Manila Standard - 2017 September 02 - Saturday by Manila Standard

I welcome death threats—Du30 By John Paolo Bencito

VOL. XXXI • NO. 200 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@thestandard.com.ph

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday admitted getting death threats from members of the Parojinog clan whom he earlier accused of having ties with drug syndicates, as he raised the reward money on Ozamiz City

Councilor Ricardo Parojinog by P5 million. “Why should we be afraid with these idiots?” Duterte said in a speech before troops in Davao City. “When I became mayor and entered the presidency, I knew they would try to kill me. And may I say to them, I welcome it.”

The President, who earlier announced a P2-million bounty on each policeman involved in the killings allegedly ordered by the inﬂuential Parojinog clan in Ozamiz City, raised the reward for the head of Ricardo Parojinog, after authorities linked the clan to mass graves in the city. Next page

Battle of Marawi: 3 dead, 52 hurt Home-made bombs set back final push By Francisco Tuyay

HREE more government troops were killed and 52 others injured in the battle between soldiers and remnants of the Islamic State-inspired terrorists while retaking a strategic bridge in the Marawi City conflict zone Thursday, eve of the feast of Eid’l Adha. Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, spokesperson of Joint Task Force Marawi, said most of the casualties were inflicted by explosions of improvised explosive devices laid by the terrorists as security forces pushes hard to the last bastion of the militants currently met by the series of ground and air attacks. “The large number of wounded may have been caused by soldiers accidentally triggering other IEDs [improvised explosive device not used by those in the military] when instinctively trying to save fellow troops previously hit by explosions,” Petinglay said. The intense fighting at Bangolo Bridge lasted for about 12 hours that brought the total deaths to more than 800 to include civilian fatalities in 102 days of the Marawi siege. In related developments: • The Department of Justice has

dismissed the rebellion charges against the 59 suspected recruits reportedly as reinforcement of the Maute terrorist group in Marawi City and were arrested in Zamboanga City last July. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Friday the prosecutors headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, with prosecutors Sonny Ocampo and Aris Reyes as members, issued a resolution dropping the charges filed by the military against the 59 respondents for lack of probable cause. “The DOJ will not be a part of any injustice. If in the assessment of our Panel of Prosecutors there is no basis to charge a person in court, such a finding should be respected,” Aguirre said, in a statement. AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla also issued a statement, saying “We fully respect the decision and will abide by it. Next page

GUNFIRE AT BANGGOLO. Marines headed by Brig. Gen. Melquiadez Ordiales and his men patrol the Mapandi perimeter (above), days ahead of a firefight at Banggolo Bridge in Marawi City (right below) where three soldiers were killed and 52 others wounded during a clash with the Maute group on the eve of Eid’l Adha in Marawi, authorities said on Friday. Five Maute fighters were also killed for the battle of the Banggolo bridge (formerly called Bayabao bridge). Mark Navales

Broker clears Duterte family in Customs mess CUSTOMS ﬁxer Mark Taguba apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte’s family Friday, saying that talk of their involvement in corruption at the Bureau of Customs was based on hearsay. In a statement, Taguba said he never testiﬁed on the supposed involvement of Vice Mayor

Paolo Duterte and lawyer Manases Carpio in the shipment of illegal drugs or the “tara” system of bribery at the Bureau of Customs. “I am making this statement to clear Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and Attorney Mans Carpio of any involvement in the

shipment of illegal drugs into the country, and any anomalies in the Bureau of Customs,” Taguba said. “I also hereby apologize to Vice Mayor Duterte, Attorney Carpio and to the ﬁrst family for the proliferation of fake news arising out of my testimony at the Senate yesterday.”

In his testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Taguba said he served as the broker for the shipment of shabu worth P6.4 billion that slipped through Customs, but denied that he knew the cargo contained more than 600 kilos of the illegal drug. Next page

Palace mulls over options Trillanes’ taunt: Who’s afraid of Gordon? on Marcos By Macon RamosAraneta

MALACAÑANG on Friday vowed to hasten the recovery of ill-gotten wealth plundered from public coffers— despite calls from Marcos’ kin to “end the decades of cases” against his family. “The President is studying how best to proceed in a manner that will advance the nation’s interest and comply with the law,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement. “As this matter becomes clearer, we will advise what further action will be taken to ﬁnally obtain justice,” he added. On Tuesday, Duterte said the Marcoses were willing to

APOLOGY FIXED. Customs fixer Mark Taguba apologizes Friday to President Rodrigo Duterte’s family, reiterating his knowledge of the alleged involvement of Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and his brotherin-law Manases Carpio in the ‘Davao Group‘ is mere ‘hearsay.’ Their names were mentioned at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe on the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of illegal drugs last May. Ey Acasio

Leni seeks selfless leaders amid ‘surplus of anger’ LEADERS who put others before themselves are needed amid “a surplus of anger and frustration” in these changing times, Vice President Leni Robredo said, as she lauded six new laureates of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards. In her keynote speech at the RMA presentation ceremonies on

Thursday night, Robredo noted how the stories of the awardees were about helping people and communities in their respective efforts towards inclusivity. “If we want to see even more growth, exciting innovation, and prosperity in the next century, we must accept the fact that we cannot move forward with-

out taking care of each other and making sure that no one is left behind,” she said. Robredo’s late husband, former Interior Secretary and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, was recognized by the RMA in 2000 for his work for participatory governance in their home city. Next page

Speaker justifies plan to abolish Road Board By Maricel V. Cruz SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez has conﬁrmed the reports that some members of the Road Board have capitalized on their position to allegedly amass huge

kickbacks from the projects ﬁnanced by the Road User’s Tax. He said he had also received reports from fellow lawmakers about the illegal conditions being imposed by some members of the Road Board on those

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seeking to avail of the road usertax. I have ﬁled a bill to abolish the Road Board because of the numerous complaints from fellow legislators,” Alvarez told reporters. Next page

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AFP makes way for ‘feast of sacrifice’ THOUSANDS of Muslims gathered at the Rizal Park in Manila on Friday to celebrate Eid’l Adha or the Feast of Sacriﬁce. After the morning prayers, the participants received food and gifts, and that was followed by an imam’s sermon. Thousands more Muslims listened to the morning sermon at the Golden Mosque in Manila. And as the Muslim world commemorates Eid’l Adha, the military operations in Marawi City were momentarily suspended early in the Next page

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OPPOSITION Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he is not cowed by Senator Richard Gordon’s threat to ﬁle an ethics complaint against him after they engaged in a heated argument during Thursday’s Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the shipment of shabu worth P6.4 billion that was smuggled through Customs

in May. “Go ahead. I am not scared. I’m not afraid of President Duterte, so why should I be scared by him?” Trillanes said in Filipino. Trillanes, a staunch critic of the President, said Gordon was wasting his time because he will not be cowed. “He will scare me? Just do it. Let us just wait what the result would be,” Trillanes said Thursday night, experssing

conﬁdence that Gordon’s ethics complaint would not get the support of their colleagues. “He will be lucky if he gets three or four to sign in his complaint. If he believes that he can get a majority of the signatures, then he has lost touch with the pulse of the senators, “ Trillanes said. He added that many senators are disgruntled with the way Gordon was handling the Next page case.

Entire SC not only CJ under threat —senator By Macon Ramos-Araneta no, it appears, isn’t simply di- on Sept. 21, the 45th anniverTHE impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno appears to be a warning to the Supreme Court, Liberal Party president Francis Pangilinan said Friday. “The impeachment complaint ﬁled against Chief Justice Sere-

rected at the Chief Justice. It can very well be directed at the entire High Court,” Pangilinan said. “Unless we act and defend our democracy and freedoms, we are well on our way to dictatorship.” Pangilinan called on the public to join the protest rallies

sary of the declaration of martial law. “Stand up in defense of democracy!” he said. Detained Senator Leila de Lima said President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Next page

ISLAMIC FESTIVAL. Filipino Muslims perform Friday a prayer during the celebration of Eid’l Adha (Id ul-Adha), a four-day Islamic festival of sacrifice starting on the 10th day of the month of Dhul Hijja (Thou al-Hijja) and celebrated on different dates in different countries to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son Ismael. Norman Cruz

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Fowl shipment ban lifted in 'control zone'

US, PH team up for anti-corruption measure using digital data system By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales

GRICULTURE Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Friday the government has lifted the ban on the movement of poultry and poultry products in the 7-kilometer avian influenza control zone in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija.

“We are lifting the quarantine restrictions from the 7-kilometer radius. The 21 days waiting period is already done. The only restriction is on ground zero or those located in the onekilometer radius because we have a 90-day waiting period,” Piñol said. The DA earlier imposed a temporary ban on the movement of live domestic and wild birds and their products, including poultry meat, day-old chick, eggs, semen and manure from Luzon to the Visayas and Mindanao to prevent the spread of bird flu. Last month, Piñol lifted the ban on the movement of poultry and poultry products from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao following a series of consultations with poultry raisers. The DA earlier confirmed that the bird flu outbreak in San Luis, Pampanga tested positive for the H5N6 strain, a strain that can be transmitted to humans, but at a very low rate. Farm workers in who were showing flu-like symptoms in San Luis town, the center of the bird flu outbreak, were placed under observation but later tested negative for avian flu.

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“It also shows the military is fully compliant with the provisions set forth in our Constitution regarding martial law and the continued jurisdiction of our civil courts on cases we file. We are a professional organization committed to the rule of law.” • The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan itself said there had been a growing clamor within the Australian government to expand Canberra’s military intervention in the Philippines, adding “Against these establishment calls for increased intervention, BAYAN stands with Australian activists calling for the ceasing of military aid to the Duterte administration.” • President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday dared his “yellow” critics to give him a better way of dealing with the ongoing siege in Marawi, amid their supposed criticisms on the government’s response in ending the already hundred-day crisis there. “These bleeding hearts, many of them act as if they knew it all. They think they can—these are the people who can never be elected. [They’re] unelectable because nobody knew if they can lead,” the President told soldiers. Duterte claimed that female members of the opposition Liberal Party had earlier asked him if there was a “better way of fighting the Islamic State, let alone the Maute.” He asked: “There’s another way of ending ISIS? How? Tell me. How do you deal with the ISIS?” Petinglay described that the injured soldiers were in “green status,” or slightly injured, by shrapnel from the IEDs. On the other hand, military snipers were reported to have pinned down five militants to death in frontal fighting at the Bangolo Bridge, a major road

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“open everything” and “probably return” the wealth that would be seen, including a few gold bars. The Presidential Commission on Good Government expressed openness to any steps the administration might take in handing over part of their wealth critics claimed was amassed illegally from 1965 to 1986. PCGG chairperson Reynold Munsayac, however, did not give any guarantees the government would withdraw civil cases filed against the Marcoses, which is now with the Sandiganbayan. Their decision, if ever, will be based on the provisions of a possible compromise agreement, says Munsayac. “We would always welcome any effort or action,” the PCGG chairperson said. “The concept of compromise settlement is not new to PCGG. It has been done repeatedly. Be-

network connecting Western Marawi to the main battle area in the east, forcing the terrorists to retreat, leading to the recapturing of the bridge and nearby structures, Petinglay added. Airstrikes were halted during the prayer times in observance of Eid’l Adha while clearing operations continued Friday. “We are working to clear the remaining areas where the enemy is holding out,” AFP spokesman Padilla said. Currently, the military are still clearing 300 structures where militants remain holed out covering the 500 square meters, the remaining battle site. With the Bangolo Bridge retaken, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana projected the looming end of the Marawi City siege. “Yes, I’m happy to announce the end of the fighting is near,” Lorenzana said. Aguirre stressed the 59 suspects had been ordered released by the investigating prosecutors following the dismissal of the charges. “They did not find the military witness as credible,” Aguirre said. Of the 59 respondents, 32 men were arrested at a checkpoint in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay while the remaining 27, of which four were minors, were arrested along Daisy Road in Guiwan, Zamboanga City. They were all arrested last July 25. Authorities seized from the suspects military uniforms, boots and Moro National Liberation Front identification cards. Last Aug. 14, the respondents submitted their counteraffidavit, claiming they were recruited to join the MNLF and promised a P30,000 monthly salary and would each become eventually a military integree. They accused MNLF member Nur Supian as their recruiter. With Rey Requejo, Bill Casas, and John Paolo Bencito cause in this manner, you will be able to obtain [in a fast manner] the ill-gotten wealth faster.” While there are still no negotiations regarding the purported plan to return the Marcos wealth to the government, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos on Thursday expressed trust that Duterte would help end the decades of cases against their family. Duterte’s father, Vicente, served as secretary of general services during the Marcos administration. Marcos, however, said the family’s lawyers would be the ones handling the supposed negotiation with the Philippine government in handing over their so-called ill-gotten wealth. In a television interview, former PCGG commissioner Ruben Carranza said the government did not need to negotiate with the Marcos family since a 2003 Supreme Court ruling had stated that the Marcoses legally earned only $300,000 from 1965 to 1986, the years Marcos ruled the country. John Paolo Bencito

KILOMETRIC WALK. Children gamely march over a giant steel pipe owned and installed by a water concessionaire in La Huerta, Parañaque City. Lino Santos

War on terror seen unifying East Asia, Latin America BUSAN, South Korea—The fight against common challenges such as terrorism and other transnational crimes should unite East Asia and Latin America all the more despite their geographic distance, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said here Friday. Cayetano, in South Korea for the 8th Forum for East AsiaLatin American Cooperation (FEALAC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in this southern port city, said transnational crime, climate change, and pandemics by their very nature, “respect no boundaries and recognize no distance.” “I am heartened to see that our Busan Declaration addresses issues such as protectionism, counterterrorism, and threats to cybersecurity,” the Secretary said in his remarks at the Forum. “Instead of dividing us, these

concerns now offer new avenues for us to work together and bridge the gap between our regions,” Cayetano said. He also underscored Manila’s effort to re-engage bilateral partners in the Latin American region, which share the same Hispanic heritage. “FEALAC remains an important link in facilitating meaningful dialogue and concrete cooperation between East Asia and Latin America, and the Philippines is committed to reinvigorating its engagement with its Latin American partners as envisioned under President (Rodrigo) Duterte’s independent foreign policy,” Cayetano said. Cayetano enjoined FEALAC member countries to ensure the projects under the new FEALAC Action Plan would remain responsive to the needs of the people of both regions.

The meeting adopted the Busan Declaration, which provided a direction for deeper and more comprehensive cooperation for the future. It highlighted the following initiatives: 1) Endorsement of the new FEALAC Action Plan which seeks to put together multiple lines of ongoing and future efforts and will continue to be reviewed and updated to reflect the newest developments; Establishment of a FEALAC Fund to finance the group’s flagship and bi-regional projects and activities; and 3) Creation of a FEALAC Experts Group Pool and FEALAC mechanisms to provide more tangible outputs to create a momentum for a FEALAC Special Summit and yearly Foreign Ministers Meetings. Sara Susanne

I welcome...

reward money on his head by P5 million,” he said, referring to the councilor by his nickname. Local ofﬁcials had earlier found human bones in a mass grave created by a gang associated with the Parojinogs after the clan patriarch, Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., was killed in an anti-drug raid by police on July 31. The mayor was included in the list of politicians believed to have links with drug syn-

dicates that was turned over to President Duterte last year. Also killed in the raid were the mayor’s wife Susan, his brother Board Member Octavio Parojinog Jr., his sister Mona and 12 others. Police ofﬁcials claimed that a shootout ensued after supporters of the Parojinog ﬁred at the raiding team. The Parojinog camp has denied this and even called the law enforcement operation a “massacre.”

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“They ordered [the killing of] four policemen who became missing. One of them was found at a mass grave and through DNA testing, it was conﬁrmed that he was one of the missing policemen,” Duterte said. “So for Ardot, the remaining stupid guy, place him on your watchlist. I am increasing the

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Taguba said he dealt with the Davao Group of “Tita Nanie,” “Jack,” and “Small.” Small was later identiﬁed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as Davao City Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera, Jr. The said group, Taguba said, collected bribes as a way to smooth shipments out of the BOC without being alerted. On Thursday, Trillanes again asked Taguba to read the exchange of text messages between him and ‘Tita Nanie.’ In one of the messages, Tita Nanie mentioned the names “Paolo” and “Pulong,” the vice mayor’s nickname. The message in January said Jack will “arrange a meeting” with Paolo. Taguba said he met Abellera in a restaurant in Davao City, to personally handed over a P5million “enrollment fee.” Trillanes also asked Taguba about a text message he received from Tita Nanie on March 17, which mentioned a certain “Mance.” When Trillanes asked who Mance was, Taguba said he was the husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. But in his statement, Taguba said he never met Paolo or Carpio.

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The Vice President, who noted that “progress that leaves people behind is not real progress,” underscored the importance of transformative leadership. She said people and organizations who lead “must be willing to spend the time necessary—even if it takes most of their lives—to work tirelessly on a chosen goal,” a feat shown, she said, by the RMA laureates, past and present. Robredo said this was especially necessary in these trying times, as a “dangerous narrative” threatens democracy and freedoms in various parts of the world. She said: “[T]he problems of social and economic ine-

“As I had repeatedly stated before Congress and the Senate, the alleged involvement of the aforementioned individuals are hearsay in nature,” Taguba said. “At no time have I met either Vice Mayor Duterte or Atty. Carpio in person, much less discuss any illegal transaction at the Bureau of Customs with them,” he added. Trillanes has asked the Blue Ribbon committee to invite Paolo Duterte and Manases Carpio to the hearings, but the panel chairman, Senator Richard Gordon, said he was not inclined to invite the two because the allegations against them were based on hearsay and not by proof. Trillanes said Taguba had been pressured into clearing Paolo Duterte and Carpio. A party-list representative, meanwhile, warned his colleagues in Congress that the legislative immunity granted to Taguba might soon be withdrawn because of inconsistencies in his testimony. In a statement, PBA partylist Representative Jericho Nograles said he noted inconsistencies when Taguba testiﬁed at separate inquiries of the House of Representatives and the Senate on the illegal entry of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China. quality loom larger than ever. People left behind by progress seem to be drowning in frustration and anger because of the neglect that those in power had shown to those who were left behind... I do not look down on that anger. “I, too, believe, that more attention could have been given to the last, the least and the loss. “But a dangerous narrative is creeping in. People are using this to say that democracy has failed mankind, because freedom has caused the poor to remain poor, while the rich gained more. Perhaps it’s time for change, they say, and so populism, protectionism, and nationalism started to gain support.” She added: “But are we willing to give up our principles because of this? Are we really ready to throw out our freedoms

D. Fabunan

“The testimony of Mark Taguba in the House and in the Senate have material differences and because of that, I cannot accept his testimony in good faith,” Nograles said. “There is a legal precept: falsus in unum, falsus in omnibus. Mr. Taguba has not told Congress the whole truth and it may cost him his congressional immunity,” he said. On Friday, resigned Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon admitted that he had met the President’s son-in-law Carpio once in his ofﬁce to discuss legal problems over the designated examination area of one of his clients. Faeldon said the case had already been in court for several years. Faeldon also denied protecting Carpio from allegations hurled against him by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who accused him of smuggling. He said he and Carpio were in the same fraternity, so they used to play basketball in Davao even before Duterte was elected President. He said that after President Duterte assumed his post, they only met once since then. F. Pearl A . Gajunera, Vito Barcelo and Macon Ramos-Araneta and our rights for change that goes against old-fashioned values of empathy and collaboration? “The path that the world chooses now will determine what kind of lives our children’s children will have.” She said the work of RMA recipients took on “a deeper meaning” in this regard, as they were now tasked to continue “keeping darkness at bay.” She added: “Our world today has great need of you: those who would attempt to take on trenchant difficulties no matter the personal cost and sacrifice; those who would do something not because it is easy, but because no one else will take on the challenge; and those who are living examples of transformative leadership and inspiring service.”

UNITED States Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales underscored the sustained collaboration between the US and the Philippines in fighting corruption. They also unveiled the digital Data Migration System, which the US Embassy said will augment the capability of the Ombudsman to track and prosecute corruption cases across the country. In his remarks at the event to introduce the system to the media, Ambassador Kim highlighted the importance of anti-corruption as a national security priority, echoing US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s statement on March 22 that “terrorism is a plague as dangerous as corruption, and

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Trillanes said he did nothing unethical during the last hearing when he got Gordon’s ire, and footage of the session would show it was Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon committee, who ﬂared up. The clash began when Trillanes asked why the President’s son, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and presidential son-inlaw Mans Carpio had not been summoned to the hearing, when Customs broker Mark Taguba had linked them to bribery at the Bureau of Customs. He said the vice mayor and Carpio were being treated like sacred cows. At the hearing, Gordon asked Taguba for details on the Jan. 16, 2017 meeting with a contact identiﬁed only as “Jack,” who was supposed to be Vice Mayor Duterte’s “handler.”

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morning to show respect for the religious event. “Early this morning prior to the moment for prayers, we momentarily silenced our guns and ceased operations to show respect for today’s observance of Eid’l Adha,” military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said. “The silence was observed for the entirety of the time for prayers.” President Rodrigo Duterte earlier declared Sept. 1 a regular holiday in observance of Eid’l Adha. Eid’l Adha commemorates

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Carpio-Morales were an indication of his desire to remove them from ofﬁce. Duterte has accused Sereno, who is now facing two impeachment complaints before the House of Representatives, of sitting on the stay order on contraceptive implants and Morales of allegedly practicing selective justice in the ﬁght against graft and corruption. De Lima said Duterfe cited the cases of detained former senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, who are facing plunder charges over the alleged Priority Development Assistance Fund Scam that was exposed during the term of former President Benigno Aquino III, who appointed Morales to the post in 2011.

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He has authored House Bill 6236 seeking to abolish the Road Board and transfer its functions to the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation and Communication. The board is tasked to ensure the efficient management of the Road User’s Tax, which is estimated to have amounted to P90.72 billion from 2001 to 2012. However, Alvarez said the Commission on Audit had raised questions on the use of the fund from 2001 to 2013. He said the Road User’s Tax was earmarked solely and exclusively for road maintenance and the improvement of road drainage, the installation of efficient traffic lights and road safety devices and air pollution

corruption is as dangerous as terrorism.” In noting her appreciation for the venture, Ombudsman Carpio-Morales said: “The Philippines and the United States of America have nurtured this partnership through shared aspirations, proactive actions, mutual respect, and mutual collaboration.” The US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the US Agency for International Development funded the development of the DMS through implementing partner CD Asia. In a press release, Morales said: “I cannot overemphasize the importance of data integrity. It is an intangible tool for any public institution to effectively perform its mandate.” When Gordon warned Taguba not to lie, Trillanes said he was being badgered. “Are you accusing the chair or Senator [Vicente] Sotto [III] of badgering the witnesses?” Gordon shot back. “You’re so fond of making general statements. If you want to make general statements you better prove it. This is the Senate of the Republic of the Philippines. This is not a cockpit of chismis [gossip],” he added. Gordon then angrily declared Trillanes out of order, and banged his gavel to suspend the session. Gordon later said he took offense at Trillanes’ remark that the committee was becoming one that absolved the accused of wrongdoing. He then told Sotto that he would file an ethics complaint against Trillanes. Gordon then refused to let Trillanes speak, turning off his microphone at one point. Ibrahim’s offer to sacrifice his son Ishmael to God, but was told to sacrifice an animal instead. Eid’l Adha is a holy season of sacrifice and giving for Muslims. Extending help to Muslims in Marawi and other conflict areas affected by the siege between the Maute group and the Philippine government would be part of their sacrifice this year. Macatanong Dibarosan, national president of the Philippine Muslim Students Alumni Association, said the fund they had gathered would be given to the victims of the Marawi siege. Bill Casas, with

PNA

“Only in the President’s skewed definition of justice are these rich, influential and powerful men the poster boys for injustice,” De Lima said in a statement, referring to Revilla and Estrada. “Clearly, Duterte would prefer that suspects be given swift justice―but something tells me that, in the case of these two senators with whom he is obviously sympathetic, he would likely prefer that they be given their freedom despite the ongoing trial,” said De Lima who is detained on drug trafficking charges. Sereno is facing an impeachment complaint over her alleged violation of the Constitution, corruption, other high crimes and betrayal of public trust. Twenty-five congressmen have endorsed the impeachment complaint against her. control. He said if the project proponents refused to give in to the demand for 20 percent of the project cost, the unscrupulous Road Board officials would offer an alternative. By designating a contractor, a corrupt official could easily arrange kickbacks in exchange for the award of the contract. Alvarez said such illegal practices should be stopped. He said those responsible for those illegal acts as well as the inappropriate use of the road fund were liable for graft. Earlier, the Road Board issued a statement―a week after Alvarez filed his bill―claiming the body is now under the control and supervision of the Office of the President. In filing his bill, Alvarez called the Road Board as “just another layer of bureaucracy, which became another avenue for graft and corruption.”

News ERC officials told to explain ‘lavish junkets’ OFFICIALS of the Energy Regulatory Commission were being asked to explain by Malacañang following complaints that they were allegedly receiving money to fund luxurious junkets abroad, a Palace official said Friday. In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that the Office of the Executive Secretary are currently conducting a probe on the “extravagant trips allegedly made by ERC officials, being presidential appointees,” after being slapped with graft, indirect bribery, and technical malversation before the Office of the Ombudsman. In a letter dated Aug. 18, deputy executive secretary for Legal Affairs Ryan Acosta asked ERC commissioners Alfredo Non, Gloria Victoria YapTaruc, Josefina Asirit, Geronimo Sta. Ana, and director Debora Anastacia Layugan to explain their alleged lavish trips abroad, giving them 10 days to comment on the accusations John Paolo Bencito

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Govt asked to explain budget cuts on DSWD By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ENATE President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto has warned officials to be ready with a good explanation why the proposed Department of Social Welfare and Development budget for feeding malnourished kids will be cut by P1 billion.

This developed even as Senator Grace Poe vowed to push for the ﬁnal approval of funding the government’s feeding program included in next year’s proposed P3.767trillion spending plan, as she said that the program was a form of a safety net for students suffering from malnutrition. Under next year’s national budget, Recto said the funding for the “supplementary feeding” program, which caters to undernourished 3 to 5 years old, will go down from the current P4.42 billion to

P3.42 billion. “Is it a case of budgetary indigestion? Is the DSWD having too much on its plate? Is it due to the failure of local governments to submit ﬁnancial reports? Whatever the reasons, for the sake of the children, let’s ﬁnd ways to improve budget absorption,” Recto said. The senator was referring to DSWD’s “seeming omnipresence in society, where one in four Filipinos, or 28.3 million, is a recipient of DSWD assistance, courtesy of its megabillion budget.”

One of its anchor projects, the feeding program, seeks to provide one nutritious meal a day for 120 days to 1.746 million 3 to 5 years old in poor communities. Such intervention, Recto said, is necessary at a time when malnutrition kills 95 children a day, or 35,000 a year in the Philippines, and when 1 in 4 children under the age of 5 is underweight, and 3 in 10 are stunted. Recto said he is optimistic that the Senate and the executive branch can explore ways on how to improve the implementation of this program “to include, for example, joint ventures with social action arms of corporations, aid agencies, and other nonproﬁts.” “It’s also difﬁcult on the part of the DSWD. It runs a big catering operation. Under its feeding program, they have to serve 209 million kiddie meals in a year,” Recto said. “If there are manpower

limitations, not only in this program but in others, then we should support DSWD in expanding its workforce. If the program is dragged down by complicated procurement rules, then let us liberalize them,” Recto said But to its credit, the Duterte administration will increase by nearly P1.4 billion the budget of the Department of Education for its “school feeding program,” or from P3.93 billion this year to P5.3 billion in 2018, Recto said. “If you combine the two, DepEd’s and DSWD’s, there’s a net increase of about P400 million. The combined outlay being P8.72 billion in 2018 compared to P8.36 billion this year,” Recto said. The First 1000 Days initiative, Recto said gives critical care in the ﬁrst 1,000 days of a child’s life, from the mother’s womb to the child’s second birthday. The government’s feeding program for children runs on

two parallel tracks: DSWD takes care of “severely wasted and underweight” children in daycares or neighborhood play groups, while the DepED is in charge of children ages 6 to 11 or those in Grades 1 to 6. Recto said the twin programs should not be bogged down by red tape. There should be no repeat of the 2015 debacle, Recto said, when DepED delayed the release of P1.4 billion out of last year’s P2.4 billion in school feeding funds, transferring it to the regions only in Nov. 13, or when 2015 was about to end. Meanwhile, Poe, a staunch advocate of free nutrimeals for students, said a total of P8.73 billion has been earmarked in 2018 to bankroll the feeding program that will cover all “severely wasted,” or those with chronic malnutrition, and “wasted” pupils in an effort to improve their nutritional

Ask funds for body cams, PNP urged

American fugitive nabbed in Leyte town AN AMERICAN wanted by federal authorities in Texas for murdering his stepfather seven years ago was nabbed by immigration agents in Abuyog, Leyte. Tipton Shea McMahon was arrested at his home in Barangay Balinsasayaw, Abuyog, Leyte by operatives from the bureau’s fugitive search unit, Immigration commissioner Jaime Morente said. Morente said the 30-yearold McMahon’s arrest was sought by the US embassy in Manila due to an arrest warrant that was issued against the latter by a US district court in Harris County, Texas. “His passport was already canceled by the US government, thus he will be deported for being an undocumented and undesirable alien,” the BI chief said. McMahon was charged with murder before the Texas court for allegedly stabbing to death his stepfather, Peter O’Shea, at the latter’s home in Cypress, Texas on Aug. 2, 2010. Police arrested the then 23-year-old McMahon after the incident. His mother told police that he saw his son holding a knife while standing above the lifeless body of the 52-year-old victim. Vito Barcelo

Dissolution of marriage bill Illegal—solon A PARTY-LIST lawmaker has tagged as ‘unconstitutional’ the proposed measure seeking to dissolve ‘unhappy’ marriages. Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said he is against House Bill 6027 on the Dissolution of Marriage. “I am against this because it is unconstitutional. Our Constitution defends the family and deﬁnes marriage as an inviolable institution that should be protected and enhanced, not dissolved. If this is passed into law, marriages can be dissolved faster than picking up your order at the ‘drive-thru’,” Atienza said. Atienza said likened the proposed measure to “instant divorce.” Atienza cited speciﬁc provisions in the 1987 Constitution which protect the family as the foundation of the nation. These include: Article 2, State Policies, Section 12 where the State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution; Article 15, The Family; Section 1, which states that the State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its total development; and Section 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State. Maricel V. Cruz

status at the end of 120 feeding days and increase classroom attendance and performance. The outlay, which is lower than last year’s P9.4 billion budget allocated for the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, consists of P5.3 billion under the DepEd and P3.43 billion under the DSWD. The senator, co-sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1279 or An Act Creating a National School Feeding Program to Combat Hunger and Undernutrition for all Basic Education Students, said she will also ask DSWD officials why it had slashed its budget for the feeding program by almost P1 billion—from last year’s P4.43 billion— when the Senate deliberates the proposed spending plan of the agency. DepEd, meanwhile, raised its budget this year, from P4.98 billion last year.

GOD’S CREATION. Pope Francis declared Sept. 1, as World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation. At the Malabon Zoo & Botanical Garden animals named ‘Tiger Economy’, ‘Cheesecake’ the Albino Phython, ‘Pacquiao’ the Orangutan are prayed over by Malabon Zoo owner Manny Tangco with Youth for Christ members from CFC-ANCO, together with Fr. Jeyeseelan. The group prayed for God’s help and protection, and asked for His forgiveness for destroying His creation. Andrew Rabulan

Road repairs in Caloocan, QC and Pasig City resume By Joel E. Zurbano THE Metro Manila Development Authority announced the resumption of road repair works on 11 main thoroughfares in the cities of Caloocan, Pasig and Quezon City beginning late Friday night until Monday morning. This came after the agency decided to allow the Department of Public Works and Highways-National Capital Region Ofﬁce to continue its re-blocking operation and other road repair projects in the three

cities. In its advisory, the MMDA public information ofﬁce said that DPWH-NCR will undertake road reblocking and repairs starting 11 p.m. Friday (Sept. 1) until Monday (Sept. 4), at the following areas: Quezon City, northbound lane of Carlos P. Garcia Avenue near Jacinto Street and between Velasquez and Alley; northbound lane of V. Luna Road from East Avenue to Kalayaan Avenue; northbound lane of Quirino Highway corner La Mesa Dam Road; southbound 2nd lane of Bonifacio Avenue between

Dome Street to Sgt. Rivera Street; southbound 2nd lane of Mindanao Avenue after Tandang Sora fronting Shell Gas Station; southbound 3rd lane of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue between Kaingin Road to Dario Bridge; southbound truck lane of E. Rodriguez Avenue after Greenmeadows Avenue, and southbound truck lane of E. Rodriguez Avenue after Boni Avenue Flyover. In Pasig City: southbound lane of Circumferential Road-5 (C-5 Road) near Julia Vargas Street, and northbound lane of Manila East Road

infront of SM East Ortigas and in Caloocan, northbound lane of Mac Arthur Highway near Monumento Circle. MMDA chairman Danilo Lim assured the public that all affected roads will be fully passable by 5 a.m. on Monday. He advised motorists to avoid the affected areas and use alternate routes instead. At present, the government is implementing a policy prohibiting diggings and other road works at daytime in a bid to further ease trafﬁc in Metro Manila. Under the policy, road repairs and rehabilitations on

major thoroughfares must be done by contractors around 10 p.m. to make sure that the road will be passable to motorists by 5 a.m. the next day. To do this, the government agencies will be requiring contractors to use quick dry cement on the road works to be able to meet the one-day curing period. Also under the new guidelines, the DPWH will be responsible in preparing the trafﬁc management plan of the road projects, and the plan will be reviewed by the MMDA.

Cotabato family of murder suspect seeks Du30’s help THE family of Jaime Masla, a 32-year-old mechanic, who was sentenced for murder last Christmas—eight months after he was invited by the Community Police Precinct in April for the killing of his friend, a variety store owner in P. Casal St., San Miguel, Manila, is seeking President Rodrigo Duterte’s help to intervene on his case. According to court records, Masla was sentenced weeks before Christmas Day in 2016, but the promulgation had been reset by the court twice, because his private counsel did not appear in all four court hearings— up until the day the court promulgated its decision. Transcription of the court proceeding indicated that the presiding judge had to appoint a “temporary counsel” for the accused in each of the four hearings that

the defense counsel had been absent. Masla’s family in Pikit, Cotabato had sent a letter asking for the President’s help that “true justice may prevail’ to their kin who, they believed, “was deprived of it.” Masla’s father, Tong Lu Masla, said the first lawyer paid by the family had instead let his son sign a waiver of his right to petition for state prosecutors’ review of the fiscal’s “determination of probable cause”—which according to lawyers they had talked with, is a right of any accused under the Revised Penal Code. Masla, who has yet to finish high school, told his family that he did not know the consequence of signing the document, on which his counsel and the fiscal also signed in concurrence. Nash B. Maulana

HANDOVER RITES. Unicef Philippines Representative Lotta Sylwander receives from Embassy of Japan Economic Minister Makoto Iyori a hygiene and dignity kit during the symbolic handover of Japan’s contribution to the Marawi emergency. The Government of Japan extended an $800,000 grant to Unicef to respond to the needs of children in health and nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene.

IF THE Philippine National Police was able to be given funds to buy 48 bomb-sniffing dogs at a cost of P511,672 each, Senate President Ralph Recto said the police should also request funds for the acquisition of body cams for policemen, to be drawn from a P5.6 billion police modernization fund in the 2017 national budget. He dismissed the PNP’s claims it has no budget to buy body- and car-mounted cameras this year. He noted the PNP had in fact received P1.9 billion from the Department of Budget and Management last Aug. 10 for the purchase of various equipment. The Special Allotment Release Order issued by the DBM for the procurement of P1.9 billion worth of machine guns, boats, motorcycles, anti-riot gear, body vests and “explosive detection dogs” identiﬁed the funding source as the Unprogrammed Appropriations of the General Appropriations Act for 2017. If the PNP share of the 2017 Unprogrammed Appropriations is P5.634 billion, then it leaves a balance of P3.732 billion, enough to buy a sizeable quantity of body cams and dashboard cameras for police cruisers, Recto said. Recto said the PNP should have included the cameras in the wish list it sent to the DBM in two letters dated July 13 and 24 this year. “By that time, there’s a clamor for body cams. I hope this will be included. But there are still remaining funds,” Recto said. In the SARO for P1,901,472,364 that it released to the PNP, the DBM authorized the procurement of 12 types of equipment. These are: 103 light transport vehicles at a cost of P132 million; 126 personnel carriers (P245.2 million), 323 motorcyles (P31 million); 138 rubber boats (P343.4 million); 320 5.56mm light machine guns (P200 million); and 231 7.62 mm light machine guns (P252.4 million). Also funded by the SARO are 2,248 waistcoat vests (P152.9 million); 11,245 undershirt “level 3-A” vests (P382.3 million); 160 sets of base radio (P88.5 million); 2 forklifts (P1.85 million); 1 lot of “civil disturbance management” equipment (P47.3 million). Recto noted that waistcoats and body vests to be procured will cover only 8 percent of the actual number of policemen. “Kailangan dagdagan pa. This should be made standard police gear.”

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Opinion

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Jovie is coming

HE Region 6 police ofﬁce does not believe Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido is qualiﬁed to become police director of either Iloilo City or the province. To head the unit, a police officer must have the rank of senior superintendent because Iloilo City is a highly urbanized city, said the spokesman of the regional police. Superintendent Gilbert Gorero, however, confirmed Espenido’s re-assignment to the region; only the position and its scope are unclear. President Rodrigo Duterte seems to trust the details would sort themselves out,

“Will he [Mabilog] live?” Duterte asked this week, alluding to Espenido’s reputation for seeing local executives allegedly involved in drugs killed under his watch. For his part, Mabilog has repeatedly denied involvement in drug activities and wondered aloud why his name kept surfacing on the list. He welcomes the assignment of Espenido to his province, he says, if only to belie those allegations. Already the crackdown seems to have begun as agents of the National Bureau of Investigation have visited Mabilog’s controver-

eventually. What is important to him is that his man Espenido, who used to be assigned to Albuera town in Leyte and to Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental, would now be in Iloilo. Mr. Duterte believes Iloilo is the province with the highest incidence of shabu; the capital’s mayor, Jed Mabilog, is also included in the list of politicians protecting the drug trade in their respective areas.

sial residence, described by the President as a palace, even as Mabilog insists he was a successful businessman before entering politics. Rank issues notwithstanding, Espenido now has his papers saying he is the officer in charge of the police office, on the strength of a presidential directive. How will the fight against drugs be carried out, we wonder, despite Mabilog’s protestations and despite his supporters’ claim that he is being unfairly targeted by the administration. We wish Espenido well— but not in the way the Presi-

dent, or the police force, are accustomed to. Death and violence are never indicators of success, just desperation. Success will be measured in the eradication of the drug menace, not in the number of bodies. We do not wish a bloody confrontation or a gruesome death on anyone: not on a powerful local official, not on a hapless drug suspect in a depressed area. In an ideal world, despite Duterte and despite Espenido, Mabilog will live: Either to clear his name if he is truly innocent, or to pay for his crimes in jail if he is guilty. HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

The Lim, Faeldon and Trillanes troika

Saying goodbye: For Charles and Fritzie POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO THIS is a sad piece to write. How does one prepare for the loss of good friends? One cannot. I just learned of a friend’s passing while I am out of town and writing this. Fritzie Siapno, a friend from, and schoolmate for my entire high school years has been suffering from cancer for about two years now. Lately, however, everyone noticed that her condition has deteriorated significantly, and fast. She was in a lot of pain because the cancer has spread to her other organs. We thought that it was just a matter of time and we were correct. She has left us. This comes at the heels of losing another good friend, Charles Belgica two weeks earlier. Charles’ case was a big

shock to us. I saw him just a little over two months ago at the wake of one of our dear teachers, sir Butch Caldez. He said he was feeling a bit unwell but promptly dismissed it as nothing serious. No one, even his closest pals knew he was seriously ill. Charlie was a good friend and a classmate for four years in high school. He was one of the brightest and most silent. I received a call from another friend saying that Charles was also diagnosed with cancer and the doctor has immediately ordered for him to undergo chemotherapy but he refused. We planned on giving him a surprise birthday party the following Monday to cheer him up a bit. Sadly, I received another call during the weekend informing me of his demise. So on his birthday, we instead went to his wake. Fritzie and Charles were very different in many respects but they were both very good people. Fritz had

a happy and kind disposition. She was always smiling. She seemed always optimistic. She was a devout Catholic and was active in her parish’ activities. She never married and was the breadwinner of the family. We knew that

We must make every day count.

hers was not a comfortable life but despite the difficulties, she never complained. Fritz was also active in our alumni group and would contribute whatever she could to help. When I visited her in the hospital after her mastectomy, she was still in pain but was

all smiles like she was happy. Fritz fought the cancer valiantly despite economic difficulties. Charles, on the other hand, had a quiet, reassuring, and calming presence. The thought that he was around was comforting because we knew that there would be a sane voice amidst whatever crazy thing the group was discussing, even arguing about. If Fritzie was religious, Charles was always just. Even in times when he was emotionally invested in an issue, he could always be relied upon to give opinions based on careful, thorough, and objective consideration of things. Charles was in a better economic situation than Fritz but he never forgot where he came from. He stayed connected, did things for our alumni association and alma mater, even at times when there was just a handful of them. He looked back, and gave back much more than many of us did and

do. Both of them left too soon, but I will remember what fine persons they were. They say that as one grows older, one looks back more often. We reminisce the good and happy times of our youth. We sing the songs of our generation with longing. We laugh at old jokes and stories we shared with others. We go back to places we have been. We reconnect with friends and people who made a mark in our journey called life. We make amends with those we wronged, or hurt. We remember the loves we had and lost with fondness, and spend time with those we love now. At this point, the news we hear about people we know are rarely about getting hitched, or having a new baby. Often, it is about sickness and death, and visits to hospitals and funerals are getting more frequent. Charles’ and Fritzie’s demise saddens me and others

in our group. We have lost two good friends. The only consolation is that now, pain cannot reach them anymore. Friends passing remind me that indeed, this life is but a dot in the infiniteness of time. We have to live it well. We have to give it a deeper meaning. Each day we live is a day less from the rest of our life, and we must make it count. Like Charles and Fritzie, we will all pass. There is no question about this. But unlike these friends of mine, you and I have more time to do things we have been wanting to do, to see places we have always intended on visiting, to rekindle friendships and relationships, and to make a difference in other people’s lives. For now, I say goodbye to you my friends. Rest well and in peace. bethangsioco@gmail.com @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

IN JULY 2003, several disgruntled officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines led by Danilo Lim, Nicanor Faeldon and Antonio Trillanes IV staged a mutiny against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. When their plan failed, they laid siege to the Oakwood premiere apartments at the heart of the commercial arcades of Makati. They were eventually arrested and charged with rebellion and related offenses. President Arroyo was already quite unpopular back then on account of the “Hello, Garci” scandal where Arroyo is said to have asked help from the Commission on Elections to ensure her re-election bid in the May 2004 presidential elections against Philippine box-office king Fernando Poe Jr.. Although Arroyo apologized on television for the incident, her credibility was seriously tarnished. Political observers suggest that the specter of having then Vice President Noli de Castro succeed Arroyo as president was enough to discourage any attempt to oust her from office by legal or extra-legal means. Anyway, Trillanes still benefited from Arroyo’s unpopularity. In May 2010, he was elected to the Senate because of his anti-Arroyo stance. Despite his win, Trillanes remained in the military stockade by reason of the mutiny raps against him. In November 2007, the Lim-Faeldon-Trillanes threesome walked out of their court hearing in Makati, claiming that there was no justice under the Arroyo government. Seeing the crowd that had gathered to watch them as they left the courthouse, the troika decided to march on to the commercial district in the city. Their publicized march ended at the Manila Peninsula, a posh hotel about a kilometer away from Oakwood. They were joined by their fellow mutineers in holing up at the hotel. Their march and their decision to hole up at the hotel were enough reasons for the military establishment to suspect a repeat of the Oakwood coup attempt. Several hours Turn to A5

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Opinion Taiwan, a valuable partner for SDGs—True Universality

NEW York is one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. As with visitors from other countries, those from Taiwan love to experience first-hand the city’s famous attractions—the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and, of course, the very nerve center of global affairs: the Headquarters of the United Nations. These landmarks—the latter in particular—are symbols of equality, diversity and freedom. Regrettably, the brilliant luster of these ideals has become tarnished of late as more and more visitors from Taiwan find themselves being turned away from the UN grounds, discriminated against simply because of their country of origin. The UN is about people, yet the universality of human rights that the UN proclaims does not extend to Taiwan and its 23 million people. This mistreatment dates back to 1971, when our government lost its representation in the organization—and in the intervening decades, Taiwan has met with challenges and isolation with respect to its international situation. Nevertheless, this adversity has propelled us forward and we have never retreated, for we believe very strongly that those who follow the path of virtue can never truly be alone. While traveling the world to carry out my duties as minister of foreign affairs, I have always marveled at how Taiwan’s experience in such areas as environmental protection, public health and medicine, agriculture, education and ICT has helped our partners develop and grow. We are committed to continuing our interaction and cooperation with our friends and partners, and to maintaining global peace, security and prosperity through mutually beneficial collaboration. Despite Taiwan’s efforts and the recognition they have earned, despite the need for universality, and despite the repeated pledge to leave no one behind, the UN seems content to leave the 23 million people of Taiwan behind. In May of this year, Taiwan was refused attendance at the 70th WHA, despite having participated as an observer over the previous eight consecutive years. Rejecting Taiwan—which has invested over US$6 billion in international medical and humanitarian aid efforts since 1996, benefiting millions of people worldwide— runs counter to common sense, and creates a blind spot in the World Health Organization’s operations, just like the one that cost lives during the 2003 SARS epidemic. This unjust treatment, however, has not and will never deter Taiwan from carrying out its duties both to its people and to the international community. As the world’s 18th largest trading and 11th freest economy, Taiwan has brought its laws and regulations into line with the UN’s human rights conventions, and in terms of living up to democratic values, Taiwan has worked as hard as any country—and perhaps harder than most—to advance equality. The Taiwanese people elected their country’s first female president in 2016, and 38 percent of their lawmakers are women. Taiwan is also home to a vibrant civil society whose civic organizations constantly reach out to the world. And whenever disasters strike, rescue workers from Taiwan’s nongovernmental organizations are right there on the ground, providing assistance, with their devotion and professionalism clear for all to see. Taiwan is currently working on its first Voluntary National Review, which will document many of its concrete achievements regarding the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In terms of public health and medicine, for example, in recent years Taiwan has worked alongside a host of other countries to fight such infectious diseases as MERS, Ebola and Zika. Taiwan has also been promoting a green economy and green energy, aiming to raise the proportion of renewable energy generated for the country’s power supply to 20 percent—five times the current level—by 2025, while also aiming to lower carbon emissions to at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2050. Holders of ROC passports enjoy visa-free travel or other forms of travel convenience to 165 countries and territories, which speaks to the respect that Taiwan’s tourists, businesspeople and academics have earned worldwide. Yet, they are unable to take even a single step inside the Headquarters of the UN. For years, representatives from Taiwan’s many nongovernmental organizations involved in indigenous, labor, environmental and women’s rights have been barred from attending meetings and conferences held at the UN’s New York headquarters and at the Palais des Nations in Geneva simply because they hail from Taiwan. Similarly, to the outrage of the international press community, Taiwanese journalists are not allowed to cover UN meetings in person. These discriminatory measures put in place by UN bureaucrats—targeted specifically against the people of Taiwan—are inappropriately justified by the invocation and misuse of 1971’s General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI). It is important to remember that, while it seated the People’s Republic of China in the UN, this resolution did not address the issue of representation of Taiwan and its people in the organization; much less did it give the PRC the right to represent the people of Taiwan. It is important to stress the political reality here, which is that the PRC does not now, nor has it ever, held jurisdiction over Taiwan. Indeed, as evidenced by the aforementioned ban on Taiwanese inside the UN headquarters, the PRC exerts far more influence on the UN than it does on Taiwan. The preamble of the UN Charter speaks powerfully of the organization’s mission to “reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.” The government and people of Taiwan strongly believe that their involvement, especially when the UN is calling for the universal implementation of the SDGs, would be to the benefit of all. The absence of Taiwan, on the other hand, will only continue to cripple the effectiveness of this global effort. Taiwan can do much to help the world build a more sustainable future. The people of Taiwan need the international community to support our aspirations and our right to fair treatment by the UN. At the very least, stop turning us away at the door. The author is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The Lim,... From A4

after the troika and their supporters decided to take over the hotel, the military forcibly entered the hotel premises and arrested the rebels, including media personalities who were suspected of involvement in the mutiny. Upon their arrest, Lim and Trillanes were thrown back to the military stockade. Faeldon, however, managed to escape. Lim ran for a Senate seat as a guest candidate under the Liberal Party in the May 2010 national elections. He was finally released from military custody after he conceded defeat. Later

that year, Trillanes was also released from military detention, this time with the blessings of the new AFP commander-inchief, Benigno Aquino III, the LP bet who won the 2010 presidential race. Lim’s ties with the LP got him the post Bureau of Customs chief under President Aquino III, a post Lim held until July 2013 when he resigned in the wake of alleged corruption in the bureau. In May 2017, Lim joined the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte as chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, succeeding Thomas Orbos. It turned out that the MMDA under Lim is as inef-

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Magsaysay Awardees and a better Asia

By David Tawei Lee, Ph. D. “As we embark on this great collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind”—Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

RAMON del Fierro Magsaysay was an outstanding leader of his time. A simple and humble person, he rose to become President of the Philippines in 1953. Unfortunately, he did not finish his term, perishing in a plane crash on March 17, 1957. The people of the Philippines, and many others in the world, mourned Magsaysay’s passing. As described in the website of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation (RMAF): “The world is richer and better because Ramon Magsaysay lived. His spirit will continue to be an inspiration. He exemplifies the highest type of leadership.” To remember this great leader, the Ramon Magsaysay Awards were launched immediately after his death. The first awardees in 1958 were Robert McCulloch Dick, an American publisher who, through the Philippines Free Press, paved the way for press freedom in the country; Mochtar Lubis, Indonesian journalist; Operation Brotherhood, a Philippine organization that helped Vietnamese refugees; and Mary Rutna, medical doctor for her work in Sri Lanka. Sixty years later, these awards have become Asia’s premier prize and highest honor, celebrating greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia. Over three hundred outstanding men, women and organizations have been recognized for their “selfless service has offered their societies, Asia, and the world successful solutions to some of the most intractable problems of human development.” The most well-known of the Magsaysay awardees are probably Yunnus Muhammad, Nobel Prize awardee for his work on micro credit, Mother Teresa

who has been canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church, the Dalai Lama. Other wellknown personalities in Asia that have been recognized are Mahesh Chandeer Mehta, the great Indian environmental lawyer, eminent agricultural scientist Moncompu Sambasivan Swaminathan, the musician Ravi Shankar, and the Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa. Well-known Filipinos that have been conferred the awards include Inquirer publisher Eugenia Apostol, Senator Jovito Salonga, President Corazon Aquino, movie director Lino Brocka, TV personality Rosa Rosal, authors Nick Joaquin, Bienvenido Lumbera, and Francisco Sionil Jose, businessman Washington Sycip, and violinist Gilopez Kabayao. Former Magsaysay awardees include people I know personally such as: good governance icon and human rights champion Haydee Yorac; Jesse Robredo, when he was mayor of Naga City; Miriam Defensor Santiago, when she was a young Judge; Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales; former Chief Justice Hilario Davide; Alfredo Bengzon, for his work as Secretary of Health of the Cory Aquino administration; former Governor and Comelec Commissioner Grace Padaca; Indonesian environmental activist Ambrosius Ruwindrijarto; pioneering environmental lawyer Tony Oposa; Gawad Kalinga founder Tony Meloto, indigenous peoples rights’ advocate Benjamin Abadiano, journalist Sheila Coronel; and theatre artist Cecile Guidote Alvarez. I am happy that several Ashoka fellows have been recognized by the Magsaysay Awards, including Tri Mumpuni from Indonesia, Mahabir Pun from Nepal, and Anshu Gupta, Arvind Kerjiwal, Harish Hande, Bedzwada Wilson, and Saurav Ghosh from India.

With colleague Terri Jayme More, I brought the Ashoka Fellowship to the Philippines and I am confident that our Philippine fellows will one day also be Magsayay awardees. The Magsaysay Awards is also known for giving attention to the margins. My favorite awardees include Fr. Joaquin Villalonga SJ, conferred the award for his work with lepers in Culion Island, Bohol-based science educators Christopher and Victoria Bernido, and Bishop Antonio Fortich who fought for the poor in Negros Island. Finally, as it did at its inception with its recognition of Operation Brotherhood, organizations have also been honored by the Magsaysay Awards. These include: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Radio Veritas, Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc. (AIDFI), Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI), Gawad Kalinga Community Development Foundation, Asian Institute of Management, Asian Institute of Technology, International Institute for Rural Reconstruction, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB), International Rice Research Institute, and the Bayanihan Folk Arts Center. Last Thursday, Aug. 31, the birth anniversary of the late president, six individuals and organizations were honored and conferred the 2017 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. The awardees this year are: Yoshiaki Ishizawa, from Japan, recognized for “his selfless, steadfast service to the Cambodian people, his inspiring leadership in empowering Cambodians to be proud stewards of their heritage, and his wisdom in reminding us all that cultural monuments like the Angkor Wat are shared treasures whose preservation

is thus, also our shared global responsibility.” Lilia de Lima, from the Philippines, given the award recognized for “her unstinting, sustained leadership in building a credible and efficient PEZA, proving that the honest, competent and dedicated work of public servants can, indeed, redound to real economic benefits to millions of Filipinos.” I know personally of de Lima’s work having vetted her, as chair of the Government Service subcommittee of the Honors and Awards Committee of the Ateneo de Manila University. We also honored her for her work in PEZA in 2011. Abdon Nababan, from Indonesia, awarded for “his brave, self-sacrificing advocacy to give voice and face to his country’s IP communities, his principled, relentless, yet pragmatic leadership of the world’s largest IP rights movement, and the far-reaching impact of his work on the lives of millions of Indonesians.” Abdon is a friend of many years as we have worked together on indigenous people’s rights issues in global biodiversity and climate processes. I have also collaborated with colleageus from Aman for decades. Philippine Educational Theater Association, from the Philippines, honored for “their bold, collective contributions in shaping the theater arts as a force for social change, its impassioned, unwavering work in empowering communities in the Philippines, and the shining example it has set as one of the leading organizations of its kind in Asia.” I have watched PETA plays for 40 years. We are definitely a better country because of this organization Gethsie Shanmugam, from Sri Lanka, granted the award for “her compassion and courage in working under extreme conditions to rebuild war-scarred lives, her tireless efforts over four decades in

building Sri Lanka’s capacity for psychosocial support, and her deep, inspiring humanity in caring for women and children, war’s most vulnerable victims.” I have traveled extensively to Sri Lanka for work I did with the Asian Development Bank and I am aware the acute need for Gethsie’s work. Tony Tay, from Singapore, conferred the award “his quiet, abiding dedication to a simple act of kindness—sharing food with others—and his inspiring influence in enlarging this simple kindness into a collective, inclusive, vibrant volunteer movement that is nurturing the lives of many in Singapore.” A kinder, gentler Lion city has been enable by Tony and it is great to see that recognized. As explained by RMAF president Carmencita Abella, herself a visionary, when this year’s awardees were announced, “The Ramon Magsaysay Awardees of 2017 are all transforming their societies through their manifest commitment to the larger good. Each one has addressed real and complex issues, taking bold and innovative action that has engaged others to do likewise. The results of their leadership are palpable, generating both individual efficacy and collective hope.” Abella also pointed out: “All are unafraid to take on large causes. All have refused to give up, despite meager resources, daunting adversity and strong opposition. Their approaches are all deeply anchored on a respect for human dignity, and a faith in the power of collective endeavor. We have much to learn from the 2017 Magsaysay awardees, and much to celebrate about their greatness of spirit.” Indeed. We are a greater continent, a better Asia, because of the Magsaysay Awardees. Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

Failing to understand our national interest THE opposition to this day has stuck to the belief that the Philippines remains a banana republic. With the support of Uncle Sam, they persist they could easily wrest political power by mouthing the same ideological lines about the immutability of freedom, democracy and human rights. The yellow opposition mostly, made up of the oligarchy and their indivisible confederate ultra conservative Catholic Church, have consistently propped up these values to maintain their power and influence. The case of the Philippines is most unusual. As the system of oppression continues to evolve beginning with colonialism, later to imperialism and today through a sophisticated system of globalization, the so-called guardians of our destiny have managed to implant an intricate network of political and economic values to perpetuate their dominion made visible by the same economic inequality and discrimination. The local tyrants represented by the Liberal Party and the demagoguery of their yellow hucksters have produced mutated values which represent the interest of their foreign patron. They have made themselves the worthy successors of the Pax Americana.

These local guardians do not exactly advocate the return of the imperialist power to physically subjugate us. Rather, they insist in continuing the system that institutionalizes oppression by indoctrinating our people to accept certain moral values as inherently ours. This is differentiated by the values and perception adhered to by the majority whom they cast as belonging to the fringe of society. While the oligarchy and their accomplices consider their apparatus of oppression as equivalent to safeguarding our national interest, there is always resistance because the people see things differently. The ordinary man feels it has no relevance to their day-today struggle to economically improve their lot. This is the same method in what political writer Stanley Karnow’s term “of creating Filipinos in the American image.” Our unequivocal absorption of the American values resulted in our inability to distinguish what constitutes our interest from that of the US. Most debilitating, our absorption of alien values are openly accepted as good for our moral upbringing and beneficial to our interest. Because our economic, political and even social values and perception have been totally recast by the Americans, our belief of them as superior and infallible remains deeply ingrained in the minds of most Filipinos. Even our analysis of events

remained stuck to the Cold War era that as people we could not distinguish our national interest from that of the US. We take the interest of the US as equivalent to ours due to the fact that we have a hazy understanding of sovereignty. This is the biggest drawback to our sense of patriotism. Nobody can ably call himself a nationalist or patriot if he does not know what sovereignty is all about, and what constitutes our national interest where we are obligated to protect it at all cost. Because our moral values have been mutilated to a point that they have lost much of its intrinsic value, we cannot now move to a higher level where we could clearly point that our national interest as constitutive of our sovereignty as an independent state and the reason why we have to defend the Motherland. This explains why many Filipinos positively react when other countries call us a “banana republic.” This happened because many of them consider our pathetic status as bliss for being under the benevolent tutelage of Uncle Sam and for securing us under its protective wings. They argue that by being a “banana republic”, we managed to maintain our independence, and had it not for the US we would have long been gobbled up by Russian and China. Yet, we could not understand why many countries have successfully overtaken us in the quest for development and progress.

Despite the mangy economy that we have, many of us console ourselves that we remain much better than the rest. They always have other reasons why we remain the backwater of Asia. They readily blame corruption as to why the country has not managed to economically take off. The US, through Rappler and CNN, are quick to point this out. To give the yellow animals their elixir, they would always recall the so-called “martyrdom of Ninoy Aquino.” It’s hilarious much that we celebrate August 21 to remember the day he was slain, and on August 30 as our National Heroes Day. But setting aside our political bickering, we should first pursue the case beyond the fact about Ninoy’s murder. The people can never be obligated to commemorate the murder of a man when his own wife and son, who by twist of fate became President, both refused to have a through investigation of his assassination. It is only by identifying who killed him could we analyze the motive, and lay down the basis for our idolatry of him. Likewise, the yellow opposition are using the drug war campaign of President Duterte to castigate him on the issue of extrajudicial killings. Yet, the same people who want us to idolize Ninoy refused to solve the case. In the same breath, the hypocrites remain silent on how the US has been using the is-

sue of drugs to intervene in Columbia, in extraditing suspects in Mexico and in Panama like what they did in kidnapping President Antonio Noriega. This has become their main political weapon to wrest political power carried out through false propaganda to erode faith on the government. In fact, the nononsense dealing of known drug lords has catalyzed the sheer hypocrisy of the opposition and the clerics of the need to suppress drug addiction and the consequential spread of criminality related to drugs over than of upholding human rights. However, they remain extra careful not to deal on the real and tangible issues of poverty, hunger, unemployment and the huge economic disparity in our society for it might cross the ideological line defined by the neoliberals. Upholding the concept of abstract freedom and democracy remains the focal point of their ideology, and would never allow it to be substituted or much more diluted by the cry that would give our people greater economic opportunities. Our failure to understand this delineation is the same as in our failure to understand what constitutes our interest as a nation, what made us to believe we are Filipinos, and why we have to die for our country, which in its absence made us an overripe banana republic.

ficient as it was under Orbos. Lim has not done anything about the thousands of reckless motorcycle drivers who occupy any part of the road they please, without regard for other motorists, and without any concern for public safety or the smooth flow of traffic. They also belch a lot of smoke, thus adding to the air pollution problem in the metropolis. Lim has not done anything to solve the bottleneck of vehicles along the northbound lane of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue under the Edsa-Camp Crame flyover. Instead of directing these vehicles to the rightmost lane of Edsa where vehicles going

under the flyover properly belong, Lim continues to allow these vehicles to use the narrow alley between the northbound and southbound lanes of Edsa. Consequently, vehicles accumulate in the area, blocking traffic as far back as Edsa-Shaw Boulevard. The northbound lane gets clear and wide only after this intersection. Further, Lim has failed to rid the sidewalks of parked vehicles which force pedestrians to use up part of the roadway, thus reducing the already limited road space for motorists. His MMDA traffic enforcers are visible only during the daylight hours. They are gone at night, probably because there

are no more motorists who could be coerced into paying bribe money for violating the number-coding ban (which ends at 7 in the evening), or for breaching the prohibition against using mobile phones (which is difficult to ascertain from the outside of a vehicle in the absence of sunlight). Faeldon joined the Duterte government as its customs chief in June 2016. Last month, Faeldon made it to the newspaper headlines when he was accused of involvement in an illegal narcotics shipment worth P6-billion. Reacting to the adverse publicity, Faeldon revealed that in the past, Senator Panfilo Lacson himself was involved in drug smug-

gling. Why Faeldon did not stop the alleged illegal shipment he attributed to Lacson, and why his revelation came out only now, is not explained by Faeldon. Grateful to President Aquino III who released him from detention back in 2010, Trillanes has been a rabid supporter of Aquino III. Trillanes won reelection to the Senate in 2013, but he has not accomplished anything of sterling significance during his incumbency. In 2015, it was revealed that he hired more than 50 consultants, far beyond the budgetary allocations allowed by law for that purpose. He also admitted employing his own brother at

public expense. The current object of Trillanes’ animosity is President Duterte. During the presidential campaign, Trillanes alleged that Duterte had secret bank accounts, but his accusation got him nowhere. Credible witnesses Trillanes said will testify against Duterte have yet to show up in the Senate. Trillanes lost in the vice presidential derby last May 2016. Observers say that since Trillanes had no presidential running mate, and no senatorial line-up, the Comelec should have disqualified Trillanes for being a nuisance candidate. Apparently, his incumbency as a senator prevented that.

BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN

rpkapunan@gmail.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Mumbai building collapse toll now 33

World

Suicide watch starts as schools reopen T

OKYO―As Japan’s schools reopened Friday after the summer holidays, a day when suicides among young people spike, celebrities reached out to at-risk children and one Tokyo zoo offered refuge to nervous pupils in a bid to tackle the mental health crisis.

MUMBAI―The death toll from a building collapse in India’s commercial capital Mumbai jumped to 33 Friday as activists decried the latest deadly housing tragedy to strike the crowded metropolis. Rescuers pulled more than a dozen bodies from the rubble overnight and were still picking through debris Friday morning in the hope of ﬁnding more survivors, over 24 hours after the disaster. Ofﬁcials said 22 men, eight women and three children died when the residential building gave way on Thursday morning in the densely populated area of Bhendi Bazaar following heavy rain. The 117-year-old building had been declared unsafe and was due to be demolished as part of a redevelopment project that is transforming Bhendi Bazaar, a scruffy colonial-era market that is one of Mumbai’s most historic districts. “Overnight we pulled out 15 bodies, taking the total death count to 33,” Tanaji Kamble, a disaster management spokesman for Mumbai’s civic authority, told AFP. The dead included a 12-year-old boy and two girls aged 11 and 14, he added. Twelve other people were being treated for injuries at a local hospital, Kamble said. AFP

For some children, the thought of returning to school sends their stress levels soaring, as they battle fears ranging from schoolyard bullies to doing poorly on the exams. “Going back to school creates anxiety,” said Kuniyasu Hiraiwa, representative director of AfterSchool, a non-profit group that helps parents detect early warning signs in kids. Japan―which places a high emphasis on academic success―has the highest suicide rate among the Group of Seven industrialized nations, with more than 20,000 people taking their own lives annually. While the overall suicide rate has been falling since it peaked in 2003, that is not the case among young adults starting their first jobs or schoolchildren. Some 500 Japanese under 20 years of age kill themselves each year. The teen suicide rate on September 1 tends to be around three times higher than any other day of the year. This week, popular actress Shoko Nakagawa posted the message “Never die. Live” on Twitter, while public broadcaster NHK created the hashtag “On the night of August 31st” to draw attention to the problem. Singer YuYu Horun, who said he tried to kill himself in primary school, now reaches out to adolescents who feel alienated at home. “I receive daily emails or letters from teenagers who express the urge to kill themselves or have already made attempts,” he said. “Many children do not feel love from parents who often do not give it because they did not get it themselves. In many families, communication is insufficient. Some libraries are urging frightened children kids to take refuge behind their doors, while Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo said at-risk students should be allowed to skip the first day of school. Tweeting a picture of its tapirs, the zoo said scared kids can run away without asking for permission―just like the animals when they are confronted with danger. “If there’s no place to escape, come to the zoo,” it tweeted. Authorities have ramped up their vigilance, urging schools to be alert for danger signs among students, while the government set up a 24-hour telephone counseling service that children or their parents can call for assistance. AFP

Rescuers scour Texas for victims of ‘Harvey’ ORANGE-One week after monster storm Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast, rescue workers on Friday were scouring storm-ravaged southeast Texas for victims trapped in their flooded homes, even as some towns finally found slight relief as the waters receded. Emergency workers were staging dramatic rescues by air and water in Texas towns that were until now cut off by raging floodwaters unleashed by “Harvey,” which finally began moving inland after crashing into the region as a Category Four hurricane last Friday. Thousands of rescuers and civilians eager to help battled difficult conditions to reach victims of the unprecedented flooding. “We felt we’d be alright. We were wrong,” said Lonnie Givens, who refused to evacuate their one-story home in the town of Orange. Now, he and wife Missy have about four inches (10 centimeters) of water in the house and no power. “We really got nowhere to go,” Givens said. AFP

N. Korea travel ban comes into force

WATERLOGGED TEXAS. Cars drive through a flooded street in Nome, Texas , some 20 miles away from Beaumont, Texas.

Deadly storm tells tale of two cities in ostentatious Macau MACAU―When Typhoon Hato swept into Macau it exposed a very different side to a city best-known for its ostentatious casinos and wealthy high rollers. Images of people desperately trying to cope with shoulder-high ﬂood waters, torn up roads and smashed buildings gave a window into the lives of the ordinary citizens of Macau, a world away from the chandeliered gambling halls. The storm last week left 10 people dead and businesses and homes washed out in the territory’s worst typhoon for over 50 years, sparking

criticism from some residents who said authorities had failed to protect them. A corruption probe is now looking into whether the enclave’s weather bureau failed to raise severe storm warning signals for fear of damaging the casino trade. Macau is listed by Global Finance Magazine as the world’s third-richest territory, based on data from the International Monetary Fund. But between eight and 10 percent of the local population―around 50,000 people―live in poverty, says global charity Caritas.

Those who were already struggling in the city say they are now worse off after Hato. Wong Siu-yee is thankful her family escaped unhurt, but the loss of the family motorbike and car, which were washed away, left her with a bill of MOP$200,000 ($24,800). It is another setback for Wong who relies on her eldest son’s salary and charity donations to supplement her monthly wage of between MOP$1,000 ($124) and $5,000 ($620), which she earns working part-time as a cleaner and caterer. “We hustle for our two meals each

day...it’s hard when you are a single mother,” said Wong, in her late 40s. Since the storm, anxious Wong rations the family’s diet of canned foods and cheap dried-out vegetables even more carefully as she lives in fear of another typhoon. “Maybe this disaster is a warning for Macau to plan its city better,” she told AFP. Paul Pun, who heads the Macau branch of Caritas, says while the local government has strengthened its poverty relief efforts in recent years― including setting up food banks―the wealth gap remains too wide. AFP

SEOUL―Washington’s ban on US citizens traveling to North Korea came into force on Friday, with the two countries at loggerheads over Pyongyang’s weapons ambitions. The measure was imposed following the death of student Otto Warmbier in June, a few days after the 22-year-old was sent home in a mysterious coma following more than a year in prison in the North. He had been convicted of offenses against the state for trying to steal a propaganda poster from a Pyongyang hotel and sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor, with President Donald Trump blaming Pyongyang’s “brutal regime” for his plight. On its website the State Department said it took the decision due to “the serious and mounting risk of arrest and long-term detention of US citizens”. Three Americans accused of various crimes against the state are behind bars in the North, which is engaged in a tense standoff with the Trump administration over its banned missile and nuclear weapons programs. Earlier this week Pyongyang launched a missile over Japan, in a major escalation, and it has threatened to fire rockets towards the US Pacific territory of Guam. In July it carried out its first two successful tests of an intercontinental-range missile, apparently bringing much of the US mainland into range. AFP

Putin warns of conflict over N. Korea MOSCOW―Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Friday of a “major conflict” looming on the Korean Peninsula, calling for talks to alleviate the crisis after Pyongyang fired a missile over Japan this week. “The problems in the region will only be solved via direct dialogue between all concerned parties, without preconditions,” Putin said. “Threats, pressure and insulting and militant rhetoric are a dead end,” a statement from his office said, adding that heaping additional pressure on North Korea in a bid to curb its nuclear program was “wrong and futile.” Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after a series of missile tests by Pyongyang.

Early on Tuesday, the reclusive state fired an intermediate-range Hwasong-12 over Japan, prompting US President Donald Trump to insist that “all options” were on the table in an implied threat of preemptive military action. The UN Security Council denounced North Korea’s latest missile test, unanimously demanding that Pyongyang halt the program. US heavy bombers and stealth jet fighters took part in a joint live fire drill in South Korea on Thursday, intended as a show of force against the North, Seoul said. Putin said he feared the peninsula was “on the verge of a major conflict” and called for all sides to sign up to a mediation program drawn up by Moscow and Beijing. AFP

Bollywood tackles erectile dysfunction

VISIT. Iraqis visit the graves of loved ones at the Wadi al-Salam cemetary in Najaf on the ﬁrst day of the Eid al-Adha holiday. AFP

MUMBAI―Virile male heroes have long been a feature of Bollywood films, but a new movie that hits the screens Friday tackles a rarely talked about issue in patriarchal India― erectile dysfunction. “Shubh Mangal Saavdhan” is the latest Hindi-language movie to centre on serious health subjects not normally associated with the glamour of the industry’s flashy song and dance routines. A film released last month spotlighted India’s chronic lack of toilets, while a coming movie tells the story of a man who invents a machine that produces cheap sanitary towels.

Analysts say they are part of a trend making male protagonists appear more human, in contrast to older Bollywood films where it was common for ultra-macho men to punch rivals through brick walls during elaborate fight scenes. “Shubh Mangal Saavdhan” director R.S Prasanna said he wanted to use the taboo subject of impotence to tackle wider issues of patriarchy and conservative values that dominate Indian society. “I was interested in making a wedding film in which the love story happens in an arranged marriage,” Prasanna told AFP. AFP

Sports Centro Escolar, La Salle begin title bids CENTRO Escolar University, eyeing a seventh straight seniors’ basketball title, takes on newcomer University of Makati as the 48th Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association unfolds today at Philsports Arena in Pasig. CEU and UMAK clash at 3 p.m. after the 12 noon junior game between host Poveda and Saint Jude and the 1:30 p.m. midgets match pitting seven-time titlist DLSZ and St. Paul College Pasig. Poveda, a tournament host for the first time, will lead 15 other schools in the opening ceremony which starts 10 a.m. The CEU Lady Scorpions likewise ruled taekwondo, table tennis, badminton, swimming and cheerleading last season to bag the 47th season seniors overall crown. The DLSZ Green Archers were overall midgets (3 titles) and juniors (5 titles) winners. Poveda is the defending midgets’ cheerdance champion. UMAK will see action in all senior sports--badminton, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, futsal, swimming, taekwondo and table tennis, according to athletic director Dominador Lera, Jr. Cheerdance (midgets’ division only) and softball (juniors’ only) and demonstration sports poomsae and mini cheerdance (for Preparatory to third grade students) are also on tap this season. Volleyball defending champion San Beda College Alabang kicks off its bid this Sunday against Philippine Women’s University at 2 p.m. at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, venue of majority of the games. Futsal competition at University of Asia and the Pacific gym starts on Sept. 10. Succeeding basketball games will be held at the gyms of Assumption College, Poveda, DLSZ and St. Scholastica’s College. Other member schools are Angelicum College, Chiang Kai Shek College, La Salle College Antipolo, Miriam College and St. Stephen’s High School.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Manila cockers’ operations legal

ONTRARY to the news reports that have been circulating in various media, the Manila Cockers Club Inc. operations are legal and valid, according to Daniel Victor Lazatin, Executive Vice President of MCCI.

Lazatin emphasized that MCCI and its off-cockpit betting stations (OCBS) have the necessary permits from the appropriate local government units for the operation of the cockpit in the Municipality of Carmona and its OCBS in different cities in Metro Manila, which includes Quezon City. All the OCBS that have the events of MCCI and where gamers are allowed to participate, have obtained the necessary business permits from the corresponding Business Permits Licensing Offices of

these cities. Before an OCBS can get business permit, it is required that they obtain a barangay clearance where the OCBS is located. These requirements are in compliance with the directives of the Games and Amusements Board as provided for in its decision dated April 10, 2017, which unanimously upheld the legality of the operations of the Manila Cockers Club and its Off-cockpit Betting Stations. The GAB ruled that Manila Cockers was granted a franchise by the Municipality

of Carmona, Cavite to establish, maintain and operate a cockpit arena under Municipal Ordinance No. 017-2014. The GAB recognized that the Local Government Code vested the local government units with sole and exclusive authority to regulate cockfighting. According to the GAB: “with the enactment of the RA 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991) specifically Sec. 447 (a)(3) (v) thereof, the law vested the local government units with the following authority, any law to the contrary notwithstanding, to wit: Authorize and license the establishment, operation, and maintenance of cockpits; Regulate cockfighting, and Regulate commercial breeding of gamecocks.” The GAB likewise acknowledged that Manila

Cockers was authorized to offer, take and arrange bets in person or by any electronic or other means of processing transactions under its franchise. The GAB stated that “MCCI was authorized to utilize any available online, digital, wireless or electronic platform services that may facilitate the taking and acceptance of bets outside of the territorial jurisdiction of Carmona, Cavite.” The GAB further stated that it “recognizes the authority of each and every LGU over cockfighting in its own territorial jurisdiction. This includes the power to decide whether or not to allow the subject betting in OCBS and under what conditions.” The GAB’s ruling affirms the legality of the OCBS op-

erations of MCCI. On account of the foregoing, the GAB reiterated its directive to MCCI in its letter dated Dec. 6, 2016 for MCCI to obtain the required local permits for the operation of its OCBS. Furthermore, the GAB upheld the position of MCCI that its operations at the OCBS is in accordance with the E-Commerce Act (RA 8792). MCCI established a system for accepting bets on cockfights which includes a totalizator and off-site terminals at the OCBS. Since MCCI’s totalizator and servers are located at Carmona, Cavite, a bet in MCCI’s OCBS terminal it transacted, accepted, and confirmed in Carmona, Cavite. According to Atty. Peter Zagala, MCCI does not condone or allow any form of il-

legal gambling and hence, all efforts are being made that MCCI is in full compliance with the appropriate provisions of the Local Government Code as well as all other relevant laws such as the ECommerce Act. Because MCCI operations are legal, it continues to grow in popularity this year among sabong enthusiasts all over the nation. The established legality of its operations has encouraged more participation by known breeders during its derbies as well as interest from cockfighting gaming aficionados. The rise in popularity has allowed MCCI to increase its remittance of taxes to the National Government pursuant to Sec. 125 par. 1(a) of the National Internal Revenue Code as well as business taxes due to the local government units.

Federer, Nadal battle through at US Open

Switzerland’s Roger Federer serves the ball to Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny during their 2017 US Open Men’s Singles match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. AFP

NEW YORK—Former champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal battled into the US Open last 32 on Thursday while the women’s draw lost the fifth seed from its top eight. Federer recorded his 80th career win in New York but he needed five sets for the second successive match before claiming a 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Mikhail Youzhny. It was his 17th win in 17th meetings with the grizzled Russian, who, at 35, is his junior by just one year. World number one Nadal, meanwhile, saw off Japan’s world 121 Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 after being blown off court in the first set. Federer, 36, and the fivetime champion at the US Open, next faces another 35-year-old, Feliciano Lopez of Spain, for a place in the last 16. His record against Lopez is just as solid —12-0. “It was quite a lot of fun out there—I feel quite warmed up by now,” said Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Federer, who fired 63 winners and 68 unforced errors. Youzhny admitted he had cramped, which meant he could move left to right but not forward and back.

“That was hard to watch,” said Federer. “But this was probably the best match we have played against each other.” Top seed Nadal, the 2010 and 2013 champion, was rocked by New York-born Daniel in the first set. But Daniel, who has never beaten a top-10 player, paid the price for his all-out assault as Nadal prevailed to book a third round date with Argentine lucky loser Leonardo Mayer. “All the matches are difficult but especially here as everyone wants to play their best and if you don’t play your best it will be very difficult,” said Nadal, who recovered from a set and break down. He saw room for improvement after converting six of 11 break points. “I didn’t play very well but I will work hard to find better feelings because I know I can do much better,” he said. Andrey Rublev became the second teenager to make the third round when he stunned Bulgarian seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. Rublev, just 19 and the world number 53, joins 18-year-old Denis Shapovalov of Canada in the last 32 at a Grand Slam event for the first time.

Padilla, Sonsona seek Aboitiz TRI2017 blasts off today at Pico de Loro Beach net repeat in Dipolog CASSEY Padilla and Steven Sonsona bannered the field in the Palawan Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Dipolog leg regional age group tennis tournament which fired off at the RGS Tennis Club Friday. Padilla swept the girls’ 12- and 14-and-under titles in last week’s PPS-PEPP leg in Oroquieta with the rising Cagayan de Oro star bracing for another fierce duel with top seed Guia Bandolis, Lianne Lanipa and Chalea Paculba, among others. Sonsona also seeks to make back-to-back in the boys’ 16-U as he gears for a showdown with No. 1 Stephen Guia, Nilo Ledama and Bienne Villanueva. The Tubod, Lanao ace also eyes a payback against Ledama in the 18-U side where Guia together with Al-Fhadz Matarul are also tipped to contend in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/ CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Slazenger. Close to 200 entries are

vying for top honors and ranking points in the fiveday tournament backed by the Unified Tennis Group, led by PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and BMeg. Cebu City will host the next stop of the yearlong, nationwide circuit on Sept. 7-11 where the Macs Crankit Community Coaching Conference will also be held from Sept. 8-10. For details, call PPS-PEPP sports program development director Bobby Mangunay at 09154046464. Meanwhile, Nash Agustines, Villanueva, Christopher Sonsona and Lex Estillore head the 32-player draw in the boys’ 14-U section while Agustines and Sonsona loom as the players to beat in the 12-U division. Wyn Paglinawan and Faye Lim, on the other hand, banner the girls’ 16- and 18-U cast while Al Rasheed Lucman, Abdel Matarul, Kale Villamar and Vinz Bering are expected to dispute the 10-unisex diadem.

FOR the fourth straight year, avid triathletes are set to compete in an exciting contest of speed, endurance, and stamina at the much-awaited Aboitiz TRI2017 in September, while fostering a healthy and active lifestyle among spectators and participants alike. Aboitiz TRI2017 takes place on Saturday, 2 p.m. at various sites around the scenic yet chal-

lenging Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club at Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas. Aboitiz TRI2017, sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. and organized by Bike King, brings back the unique Saturday afternoon standarddistance race experience. This consists of 1.5 km of swimming the calm waters of Pico de Loro cove, 40 kms of cycling (includ-

ing a short but challenging hilly stretch and three flat loops along the Nasugbu-Ternate Highway), and 10 kms of running along tree-lined avenues, rolling hills, and another three loops around the Pico de Loro lagoon before heading to the finish line. Specially designed trophies will be given to the top three in each age group, while medals will be awarded to finish-

ers. The awarding ceremony and post-race dinner will be at 6 p.m. at the Pico Sands Hotel Baia Ballroom. Aboitiz TRI2017 is sponsored by AEV (with the support of Aboitiz business units [BUs] AboitizPower, UnionBank, AboitizLand, WeatherPhilippines), together with Neutrogena, TIMEX, ProHealth Sports and Spinal, Pico de Loro, Nuun,

PBA extends deadline for Fil-foreign hopefuls

UNIVERSIADE ATHLETE. Officials of the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines are shown with diver athlete Monique Ann Demaisip of Northwestern University of California during the Summer Universiade in Taipei. Demaisip is with (from left) Angel Ngu, honorary president of the Federation of Fil Chi Chamber of Commerce; Philippine Head of Delegation Alvin Tai Lian; FESSAP president David Ong and Prof. Robert Milton Calo, the Chairman of the Universiade Preparation and Monitoring Committee.

THE Philippine Basketball Association has extended the deadline for Fil-foreign payers wishing to join 2017 Rookie Draft on Oct. 29. Rickie Santos, PBA deputy commissioner for basketball operations, announced on Thursday that Fil-foreign aspirants have until Sept. 4 to submit their applications and requirements at the league’s headquarters in Libis, Quezon City. The PBA Commissioner’s Office has initially set a Sept.1 deadline for Filipino-foreign applicants, but opted for an extension since the date falls on a holiday, Santos said. Local-born aspirants have until Oct. 12 to apply. After the preliminary list of Filipino-foreign applicants is released, there will be a month-long period to contest a rookie hopeful’s eligibility. All applicants are required to take part in the PBA Draft Combine to be held from Oct. 23 to 25. The final list of candidates for the Rookie Draft will be announced on Oct. 27. The Rookie Draft will take place on Oct. 29 at Robinsons Place Manila in Ermita.

Ginebra San Miguel 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament Finals set Sept. 3 SIXTEEN teams vied for the two final slots in the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament semifinal round Saturday 1 at the SM Megamall Activity Center. Representatives from the provinces of Aklan, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Cebu, Davao, Isabela, La Union, Pampanga,

Standard Insurance, Hoka One One, Orbea, GU, and supported by media partners The Philippine Star, RaceDay Triathlon, and Endurance Sports. Since 2014, the annual sporting event has continued to promote the Aboitiz Group’s sustainability mindset and focuses on wellness as an integral part of its team member engagement and development initiatives.

Pangasinan, Quezon, and Tacloban, and the cities of Antipolo, Batangas, Butuan, Las Piñas and Manila survived the regional qualifying tournaments held in different barangays nationwide to enter the semifinal phase. Following the semifinal round, the two remaining teams will move on to the champion-

ship game on Sept. 3 before the Barangay Ginebra San MiguelStar Hotshots PBA game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The 2017 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament National Champion will take home a P50,000 cash prize, championship trophy, and Ginebra San Miguel products.

During the 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament semi-finals, fans may also redeem “Ganado Classics” jerseys at the SM Megamall Activity Center on Sept. 1. To avail of the jerseys, just collect five (5) seals of Ginebra San Miguel or Vino Kulafu or any three (3) caps of GSM Blue,

GSM Blue Flavors, Ginebra San Miguel Premium Gin and Primera Light Brandy, and add P100. Each person can only redeem a maximum of two (2) jerseys. For more updates, check out Ginebra San Miguel’s official Facebook page www.facebook. com/barangayginebra or log on to www.ginebra.com.ph.

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

Sports

SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

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

Blackwater routs Kia, regains its winning ways Game today

(AUF Sports Arena and Cultural Center) 5 p.m. – Alaska vs. San Miguel

By Elmer Manuel

This file photo shows Manny Pacquiao (right) of the Philippines fighting Jeff Horn (left) of Australia during their World Boxing Organization bout in Brisbane. Australia’s world champion Jeff Horn will be looking for another challenger to defend his title after Manny Pacquiao pulled out of his planned rematch, the Queensland government said on Sept 1. AFP

Pacquiao pulls out of title rematch with Aussie Horn

RISBANE—Filipino great Manny Pacquiao on Friday pulled out of a rematch with world champion Jeff Horn, leaving the Australian looking for another challenger in his title defence. The Queensland state government, the fight’s financial backers, made the announcement two months ahead of the scheduled Nov. 12 bout. “We have been advised today

Griffins make it 3 wins in a row COLEGIO de San Lorenzo made it three wins in a row by blasting comebacking Holy Angel University, 89-67, in the NAASCU Season 17 basketball tournament at the RTU gym in Mandaluyong. Soulemane Chabi Yo asserted himself on both ends of the floor to lead the Ironcon Builders-supported Griffins to their third straight win and the solo lead in Group B. Chabi Yo, the 6’6” workhorse from South African nation Benin, finished with a double-double of 31 points and 16 rebounds for CdSL, which bagged the MBL Open crown during the off-season. Chabi struck hardest in the second quarter when the Griffins turned a close contest into a rout, increasing a seven-point first quarter lead into 23-point advantage by halftime. The Griffins of coach Boni Garcia and manager Jimi Lim also won over Manuel Luiis Quezon University, 101-82 last Aug. 17 and New Era University, 81-63, last Aug. 22. Equally impressive were defending champion St. Clare College, which City University of Pasay, 103-77, and Philippine Christian University, which humbled AMA University, 9277, for their third win in four matches in Group A. Junjie Hallare, Mohamed Pare and Aries Dionisio combined for 44 points for the Saints, who won for the third time since losing their opening-day assignment against the Dolphins. Yves Sason fired 26 points, Von Tambeling added 22 and Michael Ayonayon contributed 21 for the Dolphins, who bounced back from a sorry setback to Rizal Technological University the other day.

that Manny Pacquiao... cannot return to the ring on 12 November as proposed,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement. “I am advised Mr Pacquiao, who is also a Senator of the Philippines,

will have other commitments at that time.” She said her government would continue to support Horn’s WBO world welterweight title defene, whoever the challenger is. The unheralded Australian stunned the boxing world with a unanimous 12-round decision over Pacquiao in Brisbane on July 2, a hotly contested result that triggered an outcry in the Philippines.

The World Boxing Organization moved to quell the controversy by rescoring the fight with a different set of judges—who found that Horn won by seven rounds to five. It ordered the scoring review at the request of the Philippines’ Games and Amusements Board, which criticized the judges and the referee. In the twilight of a 22-year pro career in which he won world titles in an unprecedented eight weight divi-

sions, Pacquiao had initially called for a rematch despite US trainer Freddie Roach advising him to quit. Pacquiao has not stopped an opponent in eight years and briefly quit boxing last year to pursue his long-held political ambitions and was elected senator. But he quickly made a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in November before losing to Hor n. AFP

BLACKWATER proved to be too much for Kia Picanto last nigt as it pulled off a masterful 118-97 victory in the PBA Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. The Elite got back to their winning ways and improved to a 4-4 record, while leaving Picanto still winless after eight starts in the seasonending conference. Henry Walker provided the firepower Blackwater needed to bounce back from its heartbreaking 96-177 loss to Talk N Text that snapped the Elite’s franchise-best three-game winning streak. Walker exploded for 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead Blackwater’s offense. JP Erram and Mike DiGregorio, on the other hand, led the locals’ contribution, finishing with 16 points apiece. Elite coach Leo Isaac noted that a change of pace and intensity were the biggest factors in their blowout win. “We noticed we lacked energy against Talk ‘N Text and ‘energy’ was the word we needed in this game,” Isaac said. “And true enough, we showed good energy offensively and defensively, and dictated tempo for most of the game.” And the energy Isaac was referring to became evident right from the start that saw them score their most points in a quarter (40) and in a half (70) in franchise history as they led by almost 50 points to cruise to the blowout victory. Blackwater also spoiled the debut of new Kia import Geron Johnson, who led the Picanto with 28 points. The Elite were all-business last night, demolishing the Picanto’s defense as they drilled six out of seven triples in the opening frame to establish a 29-13 lead.

Ateneno faces JRU as Premier Volley League collegiate tilt unwraps

SKATING ATHLETES FETED. A toast is offered to SM’s hockey and skating team in a thanksgiving ceremony held at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. SM’s ice hockey team won a gold medal in the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games, while Winter Olympian Michael Martinez settled for the silver in figure skating and Alisson Perticheto bagged a bronze medal in the women’s division. Shown here are (from left) Edgar C. Tejerero, SM Lifestyle Entertainment President; Pocholo Vequillas of the Philippine Skating Union; Martinez; Butch Ramirez, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman; Chris Sy of the Federation of Ice Hockey League and Herman Medina, SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc. Chief Operating Officer. Manny Palmero

THE Premier Volleyball League kicks off its inaugural Collegiate Conference today (Saturday) with a promise of slam-bang action in both the men’s and women’s divisions featuring the leading players and rising stars from the country’s top universities and colleges. Ateneo launches its title drive sans its top setter and ace hitter but the Lady Eagles remain upbeat of their chances in the seven-week tournament also serving as the pre-season event for 12 women’s teams and 10 men’s squads priming up for their respective school leagues. The Lady Eagles take on the Jose Rizal U Lady Bombers in the 6:30 p.m. main game following the 4 p.m. clash with the Arellano Lady Chiefs and the St. Benilde Lady Blazers in a pair of matches tipped to go down-to-the-wire. The 12 teams are divided into two groups with Ateneo and JRU leading Group A that also includes San Sebastian, National U, Lyceum of the Phl U and Far Easter U while St. Benilde and Arellano making up Group B along with University of the Philippines, Technological Institute of

Bigger incentives for SEA Games medalists By Peter Atencio THIS time around, cash incentives for medallists in the recent 29th Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia will be bigger. Around 121 medalists from the national team will be among the first recipients of this. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez and Senator Sonny Angara said this after the athletes who won gold medals were feted this week by their respective sponsors. Ramirez said the incentives, which will amount to

around P12.790 million will be awarded in simple rites on Sept. 13. “We wrote a letter to Malacanang about this, about the giving of the incentives,” said Ramirez. Under Republic Act 10699, SEA Games gold medalists will each receive P300,000, silver medalists will pocket P150,000, while bronze medalists will get P60,000. Before the enactment of the law in November of 2015, SEA Games gold medalists were only entitled to P100,000 cash incentives, silver medalists were to receive P50,000, and bronze medalists were

to get P10,000. Angara, in a statement, said the higher incentives are possible after he and four other lawmakers sponsored the law increasing the incentives and benefits for the winning national athletes. “We are very proud of our winning athletes. Bilang pasasalamat at pagkilala sa kanilang pagkapanalo, mas malaking insentibo po ang naghihintay sa kanilang pagbabalik,” said Angara. The other senators who authored the law, include Senators Ralph Recto, Tito Sotto, Cynthia Villar and former senator Pia Cayetano.

Among the country’s most lucrative events were athletics, boxing, billiards, gymnastics, judo, taekwondo, triathlon, and basketball. The Philippine delegation failed to meet its target of 50 gold medals and ended the campaign with the country’s worst finish in the SEA Games since 1999. “Maaari pong may pagkukulang tayo sa preparasyon at pagsasanay ng ating mga atleta. Corrective and remedial measures must be undertaken especially since we are about to host the next SEA Games in 2019,” Angara said.

Games today

10 a.m. – La Salle vs St. Benilde (men’s) 1 p.m. – UP vs UST (men’s) 4 p.m. – Arellano vs St. Benilde (women’s) 6:30 p.m. – Ateneo vs JRU (women’s)

the Philippines, San Beda and Adamson U. Meanwhile, two matches also kick off the men’s hostilities with sister schools La Salle and St. Benilde mixing it up at 10 a.m. and UP and UST clashing in the other game at 1 p.m. Eight teams, also divided into two groups, are slugging it out for the men’s title. The top two from each side of both the men’s and women’s divisions after the single round elims will advance to the crossover best-of-three semis with the winners disputing the inaugural PVL collegiate crowns, also a best-of-three affair. The star-studded National U, winner of the last two collegiate titles of the now-defunct V-League, opens its drive tomorrow (Sunday) against Lyceum at 4 p.m. while TIP and San Beda tangle at 6:30 p.m. Action continues on Monday with San Sebastian squaring off

with FEU at 4 p.m. and UP facing Adamson at 6:30 p.m. In men’s play, NU takes on San Beda at 10 a.m. tomorrow while Ateneo slugs it out with FEU at 1 p.m. Top playmaker Jia Morado decided to forego his last playing year while top spiker Michelle Morante has also left Ateneo, leaving the likes of Jhoanna Maraguinot, Bea de Leon, Kim Gequilllano, Ana Gopico, Pauline Gaston and Kat Tolentino to man the fort. The Katipunan-based school also parades rookie Dani Ravena, sister of Ateneo’s cage standouts Kiefer and Thirdy, who will play the role as setter behind starting playmaker Deanna Wong. Ateneo placed second twice to National University in the now-defunct V-League Collegiate Conference but the Lady Eagles are confident of finally breaking that spell with a successful title campaign in the new league organized by Sports Vision. “Like any other team, our goal is to win the championship,” said De Leon, now Ateneo’s team captain. “We’ll just do our best every game.”

7 new faces to bolster Azkals’ roster in AFC Cup THERE will be at least seven new faces when the Philippine Azkals resume their campaign in the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup qualifying match. These new players will replace the injured ones and those who went into retirement. The Azkals are coming off two straight wins and will try to keep their record clean when they play Yemen in Bacolod City’s Panaad Stadium on Tuesday. Stephan Palla, the Fil-Austrian booter will be back after dealing with knee and back injuries for a year. Dylan De Bruycker, a wingman, and Josh Grommen, at central defense during the 29th

Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, are now in the roster. And so is Meralco’s Tyler Matas, a Filipino-American wide player, along with Filipino-German Harry Föll, a 19-year-old midfielder from Hansa Rostock. The Azkals are in the solo lead of Group F with 6 points after posting wins over Nepal and Tajikistan. Yemen has a 1-1-1 win-drawloss slate after beating the Philippines in World Cup qualifying in Manila in 2015, defeating Tajikistan and drawing with Nepal. The best two teams from this four-nation double roundrobin group proceed to the final stage of the AFC Asian Cup in UAE in 2019. Peter Atencio

US dollar loses luster as safe haven investment

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

World Bank commits $1.4-b loans

HE World Bank said Friday funding support to the Philippines could reach $1.4 billion in the next two years, including loans to support peace efforts and development in Mindanao as part of a midterm adjustment plan.

The bank said in a statement it would commit loans of $660 million in 2018, including funding for the Metro Manila Flood Management Project, the ﬁrst project in the Philippines planned for co-ﬁnancing with the Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank. “In 2019, total funding could reach $750 million, including projects for agriculture and education in Mindanao,” the World Bank said. The bank said the initiative followed the completion of

the performance and learning review report endorsed by the World Bank’s board of executive directors. “This scaled-up program for the entire Mindanao will focus on supporting the government’s program to raise agricultural productivity and improve connectivity from farm to market, boost education, skills, and employability of the youth, and help build resilient communities,” it said. The World Bank said its support to the conﬂict-affected region had been signiﬁcant in

recent years, leading to over 682,000 people beneﬁting from better infrastructure and access to jobs and initiatives that improve literacy. World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand Mara Warwick said Mindanao accounted for 36 percent of all poverty in the Philippines, adding poverty was highest in areas affected by conﬂict. “The World Bank Group fully supports the government’s focus on developing lagging regions, including in Marawi and sur-

rounding areas,” Warwick said. She said World Bank, along with the Asian Development Bank, would coordinate ﬁnancial assistance from the development partners for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Marawi City. Also, the World Bank will provide technical assistance for the early recovery, rehabilitation, and reconstruction planning for Marawi City as requested by government. It said the partnership strategy for the Philippines would continue to work on ﬁve en-

gagement areas, aligned with the development priorities of the government. “These are transparent and accountable government; empowerment of the poor and vulnerable; rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth; resilience to climate change, environment, and disaster risk management; and peace, institution building, and social and economic opportunity, with focus on conﬂict-affected areas in Mindanao,” it said, The group further said sus-

tained growth averaging 4.6 percent between 2010 and 2016, along with well-targeted social sector spending, had contributed to signiﬁcant recent poverty reduction in the country. The government more than doubled social services spending during the time, enabling signiﬁcant allocations for health care and poverty reduction through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the national program providing conditional cash transfer, which is supported by the World Bank.

TransCo seeks P24.9-b FIT rate for renewables By Alena Mae S. Flores

GAWAD PITAK AWARDEES. Senators Risa Hontiveros(from left), Nancy Binay, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Juan Edgardo Angara and Land Bank of the Philippines executive vice president Julio Climaco Jr. lead the ribbon-cutting of the Gawad PITAK exhibit at the Senate on August 22, 2017. The Senate honored the outstanding cooperatives and farmer in this year’s Gawad sa Pinatanging Kooperatiba of Land Bank of the Philippines. Now on its 27th year, the Gawad PITAK recognizes outstanding agri-based and non-agri-based cooperatives for their impact on the economic development of their members and respective communities.

Thailand’s Erawan investing over P4b for hotels in PH By Darwin G. Amojelar ERAWAN Group PCL, Thailand’s leading hotel developer, is spending over P4 billion to build more budget hotels in Manila as well as in Cebu and Davao over the next ﬁve years. “We see that Asean is growing and it’s a very big market specially outside Thailand, many countries are developing a lot. So, when we explore the whole Asean, we see that apart from Thailand that is very exciting, we see the Philippines,” Kamonwan Wipulakorn, president and director of The Erawan Group, told reporters on the sidelines of the

opening of its Hop Inn Hotel in Makati. “Right now, the Philippines has the highest economic growth and also the highest development that is why we choose to come to the Philippines because for us we look for high growth market,” she added. The Erawan Group has two Hop Inn Hotels in the Philippines and 26 in Thailand. “We would like to have maybe around 10 hotels in Manila and we look at Cebu, we have got a location in Cebu Business Park already. We will build two hotels in Cebu and we also looking at

Davao,” Kamonwan said. She said her company planned to build between 12 and 15 budget hotels in the Philippines worth P4 billion over the next ﬁve years. The company is slated to open three more hotels next year—one in Aseana, a site in Alabang and one in Tomas Morato in Quezon City. “When we plan to come here we are actually targeting for domestic market because it’s a very big market, but I think with the location that we have, we also attract foreign arrivals as well. So right now about 50 percent is domestic market and the rest would be foreign markets,” Kamonwan

said. She said the ﬁrst Hop Inn Hotel in Malate, Manila was performing very well—with an occupancy rate of about 80 percent. “In the next three years, we see that the revenue contribution from Philippine hotels will go up to 10 perfect of our total portfolio. That is signiﬁcant to us, right now its very small,” Kamonwan said. “Right now we only focus in Thailand and the Philippines, we don’t see other country as exciting as Thailand and the Philippines,” she added. The Erawan Group is formerly known as Amarin Plaza

PCL. The company and its affiliates operate hotels, office buildings and shopping centers in Thailand. Bangkokbased Erawan is listed on the SET100 Index of the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Erawan manages the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, JW Marriott Bangkok and the Renaissance Ko Samui Resort and Spa. Shopping center operations, meanwhile, include Amarin Plaza, Amarin Tower, Ploenchit Center and Erawan Bangkok Boutique Mall. The company has up to eight affiliates involved in the property management and hospitality businesses.

Meralco capital expenses hit P5.3b in 1st six months MANILA Electric Co., the biggest electricity retailer in the country, spent around P5.3 billion for capital expenditures in the first half for new load and customer requirements and system reliability and safety. Meralco’s capex spending during the period included the uprating of the San Miguel 20 MVA PXF Bank 1 to 33 MVA, which provides additional capacity and improves the power quality in San Miguel, San Ildelfonso and Dona Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan and some barangays in Pampanga. The company spent part of the budget to carry over projects due to be completed between the second half of 2017 and December 2018. These include development of the Calamba 230-kV-115 kV delivery point substation, whose properties were recently secured, construction of the Parang-Marikina 115 kV line and the Paco delivery point’s additional 115 kV line, which requires the re-routing of the Paco-Tutuban segment, and buildingthe Paco-Kamagong and Paco-Legaspi lines and CBP-Rockwell segments. Other capex includes the development of the Lucena substation and relocation projects for the Public Works and Highways Department. Meralco president Oscar Reyes said the company was focused on delivering the best electric service to its over six million customers amid changing and more challenging market and customer demand. “As a highly regulated business with pervasive impact on the quality of life of nearly a quarter of the country’s population and the operations of businesses and industries generating nearly half of the country’s gross domestic product through the reliability, quality and pricing of our electricity distribution business, we remain highly focused on delivering operational excellence in sales, energy sourcing, network, customer service and financial results,” Reyes said. He said market disruptions had become the rule rather than the exception. “We remain alert to these and are committed to responding to the changing times with agility. For example, we have contracted and participated in the renewable energy space, signing three long-term power supply agreements for solar energy at rates more than one-half lower than the first and second half feed-in tariffs,” Reyes said. Alena Mae S. Flores

NUCLEAR PLANT REVISITED. Representatives of the Department of Energy, National Power Corp. and Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, along with experts from the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom, inspect the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Morong, Bataan province.

NATIONAL Transmission Corp. has ﬁled for a feedin tariff allowance rate of P0.2932 per kilowatt-hour equivalent to P24.9 billion as payment to renewable energy developers mandated under the Renewable Energy Law of 2008. “After due notice and hearing, a FIT-All rate of P0.2932 per kWh for 2018 computed for RE projects with at least a nomination from DoE (Department of Energy) for eligibility under the FIT system be approved,” TransCo said in a petition to the Energy Regulatory Commission ﬁled on Wednesday. TransCo manages the FITAll rate that is used to pay the eligible renewable energy developers under the FIT system, an incentive scheme that, among others, gives priority to connections to grid, purchase and transmission. The FIT guarantees all eligible renewable energy plants an entitlement to the applicable FITs for a period of 20 years. The ERC has granted the tariff rates for solar 1 at P9.68 per kWh, solar 2 at P8.69 per kWh, wind 1 at P8.53 per kWh, wind 2 at P7.40 per kWh, biomass at P6.63 per kWh and hydro at P5.90 per

kWh. TransCo said the grant of a provisional authority would allow the company to perform its duties make a timely payment of the FIT rate to RE developers to which they are entitled, allowing their continued operations. TransCo said the implementation of the FIT-All rate of the P0.2932 per kWh effective January 2018 “is without prejudice to the ﬁnal actual rate pending ﬁnal disposition of its present application.” TransCo said its initial computation showed a FITAll rate of P0.3305 per kWh but it applied for a lower rate of P0.2932 per kWh after giving weight to projects that have been inspected by the DoE which achieved at least 80 percent electromechanical completion. “The P0.3305 per kWh translates to P28 billion,” TransCo president Melvin Matibag said. The FIT-All rate for 2018 was computed based on projects with nominations from DOE as of July 5, 2017. These projects have ongoing construction and reached at least 80 percent electromechanical completion, and are thus almost sure to operatte within the period under consideration.

PSE maintains 30 firms in the benchmark index By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange is expected to keep the current composition of the 30-company benchmark index during the biannual adjustment on Sept. 11. Data from PSE, however, showed there would be changes in the composition of the six sectoral indices. The financial index will continue to have 11 member-companies, but will see the exclusion of Medco Holdings Inc. and the inclusion of Philippine Business Bank. The industrial index will add two firms, including Cemex Holdings Philippines Inc. and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., but will remove Da Vinci Capital Holdings Inc. Lodestar Investments Holdings Inc. will join the holding firms index, while Prime Orion Philippines Inc. and Filinvest Development Corp. will be removed. Meanwhile, three companies will join the property index, including Arthaland Corp., Crown Equities Inc. and MRC Allied Inc. Harbour Star Shipping Inc., Apollo Global Capital Inc. and Golden Haven Memorial Park Inc. will be included in the services index while DFNN Inc. and ISM Communications will be deleted. PSE said it would also stop publishing members of reserve list to avoid speculation on the index review results. The reserve list is comprised of five companies with the highest full market capitalization, after the 30 PSE index-eligible companies. The reserve list was created in case one or more constituents were deleted from the PSEi during the period up to the next scheduled semi-annual review.

Govt to implement long-term and stable environmental policies By Anna Leah E. Gonzales able and ﬁnancially viable. THE government plans to pursue long-term and stable environmental policies focusing on the country’s proper utilization of mineral deposits and responsible mining, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau said. MGB Director Wilfredo Moncano, n his opening speech during a three-day international conference, said the Philippines must strictly implement responsible mining and that projects should be technically feasible, environmentally compliant, socially accept-

“Any of these imperatives absent, it is not the time to mine. Our President Rodrigo Duterte is serious in having all hands onboard so that the mining industry can productively contribute in the total effort of seeing the country march to meaning progress and development,” Moncano said. The MGB said the government would focus on policies on minerals and metals-led industrialization initiatives, streamlining mining application procedures, inter-agency

coordination of regulatory agencies in mining projects, strong community relations programs and ﬁnal land use options of mineral lands. The government will also ensure continued availability and security of materials and commodities and minimize risks to the economic growth by planning and establishing a robust mine-tometal value chain, revisit regulatory and compliance policies and conduct an inventory and further exploration studies of the various natural resources in the country. These include magnetite

sand deposits, coal, limestone, nickel and chromite. To encourage more investors, the MGB will clarify its policy issuances, cut down the list of requirements and documents and institutionalize the mining application process. The MGB will also closely coordinate with other regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Management Bureau, Biodiversity Management Bureau and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in the approval of mining projects. The bureau said the govern-

ment would address legitimate concerns, provide proper information, share perspectives of development options and ensure that mining host communities were involved in the decision-making and environmental protection and enhancement programs. The MGB will continue to generate and share geologic and mineral resource information with the industry and that geohazard, groundwater resources, geology and mineral potential activities will be continuously undertaken.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Business Asian stocks mostly up as volatile week closes

FOR COFFEE LOVERS.

Assistants taste coffee varieties from different states of Mexico during the opening of the Expo-Cafe 2017 20th Edition in Mexico City, on August 31, 2017. For three days the most important coffee growers and brands offer their products in one of the largest events of the coffee trade. AFP

HONG KONG―Asian markets headed into the weekend on a cautious note Friday, bringing an end to a volatile week, with eyes now ﬁxed on the release of key US jobs data and the impact of deadly storm Harvey. Traders were given another positive lead from Wall Street, where all three main indexes ended on a high after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he expects to overhaul the tax code by the end of the year. He said details of the plan would be released within the month, with President Donald Trump calling for a 20-point reduction in the corporate tax rate to 15 percent. The New York tycoon’s promise to slash tax, ramp up infrastructure spending and wipe out red tape was one of the key drivers of a global markets rally in the months af-

ter his November election win. Mnuchin’s comments came a day after data showing forecast-busting growth in the US economy and private-sector jobs, helping put aside Tuesday’s North Korean missile launch over Japan that fanned fresh geopolitical tensions. “After an interesting month of increased market volatility, heightened geopolitical tensions, a monstrous storm in Texas and Louisiana and rising uncertainty about the political situation in the US and around the debt ceiling, stocks closed out the month with a rally,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader. Investors are keeping tabs on Washington, where a fractured Congress must agree to raise the country’s borrowing limit to avoid a disastrous government shutdown and possible debt default. AFP

US dollar loses luster as safe haven investment By Juliette Michel

EW YORK―In times of uncertainty or crisis, investors typically take refuge in “safe” options like the Swiss franc, gold or the US dollar, but under President Donald Trump the greenback has lost its luster, especially to the euro. After this week’s North Korean missile launch over Japan raised fears it could trigger a major conﬂict, the single European currency rose above the symbolic threshold of $1.20 for the ﬁrst time since January 2015. “The dollar and US Treasuries are typically safe ha-

ven assets. But no one really wants to own the dollar right now,” said Brad Bechtel, head of the foreign exchange trading at Jefferies. US monetary policy also plays a role in the dollar’s relative value, as do comments – or the absence thereof―from central bankers.

Apple sets likely iPhone media event for Sept. 12 SAN FRANCISCO―Apple sent out invitations Thursday to a September 12 media event at which the US tech giant is expected to unveil new iPhone models for the 10th anniversary of the culture-changing smartphones. The keenly anticipated event will be the ﬁrst to take place in the Steve Jobs Theater at its new “spaceship” campus in Silicon Valley. In trademark style, Apple revealed little in the invitation that provided the date, time, location and a message that read “Let’s meet at our place.” Apple is under particular pressure to dazzle as the Californiabased company looks for ways to maintain its image as an innovation leader in a global market showing signs of slowing. “Clearly, Apple wants to do something different for the 10th anniversary” of the iPhone, NPD Group analyst Stephen Baker told AFP. Some reports say a new iPhone will include a high-quality, edge-to-edge screen with a notch in the top for an ear-piece and an extra camera supporting 3D facial recognition and selﬁes. Some speculate that the new handset will have a glass backing that offers wireless charging. “We are expecting a major design refresh on Apple,” GlobalData analyst Avi Greengart told AFP. “That has been a sore point, especially in China. People are looking to show off a status symbol, so it needs to look different than Huawei or Xiaomi, and I think it will.” Apple has declined to comment on speculation, which has included talk of as many as three new iPhone handsets, including a premium model priced at around $1,000. The most dramatic changes were expected in the premium model, which could go so far as to get rid of a ‘home’ button that has been a main control feature since the iPhone made its debut in 2007. Flicking or swiping gestures could replace the home button function, enabling the handset face to appear almost all-screen. The iPhone could also get more rounded corners. New iPhones would, of course, be designed to showcase capabilities of the latest version of Apple’s iOS software for powering mobile devices. Apple showed iOS 11 to developers at a conference earlier this year, and is likely to release it with the new iPhone models. The mobile operating system boasted new camera features, Siri digital assistant made smarter, and the potential for augmented reality applications. The Sept. 12 event could also feature updated versions of Apple TV and Apple Watch. Global smartphone sales saw a modest decline of 0.8 percent in the second quarter of 2017, as market leaders Samsung and Apple consolidated their positions, an IDC survey showed. The South Korean giant maintained the top spot with a 23.3 percent market share, while Apple held onto second place with 12 percent, according to IDC. AFP

“The lack of faith in the US administration and the fact that the Fed has been relatively clearly not anxious to hike rates again any time soon” influence the dollar, Bechtel said. The US currency had benefited from the promises of economic reforms from candidate Trump at the end of 2016. But the president is finding it increasingly difficult to get his pro-growth agenda through Congress. While economic growth is strong―hitting Trump’s three percent goal in the second quarter―inflation has been persistently weak, making the Fed reluctant to raise interest

rates a third time this year, a move that would beneﬁt the dollar. Traders were very disappointed when Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen carefully avoided any discussion of monetary policy in a speech last week at the closely watched Jackson Hole central bankers forum. Meanwhile, the euro is attracting more and more investors. Thanks to the very accommodating monetary policy of the European Central Bank (ECB), interest rates remain very low, even negative, in the euro area.

That has made the single currency a funding vehicle for speculative trades, where investors borrow at a low interest rate to move into assets with higher returns. “The euro with negative interest rate is a funding currency for carry trade, like Japanese yen and Swiss franc,” said Greg Anderson of BMO Capital Markets. But that means in a time of crisis, like this week, “In a ﬂight to safety, people ... have to buy euro.” The economic and political situation in Europe also favors the single currency. The region’s current ac-

count surplus “has gotten much bigger than it was in the past, which is a safe haven for a currency,” Anderson told AFP. Meanwhile, the EU political situation has stabilized, especially after the Dutch and French elections in 2017. “European countries have proved over the last ﬁve years they are able to do things in an emergency. And the US looks like a political mess right now,” Anderson said. “The political safety of the US dollar has been damaged.” But Sireen Harajli, currency strategist at Mizuho, said that even so the greenback “is still

a safe haven currency.” It would only take the Fed sending a positive signal or for good data on US employment, including wages, or inﬂation to revive the dollar. And Anderson said the euro move to break the $1.20 threshold has made investors nervous. They are “on pins and needles,” he said, waiting to see what the ECB will do. “If they don’t do anything over the course of the next couple of weeks in terms of verbal intervention... probably the market will be disposed to push the euro higher against the dollar.” AFP

Thanks Brexit, pound nears parity with euro; many travelers hit By Patrice Novotny LONDON―The Brexit-hit British pound threatens to reach parity with the euro― and is already worth less than the European single currency for many travelers seeking to exchange cash at airports. Sterling went into free-fall after Britain voted in a shock referendum last year to leave the EU, sparking fears over the nation’s economic outlook. The pound was trading at approximately 1.3072 euros as voters headed to the polls on June 23, 2016. This week, sterling stood at about 1.0850 euros, a dramatic 17-percent slump since the referendum. “There is certainly a possibility for euro/pound to hit parity,” said analyst Fawad Razaqzada at trading firm Forex.com. The British currency had clawed back some of its immediate losses as investor nerves subsided after the vote. But in recent months the economic growth prospects in the 19-nation eurozone have improved, intensifying speculation the European Central Bank will wind down crisisera stimulus measures. As a result, the European single currency has been in the ascendancy, scaling this week a 2.5-year pinnacle against the dollar. Pound back in doldrums The pound has taken a heavy knock from the euro’s comparative strength. “The pound’s sharp drop since April was chiefly due to the political turmoil in the UK and the fact the Bank of England refused to turn hawkish despite an uptick in inflation,” Razaqzada said. “At the same time, eco-

Pedestrians walk past a board displaying the price of Euro and US dollars against British pound Sterling, outside a currency exchange store in central London on August 31, 2017. The Brexit-hit British pound is threatening to reach parity with the euro—and is already worth less for some travelers who seek to exchange cash at airports. AFP

nomic data in the eurozone started to improve, which aided the euro’s recovery.” In line with many experts, Razaqzada cautioned that the shared eurozone unit could tip lower if the ECB fails to announce plans to taper its so-called quantitative easing (QE) stimulus. At the same time, the Bank of England (BoE) could be forced to lift interest rates if Britain’s annual inﬂation rate gallops unexpectedly higher. High interest rates make currencies a more attractive bet for investors because they offer a greater rate of return. Nevertheless, with the clock ticking on Britain’s EU departure―which is set

for March 2019―the pound could face more stumbling blocks in the near future. “The upside for euro/pound is limited, but given the ongoing Brexit uncertainty I would not be surprised if the (pound) exchange rate eventually rises to 1.00 euro,” Razaqzada concluded. The BoE cut its key interest rate to a record-low 0.25 percent in August 2016, in order to combat the economic fallout of Brexit―but this has weighed on the pound. The economy eked out slender growth of 0.3-percent in the second quarter, up from 0.2-percent in the ﬁrst quarter, contributing to the uncertain outlook.

BoE governor Mark Carney recently warned that high inﬂation―triggered by a Brexit-fuelled slump in the pound―had hurt consumer spending, a key engine of the economy. Euro-pound parity could therefore place household expenditure under even greater strain. Airports ﬁrms take advantage? At the same time, British tourists seeking last-minute euros are already facing the prospect of euro parity in airport bureau de change desks, a recent study showed. The average exchange rate stood at 95 euro cents to the pound at 16 major British

airports, according to a survey conducted by foreign exchange broker FairFx. However, FairFx warned that airport foreign exchange operators were “taking advantage” of “captive” customers who had no other choice to buy their holiday euros. Frustration at the high euro rates has meanwhile bubbled over on social media, particularly at London’s Heathrow. “One pound gets you under one euro at Heathrow airport,” exclaimed one Twitter user, posting a picture which showed the pound conversion rate at 0.9494 euros. “That’s possibly the wackiest rate I’ve ever seen! Thanks Brexit.” AFP

2nd round of Nafta negotiations begin amid threats from Trump to terminate the agreement MEXICO CITY―The US, Mexico and Canada dive into the details of revamping the North American Free Trade Agreement at a second round of talks Friday, amid threats from President Donald Trump to ax the deal. After setting an ambitious “accelerated” calendar during the ﬁrst round―held in Washington from August 16 to 20― negotiators will now begin the nitty gritty business of modernizing the 1,700-page deal

at ﬁve days of talks in Mexico City. Trump has doubled down on his anti-Nafta rhetoric in the build-up to the second round, saying Mexico was “being difﬁcult” and that the US would “end up probably terminating” the deal, which he says has been disastrous for American industry and jobs. But Mexico, which sends 80 percent of its exports to the United States, has dismissed Trump’s threats as posturing.

“President Trump is negotiating. He’s a negotiator with a peculiar style, a well-known style about which he has even published books,” Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray said last week. Trump himself has sent mixed signals about the deal. On Thursday, he and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on the phone and “stressed their hope to reach an agreement by the end of this year,” according to the

White House. Most experts now say Nafta is likely to survive with modest changes―though with Trump, nothing is certain, they warn. The Republican president may ultimately have little room to maneuver. Some 14 million US jobs depend on trade with Mexico and Canada, according to the US Chamber of Commerce. Instituted in 1994, Nafta eliminated most tariffs across a region representing some 28

percent of the global economy. To supporters, it has been instrumental in creating tightly integrated supply chains that ensured North America’s competitiveness at a time of Asia’s rise as an economic power. To opponents, it is synonymous with the dirty word of globalization and the ills they say it has wrought―the decline of American manufacturing might, to some; to others, multi-national corporations’ drive for ever-cheap-

er workers and ever-lower labor standards. Mexican workers plan to protest Friday against what they call their government’s sell-out to “neoliberalism.” Negotiators are rushing to reach a deal before the process gets caught up in campaigning for Mexico’s July 2018 presidential elections―where a leftist populist, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, leads in the polls―and the November 2018

US midterms. Even proponents admit the deal, signed before the rise of cell phones and the internet, is ripe for an update. But there are numerous touchy subjects, including US demands to scrap Nafta’s dispute resolution mechanism and change the rules of origin for the auto sector to require a certain percentage of cars’ components to be built in the United States in order to remain dutyfree. AFP

Manila

LGUs

Standard

TODAY

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

Bill that redefines ‘public utility’ OKd T

HE House of Representatives approved on Tuesday House Bill 5828, which legally redefines public utilities in clear terms and amends the 80-year-old Public Service Act. Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, senior vice chairman of the House committee on economic affairs and one of the bill’s principal authors, said the measure is a vital requirement for the country’s robust economic development. It redefines the concept of public utility, the vagueness of which, he said, has led to business uncertainty, fewer invest-

ments and limited consumer choices. The approved bill aims to ensure the proper implementation of Section 11, Article XII of the Philippine Constitution, which states that only companies which are 60-percent owned by Filipinos may operate public utilities. HB 5828 redefines public utility to refer to a person,

business or service that operates, manages and controls the distribution and transmission of electricity for public use, as provided in Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, and water pipeline and distribution system as defined under RA 6234, and PD 198, also known as the Provincial Water Utilities Act of 1973. It also stipulates that a public utility business or service “needs to be regulated when the common good so requires.” Public service, on the other hand, was amended to refer to “canal, public market, irrigation system” and the like.

Its ultimate objective, Salceda explained, is “to promote consumer welfare and international competitiveness, since with more players in the industry, there will be greater competition, which will lead to better quality services, greater access to services for far-flung areas, and lower rates.” “Are you satisfied with the quality and cost of the basic services you get from transportation and telecommunication these days? We need to protect consumers from companies that violate the law by making sure the penalties will deter or punish them for violating the rights of consumers,” Salceda stressed.

public.” Economic analysts said the Philippines’ woes over its poor telecommunications, transport and power service quality have been debilitating and have stalled economic growth for so long. These woes, Salceda pointed out, stem from the “ambiguities” in the statutory definition of public service and public utility, “which have allowed oligarchs to monopolize the three vital industries for decades to the detriment of consumers and progress.” He said the approved measure clarifies and resolves such ambiguities. The measure also provides

The measure, which consolidated six bills filed by Salceda and Reps. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Arthur Yap, Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., Jose Christopher Y. Belmonte, and Monsour T. del Rosario III, also increases the penalties for violators of its provisions, from the current P200 a day to a maximum of P5 million a day to “give teeth to the law.” HB 5828, Salceda said, would attract more foreign investments the country badly needs, and address the “changes in the economic framework brought about by globalization and rapid advances in technology and the law to fulfill its purpose of truly serving the

that “maximum rate of return (for public utility businesses) shall be equal to the post-tax weighted average cost of capital for the same or comparable business, computed using established methodologies such as the capital asset pricing model.” Salceda pointed out that “consumers often experience high prices and poor quality of basic services because only a few local players and oligarchs effectively control the market. Competition and foreign investments are inhibited, because limitations that should only apply to the operation of a public utility are also applied to all public services.”

NV mining firm opens scholarship slots anew By Abe Almirol BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Students who are entering college in this province were given another chance to finish a degree under a financial grant from the Social Development Management Program of a mining firm. Before this school year commenced, a renewed scholarship challenge has been widely publicized by FCF Minerals Corp., which operates the Runruno goldmine in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya.“Those who would be taking up degrees in Geology, Mining Engineering and Metallurgy are given top priority,” says Elmer Castañeto, an educator based at the Nueva Vizcaya State University who chairs the scholarship selection committee. Under the implementing guidelines of the 1995 Mining Act, Castañeto said a mandatory program called “Development of Mining

BEST COPS. The Tacloban City Police Office brought home awards from the 116th Philippine National Police (PNP) Police Service Anniversary on Aug. 22 at the Police Regional 8, Camp

Ruperto Kangleon, Palo, Leyte. Tacloban Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez stands with City Police Director Senior Supt. Rolando Bade (center) with the trophy for Best City Police Office, while PNP Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa hands awards to TCPO’s other officials for their accomplishments on anti-illegal drugs operations, illegal gambling and implementation of other special laws. Robbie Pangilinan

Technology and Geosciences” institutionalized a scholarship program aimed at producing mining professionals and other future experts from allied engineering and technical disciplines. FCF Minerals has convened its multi-stakeholder committee on Friday to evaluate the past semester performance of its current scholars. Taking off from the result of the evaluation, they will act on existing scholarship contracts and accept new applications. The committee is expected to finalize the list of students to be included in its roster of 2017 scholarship grantees. FCF Minerals the Filipino subsidiary of UKbased Metals Exploration PLC, operates the Runruno Gold-Molybdenum Project under a Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement with the Philippine government.The Runruno mine started commercial production last July.

Tacloban ‘Pinak Best’ products snapped up by consumers at QC Trade Show PWDs get 76 sewing machines THE Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte recently joined the Producer to Consumer Trade Show at the Quezon City Hall through the “Pinak Best Products” booth set up by the Small Medium Enterprise Office. The trade show ran from Aug. 30 to 31, a result of the partnership between Ilocos

TACLOBAN City Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez distributed livelihood equipment to 76 persons with disabilities at the Tacloban City Training Center last Aug. 29. The beneficiaries from the city’s northern barangays received sewing machines and automatic sealers from the mayor as part of the city’s ongoing livelihood program for its vulnerable sectors. The recipients also underwent livelihood training on mat and rug weaving and food processing. Funding for the P2-million project came from a grant from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bottom Up Budgeting program. The grant was secured by the Livelihood Cluster of the City Government composed of the City Social Welfare Office, Cristina’s Learn and Earn Program, City Cooperative Livelihood Development and Livelihood Assistance Office, and other city departments. CCDLAO chief Ruena Mate and City Social Welfare officer Remedios Buna assisted Romualdez during the awarding of livelihood assistance. Earlier, scores of residents from seven barangays received frontline services being offered by the Barangay Outreach Program of the City Government. Starting in Barangay 64 Sagkahan, the Barangayan served residents of Barangays 62, 62-A, 62-B, 63, 64 75 and 76. According to Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, MASA and Special Projects for Health Head, the Barangayan is a regular project of Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, which brings much-needed health and frontline services directly to the communities. Robbie Pangilinan

Norte Gov. Imee R. Marcos and Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista. The “Pinak Best Products” Producer-to-Consumer trade has been a monthly activity since January this year, as Marcos and Bautista had signed an agreement on the trade show.

According to Edison Natividad, head of the Provincial Small and Medium Enterprises Office, products were fastmoving in every activity since the opening of the trade show this year. “The trade show has become a monthly success; many micro entrepreneurs from the

no delicacies such as bagnet, longganisa, miki noodles and Ilocos empanada, boosting both tourism and small and medium-sized enterprises in Ilocos Norte. In 2015, Marcos assured Ilocanos in her State of the Province Address of the continued support of PGIN to lo-

province have shown interest in joining the event in Quezon City. Because some of the original entrepreneurs gather their monthly sales in just two days in Quezon City,” Natividad added. The province is also showcasing inabel hand-made products and authentic Iloca-

cal producers, already proposing to join the trade show in Quezon City. “Itaguyod ang produktong sinauna… magtinda na tayo sa iba’t-ibang bagsakan, at magbukas tayo ng Ilocos Store sa Quezon City Hall. Siak ti Manang Tindera! Happy to serve!” (Ako ang Manang Tindera!)

In The Name Of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MINDANAO PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF BASILAN BIDS AND AWARDSCOMMITTEE Provincial Capitol Bldg., Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 Invitation to Bid for SUPPLY AND DELIVERY FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUMISIP DISTRICT HOSPITAL, SUPPLY AND DELIVERY FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF DRUG EDUCATION CENTER AND CONTRACT FOR THECONSTRUCTION OFSTREET LIGHTS. Under BAC PUBLICATION 009-2017 1. The Provincial Government of Basilan intends to apply part of the sum of TWENTY EIGHT MILLION ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY EIGHT THOUSAND AND SEVEN HUNDRED FORTY SEVEN 40/100 (P28,178,747.40) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payment for the contract of the following procurement under the Office of the Provincial Engineer as distributed below; Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected a bid opening. Name of Contract a) Supply and Delivery for Construction materials for the Const. of Sumisip District Hospital b) Supply and Delivery for Construction Materials for Construction of Drug Education Center c) Contract for the Construction of Street lights Total…………….

BREAST CARE AWARENESS. Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation recently sponsored a whole-day seminar on breast cancer

awareness, which included a mammography service for female faculty and staff of Pulong Sta. Cruz Elementary School and Pulong Sta. Cruz National High School, both in Santa Rosa, Laguna. The seminar was conducted in partnership with Breast Cancer Imperative Inc. and Gift2Life Inc. to educate teachers with proper breast care. Mammogram screening for the 23 female teachers was done inside a ‘mammovan’ donated by TMPF.

Bataan Energy Press Corps leaders take oath BALANGA CITY, Bataan—The officers of the newly formed Bataan Energy Press Corps officers took oath on Tuesday. Engineer Napoleon Viterbo, National Grid Corp. of the Philippines North Luzon District 5 Head, sworn in the officers of the media organization held at Crown Royal Hotel, this city. Officers of the press corps are President, Mhike Cigaral (DZXL and CLTV 36); Vice President for Broadcast, Roel Tarayao (TV 5); Vice President for Print, Zeny Soriano (Bataan Primestar); Secretary, Josie Martinez

(Net 25); and Advisers, Jun Bringula (DWIZ), Lulu Levera (Bataan Chronicle), Raffy Viray (Philippine Star) and PIA Bataan Manager JM Garcia. Butch Gunio of Manila Standard is adviser. Butch Cabrera represented Balanga City Mayor Francis Garcia in the oath-taking ceremony Viterbo said the press corps will be utilized in disseminating accurate, impartial, and comprehensible information about NGCP, and the power industry. He said the creation of the group will also ensure proactive

resolution of emerging issues before making public announcements. NGCP Regional Corporate Communication Officer for Bataan and Zambales Fely Francisco thanked the press corps officers for the support She said the press corps can also conduct a partnership program that will benefit the community such as but not limited to NGCP host communities in the province Earlier in the day, the press corps officers toured NGCP BCCPP Substation and were given an orientation in Limay, Bataan. Butch Gunio

Approved Budget for the Contract P18,390,664.40 1,385,946.00 8,402,137.00 P28,178,747.40

2.The Provincial Government of Basilan now invites bids for Procurement of Goods for the Supply and Delivery for Construction Materials for the Construction ofSumisip District Hospital, Supply and Delivery for Construction Materials for the Construction of Drug Education Center and for the Procurement of Civil Works for the construction of Street lights . Said Procurement shall be chargeable against theexisting appropriation of the Basilan Provincial Government except for letter a, being funded by the Department of Health thru a Memorandum of Agreement with the Provincial Government. Bidders have completed within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipts of bids, a contract similar to the project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II, Instruction to Bidders. 3.Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary 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”. 4. 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. Interested bidders may obtain further information from The Provincial Government of Basilan and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00am to 5pm. 5. A complete Bidding Documents may be purchased in the amount of Twenty Five thousand Pesos (P25,000.00) for letter A, Five Thousand Pesos (P5,000.00) for letter b and Ten Thousand pesos (P10,000.00) for letter c for the procurement for each contract by interested Bidders from the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fees for the Bidding Documents and ONE THOUSAND PESOS (P1,000.00) for Letter of Intent .It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later that the submission of their bids. 6. The Provincial Government of Basilan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 9:00 am, September 8, 2017 at BAC Office, Provincial Capitol, Isabela City, Basilan Province, which shall be open to all interested parties. 7. Bids must be delivered on Bid Opening to the address below on or before 10:00 am, September 20, 2017 at BAC Office, Provincial Capitol, Isabela City, Basilan Province. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18. 8. 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. 9. The Provincial Government of Basilan 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. 10. For further information, please refer to: The BAC CHAIRPERSON LGU- BASILAN Bids and Award Committee C/O BAC Secretariat Ground Floor, Provincial Capitol Building, Isabela City, Basilan Province, 7300 Fax No.: 062 200 3416 & 062 200 3417 (SGD) INTAN GORDANA A. ABUBAKAR Chairperson, Bids and Award Committee (MS-SEPT. 2, 2017)

LGUs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor jimbo.gulle@gmail.com mslocalgov@gmail.com

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

SHAKING IT. A row of dancers garbed in costumes made from parts of a coconut tree perform in the Niyogyugan Festival on Sunday in Lucena City, Quezon. Teddy Pelaez

‘Gender focal person’ for biz in QC ordered By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Friday ordered the inclusion of gender focal person in private establishments to handle gender issues. A focal person shall serve as an immediate responder in the cases of violence against women and harassment in workplaces, Bautista said. “Not only the government offices that shall have a gender and development (GAD) focal person, but as also a private establishment for gender awareness and sensitivity. In fact, most of the reported sexual abuse and harassment in Quezon City occurred in private offices,” he said. Quezon City has partnered with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) to pilot the “Safe Cities Program” of UN Women. Bautista invoked Republic Act 9710, or the Magna Carta of Women, stipulating that all departments, offices, bureaus, state universities and colleges, governmentowned and corporations, local government units and other government agencies shall establish their own GAD focal point system or similar GAD mechanism to catalyze and accelerate gender mainstreaming. Meanwhile, the city government eyes the speedy pick-up and delivery of breastmilk. According to Bautista, they will use motorcycles to pick up donated breastmilk by lactating mothers to the city’s human milk bank. He vowed to continue to advocate the city as “mother-baby friendly city,” saying the city government actively conducts breastfeeding awareness drives and milk-letting activities in different health centers.

Makati battling streetlight thieves

By Joel E. Zurbano

AKATI City Mayor Abigail Binay on Friday urged residents to be vigilant and help the city government arrest unscrupulous individuals responsible for the rampant theft of streetlight wires and accessories in various villages, which cost the city government more than P5.7 million since July last year.

“We as a community must take action and put a stop to

the rampant stealing of wires and accessories of our street

lampposts that repeatedly plunges many of our streets in darkness,” Binay said. The mayor noted that aside from causing financial burden on the city, violators of the Anti-Pilferage of Electricity and Theft of Electric Transmission Lines/Materials Act of 1994 are also putting residents and the general public in grave danger. “These lawbreakers have not only put to waste millions of pesos worth of taxpayers’ money, but have also seriously endangered residents and other innocent civilians passing through affected streets,” she said.

Binay asked residents and the public to promptly report such incidents to the police or notify the city government through My Makati Facebook page so the culprits could be arrested. She also ordered the Makati City police and barangay officials to step up patrols, especially in areas where wire theft is frequently committed. “The consequences of this crime cannot be taken lightly. We must be vigilant and promptly report incidents of wire theft to the authorities,” Binay said. Criminal elements are known to prey more on pedestrians in dark, unlit streets

at night, which also become accident-prone to motorists. Electrocution is another hazard resulting from wire theft and also illegal tapping of government-owned electric panel boards. Binay tapped city police chief Senior Supt. Gerardo Umayao to increase police visibility in areas with high incidence of wire theft based on the records of the city engineering office, directing the latter to provide the list to the Makati Police Department. “I expect to see results in the coming weeks. It should either be more arrests, or fewer incidents of wire theft,” she said.

She also urged the police to go after individuals or establishments that are buying stolen wires and accessories and arrest them for violating the Anti-Fencing Law. In a report to the mayor, city chief engineer Elmer Acuesta gave a breakdown of the financial costs incurred by the city amounting to P5,754,424, as follows: P4,426,480 for total cost of materials and P1,327,944 for labor cost. Acuesta also reported 1,350 damaged street light poles and 54,000 meters of damaged street light wire connections resulting from wire thefts and

‘Habagat’ stirs up loads of trash in Manila Bay By Bill Casas MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada assured the public on Friday that the daily cleanup of Manila Bay will continue until the end of the month, or until the rains induced by the southwest monsoon or “habagat” stop. Citing a report from Task Force Manila Cleanup head Che Borromeo, Estrada said they are expecting tons and tons of garbage to swamp the Baywalk area because of heavy downpour almost every day. “This is because all the garbage from other coastal cities and provinces end up in Manila Bay, especially when it rains. It will build up because of ‘habagat’ until end of September,” Estrada said. At the height of Typhoon “Gorio” during the last week of July, and later Typhoon “Jolina” last week, city hall workers have been on duty every day and until weekends hauling garbage from Baywalk, Estrada said. Last weekend, Task Force Manila Cleanup personnel collected

up to 19 truckloads of trash and an average of two truckloads a day during the weekdays, according to Borromeo. “All the trash comes from other places—Cavite, Bataan, and other coastal cities nearby. It only comes here. Manila is the catch basin of all these garbage,” Borromeo lamented. He pointed out that a huge amount of trash will continue to swamp Baywalk until the end of the month, particularly when another weather disturbance hits Metro Manila, thus further enhancing the southwest monsoon. “We’re monitoring the weather daily so that we would know whether to deploy more personnel and equipment to do cleanup and garbage collection along the shores of Manila Bay,” Borromeo said. In fact, truckloads of trash were collected on Friday along the shores of Manila Bay. The Manila Department of Public Safety hauled off truckloads of garbage during their cleanup of the shoreline along Roxas Boulevard.

illegal connections. Under Republic Act 7832, violation of its Section 3 on Theft of Electric Power Transmission Lines and Materials carries the penalty of reclusion temporal (12 years and 1 day to 20 years) or a fine ranging from P50,000 to P100,000, or both, at the discretion of the court. On the other hand, illegal use of electricity cited under Section 2 of the said law which includes illegal connections and jumpers is punishable with prision mayor (six years and one day to 12 years) or a fine ranging from P10,000 to P20,000, or both, at the discretion of the court.

‘Tokhang’ grads gain capital for business By Jun David

MANNERS CLASS. Navotas City Vice Mayor Clint Geronimo and Avot John, the mascot of Navotas (inset), visited the public elementary schools in the city to teach Navoteño kids about discipline and obedience to the law. Avot John visits all public elementary schools in the city monthly to teach young Navoteños about good manners, good nutrition, disaster preparedness and other issues. Andrew Rabulan

Valenzuela to pilot COSE program

FIREFIGHTERS. President Rodrigo Duterte (second from right) stands with the officials of the Association of Volunteer Fire Chiefs and Fire Fighters of the Philippines–Hotline 16016 headed by (from left) president emeritus George Go Pen Siong, Vice President Mariano Ong, vice president, Arvin Sy and secretary-general Arthur Que during the commemoration of the National Heroes Day at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, in Taguig City on Monday. Norman Cruz

VALENZUELA City has been chosen by the Coalition of Services of the Elderly, Inc. (COSE) to be the pilot area of a German government funded program in the country, which will be implemented in the city for three years. COSE is a non-government organization that addresses issues concerning the elderly including poverty, exclusion and invisibility. COSE met with the 35 chapter presidents of the Alliance of Senior Citizens of Valenzuela City, Inc. recently at the city social hall to revisit and assess the present status of the federation and to discuss about the Strengthening Social Accountability in

Philippine Social Protection Program. The program has two parts, social protection and strengthening social accountability. Social protection program includes social pension and PhilHealth, while the strengthening social accountability seeks to intensify the responsibility and capabilities of the older people’s organizations and local program implementers for the best execution of the benefits and programs concerning the elderly. Kathleen Valdez, focal person for Older Persons Program of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, said the program aims to come up with an operational

manual, to have a sharing of ideas about the implementation of social pension program from different places, to have a driven mechanism and a citywide profiling. Valdez said Valenzuela City is the only city selected by COSE in the National Capital Region for the implementation of its projects benefiting the senior citizens due to the city’s existing programs for the elderly and recommendation from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. In 2014, Valenzuela City was hailed as an Age-Friendly City by COSE and DSWD for building age-friendly communities. Jun David

VALENZUELA City will grant capital for business to graduates of its drug rehabilitation program. According to Mayor Rex Gatchalian, 60 of 142 former “Operation Tokhang” surenderers are now ready to move forward after three months that they have finished their sixmonth drug rehabilitation program in Magalang, Pampanga. The P10,000 in seed capital from the city government will be coursed through the three biggest cooperatives in Valenzuela. The program is part of VC Cares Plus, the 18-month after-care program that seeks the welfare of the former drug dependents under Valenzuela City’s Comprehensive Antidrug Support Program. Through the City Council Resolution No. 959, which created the Drug Rehabilitation Graduates Productivity Program, the city government “is committed to partner with the city’s best performing cooperatives to implement policies and guidelines reflecting reasonable financial assistance to ensure satisfactory livelihood opportunities among the worthy beneficiaries.” The resolution allowed the mayor to enter into an agreement with the San Isidro Labrador Parish Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Valenzuela Development Cooperative and Holy Cross Savings and Credit Cooperative as conduits of the capital grants. The partnership is expected to boost the city’s continuing efforts to combat the drug menace and assist the rehabilitated victims of illegal drugs to become productive citizens of the city.

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

ISLAND PARADISE. Siargao, a tear drop-shaped island in Surigao del Norte, offers various natural wonders that enchant tourists from different parts of the globe.

Serene Siargao Text and photos by Bernadette Lunas Additional photos by Donald Tapan

AKE up to the sound of chirping birds, eat breakfast under a canopy of white orchids, nap on a hammock under a palm tree, surf the waves—or learn how to ride them—by afternoon, partake of grilled feast and down it with fresh coconut juice, take a dip in a clear tidal pool, sleep, repeat.

Such a day makes for a relaxing holiday, and such a day happens everyday, 800 kilometers southeast of Manila, on the island of Siargao.

Laid-back lifestyle

Sugba This tear drop-shaped isDive into ol co land of Surigao del Norte is ’s Lagoon water popular among foreign and lm a c d an local tourists as a world-class surfing destination. But apart from the thrilling waves, this province boasts something else more apparent: its laid-back atmosphere that could possibly make you forget days passing by. According to Del Carmen tourMayor Alfredo Coro II,, locals ists—mostly usually have dinner at 6 p.m., Americans and Europeans—as well sewatch their favorite drama se ries on television, and call it a night. But as local visitors were still happily and eagerly this doesn’t mean the island has no night- discovering its natural wonders, thus keeping life—it has and it starts at 10:30 p.m. and Siargao’s tourism industry alive. lasts until 4:00 a.m. “We’re very laid-back. Siargao is an ideal Natural wonders destination if you want to relax,” says MayFearless surfers who want to take on a or Coro. “death ride” and newbie surfers who want to There is a certain serenity that envelops test their mettle flock to the edge of General the lush island despite the extended martial Luna for a taste of Cloud 9. This popular law in Mindanao. surfing spot, discovered by Australian tourOn a recent trip to Siargao, several foreign ists in the late ‘80s and named after a Fili-

pino chocolate bar, is what made Siargao “The Surfing Capital of the Philippines.” It’s known for its huge waves with thick hollow tubes that offer surfers a thrilling ride all-year-round. But swells are bigger in September, during which the province stages its annual Siargao Cup, a local and international surfing competition. However if you prefer to step aside than take a ride, a long boardwalk will take you to a three-story viewing deck where you can take a few snapshots of Cloud 9 and ogle at sun-tanned surfers. For non-surfers (done of watching waves), and surfers on a break, there are three popular islands about 20 minutes from General Luna that you can check out. First is Naked Island, as its name suggests, is a barren strip of white sand surrounded by clear and calm waters. The lack of shade on this islet makes it a favorite spot for a few rounds of football. Guyam Island is like a cake of palm trees in the middle of the ocean. This idyllic island is uninhabited thus gives you the feeling that you have the entire expanse, or part of it, by yourself. Now, if you want a full island experience, complete with crystal clear waters, cottages and palm trees, barbecue and coconut juice, and beach activities, head over to Daku Island, the largest among the three. An hour on this little slice of paradise is not enough for the many things you can do and many sights you can see, in fact, we bet that first

Tourists flock to Del Carmen’s Sugba Lagoon for its serene turquoise water surrounded by limestone hills covered with lush vegetation.

The Magpupungko Rock is the most famous rock formation at Magpupungko Beach and Tidal Pools in Pilar

Siargao’s world famous ‘Cloud 9’ is known for its huge waves with thick hollow tubes

hour will just be you reveling in the beauty of this unspoiled destination. Even swimming pools come in their most natural form in Siargao with the Magpupungko Tidal Pools at the northern end of Magpupungko Beach in Pilar. Like a buried treasure, the calm and cool aquamarine water in crevices of the reef barrier lures everyone to dive into its enchanting beauty. Surrounding your view is the Pacific Ocean and massive rock formations, the most popular of which is the round Magpupungko Rock sitting atop a flat rock (pungko is Visayan of “to sit”). Go to a different world in Sugba Lagoon located within the island of Caub in Del Carmen. This 87-hectare wonder is like a view straight out of a painting: turquoise water, limestone hills covered with lush vegetation, and happy tourists from different parts of the globe either swimming, diving, paddle boarding, or chatting with friends over grilled seafood and cold beer. But before you reach Sugba Lagoon, a 30-minute ride on a motorized banca will take you on a tour through Del Carmen’s 4,000-hectare mangrove reserve, the largest contiguous mangrove stand in the country.

Back to basics

Suffice it to say, Siargao is not exactly the place of worldly pleasures; no fancy restaurants, no five-star accommodations, no luxury shops. In fact, even in its commercial area, Dapa, there are only a few big establishments and chains—mostly banks and gasoline stations. You will instead eat at local restaurants, stay in a bed and breakfast or hostel or homestay (or in any of the three Class AAA resorts on the island), and buy your supplies from mom and pop stores. The only pleasure this province can give is a basic one, but perhaps the most important kind: the raw pleasure from nature that can clear your mind, soothe your soul, and make you feel alive. Experience Siargao via Skyjet Airlines’s 80-seater British Aerospace 146-100 jet. Skyjet is the only airline that flies directly from Manila to Sayak Airport in Siargao, a convenience Skyjet Airlines President Dino Reyes-Chua is proud of. “We are not just selling seats, we are selling experience. Flying with Skyjet is a lifestyle.” Go to www.flyskyjetair.com for more details.

Marco Polo’s Business Matters ness, Bengzon announced that DoT would roll out a MICE Road Map before the end of the year. This will make it easy for MICE planners in the country and their foreign counterparts to have all the relevant information they need in staging super-huge events, similar to what Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand handle throughout the year. It was pointed out that, of all the international chain hotels operating in the country, Marco Polo is the only one that made BY BOB ZOZOBRADO an “unconventional” investment by initially THE hotel chain’s business certainly matters to establishing its presence outside Metro Mathose of us involved in the tourism industry benila, the opposite of what the other internacause its presence in the three main geographical tional hotel chains have done. The brand’s regions of our archipelago, and the business each first hotel opened in Davao City in 1998 of these properties generates, can serve as an inwith 245 elegant guest rooms and suites, dicator of the progress of tourism in our country. equipped with Internet and other facilities. Any of these three hotels’ occupancy could indiIt has a wide array of food and bevercate the status of tourist arrivals in the region it is age choices---an international buffet at Café in, or the statistics of all three hotels put Marco, Cantonese delights at Lotus together could mirror the trend of visiCourt, a la carte international cuitors entering the country. sine at Polo Bistro, cocktails at The This is why I commend Marco Polo Eagles Bar, and the Pool Lounge, YOUR SATURDAY CHUCKLE for having had the initiative to host or high tea at the Lobby Lounge, A Scout Master asked one of his troop what good the recent Forum, which they labeled where live music is provided by a deed he had done for the day. “Well,” said the scout, “Business Matters.” They took up group of talented musicians. the cudgels for the local industry and The brand’s second hotel— “Dad had only one bottle of beer left, so instead of faced the tourism scenario squarely, to Marco Polo Plaza Cebu—opened me drinking it, I let my baby brother have it.” see what else could be done to ensure in 2006 on Nivel Hills, with continued growth in visitor arrivals. breathtaking views of the Queen A high-ranking officer of the DeCity of the South with 329 spapartment of Tourism (DoT), in the presence ity standards for tourism establishments, to cious guest rooms and suites, each with Inof the officers of the chain’s three Philippine ensure the delivery of world-class products to ternet access and other facilities. hotels, was asked to share with members of our visitors. More importantly, the tourism The much-touted Cebuano hospitality the media how the industry is progressing body agrees that empowering local govern- reigns supreme in this hotel, the reason why to date and what marketing strategies have ment units (LGU) has made it easier for tour- it continues to increase its number of loyal been implemented by the agency. During ist destinations in the countryside to flourish. repeat guests. the Q&A, I endeavored to establish the link The city or town mayor now has the complete The hotel is also known for its many interbetween the three hotels’ performance vis- responsibility for the sustainable development national food festivals throughout the year, à-vis the DoT’s arrival statistics and, sure of local countryside attractions. giving guests and local residents easy access enough, the hotels’ occupancy rates served Recognizing the value of MICE (meetings, to Mediterranean, Southeast Asian, Western, as an accurate barometer for such data. incentives, conventions and exhibitions) busi- Filipino and Spanish cuisine.

MERCURY RISING

Tourism Undersecretary Bong Bengzon gladly announced that foreign visitors increased by 12.7 percent during the first six months of this year, compared with the same period last year, although he admitted a slowing down of arrivals in June. Our country is the only destination in Asia that did not suffer a month-on-month decline in arrivals because South Korea, China, and Japan continue to prop us up, as our top three sources of visitors. Aside from pushing cruise tourism, medical tourism, and ecotourism, DoT continues to organize familiarization tours for travel agents from potentially rich markets, support key aviation events and develop strong bonds with chartered airline operators. Domestic connectivity is now in place as more flights have started to operate between major cities in the country. The DOT has also been very strict in implementing qual-

The well-designed de luxe suite at Marco Polo Ortigas

The Deck glows at night, at the city-resort Marco Polo Davao

The hotel chain’s third property—Marco Polo Ortigas—opened in 2014 and immediately zoomed past its competitors in the neighborhood. It recently earned the coveted 2017 Five-Star rating from Forbes Travel Guide, further enhancing the appeal of its 316 welldesigned guest rooms and suites. Its existence has added to Metro Manila’s list of choice food and beverage destinations: Cucina, the all-day dining restaurant, features live show kitchens; Lung Hin serves traditional and authentic Cantonese cuisine; Café Pronto is the relaxed and friendly coffee venue, while VU’s, the first of its kind sky bar and lounge, is located on the hotel’s topmost

45th floor and provides an awesome view of the Metro Manila skyline. With Marco Polo’s plethora of user-friendly de luxe facilities and convenient locations, one can easily see why these three top-notch properties have become the choice of guests who go for the finer things in life. Being the preferred choices of local and international visitors is a fitting tribute to the famous Venetian merchant traveler whose name the brand has adopted and, as far as historians are concerned, that is the “business” that matters! For feedback, I’m at bobzozobrado@gmail.com

C2 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer

HE undisputed “Diyosa” and style icon of Philippine showbiz Anne Curtis launched her passion project, the Dream Machine platform that hopes to stop dream shaming and empower dreamers to reach for and live out their dreams. In an intimate press conference, Anne confessed that she has big dreams and she’s grateful that most of these dreams have come true. “I have always been a dreamer. In my 20 years in showbiz, I have worked hard to reach for my dreams. I am blessed to have already achieved most of my dreams and it’s my turn to be a blessing to others through the Dream Machine platform,” Anne said. Anne, who has been in charity works quietly for many years, decided to put up the Dream Machine after hearing stories of dream shaming. “It is sad when people set dreams in their hearts only to be dream-shamed by people either because of their color, their status in life, (or) their current skills. It gets worse when it is their own family or loved ones who shoot down their dreams. The Dream Machine platform hopes to encourage dreamers to continue chasing their dreams and we will do our best to help them,” she adds. Anne revealed that she also was a victim of dream shaming when people called her out for holding the Annebisyosa concert, saying she did not have the right chops to sing, much less do a concert. “To sing before a huge audience was my dream. And I worked hard to make it happen. It was not something that I did just for myself, but the Annebisyosa concert was also my way of encouraging people to always ﬁght for their dreams in the face of those that say you can’t do it,” Anne recalled. Through Dream Machine, Anne hopes to connect with dreamers and learn more about their dreams through the Dream Machine website. There are three categories of dreams that Dream Machine will be supporting. Youth, Education and Empowerment “Before the school year started, we were approached by the General Roxas Elementary School in Quezon City for support in their school renovation. Dream Machine was very happy to help and we are hoping that the renovation would inspire the students to study better,” Anne shared. To kick start the platform, Dream Machine is hosting the Color Run to empower the dreams of disabled children under the auspices of UNICEF. Anne has been a UNICEF ambassador for two years now. “Proceeds of the Dream Machine Color Run will all go to

ASHLEY ORTEGA

looking for adventure SISTER ACT.

TV personality Anne Curtis (right) during the launch of "Dream Machine," a charity event hosted by her sister Jasmine Curtis-Smith (left)

the children with disabilities being taken care of by UNICEF. These children are dreamers, too, and you’ll be surprised that some of their dreams are not really for themselves but for their families,” Anne said. Dream Machine will also roll out the red carpet for the dream weddings of three couples on the first quarter of next year. Couples are invited to share their love stories with Anne through the Dream Machine website. Three couples will be chosen and will be provided their own dream weddings by the Dream Machine. “The Dream Machine wants to put a stop to dream shaming and instead would like to inspire and encourage more people to dream big. The Dream Machine wants to connect with the dreamers, the dream chasers. The platform serves as the dreamweaver, and will try to find ways to finally turn dream chasers into dream catchers,” Anne explained. Anne said she’d be happy to welcome other people who would want to be part of the Dream Machine as dream-givers as much as she would love to hear the stories of the dreamers. “At the end of the day, what Dream Machine hopes to achieve is to be able to inspire the dreamers, help them achieve their dreams and hopefully be able to start a dream revolution where there’ll be a lot of dream-givers to help the dreamers. The world will be a much happier place when that happens,” Anne said. Dreamers may start sending in their dreams via the Dream Machine website http://www. dreammachine.ph/.

ABS-CBN in the service of 36 million digital Kapamilya

Ricky Reyes and Gloria Romero

Gloria Romero visits TWGRR TIMELESS beauty Gloria Romero talks to host Ricky Reyes in The World of Gandang Ricky Reyes today 9-10 a.m. on GMA News TV. At 83,. Gloria reveals her secret in staying active in the business. Currently, she is in GMA7’s fantasy series Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko. Meanwhile, diligence and perseverance are what made Jackie succeed in life. Left by her father and orphaned at an early age, she is now an international make-up artist who has her own make-up studio. Busy bee Starstruck Fourth Season Ultimate winner Kris Bernal manages to oversee her Meat Kris Burger despite her hectic schedule. Discover Mother’s Secret Healing Center in San Juan City for ailments such as high blood and diabetes. Mompreneur Flor B. Santos opens the first franchise of KPub BBQ – voted by Yahoo as the no.1 Korean buffet in town today. KPpub Glorietta is located at the roof deck of Glorietta 1 in Ayala Center Makati City. Revitalize your hair with Regold, try Cryo Hair Therapy while SoftWave Treatment gives shine to dull hair and The Twist gives curly hair ends. Open your own salon after graduating from the Ricky Reyes Learning Institute (RRLI) with branches in Anonas, Cubao, Quiapo, Fairview, General Santos Mindanao and San Jose Del Monte Bulacan. Tune in to The World of Gandang Ricky Reyes (TWGRR) every Saturday, 9-10 a.m. on GMA News TV.

THE country’s leading media and entertainment company continues to be of service to 36 million digital Filipinos both here and abroad by providing content covering relevant topics in news, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle. The company’s media website abs-cbn. com logged 36 million users and hit over 1.7 billion page views as of end-May this year, becoming the country’s biggest local media website next only to global giants Facebook, YouTube, and Google in the Philippines, according to web traffic data and analytics sites Alexa and SimilarWeb. ABSCBN’s number of page views has passed the halfway mark of its 2016 record of three billion page views. The media website’s record traffic boosts ABS-CBN’s transition into being an agile digital company with the biggest online presence among all media companies, and a growing list of digital properties. “The record numbers reflect the success of ABS-CBN’s mobile-first strategy that caters to 75 percent of Filipinos who consume content online through their mobile devices. This strategy, along with a sound grasp of its audience’s passions and a wide range of immersive content about relevant topics, also boosts ABS-CBN’s position as the top media portal in the country,” said Elaine Uy, OIChead of ABS-CBN’s digital media division. One of the latest initiatives designed to serve the needs of its expanding digital audience is Patrol. ph, a Filipino language news website launched in May that offers a diverse lineup of news and information in a familiar language and mobilefriendly interface. ABS-CBN’s over-the-top content platform iWant TV continues to draw Kapamilya fans who want to catch up on their favorite shows and watch movies, Korean dramas, and original shows wherever they go at any time they want. The company also has TFC.tv to give the same access to Kapamilyas outside the Philippines. The company’s leadership in the digital space is also a result of its continuous innovations that engage audiences with numerous experiential offerings that bridge the gap between TV and digital, allowing them to get the full experience that goes beyond watching TV passively and connecting them digitally to the things that matter most to them. Among these experiential offerings is the Moonchasers website, which complements viewers’ experience of watching the top-rating teleserye La Luna Sangre by bringing them together in an online interactive community to help Tristan (Daniel Padilla) locate werewolves

and vampires. ABS-CBN’s notable innovations also include the award-winning “Pinoy Big Brother Online Bahay ni Kuya,” which allowed fans to join the PBB experience alongside the housemates and provided them with a platform to express themselves and display their abilities and talents. On the heels of the success of the hit TV series On The Wings of Love (OTWOL), ABSCBN also launched otwolista.com, giving OTWOL fans their own community page to access exclusive content, merchandise, and experiences. ABS-CBN’s dominance also extends to Facebook, where it enjoys a 15.4 million-strong following – the largest among all Filipino companies. On video streaming service YouTube, four of ABSCBN’s channels – including ABS-CBN News (2.4 billion views), Star Music (844.6 million views), and Star Cinema (423 million views) – rank in the top ten Filipino channels. ABS-CBN Entertainment’s channel, meanwhile, ranks ﬁrst in the country in terms of views (nine billion views). The company has also reached out to online audiences by launching multichannel network Adober Studios, formerly called Chicken Pork Adobo, which helps YouTube users grow their channel via channel management and content optimization. Along with its online experiential offerings, ABS-CBN goes full circle by rewarding Filipinos who patronize its products and services through its newest customer loyalty program called “Kapamilya, Thank You.” The membership earns any Kapamilya points to get rewards such as a meet and greet with a Kapamilya star, tickets to ABSCBN Studio Tours and shows like ASAP and It’s Showtime, freebies from ABS-CBN Store, free access to ABS-CBN TVplus’ KBO and SKY Pay-Per-View, and free SMS, data, or calls via ABS-CBNmobile.

ASHLEY Ortega is not your typical girl-next-door. Underneath her sweet exterior lies a tough young woman who constantly seeks new horizons and new experiences. Just scroll through her Instagram account and you’ll see her riding the ocean waves on a surf board, speeding through the sand dunes on an ATV, or suspended on a cable while she zip lines on air. The 18-year-old GMA artist and newest ambassador of Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc. admits, “I’m very adventurous. If I don’t have work, I don’t like staying at home and doing nothing. I like outdoor physical activities, but recently, I’ve been trying contact sports like Muay Thai and boxing.” In a way, her preference for such extreme activities can be due to her early years as a professional figure skater. She represented the Philippines in various competitions in Asia. “I started skating when I was four, and then I stopped when I was 12.” But while she’s finished doing it as a competitive sport she adds, “I still like to do it for fun, with friends or as cardio exercise.” And, like a true adventure-seeker, her showbiz career was also a risk that she gamely took. “I was modeling and doing commercial gigs when someone saw me and asked me to audition at GMA,” she fondly shares. “I tried it but I didn’t expect anything at all. Luckily, I got in, and they gave me a drama to work on right away.” Her starring role was Marian “Julie” Dela Guardia in GMA’s now-defunct show Cielo de Angelina, which was then followed by roles in shows like Dormitoryo, Magpakailanman, Maynila, Dangwa, and Oh, My Mama! and these days, you will find her as one of the regular co-hosts of the afternoon variety show Wowowin, showing her playful and sweet side. But, Ashley has a lot more to offer. Aside from her blossoming showbiz career, she’s also an interior design student at SoFA, and a self-confessed art and make-up enthusiast who enjoys experimenting with different make-up looks just like any other girl. “I love experiencing new things, and learning to apply make-up is one of them,” she says. “It’s part of my life. I feel like I can’t be an artista without make-up.” On most days, she carries either Ever Bilena’s or Careline’s Cheek and Lip Tint in her bag, along with Blackwater Women Activ’s So In Love body spray to keep her feeling fresh and clean all the time. She shares, “I like that Ever Bilena, Careline and Blackwater offer dual-purpose, long-lasting products that I can always apply while working out or during tapings.” And just like her, she also recommends other girls to keep these products in their kits. “We should take care of our appearance, and maintaining a good hygiene is one of them. These products will not only help us feel fresh and clean but they’re also confidence boosters,” she advises. With all that’s going on in her life, she says she still has more challenges to conquer. “I want something different – I want to play a superhero because I want to do action, or an ice princess so I can skate.”

Home / Design

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 Joel D. Lacsamana,, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

Offices for BPOs still top draw FIGHTING THE BIG C. At the recent Riverside Control-C groundbreaking ceremony were (from left to right): : Karl Dimaano, general manager, Cancer Center Network – MPHHI; Gene Golingan, president and CEO, RMCI; Noel de la Paz, director for corporate development, MPHHI; Dr. Angela Barandino, medical director, Riverside control C; Dr. Antonia Gensoli, medical director – RMCI; Rovic de Leon, chief finance officer – RMCI; Reymundo Cochangco, chief finance officer, MPHHI; Augusto Palisoc, Jr, president and CEO, MPHHI.

Cancer center network to open in Batangas, Tarlac, Bacolod communities METRO Pacific Hospital Holdings, Inc. (MPHHI) recently launched its first greenfield project - a network of cancer centers that will be opened across the country. Greenfield projects are investments in physical company-related structures in areas where no previous facilities existed. MPHHI plans to develop 10 centers for its network over the next 5 years. Modern infrastructure The first three centers in the

pipeline are the Lipa Medix Cancer Center in Lipa City; the Batangas, Riverside Control-C in Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod, Negros Occidental; and the Metro CLDH Cancer Center at the Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital in Tarlac City, Tarlac. Lipa Medix Cancer Center, a joint venture between MPHHI and Lipa Medics, Inc. is an 870sqm facility that will have an Accuray Tomotherapy H unit The facility was inaugurated recently, and is set to open its doors for operations

next week. Riveside Control-C, a joint venture between MPHHI and Riveside Medical Center, Inc., is a 1,080sqm facility that will house an Elekta Synergy with VMAT linear acceleratory and a brachytherapy. It is set to open in May next year. Metro CLDH Cancer Center is a joint venture between MPHHI and Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital. The 1,000sqm facility will operate an Elekta Synergy with VMAT linear accelerator. It will open its doors next year, as well.

METRO CDO PLAN GETS DEVELOPER’S NOD.

EMAND for office space in Metro Manila continues to keep vacancy rates low amid anticipated new office supply. “A critical factor on the first half’s impressive performance is due to landlords’ willingness to mitigate rents in order to stay competitive,” Fredrick Rara, KMC

Savills research and consultancy manager, told the Manila Standard recently. Strong occupier demand from the offshoring and outsourcing market is expected to keep ofﬁce space vacancy at reasonable rates in the following quarters, but increasing supply pressure will keep rental rates tempered. According to KMC Savills data, 263,400 sq.m. of new office space was completed in the second quarter

of 2017. Bonifacio Global City (Seen in photo) accounted for more than half of the new supply with 140,800 square meters. Single-digit vacancy rates were also retained in the Bay Area and Alabang submarket, which composed the rest of the new supply during the quarter. The Philippines remains to be a top location for foreign investments, and have fueled growth in investments in 2016.

BOOSTING CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING SKILLS IN THE PH. Megawide Foundation recently set up the Megawide Center for Engineering Excellence, after signing a MOA with the Department of Education (DepEd) to adopt technical-vocational schools in Metro Manila. The foundation will the work in partnership with DepEd to adopt four senior high schools in Marikina, Taguig, Navotas, and Quezon City, and offer technical-vocational courses in carpentry, masonry, plumbing, and tile-setting. The project aims to professionalize learning for the country’s skilled labor force by providing tools and equipment, opening Megawide project sites to familiarization tours, and sharing insights with industry experts. “We have the manpower and the talent,” explained Maila Angela Ong, Megawide Foundation president. “Megawide has the resources to help hone the skills of students through the Megawide Foundation.” Megawide Foundation is the social development arm of Megawide Construction Corporation, a local engineering and infrastructure developer. At the MOA signing were Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones (third from left) and Megawide Foundation president Maila Angela Ong (fourth from left). RAISING THE BAR.

Concepcion-Building Industrial Solutions (BIS) recently snared its ISO 9001:2015 quality standard, from TÜV Nord, a German organization that specializes in service and inspection.To date, the procurement and project management departments of Concepcion BIS, a subsidiary of Concepcion Industrial Corp. (CIC), are now ISO 9001:2015 certified. This allows the group to implement stricter quality management systems standards in all its construction endeavours. Shown in the photo is the Concepcion-BIS team led by Mark Faulkner, director, for the building and engineering solutions division.

Italpinas Development Corporation (IDC) recently threw its support behind the proposed Philippine Development Plan, of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA). The plan proposes the establishment of Metro Cagayan de Oro (CDO) as the country’s fourth economic center, alongside Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao, by 2025. Aside from Cagayan de Oro, the northern Mindanao region comprises the provinces of Bukidnon, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Camiguin. Italpinas is solidly set up in CDO through its flagship project, the seven-building mixed-use development, Primavera Residences (See photo), which has helped grow the northern Mindanao region into a metropolis and economic center.

Slouching towards Quezon

In Tiaong, Quezon province, you can go home to a place where Filipino heritage and country lifestyle meet. Crossing through three municipalities in Laguna and Quezon, Hacienda Escudero is blessed with the gravitas-laden view of Mt. Banahaw, Mt. San Cristo-

bal and Mt. Malarayat. Hacienda Escudero, Landco’s joint venture with the Escudero family, was developed with the ‘Philippine country life’ in mind, similar to what the popular tourist destination Villa Escudero exudes. The 180-hectare property,

known for its cultural heritage and natural beauty, offers a relaxed lifestyle to its homeowners. It is where you can rest, live, and enjoy the beauty of life. To know more about Hacienda Escudero, visit www.landco. ph.

LIVING IT UP AT THE CBD.

Shang Salcedo Place, Shang Properties’ newest condominium in the Makati Central Business District, has started turning over completed units to homeowners. Bounded by three streets namely: Gil Puyat Avenue (Buendia), Tordesillas and H.V. de la Costa Streets, Shang Salcedo Place makes going around the area more convenient as it is centrally located. The 67-storey residential condominium has an aspirational design with architecture and interiors by Hong Kong-based Wong & Tung International Limited (Seen in photo). Sitting at the heart of the vibrant Salcedo Village community, residents will be able to indulge in various recreational offerings such as the nearby Salcedo Park, which regularly hosts concerts and art exhibits, gourmet bistros, and the weekend Salcedo Market.

Dino Ray Directo III, Editor

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2017

Trucks &Buses

Truckers

get reprieve T from antioverloading law Metal

Text by Dino Ray V. Directo III

RUCKERS can heave a sigh of relief for now as the suspension of enforcement of the maximum allowable gross vehicle weight (GVW) for trucks and trailers is extended until the end of this year.In a joint advisory issued last month by the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Transportation, the previous deadline was moved from June 30, 2017 to Dec. 31, 2017. The deadline extension was issued in response to the request from the Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) to give them more time in acquiring additional transport equipment. The DPWH and DOTC earlier modiﬁed the implementing rules and regulations of RA 8794 after consultations with groups of truckers and haulers. Under RA 8794, trucks and trailers under Code 12-2 and Code 12-3 with loads exceeding GVWs of 41,500 kilograms and 42,000 kilograms, respectively, and load per axle of more than 13,500 kilograms are prohibited to travel as they are considered overloaded. According to the DPWH, “an amount equivalent to 25 percent of the motor vehicle user’s

FRESH

charge (or registration fee) is imposed by the Land Transportation Ofﬁce on overloaded trucks and trailers.” “With the extension, we expect truck/ trailer owners will upgrade their units to comply with the Codes 12-2 and 12-3 to have maximum allowable GVW of 41,500 and 42,000 kilograms respectively before Jan. 1, 2018,” said DPWH Secretary Mark Villar in a statement. Villar pointed out the importance of strict compliance with the policy, as overloaded vehicles cause early deterioration and dam-

age on quality roads and threaten road safety of drivers and other road users. Villar further noted that based on the operation of the department’s weighbridges nationwide, there was a downward trend in antioverloading violation in the last 10 years. In 2006, a huge 46 percent or 174,256 out of the 374,763 trucks that were weighed were overloaded whereas in 2016, it went down to 13 percent with only 41,620 out of the 311,099 weighed trucks were non-compliant. DPWH and DOTr through the Land Transportation Ofﬁce (LTO) will enforce the antioverloading law with the operation of 24/7 weighbridge stations and portable weighing machines at strategic locations through Anti Truck Overloading Mobile Enforcement (ATOME) along national roads, and imposition of penalties on overloading vehicles. Under the law, overloaded trucks are ﬁned with 25 percent of the amount of their motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC), applicable to the vehicle at the time of infringement. The anti-overloading policy is pursuant to the provisions of Republic Act 8794 otherwise known as “An Act Imposing a Motor Vehicle Users Charge on Owners of all Types of Motor Vehicle and for Other Purposes”, which aims to promote motorist safety and prevent early deterioration of roads caused by overloading.

Drive safe with speed limiter

WITH catastrophic accidents caused by speeding trucks and buses which have claimed innocent lives, the commuting public demands more protection and safety from bus/truck ﬂeet operators. Despite the presence of the an existing law, R.A. No. 10916, otherwise known as the Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016”, the MMDA reports that 10 bus related accidents occur on a daily basis. Pioneer Truck Parts and Equipment Corporation, local distributors of Speed Limiter of UK, is a company on a mission of public safety. Developed in 1980, Speed Limiter is an electronic control device that limits and controls a vehicle’s top speed. Aside from improving driver behavior and vehicle preservation, this device also improves fuel consumption, emissions and is guaranteed to cut mainte-

nance costs of ﬂeet owners. “The ECU is connected to a speed signal (electronic speedometer, ABS or mechanical sensor) and receives frequency signals while the vehicle is moving. At a pre set frequency, say 80kph, the ECU transmits a signal to the engine management system which then holds the vehicle’s speed. The operator/owner can pre set the maximum speed of the truck or van as he wishes,” explains Aaron Go of Pioneer Corporation. The system operates by way of drive by wire or a romatic speed limiter for vehicles without an ECU. Speed Limiter is a Romatic Speed Control System designed and developed since 1980 and currently used in Europe, Middle East and Asia as a standard equipment for truck, bus and commercial vehicle fleet operations. The system have received

numerous approvals from truck manufacturing such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mercedes Benz, Isuzu, Leyland, DAF, GM General Motors, Peugeot, Renault, FUSO, Land Rover, ERF, and approval from the British Ministry of Defence for Land Rover and Pinzgauer Vehicles. The World Health Organization and The Global Road Safety Partnership in their publication “Speed Management, a Road Safety Manual for Decision-Makers and Practitioners”, recommend that all countries should introduce Speed Limiters as the method of reducing the maximum speeds of vehicles on their roads in the pursuit of improved road safety. For details on how to improve safety and ﬂeet maintenance costs, call 713-1998/788-2190 or visit the Pioneer Trucks showroom along 341 G. Araneta Avenue, Bgy. Santol, Quezon City.

Volkswagen’s people mover reborn Photos by Volkswagen A.G. GLOBAL car giant Volkswagen is set to redeﬁne future mobility as it has taken the wraps off the I.D. Buzz. Presented to the global media at the recently concluded North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the rebirth of Volkswagen’s “microbus” for the new age is an electric concept that provides us with a renewed vision for future mobility. “The I.D. BUZZ stands for the new Volkswagen: modern, positive, emotional, futureorientated. By 2025, we want to sell one million electric cars per year, making e-mobility the new trademark of Volkswagen. The new e-Golf2 already offers 50 percent more electric range. From 2020 onwards we will then launch our I.D. family, a new generation of fully electric, fully connected cars. It will be affordable for millions, not just to millionaires,” explains

Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management. The I.D. BUZZ concept vehicle represents how the electric mobility of tomorrow will be – an all-wheel drive spatial marvel with electric motors on front and rear axles, a fully automated driving mode (I.D. Pilot) and a new generation of indicators and controls. “The I.D. BUZZ is the next generation MPV. It is based on the new Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) and provides comfort and loads of space for long journeys. Its electric range as per the NEDC is up to 600 kilometres”, explains Dr Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management Volkswagen Brand for the Development Division. The I.D. BUZZ takes on new energy inductively or from a charging station. At a charging power of 150 kW, it takes around 30 minutes to charge up to 80 per cent. The new I.D. BUZZ is the ﬁrst MPV with

which that is possible: all that is needed is a gentle push on the steering wheel and it instantly moves back, melts into the cockpit and switches the I.D. BUZZ from manual into the fully automated ‘I.D. Pilot’ mode (envisaged as of 2025). The driver’s seat can also be turned around and face the passengers at the back. Laser scanners, ultrasound sensors, radar sensors, area-view cameras and a front camera scan the surrounding area, with other trafﬁc data being received via the Cloud.

In the I.D. BUZZ the conventional cockpit no longer exists. The MPV instead projects the key information by means of an AR (augmented reality) Head-up Display into the driver’s field of vision – in 3D, in virtual format onto the road. Features such as the infotainment and air-conditioning functions are operated via a removable tablet. The main controls for driving, meanwhile, are located on the steering wheel. Its inner section is not fitted with spokes and buttons, but rather has a kind of touchpad with capacitive fields, thus turning the traditional steering wheel into a multi-functional touchsensitive steering wheel. The use of space in the concept car, which has up to eight seats, is better than in any other electric vehicle. The multi-variable seating and interactive integration of the I.D. BUZZ makes a great deal possible. Thanks to the extended MEB XL platform, this 4,942 mm long, 1,976 mm wide and 1,963

mm high concept vehicle provides what for its class are extraordinary spatial dimensions inside as well. However, the I.D. BUZZ is not just a giant in terms of space: by virtue of its design it also becomes one of the world’s most comfortable cars. At 3,300 mm, it has an extremely long wheelbase. Located in between in the vehicle ﬂoor is the battery. It lowers the centre of gravity and ensures perfect weight distribution. The suspension of the I.D. BUZZ, with its electronically regulated shock absorbers, additionally ensures top-class comfort. The zero emission all-wheel drive system with output power of 275 kW / 374 PS (electric motors front and rear each delivering 150 kW) is the perfect match for the car’s dynamic character. The version of the I.D. BUZZ presented in Detroit reaches 100 km/h in 5 seconds; its top speed is restricted to 160 km/h.-Dino Ray V. Directo III