 7718, Otherwise known as the BOT Law 23. Land Registration Reform Act 24. Delineation of the Specific Forest Limits 25. Social Security Act Amendments 26. Free Higher Education Act 27. Enhanced Universal Health Care Act 28. Allowable/Recoverable System Loss Act. Once the proposed government rightsizing bill is enacted, the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council will be made a separate agency, while the Department of Housing and Urban Development will address the country’s housing and resettlement needs. John Paolo Bencito, Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Nokor missile flights mere 'curtain raiser' SEOUL―North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un has promised more missile flights over Japan, insisting his nuclear-armed nation’s provocative launch was a mere “curtainraiser” in the face of UN condemnation and US warnings of severe repercussions.

The Hwasong-12 intermediaterange missile that Pyongyang unleashed on Tuesday represented a major escalation of the tensions over its weapons programs.

In recent weeks it has threatened to send a salvo of missiles towards the US territory of Guam, while President Donald Trump has warned of raining “fire and fury” on the North.

After the latest launch, Trump said that “all options” were on the table, reviving his implied threat of preemptive US military action just days after congratulating himself that Kim appeared to be “starting to respect us.”

The UN Security Council― which has already imposed seven sets of sanctions on Pyongyang― said in a unanimous statement the North’s “outrageous” actions “are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states.”

Both the North’s key ally China and Russia, which also has ties to it, backed the US-drafted declaration, but it will not immediately lead to new or tightened sanctions.

The Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the North’s ruling party, on Wednesday carried more than 20 pictures of the launch near Pyongyang. One showed Kim smiling broadly at a desk with a map of the Northwest Pacific, sur-

rounded by aides.

Another showed him gazing upwards as the missile rose into the air.

South Korea’s military said Tuesday the missile had traveled around 2,700 kilometers and reached a maximum altitude of 550 kilometers.

The official Korean Central News Agency cited Kim as saying that “more ballistic rocket launching drills with the Pacific as a target in the future” were necessary.

Tuesday’s launch was a “meaningful prelude to containing Guam, advanced base of invasion,” he said, and a “curtain-raiser” for the North’s “resolute countermeasures” against the ongoing USSouth Korean military exercises that the North regards as a rehearsal for invasion.

Wednesday’s statement was the first time the North had acknowledged sending a missile over Japan’s main islands. Two of its rockets previously did so, in 1998 and 2009, but on both occasions it claimed they were space launch vehicles.

Independent analysts posted images online suggesting that Kim’s map showed an intended flight path of 3,200 kilometers, implying that the missile may have fallen 500 kilometers short. A South Korean defense official told AFP they were still analyzing the North’s images.

Tuesday’s missile overflight triggered consternation in world capitals and on the ground, with sirens blaring out and text message alerts in Japan warning people to take cover. AFP

25 solons:...

From A1

have been furnished the endorsers while the rest, including the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of the chief justice will be secured within the week,” said Gadon, former counsel to former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

This developed as Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the House would attend to the complaint as prescribed by law.

Alvarez said “there are many willing parties” who would support the Sereno impeachment complaint.

The Sereno impeachment complaint will be deliberated on by the House committee on justice, chaired

by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali.

But the law prescribes that the complaint may go directly to the Senate for a full-blown trial if it musters at least 98 out of 293 congressmen as endorsers.

Cebu, Edgar Mary Sarmiento of Samar, Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela, Arnel Ty of LPGMA Party-list, Anthony Bravo of COOP-NATCO Party-list, Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte were among those who endorsed the complaint.

The complaint said Sereno allegedly violated the Constitution when she failed to declare in her SALN the “exorbitant lawyer’s fees” of $745,000 or P37 million which she received from the Philippine government.

Gadon said nine of the 22 pieces of documentary evidence issued by the high court have been attached to the complaint.

“The Supreme Court has agreed to furnish me 22 out of the 23 types of documentary evidence that I requested. Copies of the nine papers

SEA...

From A1 it isn’t surprising anymore. The reality is that PH sports have been in the doldrums for quite some time now because sports officials keep on doing the same thing while expecting different results. Many have the temerity to hang on for years―some for even decades―to their posts,even if their leadership or the lack of it has only produced heartache and gloom for the Filipino sports fans.

But before people bark up the wrong tree, who are the sports officials we’re talking here?

In simple terms, Philippine sports is composed of the different national sports associations or NSAs, the collective group of which comprises the Philippine Olympic Committee or POC. Each Olympic sport has its own NSA. The POC, whose officials are composed of the heads of the NSAs, is the only recognized regulating body in the Philippines by the NSAs’ international federations.

It is the NSAs and the POC, not the Philippine Sports Commission or PSC, that are the government’s sports and funding arm, and which create the programs and training of their respective sports.

The NSAs select the athletes and train them to represent the country.

Under the charter of their international federations and in the sacred name of Olympism, the NSAs are also supposed to be free from government intervention.

Therefore, the PSC has no hand in the affairs of the NSAs, especially in the process of selecting Philippine athletes.

Here is where it gets tricky.

While it cannot dip its hands into the affairs of the NSAs and the POC, the PSC, as mandated by law, takes the role of funding the allowances and training of the athletes.

Take note that while the PSC has no say in how the athletes are trained by the NSAs and the POC, it still is, generally, the primary source of funding of the athletes who compete in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, the Olympics and other international competitions.

Lifestyle...

From A1

President Rodrigo Duterte presides over the 2nd Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council Meeting at the Malacañan Palace on Aug. 29, 2017. Presidential Photo

Kian...

From A1 “In this fight, it’s a matter of life and death for us. In a family, if there is a member or two who are into drugs, that family becomes dysfunctional. Your life will be ruined,” he said.

The President added that those who criticize his bloody drug war would lead the country into great perdition.

“Today, we have a great opportunity to finally rid of our nation of its many problems and usher in real, lasting and meaningful change,” the President said. “But some people don’t get that.”

Kian, a Grade 11 student, was killed Aug. 16 in a city-wide antidrug operation in Caloocan City, with the policemen claiming the teenager had fired at them first, prompting them to shoot back and

Marcos...

From A1 Aguirre said a deal with the Marcoses would have repercussions on the cases filed against them.

The Justice secretary said the proposal for the Marcoses to return the ill-gotten wealth was still in the preliminary stages and the details have yet to be ironed out.

He also said the plan of the President to form a new agency to replace the PCGG should be taken into consideration.

“Although we support the President in the formation of that body, he can consider the option of giving new powers to the PCGG by appointing additional two commissioners to

Newsman,...

From A1 His remains are at the Arlington Funeral Homes in Araneta Avenue in Quezon City, with burial date still to be announced.

Police, who rushed to the scene after an hour, were able to gun down four hours later Garan, 39, who had by then stabbed dead five people, including 12-year-old girl Daisery Castillo, in different floors of the 25-story building.

The other fatalities were identified as Garan’s girlfriend Emelyn Sagun, 30; Ligaya Dimapilis, 36; and Letecia Ecsiagan.

“This is a clear case of crime of passion,” said Supt. Deanry Francisco, head of the Pasay City Police Station Investigation Detection and Management Branch. “He got jealous when he saw his lover with another man.”

“What we’ve learned is that the man [suspect] feels his girlfriend already entered into a relationship with him, and yet she is still seeing

kill the boy.

But this account was contradicted by CCTV footage, eyewitnesses and autopsy findings that showed Kian did not fire a gun before he died.

Malacanang had earlier dismissed Delos Santos’ killing as an “isolated” case, but later backtracked, saying that the law should be allowed to run its course.

Kian’s family, with the help of the Public Attorney’s Office, filed murder and torture complaints against the policemen involved-Caloocan City Station 7 Police Chief Inspector Amor Cerillo, Police Officer 3 Arnel Oares and Police Officers 1 Jeremiah Pereda and Jerwin Cruz and several John Does.

The Justice department has created a three-member panel to conduct the preliminary investigation of the complaint.

Named to the panel are Senior

Assistant State Prosecutor Toffel Austria, Assistant State Prosecutor Amanda Garcia and Associate Prosecution Attorney Moises Acayan.

The panel will file charges against and prosecute the suspects if the evidence warrants.

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, meanwhile, has ordered the transfer of Caloocan City Prosecutor Darwin Cañete to Mandaluyong City.

Cañete, who was with the police who investigated the crime scene where Kian was found dead, was criticized for statements that favored the policemen involved in the shooting.

Aguirre transferred Cañete after appointing the Caloocan Prosecutors Office to handle the preliminary investigation.

Aguirre said Cañete’s transfer was due to threats to his security.

strengthen its jurisdiction,” he added.

Aguirre said the decision to abolish the PCGG and create a new body would be for President Duterte to make.

Should the President decide to abolish the PCGG, it would take another two years to completely wind up its operations as the commission is still holding more than P200 billion in sequestered money and assets, he said.

Duterte on Tuesday revealed that a spokesman for the Marcoses told him that the family was willing to “open everything” and to return wealth accumulated during the 20-year rule of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The President also admitted that he would have wanted to abolish the PCGG but decided not to do so as it would create speculations.

The Palace on Wednesday rejected

criticism that the President was acting like the spokesman for the Marcoses. “[President Duterte] disclosed about the issue of the Marcos wealth in his speech in the spirit of transparency,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“The Chief Executive has the best interests of the Filipinos in mind, which is, how our people would benefit from the recovery of the Marcos wealth,” he added.

In a speech before newly appointed government officials, Duterte said the Marcoses told him that the late dictator stashed away billions in government funds “to protect the economy” and that he had thought of regaining Malacañang. Rey E. Requejo, John Paolo Bencito and Macon RamosAraneta

another man,” Pasay City polic chief Dionisio Bartolome said, although it was not clear how they got to that conclusion since both had died in the crime.

Those injured―Belcris Elorde, April Joy Sagarino, Arlyn Dian Cordero and Margie Morales―were rushed to the Pasay City General Hospital. Morales has since been discharged from the hospital.

The incident happened inside Central Park Condominium, owned

by Chinese-Filipino businessman Emilio Ching, along Jorge Street in Barangay 132 Zone 13 around 6:30 pm.

Francisco, relying on information given to police, said a heated argument ensued between Sagun and Garan inside their room at the 14th floor, where Garan took a .38 cal. revolver and tried to shoot his girlfriend but the gun malfunctioned.

He added the suspect then grabbed a kitchen knife and chased the woman from their room to the floor lobby until they reached the stairway where he stabbed and pushed her off the staircase.

The suspect ran amuck inside the condominium and stabbed other tenants he met in the different floors.

Palacios had just emerged out of his 16th floor condo unit en route to his jogging outside when Garan met him and, without any indication of his criminal intent, stabbed him at the 16th floor.

The suspect also saw the 12-yearold victim, who just arrived from school, and stabbed her at the 17th floor before he knocked and went inside room 2020 where he stabbed three other women.

Metro Manila police director Oscar Albayalde, accompanied by Southern Police District director Tomas Apolinario Jr., arrived at the scene after one hour and asked residents to get calm and gather in a function room while Special Weapons and Tactics operatives were locating the whereabouts of the suspect.

After four hours, the SWAT men found, subdued and gunned down the suspect, who tried to resist arrest, at the 23rd floor of the building around 11 p.m., police said.

also tagged as narco-politicians, died in police raids.

In a statement, Mabilog played down his house.

“I have nothing to hide. My house, while often described as a palace, is not quite a palace. It is not as big as pictures would make it appear. Last year I opened our doors to the local media for them to see the inside.

“Modesty aside I and my wife were already running a number of businesses before I joined politics.

I was already living a comfortable life in Manila as an entrepreneur when I came home to run for city councilor. I didn’t become rich because of politics, much unlike many politicians.

“My wife had to make huge sacrifices working in Canada for many years, while at the same time making wise investments that were reported in her income tax returns.

“Everybody dreams of building a beautiful home. Marivic and I built one not only for ourselves but for our children. And I had hoped to plant seeds of inspiration among Ilonggos that through hard work, they, too, like Jed Mabilog, can achieve their dreams.”

He assured the President that “not a single centavo of dirty money was spent” on his house. John Paolo Bencito

France...

From A1 Callamard, about the alleged murder by police of a 17-year-old boy as part of the drug war.

On her Twitter account, Callamard condemned the killing as “murder” and called for an investigation, saying the boy’s death should be the last.

Duterte, who frequently uses coarse language particularly against critics of his drug war, lashed out at her personally.

“Son of a bitch, tell her! Don’t she dare scare me, son of a bitch.

She’s an idiot! Where is that crazy person from?”

Upon learning she was French, Duterte said people in France were presumed guilty unless proven innocent.

“Even in her own place, that happens. She’s an idiot,” Duterte said.

“In their place, they can detain a person almost indefinitely under the French law. And the French law says you are guilty and you have to prove your innocence. That’s how it works.”

Duterte, 72, easily won presidential elections last year after promising to wipe out drugs in the country by waging an unprecedented crackdown in which tens of thousands of people would die.

Since he came to office 14 months ago, police have reported killing about 3,500 people in antidrug operations. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan, Vito Barcelo, AFP

Rody...

From A1 Duterte said he told his son-inlaw to simply do his job but never engage in onerous activities.

“Just continue lawyering, but do not go beyond that. But never, never ask me to do anything for you.”

They know it,” he added.

Trillanes accused Carpio of having received bribes to facilitate the swift entry and release of shipments at the bureau, and said he was behind the so-called Davao Group, along with Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte.

Carpio immediately denied Trillanes’ allegations, saying the senator was imputing malice in saying that his mere appearance in the BoC had something to do with large-scale smuggling. John Paolo Bencito

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

SC upholds ex-PNP chief Purisima’s suspension

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court has sustained the six-month preventive suspension without pay imposed in 2014 by the Office of the Ombudsman against former Philippine National Police Director Alan La Madrid Purisima in connection with the alleged anomalous contract the PNP entered into with a courier service in 2011.

In a decision, the SC’s First Division through Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe denied Purisima’s petition and instead upheld the decision of the Court of Appeals dated July 29, 2015 that affirmed the Dec. 3, 2014 order issued by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio -Morales suspending him during the pendency of the cases against him.

The SC ruled that the antigraft body acted within her powers and that the same is explicitly authorized to issue a preventive suspension order under Sec. 24 of RA 6770, or the Ombudsman Act of 1989, when conditions are met.

“The Ombudsman found that the evidence of guilt against Purisima was strong enough to place him under preventive suspension. Said finding cannot be said to be tainted with grave abuse of discretion as it was based on supporting documentary evidence, none of which were questioned to be inadmissible,” the tribunal said.

The high court also held that the Ombudsman did not violate Purisima’s right to due process nor did she prejudge the case when she issued the preventive suspension order before Purisima was able to file his counter-affidavit for the second complaint.

The SC said the Ombudsman may issue a preventive suspension order prior to the filing of an answer or counter-affidavit, considering that the same is but a preventive measure.

“Ultimately, it should be borne in mind that the issuance of a preventive suspension order does not amount to a prejudgment of the merits of the case. Neither is it a demonstration of a public official’s guilt as such pronouncement can be done only after trial on the merits,” the SC ruled.

However, the tribunal stressed that a case questioning the validity of a preventive suspension is not mooted by the supervening lifting of the same, contrary to the earlier ruling of CA that the petitions are moot in view of the lapse of the six-month period of preventive suspension.

MARCHING ON. The Philippine Marines march in formation alongside armored personnel carriers as they head to the frontline past damaged buildings in the Mapandi area of Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao on Aug. 30, 2017, as fighting between government troops and pro-Islamic state militants entered its 100th day. The militants, who fly the black flag of the IS, have occupied parts of Marawi for the past three months, defying airstrikes and artillery barrages, with parts of the city of 200,000 people left in ruins, leaving 45 civilians, 617 militants, and 133 soldiers killed in the ongoing conflict. AFP

I will abolish Command Center, Lapeña says

By Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta

N

EW customs chief Isidro Lapeña on Wednesday said he will abolish the customs command center which was created by his predecessor Nicanor Faeldon, that has the authority to issue alert orders which allows questionable shipments to undergo inspection.

The command center is under the direct supervision of then BoC chief Faeldon, where the controversial P6.4-billion shabu shipment passed through without being inspected.

“If that is not in the law, it will be removed. The command center will be stricken out,” Lapeña said in a press briefing after the turnover ceremony at the BoC office in Manila.

Lawmakers has earlier urged Lapeña to abolish the BoC’s Command Center, which was created during the term of former commissioner Faeldon because it had no legal basis and was not provided in the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. “It centralizes the power of

the district collectors as well as the deputy commissioners in the issuance of alerts, seizures, warrant of seizures and detentions,” according to the new commissioner.

During the turnover ceremony, Lapeña said that his top priority is to remove the culture of ‘pasalubong’ and ‘tara.’

“Strictly no gift and no take policy,” he said, adding that he would institute changes to help regain public trust and confidence.

“The marching order given to me by President Rodrigo Duterte is to address the perennial problems that have beset the BoC for years.”

The new BoC chief vows to institutionalize reforms for a more

organized and systematic customs administration to improve revenue collection efficiency, and at the same time maintain close monitoring of inbound and outbound cargoes through formal channels to prevent illegal smuggling.

“Similar to what I did with PDEA, I will implement a ‘onestrike policy’ to boost internal cleansing, which of course, shall be supported by intensified counter-intelligence efforts. I intend to give each of you a clean slate, so we can move forward. Just do your work. Prove your worth, and I will back you up. But once I receive reports of your involvement with corrupt practices and such reports are validated: I will not think twice. Pasensiyahan tayo,” Lapeña said.

“I am now issuing a stern warning to unscrupulous individuals who plan to use my name to collect money and/or ask favor/s to circumvent laws and regulations: I will get you. If anyone uses my name to facilitate unlawful activities, do not hesitate to apprehend them under citizen’s arrest and you will be given a reward. I will exercise zero tolerance against corruption in the bureau,” he said.

“I am also appealing to all

stakeholders, especially the importers, to support and cooperate with us by adhering only to legitimate procedures. Part of our job is trade facilitation. Do not give us reasons to hold your shipment and I assure you that under my term as Customs Commissioner, we will collect what is legally proper and correct dues. No more “tara”. Do not be duped into becoming instruments that contribute to breeding corruption in the bureau,” Lapeña added.

“To my BoC family, I seek your support and cooperation.

Help me do my job. I cannot do it alone. I need everyone to be on board with me. I still believe that many good men and women remain here in the bureau. Do not let the unscrupulous few continue to destroy the name of the BoC. If you are not with me, step aside because I am looking to steamroll major changes across the bureau,” the new BoC chief added As this developed, Senator Richard Gordon said that the country is better off cutting its ties with China if Chinese authorities refuse to cooperate with the ongoing Senate investigation into the the P6.4billion shabu that slipped through the Bureau of Customs.

Seized Pinoys treated well—Libya govt Ombudsman files graft charges vs CdO mayor

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan LIBYAN authorities have assured the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli that the 20 Filipino seafarers who were taken into custody on Sunday are in good condition and are being treated well.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Embassy Chargè d’Affaires Mardomel Melicor met with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday to request consular access to the Filipinos who were detained after their oil tanker was seized by the Libyan Coast Guard for allegedly trying to smuggle fuel.

“Chargè d’Affaires Melicor was given the assurance by our Libyan friends that our seafarers are in good condition and are being treated well,” Cayetano said.

According to the Secretary, the detained seafarers would be made available to embassy officials once the custodial investigation being conducted by the Libyan Attorney General’s Office is completed.

Cayetano said Libyan authorities also promised to provide as soon as possible the names of the detained seafarers whose photographs were published in Libyan newspapers.

The Filipinos were taken into custody after a Libyan Coast Guard patrol seized the Liberian-flagged tanker Levant off Zawia, west of Tripoli on Sunday, for allegedly trying to smuggle more than 6 million liters of gasoline.

The vessel, which was being operated by Evalend Shipping Tankers Co., S.A. based in Athens, was towed by the Libyan Coast Guard to Tripoli.

OLD AND NEW. Former

Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon (right) hands over the BoC flag of command to incoming BoC Commissioner General Isidro Lapeña during the turnover ceremony at the BoC in South Harbor, Manila on Wednesday, Aug. 30,2017.

Norman Cruz

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman ordered on Wednesday the filing of 18 counts of graft against incumbent Cagayan City Mayor Oscar Moreno before the Sandiganbayan over the disallowed contracts of lease of heavy equipment when he was then the governor from 2007 to 2012.

Ombudsman Conchita CarpioMorales also held the CDO guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and falsification of public documents.

Moreno was ordered dismissed from the service and meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, forfeiture of retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility and prohibition from taking civil service examination.

The other accused—former assistant provincial engineer Rolando Pacuribot, former provincial city administrator Patrick Gabutina, former provincial budget officer Elmer Wabe, former provincial accountant Divina Bade, former provincial general services office Elsie Lopoy, former provincial agriculturist Danilo Maputol and former administrative aide Leemar Tinagan—were also found administratively culpable and ordered dismissed.

Morales directed Interior and Local Government Secretary Catalino Cuy to implement the dismissal order.

In 16 separate resolutions, Morales charged Bade with 16 counts of graft, and bids and awards committee members—former provincial legal officer Cancio Guibone for one count, Wabe for 17 counts, Gabutina for 16 counts, Pacuribot for 18 counts, former provincial agriculturist Danilo Maputol for two counts, Lopoy for five counts and Tinagan for three counts.

Morales also instructed the filing of falsification of public documents against Moreno for one count, Wabe for four counts, Gabutina for four counts, Pacuribot for four counts, Lopoy for four counts, Maputol for two counts and Tinagan for one count.

“Revealed that the road maintenance program of the province received the biggest share of the nonoffice projects and that the expenses for rental equipment is the third biggest expenditure under maintenance and other operating expenses. The Commission on Audit also stated that the disbursements for equipment rental were irregular, with transactions amounting to P20,500,000 considered as fictitious as suppliers denied participation in the bidding process,” CoA’s 2007 to 2012 special audit report on equipment rental of Misamis Oriental read.

IN BRIEF ‘House asserts power of the purse on budget’ THE House of Representatives will not railroad the plenary approval of the proposed P3.767-trillion General Appropriations Bill for 2018, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Wednesday.

At a news conference, Alvarez said that shortened debates on the budget measure do not necessarily mean that Congress, especially the Lower House, gives up its ‘power of the purse’ as some opposition lawmakers have claimed.

The House is eyeing to pass the 2018 GAB on third and final reading as lawmakers are scheduled to debate on the budget measure next week.

“There is no need to prolong the debates on the budget measure so long as all issues raised are properly addressed,” Alvarez said.

He said the Lower House has other priority agenda on the table apart from the 2018 budget bill.

Earlier, opposition Reps.

Edcel Lagman of Albay and Tom Villarin of Akbayan party-list warned against the railroading of the approval of the budget bill. Maricel V. Cruz

Govt needs more military assets—Du30 PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday raised the need to beef up the country’s military assets to completely eliminate extremist threats as security forces continue to fight off terrorists in Mindanao.

In his speech before newly promoted police generals, Duterte said that he has been “quarelling” with members of the Cabinet to provide him money to revitalize security forces.

“We’re lacking and I’ve been quarrelling with everybody in the Cabinet because I told them that I’ll slash up their funds, because I [need] to have the money. I need 20,000 Army troops and mga seven battalions of [Special Action Forces,]” the President said.

Duterte admitted that with the coming of Islamic State inspired forces, “drugs coming in from anywhere and everywhere.”

“I don’t know if they will survive for another day of fighting.

So we have to improve on our assets,” the President said.

Among those he needed to procure, Duterte said, were fast boats (“to pursue the pirates and terrorists”), twelve more additional FA-50 jets to have a “credible Air Force” and “powerful precision-guided missiles.”

The ongoing fighting in Marawi City has already reached its 100th day, with the martial law proclamation still in effect.

John Paolo Bencito and Francisco Tuyay

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Opinion

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Truth to power

E

LEVEN years ago, former United States Vice President Al Gore released An Inconvenient Truth, a film that warned the world about climate change and what the unabated emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere can do to humankind.

The documentary won an Academy Award and earned for Gore the Nobel Peace Prize. For the first time, climate change became a truly global issue. It painted the dire scenarios we all face and the helplessness of poor countries in adapting to extreme weather conditions.

Despite the grim prospects, however, Gore brought a message of hope—that it was not too late and that the world can still do something to arrest the runaway warming of the planet.

This year, Gore releases An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. It premiered Monday and began showing in select cinemas Wednesday, Aug. 30.

While there have been significant gains in the past decades—greater awareness among more people, more initiatives toward renewable energy, the Paris Agreement where countries pledged to curb their greenhouse gas emissions to cap the warming—there remain challenges to the climate movement.

Foremost among the challenges is the decision of US President Donald Trump to pull out of the Paris Accord, which 195 countries signed in December 2015.

Mr. Trump says the Agreement punishes the US; it is no more than a sinister plot concocted by other countries to prevent the US from reaching its full economic potential.

Sweeping words, but hardly surpris-

ing from such a character. After all, Mr. Trump never acknowledged that the climate crisis was an important issue.

In fact he is on record as saying he did not understand all the attention people seemed to be giving to climate change.

The film includes images from Typhoon “Yolanda,” which bore down on central Philippines in November 2013. “Yolanda,” internationally known as Haiyan, is the strongest typhoon on record to make landfall. It also proves how warmer seas can breed stronger, more frequent and hence more destructive weather patterns.

There are numerous other examples from other places in the world, showing the toll that such disasters take on lives, livelihoods and economies.

Here at home, it took a while before the President instructed the Senate to ratify the Paris Agreement. He was initially adamant that an “insignificant” emitter like

the Philippines would be expected to cut back on coal power even as others have benefited from it for centuries. There is also a very real dilemma between addressing the energy crisis and shifting to renewable energy, which remains unfamiliar and pricey even as costs are said to be going down.

This year, however, our Senate did ratify the Agreement. The challenge now is in ensuring that decisions at the local level will be informed and guided by it.

An Inconvenient Sequel carries a grim and uncertain message. Still, despite Trump, denial, faux nationalism, shortterm gains and short-sightedness, it does not end in desperation or resignation to a shared tragic fate. People just have to recognize that there are issues more profound than what they can see or contemplate, bigger than their egos and longer than their life spans.

Man of the hour

I can understand why the Yellows are trying to force Aguirre to admit to being the source of the bribery story: They don’t want to have to answer the charges made against them in it.

But they’d really be expending their energies more wisely if they tried to come up with believable replies to the charge that they tried to bribe Saldy and Lorenza, in order to use them as Exhibit A and B in their quest to ultimately remove President Rodrigo Duterte from office using the death of the couple’s son Kian Loyd. That is what they should really be doing, instead of trying to find journalists’ sources of information.

And while they’re at it, they might as well answer the charge made by Saldy recently that they (it appears to be the same group, after all, that offered the bribe) also tried to bring Kian’s

THERE can be no doubt that the current man of the hour is Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.

He has now been praised twice and decorated by no less than President Duterte.

As the president mentioned in his National Heroes Day monologue, Espenido will be the new Chief of Police of Iloilo City. Espenido was the Chief of Police of Albuera, Leyte when the then Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed sometime in November of 2016. Espenido was then assigned to Ozamis City where Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, his wife, relatives and body guards (15 in all) were killed in an alleged shootout.

Both of these mayors had been tagged by police as big-time drug dealers. Now, Espenido is on his way to Iloilo City where Mayor Jed Mabilog is also included in police reports as a drug lord.

President Duterte asked the rhetorical question—will he live?

Senator Franklin Drilon a relative of Mayor Mabilog, has already expressed his grave concern about the assignment of Espenido to Iloilo City.

The Palace however, issued a statement that Mayor Mabilog has nothing to fear if he is indeed not in the illegal drug trade—this is no comfort at all to the mayor and his family. What should the mayor do? Maybe he should consider filing a leave of absence or resign and go to “cooler” places —another country, perhaps—and wait it out.

By doing so, two things can happen. The illegal drug trade in the city can suddenly stop—an indication that he is indeed involved in the illegal drug trade. Or, the market will flourish, thereby proving his innocence. If, however, he decides to take the word of the President at face value, he can elect to stay and face whatever will come his way. Surely, there will be countries that will grant him and his family temporary

Turn to A5

Turn to A5

Changing the topic

IT’S A propaganda tactic I’ve seen the Yellows employ so many times during their reign in the previous administration.

Now, long after their do-nothing idol has left Malacañang, they’re still wagging the dog.

Some people are accusing Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre of being my source for yesterday’s column on the bribe attempt on Saldy and Lorenza delos Santos. This is a brazen attempt to divert the P2-million bribery issue, by trying to find the source of the report and, in all likelihood, to exert pressure on him or her to recant.

But to be fair to Aguirre, he merely confirmed hearing about most of the facts I’d already re-

ported when I interviewed him on my radio show “Karambola sa DWIZ” yesterday morning.

And for doing so, he is now being accused of leaking the bribery story to me.

As a journalist, I am not required to reveal my sources, for their own protection. I haven’t done that in all the years I’ve been on the job—and I’m not about to start now.

The relevant law here is Republic Act No. 53, also known as the Sotto Law or the Press Freedom Law that protects the publisher, editor, columnist or duly accredited reporter of any newspaper, magazine or periodical of general circulation from being compelled to reveal their sources. According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, the law “is aimed precisely to protect press freedom and keep irate politicians from intimidating jour-

nalists and their sources if they among others, corruption in do not like what they read. government.”

“Protection of confidential At least, I’ve gotten some sources of information is also confirmation from an official source of my report, from no less than the official in charge of the Delos Santos spouses, now that they’ve been provisionally included in the government’s Witness Protection Program.

Someone like Senator Antonio Trillanes doesn’t even have to get any kind of confirmation or documentation to even attempt back up the wild allegations he regularly issues.

Of course, I’d like to think that I probably am a lot more credible than Trillanes. Which is a shame, really, because Trillanes is supposed to have hundreds of paid consultants who can do his data-gathering for an obligation for journalists and him; instead, what we get from key to getting informants to the senator is stuff that appears come forward. This is particu- not to have been verified even larly important in uncovering, using Google or Wikipedia.

The Yellows are trying to force Aguirre to admit to being the source because they don’t want to answer the charges.

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A5

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Cabinet revamp Duterte’s son-in-law OPPOSITION Senator Antonio Trillanes IV alleged that President Rodrigo Duterte’s sonin-law, the husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and nephew of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, has links to smuggling at the Bureau of Customs.

Trillanes said Carpio received bribes to facilitate the swift entry and release of shabu shipments. He was behind the socalled Davao Group along with presidential son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte. Trillanes based his claims on the presence of Carpio at Customs, even at the office of resigned Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon.

Carpio has denied Trillanes’ accusations, but the questions do not end there. Carpio is a lawyer; why did he continue to have clients with shipments through Customs? Didn’t he realize that people might see him there and infer that he was following up on his clients’ shipments?

It’s basic that close relatives of the President should not do anything to implicate him in any illegal activities.

Ca r pio only has himself to blame if he is now being singled out by Trillanes.

The President should also tell his relatives that they should know better than give even an appearance of impropriety. *** There are many reasons why President Duterte continues to enjoy high trust ratings from the people, based on polls of the Social Weather Stations.

For one thing, people tend to compare what happened during the term of President Benigno Aquino III with that of Mr. Duterte. Aquino’s term was marked by incompetence and lack of compassion. He also persecuted his political enemies while indulging his friends and supporters.

Another reason Mr. Duterte continues to be popular is the perception that he is a strong leader. He is resolute about stamping out illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.

This is why no protest action is likely to succeed.

Still, President Duterte should give more attention to allaying the concern of foreign businessmen and investors on our peace and order situation.

Businessmen have expressed

reservation about our uncertain political climate. *** The problem of many bureaucrats in government, especially regulatory agencies, is that they are just there in their air-conditioned offices without connecting to what the people truly need.

And to think it’s the people paying their salaries!

I refer to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board headed by Martin Delgra III, the chairman, and Ronaldo Corpus and Lourdes Lizada, board members.

These bureaucrats flexed their muscles at transport network vehicle service companies like Uber and Grab at the expense of long-suffering commuters. Commuters want to have an alternative to abusive taxi operators and drivers.

And now Delgra wants commuters to file complaints against erring drivers. Isn’t it the agency’s job to discipline erring drivers?

The LTFRB suspended Uber for a month supposedly for violating rules on securing ce r t i f icat e s.

But whose fault is it that Uber drivers could not get their certificates? The LTFRB’s!

I agree with this newspaper’s editorial yesterday that the LTFRB needs a brain transplant. *** I repeat my stand against the Philippine Competition Commission against the purchase of Smart and Globe of the internet and telephone service networks of San Miguel for P70 billion.

They allege that this would be a duopoly, and would go against public interest.

What public interest when the purchase was precisely aimed at enhancing not only the coverage of Smart and Globe but also Internet speed?

The problem of business in this country is too much government intervention. Worse, we have bureaucrats who seem to forget that it’s the public that is paying for their salaries.

Count all the agencies that are regulating business, and you will know why foreign businessmen hesitate to operate here. *** Congratulations to newly confirmed ambassador to Washington, Babe Romualdez.

Go for it, my friend, and may the force be with you.

Changing...

From A4

stabbing spree inside a condo building in Pasay City the other night. Joel was 70.

This is what Joyce wrote in her Facebook page about the incident: “When [journalists] write about crime, there is always a sense of detachment. That is why it hits us doubly hard when the victim is someone we personally k now.

“Last [Tuesday] night, we had to extend our deadline for putting the newspaper to bed because of the incident in Pasay City where a man run amuck inside a condo. Up until around 10 p.m., the only details that we have came from Metro Manila police chief Albayalde: “At least three people dead, several others wounded. Today we learned that among the victims was a friend and colleague, Joel Palacios.

“Ang sakit. We were writing about you and we didn’t even know.

“Farewell, sir. Today, we will write better.”

The President’s close relatives should know better.

coffin to their rained-out Sept.

21 protest action at the Edsa People Power monument. Even if Saldy refused, it is still worth finding out why the Yellows wanted to parade the coffin and who dreamed up this ghoulish plan.

Stop wagging the dog already.

Deny or stonewall, like you also often do, but don’t change the topic, which is attempting to bribe the Delos Santoses in order to use them to keep Kian’s story alive.

And being turned down again, like when you asked to borrow his cadaver for your illattended, rain-drenched Edsa shindig. *** I am borrowing the words of Joyce Pañares, city editor of this newspaper, about the killing of a longtime friend and esteemed former colleague, Joel Palacios.

Joel was one of those knifed dead by a man who went on a

PRESIDENT Duterte recently admitted that he is having a hard time fulfilling his promise of eradicating illegal drugs and graft and corruption in the government. The executive branch of the government has been facing a lot of challenges and recent events showed that it is having difficulty in fulfilling its promises. Hence, we must ask, are there members of the Executive family who perform below expectations?

Unfortunately, the President had to let go several members of his Cabinet. Early this year, he relieved Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueño and National Irrigation Administration Chief Peter Laviña due to corruption allegations.

The Commission on Appointments rejected the ad interim appointments of Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary

Perfecto Yasay Jr., Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez, and Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo. Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon resigned over the P6.4-billion “shabu” shipment controversy.

Waiting for confirmation by the CA are Department of Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial and Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano, who both received several oppositions to their confirmation. It seems that these two appointees will have a hard time getting CA confirmation.

Secretary Ubial was caught flip-flopping as she displayed inconsistent positions on major health issues such as the presence of Zika virus in the country, the approval of dengue vaccine which had health risks, and the number of deaths in evacuation centers in Marawi.

Meanwhile, Secretary Mariano faces graft and administrative charges for allowing farmers to occupy the property of La-

panday Foods Corp. in Tagum, Davao del Norte.

Latest news reported that the President will soon fire two more Cabinet members due to conflict of interest. While we wait for his official announcement on who these two members are, let us take a look on the performance of the President’s Cabinet members. A year into the Duterte administration, can we say that we are satisfied with the performance of the Cabinet members? I don’t think so.

Currently facing public criticism is Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Martin Delgra III for allegedly favoring taxis over Transport Network Vehicle Services companies, Uber and Grab. Uber ended up paying P190 million to lift the one-month suspension imposed

by LTFRB for allegedly defying a moratorium on accepting new drivers. A few months ago, Department of Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo scrapped a P650-million international ad campaign due to its glaring similarities with another

ad. Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa is being questioned for the numerous killings committed by the police during anti-drug operations. Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted failing to appreciate intelligence reports on the Maute terror group.

These are just some Cabinet appointments that the President might want to review.

The Cabinet revamp is appropriate. Members of the President’s Executive family must be beyond reproach, are competent to discharge their sworn duties and finally, are equal to the tasks of this administration.

Let’s face it. We have a very popular President and some of his appointees are just merely riding his fame and are actually not effective. A Cabinet revamp would be timely. Experience has taught us that in the long run, the popularity of a President declines. If he keeps incompetent members, his legacy as a President would be affected.

#FireMocha NETIZENS are calling for the dismissal of Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson after she committed yet again another media gaffe.

The hashtag #FireMocha trended on Aug. 23 after Uson posted a graphic of a police officer’s wake with the words “calling Leni, Bam, Trillanes, at Hontiveros. Kailan niyo dadalawin ito?”

This was a snide reference to the visit of opposition leaders Vice President Leni Robredo and Senators Bam Aquino, Antonio Trillanes, and Risa Hontiveros to the wake of Kian de los Santos, a 17-yearold student slain by police in a drug raid.

Supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte—of which Uson might be the most rabid one— claim that the “dilawan” (“yellows”, in reference to the opposition) are selective in displaying their sympathies in line with their anti- drug war agenda.

Uson erred in failing to check her source—the policeman in the photo died a year ago.

After netizens bashed her for the mistake, she deleted it, but too late, netizens had receipts—screenshots taken before the deletion.

On Aug. 27, Uson posted a rant on Facebook. She did

Man...

From A4 residence while the Philippines is too “hot.”

The mayor’s position is admittedly a difficult one but a decision is something that he must make as soon as possible and must draw the right conclusions from what both the President and Chief Inspector Espenido have already said. *** Every time there is a long weekend, tourism in Baguio gets a boost even during the so-called lean, rainy months of July and August. The last two weekends saw the number of visitors to the City spike.

This can easily be seen with the unusual number of new vehicles around the central business district. It seems that new car owners prefer to test drive and break in their new vehicles by taking a drive to the city.

Traffic gets heavy, but overall, the increase in visitors is

not acknowledge her mistaken post and instead fired back at her critics in all caps, which on the Internet is equivalent to shouting: “Wala akong pakialam sa inyo. Dahil ang pinagsisilbihan ko lang ay si Pangulong Duterte at ang mga taong tunay na may pagmamahal sa bayan.”

Her sulky attitude reflects a recalcitrant streak that can’t take criticism gracefully. She entirely misses the meaning of “public service.” This hysterical tantrum coming from a high-ranking government official was appalling. To say that she serves only certain people goes against the very mission of a public servant, which is to serve all Filipinos.

It’s no use complaining to her boss, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar, who was quoted by CNN Philippines yesterday as saying: “Si Mocha kasi, she just moves forward.

“It shouldn’t be #FireMocha, it should be #MochaOnFire.

She protects the President, and whether we like it or not… we have to accept the fact that it’s her unique selling proposition, her huge following online.”

On the Monday (Aug. 28) episode of “Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie” he said he had not chosen Uson to join his team at PCOO; she was Duterte’s pick. The latter has said that Uson’s appointment was “bayad utang” for

her services to his campaign.

Andanar said his “rationale for agreeing to get Mocha” was for her “base…sa masa, sa social media, with five million followers…Presidential Comms only had a million followers.”

Andanar brushed off the #FireMocha campaign, saying it was “all political.” However, he admitted that she needs “konting review pagdating sa journalism ethics…Well, she’s not a journalist.”

I saw that photo of the policeman’s wake on Facebook and the headline was about how the policeman died in the line of duty in connection with the drug war.

Because Kian’s death was trending, Facebook’s algorithms burped up similar articles, among them the one about the slain policeman. It happens frequently, and some netizens who just read headlines or fail to read the article carefully repost thinking it is current events.

I recall a similar incident some years back when a veteran columnist in another broadsheet wrote a horrified— clutching-pearls opinion piece based on an article she’d read in The Onion, failing to realize it is a news satire website and all its articles are comedy commentary.

As we say in the biz, nakuryente sila.

In Uson’s case, hers was another in a series of easily avoidable blunders that call into question her competence

and capacity for the post she has been appointed to.

It’s the Peter Principle at work. This management principle states that “people rise to their level of incompetence” —and Uson has reached that level as a public servant.

Because she has five million followers, she was hired. Because she has five million followers, she can’t be fired.

Never mind that her own boss admits she is not a journalist, when the position calls for someone with professional communication experience.

Never mind that Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in May 2017 that her views remain her own and do not represent that of the Palace, despite her being a government employee in presidential communications.

Never mind that her errors require frequent defense from the Palace and Andanar; she is turning into a liability rather than an asset.

Never mind that her posts serve to divide rather than unite the country.

Because in this age of social media, head count matters.

She has five million followers.

That’s her main claim to fame. #FireMocha had better get those numbers and more if they are to have any say in the matter.

generally good for business.

This is in spite of what has become of the city—a mountain resort city with mountains full of squatters instead of trees.

A few days ago, a major daily came out with a list of all the Heritage sites together with some pictures which could only be described as depressing. One is the post office which is now surrounded with makeshift stores built by former postal employees as a sort of cooperative.

In the process, however, the only standing government building built during the American period can no longer recognized. The building was constructed about the same time as the Baguio Cathedral around 1931. The building is now what some people refer to as a one-stop shop. There is an ukay-ukay store behind the building. There are also stalls selling various items.

Someone even mentioned to me that there is a small beer house. Why the postal serv-

ice allowed this to happen or the city is difficult to fathom.

This is also what happened to the old building where the old Philippine Commission held their summer sessions.

The Vallejo Hotel is still there. Constructed in 1911, it survived the bombing of the city in 1945. Together with the wooden buildings of Brent International School and the Bell house in Camp John Hay, these structures are the oldest standing wooden buildings in the City. The venerable Baguio Cathedral on the other hand is as they say no more. Yes, it is still there but the grounds is now a pay parking area and the church has lost its serenity as a place of worship. The city hall and the Baguio General Hospital which were both constructed in 1946 to replace the wooden buildings are now barely recognizable because of numerous additions to the original structures. Wright and Mines View Parks are basically gone.

In a few more years, Wright Park will disappear, taken over by squatters. Even the original buildings of Teachers Camp are slowly rotting away and the grounds full of squatters.

There are many squatter cities in the country but Baguio, it could be said, tops them all.

Why, one would ask, would a city that prides itself as the summer capital of the country allow the destruction of its major tourists sites instead of trying its best to preserve them for the benefit of all? It is a marvel that tens of thousands of tourists still visit the city of disappearing pines.

Perhaps it is because of the fact that if there is one thing that our public officials cannot destroy, it is the yearlong comfortable temperature that the city can still boast of.

Still, with climate change, the city is also warming up and we might need to go higher up the mountains to enjoy the cool temperatures of the old Baguio.

Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. FB: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, IG: @jensdecember, @ artuoste

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Group slams cement smuggling T

HE Philippine Cement Importers Association emphasized that its members do not condone smuggling as it extended the offer to work with cement manufacturers/importers and the Department of Trade and Industry to put an end to, or at least, curb smuggling of the commodity.

Invitation to Bid The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects, invites contractors registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to bid for the hereunder contract: A. Contract ID : NRP-AGN-03-17 B. Contract Name : Repair of Port Facilities at Masao Port, Brgy. Lumbocan, Butuan City.

C. Approved Budget for the Contract : P 25, 914,696.00 D. Location : Brgy. Lumbocan, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte E. Scope of Work : Mobilization/Demobilization 1. General Expenses 2. Paving of Back up Area 2.1.1. Removal and disposal of affected paving blocks and sand cushion.– 5,071.00 Sq.m.

2.1.2. Removal and disposal of affected concrete pavement– 292.00 Sq. m.

2.2. Supply, spread, compact and correct elevation of gravel basecourse, 200m thick – 1,073.00 Cu.m.

2.3. Supply, spread, & spread Portland Cement Concrete Pavement, 30cm thick – 5,363.00 Sq.m.

2.4. Sealing of construction / expansion joints – 3,200.00l.m.

2.5.1. Demolition and disposal of affected pavement for drainage canal.57.50 Sq.m.

2.5.2. Excavation and disposal of materials for drainage canal. – 62 Cu.m.

2.5.3. Preparation and compaction of soil foundation – 57.50 Sq.m.

2.5.4. Construction of reinforced concrete drainage canal. 57.50 l.m.

2.5.5. Supply and Installation of galvanized angle bar, hot dipped 9mm x 75mm x 75mm – 116.00 l.m.

2.5.6. Supply and Installation of hot dipped galvanized steel grating/cover 511mm x 1000mm – 57.50 Sq.m.

3.0. Provision of Water Supply System 3.1.1 Removal and disposal of affected concrete pavement. – 36.00 Sq.m.

3.1.2. Excavation and disposal of materials – 106.00 Cu.m.

3.1.3. Supply, spread, compact granular fill, 200m thick – 8 Cu.m.

3.1.4. Supply and place lean concrete reservoir, 100m thick – 3.60 Cu.m.

3.1.5. Supply and Installation of formworks – 202.00 Sq.m.

3.1.6. Supply and Installation of steel reinforcement – 2,594.00 Kgs. 3.1.7. Supply and place concrete at reservoir – 28.00 Cu.m.

3.1.8. Fabricate and install steel cover, shear gate, pump platform and casing, 10hp centrifugal pump and electrical works – 1 L.S. 3.2. Undertake Water supply connection from BCWD mainline to PPA system including the supply of materials, labor, equipment and necessary BCWD permits – 1 lot 3.3. Construct concrete box and fabricate steel covers and concrete filled G.I. Pipe Guard Post – 1 unit 3.4.1. Removal and disposal of affected concrete pavement 0.50m x 0.20m x 361.0m – 181.00 3.4.2. Excavation and disposal of materials affected area 0.50m x 0.20m x 361.0m – 127.00 Cu.m.

3.4.3. Supply and place sand cushion 361.0m – 90.00 Cu.m.

3.4.4. Supply and Installation of water supply lines fittings and electric pump – 361.00 L.M. 3.4.5. Supply, spread, compact basecourse 0.20m x 0.50m x 361.0m – 36.00 Cu.m.

3.4.6. Supply and place concrete at pavement 0.20m x 0.50m x 361.0m - 36.00 Cu.m.

3.5. Supply and Installation of service valve, meter and accessories – 1 unit 4.0. Repair of Perimeter Fence and Deflector Wall 4.1. Demolition and disposal of concrete curb and existing steel fence – 96.00 Sq. m.

4.2. Supply and Installation of formworks for concrete deflector and post – 198.00 Sq.m.

4.3. Supply and Installation of steel reinforcement for post and deflector wall – 3,082 kgs.

4.4. Supply of concrete for post and deflector wall – 61.00 Cu.m.

4.5. Supply and Installation of G.I. pipe fence framing, G.I. steel matting wire mesh and razor wire/barb – 1 L.S. 4.6. Concrete grouting of rock embankment – 103.68 L.M. 4.7. Painting of CHB fence wall–268.00 Sq.m.

F. Contract Duration : 300 Calendar Day G. Required PCAB Classification/Registration: Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering: Medium A Bidders should have completed, within the last three (3) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a single largest completed contract (SLCC) similar to the Project to be bid and having a value of at least 50% of the approved budget for the contract to be bid, adjusted to current prices using the PSA consumer price indices and supported with corresponding certificate of completion/acceptance from project owner/agency.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criteria as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is restricted to duly licensed Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations or cooperatives duly organized under the law of the Philippines and of which at least 75% of the interest or of the outstanding capital stock belongs to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders are required to submit to the BAC Secretariat of PPA, PMO Agusan a set of machine and original copies of the following documents for authentication before the issuance of Bid Documents: a) Valid PCAB License; b) Certificate of Completion/Acceptance of owner of the single largest completed project within the last three (3) years; c) CY 2016 CPES Rating; and d) Certification of non-inclusion in the Consolidated Blacklisting Report issued by the GPPB. A complete set of Bidding Documents will be available to interested Bidders from the address below upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos (P25,000.00), exclusive of 12% VAT. This Office is not electronically-ready to handle documents, thus submission of bids / proposals electronically is not allowed.

The schedule of procurement activities is as follows: Procurement Activities Time Period of Availability/ Issuance of Bidding Documents

Date

Schedule

Venue

“If there is truth to the claims of Cemap [Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines] President Ernie Ordoñez, the PCIA shall join hands with them in filing the necessary criminal and administrative cases against the alleged smugglers,” PCIA executive director Col. Dani Enriquez said.

“I will request Dr. Ordoñez to provide the documents he submitted to the BOC [Bureau of Customs] so that I can help assess the violations commit-

9:30 AM

September 6, 2017

Deadline of Submission and Receipt of Bids Opening & Examination of Bids

9:00 AM

September 18, 2017

9:30 AM

September 18, 2017

PPA, PMO Agusan Admin Building, Port Area, Butuan City PPA, PMO Agusan Admin Building, Port Area, Butuan City PPA, PMO Agusan Admin Building, Port Area, Butuan City

wants to see the documents first before jumping to conclusions.

“The importers have reputations to protect in the cement industry and it is not fair to make unsubstantiated accusations.

I don't think an importer will smuggle a zero-tariff and zeroduty product,” Enriquez said.

“Nonetheless, this is exactly why the PCIA is proposing to the DTI to strengthen their monitoring and enforcement of compliance with their policies and national laws to ensure con-

sumer welfare and protection,” Enriquez said.

“As to the complaint of a certain consumer group concerning alleged ‘expired’ cement being sold in the market, I believe the PNS 7:2005 actually states that after more than six months from initial testing, cement shall be retested and rejected if it fails conformance to standards.

Hence, there is no such thing as ‘expire’ cement in reference to the said Philippine National Standard,” Enriquez said.

Poe to craft final version of TNVS bill

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Grace Poe said on Tuesday that she remains committed to craft a final version of a bill seeking to provide a legal framework for transport network vehicle services for the benefit of the public.

Poe, chairperson of the Senate committee on public services, said the resumption of operations of Uber will set in motion more choices for commuters after it settled the P190-million penalty that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board had earlier imposed.

With the resumption of Uber’s operation following its payment of the hefty fine, Poe said the riding public would somehow be able to regain its power in deciding what mode of public transportation to take.

“For the sake of the commuters, I am committed to complete as soon as possible the report on the TNVS bill that is currently undergoing Technical Working [TWG] meetings,” said Poe. The TWG meetings aim to thresh out and address all related issues concerning the operation of Uber, Grab and the like.

“This way, we may avoid the recurrence

of a similar suspension affecting the TNVS community, which is rooted on the apparent inability of the LTFRB to adjust and adapt to new technology.”

Poe said that based on what happened, it seems that the LTFRB “flexes its discretion as a whimsical regulator just for the sake of imposing regulations.”

The LTFRB earlier said that it conducted due diligence and required the transport network company to submit proof that it has paid its drivers P299.24 million during the days its partner-drivers were not allowed to operate.

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE INVITATION TO BID PROCUREMENT OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLE 1.

The Department of Health (DOH), through the General Appropriations Act CY 2017 intends to apply the sum of Three Hundred Thirty Two Million Philippine Pesos (PhP332,000,000.00) for the projects listed below. Bids received in excess of each ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening: Name of Contract

IB No.

IB No. 2017303

ABC (PHP)

Procurement of Ambulance Type 320,000,000.00 III Advance Life Support Vehicle

of IB No. Procurement 2017- Laparoscopic Equipment/ 304 Tower

12,000,000.00

Cost of Bidding Documents (Php)

50,000.00

25,000.00

Largest Completed Contract Within the specified period in the Section III. Bid Data Sheet: a. At least two (2) similar contracts for local and/ or international contracts and the aggregate contract amounts should be equivalent to at least fifty (50%) of the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) within the specified period in the Section III. Bid Data Sheet; and b. The largest of these similar contracts must be equivalent to at least half of the fifty percent (50%) of the (ABC) as required.

At least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC within the specified period in the Section III. Bid Data Sheet

TOTAL 332,000,000.00 2.

3.

The DOH now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the abovecaption projects. Delivery of the Goods as specified in Section VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed, within the specified years from the date of submission and receipt of bids a contracts similar to each of the abovecited procurement projects stated in the Bidding Documents. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183 and subject to Commonwealth Act 138.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, G/F, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz, Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents for each procurement package listed above may be acquired by interested bidders on 31 August 2017 to 19 September 2017 from the address above and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB Resolution No. 04-2012, dated 24 February 2012, in the amount specified above.

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 who are interested to participate shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

Bidding Documents Fee may be refunded in accordance with the aforementioned Guidelines based on the grounds provided for under Section 41 of 2016 Revised IRR of RA 9184.

6.

7.

9:00 AM - August 29, 2017 – PPA, PMO Agusan Admin 5:00 PM September 5, 2017 Building, Port Area, Butuan City

Pre-Bid Conference

ted by the importers if there is really proof that they smuggled cement,” Enriquez pointed out.

“I believe the solution to any cement smuggling, if there is any, is to work together to prevent these illegal activities which rob the government of the needed revenues and eventually destroy the legitimate industry players. And I agree with the belief that if an importer can cheat on taxes, he can also cheat in quality or standards,” he added.

But Enriquez said the PCIA

The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference and the Submission and Opening of Bids at the COBAC Conference Room, G/F, Building 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila, which shall be opened to all interested parties on the schedule given below: IB No.

Name of Contract

IB No. 2017303 IB No. 2017304

Procurement of Ambulance Type III Advance Life Support Vehicle Procurement of Laparoscopic Equipment/Tower

Activity (Date & Time) Pre-bidding Submission and Conference Opening of Bids 07 September 2017; 10:00 A.M.

19 September 2017; 09:00 A.M.

Bids must Bids must be delivered to the address stated below. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated below: Form of Bid Security

Cash, Cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank.

Bank draft/guarantee or irrevocable letter of credit issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank: Provided, however, that it shall be confirmed or authenticated by a Universal or Commercial Bank, if issued by a foreign bank.

Surety bond callable upon demand issued by a surety or insurance company duly certified by the Insurance Commission as authorized to issue such security.

Bid Securing Declaration

Amount of Bid Security (Not less than the required percentage of the ABC)

The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on September 6, 2017 (Wednesday) @ 9:30 o’clock in the morning at the PPA, PMO Agusan Administration Bldg., Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City, which shall be open only to all interested bidders who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bidders must submit their bids on or before the date, time and at the place specified in the above schedule. Late bid/s will not be accepted. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the forms stated in the Bidding Documents. Bids higher than the ABC shall automatically be disqualified at the bid opening. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below.

The Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office of Agusan reserves the right to accept or reject any Bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Similarly, the PPA Port Management Office of Agusan assumes no obligation, whatsoever, to compensate or indemnify any bidder of any expenses or loss that said bidder(s) may incur in its participation in the pre-bidding and bidding process nor does it guarantee that an award will be made.

For further information, please refer to: MS. SARAH JANE T. LUCERO Sr. Project Planning & Development Officer Head, BAC Secretariat-Engineering Projects PPA, PMO-Agusan Port Area, San Francisco Street, Butuan City 8600 Tel. Nos. (085) 342-6451/342-5352 Fax No. (085) 815-4434 Email Address: pmo_nasipit@yahoo.com( Sgd.) JUANCHO I. TALILI Division Manager A, Port Services Division BAC Chairperson, Engineering Projects

8.

The DOH reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

9.

For further information, please refer to: Special COBAC Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830

(MS-AUG. 31, 2017)

(MS-AUG. 31, 2017)

Two percent (2%)

Five percent (5%) No percentage required

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.

(SGD) HERMINIGILDO V. VALLE, MD, MPA Undersecretary of Health Chairperson, Special COBAC

SUPPORT TO MARAWI. Makoto Iyori (center), minister for Economic Affairs Embassy of Japan, hands over Japan’s contribution to the Unicef and the World Food Programme in support of the People of Marawi to Lotta Sylwander (left), representative, Unicef Philippines, as Mats Persson (right), country director of WFP Philippines, look on during a brief ceremony held at the Japan Embassy in Pasay City. Lino Santos

Govt lauds new Qatar law on OFWs

By Sara D. Fabunan THE Philippines on Wednesday welcomed Qatar’s enactment of a new employment law that the government said would provide better protection to the more than 50,000 Filipino household service workers in the Gulf state.

“We thank and commend the government of Qatar for enacting this progressive legislation” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said.

“This will certainly lead to the recognition, promotion, and protection of the rights of Filipinos and other migrant household service workers in Qatar,” Cayetano added.

The DFA said the coverage of Qatar's new “Domestic Employment Law” has been expanded to now also cover household service workers and provides them with some degree of legal protections.

Under the new law, household service workers are to work for only 10 hours per day, six days a week and are entitled to annual vacations, paid sick leaves and guaranteed breaks for meals and worship.

The new law would benefit more than 50,000 Filipino household service workers.

Philippine Ambassador to Doha Alan Timbayan said there are approximately 246,000 overseas Filipino workers in Qatar, making the Philippines the third biggest country of origin of migrant workers in the country.

Mariano’s nomination deferred, suspended by CA THE Commission on Appointments yesterday deferred action on the nomination of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano after Senator Gringo Honasan moved to suspend the confirmation hearing in order to digest the issues hounding him.

“I speak for myself, I am going through an information overload, we have only tackled the first oppositor and we are bombarded by issues that are difficult to resolve unless we have the benefit of the time to process this information,” said Honasan in seeking to suspend the hearing.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, also the chairman of the Committee on Agrarian Reform, set the next CA hearing next week when they are expected to come out with a decision on Mariano’s appointment.

The nomination of Mariano, former Anakpawis Party-list representative and president of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, drew 19 endorsements and 10 oppositions.

However, only oppositor Maria Teresa Gallego, who represented his father, Manuel Gallego Jr., was heard in the hearing.

The powerful congressiomal body

had earlier rejected the appointment of Judy Taguiwalo as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Like Taguiwalo, Mariano is identified with the Left.

Despite the rejection of Taguiwalo and the CA members saying links to the NPA cost her position, Mariano is not a member of CPP-NPA-NDF. Mariano said he had explained the history of his involvement in the peasant movement from the start until he had become a member of the legal democratic organization as DAR secretary.

As alter-ego of the President, Mariano said he remains a consultant of the GRP panel particularly on the issue of social economic reforms.

In her opposition, Gallego said Mariano will be a “major obstacle” to President Rodrigo Duterte’s vision to develop the countryside. She related that on Oct. 1, 2016, more than 250 trespassers, armed with bolos, machetes and samurai swords, illegally entered their cattle ranch in Nueva Ecija. She recalled that the group was led by key leaders of over 250 men coming from three main groups, all of which were affiliated with the KMP. Macon Ramos Araneta

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

A7

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Del Rosario stays up by 3 L UBAO, Pampanga—Pauline del Rosario battled through sun and rain and came away with a second straight 68, fending off a late-charging Princess Superal for a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the ICTSI Pradera Verde Ladies Classic here yesterday.

Del Rosario, who anchored her big opening round charge with a four-birdie string from No. 11, bucked poor club selection and outplayed Superal and Thai Tiranan Yoopan in their frontside shootout in sweltering heat then practically matched her rivals’ birdie-binge in the rain at the back to stay on top at eight-under 136.

“I have a problem with my club selection, some of my approach

shots were over the target,” said Del Rosario, who still moved 18 holes away from nailing her third crown on the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour.

“I’ll still go for the greens tomorrow but I’ll try to be more careful with my (club) selection,” added the Orchard and Baguio legs winner, who braces for a tougher final round challenge with Superal finally hitting her stride and

sinking her birdie putts.

The former US Girls’ Junior champion, who started the round four behind Del Rosario at third, fell another stroke back with a 36 start but ran off five straight birdies, including in a pitch-in feat on No. 16, to close out her 67 card and threaten the two-day leader at 139.

“I played better today (yesterday) than the first round. I had few errors, including on No. 5 (par-4) where I dumped my approach shot into the bunker and putted short,” said Superal. “But overall, it was a good game. I’ll just go for sure scores tomorrow (today) and see what happens.”

Two down at the start of the day, Yoopan reeled back with a 37 after nine holes but birdied

three of the first five holes at the back to save a second 70 although the Thai ace slid to third at 140, four shots off Del Rosario.

The rest stood too far behind the troika with former three-time LPGT Order of Merit winner Cyna Rodriguez carding a 71 for an even 144, former leg winner amateur Bernice Olivarez-Ilas fumbling with a 74 for a 147 and Chihiro Ikeda, also a former leg champion, matching par 72 for a 148.

Sofia Chabon, the other amateur from The Country Club stable, also carded a 72 for a 149 while Gretchen VIllacencio, Apple Fudolin and Japanese amateur Kinjo Mana took the next three spots at 77-152, 75-153 and 78156, respectively.

Del Rosario, who scored a breakthrough at Orchard then dominated the Baguio stop of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., looked headed to pulling away with a 35 start then birdied Nos. 10 and 12 to post a seven-shot lead over Superal.

But after a couple of missed birdie chances at the back, Superal birdied Nos. 14 and 15, matched Del Rosario’s birdie on the 16th then birdied the last two in close range to put herself into contention for the top P150,000 purse in the P750,000 seventh leg of the circuit backed

by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZG, PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.

Thomas vows: I’ll be back LOS ANGELES—Isaiah Thomas insisted Tuesday that he would return to fitness from a hip injury as concern over his condition threatened to stall his move from the Boston Celtics to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Thomas is poised to join Cleveland with several teammates in a blockbuster trade that saw Cavs star Kyrie Irving head to Boston.

However, final confirmation of the trade has been delayed amid ongoing questions surrounding Thomas’ injury, which forced him to miss the end of the Eastern Conference finals last season.

Thomas told ESPN on Tuesday that there was no question he would come back from his injury.

“I am not damaged,” Thomas said. “I’ll be back, and I’ll be the same player.”

Thomas insisted that medical professionals had assured him he would recover his fitness.

“There’s never been an indication that I wouldn’t be back, and there’s never been an indication that this is something messing up my career,” Thomas told ESPN. “Maybe I am not going to be back as soon this season as everyone wants me to be, but I’m going to be back, and I’m going to be the same player again. No doctor has told me anything different than that.”

Thomas said he had remained in touch with Cleveland since a physical on Friday but was in the dark about the team’s plans.

“I don’t know what [the organization] is doing,” Thomas told ESPN. “It’s out of my control.

I just want to talk about what I can control, and I know that this (hip) won’t be a problem into the future.” AFP

MAHARLIKA CAGE TOURNEY. Senator Manny Pacquiao announces the staging of the 1st Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, which he founded. He is joined by (from left) Assistant Commissioner Satar Macantal, MPBL Commissioner Edmund Snow Badua and MPBL Head of Operations Zaldy Realubit. Lino Santos

1st PVL Collegiate tilt lures 12 teams TWELVE women’s volleyball teams prime up for their respective school leagues as they see action in the first Premier Volleyball League Collegiate Conference which gets going Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Center in San Juan.

Reigning NCAA titlist Arellano University and former UAAP champion Ateneo banner the cast that includes National U, which will be led by the top players who helped steer BaliPure to its very first PVL championship in the recent Open Conference.

The field is divided into two brackets with the top four from each side after the single round robin elims clashing in the bestof-three crossover semifinals.

Winners will dispute the crown in another best-of-three affair.

The Lady Eagles and the Lady Bulldogs head Group A that includes San Sebastian College, Lyceum of the Philippines U, Far Easter U and Jose Rizal U while Arellano banners Group B that also features University of the Philippines, Technological Institute of the Philippines, San Beda Coolege, Adamson U and former NCAA champion St. Benilde.

Meanwhile, 10 teams, led by Ateneo and La Salle, will dispute the men’s crown.

The Lady Bulldogs have been installed as the team to beat owing to their victories in the last two V-League Collegiate Conference although they remain wary of the opposition with so many teams boasting of formidable rosters in preparation for the UAAP and NCAA wars, among others.

Lyceum, on the other hand, will see action in the commercial league organized by Sports Vision for the first time since joining the NCAA. The Lady Pirates last participated in a commercial league back in 2011 in the eighth V-League’s first conference.

Federer survives 5-set battle with teen Huge field vies NEW YORK—Roger Federer survived a five-set battle to defeat American teenager Frances Tiafoe and reach the US Open second round on Tuesday, keeping his bid for a record sixth New York title alive.

The 36-year-old Swiss, chasing his third major of the year and 20th of his career, prevailed 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 to avoid losing in the first round of a Slam for the first time since the 2003 French Open.

The fast and furious duel under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium was one of only nine matches to be completed as torrential rain swept 55 matches off Tuesday’s schedule.

At times, Federer also looked as if he was

about to disappear with the deluge, struggling with a back injury as well as the all-out assault of Tiafoe, the big-hearted 19-yearold son of immigrants from Sierra Leone.

But the veteran survived to register his 79th win in New York and set-up a second round match-up with either Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny or Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia.

“It was more than a test. We enjoyed it out there, we kept fighting, trying and it was exciting,” said Federer, who finished with 17 aces, 41 winners and 56 unforced errors.

“I had a slow start. I was worried about the back injury. In the fifth set, it was a coin toss and it went my way tonight so I

am very happy.”

“I am feeling extremely well. This will give me great confidence,” added Federer, who missed the 2016 tournament with injury and was playing under the $150 million Ashe roof for the first time.

The back problem, which Federer suffered in losing the Montreal final to Alexander Zverev and ruled him out of the Cincinnati tournament, restricted his movement in the opening set.

World number 70 Tiafoe claimed it on the back of an uncharacteristic 18 unforced errors by the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion. AFP

Registration for 5th Filinvest Endurance Weekend now on

Riders enjoy the Filinvest City bike route.

ELITE and amateur mountain bike riders can once again expect a thrilling and demanding race experience as the 5th Filinvest City Endurance Weekend makes its way on Sept. 30 to Oct. 1, at the Filinvest City Alabang.

The Filinvest City Endurance Weekend, first staged in 2013, is an exciting two-day MTB event unlike any other as it challenges riders—either in solo and team categories to push themselves to the limit in the 6-hour, 12-hour, or 24-hour race spans that are very much a test of skill, endurance, and strength.

That Filinvest City serves as the race venue has become even more relevant and fitting with the recent introduction of bike lanes and trails, the latter a feature that cannot be found in other CBDs.

Already, bikers of all backgrounds are taking advantage of these amenities, not only on weekends but also during the work week, making Filinvest City a true bike-friendly CBD. Apart from an exclusive medal for all finishers and winners, generous cash prizes also await winners in the various the various race categories.

The 24-hour leg will start on Sept. 30 (Saturday) at 12noon; the 12-hour leg will start on Sept. 30 (Saturday) at 5 p.m.; while the 6-hour leg will start on Oct. 1 (Sunday) at 6 a.m.

For more information on the Filinvest City Endurance Weekend and the accompanying registration fees and procedures involved, visit facebook.com/FilinvestCityOFFICIAL.

CEU Scorpions start defense of WNCAA cage crown Saturday

By Peter Atencio THE Centro Escolar University Scorpions, the overall champions in the senior division last year, open up their titleretention bid when the basketball games kick off the start of the 48th season of the Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association this Saturday.

The Scorpions will clash with newcomer University of Makati at 3 p.m. during the opening games at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

This season unfolds with the theme, “Audecia Sin Limites (Courage Without Limits),” with Saint Pedro Poveda College as this year’s host.

“We hope our athletes will be daring, take risks, be courageous and clearsighted,” said Dr. Azucena Camagan, school president of host Saint Pedro Poveda College.

Camagan and members of the WNCAA board talked about the season during Wednesday’s launch at the Poveda College campus in Edsa, Mandaluyong.

The La Salle Zobel Archers, the overall winner in the junior contest, will meet the Poveda Phoenix at 1:30 p.m.

The Phoenix takes on St. Jude College at 12 noon.

Last year, La Salle-Zobel won two cage titles, after upending St. Paul College Pasig, 58-45, to nail a remarkable seventh straight championship in the midgets division.

Chiang Kai Shek College dumped DLSZ, 68-40, for a back-to-back juniors’ crown, while CEU picked up its sixth

straight seniors’ plum after an 82-42 win over Philippine Women’s University.

Sixteen schools are seeing action this year, with UMak as a new member, replacing Rizal Technological University.

Officials of Umak are keen on making their football field available for games.

Additional events in cheerdancing are being considered in the midget level.

Competitions will also be held in badminton, futsal, poomsae, softball, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis and volleyball.

in Shell chess

THE Shell National Youth Active Chess Championships braces for a fierce two-day battle of wits when it holds the Southern Mindanao leg on Sept.

2 and 3 at SM City in Davao.

A full-packed field has marked all the stops of the annual tournament sponsored by Pilipinas Shell in Davao, being one of the spawning grounds of chess talents in the country.

Registration is on-going on a first-come, firstserved basis with slots limited to 400.

For details, contact tournament coordinator Alex Dinoy at 0922-8288510. Registration forms can also be downloaded from www.shell.com. ph/shell_chess. <http://www.shell.com.ph/shell_ chess.> Fee is pegged at P100.

Keen competition is seen all three divisions with the top two from the kiddies, juniors and seniors divisions gaining berths in the national finals slated Oct. 7-8.

The top female player from each category will also advance to the grand finals at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

The kiddies section features players aged 7 to 12 (born between 2004 to 2009), the juniors for 13 to 16 years old (born between 2000 to 2003) and the seniors for 17 to 20 (born between 1996 and 1999) for boys and girls.

Twenty nine players have made it so far to the grand finals after three legs of the circuit sanctioned by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the five-stage regional circuit winds up on Sept. 16 and 17 in Cebu for the Visayas qualifier at SM City.

The milestone 25th staging of the circuit is held to discover fresh talents, especially in the countryside, and develop them to become members of future national teams. It has produced top grandmasters, the foremost of which is current world No. 2 super GM Wesley So.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

P0 M+ P0 M

Sports

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

A8

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

Texters halt Elite’s streak

By Jeric Lopez

FINAL MEDAL TALLY

PHILIPPINES

24

33

64

121

Members of the PH Squash team (from left) David William Pelino, Robert Andrew Garcia and Reymark Begomia hold the Philippine flag after their silver-medal feat in the SEA Games at the National Squash Centre, KL Sports City, Bukit Jalil. PSC Media

Team PH ends SEA Games’ campaign with a whimper K UALA LUMPUR—Skater Kathryn Magno tried to deliver her best parting shot, but her effort was still not enough to bail the heavily battered Philippine delegation out of its worst Southeast Asian Games finish in the past 18 years.

the bronze on the distaff side.

Magno’s performance and the silver-medal finish of the national squads in squash and sepak takraw Tuesday night perfectly reflected the Philippines’ entire twoweek campaign in this prestigious biennial conclave.

Save for some runaway victors like Olympians Eric Cray and Mary Joy Tabal, Gilas Pilipinas, Kim Mangrobang and Nikko Huelgas, the country’s campaign was a major disappointment as the 24-gold medal finish marks its worst production since hauling 20 mints in the Brunei edition of the SEA Games in 1999.

But contrary to the Brunei Games, where only 233 gold medals were at stake, this year’s edition in Kuala Lumpur staked a total of 404 gold medals, with more than a fourth of which cornered by the host country.

Overall, the Malaysians

grabbed 145 gold, 92 silver and 86 bronze medals, while Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia finished in the second, third, fourth and fifth spots with 72, 58, 57 and 38 gold medals, respectively.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco said the heart-breaking campaign in Kuala Lumpur should be left behind and, instead, urged everybody—including his critics—to rally behind the athletes as they brace for the country’s hosting of the Games in 2019.

“All of us, including the critics, should rally behind the 2019 Philippine hosting and support the athletes in any way we can,” said Cojuangco, who bickered with chief of mission Cynthia Carrion after the POC disapproved her prepared program for the closing ceremonies.

He said that the 20-minute cultural presentation prepared by a noted organizer and funded by the Department of Tourism wouldn’t matter as the Malaysian Southeast Asian Organizers Committee already finalized the program long before the Games started as it also coincided with the Malaysia’s Independence Day celebration.

“How could be insist with the host country and the MASOC to present a 20-minute presentation when the closing program has been finalized long before the Games started and coincided with the Independence Day celebration of Malaysia?,” asked Cojuangco.

“And the CDM, who attended the CDM meetings before and during the Games could not even show the POC board a program that included a Philippine cultural show,” said Cojuangco.

TNT KaTropa sent Blackwater crashing back to earth, dominating the erstwhile-streaking squad with ease, 117-96, to notch a vital win in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last night.

Once again, it was Glen Rice Jr. who backstopped the Tropang Texters, unloading a teamhigh 31 points, six rebounds and seven steals as he excelled on both sides of the floor.

Kelly Williams came off the bench to have a solid night himself, tallying 21 points and four rebounds to help their reinforcement.

This was TNT’s second straight win to improve to 4-2 as it gained a tie for fifth with Rain or Shine, while Blackwater saw its winning streak snapped at three. It now carries a 3-4 mark.

Following a brief stoppage of the contest early in the second, TNT KaTropa took advantage and uncorked a key 17-6 run that extended its five-point lead to 11, 47-31 halfway the quarter, as it established its first double-digit lead.

From there, the Tropang Texters seized control and took an even bigger 22-point cushion at the turn, 62-40.

They never looked back as they made it look like a walk in the park, outclassing the Elite totally until the final horn.

Jayson Castro added 11 markers, while returning Rudy Lingganay added 10 for TNT. For most part, the Tropang Texters led by 20 points or more as they were never really threatened.

Henry Walker still top-scored with 33 points and 18 rebounds, but was held back in a critical part of the game where Blackwater got left behind.

Walker picked up his third foul as early as the 9:53 mark of the second, limiting his effectivity through the rest of the first half where TNT capitalized.

The game was temporarily halted for quite a period early in the second period, at the 10:44 mark, due to technical difficulties.

NBA legend and three-time world champion Ray Allen, who is in Manila for a personal visit, was in attendance to observe the games.

The scores: TNT 117—Rice Jr. 31, Williams 21, Castro 11, Lingganay 10, Tautuaa 9, Reyes 8, Pogoy 8, De Ocampo 7, Carey 6, Rosario 3, Semerad 3, Golla 0, Nuyles 0, Hernandez 0.

BLACKWATER 96—Walker 33, Erram 18, Digregorio 12, Sumang 8, Belo 7, Canaleta 6, Cruz 4, Pinto 4, Gamalinda 2, Pascual 2, Miranda 0, Sena 0.

Quarters: 28-25, 62-40, 9271, 117-96.

Magno wrapped up the country’s participation with a fourthplace finish in the women’s 1000-meter speed skating event Wednesday at the Empire City Ice Arena here.

The 23-year-old San Jose, California native, who failed to qualify in the women’s 500-meter race last Tuesday, was eased out of a podium finish after placing fourth with a clocking one minute and 51.89 seconds.

Filipino winter sports campaigners will go home with one gold, silver and bronze in the

events that were making their SEA Games debut.

The Philippine men’s ice hockey team was the toast of the contingent, completing a fourgame sweep of its tournament to clinch a historic gold and will likely defend its crown when the Philippines hosts the 30th edition of the SEA Games two years from now.

Sochi Winter Games Olympian Michael Martinez secured the silver medal in men’s individual figure skating, while Alyson Kirstie Perticheto took

POC defends calling off presentation

PH’s Universiade athlete settles for wushu silver

THE Philippine Olympic Committee justified its decision to call off a costly cultural presentation during the closing ceremonies of the 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, which ended today.

Instead, the POC opted for a simple turnover of the country’s hosting in 2019 of the 30th SEA Games f rom Malaysia to the Philippines at the closing program, POC president Jose Cojuangco explained.

“It will not take five minutes for the turn over because the program prepared by Malaysia is highlighted by the celebration of the Independence Day of the host country and as over all champion of the Games,” he pointed out.

At the same time, Cojuangco appealed to sports critics that they should be proud of our athletes even though they failed to deliver the projected gold output or matched the country’s medal in previous SEA Games.

“All of us, including the critics, should rally behind the 2019 Philippine hosting and support our athletes in any way we can,” Cojuangco said.

He explained that the memorandum of agreement between the POC and Department of Tourism and the P8 million check for the cultural presentation were brought to Kuala Lumpur by the POC finance officer midway into the Games.

“How could we insist with the host country and the MASOC (Malaysian Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee) to present a 20-minute presentation when the closing program has been finalized long before the Games started and coincided with the Independence Day of Malaysia?” he said.

TAIPEI—Jomar Balangui did his best, but still dropped a heartbreaking, two-set decision to Peng Yuan of China to settle for the silver medal in the men’s sanda-52 kg wushu event in wushu in the 29th Summer Universiade.

The 19-year-old campaigner from University of Baguio, who was hoping to give the country its second Universiade gold medal in four years, put up a brave stand during an evening encounter watched with bated breath by fellow Filipino athletes who stayed behind after 12 full days of competition.

In the end, even Balangui succumbed to an older opponent, who comes from the country where the martial arts sports of wushu originated.

“I did my best,” said Balangui, who assured himself—and

Jomar Balangui

the country—of a silver medal by eliminating isiah Ray Enriquez of the United States, 2-0, in the semis Monday.

So the Filipinos, whose fourth straight Universiade appearance is sanctioned by the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines and supported by San Miguel Corp., Bestank and Garfield Sportswear, will go home Thursday with another medal and lots of good stories to tell about their valuable new experience.

For Balangui, it’s a silver medal that glitters like gold as he becomes only the third Filipino to earn a coveted medal in the 58year history of the competition also known as the ‘Olympics’ of student-athletes.

Balangui joins GM Wesley So, who bagged the gold medal in chess during the 2013 Kazan

Universiade and Samuel Thomas Morrison, who captured a silver in taekwondo during the 2011 Shenzhen Universiade, as the top Filipino achievers in this biennial event organized by the Federation Iinternatonale du Sport Universitaire.

FESSAP president David Ong congratulated Balangui and the rest of the 130-strong Filipino delegation in 13 sports for “bringing honor to the country during the Taipei Universiade.”

“It really makes us proud to be a Filipino watching our flag being hoisted during the award ceremony along with China, Korea and the US,” said Ong. Ong said Balangui will now lead the Filipino athletes during the closing ceremony scheduled late Wednesday at the Taipei Stadium.

Soguilon shines in Milo Olympics YOUNG Kyla Soguilon transformed the Cebu City Aquatics Center pool into her private domain and swam to a second consecutive Most Outstanding Swimmer award—this time in the secondary level—in the 22nd Milo Little Olympics-Visayas Regional Finals in Cebu over the weekend.

So young that at 12 and competing for the first time in the high school division, Soguilon scooped seven gold medals—two in record-breaking fashion.

The golds—meet records in the 100m and 200m backstroke, 100 and 200 butterfly, 100 and 200 freestyle and 200 individual medley—came almost simultaneously as Filipinos swimmers groped for form in the

29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur resulting to a measly haul of two silver and five bronze medals.

“I was nervous because I faced opponents who are more experienced,” Soguilon, who is swimming out of Regional Science High School for Region VI in Kalibo, Aklan, said. “But I am very thankful everything went well.”

Soguilon, an unprecedented three-time Philippine Sportswriters Association Milo Junior Athlete of the Year awardee and a two-time Palarong Pambansa Most Outstanding Swimmer, won four golds on day one and added three more the next day.

She clocked two minutes and 39.60 seconds to erase the 200m

backstroke record of 2:40.00 set

by Iloilo’s Mary Louise Lacson in 2016.

The daughter of Kokoy and Victoria Ong Soguilon returned to the pool for another recordbreaking feat, this time in the 100m where she clocked 1:12.42 to also smash Lacson’s 2016 standard of 1:12.94.

“I’m very happy to win these medals on my debut in the secondary division despite having opponents who are older than me,” Soguilon said.

Soguilon snatched 11 gold medals when she last competed in the elementary division last year.

“She is really a dedicated and passionate swimmer,” his dad, Kokoy Soquilon, said. “She eats healthy, sleeps well, works

hard and trains hard. She never gives up.”

Raised in a family that loves sports—her parents played baseball and participate in competitive shooting—the young Soguilon got herself into swimming after accompanying his brother, Kobe, on numerous occasions as therapy to his hip bone scoliosis.

Sharing the spotlight with Soguilon in Cebu was fellow Aklan bet, 10-year-old Michael Lozada, a sixth grader at Infant Jesus Academy also in Kalibo, who won 10 gold medals, including a record-breaking swim in the 400m freestyle.

Up next for Soguilon is the Batang Pinoy Visayas leg where she will compete against older opponents in Dumaguete City.

Young swimming sensation Kyla Soguilon is named Most Outstanding Swimmer for the second straight year in the 22nd Milo Little Olympics-Visayas Regional Finals in Cebu.

Pre-shipment inspection not fair—Eagle Cement B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

B1

Nuke experts inspect BNPP

By Alena Mae S. Flores NUCLEAR experts from Russia and other countries visited the mothballed 620-megawatt Bataan Nuclear Power Plant Wednesday to start a study on repowering the facility.

The Energy Department said it held an ocular lecture with experts from Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corp. and two other nuclear organizations who were in the country to make a preliminary assessment on the viability of rehabilitating the nuclear plant.

The Energy Department’ Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization headed by Undersecretary Donato Marcos along with representatives from the Philippine Nuclear Power Institute and National Power Corp. held a kick-off meeting in Bataan with representatives from Russia’s Rosatom, Slovenia’s Gen Enerjia and Australia’s Worley Parsons.

“The activity will define the scope of work for the pre-feasibilty study of the possible rehabilitation of BNPP,” the department said in a statement.

The study is being provided

by Rosatom for free as a part of the cooperation between the Philippines and Russia.

“Seven working groups have been established that will undertake the study that will last for two months starting the middle of September,” the department said.

The government announced in April a possible cooperation with Russia for nuclear power development.

Aside from Russia, other countries like China also expressed interest in the Bataan nuclear facility, which had not operated for the past 30 years, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi said earlier.

Cusi said putting up a nuclear facility would likely need an incentive scheme. “If nuclear, it cannot be merchant so we might have to put something for a new project just like we did with the renewables such as priority dispatch,” he said.

An artist’s perspective of the P20-billion passenger terminal proposed by Philippine Airlines that would rise beside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal 2.

PAL offers to build P20-b new passenger terminal

By Darwin G. Amojelar

P

HILIPPINE Airlines said Wednesday it submitted a proposal to the Transportation Department to build a P20-billon new passenger terminal beside its current hub at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Centennial Terminal 2 to accommodate more passengers.

PAL president Jaime Bautista said the proposed terminal would be designed to handle 12 million to 15 million passengers a year and would have aerobridges capable of serving 12 to 17 wide-bodied and single aisle jets.

Bautista said construction of the new terminal was expected to start by December 2020 and would be operational by July 2021.

Transportation Undersecretary for aviation Manuel Anto-

nio Tamayo said the agency already received the proposal.

“The documents are with us.

We are just following government procedures whether it is considered as an unsolicited proposal or something because it is not a simple leasing of the property. There’s a plan to build a new terminal so we have those information and it was being processed,” Tamayo said.

“It’s feasible and we are open to it. It’s just we have to go through government proce-

dures,” Tamayo said.

Bautista said Naia Terminal 2 which PAL had been using exclusively since 1999, now far exceeded its maximum capacity. Terminal 2 was originally built as a domestic airport terminal during the Ramos administration.

Naia’s four terminals are hosting 42 million passengers a year, 12 million or 40 percent more than their designed capacity of 30 million.

PAL said constructing a new, 89,000-square-meter air terminal north of Naia 2 would help decongest the airport and provide PAL passengers much-deserved space, amenities and modern conveniences.

The proposed annex building will rise on a 16-hectare area adjacent to Naia 2, encompassing the now-defunct Philippine Village Hotel, the former Nayong Pilipino complex and a property

owned by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

Aside from the passenger terminal, the complex will include multi-level parking for 1,000 vehicles, a new cargo terminal and ground service facilities.

Bautista said PAL, which currently operates at Naia 1, Naia 2 and Naia 3 for some of its domestic flights, was keen on the annex building project to consolidate its operations and provide adequate room for its growing fleet of jets and international and domestic passengers.

From its current fleet of 87 wide-bodied and single aisle jets, PAL said it expected its aircraft count to reach 96 by 2021.

Bautista said PAL would need government’s full support, especially in securing crucial land leases from agencies like the Manila International Airport Authority and Pagcor.

PCC approves Jack Ma’s investment in Globe unit

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine Competition Commission said Wednesday it approved Alipay Singapore Holding Pte.’s acquisition of a significant stake in Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. Under the transaction, Alipay, a unit of Ant Financial Services Group led by Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, will acquire 45 percent of Globe Fintech or Mynt, a financial technology company formed by Globe which pioneered the Gcash electronic money in the Philippines.

Globe Capital Venture Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom Inc., will hold the remaining 45 percent of the issued and outstanding share capital of Globe Fintech, while Ayala Corp. will have 10 percent.

PCC said it proceeded to a phase 2 review of the AlipayGlobe Fintech transaction as it needed to conduct an in-depth analysis of the possible effects

of the transaction on the nonbank electronic money market.

“Electronic money is increasingly becoming a preferred mode of payment for the unbanked consumers, and we wanted to protect competition in this niche market,” PCC said.

PCC said there appeared to be no increased ability nor incentive for Globe Fintech to block the entry or expansion of other players in the market after the acquisition.

“We have closely looked into the dynamics of the players within the non-bank electronic money market. Since this market is still evolving, there is scope for more players to enter the industry, domestic or foreign. Therefore, the competition in this market is expected to remain robust,” it said.

Ant Financial Group is a major third-party payment service provider in 70 overseas markets.

It covers more than 100,000 retail stores and can carry out transactions in 18 currencies.

THE Philippine contact center industry expects to sustain an 8-percent annual growth over the coming years, despite the growing popularity of artificial intelligence that began to take over simple voice services.

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines said to sustain the expansion and achieve the goals under the industry roadmap, there was a need

to focus on growth drivers such as human resource, finance and banking, performance management, data management, analytics, legal and marketing.

CCAP chairman Benedict Hernandez said simple voice services could fall under certain automation procedures.

AI adoption and its impact on contact center operations would be among the highlights of the upcoming Contact Island event on Oct. 11 to 12 at Shangri-La

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

51.1590

Japan

Yen

0.009112

0.4662

UK

Pound

1.292100

66.1025

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.127802

6.5382

Switzerland

Franc

1.046792

53.5528

Canada

Dollar

0.799297

40.8912

Singapore

Dollar

0.738116

37.7613

Australia

Dollar

0.794700

40.6561

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654914

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

13.6424

Brunei

Dollar

0.735402

37.6224

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030157

1.5428

UAE

Dirham

0.272264

13.9288

Euro

Euro

1.197300

61.2527

Korea

Won

0.000890

135.8227

0.0455

China

Yuan

0.151616

7.7565

India

Rupee

0.015623

0.7993

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.234439

11.9937

New Zealand

Dollar

0.725500

37.1159

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033133

1.6951 Source: PDS Bridge

IN BRIEF Globe promises to speed up internet

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said it expects internet speed to further improve as it aggressively deploys new technologies.

“We will continue to change home broadband with better offers, more data allocation and overall superior experience. We expect Philippine internet to improve further by aggressively deploying leading edge network technology to serve two million homes by 2020 with high-speed internet,” Martha Sazon, senior vice president of Globe At Home, said.

“We are pleased to see the Philippines climbing up to double digit in terms of internet speed.

We are optimistic that as home broadband plans become more and more affordable, broadband adoption will grow” Sazon said.

The latest Ookla Speedtest Global Index report showed an average dowbload speed of 12.43 Mbps for fixed internet, as a result of increased investment and the change in the way consumers enjoy video content.

For fixed broadband, the Philippines average download speed rose 57 percent year-on-year to 12.43 Mbps, while the average upload speed accelerated 111 percent to 10.37 Mbps.

Darwin G. Amojelar

BSP’s term deposits still undersubscribed

FOOD SAFETY. RDF, an established meat supplier based in Pampanga, showcases its companyowned, company-operated strategy where it manages and supervises every step of the supply chain.

Shown are RDF employees using modern processes to ensure consistent, high-quality meat and meat products from beginning to end of the supply chain.

Artificial intelligence takes over some call center tasks in PH

By Othel V. Campos

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Boracay Resort and Spa in Boracay Island.

“Automation is not a thing of the future. It is happening now.

A study by the Everest Group showed that from 47 percent of total voice services, simple tasks will become 20 percent by 2022.

The mid-skilled to high complex tasks will take its share as combined 73 percent,” Hernandez said in a news briefing Wednesday in Makati City.

He said repetitive tasks like

office directory calls or simple digital or computer tasks could be relegated to artificial intelligence.

Hernandez said more contact centers had started shifting simpler tasks to AI, but employees also began moving up to positions requiring better skills and analysis.

“We’re going to keep growing and maintain our position as the top destination for voice services because we’re moving up to

higher level of services that what most industries are looking for,” he said.

The Philippines and India are two of the preferred large scale geographies for the global voice and contact service industry.

North America is still the biggest geographical client of the Philippines for voice services, representing about 72 percent of the clientele profile. Its share, however, has steadily declined in the last five years.

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ term deposit facility remained undersubscribed as banks chose to use their funds to lend more to clients, instead of placing them with the Central Bank.

The auction of the 7-day tenor attracted only P32.44-billion bids Wednesday, lower than BSP’s total offer of P40 billion. Weighted average rates settled at 3.3162 percent.

The Bangko Sentral said it received total tenders of P109.86 billion for 28-day deposit facilities, also lower than the original offer of P140 billion. The 28-day debt facility had an average yield of 3.4961 percent.

“The decision to reduce the volume offering for the 28-day TDF is based on the recognition that the sustained economic expansion has also given rise to higher demand for credit. Banks are now lending more to their clients instead of placing their excess funds with the BSP,” Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said.

Guinigundo said companies were also using their peso funds in the banks to buy foreign exchange for their import requirements. Darwin G. Amojelar

B2

Business

THURSDAY,AUGUST 31, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

DoubleDragon eyes P4.8-b new projects

By Jenniffer B. Austria DOUBLEDRAGON Properties Corp. said Wednesday it will spend P4.8 billion to develop 100,000 square meters of industrial leasing space and 5,000 hotel rooms across the country by 2020.

DoubleDragon president Edgar “Injap” Sia Jr. said at the sidelines of the annual stockholders’ meeting funding for the new ventures would primarily come from the planned share sale worth up to P7.5 billion before the end of the year.

Sia said DoubleDragon was set to open before the end of the year its first industrial leasing hub at a one-hectare lot within Luisita Industrial Park in Tarlac province.

Under the plan, DoubleDragon will build two industry hubs each in northern Luzon, souther Luzon,

the Visayas and Mindanao.

These industrial hubs will cater to fast-food companies that are looking for commissaries and cold storage facilities. It will also target manufacturing firms and logistics firms looking for warehouse facilities.

The group is also looking to build 5,000 hotel rooms across the country under the Jin Jiang and Hotel I01 brands.

The remaining P2.7 billion in proceeds from share sale will be allocated for land banking activities to support future expansion.

DoubleDragon said it was in talks with foreign and local underwriters to handle the deal.

Aside from raising fresh capital to finance new ventures, DoubleDragon said the share sale would also enable the company to attract foreign institutional investors.

Stock market rebounds; Bloomberry, URC rise

S

TOCKS rebounded Wednesday from the previous day’s losses in line with the movement of Asian bourses, as US President Donald Trump’s measured response to North Korea’s missile launch and upbeat US data restored a semblance of calm to markets.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, rose 8 points, or 0.1 percent, to close at 7,956.73, as four of the six major sectors advanced.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also gained 1 point to settle at 4,722.00, on a value turnover of P5.9 billion.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 101 to 91, while 53 issues were unchanged.

Ten of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by hotel and gaming company Bloomberry Resorts Corp. which climbed 3.5 percent to P11.14 and food manufacturer Universal Robina Corp. which

gained 1.1 percent to P148.90. Puregold Price Club Inc. rose 0.7 percent to P48.30.

Most Asian markets also traded higher, as the rush to the sidelines that followed Pyongyang’s launch of a rocket over Japan Tuesday abated through the day as initial fears subsided, while the dollar clawed back losses against the yen and euro.

While Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the launch “an unprecedented, serious and grave threat”, Trump –who had warned of “fire and fury” over a previous rocket test—said only that “all options” were on the table.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has promised more missile flights over Japan, insisting his nuclear-armed

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30, 2017

NAME

OPEN

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.5 169,000 59.45 14,020 103.5 704,020 3.96 2,000 128 2,135,440 1.32 3,000 36 205,800 16.08 31,700 30.4 7,589,600 8.1 4,400 1.65 21,000 900 70 0.7 922,000 87 2,040,840 1 2,095,000 13.16 13,100 25.5 200 60.35 83,870 239 90 88.15 100 51.5 101,750 248.8 1,140,650 1,800 160 86.8 38,700 1.36 22,000

773,160 833,387 72,942,763 7,920 273,064,934 3,960 7,407,055 504,282 234,162,805 35,640 34,700 63,000 648,740 178,068,707 2,082,320 172,296 5,100 5,071,853.50 21,364 8,815 5,245,094.50 283,804,526 288,000 3,356,947 29,390

708,599.50 -31,431,056 14,108,952 -3,960 3,171,640 -69,189,045 9,594,022 -4,242,887.50 -2,178,187 41,850,212 -18,000 401,860.50 -

39.05 9.33 0.81 1.37 22.15 0.238 148.9 6.05 17.26 32.95 23.3 64 80.45 1.93 5.35 11.22 10.4 15.02 13.08 7.03 6.76 1.8 16.86 67 13.6 12.28 15 1.79 237.8 3.65 3.45 22.8 30 19.6 17.5 268.6 0.237 10.86 2.97 6.63 9.48 7.15 9.69 1.81 11.88 65.5 6.56 303.2 4.26 2.01 4.36 2.47 12.6 4.49 0.147 1.19 147.2 3.85 2.11 27.05 0.99

INDUSTRIAL 39.4 902,000 9.33 1,032,800 0.82 460,000 1.4 460,000 23.2 20,000 0.239 360,000 155 500 6.05 5,112,000 17.28 486,800 34.2 600,800 24 153,600 64 12,060 82 4,190 1.94 195,000 5.36 71,900 11.48 103,800 10.42 7,084,500 15.1 2,093,300 13.28 238,700 7.05 938,800 6.76 13,911,900 1.8 21,000 16.9 759,700 67.35 29,130 13.96 48,900 12.28 185,500 15.08 2,835,500 1.8 551,000 238.8 654,510 3.84 36,000 3.45 3,000 22.8 5,200 30.2 847,800 19.8 2,323,900 17.64 3,650,300 270.8 426,370 0.242 3,100,000 11.34 98,100 2.99 2,084,000 6.65 281,500 9.69 4,970,000 7.15 251,100 10.1 3,400 1.81 300,000 12.08 359,900 66 123,060 6.69 16,700 308 14,550 4.27 116,000 2.01 2,000 4.36 22,000 2.5 286,000 12.66 207,700 4.5 202,000 0.147 20,000 1.25 120,000 148.9 1,488,910 3.85 10,000 2.12 15,015,000 28.05 2,300 0.99 128,000

35,348,725 9,680,490 372,640 641,090 451,270 86,210 75,359 31,371,366 8,414,162 20,323,245 3,833,395 771,849.50 343,645.50 379,140 387,454 1,165,438 74,258,856 31,635,176 3,145,344 6,621,468 94,399,300 37,800 12,851,152 1,958,013 677,664 2,286,078 43,654,446 997,370 156,080,354 136,620 10,350 118,560 25,790,585 46,024,182 64,425,268 115,455,852 738,450 1,106,892 6,233,700 1,890,097 47,300,585 1,815,396 33,630 544,710 4,320,704 8,088,139.50 110,476 4,480,322 495,450 4,020 95,920 727,670 2,625,568 908,920 2,940 145,530 221,558,985 38,500 32,156,510 62,965 126,720

9,055,150.00 -336,955 1,430 1,016,926 2,064,642 32,020 771,200 -818,366 -4,778,764 5,786,708 -602,346 -5,290,285 -52,214,095 -6,775,574 -205,341.50 -48,960 -1,742,038 8,722,854 363,000 65,872,790 -5,291,360 876,698 14,197,392 33,291,610 -676,070 44,098,326 50,470 143,680 -267,424 385,764 13,233 -3,960,880 95,920 388,850 -63,010 -19,679,806 38,500 -898,650 -

0.35 73.15 13.5 1.09 6.95 0.31 898 7.98 15.32 7.45 6.18 0.197 1,126 7.6 70.3 5.4 0.89 7.17 17.42 6.39 0.044 0.92 2.06 99.6 811 1.49 300 0.28 0.199 0.225

HOLDING FIRMS 0.35 3,330,000 74.3 595,020 13.9 3,184,800 1.15 388,000 6.95 39,300 0.31 420,000 899.5 236,070 8.03 369,100 15.36 4,097,000 7.47 17,300 6.18 1,100 0.2 600,000 1,129 125,465 7.97 13,100 71.8 558,880 5.4 30,000 0.91 679,000 7.2 521,400 18 1,818,200 6.45 21,128,500 0.044 4,700,000 0.94 6,000 2.07 577,000 100 47,400 820 231,520 1.5 337,000 302.6 5,170 0.28 300,000 0.21 500,000 0.225 10,000

1,169,200 44,009,891 43,355,660 427,330 274,800 130,250 212,330,610 2,959,969 62,959,332 130,788 6,808 119,320 141,664,060 99,612 39,770,753 162,000 611,770 3,762,909 31,999,322 136,140,517 207,300 5,620 1,199,560 4,735,604.50 189,285,065 506,100 1,563,772 84,000 105,020 2,250

-67,450 -2,318,715.50 -3,342,978 134,182,885 1,545,568 -6,302,484 -51,590 -39,899,025 561,542.50 -4,500 393,007 1,756,394 -46,976,194 -1,160,105.50 -123,332,785 -15,100 -290,496 -3,980 -2,250

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

AG FINANCE 4.59 ASIA UNITED 59.4 BANK PH ISLANDS 104.7 BDO LEASING 3.96 BDO UNIBANK 128 BRIGHT KINDLE 1.32 CHINABANK 35.7 COL FINANCIAL 15.9 EAST WEST BANK 31.8 FILIPINO FUND 8.1 IREMIT 1.65 MANULIFE 900 MEDCO HLDG 0.7 METROBANK 88.5 NTL REINSURANCE 0.95 PB BANK 13.16 PBCOM 25.5 PHIL NATL BANK 61 PHIL STOCK EXCH 237 PSBANK 88.15 RCBC 51.45 SECURITY BANK 253 SUN LIFE 1,800 UNION BANK 86.65 VANTAGE 1.34

4.6 59.5 105.6 3.96 128.4 1.32 36.05 16.08 32.05 8.1 1.7 900 0.71 89 1.01 13.16 25.5 61.1 239 88.15 51.6 257 1,800 86.9 1.36

4.5 59.1 103.4 3.96 127.4 1.32 35.7 15.9 30.1 8.1 1.65 900 0.7 86.75 0.95 13.14 25.5 60.35 237 88.15 51.45 246.8 1,800 86.6 1.33

ABOITIZ POWER 39.5 AGRINURTURE 9.4 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.81 ALSONS CONS 1.41 ASIABEST GROUP 23.9 BASIC ENERGY 0.243 BOGO MEDELLIN 148.9 CEMEX HLDG 6.24 CENTURY FOOD 17.3 CIRTEK HLDG 32.95 CNTRL AZUCARERA25.3 CONCEPCION 64.95 CONCRETE A 80.45 CROWN ASIA 1.95 DAVINCI CAPITAL 5.4 DEL MONTE 11.8 DNL INDUS 10.4 EAGLE CEMENT 15.4 EEI CORP 13.14 EMPERADOR 7.11 ENERGY DEVT 6.81 EUROMED 1.8 FIRST GEN 16.86 FIRST PHIL HLDG 67.35 GINEBRA 13.96 HOLCIM 12.44 INTEGRATED MICR 15.7 IONICS 1.83 JOLLIBEE 238.6 LMG CHEMICALS 3.85 MABUHAY VINYL 3.45 MACAY HLDG 22.8 MANILA WATER 30.9 MAXS GROUP 19.88 MEGAWIDE 17.5 MERALCO 268.6 MG HLDG 0.237 PANASONIC 10.86 PEPSI COLA 2.98 PETROENERGY 6.73 PETRON 9.48 PHIL H2O 7.85 PHINMA 9.8 PHINMA ENERGY 1.82 PHX PETROLEUM 12 PILIPINAS SHELL 65.5 PRYCE CORP 6.56 PUREFOODS 308 RFM CORP 4.28 ROXAS AND CO 2.01 ROXAS HLDG 4.36 SFA SEMICON 2.54 SHAKEYS PIZZA 12.8 SPC POWER 4.49 SWIFT FOODS 0.147 TKC METALS 1.24 UNIV ROBINA 149.9 VICTORIAS 3.85 VITARICH 2.11 VIVANT 27.05 VULCAN INDL 0.99

39.6 9.41 0.82 1.43 24 0.243 155.8 6.25 17.3 34.35 26.45 64.95 84 1.95 5.4 11.8 10.6 15.4 13.28 7.11 6.82 1.8 17 68 13.96 12.44 15.74 1.83 239.2 3.94 3.45 22.8 30.9 19.88 17.7 271.8 0.242 11.36 3 6.84 9.7 7.85 10.1 1.82 12.1 66 6.69 308 4.28 2.01 4.36 2.57 12.8 4.5 0.147 1.26 150 3.85 2.17 28.05 0.99

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

0.355 74.3 13.9 1.15 7 0.315 901.5 8.08 15.48 7.7 6.19 0.203 1,143 7.97 72.05 5.4 0.92 7.33 18.04 6.59 0.045 0.94 2.1 100 830 1.52 302.6 0.28 0.212 0.225

0.355 73.2 13.68 1.09 7 0.31 900 8.08 15.32 7.7 6.19 0.203 1,143 7.61 72 5.4 0.92 7.29 17.9 6.5 0.045 0.92 2.08 100 824 1.49 301.8 0.28 0.199 0.225

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

4.12 4.87 0.3 0.58 0.52 5.25 23.1 1.8 3.25 34 1 7.5 0.9 5.9

4.12 4.9 0.3 0.58 0.55 5.4 23.4 1.82 3.25 34 1.02 7.5 0.91 5.9

4.12 4.86 0.285 0.56 0.51 5.21 23 1.8 3.21 33.25 1 7.5 0.87 5.84

4.12 4.9 0.295 0.57 0.53 5.23 23.4 1.82 3.25 33.6 1.02 7.5 0.87 5.88

6,000 15,324,000 29,590,000 6,238,000 11,373,000 1,704,400 1,242,800 200,000 34,000 18,109,800 1,200,000 300 414,000 3,302,300

24,720 75,006,900 8,665,650 3,546,140 6,088,560 8,964,923 28,884,800 362,060 109,500 606,905,165 1,212,570 2,250 365,810 19,451,623

47,960,750 -150,000 -34,100 490,344.00 -4,374,535 91,000 -342,212,630 87,000 -1,544,071

2GO GROUP 19.5 ABS CBN 41.6 ACESITE HOTEL 1.63 APC GROUP 0.59 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.039 BLOOMBERRY 10.78 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.076 CEBU AIR 106.2 CHELSEA 10.46 DFNN INC 8.15 DISCOVERY WORLD 2.21 FAR EASTERN U 970 GLOBE TELECOM 2,002 GMA NETWORK 6.14 GOLDEN HAVEN 17.32 HARBOR STAR 2.32 IMPERIAL 3 INTL CONTAINER 104.1 IPEOPLE 11.38 IPM HLDG 8.57 ISLAND INFO 0.174 ISM COMM 1.36 JACKSTONES 2.95 LBC EXPRESS 15.6 LEISURE AND RES 4.5 LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.49 MACROASIA 10.68 MANILA BULLETIN 0.56 MANILA JOCKEY 2.45 MELCO RESORTS 8.99 METRO RETAIL 4.25 MLA BRDCASTING 21 NOW CORP 2.4 PACIFIC ONLINE 11.06 PAL HLDG 5.19 PHIL SEVEN CORP 170.1 PHILWEB 10.5 PLDT 1,703 PREMIUM LEISURE 1.59 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.395 PUREGOLD 48 ROBINSONS RTL 89.75 SBS PHIL CORP 5.7 SSI GROUP 4.52 STI HLDG 1.43 TRAVELLERS 3.4 WATERFRONT 1.22 WILCON DEPOT 8.7

19.88 41.8 1.75 0.6 0.04 11.18 0.077 108.6 10.54 8.15 2.27 970 2,008 6.14 17.98 2.42 3.01 104.8 12.4 8.57 0.174 1.36 3.07 15.6 4.65 1.53 10.9 0.56 2.47 9.17 4.3 24.5 2.4 11.06 5.2 172 10.6 1,715 1.62 0.405 48.6 90 5.91 4.75 1.44 3.41 1.26 8.8

19.4 41.45 1.63 0.57 0.039 10.78 0.074 106.2 10.18 7.9 2.21 970 1,988 6.08 17.02 2.3 3 103 11.38 8.4 0.172 1.33 2.95 15.5 4.5 1.38 10.3 0.56 2.4 8.99 4.2 21 2.35 11.02 5.19 167.4 10.16 1,665 1.59 0.395 48 88.8 5.7 4.52 1.41 3.39 1.21 8.56

SERVICES 19.4 101,900 41.5 21,500 1.66 266,000 0.59 2,513,000 0.039 9,900,000 11.14 30,247,900 0.076 5,320,000 108.4 318,660 10.18 3,162,900 8 76,100 2.21 9,000 970 300 2,000 23,830 6.08 291,200 17.7 628,600 2.36 614,000 3.01 25,000 104.8 370,090 12.34 22,200 8.4 425,000 0.172 1,080,000 1.36 197,000 3.07 81,000 15.6 4,800 4.59 1,701,000 1.47 2,129,000 10.48 925,400 0.56 1,000 2.4 60,000 9.09 7,746,700 4.3 3,994,000 23.5 4,400 2.37 1,165,000 11.02 9,000 5.2 11,000 170 224,570 10.32 969,900 1,710 105,635 1.62 2,068,000 0.4 2,540,000 48.3 3,625,600 90 244,630 5.88 516,200 4.7 13,433,000 1.42 8,844,000 3.4 398,000 1.22 19,233,000 8.72 1,935,300

2,000,518 894,380 452,080 1,479,000 386,700 331,431,728 398,990 34,487,677 32,790,930 611,776 19,950 291,000 47,535,035 1,771,554 11,028,760 1,454,720 75,150 38,478,870 274,296 3,624,750 186,010 266,790 240,180 74,550 7,809,570 3,113,720 9,671,862 560 147,100 70,487,040 17,102,260 103,590 2,771,760 99,340 57,106 38,625,105 10,052,578 177,299,890 3,343,020 1,023,050 175,183,195 21,904,495.50 2,950,657 63,047,180 12,571,090 1,351,960 23,818,150 16,739,686

1,946 -120,900 176,943,722 24,969,181 104,090 -283,150 -658,930 -187,770 -380,130.00 -6,762,966 271,918 135,280 145,000 -41,920 -19,100,409 -92,650 0 -47,377,420 203,770 35,808,860 16,768,427 -8,507,870 11,284,050 414,310 -58,560 2,344,013.00

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

0.0028 1.74 5.07 1.83 1.86 1.19 0.4 8.4 2.55 0.28 0.184 0.193 0.01 0.011 1.99 7.1 1.95 0.55 1.1 0.013 0.014 0.012 2.5 8.9 4.45 168.3 0.0084

0.0029 1.75 5.15 1.83 1.86 1.22 0.4 8.78 2.61 0.28 0.184 0.193 0.011 0.011 1.99 7.35 1.95 0.55 1.1 0.013 0.014 0.012 2.5 8.96 4.53 172.8 0.0084

0.0028 1.67 5 1.83 1.81 1.19 0.395 8.4 2.55 0.27 0.181 0.193 0.01 0.011 1.95 7.09 1.88 0.52 1.06 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.5 8.62 4.25 168.3 0.0082

MINING & OIL 0.0029 437,000,000 1.67 11,472,000 5.08 246,100 1.83 29,000 1.81 65,000 1.2 529,000 0.395 340,000 8.7 5,100 2.59 24,438,000 0.275 1,040,000 0.182 2,330,000 0.193 10,000 0.011 54,500,000 0.011 200,000 1.98 367,000 7.2 4,886,000 1.89 73,000 0.54 27,000 1.08 274,000 0.012 223,100,000 0.013 28,200,000 0.012 4,800,000 2.5 34,000 8.62 420,000 4.28 8,479,000 171 419,070 0.0082 5,000,000

1,228,000 19,502,440 1,250,905 53,070 118,210 634,020 134,350 43,976 63,188,710 284,400 424,170 1,930 590,700 2,200 722,350 35,217,064 138,350 14,450 295,530 2,691,600 394,200 57,600 85,000 3,698,184 37,354,150 71,749,890 41,200

772,000 -12,181 -114,570 -94,800 -1,813,620 -2,700 2,897,506 8,400 720,189 108,440 -24,906,943 -

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

41.2 516.5 105.7 517 5.82 1,015 1.06 106 1,060 1,016 112.9 77 81.4 77 81.7 80.3

41.9 516.5 106 517 5.82 1,015 1.06 106 1,065 1,016 112.9 77 81.4 77 81.7 80.3

41.1 516.5 105.7 516 5.82 1,011 1.05 106 1,060 1,016 112.9 76.8 81.4 77 81.7 80.3

PREFERRED 41.1 415,100 516.5 40 105.7 13,510 516 3,300 5.82 417,500 1,011 2,070 1.06 43,000 106 17,090 1,065 1,035 1,016 80 112.9 50 77 190 81.4 20 77 40 81.7 14,000 80.3 13,400

17,154,895 20,660 1,428,010 1,705,305 2,429,850 2,092,790 45,330 1,811,540 1,102,100 81,280 5,645 14,628 1,628 3,080 1,143,800 1,076,020

-715,080 -671,305 -2,418,210 5,075 -1,628 3,080 -

LR WARRANT

2.54

2.68

2.54

WARRANTS 2.65 211,000

548,080

-

4.25 5.1 5.65

4.01 4.94 5.57

SME 4.07 5 5.59

2,242,540 185,875 7,620,479

88,800 -3,143,467

120.5

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 119.3 119.8 2,750

329,518

18,015

NAME KEPPEL PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

MS ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.16 5.1 5.59

FIRST METRO ETF 120.5 8990 HLDG 5.33 A BROWN 1.17 ANCHOR LAND 6.6 ARANETA PROP 2.29 ARTHALAND CORP 0.94 AYALA LAND 42.45 BELLE CORP 3.7 CEB LANDMASTERS 5 CEBU HLDG 5.25 CENTURY PROP 0.54 CITY AND LAND 1.28 CITYLAND DEVT 1.63 CROWN EQUITIES 0.241 CYBER BAY 0.5 DOUBLEDRAGON 44.45 EMPIRE EAST 0.7 FILINVEST LAND 1.91 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.63 IRC PROP 0.98

5.34 1.23 6.6 2.39 1.07 42.45 3.77 5.1 5.28 0.54 1.39 1.64 0.241 0.51 44.5 0.7 1.91 1.65 0.98

5.33 1.17 6.6 2.29 0.94 41.85 3.65 5 5.25 0.52 1.28 1.58 0.234 0.495 44 0.69 1.89 1.62 0.97

PROPERTY 5.34 598,800 1.2 14,330,000 6.6 19,200 2.34 238,000 1.06 23,573,000 42 5,754,100 3.68 879,000 5.03 3,575,200 5.28 53,000 0.53 21,921,000 1.37 2,706,000 1.62 832,000 0.235 12,400,000 0.5 2,982,000 44 91,600 0.7 520,000 1.91 13,002,000 1.65 2,257,000 0.97 111,000

3,196,245 17,249,170 126,720 555,450 23,951,830 241,877,460 3,249,690 18,000,456 278,310 11,607,800 3,656,500 1,341,640 2,927,160 1,489,620 4,054,950 363,990 24,779,860 3,691,610 108,670

-2,989,747 126,720 585,100 16,984,445 426,680 50 -5,461,740 190,600 21,060 -258,560 50,000 22,200 -363,300 9,376,530 48,600 -

TRADING SUMMARY

SHARES

VALUE

FINANCIAL

17,339,471

1,068,669,737.85

INDUSTRIAL

75,872,456

1,132,847,095.13

HOLDING FIRMS

44,936,961

952,455,853.42

PROPERTY

204,465,174

1,171,575,570.162

SERVICES

138,678,774

1,298,854,205.09

MINING & OIL

808,329,567

239,958,761.626

GRAND TOTAL

1,291,574,538

5,874,740,593.28

550,000 37,400 1,361,900

FINANCIAL 1,978.42 (DOWN) 9.37 INDUSTRIAL 11,025.13 (UP) 6.28 HOLDING FIRMS 7,852.15 (UP) 14.67 PROPERTY 3,728.29 (DOWN) 5.31 SERVICES 1,714.89 (UP) 16.79 MINING & OIL 13,152.79 (UP) 34.24 PSEI 7,956.73 (UP) 8.34 All Shares Index 4,722.00 (UP) 1.32 Gainers: 91; Losers: 101; Unchanged: 53; Total: 245

nation’s provocation was a mere “curtain-raiser”, in the face of UN condemnation and US warnings of severe repercussions.

But while analysts said the North Korea threat was still apparent, unease had been soothed by the fact that Trump and Abe were sticking to a diplomatic line and the UN Security Council had met.

“With a toned-down President Trump and the UN Security Council in closed-door meetings with economic sanctions the preferred option, the world just feels like a safer place today, and investors are relishing this respite,” said Oanda head of Asia-Pacific trading Stephen Innes.

On equity markets Seoul— which ended down 0.2 percent Tuesday after losing more than one percent in the morning—added 0.3 percent and Tokyo’s Nikkei finished 0.7 percent higher, helped by a weaker yen.

Hong Kong rallied 1.2 percent in the afternoon and Singapore put on 0.5 percent, while Sydney, Wellington, and Taipei closed higher.

However, Shanghai ended 0.1 percent down after late selling.

In early European trade London and Paris each rose 0.5 percent and Frankfurt added 0.7 percent.All three had ended sharply lower on Tuesday.

“The ‘risk off’ sentiment that overshadowed markets after the launch of yet another missile from North Korea didn’t even last 24 hours,” David de Garis, director at National Australia Bank, said in a commentary.

With AFP, Bloomberg

ERC clears San Miguel power deals

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission cleared the power supply contracts between by the power unit of San Miguel Corp. and two electric cooperatives in Mindanao involving the 300-megawatt output of the company’s coal-fired plant in Malita, Davao.

ERC, in separate orders, approved the application of San Miguel Consolidated Power Corp.’s for interim relief to implement a power supply contract with Misamis Oriental 1 Rural Electric Service Cooperative Inc. and Siargao Electric Cooperative Inc. San Miguel asked the commission to grant the authority to bill the electric cooperatives at the contracted rates provided in their power supply contracts and authorize them to pass on the rates to their consumers.

ERC said the approved petitions would remain subject to certain conditions such as submission of costs incurred during the commissioning period and audited and verified by a third party.

“The interim relief of the PSC is without prejudice to any findings of the commission in its evaluation of SMCPC’s application for certificate of compliance,” ERC said.

“The interim rate prayed for by way of interim relief is the most competitive amongst the recently approved power supply agreements of generation companies in the Mindanao grid,” the company said.

San Miguel offered a net rate of P4.3383 per kilowatthour compared to other players with offered rates ranging from P4.6939 per kWh to P5 per kWh.

Business

B3

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

SMC finishes new bridge in 6 months

By Darwin G. Amojelar

CITI BULLISH. Citi, the country’s leading foreign bank, remains positive on the Philippines while sharing its mid-year economic outlook for 2017 at

an event exclusively held for Citigold clients. Shown at the presentation are Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed (center), flanked by (from left) Citicorp Financial Services and Insurance Brokerage Philippines Inc. president Lester Cruz, J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Supreet Bhan, Citi Philippines retail banking head Rene Aguirre and BlackRock’s Eric Mueller.

The real Cayetano balancing act STUDENTS of Civics are taught that the President of the Philippines is the high official whose duty it is to ensure that the nation’s territorial integrity is safeguarded and defended at all times.

This concept is impressed even more into the minds of law students, who in Constitutional Law class are taught that under the Constitution the President has the bounden duty to protect and defend the “national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interest” of the Philippines. There is no greater Presidential responsibility than the maintenance and defense of these attributes of independent nationhood, law students are told.

Feeling threatened by China’s “nine-dash-line” claim to practically the entire South China Sea, the Philippine government in 2014 sought a ruling from the UN-supported Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on the validity of China’s extravagant claim. The PCA ruled against China, stating that the “nine-dash-line” claim had no historical validity and reiterating the Philippines’ right to exploit the resources of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The world considered it an immense victory for the Philippines, but very early in his administration newlyelected President Rodrigo Duterte made it clear that he was not deliriously happy about the PCA ruling and that his administration would seek to enforce the ruling “later on” so as to not disturb his quest for closer Chinese-Philippine ties.

If it annoys China, Mr. Duterte explained, the Philippines will not be able to avail of Chinese investments, loans and other economic goodies.

Accordingly, the PCA ruling has gone unenforced by deed or even by word. The Duterte administration has been tiptoeing around the issue, assiduously working to prevent the inclusion in official Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) documents of any reference to the Philippine victory at the PCA. “We must not rock the China boat” appears to have become the Duterte administration’s mantra.

In an effort to enhance the Duterte administration’s playbook, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs has introduced the B word—balancing—into the discussion. Addressing a House of Representatives committee hearing recently, Allan Peter Cayetano said this: “The Philippines is trying to balance territorial sovereignty with other national interests in its foreign relations.” He went on to say: “The work is a balancing act, your honors.”

Secretary Cayetano tried to make it appear to the Representatives that the “balancing” that he was trying to achieve was between competing Philippine interests. “There’s no argument,” he said. “We will not compromise our territorial integrity just to get tourists and investments.” Tourists and investments as against territorial integrity: the nation’s top diplomat would have the Filipino people believe that these are the interests that he is trying to balance. Nice try, Mr. Secretary, but not good enough.

The truth of the matter is the “balancing act” that Secretary Cayetano spoke about involves two fiercely competing interests, namely, China’s interest in not having the clear PCA ruling gain traction in the international community and the Philippines’ interest in obtaining economic benefits from China. If the balancing scale were to tilt in favor of China, the Philippines would get its economic goodies; but if the scale were to tilt in favor of the Philippines, China would become angry—Mr. Duterte reported that Chinese President Xi even threatened to go to war against the Philippines—and there would be no economic benefits for this country from China.

That balancing act—between China’s interest and this country’s interest – is the balance that Allan Peter Cayetano and his boss are really trying to achieve. There’s no need—and it is against President Duterte’s and Secretary Cayetano’s oaths of office—to try and balance the nation’s territorial integrity against economic benefits from other countries. The nation’s territorial integrity must always come first.

Which leads to the logical question. When do President Duterte and Secretary Cayetano intend to put an end to the balancing act and begin asserting the Philippines’ rights under the PCA ruling? When President Duterte is about to leave office?

E-mail: romero.business.class@gmail.com

SAN Miguel Holdings Corp., the infrastructure unit of conglomerate San Miguel Corp., said it completed in just six months the construction of a new bridge along the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, or STAR Tollway.

The 231-meter long Sabang Bridge, which connects Ibaan and Batangas, the last two major exits of the Star Tollway, was found damaged during a routine inspection in December last year, following the onslaught of typhoon “Nina.”

The damaged section, spanning 60 meters and located right above a 55-meter deep ravine, had to be demolished to make way for a new one.

“This was an especially challenging project. Given the amount of work that had to be done, the level of difficulty in executing it, and the need to complete it in the shortest time possible, we’ve had to invest significantly to utilize technologies that are new or—to the best of our knowledge—rarely or have never been used in local infrastructure,” San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang said.

This included bringing in demolition experts to remove the old bridge. The method is similar to those used in other countries to implode condemned buildings and other structures with high precision in just a matter of minutes.

Pre-shipment inspection not fair—Eagle Cement

By Othel V. Campos

S

OME cement companies remain opposed to the proposed pre-shipment inspection of cement imports, saying all inbound shipments must undergo rigorous testing upon arrival in the Philippines to ensure consumer safety.

Eagle Cement Corp., which has heavily invested in new capacity expansion projects, have sought the intervention of industry group Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines to convince the government to review the rules on cement importation.

Eagle Cement chief operating officer Manny Teng, in a letter to Ernesto Ordoñez, director of the Philippine Product Safety Quality Foundation, said if the government came out with re-

vised guidelines for the cement industry, the rules must foster a level playing field and ensure high regard for quality and environmental protection.

“Eagle Cement Corp. stands against the possible minimum requirement of a pre-shipment inspection as the substitute for testing cement imports upon arrival in the Philippines,” said the letter, also signed by Eagle Cement president and CEO Paul Ang. “We believe that any dimi-

nution of the minimum quality standards of cements products, as imposed, would pose a great risk to the entire industry and to the clients it serves—the Filipino people,” the letter read.

“In this regard, we respectfully propose that all cement players, whether a manufacturer or a mere trader, should be required to have their imported cement duly tested at the port. We cannot underscore the importance of doing a local test as a crucial safeguard for consumers’ safety and lives,” it added.

Other cement producers have raised the issue of technical smuggling of cement before the Department of Trade and Industry, along with other concerned government agencies.

“We sincerely hope that the DTI can effectively move to stop such practices of undervaluation or tax evasion of importers by

updating standard rates. The setting of specific benchmarks for cement and freight costs for each country of origin may be another option to consider,” they said.

The producers are apparently referring to the recent disclosure by resigned Customs Commissioner Nicene Felon that rampant technical smuggling of cement was occurring in the country’s port of entries. Faeldon also linked a son of Senator Panfilo Lacson to the controversy.

In separate letters to Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines president and CEO Satoshi Asabi, Mabuhay Filcement Inc. CEO Enrison Benedicto, incoming Republic Cement president Nabil Francis and Cemex Philippines president Ignacio Mijares said a “pre-shipment inspection only” rule could not substitute for testing imports upon arrival in the Philippines to ensure quality and safety.

MPIC set to secure P8-b credits

LAS PIÑAS CITATION. The Council for the Welfare of Children confers to Las Piñas City the 2016

Seal of Child-Friendly Governance. The seal is given to Las Piñas City’s in recognition of its commitment in promoting child rights to survival, development, protection, and participation towards a child-friendly Philippines. Mayor Mel Aguilar (fifth from left) accepts the award, along with VM Louie Bustamante, Councilors Henry Medina and Mark Santos, and ABC president Roger Alejandro.

DENR wants higher fines vs offenders

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources is seeking higher fines on environmental offenders.

Illegal loggers, polluters and wildlife poachers and smugglers may soon be facing heavier penalties once the proposal to raise fines for environmental crimes becomes a state policy.

The DENR said it started the process of finding ways to determine the monetary value of lost environmental goods and services as a result of an environmental crime.

The agency, meanwhile, is hosting a two-day consultation workshop called “Ecosystem Resource Valuation in Support to Environmental Law Enforcement” starting today until tomorrow in Quezon City.

Close to 100 environment and law enforcement authorities will gather at the event to draw up a blueprint on how ecological damage assessment values can be used by the courts as a measure of liability in determining the fines and penalties to be slapped against environmental offenders.

DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu expressed optimism the effort would “provide the much-needed policy reforms to bridge the gap between achieving environmental justice and enforcement of environmental laws.”

“It is imperative to impose higher fines for the commission of any violation against the country’s environmental laws if we are to really curb offenses like indiscriminate disposal of garbage, illegal logging, wildlife poaching and smuggling, to

name a few,” Cimatu said.

He noted that the consultation workshop was a step forward to having a full accounting of environmental damage as it would provide a mechanism for the determination of accurate compensation cost for the damage resulting from an environmental offense.

“At present, damage from environmental crime cannot be fully accounted for as we have yet to develop a mechanism that would determine the full compensation cost for the damage made,” Cimatu said.

He said the outcome of the activity would surely be a huge contribution to the DENR’s conduct of natural resources damage assessment, especially in the cost-benefit analysis of health, safety and environmental issues.

THE tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. plans to secure an P8-billion credit line from local or foreign financial institution to support its infrastructure investments in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

MPIC said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange the board of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. approved a resolution to form a special committee, which consists of five directors to study potential toll road and other infrastructure investments in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, in addition to its existing toll road projects.

MPTC also authorized the committee to negotiate the terms and conditions of any potential investments and appoint the authorized representatives of MPTC to sign, execute and deliver any agreements, documents and instruments relating to the potential investments.

“The MPTC board likewise authorized the company to secure a credit line or standby letter of credit of up to P8 billion from any local or international financial institution to support such potential investments,” MPIC said.

MPTC was looking for a possible toll road investment in Malaysia and Indonesia.

MPIC has a 29.45-percent stake in Don Muang Tollway Public Company Limited, a major toll road operator in Bangkok, Thailand.

The concession to operate a 21.9-kilometer, six-lane elevated toll road from central Bangkok to Don Muang International Airport and further to the National Monument, north of Bangkok in Thailand runs until 2034

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

B4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

Business

Stocks rebound as Korean fears ease

E

UROPEAN stocks followed most Asian equities higher as tensions surrounding North Korea eased. The yen dropped as demand for safe-haven assets began to fade, although gold and the Swiss franc held most of Tuesday’s gains.

Almost every sector of the Stoxx Europe 600 Index advanced after President Donald Trump’s measured response to North Korea’s missile launch and comments from Kim Jong Un suggested the situation won’t escalate. Equity indexes in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea rose, while US stock futures were also green. Most bonds fell as the risk-off mood ebbed. The euro weakened and the dollar gained as Goldman Sachs Asset Management called the greenback “ very, very attractive.”

Kim said Wednesday the missile was fired in protest at annual military exercises between the US and South Korea. Coupled with Trump’s tempered remarks—the president said the US will consider “all options” in its response to the provocation— investors judged the standoff is unlikely to intensify, helping to underpin risk assets.

“We’ve seen the typical reaction that you would expect yesterday, with the safe-haven assets like the yen gaining and the Korean won obviously weakening and equity markets in this region selling off,” Khoon Goh, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.’s head of Asia research, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. “What’s interesting is that the reaction has been fairly muted and a lot of the moves have largely reversed and I think it’s a case now where what’s happening with North Korea is not necessarily new.”

The Stoxx Europe 600 Index rose 0.5 percent as of 9:46 a.m. in London, the largest advance in more than a week on a

closing basis. The UK’s FTSE 100 Index rose 0.3 percent, the biggest advance in more than a week. Germany’s DAX Index rose 0.6 percent, the largest advance in more than a week.

Futures on the S&P 500 Index rose 0.1 percent.

West Texas Intermediate crude dipped 0.6 percent to $46.14 a barrel, the lowest in almost six weeks. Gold rose less than 0.05 percent to $1,309.75 an ounce. Gasoline for September delivery rose 3 percent to $1.8371 a gallon.

“The ‘risk off’ sentiment that overshadowed markets after the launch of yet another missile from North Korea didn’t even last 24 hours,” David de Garis, director at National Australia Bank, said in a commentary.

The dollar plunged Tuesday to as low as 108.50 yen as dealers rushed for safe investments but managed to bounce back later in the day and was at 110 yen in Asia Wednesday.

The greenback also picked up against the euro, a day after the single currency broke above $1.2000 for the first time since January 2015. The euro has been boosted by expectations the European Central Bank will soon start cutting down its stimulus, while talk of fresh Federal Reserve interest rate rises has eased.

The US unit was supported by bargain-buying and a strong consumer confidence reading, while dealers are upbeat about upcoming US jobs data on Friday.

However Satou Masakazu, senior analyst at Gaitame Online, said that “in the long run, the euro-buying sentiment remains strong.”

Bloomberg, AFP

NEW PORSCHE CAYENNE. Oliver Blume, CEO of German car producer Porsche AG, poses next to the new Porsche Cayenne during the world premiere in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on August 29, 2017. AFP

Toyota Motor investing in Uber rival Grab TOYOTA Motor Corp. is pushing deeper into the ridesharing business.

Japan’s biggest carmaker will invest an undisclosed amount in Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing operator, and said it will work with the company to provide services in the region.

The latest deal comes a year after Toyota bought a small stake in Uber Technologies Inc. as part of alliances it is stitching together to explore new revenue models.

“Through this collaboration with Grab, we would like to explore new ways of delivering secure, convenient and attractive mobility services to our fleet customers in Southeast Asia,” Shigeki Tomoyama, a senior managing officer at Toyota, said in a statement Wednesday.

Automobile manufacturers are working with and competing against technology companies to figure out how to make money from services to drivers as automation, electrification and on-demand transportation threaten to reshape the current model of individual car ownership. Honda Motor Co. has also invested in Grab, its first in a ride-sharing company, in a partnership aimed at expanding motorcycle-hailing operations in Southeast Asia.

Toyota’s investment in Grab will be through the 6-billion yen ($55 million) Next Technology Fund set up in April by unit Toyota Tsusho Corp. for opportunities in innovative technologies, products and services.

Grab is aiming to raise $2.5 billion from the latest round of funding, of which it has previously announced $2 billion in investment from Didi Chuxing and SoftBank Group Corp. That will take Grab’s valuation north of $6 billion, a person familiar with the matter said in July.

Toyota will record and analyze driving patterns in 100 Grab cars in Singapore, and offer recommendations on what connected services it can provide Grab drivers, the two companies said in separate statements.

“We are confident this will benefit our driver partners,” Grab co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan said in one of the statements.

“We look forward to exploring other ways to collaborate with Toyota in the future.”

Gourmet grub: Thai fine-diners explore insect cuisine

By Sippachai Kunnuwong and Delphine Thouvenot BANGKOK, Thailand―At a hip Bangkok diner, foodies with an adventurous palate tuck into a bug-based menu that includes watermelon salad sprinkled in bamboo worms, nachos with silkworm cherry tomato salsa and pasta made from ground crickets.

Abundant and stacked with protein, insects have long been a favorite snack among Thai farmers. But they have often carried a negative image, perceived as “food for the poor” in a country with profound class divides.

Now bugs are creeping onto the menu of some of Bangkok’s high-end restaurants as the capital’s gourmands leap on the latest global food trend with a sustainable agenda.

Ratta Bussakornnun, a 27-year-old who works in the cosmetics industry, admitted she was initially skeptical as she sat for a meal recently at Insects in the Backyard, which says it offers Bangkok’s first insect-themed fine-dining menu.

Many wealthier Thais, she said, think of insects as “unappetizing and dirty.”

But by the end of her meal she was won over.

“I just ate scallops topped with bamboo worms and a fish fillet with an ant egg sauce. It was delicious,” she beamed, a gentle jazz track playing overhead in the dimly lit restaurant.

“The food is well presented,” she added. “This gives an impression of sophistication.”

The restaurant is located in Chang Chui―an arty district in western Bangkok filled with vinyl record stores and local fashion designers.

Feed the world Co-founder Regan Suzuki Pairojmahakij says insects are more than just a gastronomic trend― they are a potential panacea for an increasingly crowded and meat-hungry world.

The Canadian national used to work in the NGO sector with remote rural communities, many of whom incorporated insects into their cuisine.

“I’ve been working in the climate change, natural resource management fields for a number of years, and a big part of it has been the search for the sustainable forms of protein, food and supply chain,” she told AFP. With the world’s population expected to hit

This photo taken on August 15, 2017 shows chef Thitiwat Tantragarn preparing a caterpillar, cricket and watermelon salad inside the kitchen of Insects in the Backyard, which says it offers the first insect-based fine-dining menu, in Bangkok. Bugs are creeping onto the menu of some of Bangkok’s high-end restaurants as the capital’s gourmands leap on the latest global food trend with a sustainable agenda.

AFP

9.8 billion in 2050, many experts remain acutely concerned about how the world will feed itself as well as the environmental damage caused by so much meat being consumed.

Insects, she said, require a fraction of the costs and energy needed to farm compared to staples like chicken, pork and beef.

That is nothing new to many of Thailand’s rural classes.

Insect consumption is particularly popular in the rural northern regions, mainly due to its droughtprone climate, which has created a more varied and less fussy local palate.

For people in the central part of the country that is fertile all year long, insects are eaten more as a snack, often deep fried and served with seasoning or spicy sauce.

But persuading the wealthy middle classes of Bangkok, a city of huge disproportionate wealth compared to the rest of the country, is still a challenge.

“No Bangkokian eats insects because it has a social status connotation,” said Massimo Reverberi, an Italian entrepreneur of a small startup called Bugsolutely.

Based in Bangkok and Shanghai, his firm says the not-so-welcoming look of insects remains a major turn-off for many.

Instead he looks for ways to use insects in

everyday food items like chips and energy bars.

Their current product is a pasta made from cricket flour, which is now sold by a small number of outlets in Japan and New Zealand, but not yet Thailand.

Bug eggs Back in the kitchen of Insects in the Backyard, chef Thitiwat Tantragarn says the most important thing is to get the flavors right.

“Giant water bug meat has a similar texture to crab, so that’s why I use it in the ravioli,” he enthused.

Ant eggs are another favorite of his, which he tends to serve with fish.

“They have a sour flavor, which helps reduce the fishy taste. We try to make sure the menu has balance and harmony.”

“My intention is to change diners’ attitude.

Insects are edible and delicious,” he added. “It’s not disgusting.”

His culinary approach appears to be working.

Ania Bialek, a British teacher living in Thailand, said she had tried fried insects sold by street vendors but wanted to know what a higher end menu would taste like.

“I will happily eat them again,” she said at the end of the meal.

“But I would need someone else to prepare it for me. I will not be keen on cooking it myself.” AFP

Carmakers globally are racing to place bets on which companies will emerge as the dominant players in ride-sharing.

General Motors Co. has joined forces with both Uber and Lyft, while Volvo Cars had partnered with the former and Tata Motors Ltd.’s Jaguar Land Rover with the latter. Volkswagen AG has created a mobility services division under the Moia brand and invested $300 million in ride-hailing provider Gett Inc. Beyond ride hailing, Toyota is also collaborating with US car-sharing company Getaround to promote the carmaker’s new mobility service platform. It started testing a new suite of carsharing apps and services this month with Servco Pacific Inc. in Honolulu, Hawaii. Bloomberg

Turkey abandons talks with EU bloc BRUSSELS―European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday said Turkey was fully to blame for the breakdown of its EU accession talks and warned Ankara was fast withdrawing from Europe.

And in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned there could be no progress even in trade relations with Turkey while the rule of law was not guaranteed there.

Juncker charged that “Turkey is withdrawing from Europe by giant steps,” adding that it was up to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to officially call an end Turkey’s efforts to join the EU. Juncker said he suspected that Erdogan was hoping that Europe would be the one to break off the talks “in order to blame the European Union” for their failure.

But the bloc must avoid “falling into the trap” as the “responsibility is entirely on the Turkish side,” he told an annual conference of EU ambassadors in Brussels.

“The question is to know if we must put an end to the negotiations―which is a purely theoretical question as there are no negotiations.”

Relations with Turkey, and especially between Berlin and Ankara, have hit rock bottom in recent months, stoking calls for Ankara’s EU accession talks to be suspended.

Turkey began formal membership talks in 2005 after years of foot-dragging by some EU member states such as France who were wary of admitting a large Muslim country.

But progress has been slow and the negotiations came to a virtual halt last year after Erdogan began a massive crackdown following an attempted coup in July, sending ties plunging to a new low.

Immediately after the failed coup, Turkey imposed a state of emergency under which more than 50,000 people have been arrested and almost three times that number have lost their jobs, including teachers, judges, soldiers and police officers.

In December, EU member states agreed that no new accession chapters would be opened until Ankara reversed course.

Merkel, at a Berlin press conference, said about Ankara ties that “I would very much like having better relations, but we have to face reality.” AFP

LGUs

Estrada vows to take care of poor

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

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

C1

By Bill Casas TRUE to his movie character as the “Robin Hood of Tondo”, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada has reassured the city’s poorest of the poor that he will not abandon them in their most difficult times, saying he will do everything in his power to uplift their lives.

During the distribution of PhilHealth ID cards to another group of 1,500 beneficiaries at Tondo Sports Complex on Tuesday, Estrada said he only has one purpose as the city mayor: to serve the poor.

I am not thinking of anything else but to serve you. You can be sure, I will not abandon you,” Estrada told the beneficiaries.

“The local government will not abandon you while I am here. I will be here at all times to help you out,” he added.

With the rising costs of hospitalization and medicines, Estrada said he understands the dilemma of the poor patients and their families, the reason public health is one of his top priorities.

Upon assuming office in 2013, Estrada has been responding to the thrust of the national government for universal healthcare, especially for indigents of all ages. Thousands of poor Manilenos have been enrolled by the city government to PhilHealth coverage.

Recalling his 1961 movie “Asiong Salonga” where he portrayed the infamous gangster who was loved by the masses in Tondo, Estrada said Tondo is special to him because this was not only his birthplace but also where his film career started.

As part of Estrada’s “PhilHealth Para sa Masa” program, 1,500 more residents of Districts 1 to 3 were enrolled to PhilHealth and received their cards last Tuesday.

The PhilHealth cards will enable the beneficiaries to access medical services even in private hospitals, especially in cases that need prolonged, expensive procedures and medications such as renal disease, cancer, cataract and emergency cases.

Nanet Tanyag, head of the Manila Department of Social Welfare, said 500 residents from each district have received their cards; residents of Districts 4 to 6, meanwhile, will receive theirs in the coming days.

FASHIONISTAS. Pet owners wear costumes to match their pet’s outfit in the ‘Pet Ko, Fashionista 2017’ show organized by Mandaluyong City Councilor Charisse Marie Abalos-Vargas (right) to promote responsible pet ownership in the city. Manny Palmero

QC STL fronting for jueteng?

Q

By Rio N. Araja

UEZON City Councilor Ranulfo Ludovica on Wednesday hits officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Tiaong Mayor Ramon Preza of Quezon province for the “illegal” operation of a small-town lottery in the city’s District 2 just two weeks ago.

In an interview, Ludovica said the PCSO does not have the power to issue a franchise or a permit to any person allowing an STL operation under Republic Act 1169 or the PCSO Charter of 1954, and that the authority

to issue a franchise or a permit must emanate from the House of Representatives.

He said he was taken aback by a revelation that an STL was operating in Barangay Holy Spirit when he was invited to be a resource

person of a technical working group in Congress to amend some provisions of RA 1169.

Quoting House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Ludovica said the STL was being used as a front for “jueteng,” an illegal numbers game.

Under the law, the PCSO can only allow the operation of national lotteries, the councilor said.

PCSO officials and The City Council has invited QC Police District director Guillermo Eleazar, PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan, and Great Platinum representatives to a hearing on Sept.

6 at 2 p.m.

PCSO earned the wrath of Congress and the Quezon City council for apparently granting Great Platinum Gaming Online Inc. a permit to operate an STL “not only in District 2, but in the entire Quezon City,” Ludovica said.

“There is a plan to expand operations as implied in two of PCSO’s certifications issued on Aug. 8, giving Great Platinum the blanket authority to put up more STL games in the National Capital Region’s Central District, or Quezon City,” he cited.

“Great Platinum is just using a certain Marcelo G. Flores as its dummy,” Ludovica said, adding Preza is its actual owner.

“Preza is known as ‘Don Ra-

Navotas now has 7 new villages

P3.6-b golf course, park rising in Subic

By Butch Gunio SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority has approved the proposal of a Korean-led company for the development of a P3.6-billion golf course and hotel and leisure facilities complex in the Freeport.

SBMA Administrator and CEO Wilma Eisma on Tuesday signed a 20-page lease and development agreement for the project, along with Suyong Kim, president of the proponent-company DM Leisure Corp.

Eisma said the proposed leisure complex that will be built in a 200-hectare portion of the Tipo Area here is expected to further boost eco-tourism in Subic, bolster investment, and increase livelihood opportunities in the area.

“We expect it to be another grand tourist destination in the region, another magnet for more down-line businesses and employment, as well as another dis-

tinctive landmark for the evolving Subic Freeport Zone,” Eisma said.

She noted that the project will be accessible because it will be located near the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and would be just a two-hour drive from Manila via the North Luzon Expressway, and about 45 minutes from the Clark Freeport via SCTEx. According to the approved project proposal, DM Leisure Corp. will invest a minimum of P3.6 billion, of which P2.6 billion is allotted as development commitment. The project is scheduled to be completed within an eight-year period in three phases, or by 2025.

For the first phase, the company will build an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse in a 120-hectare area. This will be finished within two years, or by 2019.

On the third year, DM Leisure Corp. will start the second phase of the project with Turn to C2

By Jun David

GENTRI CLASSROOMS. General Trias City Mayor Antonio ‘Ony’ Ferrer, Cavite 6th District Rep. Luis ‘Jon Jon’ Ferrer IV and Paulita Zapra, Principal of Tropical Village National High School, lead the ribbon cutting of the newly built four-storey, 20-classroom building during the formal turnover at Barangay San Francisco in General Trias.

Also in photo are Vice Mayor Morit Sison and city councilors. Team GenTri also inaugurated a three-storey, sixclassroom building in Tropical Village Elementary School in the same barangay.

Cavite launches Community Mobilization Project IN RESPONSE to the current peace and order issues and concerns, the Community Mobilization Project, and the Coalition of Force Multipliers and Community-Based Advocacy Group were launched recently at the Provincial Gymnasium here at Trece Martires City in Cavite.

The project is a joint effort of the Provincial Government of Cavite, Cavite Mayors’ League, Liga ng mga Barangay, Department of the Interior and Local

Government-Cavite and Cavite Police Provincial Office.

Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’. Remulla led the signing of Memorandum of Agreement with Carmona Mayor Dahlia A. Loyola, Cavite Mayors’ League President; Francisco Paolo P. Crisostomo, ABC Provincial Federation President, Police Senior Supt. Arthur V. Bisnar and Police Director Allan V. Benitez, Department of the Interior and Local Government

mon,’ a jueteng lord in Quezon.

That is a common knowledge. I should know. I was also a jueteng lord for 17 years,” the District 2 councilor said.

“I am saying this because I would just like to protect the people, particularly the poor, from being victimized by jueteng depriving them of their hard-earned money.”

Great Platinum is not only cheating Quezon City in taxes, but is operating without a special use permit from the 37-member City Council and a franchise from Congress, and is defying an injunction order of a Quezon City court stopping the STL as early as 2001, Ludovica said.

Region 4A Director Manuel Gotis, CESO III, and Calabarzon Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Ma. O R. Aplasca served as witnesses.

The launching was attended by personalities from national and local government units, religious sectors, anti-crime groups, academe, coalition of force multipliers and advocacy groups from the different cities and municipalities, stakeholders and key officers of the Philippine

National Police Regional Office and Provincial Headquarters.

Aplasca discussed the project overview, where the Philippine National Police, in partnership with the different public and private sectors and other stakeholders, intends to mobilize the Calabarzon communities to establish a strong and sustainable community defense system against lawlessness and criminality by eliminating one or more elements of crime: motives; instru-

mentality and opportunity.

Aplasca cited other threats to peace and order and general strategy to crime prevention and solution. The Alsa Masa in Davao and the Boholanons community support when the Abu Sayyaf group threatened to kidnap some tourists were given as examples of crime prevention because of effective law enforcement support since people were motivated, disciplined and values oriented.

NAVOTAS Mayor John Rey Tiangco expressed his gratitude to President Rodrigo Duterte after he signed into law the creation of seven new barangays for the city.

Tiangco said the division of the big barangays will lead to better delivery of public service, programs and projects to its constituents. The city now has 18 barangays total, up from the previous 14.

On Aug. 23, the President signed three Republic Acts, abolishing three existing villages and creating seven distinct and independent ones.

In Republic Act 10933, North Bay Boulevard South or NBBS will be divided into three distinct and independent barangays –NBBS Proper, NBBS Kaunlaran and NBBS Dagat-dagatan.

With RA 10934, Barangay Tangos was split into two distinct and independent barangays—Tangos North and Tangos South.

With RA 10935, Barangay Tanza was divided into two barangays—Tanza 1 and Tanza 2.

A plebiscite will be held in the original barangays within four months after the new laws take effect to be supervised by the Commission on Election as mandated by the three RAs. The first set of officials of the barangays shall be elected not later than 90 days after the plebiscite.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

Manila

Standard ManilaTODAY Republic of the Philippines Standard

TODAY GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM

GSIS Building, Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City 1308

PROVINCE District /Subdivision

City /Municipality

GSIS ACQUIRED ASSETS FOR DISPOSITION Property Location

TCT/CCT No.

Lot Area (sqm)

Minimum Acceptable Offer / CMV (₱)

Property Occupancy Bidding Date Place of Bidding Classification Status

C2

1

Pampanga EL ROSARIO I

Mabalacat

B003 L015

141362 R

192

614,400.00

Lot Only

Unoccupied

06-Nov-17

GSIS Pampanga Branch Office

2

Pampanga EL ROSARIO I

Mabalacat

B005 L038

141966 R

193

656,200.00

Lot Only

Unoccupied

06-Nov-17

CSF Pampanga

3

Pampanga EL ROSARIO I

Mabalacat

B009 L028

141972-R

211

717,400.00

Lot Only

Unoccupied

06-Nov-17

4

Pampanga DIAMOND SUBD., Bo. Balibago

Angeles City

B014 L020 Doña Gemang St.

57239

437.5 7,426,500.00

House & Lot

Occupied

06-Nov-17

5

Bulacan

FRANCISCO HOMES III, Muzon

San Jose Del Monte City

B009 L018

T-368322 (M)

100

568,333.33

House & Lot

Unoccupied

17-Oct-17

Level 8, Narra Room, GSIS Building,

6

Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B149 L011 Ph 5A (A214) 4th/12th St.

T-146441 (M)

140

1,938,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard,

7

Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B151 L012 Ph 5A (A317) 6th/12th St.

T-157738 (M)

153

1,175,700.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

Pasay City

8

Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B152 L004 Ph 5A 8th St.

T-157740 (M)

120

1,044,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

9

Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B152 L012 Ph 5A #A225 12th/8th St.

T-157744 (M)

166

1,775,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

10 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B156 L029 Ph 5A (A300) 12th St.

T-165402 (M)

120

1,232,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

11

Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B161 L004 Ph 5A

T-145128 (M)

145

1,630,500.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

12 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B162 L003 Ph 5A (A178) 9th St.

T-156391 (M)

110

1,093,500.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

13 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B162 L007 Ph 5A 7th cor. 9th St.

T-145129 (M)

122

980,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

14 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B163 L003 Ph 5A 33rd St.

T-156392 (M)

130

1,236,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

15 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B164 L004 Ph 5A (A118) 11th St.

T-145136 (M)

129

1,292,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

16 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B167 L011 Ph 5C (C424) 32nd St.

T-14653P (M)

120

1,716,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

17 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B169 L003 Ph 5C 30th St.

T-14655P (M)

145

1,175,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

18 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B171 L007 Ph 5C (C637) 26th St.

T-16574P (M)

134

1,031,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

19 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B171 L010 Ph 5C (C623) 24th St.

T-14663P (M)

134

1,164,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

20 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B179 L003 Ph 5C (C437) 20th St.

T-16671P (M)

120

1,305,333.33

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

21 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B179 L012 Ph 5C 18th St.

T-14710P (M)

120

1,305,333.33

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

22 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B182 L005 Ph 5B (B392) 32nd St.

T-174335 (M)

210

2,296,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

23 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B182 L010 Ph 5B 32nd St.

T-187821 (M)

145

1,576,666.67

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

24 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B182 L016 Ph 5B (B402) 32nd St.

T-179437 (M)

155

1,595,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17 17-Oct-17

25 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B184 L001 Ph 5B (B554) 32nd cor. 31st St.

T-187823 (M)

121

1,338,900.00

House & Lot

Occupied

26 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B185 L001 Ph 5B (B556) 29th cor. 32nd St.

T-182577 (M)

136

3,233,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

27 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B189 L002 Ph 5C 32nd/21st St.

T-183046 (M)

120

1,260,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

EXTRAJUDICIAL SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B191 L004 Ph 5B #B610 19th St.

T-174355 (M)

139

1,372,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B191 L009 Ph 5B (B525) 17th/21st St.

T-182584 (M)

145

2,260,500.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

Level 8, Narra Room, GSIS Building,

30 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B193 L011 Ph 5B Main St.

T-174360 (M)

120

1,261,333.33

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

Financial Center, Roxas Boulevard,

31 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B193 L017 Ph 5B (B49) Main St.

T-182589 (M)

120

1,156,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

Pasay City

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B193 L021 Ph 5B (B53) Main St.

T-179456 (M)

120

968,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B194 L010 Ph 5A (B42) Main St.

T-182593 (M)

120

1,233,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

34 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B194 L012 Ph 5B Main St.

T-179458 (M)

120

1,023,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

35 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B195 L003 Ph 5C (C494) 16th St.

T-186881 (M)

120

1,331,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

36 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

37 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bahay Pare Meycauayan

B195 L010 Ph 5B #B502 16th St.

T-179460 (M)

120

943,200.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

B203 L005 Ph 7A Purity St.

T-190751 (M)

120

1,356,666.67

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

38 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bahay Pare Meycauayan

B209 L013 Ph 7A Love/Peace St.

T-190776 (M)

122

1,009,800.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

39 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Pantok

Meycauayan

B006 L005 Ph 2A (7) Neptune St.

T-54.363 (M)

180

1,631,666.67

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

40 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Pantok

Meycauayan

B009 L002 Ph 2A Jupiter St.

T-54.379 (M)

203

1,540,700.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

41 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B001B L013 Ph 3B (47) Aquarius St.

T-70.756 (M)

240

4,056,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

42 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B004A L006 Ph 3A (12)

T-59.959 (M)

201

2,170,900.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

43 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B004B L010 Ph 3B (27) Capricorn St.

T-70.770 (M)

204

2,138,400.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

44 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B005 L004 Ph 3D #12 King St.

T-108418 (M)

120

846,600.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

45 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B008 L016 Ph 3D Isaiah St.

T-126856 (M)

116

901,200.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

This AGREEMENT, made and entered into in Makati City, Philippines, by and among(1) MRS. RONA AMOR ALSUWAIDI, of legal age, Filipino citizen, lawful spouse of the decedent SALEM MOHAMMED ALSUWAIDI, and with residence and postal address at No. Unit 706 One Salcedo Place Condominium, Jaime Velasquez St., Salcedo Village, Makati City; and (2) BADER SALEM ALSUWAIDI and DAREEN SALEM ALSUWAIDI, both minors, Filipino citizens, and with residence and postal address at No. Unit 706 One Salcedo Place Condominium, Jaime Velasquez St., Salcedo Village, Makati City, represented herein by their mother MRS. RONA AMOR ALSUWAIDI, of legal age, Filipino citizen and with residence and postal address at No. Unit 706 One Salcedo Place Condominium, Jaime Velasquez St., Salcedo Village, Makati City; WITNESSETH: THATWHEREAS, in August 6, 2015, SALEM MOHAMMED ALSUWAIDI, died intestate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, leaving the following real properties: a.

Make: Porsche Series: 911 Carrera Year Model: 2013 Engine No.: MA103C11179 Chassis No.: WP0ZZZ99ZCS114886

b.

Make: Ferrari Series: FF Year Model: 2013 Engine No.: FERRARIF140EB180948 Chassis No.: ZFF3SKL5C0184933

c.

Make: Lamborghini Series: Huracan Year Model: 2015 Engine No.: CSJ001259 Chassis No.: ZHWEC1ZF4FLA00336

d.

Make: Bentley Series: Flying Spur Year Model: 2014 Engine No.: CVA003350 Chassis No.: SCBEM53W7EC088920

e.

Make: Ferrari Series: F12 Year Model: 2015 Engine No.: FERRARIF140FC200542 Chassis No.: ZFF74UFL7D0195162

f.

Make: Audi Series: A1 1.4TFSI Year Model: 2014 Engine No.: CAXB73990 Chassis No.: WAUZZZ8XXDB043674

g.

Make: Toyota Series: Corolla 1.8VA Year Model: 2008 Engine No.: 1ZZ-4763333 Chassis No.: MR053ZEE206104275

St. Peter/St. Bernadette St.

46 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B016B L002 Ph 3B St. Jude St.

T-66.224 (M)

192

1,324,800.00

Lot Only

Unoccupied

17-Oct-17

47 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B031 L001&L003 Ph 3C Aries St.

T-94.739 (M)

467

3,726,300.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

48 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B128 L013 Ph 4D (29) Economics St.

T-126867 (M)

120

1,198,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

49 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B129 L004 Ph 4D

T-126870 (M)

120

868,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

50 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B130 L007 Ph 4D (7) Geology St.

T-127889 (M)

120

1,163,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

51 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B130 L015 Ph 4D (15) Geology St.

T-129284 (M)

130

1,331,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

52 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B140 L025 Ph 4D (25) Calculus St.

T-134211 (M)

126

1,293,600.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

53 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Perez

Meycauayan

B143 L021 Ph 4D (35) Botany St.

T-134250 (M)

126

1,251,600.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

54 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B152 L007 Ph 5A

T-157742 (M)

120

1,019,500.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

55 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B155 L008 Ph 5A (A159) 11th St.

T-168570 (M)

130

1,299,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

56 Bulacan

LAS VILLAS DE STO. NIÑO, Bagbaguin

Meycauayan

B158 L001 Ph 5A Barangay Rd. cor. 1st St.

T-186864 (M)

160

1,888,000.00

House & Lot

Occupied

17-Oct-17

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1.

Disposal of GSIS Investment Properties – Retail Units (IP-RUs) is through a competitive public bidding process. Acceptance of Purchase Offer shall start on the scheduled bidding date and time.

2.

Dropping of bid envelopes inside the designated bid box will be on the date of auction from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Opening of Bids will immediately follow.

3.

Disposal of GSIS IP-RUs is on “As-Is Where-Is” basis. Interested bidders are enjoined to personally inspect the GSIS IP-RUs for sale. “As-Is Where-Is” is defined as the present physical condition of the retail unit that GSIS is selling and the buyer is buying, “with all attendant faults, if any,” whether or not immediately apparent and without any express or implied warranty. The buyer takes this condition at his or her own risk, without recourse against the GSIS as to their condition. This includes knowledge by the buyer of the presence of occupants in the retail-unit being purchased.

4.

Strictly, “One bidder, One specific property” only, which means that a bidder cannot submit two (2) or more bids for one property. A bidder may submit one bid each to as many properties as he wants to buy, as long as, he posts a bidder’s deposit for each property in an amount provided below. The bidder must present valid government IDs upon registration on the date of public bidding.

5.

Purchase offer may either be in Cash or through External Financing Institution.

6.

A downloadable bid form shall be properly accomplished with the following data: a. Name and complete address of the bidder b. Exact address of property you are interested to bid c. Transfer Certificate of Title No. d. Amount of bid (in numbers and in words) e. 10 % Bidder’s Deposit equivalent to 10% of the total amount of bid offer f.

Signature of the bidder/representative

Leisure’s commitment to generate a significant number of jobs. She said the company will be needing about 1,000 workers during the construction period and, upon project completion, will also be hiring a minimum of 1,000 employees for its various operations.

“DM Leisure is among the positive results of our intensified marketing and promotion campaign to convince investors and business communities from our neighbor countries to invest in Subic,” said Eisma, who recently spoke in Philippine investment roadshows in Taiwan and Australia.

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

28 Bulacan

32 Bulacan

P3.6-b...

From C1 the construction of hotel villas and commercial complex in a 67-hectare area. This phase is expected to be finished before the end of 2022.

The last stage of the project will be the construction of indoor and outdoor water theme parks, other tourism and leisure facilities, as well as condominium units within a 13-hectare area. The final phase is expected to be operating by 2025.

Another bit of good news for residents, Eisma said, is DM

29 Bulacan

33 Bulacan

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

WHEREAS, the parties hereto are the sole and only heirs of the decedent entitled to succeed to his estate, they being his lawful spouse and legitimate children, respectively; WHEREAS, there are no known debts or obligations due against of said decedent; and WHEREAS, it is to the best interests of the parties hereto to divide, partition and adjudicate among themselves the entire estate particularly the real properties above described extrajudicially in the manner and form hereinafter set forth.

7.

Bid proposal shall be written in words and in figures and shall not be lower than the Minimum Bid Price of the property published in the newspaper or posted in the GSIS website. Should there be a difference in the amount in words and in figures, the amount in words shall prevail.

8.

Bidders’ deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer shall be in the form of MANAGER’S CHECK payable to the Government Service Insurance System

9.

The following shall be inserted on the sealed bid envelope: a. the properly accomplished downloadable bid form b. Manager’s Check payable to Government Service Insurance System representing deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer c. the Special Power of Attorney (SPA), if the bidder is an authorized representative d. pre-conditional approval from PBCOM, if applicable e. proofs of occupancy (see No. 12.c.1 and c.2)

NOW, THEREFORE, for and in consideration of the foregoing premises, and invoking the provisions of Sec. 1, Rule 74 of the Rules of Court, the parties hereto have agreed as they hereby do so agree to divide, partition, and adjudicate the above estate among themselves in pro-indiviso equal shares, subject, however, to contingent liabilities to creditors, heirs or other persons who might have been deprived of lawful participation in the estate of the decedent, for the period of two years from and after the settlement and distribution thereof, in accordance with the provision of Section 4, Rule 74 of the Rules of Court; and That in the remote event that any other property of the decedent should ever found which is not included hereinabove, the parties hereto further agree as they do so agree to settle and distribute the same in like manner and proportion as herein established and disposed.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereunto set their hands at the place first above written, on the_________________________

10. The following information shall be clearly written outside the sealed bid envelope (mailing envelope) RONA AMOR ALSUWAIDI Spouse-Heir

Address of Property you want to bid) Block No. ______ Lot. No. ______ Phase No.____ Name of Subdivision Address of Subdivision TCT NO. _______ Mode: __________ Cash __________ thru External Financing Institution

(

BADER SALEM ALSUWAIDI Son-Heir Represented by:

Name of Bidder: Mailing Address:

RONA AMOR ALSUWAIDI

11. Interested bidders planning to purchase the GSIS property through External Financing Institution (EFI) shall first secure certification from accredited banks stating that he/she is qualified to avail of a loan from External Financing Institution and insert inside the bid envelope.

DAREEN SALEM ALSUWAIDI Daughter-Heir

12. The existing tenant or occupant or his duly authorized representative through a valid Special Power of Attorney (SPA) has the right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, provided: a. he/she is present during the bidding b. participated in actual bidding c. presently occupying the property subject of bidding supported by the following proofs of occupancy: c.1 Barangay certificate that he/she is occupying or residing in the subject property c.2. Any valid government identification document with his/her address similar to the address of the property he/.she is bidding.

13. If the occupant will exercise his/her right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, he/she need not secure another bank pre-qualification corresponding to the matched offer. Instead, he/she shall pay the equity in cash as stated in Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS). The equity shall be computed as the difference between the Letter of Guarantee from the bank and the offered bid amount.

14. The declared highest/winning bidder shall submit within the day of the actual bidding, the following documents: (a) duly accomplished Personal Profile/Company Profile/Corporate Profile, whichever is applicable (downloadable); (b) photocopies of two valid IDs (one should be a government-issued ID); (c) Articles of Incorporation/Partnership, By-Laws and current General Information Sheet, for corporation/partnership, if applicable; (d) Registration Certificate from SEC for corporation/partnership, DTI for sole proprietorship and CDA for cooperatives, or any proof of such registration, if applicable; (e) current Mayor’s permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located, if applicable.

15. A Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS) shall be issued to the highest/winning bidder on the day of bidding.

Represented by: RONA AMOR ALSUWAIDI SIGNED IN THE PRESENCE OF:

____________________

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES) CITY OF MAKATI )S.S. BEFORE ME, personally appeared the following: NAME

16. In case the bid is in CASH, the 90% balance of the bid amount shall be paid either in cash or manager’s check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without privilege of extension.

17. In case the bid is thru EFI, the equity shall be paid in cash within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of Letter of Guarantee (LOG) by the GSIS. The equity is the amount corresponding to the difference between the LOG and the Offered Bid Amount.

18. Upon issuance of the NOAS to the highest/winning bidder, the Bidder’s Deposit of the other non-winning bidder/s shall be returned immediately.

19. Non-compliance with the terms and conditions stated in the NOAS shall result in the forfeiture of the bidder’s deposit.

______________________

RONA AMOR ALSUWAIDI Tin No.

RES. CERT. NO. EC0320054

DATE/PLACE/ISSUED DFA NCR WEST/17 Feb. 14 16 Feb. 19

Known to me and to me known to be the same person who executed the foregoing instrument consisting of four (4) pages and acknowledged to me that the same is their own free and voluntary act and deed.

WITNESS MY HAND AND SEAL on the date and place first above written.

20. In case the highest/winning bidder fails to comply with the requirements within the specified time, the GSIS shall write the second highest bidder to confirm if he/she is still interested to acquire the property. If still interested, GSIS will require him/her to pay the non-refundable deposit equivalent to ten percent (10%) of his/her previously submitted bid amount and will be issued NOAS.

NOTARY PUBLIC

21. GSIS reserves the right to waive any formality or to reject any or all bids received. The list of properties available for sale may be updated without prior notice.

22. For inquiries, you may call Real Property Accounts Management Department at telephone nos. 479-3536 or 976-4619.

(MS-AUG. 30, 31/ SEPT. 1, 2017)

(MS-AUG. 24,31 & SEPT. 7, 2017)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Standard

TODAY

IN BRIEF A-bomb survivor dies at 88 TOKYO―Prominent nuclear disarmament campaigner Sumiteru Taniguchi, who was delivering mail in Nagasaki when the United States dropped an atomic bomb in 1945, died Wednesday at the age of 88.

Taniguchi, once considered a front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize, died of cancer at a hospital in the southwestern Japanese city, according to Nihon Hidankyo, a group that represents the survivors of the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

The then-postman, aged only 16 when the attack happened in the closing days of World War II, suffered horrific burns to his back and left arm that took years to heal properly.

He had been riding his bicycle some 1.8 kilometers from the epicenter of the blast.

“All of a sudden, after seeing a rainbow-like light from the back, I was blown by a powerful blast and smashed to the ground,” he said at a commemoration ceremony for the Nagasaki bombing in 2015.

“When I woke up, the skin of my left arm from the shoulder to the tip of my fingers was trailing like a rag. I put my hand to my back and found my clothing was gone, and there was slimy, burnt skin all over my hand.

“Bodies burned black, voices calling for help from collapsed buildings, people with flesh falling off and their guts falling out...

This place became a sea of fire. It was hell.”

He became one of the few early faces of the bombing aftermath when US military pictures of him recovering in hospital, his entire back an agonizing slab of melted flesh, were beamed around the world.

Taniguchi, who spent about three-and-a-half years in hospital after the blast, went on to become a prominent disarmament campaigner, making dozens of speeches both in Japan and overseas about his experience.

“I fear that people, especially the younger generations, are beginning to lose interest,” he said in a 2003 interview with AFP. “I want the younger generations to remember that nuclear weapons will never save humanity. It is an illusion to believe that the nuclear umbrella will protect us.”

The US dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, killing around 140,000 people. The toll includes those who survived the explosion itself but died soon after from severe radiation exposure. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

Manila

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

C3

Diana aura still captivates L

ONDON―Candles and flowers are already building up at the gates of Princess Diana’s former London residence to mark 20 years since her death, which unleashed an unprecedented outpouring of grief in Britain.

“She was this ray of light in a fairly gray world,” Prince William said of his mother Diana, princess of Wales, whose death two decades ago on Thursday shocked the world.

“I still feel that love, I still feel that warmth 20 years on,” her eldest son said in a new documentary marking the anniversary.

“If I can be even a fraction of what she was, I’ll be proud.”

The life of Diana―a shy, teenage aristocrat who suddenly became the world’s most famous woman―and her tragic death at 36 still captivates millions across the globe.

Two decades on, her sons William and Prince Harry only now feel able to talk publicly about her death, a seismic event that continues to resonate in the monarchy and British society.

Diana died in a car crash in Paris in the early hours of August 31, 1997, along with Dodi Fayed, her wealthy Egyptian film producer boyfriend of two months, and a drink-impaired, speeding driver Henri Paul, who was trying to evade paparazzi.

The 10th anniversary of her death was marked with a memorial service and a charity concert at Wembley Stadium in London.

The passing of another decade has allowed for greater perspective, and this anniversary has been more reflective, marked

by William, 35, and Harry, 32, opening up about their mother’s life, and death.

No public events are planned for Thursday, but on Wednesday, the brothers will walk around the garden that has been especially created in her memory at Kensington Palace, her London home.

They will meet with representatives from the charities she supported.

Candles, bouquets of flowers and pictures from well-wishers are already building up at the palace gates, while hardcore Diana fans have turned up with a cake bearing her picture.

But the scene is nothing like the sea of flowers laid in the week between her death and her funeral: an outpouring of national grief that commentators are still grappling with.

William and Harry have spoken of struggling to comprehend the “alien” tide of public mourning from people who did not know their mother, at a time when they, aged 15 and 12, could not process their loss.

Britain, the nation of the stiff upper lip, was now wailing and hurling flowers at a hearse.

A public that had lapped up every twist and turn in the life of their fairytale princess was crying for their lost icon, killed in the chase for the next day’s pictures.

Diana married Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, in 1981, but their marriage collapsed under the strains of public duty and their incompatibility.

The monarchy’s shining star, now a fashion icon, humanitarian and self-styled “queen of hearts”, found herself cast out of the royal family in the 1996 divorce she did not want but had made inevitable with an unprecedented and explosive television interview. AFP

GRAND OPENING.

Television personality ‘Horny’ Mike Henry from the ‘Counting Cars’ television show and Kathy O’Connor attend the Fear The Walking Dead Survival attraction grand opening at the Fremont Street Experience on August 29, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada. AFP

Venice film festival kickstarts jousting for Oscars VENICE―The 74th Venice film festival gets underway Wednesday with Alexander Payne’s sci-fi satire “Downsizing” in the high-profile opening slot that is increasingly coveted as a launchpad for the Oscars.

Starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig, “Sideways” director Payne’s latest quirky creation is a

tale of a lower middle class couple in the US midwest.

But the downsizing of the title is not a reference to job losses or selling off the family house: instead, the pair are considering signing up for radical new surgery that would allow them to be shrunk to tiny versions of themselves, on the promise of a bet-

ter life.

Written by Payne, a two-time Oscar winner for his screenplays, and Jim Taylor, the film will be seeking to emulate the success of “La La Land”, “Birdman” and “Gravity”, all Venice openers in recent years that went on to bag a bunch of Academy Awards and other prizes.

1,000 ‘treason’ complaints filed against Merkel BERLIN―More than 1,000 criminal complaints for high treason have been filed against German Chancellor Angela Merkel since the height of the refugee crisis in 2015, local media reported Wednesday.

Most of the complaints come from supporters of the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany party, which is poised to win seats in the federal parliament for the first time in next month’s general election, the daily Mannheimer Morgen newspaper said.

“The complaints against the chancellor have all been determined to be baseless,” a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor’s office, Frauke Koehler, told the paper.

Federal prosecutors in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe are responsible for investigating state security offenses and are required by law to review all criminal complaints of this nature.

Merkel’s decision to let in more than one million asylum seekers in 2015 and 2016 sent support for her conservative Christian Democratic Union party into a nosedive but her support has recovered as new arrivals have dwindled.

She now enjoys a double-digit lead in the polls against her Social Democratic rival Martin Schulz in her bid for a fourth term.

However, AfD supporters have been turning out in force to protest at many of her campaign rallies, particularly in the former communist east of the country.

In Bitterfeld-Wolfen late Tuesday, Merkel was met with a chorus of boos and cries of “get out!”

In a state election last year, the AfD scored around 32 percent of the vote in the city, once the heart of East Germany’s chemicals industry.

At a later campaign event in the eastern city of Brandenburg an der Havel, the chancellor was also jeered, with some demonstrators holding signs saying “Merkel must go!”, echoing a prodemocracy rallying cry in the late 1980s, “The [Berlin] Wall must go!” AFP

Whether it does is likely to depend on how critics react to the film’s intriguing plot, which Variety described as “Honey I Shrunk the Kids with a deeper social message”.

Also being unveiled on the opening day is “Nico”, a bio-pic focusing on the final years of the Velvet Underground singer and Andy Warhol

muse which is being shown in the festival’s “Horizons” section dedicated to cutting-edge productions.

Directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli, with Danish actress Trine Dryholm in the lead role, the story catches up with one of 1970s New York’s iconic figures in 1987 and 1988, the last two years of her life. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE InvItatIon to BId for the Procurement of the constructIon of PresIdentIal securIty GrouP (PsG) statIon hosPItal, Phase I IB no. cW-2017-001 1.

The Department of Health (DOH) through the General Appropriation Act of 2017 intends to apply the sum of One Hundred Ninety Nine Million Nine Hundred Ninety Six Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Nine Philippine Pesos and Five Centavos (PhP199,996,879.05) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Procurement of the Construction of Presidential Security Group (PSG) Station Hospital, Phase I under IB No. CW-2017-001. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The DOH now invites bids for the procurement of the above-captioned project.

Completion of the Works is required within the period specified under Section VI. Technical Specifications and Scope of Works. Bidders should have completed a single contact local or international that is similar to this Project, equivalent to at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

3.

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”.

1598 M.H. Del Pilar corner Dr. J. Quintos Streets Malate, Manila Tel. Nos. 522-0000, 551-2200 connecting all departments

INVITATION TO BID The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK), through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites consultants/ suppliers/manufacturers/distributors/contractors to bid for the hereunder project: Approved Budget Bidding for the Contract Documents Fee (ABC)

Items ITB - GS-20170717-01 One (1) Lot Supply, Delivery and Installation of Network Access Control with Enterprise Manager

P 21,380,000.00

P

10,700.00

Delivery Period

Delivery Period: Within sixty (60) calendar days after receipt of Notice to Proceed Installation Period: Within ninety (90) calendar days to start seven (7) calendar days after delivery

Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, with an amount of not less than 50% of the ABC. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

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.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, G/F, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz, Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given above during 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM of office hours.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 31 August – 19 September 2017 from the address above and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Fifty Thousand Philippine Pesos (PhP50,000.00).

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 than the submission of bids.

6.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRRs).

The schedule of activities are as follows: ACTIVITIES 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference

3. Submission / Opening of Bids 4. Post-Qualification 5. Notice of Award

Bids must be duly received by the Special COBAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 19 September 2017; 9:00 A.M. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

7.

Bid opening shall be on 19 September 2017; 9:00 A.M. at the COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8.

Eligible Bidders shall submit a Certified True Copy of valid PCAB licenses for Size Range – Large B, License Category – AAA, General Building.

9.

The DOH reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

SCHEDULE August 31 to September 21, 2017 September 7, 2017 - 2:00 PM Bidding Room, 25th Floor, LANDBANK Plaza Building 1598 M. H. Del Pilar corner Dr. J. Quintos Streets, Malate, Manila September 21, 2017 - 11:00 A.M. Procurement Department, 25th Floor, LANDBANK Plaza Building 1598 M. H. Del Pilar corner Dr. J. Quintos Streets, Malate, Manila September 22 to 28, 2017 October 3, 2017

Bid documents will be available to prospective bidders upon payment of the applicable Bidding Documents fee to the LANDBANK Cashier.

LANDBANK reserves the right to (a) reject any and all bids at any time prior to the award of the contract; (b) waive any minor formal requirements in the bid documents; (c) accept such bids, it may consider advantageous and beneficial without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

The DOH will hold a Pre-bid Conference on 07 September 2017; 10:00 A.M. at COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila which shall be open to all interested bidders.

10. For further information, please refer to: Special COBAC Secretariat Department of Health San Lazaro Compound Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775; 740-6830 (SGD) HERMINIGILDO V. VALLE, MD, MPA Undersecretary of Health Chairperson, Special COBAC

BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (MS-AUG. 31, 2017)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

AID PLEDGE. This file photo taken on February 12, 2017, shows singer Beyonce with her Grammy trophies in the press room during the 59th Annual Grammy music

Awards in Los Angeles, California. Beyonce, one of the most famous natives of Houston, has pledged generous but unspecified aid after the fourth most populous US city was ravaged by mega-storm Harvey. The pop superstar, in a statement to the Houston Chronicle, said she was working out details with her team and her Houston pastor “to implement a plan to help as many as we can.” AFP

Keeping defiance alive in Mexico MEXICO CITY-Decked out in baggy suits, their watch chains swinging to the mambo as feathers bop atop their wide-brimmed hats, Mexico’s “pachucos” are keeping alive the tradition of the zoot suit—and the defiance it represents.

Born in Mexican immigrant communities in the United States in the 1930s, pachuco culture started out as the gangsta style of its time—complete with criminal associations, baggy pants and bling.

It was a time of deep prejudice in the American south and west, where restaurants often posted signs reading “No dogs, Negroes or Mexicans.”

In a show of defiance of the dominant white culture, young Mexicans joined urban blacks in sporting the zoot suit—long jackets, baggy pants tapering to a peg at the ankles, Oxford shoes, dangling watch fobs and splaying hats.

It was “a proto-movement of social and cultural resistance,” says Manuel Valenzuela, a sociologist at Mexico’s College of the Northern Border, in Tijuana.

These “pachucos,” as the Mexicans called themselves, were portrayed as dangerous delinquents in the media, and were singled out for discrimination and violent attacks.

In 1943, white soldiers stationed in southern California went on a rampage against young Latinos, triggering a series of ethnic clashes known as the “Zoot Suit Riots.”

Fast forward 74 years, and the zoot suit has long faded from fashion. But in the age of US President Donald Trump, Mexican-American relations can still look a lot like they did back then.

And pachuco style remains alive and well in Mexico, cultivated by a small but fervent group of aficionados who gather at a series of legendary Mexico City ballrooms to dance the mambo and the cha-cha, flaunt their zoot suits, and keep the flame of defiance burning.

“Today, being a pachuco means being part of a culture. You’re carrying on what came before, so the tradition won’t be lost,” says Ricardo Zamorano—alias “Pachuco For Ever”—a 55-year-old devotee.

The Mexican poet and Nobel Prize winner Octavio Paz called pachuco style “an embodiment of liberty, of disorder, of the forbidden.”

Those keeping it alive in Mexico see it as the inheritance of a nobler time.

“What’s beautiful about it is reviving the elegance of the past,” says Roberto Romero, a 73-year-old tailor who specializes in zoot suits.

Fears of new migrant jungle BRUSSELS―Hundreds of migrants sleep in the shadow of high-rises in downtown Brussels, raising fears in the EU capital of a new “Jungle”, similar to the dismantled camp in Calais.

Each night, the young migrants―mostly Sudanese and Eritreans―take over Parc Maximilien, a sliver of green space adjacent to the gritty Gare du Nord station where trains depart for Belgium’s North Sea coast.

As in the French port of Calais, the dream of most here is getting to Britain.

The young men, gathered just three kilometers from the European Union headquarters, have survived a long and dangerous journey―through North Africa, across the Mediterranean and the gauntlet of police checks set up to catch them throughout southern Europe.

But for Adam, 25, making a life in Brussels instead of London would do just fine after abandoning his native Sudan, crossing Chad and waiting for six “very tough” months in Libya.

“This is too hard. I want protection from the government [in Belgium],” the young man said on a warm August night, just blocks from where prostitutes ply their trade and drug users seek a quick fix.

“The dream is achievable here,” he added.

But for now, only the efforts of activists and charities cushion the indignities of being an illegal migrant.

Belgian authorities want no part in even a temporary solution for people they say are only interested in reaching Britain.

Adam, like many of the 500 to 600 migrants processed in the park by charities this month, has been caught out by Belgium’s clear preference that he quickly move on.

For Theo Francken, deputy minister in charge of immigration, there is no reason to take on board “illegals ... who do not want asylum in Belgium”.

Also hanging over migrants is the EU’s so-called Dublin rule, an obligation that asylum seekers lodge their cases in their first point of entry in Europe. In Adam’s case, as for most in the park, this was Italy.

In theory, he and his friends could be rounded up and sent back to Italy at any moment―though Belgian authorities have yet to carry out any such operation.

Aid groups such as Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) provide medical attention and warn of police harassment.

Stephane Heymans, head of operations for the NGO, said that minors make up nearly 20 percent of the migrants and “don’t know that they have special rights in Belgium.” AFP

Myanmar villages burn as Rakhine unrest rages

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AY YU RIVER, Myanmar― Smoke billowed from at least three burning villages in the remote section of Rakhine state where Myanmar’s military is carrying out sweeps for militants, an AFP reporter saw Wednesday.

The violence, which erupted six days ago after Rohingya militants staged surprise raids on police posts, has shown little sign of abating, leaving at least 110 confirmed dead and sending thousands fleeing.

The displaced include ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and the persecuted Rohingya Muslim minority, thousands of whom have massed at the “zero line” border with Bangladesh that they are barred from crossing.

The bodies of two Rohingya women and two children washed up on Bangladeshi soil on Wednesday, an official there told AFP, as villagers took to rickety boats or tried to swim across a frontier river.

On Wednesday villagers in Rakhine continued to flee their homes.

A Rohingya villager near the town of Maungdaw, speaking on condition of anonymity, said residents fled his hamlet as security forces approached and torched their homes.

“Villagers are running away... where do we have to live now?” he told AFP by telephone.

It was not immediately possible to verify his account but Rohingya who have made it into Bangladesh have brought similar testimony with them.

Large fires were visible early Wednesday from the May Yu river that cuts through the area worst hit by unrest, according to an AFP reporter traveling by boat on a Myanmar government-led trip to Maungdaw.

Outlying villages have wit-

nessed some of the worst violence, raising fears security operations are shielded from scrutiny by the danger and inaccessibility of the area.

Rohingya villagers are stuck between police and troops hunting down the insurgents and militants offering sporadic resistance.

But testimony gathered by AFP from the displaced reaching Bangladesh suggests some Rohinyga men are heeding a call-to-arms by the militants and are staying behind to fight in their villages.

The Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Army claims its men launched Friday’s surprise attacks on police posts, killing 11 state officials, with knives, homemade explosives and a few guns.

After years in which the Rohingya largely avoided violence, the group last October carried out deadly attacks on police posts.

That prompted a months-long security crackdown by Myanmar’s army which left scores dead and forced 87,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.

The UN believes that military crackdown may have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya― allegations denied by the army.

On Sunday Pope Francis led mounting international calls for the protection of “our Rohingya brothers”.

The UN has also urged Myanmar to protect civilians during its operations and called on Bangladesh to allow the displaced into their territory―something Dhaka is loath to do given it already hosts 400,000 displaced Rohingya. AFP

SUMMER SOIREE.

Model Lacey Bollinger attends the InstaSleep mint melts APM model agency summer soiree at Lovage on August 29, 2017, in New York City. AFP

Japan’s deputy PM criticized over Hitler remarks TOKYO―Japan’s gaffe-prone deputy prime minister Taro Aso on Wednesday retracted comments in which he cited Adolf Hitler, but insisted he did not mean to praise the Nazi leader.

Aso used Hitler―responsible for the death of millions of Jews and others during World War II―in a bizarre reference about the importance of leaving a legacy in politics.

“What is important are results,” the

veteran politician told a meeting of his faction of the governing Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday.

“Even if the motive is correct, Hitler, who killed millions of people, was no good.”

On Wednesday Aso, who is also finance minister, retracted the remark but said he did not mean to defend Hitler’s motives.

“If you take my comment in its en-

tirety, it is clear that my perception about Hitler is extremely negative and that Hitler was wrong in his motivation,” he said in a statement issued by the finance ministry.

“It was inappropriate that I cited Hitler as an example and I would like to retract that.”

It was not the first time Aso and other Japanese politicians have made casual references to Hitler and the Nazis.

In 2013 Aso drew international condemnation after he said Tokyo should learn from Nazi Germany when it comes to constitutional reform.

Aso―whose previous comments include criticizing women who don’t have children and saying old people should “hurry up and die” to save health care costs―later retracted the comments but refused to quit.

This summer, Bank of Japan board

member Yutaka Harada praised Hitler’s economic policies even though they allowed him to do “horrible things”.

The US-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, an anti-semitism watchdog, recently called for the American Academy of Plastic Surgeons to investigate Japanese TV celebrity cosmetic surgeon Katsuya Takasu after he praised the Nazis’ scientific contributions and appeared to deny the Holocaust. AFP

FRUITS Life can cause metabolic syndrome

S

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

D1

O, IF you think consuming more fruits and skipping full meals can make you thinner or eventually healthier, think again.

The Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation Inc. (PCDEF) says fructose can also put everyone’s health at risk. In fact, it is calling on public and private medical practitioners and institutions to intensify efforts to educate Filipinos on the health risks posed by too much consumption of products containing fructose.

At a press conference dubbed Fats and Sugars: Friends or Foes? held at Shangri-La Makati recently, PCDEF Founder and President Dr. Augusto D. Litonjua said Filipinos are not that

aware that fructose, a type of sugar found in fruits and sweetened food products and beverages, could cause conditions falling under the so-called metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that make people prone to heart diseases, stroke, and diabetes. These include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides, low levels of HDL cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

Litonjua explained that fructose is not easily broken down by the body, re-

SWEET TALK. Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor at the Division of Endocrinology in University of California, shares with Filipino medical practitioners the several findings on fats, sugars, and Metabolic Syndrome.

Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation, Inc. founder and president Dr. Augusto Litonjua urges medical practitioners and institutions to educate FIlipinos on the health risks posed by too much consumption of products containing fructose.

sulting in formation of harmful chemical compounds such as “bad fat.”

“The USDA made a study wherein people thought table sugar was bad, so they removed table sugar and encouraged people to eat fruits. After which, the prevalence of diabetes and obesity went up along with the increased consumption of fruit sugar – the (diabetes and obesity) rate was higher than when Americans were consuming table sugar or glucose,” Dr. Litonjua explained.

“The reason for that is that fructose is not metabolized by insulin, unlike glucose. Fructose goes to the liver where it is being deposited and the liver turns it into triglyceride, a form of fat storage making the liver fatty with intake of too much fructose,” Dr. Litonjua added.

Litonjua attributed the lack of proper knowledge on the bad effects of fructose to the societal notion that fruits are naturally “good.”

“There’s this notion that fruits are good. But fruit sugar is fructose and these are abundant in fruits,” he said.

Making matters worse is that Filipino consumers are not aware that a chemically produced form of fructose is now widely used in goods sold in the market today. This is known as high-fructose corn syrup (HCFS), an alternative

sweetener to raw sugar being used in the manufacturing of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), such as soft drinks and fruit juices.

“If you would ask me if Filipinos aware of the effects of high-fructose corn syrup, I would say no,” Dr. Litonjua said. “The effects of high-fructose corn syrup are not widely known in the country.”

This awareness gap between the Filipinos and the bad effects of fructose, especially HFCS, should be addressed on various fronts and different sectors of society.

Dr. Robert H. Lustig, a professor at the Division of Endocrinology in University of California, San Francisco.

Prof. Lustig was also at the press conference. He was in the country to meet with medical practitioners and share findings on several studies on fats, sugars, and Metabolic Syndrome.

The PCDEF is a staunch advocate of education and awareness on diabetes. Dr. Litonjua and a group of doctors and allied professionals dedicated to address the escalating prevalence of diabetes in the Philippines established it in October 1990.

United Laboratories, Inc., a leading pharmaceutical and healthcare company in the Philippines, organized the press conference.

A brighter future for children

SENDING a child to school is no walk in the park, as many Filipino parents can attest. Tuition increases each year in addition to the many miscellaneous school-related expenses. Colgate, the Oral Care brand most recommended by Dentists, understands this concern and continues to provide scholarships and financial aid to Filipino students, helping them attain a brighter, better future that they can look forward to and smile about.

Two Filipino fathers, Michael and Joey, recently shared how the Colgate Scholarship Promo helped eased their burden of providing for the needs of the families.

Life’s hardships prevented Michael Martinez from finishing college. He chose to work as a disc jockey (DJ) at the early age of 15 to help provide for his family’s needs.

Now that he has a family of his own, he promised himself that he would work hard to see his children finish their studies. The eldest child of Michael and his wife Jennylyn is a boy, now aged 8. Five years after their son was born, they welcomed twin daughters. Although overjoyed, Michael was overwhelmed with anxiety thinking about the daunting task of saving up for his children’s education.

Through the encouragement of his mother, Michael joined the Colgate Scholarship Promo 2016.

He was one of the lucky 25 who brought home P100,000. “Winning the Colgate Scholarship Promo was an answered prayer for us. This is a huge help for the school expenses of my children, especially now that we’re expecting our three year old daughters to start schooling in a year’s time,” Michael said. “My

dream is for my children to achieve what I failed to accomplish – that is to finish their studies. I cannot express how thankful I am to Colgate for helping our family.”

Like Michael, Joey Aventura was surprised when he found out he was one of the winners of the scholarship grant from Colgate. As a single father, he works as a production-crew member of one of the biggest bake shops in the country.

This is how he supports the schooling of his son, Ian Carlo, now a Grade 7 at a public elementary school in Zamboanga City.

“Ian Carlo has been using the same bag and uniform for years. I know this may seem like a trivial matter to other people, but it was a big encouragement for him to have new school supplies,” Joey shared. “Since we won the grant from Colgate, I was able to buy a bag, school supplies, and a brand new set of uniforms for my son. I can see how excited he is now to go to school. I am grateful to Colgate for being my ally in helping my son achieve his dream of becoming a civil engineer someday.”

This year, Colgate aims to help more families through the Colgate Scholarship Promo. Colgate sets its eye on giving the Filipino family a future they can smile about. Like what Michael and Joey said, education is the most important thing a parent can pass on to their children.

With the return of the Colgate Scholarship Promo, 30 families have the chance to win a P100,000 scholarship fund, among other exciting prizes.

Check out the Colgate Philippines’s Facebook page to find out the full details of the Colgate Scholarship Promo 2017.

Colgate Philippines helps parents send their children to school through its Scholarship Promo

Life

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

Right nutrition

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for a healthy, fuller life

ORE than ever, the concept of health, fitness, and good nutrition has become increasingly in the consciousness of people today. Social media is teeming with health experts, and fitness gurus with their videos of exercises you can do anywhere, blogs and articles on healthy lifestyle, and reports on the latest diets that could help you shed those extra pounds and stay healthy. But even then, most of us are still walking and living with unexplained symptoms such as rashes, migraines, body and stomach aches, and the overall vague feeling that all is not well in our bodies; all these despite practicing “healthy living” of good diet and regular exercise.

If this story sounds very close to what you are living with now, you are not alone.

Meet Mari Jasmine — a model, TV host, and magazine writer. She is a girl who loves to live life to its fullest, but she also knows exactly what it feels like to live with chronic health conditions despite being fit and active with healthy habits. She has gone from one medical expert to another to find the cause of her bloating and bowel problems, skin problems that don’t go away, and regular migraines. However, all that she has to show for her trips to the doctors are band aid solutions, medications to treat the symptoms, but not the cure for the cause of her health problems.

After a thorough research, she eventually encountered Functional Medicine, where she was able to identify and address the underlying causes of her symptoms, rather than just treating the symptoms. When Mari met with one of the doctors at LifeScience Center for Health and Wellness, they sat down and discussed her entire medical history.

They took a closer look at the symptoms she was experiencing, in the context of her medical history — such as

Mari Jasmine’s nutrition program, determined by LifeScience Center, has helped her address some of her health issues. With her in photo are Dr. Rolando Balburias and Mitch Genato.

a knee surgery she had in high school.

Thus Mari’s journey on the path of complete health and wellness begins.

LifeScience Center for Health and Wellness is a facility located in Bonifacio Global City. It is focused on helping individuals optimize their health, through science-based approach founded in the practice of Functional Medicine. Because there is no one-size-fits-all wellness program, LifeScience designs program tailor-made for the individual’s health goals.

The program design takes cue from what the patient’s body is telling the physicians, after the consultation and recommended tests results have come out.

According to Dr. Rolando Balburias, LifeScience is the place for people who don’t want to get sick, and for patients with multiple health issues who

Making infused water fun to drink for kids SUPER moms know that for the kids to stay healthy and active, they need to drink lots of water throughout the day.

Unfortunately, water is not as appealing to kids as the sweet taste of sodas and juices. So, how can moms encourage them to go for the healthier water?

One suggestion is introducing your children to infused water. Infused water can help your children hydrate more because it’s much more interesting than plain water. Apart from that, it’s a great substitute to sweetened drinks.

Drinking infused water is a widely accepted healthy practice for a lot of people. Water regulates body temperature and also keeps kids cool even while they are running around and playing. It carries nutrients to cells, while it also dilutes toxins and helps the body flush them out. It boosts the immune system and keeps your children from getting sick. Drinking lots of water helps in digestion and bowel movement too.

Here are some tips on how to encourage your kids to hydrate more with infused water: Make it colorful. Experiment not just with flavors, but also with colors, as well. With colorful fruits in the water, the drink looks visually inviting. With Contigo’s Tritan Pitcher, the seeds and fruit stay on their side of the pitcher while still making the water appealing to your kids. The Ice

Core keeps the water cool and ready to pour and drink without the melting ice diluting the flavor.

Give your kids their own drinking bottle. Have them personalize it. They can put stickers on it, write their names at the bottom.

Use sparkling water for your fruit-infused drinks instead of just the flat purified water. It’s an extra treat, especially on a hot day, without having to resort to unhealthy sodas.

Make infused water ice cubes.

Freeze your infused water along with small pieces of fruits in an ice tray and add them to your child’s water.

Kids prefer really cold water, they like it even better with ice in it.

Be an example. Do your kids see you drinking a lot of infused water throughout the day too? Go ahead and let them see you enjoying the infused water using the Contigo Tritan pitcher!

Contigo’s Tritan Pitcher is BPA-free.

It features an infuser stick and ice core.

Its unique quick release top makes it easy to refill and stir its contents. It automatically seals between pours to

have tried conventional medicine but have yet to feel whole and better, much like Mari Jasmine.

The patient’s personalized program is anchored in the Center’s four Core Programs, which include the Personalized Nutrition program. The program helps the patient get into the nutrition that best works for his or her lifestyle. It determines the effect of certain food on the body, which could be causing some of the common symptoms like migraine, insomnia, chronic fatigue and declining of the immune system.

“Mari Jasmine’s nutrition program helped her address some of her health issues. More importantly, she came to understand how food, though healthy, is affecting her wellbeing. As unique individuals, what is good for one, is not necessarily good for

another,” adds Dr. Balburias.

One of the tests the center uses is the food intolerance test (FIT), which identifies the food items that you should be avoiding, those that you should take with caution, and those that are good for you. The FIT guides the patient in making smart choices on food so your body can maximize its nutritional benefits.

“Good health starts with what we eat, in our gut. If you are constantly experiencing symptoms like bloating, leaky gut, migraines, fatigue, high-blood pressure, skin issues and others, checking your diet is a good starting point to address them,” stressed Dr. Balburias.

“Food is medicine. Eating right, choosing nutritious food helps the body heal itself, and perform at its optimum.”

The other core programs are reverse

chronic disease program, weight and metabolic management and inherited disease screening and intervention.

At present, LifeScience is encouraging individuals to get on the road to living healthy by offering the Food Intolerance Test at P9,900.00 and P12,400.00 package rates, for a limited time.

The P9,900.00 FIT package includes results evaluation with a Nutritionist Dietitian, while the P12,400.00 FIT package includes a primary consultation with a Physician, a Body Composition Analysis (BCA), doctor’s evaluation of the FIT and BCA results, consultation with a Nutritionist Dietitian, and consultation with a fitness coach.

More information about LifeScience Center for Health and Wellness is available at www.lifescience.ph.

CHED grants Contigo Tritan Pitcher makes it easier to make and serve infused water, thanks to its infuser stick and ice core.

prevent leaks. It’s leak-proof and spillproof. The simple and elegant design of the pitcher is also very practical: fits easily in your refrigerator. It can be used for any occasion — whether indoors or outdoors. Its ice core keeps your beverage cool without diluting it.

In the Philippines, Contigo products are exclusively distributed by The Neat Inc., and are available at SM Home in North Edsa, SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City, Megamall, Mall of Asia, and SM Makati; Robinson’s Department Store in Ermita, Manila, and Robinson’s Magnolia in Quezon City. Toy Kingdom in SM North Edsa and SM Megamall; and Banana Peel store in Alabang Town Center.

For more information, like Contigo Ph on Facebook, and follow @contigophilippines on Instagram.

off-site teaching status to educational institutions AS PART of an effort by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to offer graduate courses during the K to 12 transition period, the School for Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management (SHRIM) of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) has been designated as a Delivering Higher Educational Institution (DHEI), enabling it to offer scholarships for faculty of higher educational institutions (HEI).

As a DHEI, SHRIM will be able to administer this program off-site. Selected professors will deliver to HEIs required classes, either through face-to-face or classroom-based sessions, distance education, or a combination of both modes.

Jose Rizal University, Divine Word College (Legazpi), and University of the Immaculate Conception (Davao City) now offer Master’s Degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, through SHRIM, a CHED Center of Excellence in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Graduates of the program will receive a diploma from

the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde upon completion of their requirements.

Based on CHED Memorandum Order No. 4 S. 2016, instructors at HEIs will experience reduced teaching loads for five years, from SY 2016-2017 to SY 2020-2021, making it an opportune time for teachers to undertake and complete further studies.

“The establishment of such programs during the K to 12 transition period aims to equip 70 percent of HEI faculty with graduate degrees by 2021, bringing the Philippines up to par with our ASEAN neighbors. This is also in view of expanding the fields of expertise and specializations available in the country, particularly in emerging disciplines critical to academic, regional and national development, and where experts are scarce,” the CHED memo explained.

Benilde’s School of Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management is designated as a Delivering Higher Educational Insitution by CHED

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

Filipinos in science behind world’s most viral videos

ABS-CBN primetime newscast anchors (from left) Noli de Castro, Korina Sanchez, and Ted Failon

‘TV PATROL’

Only nominee at 2017 Int’l Emmy Awards

A

BS-CBN News received twin good news recently. One was that TV Patrol has been nominated at the prestigious International Emmy Awards this year for its Typhoon Lawin coverage. The other was ABS-CBN anchor Tina Monzon Palma was awarded with the UP Gawad Plaridel, the highest honor given by the University Philippines to outstanding Filipino media practitioners.

TV Patrol, ABS-CBN’s flagship newscast, is the only program from the Philippines in the running for an award from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, an organization comprised of leading media and entertainment figures from over 60 countries.

Its entry “Super Typhoon Lawin’s Trail of Damage” in the News & Current Affairs category, which showed the destruction caused by the storm in several Philippine provinces in 2016, is up against entries from United Kingdom, Brazil, and Israel.

This is the third time that the country’s primetime newscast made it as a finalist at the International Emmys after also getting nods in 2007 and 2011 for its coverage of the Subic rape case trial and the 2010 Manila hostage crisis, respectively.

Meanwhile, Palma, who has served as anchor in various ABS-CBN news programs – Talk Back with Tina Palma and The World Tonight on ANC – received the UP Gawad Plaridel in a formal ceremony held at the university’s Diliman campus on Aug. 23.

The former program director of Bantay Bata 163 was cited for her contributions to improve the Philippine media in her over 40 years in the industry.

Adding to the string of good news for ABS-CBN is the awarding of prestigious British Chevening scholarships to ABSCBN News reporters Chiara Zambrano and Carolyn Bonquin. The two will fly to the United Kingdom to further develop their craft after being named among the 27 Chevening scholars for 2017.

Zambrano will go to Royal Holloway, University of London to study documentary by practice. No stranger to producing documentaries, the 34-year-old reporter is fresh from covering the war in Marawi, where her social media postings on the conflict even going viral online. She also shared her experiences and accounts in special documentaries aired on ABS-CBN and ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Bonquin is known for her human-

interest stories and reports on Philippine politics. The former segment producer in ABS-CBN Baguio will study investigative journalism in Birkbeck, University of London.

ABS-CBN News is also celebrating the 10th year of its pioneering citizen journalism movement “Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo” (BMPM), which already has a million citizen journalists on Facebook.

Beginning as a campaign to guard the vote in 2007, BMPM has evolved into an effective newsgathering arm for ABSCBN News with “Bayan Patrollers” sharing information, pictures, and videos of issues and events in their communities.

BMPM has also been active in promoting media literacy through workshops held all over the country and will now be mounting public service events to further empower Filipinos in taking part in nation-building. To kick things off, BMPM held a “BIKE@10” bike ride for a cause on Aug. 28, and gathered plastic (PET) bottles from participants. Sales from the bottles will be used to buy a motorcycle with sidecar for residents of Tahanang Walang Hagdanan.

TV Patrol airs from Monday to Saturday on ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN HD, and DZMM TeleRadyo. It can also be viewed online on iwantv.com.ph and skyondemand.com. ph. For news and updates, visit news. abs-cbn.com and patrol.ph or follow @ ABSCBNNews on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Dwayne Johnson

a ‘Snitch’ on Tag TV. DWAYNE Johnson will do anything to free his son, including track down drug dealers, in the Snitch, which airs on the cable channel Tag TV (SKYcable ch. 77) this month.

The Rock stars as construction company owner John who goes undercover to infiltrate a drug cartel after finding out that his son Jason (Rafi Gavron) was framed up for a drug shipment that earned the latter a 10-year prison sentence.

This crime drama also stars Susan Sarandon, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal,

Benjamin Bratt, and Michael Kenneth Williams.

Tag TV brings foreign films dubbed in Filipino, featuring a collection of rom-coms, dramas, action-packed movies, thrillers, comedies, and the freshest Hollywood and Asian titles. It features Movie Blowout every Saturday night, offering exciting flicks for the whole family. Catch the Snitch on TAG at 8 p.m. today.

For more information, like Tag TV on Facebook and follow its official Twitter and Instagram accounts (@ TagTVph).

Dwayne Johnson as John Matthews in crime drama "Snitch"

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, August 31, 2017

ACROSS 1 Marauds 6 Baroness Karen 10 Races the engine 14 Ill-suited 15 Feng — 16 Kyrgyzstan range 17 — nova 18 Dawn, to a poet 19 Bungle 20 Pigs’ noses 22 Draws in 24 Thrush’s refuge 26 Patron 27 Early astronomer 30 Poet’s always 31 In dire need of gas 32 Jaguar relatives 35 Blvd.

38 Very small 39 Kitchen gadget 40 Courtroom bargain 41 Come-ons 42 The “f” in f-stop 43 Trooper’s aid 44 Get some exercise 45 Generally 47 Turned sharply 50 Site of a tie 51 IRS-provided tables (2 wds.)

53 Cultivated 57 Comics penguin 58 Aptitude 60 Sparkling adornment 61 Took a taxi 62 As a result 63 City near Canton 64 Deuce successor 65 Juice a grapefruit 66 Rent out DOWN 1 Chafes 2 Pretty soon 3 In that case (2 wds.)

4 Lack of solidarity 5 Dignified and impressive 6 Ideology 7 Injection 8 Mr. Goldfinger 9 Cordelia’s and Regan’s dad (2 wds.)

10 Roof support 11 Barkin or DeGeneres 12 Boast about 13 Close kin 21 Vane dir.

23 Rushes off 25 Subject

27 28 29 33

— — grip!

In the thick of Med. staffers Thurman of “The Golden Bowl” 34 Honeydew 35 TV’s Hawkeye 36 Tender meat 37 Noble rank 39 In a group 40 Neatly landscaped 42 Roman marketplaces 43 Piano

performance 44 Pullover 46 Zoo staffer 47 Steam 48 Ooze out 49 Name in tractors 51 Lawsuit basis 52 Long story 54 Dr. Zhivago’s love 55 Romantic deity 56 Copenhagen resident 59 Monastic title

THE world’s craziest viral videos have arrived in Asia with the premiere of pop-science program, You Have Been Warned Asia (YHWBA), on Discovery Channel.

Fronted by science enthusiasts, Ramon Bautista, aka “Internet Action Star,” writer-director RA Rivera, actor and comedic performer Jun Sabayton, author and social commentator Lourd De Veyra and journalist Angel Rivero, YHBWA deconstructs the science behind these experiments and tells us exactly why it shouldn’t be tried at home because you have been warned.

“More than our funny antics, we are able to provide relevant information that we believe is worth sharing to our viewers.

We aim to roll public safety and entertainment into one with the facts and concepts we share to the audience. Each video is broken down to showcase that there is logic and science behind every clip,” Bautista shared.

Every episode is a themed countdown of the world’s top 13 viral videos. The panel goes through the countdown, showing mind-blowing clips, describing the science behind them, and adding witty commentary with their own blend of humor.

Viewers can expect to laugh, learn, and cringe at the incredible and reckless things the human mind and spirit are capable of.

Discovery Networks AsiaPacific is now taking the lead and investing in more local content than ever. They aim to broaden and deepen the connection with its audiences across Southeast Asia.

“It’s great that we have You Have Been Warned Asia on Discovery Channel - localized and relatable for most Filipinos, and we believe that we have a show that everyone will want to watch and enjoy with the family,” Discovery Southeast Asia’s Director of Content Curation, Rohit Tharani said in a statement.

The wacky hosts of "You Have Been Warned Asia" (from left) Ramon Bautista, RA Rivera, Angel Rivero, Jun Sabayton, and Lourd De Veyra

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2017

Real life couple

ISAH V. RED

S

TA. Fe? Where’s that?

That’s the common reaction of the members of the movie press invited to the gathering to introduce the movie, I Found My Heart in Sta. Fe, to the group.

Its stars, real-life couple Germany-born Will Devaughn and Filipino Roxanne Barcelo answered the movie press’ query.

“It’s in Bantayan Island, off the coast of Cebu,” the couple chimed, “It has a population of less than 30, 000 people.”

The movie’s producer, Bona Fajardo, said all of them were first timers in the island and, more so, in the town of Sta. Fe. “Yet, we were able to get a feel for the life in the island,” Barcelo said. “The people were very welcoming.”

Devaughn echoed Barcelo’s sentiments adding, “Yes, they knew we were actors, or celebrities, but they didn’t make us feel we should be treating them with aloofness, and neither did we encourage them to treat us like celebrities.”

Real-life couples playing lovers in a movie almost always offer less exciting stories for members of the press. Barcelo and Devaughn said their team up could an interesting story.

The couple counts four years in their relationship. They met at an awards ceremony where Barcelo won.

She said it wasn’t a love-atfirst-sight kind of story, but they became friends, long enough to realize that both of them want a more serious commitment.

Barcelo and Devaughn are appearing in a movie together.

This the first time for the couple to be paired as a romantic couple.

I Found My Heart in Santa Fe follows the blossoming romance between Jennifer (Barcelo), a smart, hardworking and pretty islander whose recent heartache made her tougher with men, and Viktor (Devaughn), an adventurous rich businessman who will stop at nothing to win the fair maiden’s heart.

Bona Fajardo admitted that Barcelo and Devaughn m a d e working on his t h i r d movie m u c h easier. “ F o r me, the chemistry is already there—it’s natural for this real-life couple.

We really didn’t need to work hard for them to have that magic onscreen,” Fajardo shared.

As for Barcelo and Devaughn, acting as lovers has its pros and cons.

“True, we don’t really need to undergo intimacy workshops to let go off the awkwardness that most reel pairs go through, but there are also challenges on set,” Devaughn divulged.

Barcelo elaborated and said, “Like any couple, we have our simple tampuhan like when Will didn’t wait for me on the set. But we’re both very professional and we carry on with our scenes even during those silly moments.”

The 32-year-old actress further noted how in some instances, their scenes allow them to work on their small disagreements.

“Another challenge I can think of is when we have to act like we’re mad toward each other.

IN A ROMANTIC FILM SHOT IN STA. FE IN CEBU Will Devaughn and Roxanne Barcelo team up for the first time in "I Found My Heart in Sta. Fe," a romantic film screening on Sept. 15 as part of CineLokal.

Sometimes we get carried away then we’d have to assure one another that was just a scene,” Barcelo added chuckling.

Besides working together for the first time, the

couple takes pride in I Found My Heart in Sante Fe for not only are they the lead stars but they also serve as co-producers of the film.

“What that means is that our work does not end on the set, we talk to sponsors, we promote the film and go about other tasks that actors normally don’t worry about,” Devaughn said.

As such, when the press commented on how promising the rushes are, especially its innocent story and glossy and picturesque feel, the couple could hardly contain their happiness.

“We too fell in love with Santa Fe. Ang ganda talaga. It’s like paradise where you’ll really get to relax and not stress about the volume of tourists. As most of us know, that’s what’s happening in prime tourist spots nowadays,” B a r c e l o shared.

B o t h Fajardo and the celebrity couple hope that by showcasing Sante Fe, their audience will also fall in love with the paradise they called their own for almost twoweeks of shooting.

I Found My Heart in Santa Fe is the first film to be screened at Cine Lokal in select SM Cinemas beginning Sept. 15. The endeavor is also under the auspices of the Film Development Council of the Philippines. *** Yo u n g d a n c e sensations Julian Tro n o

and Ella Cruz are being launched to full stardom via their debut movie as a love team, Fangirl | Fanboy, opening in cinemas nationwide on Sept. 6.

A Joyce Bernal production for Viva Films and N2 Productions, Fangirl | Fanboy does a very timely take on the K-pop fever under debuting film director Barry Gonzalez.

Julian’s character, Ollie Fernandez, is a one-hit boy wonder with a level of confidence that more often borders on conceit. He fanboys over Korean actress Soo Mi Young (played

by Yam Concepcion), who plays Sandy/Android 5000 in the Koreanovela Program for Love.

Ella, meanwhile, is Aimee, Soo Mi Young’s dubber.

Ronnie Liang is Min Jun Park, the Korean actor who is paired with Soo Mi Young in Program for Love.

The film’s hilarious twists and romantic turns take shape when Ollie meets Aimee, who happens to be his biggest fan. Aimee agrees to help Ollie work on this acting skills and she succeeds as he achieves that elusive dream of stardom. In exchange, though, Aimee gets heartbroken due to complications in Ollie’s showbiz career.

Julian and Ella say Fangirl | Fanboy spells big pressure on them as a team. “Yung pressure na nararamdaman ko kapag sinasabi ni Direk na napanood na daw nila Boss Vic (del Rosario, Viva big boss) ‘yung movie, tapos sinasabi nila ‘yung feedback nila, kinakabahan talaga ako,” Cruz relates.

“Lagi ko tinatanong si Direk, totoo ba ito? Totoo bang matatapos na natin ‘yung movie? Totoo bang malapit na tayong ipalabas?” she goes on.

But, both stars and Direk Barry are confident they have given Fangirl | Fanboy their best. They could only hope that the dance duo’s followers and multitude of fans would have as much fun as they did while shooting the film and that they would embrace them as well as a couple on the big screen this time.

On talks that Trono and Cruz might be Viva’s next JaDine, the pair admits JaDine is one tough act to follow and that they are flattered with the idea. But for now, they would rather focus on their budding movie pairing, improve on their

act and leave the rest to destiny. *** Korina Sanchez-Roxas is the newest ambassador of RDL’s plantcenta soap. Take note, it’s not “placenta” but “plantcenta.”

The “t’’ in the name makes the big difference None other than news anchor Korina Sanchez is the newest favorite endorser of RDL. Sanchez has sealed her first endorsement agreement with the RDL as she believes in the efficacy of the RDL beauty product.

“I don’t really endorse. This is the first endorsement that I’m going to do in my career. Right now I’m on leave from news. So, I asked permission from ABSCBN if I could start endorsing because in all the years that I’ve been working as a journalist I don’t really endorse, I don’t really do that.”

“And I have to be very discerning about the brands that I endorse, and when this offer came along I had to use the product, and I do believe not only in the product, but in the long-standing reputation of RDL,” said Sanchez.

Sanchez also revealed how she maintains her skin younglooking despite being always on the go as a journalist all the time.

“Aside from using of course the plantcenta soap, I try to sleep eight hours a day. I have to moisturize which I never did

before. That’s it! And I drink a lot of water.”

Meanwhile, the RDL company, which is the leading manufacturer of beauty products in the country, continuous to expand with the opening of a new venture in traveling industry.

With their endorsers, Isabelle Lovelie Duterte and actor Albert Martinez, the RAMS travel agency is now open for business to accommodate domestic and international ticketing, international and domestic tour packages, itinerary planning, and passport processing.

The RAMS Travel Agency is also offering Visa processing and Visa extension assistance, hotel bookings, resort tour packages, travel and accident insurance and other travelingrelated requirements of its clients.

Model and upcoming teen showbiz personality Iven Lim is endorsing the RAMS Travel Agency especially for his personal use when traveling in and out of the country.

Aside from the office at DíLeonor Hotel, RAMS Travel Agency also has a satellite branch in Quezon City located at Grass Towers condominium beside SM North Edsa, LDL Building on Diversion Road, and DíLeonor Inland Resort and Adventure Park, Communal Davao City.