Manila Standard - 2017 September 22 - Friday

THOUSANDS RALLY FOR, AGAINST DUTERTE

VOL. XXXI • NO. 220 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

THOUSANDS of President Rodrigo Duterte’s critics and supporters held rival rallies Thursday, taking emotional national debates over his deadly drug war and martial-law threats to the streets.

The Catholic Church urged Filipinos to demand change—as promised by President Duterte—as the religious also joined demonstrations marking the 45th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Police in battle gear were mustered to keep order as protesters held a series of

rallies across the capital of Manila, using the 45th anniversary of martial law to warn that Duterte was just as violent and authoritarian as Marcos.

“Our country is turning into a graveyard. People are getting killed everyday and we bury the dead everyday, just like in the time of Marcos,” anti-Duterte protest leader Pedro Gonzales said.

But supporters of Duterte also turned up in large numbers, reflecting his popularity with many Filipinos who see him Next page

PRO AND ANTI. Pro-Duterte groups (left) chant slogans Thursday while raising clenched fists in a show of support for the incumbent chief executive as singer Imelda Papin serenade them with songs to mark the 45th anniversary of martial law at the Chino Roces bridge near Malacañang while anti-Duterte rallyists (right) conduct their protest demonstration during the National Day of Protest at the sprawling bayside Luneta Park in Manila. Ey Acasio/Lino Santos

Rody rules out martial law Hazing suspect escapes to Taiwan—BI No such plan despite protests—Palace

By John Paolo Bencito

AIRPORT officials on Thursday confirmed that Ralph Cabales Trangia, one of the suspects in the hazing death of Horacio Castillo III, 22, a first-year law student at the University of Santo Tomas, left the country for Taipei early on Tuesday morning.

Trangia left for Taipei a

day after Castillo’s body was found in Tondo, Manila. Castillo had already been dead when he was brought to a hospital on the night of Sept. 16.

Marc Red Mariñas, head of the Immigration Port Operations Division at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, said the 22-year-old

Trangia boarded EVA Air flight BR262 for Taipei and then Chicago at 1:53 a.m. on Sept. 19.

In other developments: • Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said he will seek the cancellation of Trangia’s passport. He also ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to coordi-

nate with Interpol to locate Trangia abroad.

Trangia is one of 16 people who have been placed under Immigration’s Lookout Bulletin Order issued by Aguirre on Wednesday.

• The Manila Police District said Thursday it had “solid leads” against the Next page

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will not declare nationwide martial law, Malacañang said Thursday amid fears of a repeat of the emergency imposed nationwide 45 years ago.

“If they are saying there is there is none,” Presidential a plan to declare martial law, Spokesman Ernesto Abella

said in Filipino during a television interview.

“Again and again, the President has repeated this, we are not going to the direction of martial law; all that he was saying was that he was allowing the protest rallies on this date but should not resort to violence and destruction in which case the response would be firm,” Abella said. Next page

SWS: Filipinos satisfied with democratic ways

My son will be killed if he’s into drugs— Rody

By John Paolo Bencito

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has said he will have his son killed if the drug-trafficking allegations against the younger politician are true, and that the police who will carry out the hit will be protected from prosecution.

Paolo Duterte, 42, this month appeared before a Senate inquiry to deny the accusations made by an opposition lawmaker he was a member of a Chinese triad who helped

MOST of the Filipinos polled recently remain satisfied with the way democracy is working in the country, the latest Social Weather Stations survey said Thursday.

The Second Quarter 2017 Social Weather Survey, conducted among 1,200 respondents, says 80 percent of the Filipino adults polled were satisfied with the way

democracy is working in the country, which is six points below the record-high 86 percent recorded in September 2016 and similar to the previous record of 80 percent in June 2013.

The June 2017 survey also says that 61 percent of those polled said “democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government.” That compares with the 19 percent who said Next page

Poll chief eyes recycling of barangay poll ballots

By Macon RamosAraneta and Maricel V. Cruz COMMISSION on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista said Thursday that the P600 million spent on printing ballots and other preparatory activities would not be wasted if the barangay and youth elections are

postponed.

In an interview before a Senate hearing on the Comelec 2018 budget, Bautista said some 26-million ballots for the barangay elections, and about 1.6 million ballots for the Sangguniang Kabataan polls have already been printed, but these can be used in future elections.

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PEACE NOT WAR. Some groups describing themselves as militant stage a protest rally Thursday in front of military and national defense headquarters in Quezon City, on the 45th anniversary of martial law proclamation by then President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972. They want President Rodrigo Duterte not to declare a nationwide emergency. Manny Palmero

Council certifies new Bangsamoro proposal PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte agreed to certify as urgent the bill seeking the creation of the Bangsamoro region during the third meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advi-

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sory Council in Malacañang Wednesday night.

“Among a number of items discussed, the presidential adviser on the peace process and the Finance secretary presented updates on

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the status of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law and Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, respectively,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

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smuggle in a huge shipment of crystal methamphetamine from China.

Duterte did not refer to the allegations specifically but reiterated his statement from last year’s election campaign that none of his children were involved in drugs, but they would face the harshest punishment if they were.

“I said before my order was: ‘If I have children who Next page

US envoy gets clearer picture on EJKs—Palace PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday discussed with US Sung Kim his strong policies against terrorism and illegal drugs in the country.

In a meeting at the Music Room in Malacañan Palace, the US Ambassador said he understood the challenges faced by the Duterte administration in fighting the

drug menace, the Presidential Communications Office said in a press statement.

Also tackled during the meeting was the recent issue involving the Commission on Human Rights.

PCOO said Duterte clarified he never directed Congress to cut the agency’s budget, adding he could not Next page

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‘No need for CJ psych test’

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE camp of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Thursday said there was no need for her psychological records in pursuing the impeachment complaint against her in the House of Representatives.

Lawyer Carlo Cruz assailed the move of lawyer Larry Gadon, who filed the impeachment case against Sereno, to seek the Supreme Court’s order to compel the Judicial and Bar Council to release the psychiatric test results of Sereno when she was appointed chief justice in 2012 supposedly for use in the proceedings before the House of Representatives.

“The psychological records of the Chief Justice has nothing to do with any of the impeachable

grounds raised in the complaint,” Cruz said, in an interview.

According to Sereno’s spokesman, even if the Chief Justice would allow the release of such record—a matter that involves her privacy—the decision was beyond her.

“Even if she were to allow [its release], it still would be up to the JBC. It’s a policy matter; something which may be invoked later as a precedent so the JBC would need to deliberate carefully on this matter,” Cruz stressed.

Palace: Melania invited Honeylet to NY for event

By John Paolo Bencito THE presence of President Rodrigo Duterte’s common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, in New York City was questioned after she claimed to be attending the United Nations General Assembly meetings despite having no official functions there.

But Malacañang said Thursday it was United States First Lady Melania Trump who invited Avanceña to attend the events at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said Avanceña went on a “personal trip to New York to attend an event on the invitation of Melania Trump.”

Foreign Affairs spokesman Robespierre Bolivar said that while Avanceña was not part of the Philippine delegation to the UN General Assembly, “she is in New York because she has been invited to participate in

some of the side meetings as part of her advocacy work.”

Officials could not provide the names of the country’s official delegation to the General Assembly, which includes Communications Assistant Secretary Margaux Uson.

Avanceña was spotted on Tuesday at the showing of the hit Broadway musical Miss Saigon along with presidential daughter Veronica when a reporter for ABS-CBN’s North America Bureau asked her if she was enjoying her stay in New York.

Avanceña said “Yes” after the reporter asked her if she was part of the delegation for the General Assembly meetings, and then added someone had invited her to attend the meetings.

But Avanceña refused to answer when asked who paid for her trip or what exactly her role was in the UN meeting. Her security personnel also tried to block the reporter’s camera.

IN BRIEF Davao solon indicted for graft THE Office of the Ombudsman has filed graft charges against Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr. over an alleged anomalous contract involving the Tagum Agricultural Development Co. and Bureau of Corrections in 2003.

Graft investigation and prosecution officer Voltaire Africa found probable cause to indict Floirendo for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for having a financial interest in deal.

Earlier, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez questioned the joint venture agreement between BuCor and Tadeco belonging to Floirendo, saying the July 11, 1969 contract allowed Tadeco to lease 3,000 hectares of the BuCor-owned land at the Davao Penal Colony. In 1979, the contract was extended for 25 years, and for another 25 years in 2003.

The contract was renewed on May 21, 2003, with BuCor guaranteed an annual production share of P26,541,809 to automatically increase by 10 percent every five years.

The joint venture agreement stipulated BuCor should receive profit on the leased lands of Floirendo’s banana plantation.

Alvarez filed a graft complaint against Floirendo before the Ombudsman.

According to the Ombudsman, under the 2003 arrangement, Floirendo directly owned 75,000 shares of Tadeco and 537,950 shares in Anflo Management and Investment Corp., Tadeco’s parent company. Rio N. Araja

Info Tech chief quits INFORMATION and Communications Technology Secretary Rodolfo Salalima has resigned due to a conflict of interest, President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday.

In a news briefing in Marawi, Duterte said he is likely to accept the resignation of his former classmate at the San Beda College of Law out of delicadeza.

Malacañang earlier said Salalima resigned citing “personal and work-related reasons.”

Duterte said he was already looking for “the best guy” as a possible replacement for Salalima, whose agency is rolling out several mxulti-billion-peso projects, incuding the P1.7-billion free public Wi-Fi initiative and the P1.2-billion National Broadband Program.

In August, Duterte said that he would be making some changes in his Cabinet, as he is constrained to let go of some who are not making it easier to run the government.

“A few have to go,” the President said.

Salalima did not immediately respond to Manila Standard’s requests for comment Thursday.

Salalima is the second member of the Duterte Cabinet to resign, following Vice President Leni Robredo as Housing secretary. Another Cabinet secretary, former Interior secretary Ismael Sueno, was fired by Duterte amid allegations of corruption.

John Paolo Bencito

Gadon earlier asked the JBC to release Sereno’s psychological records which she submitted for her application to the post of chief magistrate post in 2012, saying these were “imbued with great public interest.”

However, the council chaired

by Sereno denied the request, prompting Gadon to bring the matter to the SC. “Considering that the JBC is ‘under the supervision of the [SC],’ as expressly provided in Section 8 (1), Article VIII, 1987 Constitution, and the results of the psychological/psychiatric test of Chief Justice Sereno are not covered by the confidentiality rule as they concern her very fitness to be and remain as Chief Justice, and thus imbued with great public interest, it is most respectfully prayed that this

honorable court reverse or reconsider the disapproval by the JBC and order the immediate release of certified true copies of the results of the psychiatric tests of Chief Justice Sereno,” Gadon’s motion stated.

The SC earlier required the JBC to comment on the plea within five days, but no such order was released by the high court to the media.

In Gadon’s impeachment complaint, he accused Sereno of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over alleged undisclosed assets in her statement of asset, liabilities and net worth and extravagant spending of judicial funds by purchasing a P5-million Toyota Land Cruiser and traveling on first-class flights among the grounds.

The complainant also cited as basis Sereno’s order in 2012 to reopen a regional constitutional administrative office in Cebu without the collegial approval of the Court, which was later on revoked by the SC. The SC earlier granted the request of the complainants for the release of court documents and records to support their charges against her.

Sereno’s camp has rejected Gadon’s call for her resignation from the top judicial post while facing the impeachment proceedings.

Cruz said: “None of the allegations rises to an impeachable offense. The complaint against her seems designed to maximize the political spectacle, with the goal of eroding her credibility through innuendo and malicious allegations.

Rody...

January 1981, three months before the presidential elections where he won a six-year term, abbreviated by the so-called Edsa Revolution in 1986, following the snap elections in February 1986.

Meanwhile, the more than three-months fighting in Marawi City has caused concern among Asean member states and their dialogue partners, the Interior department said as Duterte visited Marawi for the fifth time since the siege.

“During the meeting, the member countries of Asean including the dialogue partners there were unanimous in acknowledging the threats in violent extremism. This is a present threat already and they are greatly concerned about the situation in Marawi City and they are hoping this situation will be resolved at the soonest possible time,” Interior Secretary Catalino Cuy said during the 11th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crimes and the 2nd Special Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Rise of Violent Extremism in Pasay Thursday.

Cuy made the pronounce-

ment while Duterte was visiting Marawi, stressing the need to focus on efforts to rebuild Marawi.

Following the third legislative-executive development advisory council, Duterte said senators had agreed to postpone the barangay elections once more; and that congressmen would sponsor the Bangsamoro Basic Law submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.

He also vowed the war on drugs would be relentless.

Cuy said Asean member states reiterated their commitment in addressing the irregular movement of persons in the region and agreed that closer coordination and cooperation were needed in countering the terror threat in the region.

They also expressed collective action towards those who threaten the peace, security and stability of the region by adopting two landmark documents, such as the Manila Declaration to Counter the Rise of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism and Asean Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter-Terrorism to deal with current challenges.

On Tuesday, the President said

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Abella said allowing Thursday’s protest actions was a “healthy exercise [of] democracy.”

“This is also an opportune time for those in government to hear the voice of the governed as part of our efforts to uphold the highest standards of good governance,” Abella said in a separate statement.

“We ask those who would join in today’s activities—supporters and critics alike—to maintain peaceful conduct and avoid causing any undue inconvenience,” he added.

Then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in September 1972—on the third year of his second four-year term, and while the country was under the 1935 Constitution— following burning, among others, of passenger buses in Metro Manila, violent leftist demonstrations in the capital—to check what Marcos said was a state of rebellion and enable him to institute urgent national reforms.

He lifted the emergency in

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as a charismatic, anti-establishment politician who is their best chance to quell crime and corruption.

Duterte vowed in last year’s election campaign to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing up to 100,000 traffickers and addicts.

Since he assumed office 15 months ago, police have reported killing more than 3,800 people in anti-drug operations.

The crackdown has triggered wider violence with thousands of other people being murdered in unexplained circumstances that rights groups partly attribute to vigilante death squads.

Gonzales led about 300 people to the gate of the Philippine military headquarters.

Hoisting “No to Martial Law” and “Stop the Killings” banners, they burnt a poster bearing a composite picture of Duterte and Marcos, and captioned “Fascist,” as about 70 unarmed policemen blocked their way.

Police said thousands of anti-Duterte protesters as well as his supporters later gathered outside Malacañan Palace.

The anti-Duterte crowd burned a “Rody’s Cube,” wooden block art styled after the Rubik’s Cube 3-D puzzle with the interchangeable faces of Marcos, Duterte, Hitler and a puppet.

“Never Again! Never Again to Martial Law!” protesters chanted as they turned then burned the cube.

The protesters were backed by the political opposition and leaders of the Catholic Church, signaling a rising opposition to Duterte.

Vice President Leni Robredo and Duterte’s predecessor, former President Benigno Aquino III, both critics of the incumbent leader, attended a separate mass for the drug war dead Thursday.

“The good part of this is there are so many people concerned, from different ages,” Aquino told reporters. Vito Barcelo, John Paolo Bencito, Rio N. Araja, Macon RamosAraneta and Bill Casas

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Hazing...

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suspects in Castillo’s killing, and that it could complete its investigation by next week.

“We have strong and solid leads and evidence pointing to the culpabilities and liabilities of the suspects,” said MPD Director Joel Coronel.

He said investigators are closely working with the law-

US...

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control the decisions of the legislative body.

The US official stressed the need to facilitate investigation of drug-related deaths to ensure continued people’s confidence in the government.

The President, in response, said the anti-drug operations of the police had always been in line with the rule of law, adding his administration never condoned abusive cops, including the immediate arrest of the policemen involved in the killing of 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos.

In related developments: -Malacañang welcomed the

Council...

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“In the course of the discussion, the President agreed to certify as urgent the proposed measures on the BBL,” Abella said.

Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza described it as a positive development.

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are into drugs, kill them so people will not have anything to say’,” Duterte said in a speech Wednesday night before government workers in Malacañang.

yers of the Castillo family.

“Hopefully, by next week, we will be able to complete the case: The complete identification of the suspects involved, the place where the initiation was conducted and also the possible coverup of certain alumni in the investigation of this case,” Coronel said.

He said he also welcomed the lifting of the suspension of the members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity by UST Faculty of Civil Law Dean Nilo Divina, which

he said had earlier hampered their investigation of the case.

Trangia was allowed to board his plane because he was not yet in Immigration’s watch list at the time of his departure.

Mariñas said they received the Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order only at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

Trangia, his father Antonio and UST law student John Paul Solano are now being hunted by the police. Joel E. Zurbano, Rey E. Requejo and Bill Casas

decision of the House of Representatives to restore the original budget of the Commission on Human Rights, claiming the administration had been supportive of the constitutional body despite its critical stance to the government’s drug war.

In a text message to reporters, Communications Secretary Martin Andanar hailed the House’s move and claimed the CHR had always been backed by the Executive branch.

“It is good to know that the lower House and CHR have ironed out their differences,” Andanar said.

“The Executive department has always been supportive of the CHR as you can see in the budget proposed by the DBM,” he added.

-The Commission on Human Rights unveiled on Thursday a Diokno Memorial monument to honor the former senator and human rights advocate Jose “Ka Pepe” Diokno.

CHR Chairperson Chito Gascon spearheaded the commemoration of the triumph against dictatorship and the affirmation of freedom, democracy and human rights through the unveiling of the Ka Pepe Diokno Memorial at the grounds of the agency’s central office in Quezon City.

“Ka Pepe was a legal luminary who worked relentlessly to build an active resistance of citizens that was necessary to make the antidictatorship movement emerge and ultimately triumph,” he said. With John Paolo Bencito, Rio Araja, Joel Zurbano, and Rey Requejo

The BBL seeks to create a new Bangsamoro political entity in Mindanao with greater economic and political powers.

The House of Representatives is poised to revive the BBL after the Bangsamoro Transition Commission has committed to submit to lawmakers its draft measure next week.

Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas made the an-

nouncement Thursday morning following the third Ledac meeting with President Duterte Wednesday night.

“We will file next week the bill for the BBL submitted by the BTC,” Fariñas said. “The President informed us that he will leave to the wisdom of the Congress the final version of the BBL,” he added.

John Paolo Bencito and Maricel V. Cruz

“under some circumstances,an authoritarian government can be preferable to a democratic one.”

Another 20 percent said it doesn’t matter whether there is a democratic or a non-democratic regime in the country.

The question on “satisfaction in the way democracy works” originated in the Eurobarometer surveys and is also in standard use in Latin American and Asian Barometer projects.

The people’s preference between democracy and authoritarianism is a different issue from the degree of satisfaction with how democracy works, and is probed by a separate question.

“So I told Pulong [Paolo’s nickname]: ‘My order is to kill you if you are caught. And I will protect the police who kill you if it is true’.”

Duterte, 72, won the presidential elections on a brutal law-and-order platform in which he promised an unprecedented campaign to eradicate illegal

drugs in society by killing up to 100,000 traffickers and addicts.

Since he assumed office in the middle of last year, police have reported killing more than 3,800 people in anti-drug operations while thousands of others have been murdered in unexplained circumstances.

Duterte has as President said

he would be “happy to slaughter” three-million drug addicts, and described children shot dead in the drug war as “collateral damage”.

But he has also repeatedly insisted he has never instructed the police to do anything illegal, and that they must only kill in selfdefense. AFP

“The expenses also cover overtime because of employees, personnel, and mobilization expenses, but not all expenses would be put to waste,” Bautisa said. “We are now studying how we can use the printed ballots for the next elections.”

Bautista noted that since the barangay and youth elections are not automated, the voters have to write the names of the candidates on the ballots.

This means the ballots already printed can still be used.

President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to approve a bill passed by Congress postponing the barangay and SK polls slated for October.

Earlier, the President pushed for the postponement of elections, saying a majority of local officials are involved in illegal drug trade.

He also wanted to appoint officers-in-charge for barangays.

SWS:...

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7 suspected ASG bandits arrested in Malaysia

Group blocks Meralco ‘power cartel’ CONSUMER group “Matuwid na Singil sa Kuryente Consumer Alliance” has filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission to stop the creation of a Meralco cartel with five power generation companies whose questionable midnight negotiated power supply contracts could result in excessive charges amounting to P12 billion a year for 20 years.

In a press statement, MSK executive director Evelyn Viray Jallorina said cartelization of the power sector is specifically prohibited by the Epira Law and the Energy Regulatory Commission which has a clear mandate to investigate and prevent cartelization, abuse of market power, anti-competitive behavior and monopolization specially the power generation sector.

MSK identified the power generation groups under the Meralco-Meralco PowerGen cartel as Aboitiz, DM Consuji, Global Business Power, San Miguel, and EGAT of Thailand.

PH nurses warned vs German agency THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration warned Filipino nurses who want to work in Germany from applying to a recruitment agency identified as ‘Meine Agentur 24’ which recruits nurses and other healthcare professionals for supposed jobs in Germany without the proper authorization from the government.

“Meine Agentur 24, in its website and Facebook page, lists its address in Leipzig, Germany but the Philippine Embassy in Berlin reported that the name of Meine Agentur 24 does not appear in the online registry of businesses in that country,” the POEA said.

The POEA also said that it has no record of Meine Agentur 24 in its database of accredited foreign employers.

“In the website and Facebook page, Meine Agentur 24 advertises the need for workers in various disciplines in the field of nursing and other healthcare jobs and its offer of a qualification course for nursing staff to prepare them for employment in Germany,” the POEA said. Vito Barcelo

House TWG tackles laws on air, waste A PANEL in the House of Representatives has approved the creation of a technical working group that will fine-tune House Bill 2286, seeking to amend the Clean Air Act of 1999 and the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

At a congressional hearing Wednesday, the House committee on ecology chaired by Rep. Estrellita Suansing of Nueva Ecija approved the TWG creation to be headed by Rep. Carlos Cojuangco of Tarlac—tasked to tackle a proposal by Rep. Carllito Marquez under HB 2286 to repeal section 20 of the Clean Air Act and some other provisions of the Solid Waste Management Act. The bill seeks to address the urgent solid waste issues in the country that lead to flooding, erosion, landslides, as well as other dangers on landfills and dumpsites confronting people living near them.

The bill refutes the claim that waste incineration is harmful to the environment, and seeks to set up waste-to-energy facilities in the country.

Maricel V. Cruz

LEDAC MEET. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting at the Malacañan Palace on

Sept. 20, 2017. Among the subjects discussed include the anti-corruption drive of the government, amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act as well as the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Presidential Photo

House allocates P40b for free college tuition

By Maricel V. Cruz

S

OME P40 billion funds from the proposed P 3.767-trillion national budget for next year, including a portion of the Commission on Human Rights budget, will be used to finance the recently signed free college education law.

Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations, made the disclosure Monday even as he clarified that the CHR budget for next year was not restored in full.

“I am happy to announce we have found P40 billion to finance the free higher education [law] for 2018,”

Nograles said at a news conference Thursday.

Nograles said the P40 billion will “cover for everything” that is needed to ensure the implementation of the law to the fullest.

“That will cover the amount needed for 2018.

So that’s free tuition and miscellaneous expenses for all SUCs, including UP; LUCs that are accredited

by CHED, and it will cover the free technical-vocational education in tech-voc institutions under Tesda,” Nograles said.

“Plus the tertiary education subsidy which may be used for SUCs and private [universities and colleges], and also the student loan program,” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed into law Republic Act 10931, or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act which provide free tuition and other fees for students in state universities and colleges, as well as LUCs and technical-vocational institutions (TVIs).

Covered by the law are students coming from the country’s 114 State Universities and Colleges, 16 Local Universities and Colleges accredited by Commission

on Higher Education and 122 Technical-Vocational Institutions under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

He said the P40 billion funds would come from the travel and supply expenses of CHR worth P115 million, P30 billion projects of the Department of Education, P3 billion funds from the Department of Transportation, P6 billion allocation from the Commission on Higher Education, and Department of Information and Communications Technology.

“We got P30 billion from the Department of Education [DepEd] for their school building program, particularly those with problems on their [implementation], no buildable space, no vacant lot...we were able to carve out P30 billion from

that budget,” said Nograles.

“The rest from the Department of Transportation,” Nograles said, adding that the P3 billion came from DOTr’s Edsa-Bus Rapid Transit and Quezon Avenue Bus Rapid Transit.

“Apart from that, we were able to raise P6 billion from various scholarship programs embedded already in the SUCs [state universities and colleges] and CHED,” Nograles added.

“We also had various reductions in the projects of the DICT for ICT systems and infrastructure. So all in all we were able to raise P40 billion,” Nograles said.

Nograles also said that the House restored the CHR budget to the total budget proper of the Commission at P508 million from the recently approved P1,000 allocation for 2018.

PH bats for signing of treaty banning nuclear weapons

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Philippines on Wednesday called on countries with nuclear weapons to join the international community in making the world a safer place by signing the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“We call on Member-States that possess the world’s largest nuclear arsenals to sign on to the treaty,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said after signing the instrument on the sidelines of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“The world will only be safe if we eliminate all weapons of mass destruction,” Cayetano added.

Cayetano also made an assurance that as a signatory, the Philippines is ready to contribute to the work ahead.

“Our signing of the treaty today affirms our unequivocal commitment to put nuclear weapons firmly on the path of extinction, a cause of the highest priority embodied in our country’s constitution,” Cayetano said.

The Secretary said the treaty presents a unique opportunity for

nuclear weapon states to demonstrate that they remain committed to their own cause of nuclear disarmament and the United Nations Charter.

The Philippines is among the 121 UN member-states that adopted the treaty, the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons with the goal of leading towards their total elimination.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Bayani Mercado of the Office of United Nations and Other International Organizations said the adoption of the treaty not only rec-

ognizes the catastrophic effects of nuclear weapons on humanity and the environment but also reaffirms the universal aspiration of a world free from such weapons.

“The treaty acknowledged global geopolitical dynamics that call for the elimination of nuclear weapons before these weapons could annihilate humanity,” Mercado said.

The Philippines has been consistent in its nuclear disarmament advocacy. It contributed to the effort when it presided over the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

De Lima, Trillanes shrug off Du30 threats on DAP cases

By Macon Araneta OPPOSITION Senators Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV yesterday downplayed the threats of President Rodrigo Duterte that they would soon face charges in connection with the Disbursement Acceleration Program and blasted it as another lie.

In a statement, De Lima said Duterte’s accusation that she was involved in an alleged DAP anomaly is another “lie” from the President.

“The latest lie is about my alleged involvement in an alleged DAP anomaly, along with Sen. [Antonio] Trillanes. Wow! What kind of lies are Duterte and his evil lieutenants concocting this time?” she said.

De Lima said Duterte has previously lied about her links to the Bilibid drug

trade, her supposed sex video, and about a US intel report supposedly proving her involvement in illegal drugs, “a claim so incredulous that it might as well just originated from the planet Mars.”

“These are all blatant lies, blurted out by Duterte himself, mostly in public events; lies parroted by his obnoxious underlings and gleefully swallowed, and at times applauded by his fanatical throngs,” De Lima said.

“And I need not remind about Duterte’s other ignominious remarks, almost unprintable words, attacking my womanhood, which shows the vileness or baseness of the man’s character.

It’s clear, this President is not only a murderer but also a liar. A big, pathological liar!

A real sicko,” she added.

NEW MEMBERS. Philippine Ambassador to Spain and Andorra, Philippe J. Lhuillier, and his spouse, Madame Edna Lhuillier, were recently inducted as new members of the Real Esclavitud de Santa Maria de la Almudena, during a mass at the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid.

Santa María de la Almudena, which symbolizes the Virgin Mary, is the patroness of Madrid, while the Almudena Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madrid. The cathedral was consecrated no less by Pope John Paul II in 1993. Also inducted, along with Ambassador Lhuillier and his spouse, were Consul General Emmanuel Fernandez and his spouse, Alicia. The Real Esclavitud de Santa Maria de la Almudena is one of the oldest existing associations in the Spanish Catholic Church and to be a member of this association is both a privilege and an honor, not to mention, it is strictly by-invitation only.

MALAYSIAN police have detained seven Filipinos suspected of involvement with the Abu Sayyaf militant group, an official said Thursday, the latest arrest of extremist suspects in the Muslimmajority country.

The seven men, aged between 22 and 38, were working as private security guards in and around the capital Kuala Lumpur, said national police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun.

One had fought Filipino troops and was previously involved in abductions in the southern Philippines.

Police did not give details about the other suspects.

The arrests last week bring to 41 the number of foreigners suspected of being “terrorist fighters” who have been detained in Malaysia this year, he said.

Fears have been growing in Malaysia that Muslim militants are ramping up their activities, inspired by the Islamic State group and a conflict in the Philippine city of Marawi between followers of the jihadists and authorities.

“The police will continue to launch operations to detect and catch foreign terrorist elements that infiltrate Malaysia,” Mohamad Fuzi said in a statement.

The men caught in the latest arrests had entered Malaysia via Sabah state on Borneo island in September 2015 before heading to the capital city using fake documents, the police chief said.

The Abu Sayyaf are Islamist militants engaged mainly in kidnappings for ransom who have operated out of the southern Philippines for years.

They have raided Malaysian parts of Borneo, not far from the southern Philippines, and abducted foreign tourists. AFP

UK trade envoy to visit Bataan, Manila and Pampanga THE United Kingdom Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Asean Economic Community, Richard Graham is set to make another official visit to the Manila from Sept. 26 to 29 to further boost trade and investment between the two countries.

The UK Embassy in Manila said that Graham, who will be in his third official visit in the country, will travel to Bataan, Pampanga and Manila.

In Bataan, Graham will discuss potential infrastructure development with Bataan Gov. Albert Garcia and will visit Mariveles Port, a dry bulk cargo port run by SNSPI and the UKbased Nectar Group that was partly funded by UK Export Finance.

He will also make a brief stop in Clark Green City in Pampanga to meet with the Department of Transportation, deliver a keynote speech for the local Chambers of Commerce, and engage the Bases Conversion Development Authority on their future plans for Clark.

Graham will also call on Secretary Delfin Lorenzana of the Department of National Defence and Secretary Fortunato dela Peña of the Department of Science & Technology in Manila.

Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

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Opinion

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Rehabilitating Marawi

R

EHABILITATING Marawi City, like widespread poverty, will be the one of the biggest challenges facing the government. Images of the war-torn city splashed on the front pages of newspapers and television channels show the extent of the damage inflicted by extremists on the predominantly Muslim capital.

Marawi City must rise from the ashes, but reconstructing it will require massive funding through an integrated approach. Certainly, as President Rodrigo Du-

Adelle Chua, Editor

terte conceded, P50 billion will not be enough to rebuild the city.

The World Bank, foreign governments and other multilateral financing institutions

this early have pledged billions of dollars to rebuild Marawi and restore order in the city. The bank sees Marawi’s reconstruction as a development task that parallels its early efforts right after World War II. One also cannot isolate Marawi’s rehabilitation from the current efforts to develop the whole of Mindanao island. Marawi is an integral part of Mindanao, which itself has suffered from gover nment neglect

for several decades.

Any reconstruction job on Marawi will ultimately involve the entire Mindanao.

The World Bank, for one, is committing multi-million dollar loans to fund projects for agriculture and education in Mindanao.

Beyond the physical rehabilitation of Marawi City and Mindanao, the bank committed to focus its funding to support the government’s program to raise agricultural pro-

ductivity and improve connectivity from farm to market, boost education, skills, and employability of the youth, and help build resilient communities.

Creating job opportunities and providing education will be the key to Marawi’s reconstruction efforts and Mindanao’s development. Poverty and lack of education have driven part of Mindanao’s population to join the rebellion in the island or sympathize with the

cause of Muslim extremists.

Infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and airports will also be critical in the development of Mindanao and the rehabilitation of Marawi. Farmers and fishermen must be given access to sell their crops and harvests to the urban cities.

All reconstruction and development efforts must be inclusive to bring about progress and peace in the neglected south.

PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO

Of CHR’s mandate and also the right to bail WHEN a crime is committed—a violation of the rights of others or the State, which the law defines as a crime—it is the police that investigate and, if warranted, prepare the criminal complaint. That is exactly the function of the police.

The Commission on Human Rights was not meant to be a second police force in the country. And by its structure, it cannot be another class of police.

A loser’s history LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES ONE of the most unforgivable sins of the three-decade-old Yellow regime is its imposition of a zero-sum view of Philippine history, which posits that everything Ferdinand Marcos did was bad, while maintaining that nothing the Aquinos did was wrong. At the very least, the good that Marcos did was never acknowledged post1986, while all the terrible things committed by the Yellows were never really brought to light.

The historian Van Ybiernas of De La Salle University explained to me that this polarized, scorched-earth narrative of Philippine history is still being applied to this day for contemporary political reasons. In other words, it is still accepted as

politically beneficial to foist this theory upon the population, even if professing it makes the process of coming up with an objective consensus of what really happened, particularly during the Marcos martial law years, extremely difficult.

Ybiernas, like most people not afflicted with the Yellow disease, is of the belief that while some really terrible things happened during the Marcos years, there were also some really very good things that took place.

Unfortunately, any attempt to go against this still-prevailing historical view, even through the presentation of fact and official records, is immediately derided as “revisionist” by majority of Filipino historians, Ybiernas said.

Ybiernas recounts how, as a consultant of the Philippine Gazette right after the assumption of President Rodrigo Duterte, he single-

The people already know the truth, no matter how many Yellow historians deny it. handedly ignited a firestorm of protest from his colleagues by writing that martial law was declared by Marcos in 1972 because of the increasing threat of a Communist takeover of the government.

“The dominant theory is that Marcos declared martial law to extend his term of office which they want to emphasize, but the existing Communist threat is well documented and is even contained in Proclamation 1081 as the reason for the imposition of martial

law,” Ybiernas told me.

While it is true, as Churchill said, that history is written by the victors, the dogmatic, Aquino-enamored view post1986 seems to have undergone a sea change 45 years after martial law was imposed.

The rise of Bongbong Marcos, who would probably have become vice president had massive election cheating not attended last year’s elections, is a testament to that.

The truth is, the two Aquino presidencies since Ferdinand Marcos could have indefinitely postponed the development of a more objective historical narrative, had they actually delivered on their promises to uplift the lives of Filipinos.

But that didn’t happen—and in almost every metric used to measure presidential performance, Marcos still compares favorably to Cory and Noynoy, when he doesn’t clearly leave these two successors of his in the dust.

*** The good thing is, the intransigence of the Yellowenamored historical community now has to contend with the purely organic revision of their beloved theory, which developed unbidden and coincided with the election of an acknowledged admirer of the elder Marcos in Duterte. The rejection by the voters last year of the Aquino-backed candidate, Mar Roxas, may be primarily because of Roxas’ own inadequacies—but the election of the Marcosfriendly Duterte is also a clear indication that the Animal Farm-inspired historical view of the Yellows is now all but consigned to the dustbin.

Bongbong nearly made it to the vice presidency (and probably really won, if Smartmatic and Andy Bautista had not intervened). And Duterte proved that being a declared fan of Ferdinand is definitely not a political kiss of death.

Recently, some social me-

dia denizens dredged up a quote from that proto-Yellow, Ninoy Aquino, who once fulminated in the pre-martial law Senate against the elder Marcos’ infrastructure projects by haughtily asking: “Can the people eat infrastructure?”

Of course, when Ninoy’s son Noynoy hosted his last big event, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila at the end of his term, he had no choice but to use one of the Marcos infrastructure projects his father hated so much—the Philippine International Convention Center.

Marcos did many things, good and bad. And the Aquinos, despite their refusal to accept the reality of Marcos’ achievements and their own failings, were equally human, with high and low points.

But to say that Marcos is the devil incarnate while Cory and Noynoy were God’s gifts to the Filipinos is not

Turn to A5

If all crimes— whoever committed them—were to be referred to the Commission on Human Rights, the latter would virtually be the police force of the country, something that it was not meant to be.

When a robber enters your house and, in the process of robbing hurts or kills any resident of the house, the crime is robbery with homicide, and the matter is a police matter.

When a policeman is ambushed by members of a rebel group, that too is a police matter and, if is sufficiently serious, the President may invoke his “calling-out” powers and ask the Armed Forces to step in.

When, however, officers of the law and agents of the law commit crimes against the fundamental rights of citizens, that is a human rights violation.

Why the difference? Because when the State—through its agents—is the offender, then you need a body that is able to call the attention of the State

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Opinion Of CHR’s...

From A4

and to hold the State to account.

That is exactly the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights. This is the reason that it is an INDEPENDENT office, tasked with seeing to the nation’s compliance with treaties on human rights. It’s powers and concerns therefore are not simply circumscribed by Philippine domestic law.

So, in Simon v. Commission on Human Rights (January 5, 1994), our Supreme Court already taught: Recalling the deliberations of the Constitutional Commission, aforequoted, it is readily apparent that the delegates envisioned a Commission on Human Rights that would focus its attention to the more severe cases of human rights violations. Delegate Garcia, for instance, mentioned such areas as the “(1) protection of rights of political detainees, (2) treatment of prisoners and the present prevention of tortures, (3) fair and public trials, (4) cases of disappearances, (5) salvagings and hamletting, and (6) other crimes committed against the religious.”

While the enumeration has not likely been meant to have any preclusive effect, more than just expressing a statement of priority, it is, nonetheless, significant for the tone it has set. In any event, the delegates did not apparently take comfort in peremptorily making a conclusive delineation of the CHR’s scope of investigatorial jurisdiction. They have thus seen it fit to resolve, instead, that “Congress may provide for other cases of violations of human rights that should fall within the authority of the Commission, taking into account its recommendation.

The cases covered by the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights, as cited by the Court from the deliberations of the Constitutional Commission all involve offenses by the State or agents of the State against citizens.

If all crimes —whoever committed them—were to be referred to the Commission on Human Rights, the latter would virtually be the police force of the country, something that it was not meant to be, since very clearly, the Constitution creates only one police force that is “national in scope and civilian in character”. (Article XVI, Section 6, Constitution of 1987) Note that under Republic Act No. 10368 that provides for compensation for the supposed human rights victims of the Martial Law era, the very same concept of human rights is adopted: (c) Human Rights Violations Victim (HRVV) refers to a person whose human rights were violated by persons acting in an official capacity and/ or agents of the State as defined herein. In order to qualify for reparation under this Act, the human rights violation must have been committed during the period from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986: Provided, however, That victims of human rights violations that were committed one (1) month before September 21, 1972 and one (1) month afterward February 25, 1986 shall be entitled to reparation, under this Act if they can establish that the violation was committed: (1) By agents of the State and/or persons acting in an official capacity as defined hereunder; (2) For the purpose of preserving, maintaining, supporting or promoting the said regime; or (3) To conceal abuses during the Marcos regime and/or the effects of Martial Law. Very clearly then, since the Commission on Human Rights is tasked precisely with the oversight of human rights in the Philippines it concerns itself ONLY with violations of

A loser’s...

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only wrong but also historically unjustified. Besides, the people already know the truth, no matter how many Yellow historians deny it.

So the next time you hear people wondering why the nation seems so irreparably

rights committed BY PERSONS IN AUTHORITY or BY AGENTS OF THE STATE against individuals.

Crimes committed by the NPAs, by rebel groups, by Muslim separatists against our military officers and men are ordinary crimes and will be dealt with as police matters. They are not any less serious than human rights violations, but they do not fall within the concept of human rights for the purpose of the mandate of the Commission on Human Rights because there is already the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation (of the Department of Justice) to deal with such cases.

On Jinggoy’s bail: I accept the proposition that repeated motions to reconsider an interlocutory orders are not by any means irregular. In this case, there was an important supervening event: the “Gloria Arroyo doctrine” enunciated by the Supreme Court that gave reason to the Sandiganbayan to alter its appreciation of the strength of the prosecution’s evidence against Estrada. In the Supreme Court’s reading of the law on plunder, it is necessary that it be clearly alleged in the Information and proved that the government official is the “principal,” or that he or she conspired with others by planning, plotting and enlisting the assent and cooperation of others. In short, plunder needs a “principal plunderer.” Using this doctrine, the Sandiganbayan found that the prosecution has not shown that Estrada was the key plunderer, and therefore the constitutional requisite for rejecting bail as a matter of right—that the evidence against the accused is strong—is not present. In fact, one might even raise the question of whether or not plunder is properly alleged.

Plunder is a very peculiar crime. Where one malverses PHP 65 Million pesos in one fell swoop, there will be NO plunder. Some other crime, perhaps, but not plunder. But when one does so in a series of acts, or a combination of acts, that is when there will be plunder.

Can Napoles be charged with plunder? Yes, because the law is clear that the plundering government official can consort with private citizens and make them his co-conspirators or accomplices. BUT: When it is even doubtful if there was plunder in the first place, then obviously charging Napoles with plunder becomes a dubious proposition as well.

Am I disturbed that Jinggoy is out on bail? NO, OF COURSE NOT. I am happy that he is out on bail, as I am happy that JPE is out on bail.

In fact I commented to Ted that the real question is: Why were these three alone indicted and subsequently detained, when it was clear from Napoles’ own testimony that so many others were involved?

Several times we were told by the Palace that several names were on the list. Why were the three singled out?

My theory remains unchanged; Until the Court is satisfied that the evidence against the accused is strong when the accused are charged with a capital offense or a crime punishable by reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment, IT HAS NO CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS for detaining them and denying them bail. Therefore, while bail hearing is on-going and it is not yet determined that the evidence against the accused is strong, THERE IS NO CONSTITUTIONAL WARRANT for denying them bail and curtailing so many of their liberties. This holds true for all accused. rannie_aquino@csu.edu.ph rannie_aquino@sanbeda. edu.ph rannie_aquino@outlook. com divided, remember that this is the legacy of the dual myth of Marcos’ supposed irredeemably evil reign and the alleged goodness of the Aquino presidencies. And ask yourself, assuming that Churchill is correct, why the losers still insist on imposing their uncompromising historical fairy tale on the rest of us.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

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Special people?

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO AS IF they don’t have enough perks and privileges, our congressmen now want special treatment in coping with Metro Manila’s monstrous traffic problem. What traffic enforcer would have the nerve to stop a vehicle with the No.8 license plate? This, even if it’s common knowledge that the No. 8 car plates issued to congressmen have been abused and used even by household members.

House Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas (Ilocos Norte) is drawing a lot of flak in social media for asking traffic enforcers not to accost them while on their way to attend sessions at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City. How can the Metro Manila Development Authority traffic enforcers verify whether the con-

gressman he stops is on his way to a House session, a poker session or an assignation with his mistress?

Yes indeed, why should congressmen be accorded special treatment in dealing with the grief suffered daily by ordinary commuters like us? Instead of breaking the law, legislators should enact laws to solve the grinding flow of traffic in the metropolis. What are these laws to ease the traffic?

That’s their problem and I’m not about to tell them how to do their job. Slashing the Commission on Human Rights budget to an unrealistic P1,000 a year certainly is not one of them.

Fortunately there are still some congressmen who can think straight like Davao Rep. Karlo Nograles who said the CHR budget, as well as the appropriation for the Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, will be restored to its original outlay.

“The law is the law,” said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in conveying President Rodrigo Duterte’s disapproval of Fariñas’ proposal. It was Fariñas who ordered the closing of the House door on congressmen who come late fo sessions.

His “you arrive late, you’re marked absent” House rule was welcomed by the taxpaying public. Fariñas must dread the thought that one of these days, he will be the one shut out of the House session hall for arriving late.

Fariñas insists congressmen and senators have parliamentary immunity as he cited the constitutional provision exempting them from arrest for crimes and offenses punishable by less than six years.

Joke lang It seems not all that President Duterte says should be taken seriously Duterte admitted that he only invented the bank account number he said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has in a Singapore bank.

This was after DBS bank in Singapore said no such account exists in its file.

This was a serious allegation Duterte should have not made in the verbal exchange with Trillanes. No one is laughing except the international banking community at the nonsense going on in this country.

“Checkmate ka, Duterte,” gloated Trillanes who went to Singapore with a media group to belie Duterte’s claim the senator had secret bank accounts overseas.

Telcos refund pressed Bayan Muna Representatives Neil Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate are demanding that local telecommunications carriers refund an estimated P17.7 billion to consumers.

The amount was amassed

by Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Digitel from excessive and outrageously high cost of text messaging.

Filipinos are known as the world’s most frequent texters. The business sense

of the telcos tell them there’s no need to improve their service since Filipinos are hopelessly addicted to texting.

Aside from the high cost of texting, there is also the dismal delivery of messages. Telco consumer have been complaining about the late delivery of their messages, often an hour late and sometimes not even reaching the intended recipient. One can imagine the tragic consequences of both sender and recipient if the message had been a matter of life and death.

There is so much money being made by these telcos which is why they don’t want a foreign firm to come in and give them competition. Congress should pass a law making this industry more competitive by allowing foreign companies to give subscribers more satisfactory service. The duopoly of Smart and Globe must end if they cannot deliver efficient service at lesser cost.

Foreign ratings FORMATION GARY OLIVAR THE Hongkong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. is a well-regarded consulting firm, founded and still led by American Robert Broadfoot, an Asian resident since 1975. Among other things, it tracks the comparative governance systems in various Asian countries.

In its latest report this week, PERC had some unkind words for the Philippines, calling our political governance the weakest in Asia. According to its analysts: The quality of governance has deteriorated sharply under Duterte.

Abrupt policy changes under him have not delivered substantial gains, despite his popularity.

Duterte has consistently overestimated his ability to solve major problems and translate his policies into action.

As proof of these claims, PERC cited Duterte’s war on drugs, which he recently conceded was impossible to win within his original deadline of six months; his “inability to deal with the Marawi attacks”; and the lack of meaningful infrastructure invest-

ment inflows a year after he announced his foreign policy pivot to China, the country we hate on maritime grounds but love for investment reasons. *** We’re assuming that the guys at PERC have nothing but the best intentions for us, since they’re so impatient to see major improvement just a year into the current presidency. But perhaps impatience may not be the best default mode for consultants about Asia, who ought to be familiar, and comfortable, by now with the deliberate way that things are done in this region.

Had they waited a bit longer before writing their report, they would have seen the complete retaking of Marawi by government troops just last week. And if they’re willing to wait a bit longer in the future, they may be seeing a flood of investment inflows that were promised to Duterte only a few months ago when he visited China.

The progress of the drug war is an example of how one drives a car: not with steering wheel permanently fixed, but constantly adjusting left and right. PERC praised Duterte’s “strong, direct approach to dealing with problems,” and that is certainly the attitude he displayed about drugs—complete with the roughest of language—that helped get him elected to office.

Since then, however, he’s discovered that approaches that worked in a city like Davao do not simply or easily scale up for use in a metropolis like Metro Manila, let alone a country of a hundred million.

And we’ll wager that he’s quite distressed about finding out that his spearpoint in the drug war, the PNP, is a pretty blunt and rusty weapon that may need a thorough cleaning-up.

These are lessons that had to be learned at some cost. From his latest pronouncements, it seems that the President has profited from the experience, is learning to use a whole armory of policy weapons in the drug war and not just one or two, and is settling in for a long, uphill fight against the ever-lengthening list of enemies that he was hired in 2016 to put down. *** Other ratings—the ones issued by people who vote with their pocketbooks—are more sanguine about our progress.

According to the Philippine Statistical Authority, the total of investment pledges approved by the country’s seven investment promotion agencies (IPAs) totaled P230 billion in the second quarter of this year, an increase of 30 percent year-on-year. [Note that these pledges are different from actual investment inflows which are monitored by

the central bank.]

The picture gets a bit mixed when you take a closer look.

Pledges by local investors explain ALL of the increase. This isn’t surprising, for the obvious reasons: they are thoroughly at home in this business culture; they face no currency risk; inertia and familiarity make it easier for them to reinvest here rather than go prospecting abroad; and, perhaps not least of all, they “get” the President, in a way that foreigners simply can’t.

In contrast, approved pledges by foreign investors totaled P18.2 billion last quarter, down by 55 percent year on year. A lot of this can be ascribed to the return—albeit slowly—of economic growth in their home countries, as interest rates rise. But some of this will also have to be blamed on increasing bearish sentiment, not just about the President but also about our entire political situation.

This is something we hope our senators will remember before going ahead with their version of a tax reform bill that may strip away as much as forty percent of the additional tax revenues originally contemplated by the administration. This wholesale weakening of political will—not by the Executive but by the Legislature—will not go over well with the foreign investors and analysts who’re watching us.

*** A bullet that government dodged in the nick of time was a foolish attempt by House leaders to exempt congressmen from being arrested for traffic violations, even if a pedestrian had been run over. No less than the Constitution was cited, “that [senators and congressmen] shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest while Congress is in session.”

We’ll wager that that exemption was really intended to protect legislators from being arrested while in session, because that would obviously disrupt legislative proceedings. But interpreting it to mean protection even on their way to and from work was clearly an overstretch.

Luckily, Duterte himself, through his spokesman, asked the congressmen to emulate his own “modest lifestyle.”

When the Speaker himself has taken to locking the doors of Congress against tardy House members, and marking down absences, you can see why that harebrained proposal thankfully died a quick death. Nope; at least on matters of punctuality and attendance, the congressmen haven’t earned the right to be treated better than the rest of us.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@yahoo.com.

Duterte’s big heart VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ THE late Ramon Magsaysay (who was president from Dec. 30, 1953 to March 17, 1957) defined what makes for a good president.

“The President should set the example of a big heart, an honest mind, sound instincts, the virtue of healthy impatience and an abiding love for the common man.”

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, 72, has these attributes—a big heart, an honest mind, sound instincts, the virtue of healthy impatience, and an abiding love for the common man, in great abundance, not only as a president, but as a lawyer, as a public servant, and as a common man.

He is pro-people. He offers free tuition in college starting 2018. That will cost government P50 billion additionally yearly. He has told miners to shut down or pay higher taxes.

When squatters invaded more than 5,000 housing units in Bulacan for policemen and soldiers, instead of sending riot troops, he allowed the “invaders” to keep the houses. But they were told not to do it again.

He has gone after oligarchs.

And shamed once-untouchable media empires like The Inquirer and ABS-CBN. He told their owners to pay their

taxes and their loans (if any) to government banks.

Those who get his goat are threatened with removal from office or impeachment.

Hence, the current troubles of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista, and Human Rights chief Chito Gascon. The stern message: Cooperate—or else. He is probably behind the release, on bail, of former Senator Jinggoy Estrada, jailed for more than three years for alleged plunder, a non-bailable offense.

As to an honest mind, Duterte, a lawyer, former prosecutor and Davao mayor of 23 years, readily telegraphs what he plans to do even before he can work out the details. He says he will resign if found to be corrupt. The police can shoot his son if found to be engaged in illegal drugs.

Duterte announced early on he would go after drug lords and drug addicts. The result has been a spate of celebrated killings—of drug lords like the mayor of Albuera, Leyte, Rolando Espinosa on Nov. 5, 2016, killed while under police detention, and the mayor of Ozamiz, Misamis Occidental province, Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. and 14 others inside his house on July 30, 2017. A notorious Iloilo drug lord Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr. and his

wife were killed after embarking from a passenger ship on Aug. 29, 2016.

The police admit to killings more than 2,000 others as suspects in the state’s illegal drugs war.

Why the intense focus on drugs? Duterte explained it in his Second State of the Nation Address last July 24. He said: “I believed then, as I believe still, that progress and development will sputter if criminals, illegal drugs, illegal users of drugs are allowed to roam the streets freely, victimizing seeming with impunity, the innocent and the helpless.

Worse yet, there were times in the past when the protectors of the people were themselves the perpetrators of the very crimes they were tasked to prevent or suppress. It is ironic as it is madness.”

“The economy surges only when there is peace and order prevailing in places where investors can pour their capital and expertise. I have learned from my experience in Davao City that investor confidence [is] bolstered and fortified only if a potent force and mechanism for protection of local and foreign investments are in place.”

Clearly, Duterte conflates drugs with peace and order, development, and economic growth. He has staked his honor, his life, his presidency in exchange for victory over

the drug lords.

“I have resolved that no matter how long it takes, the fight against illegal drugs will continue because that is the root cause of so much evil and so much suffering that weakens the social fabric and deters foreign investments from pouring in. The fight will be unremitting as it will be unrelenting,” the President vowed in his SONA. “Businessmen have really no complaints about President Duterte’s honesty and transparency,” says Jose “Titoy” Pardo, the chairman of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

He says he has talked to tycoons like Ramon Ang [of San Miguel] and Manny Pangilinan [of PLDT and Meralco] and they could not complain about corruption at the top.

His cabinet are competent and have integrity.” “But the lower levels of the bureaucracy, there is corruption,” Pardo confides.

At the grassroots, Pardo notes, “people seem to accept the killings in the drugs war.

Lawlessness is gone. The drive keeps us peaceful.”

Indeed, despite complaints about the rising number of killings, Duterte job approval and popularity ratings remain sky high—a gratifying 82 percent, and rising, not falling.

The Duterte administration has embarked on a massive P8 trillion to P9 trillion

infrastructure program called “Build, Build, Build”. The money will help finance no less than 75 infrastructure projects, 53 of which will cost P1.579 trillion.

“Build, Build, Build” will create 1.5-million jobs, raise government infra spending to 5 percent of GDP, modernize the economy, boost economic growth to 7-8 percent yearly, rescue eight million Filipinos from poverty, reduce poverty from 21.6 percent today to 14 percent by 2022, and make the Philippines a high middle income country by the end of Duterte’s presidency when Filipinos are expected to have a per capita income of $5,000, in current dollars.

The Duterte administration is also reforming taxation. It will require the rich to pay more in taxes (on the diesel and gasoline they use, on the cars they buy, on sugar they consume, and on their assets and income).

The poor, or those who earn P250,000 or less a year, will not pay any income taxes.

Annual additional revenues from the so-called TRAIN— Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion designed by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda—will be P133.8 billion in the first year, rising to P269.9 billion by 2022.

The Senate has no choice but endorse Duterte’s tax bill, in full. biznewsasia@gmail.com

A6

World

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Facebook bans group from its site YA NG ON―Fa c eb o ok said it has banned a Rohingya militant group from its site, designating it a ‘dangerous organization’ as information on the deepening crisis is muddied by claims, counterclaims and hate speech on social media.

The social network is a key tool in the information war taking place over the violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, which has driven more than 420,000 Rohingya Muslims from the country and sparked UN accusations of military-led “ethnic cleansing”.

Rohingya activists have used the platform to post alleged scenes of brutality from the conflict zone, where humanitarian and media access is severely restricted, while the army and government deliver near-daily updates on the crisis.

A Facebook spokeswoman told AFP late Wednesday it was not requested by the government to bar the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which remains active on Twitter.

The spokeswoman added that the move was in line with its policy of prohibiting violent groups from its site.

The latest violence in Rahkine erupted after a series of deadly ARSA attacks on military posts in August. AFP

China lifts travel ban on feminist BEIJING―China has lifted a 10-year travel ban on a feminist activist who was jailed for more than a month in 2015 after organizing a campaign against sexual harassment.

Wu Rongrong plans to fly to Hong Kong on Sunday to pursue a master’s degree in law in the semi-autonomous city, which has a separate legal system and border controls.

“It was a very complicated process, but now I have my permits and passport back and I will be able to go anywhere,” Wu told AFP on Thursday.

The 32-year-old said she felt “prepared to fight” after receiving notice from security authorities that she would not be allowed to leave the mainland for a decade.

In recent weeks, she shared the police letters on her Twitter-like Weibo microblogging account, attracting international attention.

“I don’t know why they changed their minds,” Wu told AFP. The national Ministry of Public Security and public security bureaus in Wu’s home province of Shanxi did not answer calls from AFP on Thursday. AFP

Rohingya crisis sparks fear among Bangladeshi Buddhists RAMU, Bangladesh—As thousands of Rohingya flee ethnic violence in Myanmar, Bangladesh’s small Buddhist community fears the crisis could spark a violent backlash from their Muslim neighbors.

Many Bangladeshis are angry over the treatment in Buddhist-majority Myanmar of the Rohingya, a perse-

cuted stateless minority who they see as Muslim brethren.

The anger is particularly acute in the southern district of Cox’s Bazar near the border with Myanmar, where many people have close links with the Rohingya and share linguistic and cultural roots.

But the area is also home to a sizable Buddhist minority that has suffered hate at-

tacks in the past.

Authorities in Cox’s Bazar have deployed 550 extra police in Buddhist areas to prevent a repeat of religious unrest in 2012, when Muslim mobs attacked temples and Buddhist homes.

Buddhist monk Proggananda Bhikkhu vividly remembers the night a Muslim mob torched a 300-year-old

temple he looks after.

He fled when between 30 and 40 Muslims broke into his temple and began looting statues and other valuable artifacts, but he watched the violence from a nearby field.

“When the looting was over, they set fire to the temple,” he told AFP at the Kendriya Shima Bihar temple, which had to be largely

rebuilt after the 2012 attack.

“We never imagined this could happen, we had good relations with the local Muslims.”

Bhikkhu said the monks had not received any direct threats, but he had seen some on the internet.

“People on social media are trying to portray this as a religious conflict. But like

Aid to Rohingya hampered S

ITTWE, Myanmar―Myanmar police clashed with a mob blocking an aid shipment in Rakhine state and nine people died when a Red Cross truck crashed in Bangladesh Thursday, hampering urgently-needed relief efforts for Rohingya Muslims who have fled violence.

AFTERMATH. Rescuers, firefighters, policemen, soldiers and volunteers search for survivors in a flattened building in Mexico City on September 20, 2017, a day after a strong quake hit central Mexico. The powerful 7.1 earthquake shook Mexico City on Tuesday, causing panic among the megalopolis’ 20 million inhabitants on the 32nd anniversary of a devastating 1985 quake. AFP

Volunteers rush to the rescue in aftermath of Mexico quake MEXICO CITY―Climbing onto a pile of rubble that used to be a building may not seem the most obvious thing to do for someone who has just survived an earthquake.

But that is how thousands of Mexicans have reacted to the deadly 7.1-magnitude quake that rocked the country Tuesday, killing more than 200 people.

Businessmen in ties, students in jeans, doctors in scrubs and other ordinary people from all walks of

life have joined professional rescue teams in rushing onto and into the mangled remains of homes, schools and offices in Mexico City, desperately trying to reach survivors before it’s too late.

The outpouring of sympathy has been overwhelming―too much for the authorities to deal with at times.

Volunteer rescuers are now being turned away at many sites if they do not bring their own helmets.

And appeals have gone out for residents of the capital to stop giving perishable food items and water, which have already been donated in abundance.

“Food is going to waste, we don’t need any more water. We have a list of medicines and supplies that we need instead,” a soldier at one site said through a megaphone in Mexico City’s upscale Condesa neighborhood.

Mexico’s impressive tra-

dition of citizen solidarity can be traced back to September 19, 1985―32 years to the day before Tuesday’s quake―when another massive earthquake devastated the capital, killing more than 10,000 people.

The government was so overwhelmed by the magnitude of the disaster that citizens took matters into their own hands, organizing teams of diggers, tunnelers, rubble removers, supply managers and the like. AFP

Communal tensions remain high across Rakhine where raids by Rohingya militants at the end of last month sparked a massive army crackdown, driving more than 420,000 people into Bangladesh in what the UN calls a campaign of “ethnic cleansing”.

Aid groups fear that tens of thousands trapped in Rakhine state are desperate for support, even though humanitarian access is still hampered despite the government’s promise to allow safe passage.

The crisis has prompted a global chorus of condemnation against the country’s de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi for refusing to blame Myanmar’s powerful military for the crackdown, which French President Emmanuel Macron said amounted to “genocide”.

A 300-strong Buddhist mob in Rakhine’s state capital Sittwe massed late Wednesday at a jetty where a boat carrying relief goods was preparing to travel up river to hard-hit Maungdaw.

They forced the International Committee of the Red Cross to unload the aid from the boat and prevented the vessel from leaving, state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar news-

‘Storm of Century’ Maria devastates Puerto Rico SAN JUAN-Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico on Wednesday and left the entire island without power, bringing deadly winds and pounding rain that sent thousands scurrying to shelters.

Maria slammed into Puerto Rico’s southeast coast at daybreak before churning across the US territory, which is home to 3.4 million people.

The storm was blamed for 10 deaths in the Caribbean, including a man in northern Puerto Rico’s Bayamon who died after being struck by a board he had used to cover his windows, government spokeswoman Yennifer Alvarez told AFP. Though the storm had moved back out to sea, authorities early Thursday declared a flash flood warn-

bypassed by government forces in their drive north to second city Mosul last year, has been a bastion of insurgency ever since the first year of the US-led occupation in 2003.

After the defeat of IS in Mosul in July and the recapture of adjacent areas, Hawija and neighboring towns form the last enclave still held by IS apart fro a section of the Euphrates Valley downstream from the Iraqi border.

“At the dawn of a new day,

ing for all of Puerto Rico.

“If possible, move to higher ground NOW!” the National Weather Service station in San Juan said in a tweet, calling the flooding “catastrophic.”

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello called Maria “the most devastating storm in a century.”

“We have a lot of flooding, a lot of infrastructure damage, telecommunication system is partially down, energy infrastructure is completely down,” he told CNN. Rossello added that authorities did not have much information from the island’s southeast, which was “virtually disconnected” after taking a direct hit from Maria when it made landfall. AFP

we announce the launch of the first stage of the liberation of Hawija, in accordance with our commitment to our people to liberate all Iraqi territory and eradicate Daesh’s terrorist groups,” Abadi said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. “Greetings to all of our forces, who are waging several battles of liberation at the same time and who are winning victory after victory and this will be another, with the help of God,” he said. AFP

paper reported Thursday, quoting Myanmar’s Information Committee.

Police officers arrived as the crowd neared the jetty, while Buddhist monks also tried to calm the mob, but people began to hurl “stones and Molotov [cocktails] at the riot police” the report said.

Eight people were detained and several police were injured before order was restored.

The ICRC confirmed the incident and said they would continue to try and deliver relief to the area.

“We will carry on, nothing has been put on hold,” Graziella Leite Piccoli, ICRC spokeswoman for Asia, told AFP. News of the clashes in the violence-wracked state, where security forces have been accused of razing scores of Rohingya villages, emerged as a truck hired by the Red Cross and ICRC crashed in Bangladesh, killing nine people and injuring 10 others.

“It was carrying the food to Rohingya refugees on the border, including those stranded in the no-man’s land,” Yasir Arafat, deputy police chief of Bandarban border district, told AFP. AFP

Alarm over flesh-eating ulcer cases

Remaining IS territory now under attack BAGHDAD―Iraq brought all of its territory still held by the Islamic State group under attack Thursday, announcing an assault on the second of two remaining jihadist enclaves.

Prime Minister Haider alAbadi said the attack on the besieged IS pocket, around the mainly Sunni Arab northern town of Hawija, began at dawn and predicted it would bring a new victory against the crumbling jihadists.

The enclave, which was

the Muslims, we are citizens of Bangladesh, and we condemn these actions (in Myanmar),” he said.

Many of the more than 420,000 refugees have accused Myanmar’s ethnic Rakhine Buddhists of participating in the attacks on their villages that forced them to seek refuge in Bangladesh. AFP

SHOWCASE. Indian models showcase the creations by designer Lalit Dalmia during the Tech Fashion Tour Season 3 in Mumbai oi late September 20, 2017. AFP

SYDNEY―The spread of a flesh-eating bacterial condition in Australia sparked calls Thursday for more government-funded research into the disease, which is normally limited to developing countries.

Buruli ulcer, a leprosy-like disease that rots flesh, is usually found in parts of Africa and was named after the Ugandan village where it was discovered.

It was first diagnosed in Australia’s Victoria state in the 1930s and a growing number of cases have hit Bellarine Peninsula south of Melbourne.

“It seems to us that it is an outbreak in [native marsupial] possums in [Bellarine], connecting to humans directly or indirectly through biting insects,” Paul Johnson of Melbourne’s Austin Hospital told AFP. Johnson said the disease has crossed the bay that separates Bellarine from adjacent Mornington Peninsula and warned “the number of cases are continuing to increase”.

Buruli ulcer has previously been reported in the states of Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales, as well as the Northern Territory.

In Victoria, there have been 159 cases this year, compared to 102 for the same period in 2016, the state’s health department said.

One victim, 13-year-old Mornington Peninsula girl Ella Crofts, set up an online petition urging more funding for research. AFP

Sports

A7

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Handicapping system finalized I

N AN effort to align its handicapping rules and regulations to world-class standards as a result of its recent acceptance into the International Federation of Horseracing Authority, the Philippine Racing Commission is bringing in veteran international handicapping specialist Michael Wanklin to finalize its rating-based handicapping system.

As an IFHA member, the Philracom adopted its mission to promote good regulation and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport.

Wanklin is a hugely respected authority in the field of handicapping, responsible for drawing up Singapore Turf Club’s extensive guide on handicapping, which has been used as a definitive

guideline by many racing authorities around the world.

The handicapping expert is holding a two-day workshop at the Philracom’s Makati office before finalizing its Philippine Rating-Based Handicapping System on the third day.

On Sunday at the Chantilly Bar & Bistro of the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona,

Cavite, Wanklin and the Philracom will present the finalized Philippine Rating-Based Handicapping System to stakeholders of the sport, horse owners, trainers, racing managers and club handicappers.

“Wanklin’s visit is an important facet of our goal to uplift horseracing in the Philippines to world-class standards. We need an expert like him to show us the way in terms of handicapping,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez.

This is the third time this year that the Philracom has brought experts from abroad to improve the level of horse-racing in the country.

Wanklin

In April, the Philracom welcomed Japanese Racing Association Facilities Co. LTD. Director Kazuhiro Youfu and JRA Facili-

ties Co. LTD. Adviser Sadamichi Imabayashi to help raise the standards of the Philippines’ three premier racetracks.

A month before, the Philracom hosted International racing consultant Ciaran Kennelly to review the current structure of the Philracom’s Racing Programme.

Wanklin, who hails from Zimbabwe, made his debut as a professional handicapper in December 1981 and has flourished for over 30 years as one of the world’s best handicappers. He is currently the Vice President (Racing) of the Singapore Turf Club, responsible for managing its handicapping, race planning and national fixtures.

Pradera is virtual champ in PAL Ladies’ golf meet now shifts to the battles in the three other divisions.

Manila Southwoods Legends seized the lead in the Founders division after scoring 130 points that brought its total to 383, six points ahead of Alabang.

Maria Singson led Legends with 48 followed by Laurea Duque 44 and Yong Mi Kim 38.

Alabang posted 122 behind Jona Magcalayo 46, Finina Gorres 39 and Eun Sil Jang 37.

A far third was Negros Occidental Team A with 369 points after scoring 135 in the third round.

The battle in the Sportswriters division is expected to go down on the last putt.

Only three points separate defending champion Eagleridge, Sta. Elena and Camp Aguinaldo Team A going into the final round.

Eagleridge, riding on Soon Hak Jung’s 45 points, scored a division-best 120 points to seize the lead with 337, two points clear of Sta. Elena and three ahead of overnight leader Aguinaldo.

CEBU CITY—Newcomer Pradera Verde Golf Club has all but wrapped up the 12th Philippine Airlines Ladies Interclub golf team championships with one round to go following another explosive performance at the Cebu Country Club Thursday.

After posting 167 and 166 points in the first two rounds, Pradera cooled off with 158, but still built an insurmountable 46-point lead over Manila Southwoods Masters, winner of this event the last six years.

Fil-Japanese Yuka Saso shot the day’s only sub-par round, a two-under par 70, to anchor the all-teen Lubaobased squad.

That was worth 56 points in the Molave scoring system, assuring the 18-yearold long hitter the individual title. She scored 59 points in the opening round.

Nicole Abelar backed up Saso with 53 points while Michela Effendie rounded out scoring with 49.

Annyka Pineda Cayabyab, the youngest member of

the team at 13, did not count with 48.

Pradera’s domination signalled a shift in the balance of power and the rise of the brat pack.

“This is good for the event and the sport in general,” said Southwoods coach Bong Lopez, whose team lost a number of key players who have turned professional.

Lopez noted the rise of young golfers.

“Although we would have been happy winning our seventh title, this can only mean that we have to prepare hard for next year’s tournament,” Lopez said. “But it would probably take us three years to contend against Pradera.”

Southwoods collected 146 points with Sunshine Baraquiel pacing the team with 50 points. Other scorers were Loralie Roberto and Samantha Dizon with 48 points apiece.

Samantha Bruce did not count with Samantha Bruce.

With Pradera virtually settling the matter in the championship division, attention

Ateneo, La Salle, UP win opener

CW Home Depot leads LGR winners

ATENEO, University of the Philippines and De La Salle won their respective men’s division openers yesterday in the UAAP Season 80 badminton tournament.

The Blue Eagles carved out a 4-1 win over Adamson University, 4-1, while the Fighting Maroons posted a 5-0 shutout victory over University of the East.

The Green Archers lost their first two matches before storming back to beat University of Santo Tomas, 3-2, in the other opening day tie at the Rizal Memorial Badminton Hall.

Singles players Carlo Remo, Clarence Filart and last season’s top rookie Keoni Asuncion as well as doubles aces Remo and Patrick Gecosala prevailed to give Ateneo a winning start.

The Eagles’ lone loss came from the second doubles of Filart and Sean Chan.

UP turned to JM Bernardo, CK Clemente and Vinci Manuel, who won their singles’ matches, as well as the pairs of Betong Pineda and Paul Gonzales, and Jolo Lunod and Michael Clemente, who swept their doubles matches.

Men’s champion NU, which went perfect in 27 ties dating back from 2014, drew an opening-day bye.

The Bulldogs begin their quest for a four-peat against the Fighting Maroons tomorrow at 8 a.m. at the same Malate venue.

UP, meanwhile, also drew a bye and will begin its foray for a women’s four-peat opposite La Salle at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

CW Home Depot, Chiba and Scoria Grill scored similar easy victories over their respective rivals, while Robins and SYF pulled off exciting wins in the resumption of the LGR Hoops Season 4.

Iman Balagtas went perfect from the foul line, sinking all of his eight shots on his way to finishing 18 points in powering CW Home Depot to a 66-42 rout of Teledirect Wolpack at the Titan Love Court in Fort Bonifacio.

CW Home Depot used a fiery run in the fourth period, while holding its rival to only five points in coming away with the convincing triumph.

Balagtas also got solid backing from Harold Lomton, who contributed 13 markers in carrying their team to the win in the Corporate

Nicole Abelar of Pradera Verde backed up Fil-Japanese Yuka Sasp with 53 points.

Division of this event sponsored

by Bugsy’s, Rain or Shine, Titan, NBA Store, Gatorade, BTV, Golds Gym, Zarks Burger, Kartilya, SYF and Ybalai.

More than 90 teams are competing in different divisions of the LGR Hoops, the fastest growing recreational league for people from all walks of life.

Derick Hubalde, son of PBA great Freddie Hubalde, found a sanctuary playing for Chiba in the Novice Plus Division.

A former star of the University of Santo Tomas, Hubalde erupted for 28 points, including five triples while carrying Chiba to a 74-61 triumph over High Hoops at the Golds Gym. But Hubalde’s scoring spree was nearly overshadowed by the

high-scoring pair of Jun Panarez and James Candelaria, who combined for 44 points, nearly half of the points produced by Scoria Grill in their 87-74 beat down of Quicksilvers in the 38 and above division.

There were also some exciting windups in one of the many scheduled games lined up.

Robins edged Mackay Lions, 58-56, in their Novice Division match as Eman Banzali and Jerald Salas combined for 38 points to lead their team to victory, but it was Lean Acero, who scored on a transition basket with one tenths of a second left to lift Robins to a scary win.

Robins trailed in the early goings, 49-34, at the half, but rallied in the second half.

Future Stars netfest begins THE country’s top players in the girls’ 14- and 16-and-under age division slug it out for berths in the 2017 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) Future Stars Finals in the Philippine qualifying tournament beginning Friday at the Valle Verde Country Club in Pasig.

Last year’s winner Alexandra Eala banners the 14-U side again this year but faces a tougher challenge with a talent-laden cast headed by Macie Carlos, Sydney Enriquez, Alexa Milliam, Minette Bentillo, Gabrielle Zoleta, Juliah Ignacio and Justine Maneja.

A tight battle also looms in the 16-U division of the threeday tournament sanctioned by the United Tennis Philippines with last year’s finalist Carlyn Guarde up against Elizabeth Abarquez, Tracy Llamas, Danna Abad, Winona Cabardo, Gennifer Pagente, Jazzelle Madis and Kiana de Asis.

“We are thrilled to, once again, have an event that will identify the country’s flag bearers to the 2017 WTA Future Stars next month in Singapore. The winners will come face to face with the best tennis players in their respective categories from other countries, so it is important that we keep the level of competition high here and send only the best from our turf,” said UTP co-founder and Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

The WTA Future Stars qualifier will feature the top eight singles and doubles players in each age group as ranked by Unified Tennis Philippines as of August 2017. They will be divided into two groups with the top two players from each side advancing to the crossover semifinals. Winners will dispute the crowns and berths in the WTA Future Stars set Oct. 16-23 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Players from Scoria Grill and Quicksilvers jostle for better rebound positioning.

Velez targets 2 titles in Cotabato regional tennis tourney JOHN David Velez sets out for a “double” as he banners the field in the 16- and 18-and-under divisions of the Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Pikit regional tennis tournament at the Pikit Tennis Club in Cotabato beginning today, Friday.

Velez has dropped his bid in his age group at 14-U to concentrate on the two higher categories which the young Davao ace ruled in last week’s Mlang leg where he up-

ended doubles partner and top seed Bruce Hurtado.

But Hurtado is out for a payback, along with a slew of players out to score a victory and gain ranking points in the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro and presented by Slazenger.

Close to 200 entries are seeing action in the five-day tournament backed by the Unified Ten-

nis Group, composed of Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and Tru-Flex with Jerome Lacanaria and Jared Buisan joining the title hunt in the 18-U side and Reyman Saldivar, Joaquin Palo, Herald Aton and Lacanario firming up the 16-U roster.

With Mlang bet Jazzelle Madis taking a break after claiming two crowns at home last week, a fierce battle looms in the girls’

14- and 16-U sides with Jillian Manangking, Shelo Ripdos, Jasmin Kadalum and Thea Tobias looming as the players to beat in the 14-U section and Arnie Dias, Jeanne Gornes, Pauline Binoya and Tobias headlining the 16-U cast.

Gornes and Diaz also banner the premier 18-U section while Cedric Pamplona, Jorose Manangking, Saldivar and Palo lead the boys’ 14-U roster and Reyman Saldivar,

Falcons near semis seat; Bullpups close in on quarterfinals THE Adamson Falcons and the the National University Bullpups won over separate foes last Saturday to zero in on semifinal berths and quarterfinals slots, respectively, in the senior and junior division games of the 15th Fr. Martin Cup Division 2 basketball tournament.

The Falcons, with Conrad Catapusan making 19 points, disposed of the College of St. Benilde Blazers, 92-84, in Group B of the senior division

at the St.Placid gymnasium of the San Beda-Manila campus in Mendiola.

With their 5-1 win-loss slate, the Falcons are now within reach of a semis seat in this cagefest supported by Slick Tight Hair Pomade.

Transferees Gerry Abadiano and Carl Tamayo fired 16 points each in leading the NU Bullpups to a 90-81 beating of the Diliman Preparatory School Baby Blue Dragons.

The Bullpups went on to post their fourth triumph in five games and this put them in contention for a quarterfinals seat in Group of the junior division, In other junior games, St. Michael of Laguna won over Far Eastern University, 82-80, for its first win in six matches in Group B. Benedict Alagde hit 20 points for San Beda-Manila B in their 93-40 demolition of San BedaRizal A as it improved to 2-3 in Group B.

In Group A, Iverson Petros fired 23 points to carry Rich Golden Shower Montessori School to a 93-77 stopping of San Beda-Rizal B, for its fourth win in five games in Group A. Earlier, Jade Talampas made 26 points in leading San BedaRizal A to an 88-42 crushing of St. Michael to hike their record to 5- 1.

The Letran Knights won over the NU Bulldogs, 83-79, in another senior clash.

Ben Flores, Martin Suropia and Pamplona tipped to crowd for the 12-U plum.

Tennielle Madis also guns for a twinkill in the 10-unisex and girls’ 12-U divisions which she topped in Mlang.

Also on tap are the doubles matches in the boys’ and girls’ 14and 18-U and 10-unisex, according to PPS-PEPP sports program development director Bobby Mangunay.

For details, call 0915-4046464.

LOTTO RESULTS

6/49 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6/42 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0.0 M+ 6 DIGITS 00-00-00-00-00-00 3 DIGITS 00-00-00 2 EZ2 00-00

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

Filipinas win gold at Asean

Para Games KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippines, headed by teenage sprint phenom Cielo Honasan and seasoned powerlifter Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta, rode on its eight-gold haul the day before by raking in five yesterday in the ninth Asean Para Games here.

Honasan, 15, blitzed her way to the 400m gold for T44 and T45 combined in 63.35 seconds to add to her mints in the 100m and 200m the previous days that underscored her status as the games’ queen of the tracks.

Dumapong-Ancheta, one of the Filipino Para Games pioneers, for her part, continued to cast her mammoth shadow at the powerlifting competition as she captured the over 86kg gold with a lift of 116kg.

Indonesia’s Sriyanti and Malaysia’s Sharifah Raudzah Binti were reduced to ashes by Dumapong-Ancheta’s dominating effort by 105kg and 95kg, respectively. Dumapong-Ancheta could have broken her record of 118kg but opted not to attempt anymore knowing she had achieved what she hoped for.

“I just want the gold, nothing else,” said the 43-year-old Dumapong-Ancheta, the country’s first Paralympic medal winner.

Honasan bested Thailand’s Gagun Pagjiraporn, who started out strong but fizzled in the end to settle for the silver in 66.41. Cambodian Vet Chanta took the bronze in 76.43.

Honasan, classified as T44, beat a higher classified runner in Pagjiraporn, who is a T45. It was a scintillating performance by Honasan, a polio victim who was discovered competing in the regular event of the Palarong Pambansa, as she will go home as the newest face of the nation’s Para Games campaign. Or you can call her the Lydia de Vega-Mercado of the Filipino Para athletes.

Sports leaders protest THERE is a need for the International Olympic Committee to be properly informed that something is ailing Philippine sports.

And it is the duty of IOC representative Mikee Cojuangco to tell the IOC about this.

Former Philippines Sports Commission chairman Aparicio Mequi said this after he joined leading sports personalities, headed by former Senator and swimming organizer Nikki Coseteng to a protest action yesterday at the historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Vito Cruz, Manila.

“I’m appealing to Mikee because she can interact with the IOC, and tell them that something is wrong with the Philippine Olympic Committee here,” said Mequi.

Mequi is part of a group that’s calling for POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco to quit or give up his post and for heads of national sports association to be convinced to cast a vote of noconfidence on him.

“If Mike does not convey that to the IOC, walang mangyayari,” added Mequi at the end of speeches made by members of the group that calls itself the September 21 Movement for Peace and Change in Philippine Sports. Peter Atencio

Asean Para Powerlifter Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta raises her hands in triumph after bagging the gold at the 9th ASEAN Para Games Women’s +86 kg. final held at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, September 20, 2017. PNA

Lyceum Pirates reach Final Four

By Peter Atencio

T

HE Lyceum Pirates set a school milestone when they advanced to the Final Four of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for the first time after coming up with a strong finish to subdue the University of Perpetual Help Altas, 94-83, yesterday Sept. 21.

They achieved the feat after tallying their thirteenth consecutive victory in the 93rd NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Jaymar Perez shot a gamehigh 21 points for the Pirates who reached the Final Four for the first time since joining the league in 2015.

The Pirates unleashed a 12-4 run in the last 4:21 behind Perez and big man Mike Nzeusseu.

They started moving away after the Altas threatened for the last time, 6871, behind a drive from Flash Sadiwa in the remaining 8:24.

The Pirates made a blistering run and after it was

over, the Pirates enjoyed an insurmountable 83-71 edge off Nzeusseu’s charities.

So impressed was coach Topex Robinson by the Pirates’ huge lead he decided to give Perez and Nzeusseu a break. Both rested on bench as the rest of the team played out the remaining time.

The Altas, with Prince Eze hitting 26, managed to come back to within four, off Gab Dangangon’s trey and Keith Pido’s drive, 81-85.

But the return of Perez on the floor, his timely basket and assist to Jayvee Marcelino, allowed the Pirates to move away by 11 again, 92-81.

“It’s really something that we’re not accustomed

to. But, it’s part of the journey,” said Pirates coach Topex Robinson.

The Altas fell behind with their 4-8 slate.

In high school action, Vincent Cunanan shot 20 points to lead the Lyceum Junior Pirates to a 74-72 win over the Perpetual Help Junior Altas.

Batang Gilas standout Mclaude Guarana scored winning baskets in the last 15.7 seconds, and this helped push the Junior Pirates to their sixth triumph in 13 outings.

His drive in the last 15.7 seconds, and split free throw with 5.2 ticks to go keyed the win for the Junior Pirates, who climbed to

fourth with their 6-7 card.

The Lyceum win followed a hard-earned win over Arellano University.

LPU narrowly avoided its first loss, needing to rally from a 13-point deficit in the final four minutes to beat the Chiefs, 94-92, last Friday for a 12-0 record.

Aside from gaining their first semis appearance since joining the league six years ago, the Pirates also moved within a win of securing one of the two twice-to-beat playoff incentives.

In seventh spot, Perpetual Help is one-and-a-half games behind joint fourth placers Emilio Aguinaldo College and Letran in the chase for the last Final Four berth.

Lee transcends MMA to become role model

By Reuel Vidal ONE World Champion Angela “Unstoppable” Lee is riding the crest of an eight-fight winning streak which includes one knockout, six submissions and one decision.

Lee’s spectacular climb is similar to Ronda Rousey’s meteoric rise to rule the MMA world several years ago. And like Rousey Lee has started to transcend the sport and is becoming a crossover star all over Asia including the Philippines where not just fight fans but men and women of all ages follow her career.

“Yes, I’m aware that in the Philippines I am received very well.

Whenever I come there I am approached by fight fans and these include women of all ages. It’s amazing to hear them tell me that I inspire them and I inspire their daughters,” said Lee. The unbeaten ONE champion is only 21 but has realized that she has the ability to impact lives, especially young women, in a posi-

tive way as a role model.

“Before that I just work out and go about my day training. I didn’t realize that I affected people’s lives.

That I somehow inspire them to strive for more. Now that I know this, it just makes my job even more enjoyable. I am very happy to be influencing people, especially young women, in the Philippines and all over the world,” Lee said.

Lee will defend her ONE Championship crown on November 24 at ONE: Immortal Pursuit at the Singapore Indoor Stadium against veteran Mei Yamaguchi who is the only fighter to go the distance against her.

Lee beat Yamaguchi by unanimous decision at ONE: Ascent to Power May, 2016.

“I’m very excited to finish the year with a bang. I’m training very hard to become better than ever. I’m constantly improving. I’m really looking forward to fight and get the finish. I’m excited to defend the belt in Singapore,” Lee said.

In her last defense on May, 2017

ONE champion Angela Lee (left) batters Jenny Huang during their ONE Championship bout won by Lee. ONE Championship

Lee defeated Istela Nunes in the second round by submission through Anaconda Choke. Lee is looking forward to a similar abbreviated victory over Yamaguchi.

“I’ve gained a lot of confidence since our last fight. And it’s been awhile since our first fight. So I think it’s a great time to fight her again in the cage,” Lee said.

Lee joined ONE Championship

in 2014 and fought at ONE: Warrior’s Quest May, 2015. She submitted Aya Saber with an armbar in the first round. At ONE: Odyssey of Champions on September, 2015 she submitted Mona Samir in the first round with a rear naked choke. She then submitted Natalie Gonzales Hills with a twister in the opening round at ONE: Pride of Lion on November, 2015.

PSC welcomes Duterte’s challenge THE Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) welcomed the challenge of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to make sports accessible to the countryside as the national sports agency is already living up to it since the Philippine Sports Institute (PSI) was relaunched in January this year.

President Duterte, in his speech during the awarding of cash incentives to Filipino athletes who won medals in the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games last September 13 at Malacanang Palace, posed the challenge to the PSC in line with the country’s hosting of the 30th SEA Games in 2019.

The hosting, according to the president, is an opportunity to look for talented Filipino athletes all over the country.

“I enjoin PSC to widen its scope and recruit nationwide. Look for them in non-traditional places and include members of the indigenous tribes and the out-of-school youth. Let’s give them a chance to hone their talents and live up to their fullest potentials “ Duterte said.

PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez, for his part, said the mantra of the President is to give equal opportunities to all Filipino athletes.

The PSC chief said, “This means making sports accessible to the periphery, to the communities, especially to the needy, destitute, out-of-school youth and to the indigenous and Muslim communities and even those in despair. That’s the center of our grassroots sports program.”

Ramirez urged that all sports associations “must cooperate with PSC’s clear policies and vision to succeed in the elite development”.

Meralco Bolts chase share of PBA Governors’ Cup lead

By Jeric Lopez

Meralco Bolts import Allan Durham (left) dribbles past Star Hotshots defender Marc Pingris. The Bolts gun for a share of the lead when they see action today.

ONCE again, the Meralco Bolts aim at regaining a share of the tournament lead and further improving its standing in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. Consistent in its campaign, the Bolts (7 wins, 2 losses) are looking for their third straight win as they go toe-to-toe with the GlobalPort Batang Pier (3-7) at 7 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City tonight.

In the opener, the Star

Hotshots (5-4) hope to keep its chances of landing in the top four alive as it will be heavily favored when it faces the still winless Kia Picanto (0-10) at 4:15 p.m.

The top four teams at the end of the eliminations will enjoy a twice-to-beat advantage against lower seeded teams.

The Bolts are looking good to end up in the top four but still need to finish strong in their last two assignments.

They are currently enjoying solo second place and can tie defending

champion and league-leading Barangay Ginebra (8-2) at the top with a win.

The Bolts have won their last two games. Their most recent victory was against Star which they beat, 96-90, almost two weeks ago in a battle in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

The eliminated Batang Pier will play its last game of the tournament looking for a positive ending.

Currently, the Hotshots are sitting in seventh place but they still have a chance to move up into the top four should they win their last

two outings and the results of the remaining games of the other top teams favor them.

The Hotshots are actually on a slump, losing four of their last five games after starting their campaign on fire with a 4-0 start.

Star will take on a Picanto side which is looking to avoid a winless campaign after losing all of its 10 games thus far.

This is Kia’s final chance to post a win this conference before heading to an early vacation.

Business

Cebu builder set to launch P10-b projects B2

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

B1

IN BRIEF

RETAIL ELECTRICITY SUPPLIER. Manila

BSP keeps policy rates steady

Water Company Inc. signs a retail electricity supply agreement with AC Energy Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ayala Corp., for the electricity supply for five of the former’s facilities currently enrolled under Open Access. At the signing agreement are (from left) Manila Water president and chief executive Ferdinand Dela Cruz, Manila Water group director for corporate strategic asset management Abelardo Basilio, Manila Water chief operating officer Geodino Carpio, AC Energy head of retail electricity group Roman Miguel De Jesus and AC Energy president and chief executive Eric Francia.

THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on Thursday kept the benchmark interest rates steady on manageable inflation environment and robust domestic economic growth.

It maintained interest rates at 3.5 percent for overnight lending, 3 percent for overnight borrowing and 2.5 percent for deposit facilities. The reserve requirement ratios were also retained.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said the board’s decision was based on its assessment that the inflation environment remained manageable.

“Latest forecasts show that the future inflation path will continue to be within the target range for 2017-2019. Meanwhile, inflation expectations remain firmly anchored close to the midpoint of the government’s 2 to 4 percent over the policy horizon,” Espenilla said.

The board also maintained the inflation average forecast this year and next at 3.2 percent. The forecast for 2019 was adjusted upward to 3.2 percent from an earlier estimate of 3.1 percent. Julito G. Rada

Splash posts growth in sales

High power demand causing ‘yellow alerts’ est plant online, which for the Luzon grid is 647 megawatts.

Citizen Watch said there were still yellow alerts despite the additional 1,125 MW of installed generating capacity in the Luzon grid from July 2016 to June 2017.

Viola said there was a drastic need for more power plants in the country. “In order to avert the possible unwanted consequences, Luzon is in dire need of new generation capacity which will provide reliable and stable power supply,” she said.

Demand in Luzon breached the 10,000-MW mark this year, supporting the country’s 6.5-percent economic growth in the second quarter.

Viola said a reliable and affordable power supply was an important component in assuring the country’s economic growth.

She said more power plants were urgently needed considering the demands of Duterte administration’s ambitious ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure agenda.

Manila Electric Co., the country’s biggest electricity retailer, earlier expressed concern over the series of yellow alerts plaguing the Lu-

By Alena Mae S. Flores

L

UZON faces tight power supply despite the completion of several generation plants, as robust economic activities led to higher demand especially during weekends.

Consumer group Citizen Watch on Thursday expressed concern over the series of ‘yellow alerts’ raised over Luzon in August to September despite the entry of new capacity.

Citizen Watch said Luzon experienced three yellow alerts following the forced outages of transmission and generation facilities, including two 600-megawatts plants, high-voltage transmission lines and Malaya 2, the grid’s security plant.

“This tightness in power supply means our grid is still vulnerable to power interruptions and outages,” CitizenWatch Philippines convenor Hannah Viola said in a statement.

Grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines declares a yellow alert when total reserves are less than the capacity of the larg-

zon grid.

Meralco vice president and head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez said at the sidelines of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines forum that yellow alerts were even raised during Saturdays.

“We’re a bit concerned about that. Ever since Aug 30, there was once a week yellow alert.

Of the past two Saturdays, there were yellow alerts,” Fernandez said.

National Grid placed the Luzon grid on yellow alert in three instances on Aug 30, Sept. 9 and Sept 16.

Fernandez said a yellow alert indicated that reserves were not enough to cover the largest running generating unit at the time.

“In the three instances, the yellow alerts were triggered by forced outages of several large generation facilities. In turn, these [at times] triggered the automatic load dropping scheme of Meralco,” Fernandez said.

“This meant that certain areas in Meralco experienced momentary interruptions to help the grid recover from the generation outages,” he said.

ODA assistance loans hit $10.8b, says Neda OFFICIAL development assistance loans from international donors and foreign countries hit $10.797 billion as of end-June, the National Economic and Development Authority said Thursday.

Neda said these loans consisted of 54 project loans worth $8.197 billion and seven program loans valued at $2.6 billion.

Japan, through Japan International Cooperation Agency, remained the Philippines’ top official development assistance partner in the first half. Loans from Jica amounted to $4.84 billion, accounting for 44.83 percent of the total ODA loans portfolio.

“Japan has been our long-time development partner and we have established a strong relationship with them. They have one of the best loan terms,” Neda Undersecretary for investment programming Rolando Tungpalan said during the 62nd Project Implementation Officers’ Meeting at the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Tungpalan said that loans from Jica particularly under the Special Terms for Economic Partnership had a payment period of 40 years, with a 0.1 percent annual interest rate for civil works and 0.01 percent for consulting services.

The World Bank fol-

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor

lowed with $2.948 billion (27.31 percent), while the Asian Development Bank ranked third with $2.174 billion (20.14 percent).

Disbursement level in the first half slightly decreased to $802.95 million from $861.04 million a year ago.

Meanwhile, the disbursement rate improved to 86.68 percent in the first half from 71.38 percent in the first half of 2016.

Among implementing agencies, the DPWH and Department of Transportation had the highest loan count with 16 and 11 loans, respectively.

Julito G. Rada Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, September 21, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

50.8870

Japan

Yen

0.008912

0.4535

UK

Pound

1.349600

68.6771

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128203

6.5239

Switzerland

Franc

1.031247

52.4771

Canada

Dollar

0.811754

41.3077

Singapore

Dollar

0.741620

37.7388

Australia

Dollar

0.803100

40.8673

Bahrain

Dinar

2.651043

134.9036

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266667

13.5699

Brunei

Dollar

0.738880

Indonesia

Rupiah 0.000075

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

1.5392

UAE

Dirham 0.272264

13.8547

Euro

Euro

1.189500

60.5301

Korea

Won

0.000884

0.0450

China

Yuan

0.152126

7.7412

India

Rupee

0.015555

0.7915

Malaysia

Ringgit 0.238892

0.030248

New Zealand Dollar

0.735500

Taiwan

0.033208

Dollar

37.5994

12.1565 37.4274 1.6899 Source: PDS Bridge

PANDESAL FORUM GUESTS. Former Finance secretary Roberto de Ocampo (third from left), now the chairman of Philippine Veterans Bank, and Employers Confederation of the Philippines president Donald Dee (right) attend the Pandesal Forum moderated by Wilson Lee Flores (second from left) at Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City where they urged legislators to quickly approve the proposed tax reform bill before the end of 2017.

Meanwhile, National Security Council deputy director-general Damian Carlos (left) described the national security situation in the Philippines now as “robust and good,” thus conducive to sustained economic development and growth.

SPLASH Corp. said domestic sales of personal care products increased 7 percent while sales of food, mainly due to Barrio Fiesta products, rose 6 percent in the first half from a year ago.

Splash, the top homegrown personal care product company, said it continued to outpace the sales growth of the industry as a whole, growing almost four times faster than industry which saw a 2-percent growth.

“The strong Philippine performance of our two major product families validates the strategies we have put in place for Splash: focus on innovation, research and development; aggressive marketing from our deep understanding of the Philippine consumer; and efficient backroom processes like manufacturing and distribution,” said Splash president and chief operating officer Vicci Tomas.

The revenue growth in the Philippines was tempered by the decline in revenue from direct sales, after Splash changed its business model early this year. The successful transformation of the business model resulted in wider coverage and lower costs for Splash’s direct sales business.

The revenue growth in personal care was driven mostly by the introduction of innovative new products in the Philippine market that gained quick acceptance from consumers.

Toys ‘R’ Us stays open in PH

TOYS “R” Us stores in the Philippines remain in normal operations, despite the filing for bankruptcy of Toys “R” Us Inc. in the US. All stores are open for business and continue to offer a wide assortment of toys and merchandise for kids, according to Robinsons Toys Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., which manages and operates the Philippine stores.

Robinsons Toys Inc. is a sub-licensee of Toys “ R” Us (Asia) which is not part of the court-supervised financial restructuring.

Robinsons Toys said in a statement Toys “R” Us Philippines was not a part of Toys “R” Us Inc.’s voluntary filing of Chapter 11 or financial restructuring to enable the company to improve its resources and strengthen its competitive position.

The statement was released following news that Toys “R” Us Inc., the largest US toy store chain, had filed for bankruptcy protection.

Toys “R” Us Philippines operates 34 stand-alone stores and 44 Toys “R” Us Toybox outlets inside Robinsons Department Store branches.

“Toys “R” Us (Asia) is open for business and continuing to serve our customers as we always do. We are a financially robust and self-funding retail operation, which continues to significantly grow and invest in this region,” said Toys “R” Us (Asia) president Andre Javes.

Fake cigarette factory employs Marawi kids

By Julito G. Rada A FACTORY producing counterfeit cigarettes in Bacolod City employed minors believed to be recruited from war-torn Marawi City, the Finance Department said Thursday.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III warned Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña about the possibility of increased smuggling of cigarettes into the country, following the closure of a factory allegedly making fake cigarettes.

“One of the items we discussed with commissioner Lapeña was, I am sure we will have an increase in smuggled cigarettes,” Dominguez told reporters in an interview.

Dominguez said what was disturbing was that 14 of the 41 rescued workers from a factory in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City were minors from Marawi.

He said the factory was also found to be counterfeiting the old brands of local cigarette manufacturer

Mighty Corp., which was recently acquired by Japan Tobacco for P46.8 billion.

Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko said the minors aged 15 to 17 years where turned over to the Social Welfare Department.

“They are being asked to illegally manufacture cigarettes,” Tionko said, adding the packs were mostly composed of Marvel and Jackpot brands of Mighty.

Tionko said that while the factory was counterfeiting the Mighty brands, it was also using the packing tape of Philip Morris.

The Bacolod City police station said the rescued workers were Maranaoans from Balo-i, Lanao del Norte who came to Bacolod because of the conflict in Marawi City.

About 300 boxes of different kinds of cigarettes, machines, packed tea bags and raw materials such as tobacco were seized during a raid at the warehouse in Barangay Bata and an extension in Barangay Taculing, also in Bacolod.

Busan Universal assures Mercury-laced skin whiteners abound in PH safety of MRT3 passengers

By Othel V. Campos

By Darwin G. Amojelar BUSAN Universal Rail Inc., the maintenance provider of Metro Rail Transit Line 3, on Thursday assured the public of safe and reliable train service despite the ongoing dispute with the executives of the Transportation Department.

“BURI once again reiterates its commitment in partnership with the DOTr-MRT3 to serve the riding public to the best of its ability, with full knowledge that it had been compliant with its contractual obligations, despite having been repeatedly cast in a bad light by [Transportation Undersecretary for rail Cesar] Chavez, for motives and reasons known only to him,” the company said in a statement.

Busan earlier filed graft charges against Chavez, senior technical assistant Hernando Cabrera and Jorgette Bellen, program head of Uici-Seoul Metro-Dong-IL-JF Cancio Joint Venture Program, for allegedly delaying the payment of BURI’s monthly billings.

BURI claimed that unpaid billings hit P176 million for services already rendered to the DOTr-MRT3 in the maintenance component of the contract.

CHEMICAL safety and consumer protection groups urged the government to stop what they called unabashed and illegal trade of mercury-containing skin whitening products.

The EcoWaste Coalition and Laban Konsyumer Inc. made the call ahead of the first Conference of Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury on Sept. 24 to 29 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Minamata Convention, an international treaty, aims “to protect the human health and the environment from anthropogenic releases of mercury and mercury compounds.” It targets the phase-out of skin lightening products with mercury above one part per million.

EcoWaste Coalition’s Proj-

ect Protect coordinator Thony Dizon said while the Minamata Convention set a 2020 phaseout date for mercurycontaining skin lightening creams and soaps, Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, banned only mercury in excess of 1 ppm under the heavy metal limits of the Asean Cosmetic Directive that were adopted in 2007.

“Contraband cosmetics containing mercury continue to be sold in several beauty product and Chinese medicine stores with their importers, distributors and retailers brazenly doing it with impunity. Some retailers even give official receipts for illegal purchases,” he said.

The EcoWaste Coalition urged the government to crack down on smugglers through

effective law enforcement activities to put an end to the illegal trade of mercury tainted cosmetics.

Laban Konsyumer echoed EcoWaste Coalition’s call stressing the right of consumers to be protected against hazards to health and safety as guaranteed by the Consumer Act of the Philippines.

“We urge the authorities to prosecute those behind the illicit trade of mercury-containing skin whiteners and other cosmetics without the prerequisite product notifications. Punishing the culprits to the fullest extent of RA 9711 will send a strong message that our country is serious about protecting our consumers against mercury exposure via cosmetic use,” said Laban Konsyumer president Victorio Dimagiba.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market soars; Waterfront up

S

TOCKS soared to a new all-time high before paring their gains Thursday, after the Federal Reserve unveiled plans to wind down its crisis-era stimulus and hinted at another interest rate hike before the end of the year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 67 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 8,286.86, as all six major sectors advanced. The bellwether soared to a new peak of 8,321.81 in the afternoon, before profittaking trimmed its gains.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also rose 30 points, or 0.6 percent, to settle at 4,885.00, on a value turnover of nearly P8 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 107 to 95,

while 54 issues were unchanged.

Fourteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by hotel operator Waterfront Philippines Inc. which jumped 11.1 percent to P1.40 and aviation company MacroAsia Corp. which climbed 10.1 percent to P15.50. Conglomerate Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan went up 7.6 percent to P16.90.

Meanwhile, Asian markets were mixed, after US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said

the world’s biggest economy was “performing well” while it emerged after a closely watched meeting that most members of the policy board wanted to lift borrowing costs by December.

The central bank also announced it would next month begin cutting back on its holdings of bonds and other assets built up as part of a scheme to keep rates low and steer the economy through the global financial crisis a decade ago.

Yellen said policymakers would react accordingly to any negative impacts on the economy, adding that persistently low inflation would likely come to an end.

She also said if prices rose too quickly the bank would be able to lift rates quicker.

“It doesn’t get any more bra-

zenly hawkish from Dr. Yellen, who along with the majority of her colleagues is clearly in the December rate hike camp and the markets are reacting to this news,” said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at Oanda.

The dollar surged in New York to 112.15 yen from 111.50 yen earlier in Asia. On Thursday, the US unit was given an extra lift after the Bank of Japan decided against altering its ultra-loose monetary policy, which analysts said could see it break above 113 yen soon.

The euro sank from around $1.20 to below $1.19 while the pound dropped below $1.35 in New York but the pair recovered some ground in Asia Thursday.

The greenback continued to advance against other higher-yield-

ing currencies with the Australian and Canadian dollars, South Korean won and Indonesia’s rupiah all well down.

The dollar’s gains come after a run of losses in recent months as tepid inflation and a lack of movement on Donald Trump’s economic agenda in Congress had seen investors bet on no more rate hikes this year.

The jump in the dollar against the yen boosted Japanese exporters, which helped the Nikkei index close 0.1 percent higher.

Toshiba retreated as its US partner Western Digital vowed to block an $18-billion deal that will see the Japanese firm sell its key chip business to a consortium led

by US investor Bain Capital and including Apple and Dell.

With Bloomberg, AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.65 84,000 59.9 28,450 101.5 1,605,160 4.05 17,000 129.8 1,931,260 2.14 10,112,000 35.9 64,800 16.1 26,500 31.45 1,392,700 8.95 4,400 1.66 12,000 910 260 0.7 3,006,000 89 2,916,910 0.89 593,000 13.1 1,000 25 100 60.4 48,210 238.4 10,090 90 50 49.5 171,600 252 210,970 1,820 20 86.5 283,440 1.34 493,000

389,620 1,701,394 163,219,947 69,100 250,649,531 20,536,120 2,324,845 426,066 43,891,890 38,420 20,210 236,600 2,091,990 259,002,076 531,630 13,100 2,500 2,928,876.50 2,421,426 4,500 8,500,980 53,119,146 36,400 24,518,363 644,610

1,610,617 -70,241,510 -55,260,866 21,400 -961,430.00 -2,918,940 -7,665,747.50 -2,753,611.50 -1,921,450 21,237,192 -18,200 -2,545,981 -

41 9.55 0.79 1.42 20 0.231 120.2 5.81 17.06 165.3 38.05 20.3 64 74 1.92 6.04 11.38 10.1 15 14.38 7.2 7.24 1.79 18.6 68 14 12.96 18.5 1.89 242 59.4 4.82 3.1 23.3 30.6 19.5 17 272 0.228 11.8 2.99 6.64 10.46 7.05 9.91 1.79 12.88 68.1 6.5 310 4.31 4.38 2.68 13.38 4.5 0.144 1.19 150.2 2.24 26.7 1

INDUSTRIAL 41.4 1,045,700 9.59 1,734,700 0.8 804,000 1.44 494,000 21.5 55,300 0.232 2,180,000 120.2 130 5.82 2,477,700 17.08 1,503,900 165.3 90,750 39.05 923,600 20.3 35,300 64.2 12,720 74 4,100 1.92 93,000 6.16 639,100 11.54 2,500 10.16 4,194,300 15.18 1,449,400 14.6 877,800 7.23 253,700 7.24 8,061,900 1.79 10,000 19 1,208,600 68 157,220 14.18 6,800 12.96 99,500 19.1 2,606,000 1.89 1,000,000 246 390,120 60 900 5.1 5,433,000 3.3 18,000 23.3 500 30.85 1,150,600 19.5 1,585,700 17.18 468,900 279.8 731,630 0.228 1,290,000 13.4 348,800 2.99 139,000 6.9 273,600 10.56 1,004,000 7.14 45,400 9.91 35,000 1.8 1,073,000 12.88 1,822,000 68.5 197,660 6.65 2,199,400 310 9,000 4.35 20,000 4.44 115,000 2.7 468,000 13.6 4,104,400 4.5 41,000 0.144 20,000 1.21 53,000 154.2 1,775,170 2.25 2,551,000 26.7 600 1 1,614,000

43,241,150 16,748,676 636,250 706,600 1,154,905 505,920 15,658 14,451,923 25,788,224 15,000,975 36,006,860 719,730 814,707 320,120.50 179,790 3,990,066 28,482 42,717,792 21,963,194 12,860,044 1,839,850 59,470,535 17,900 22,764,844 10,704,623 95,904 1,293,872 49,398,684 1,903,710 96,081,036 53,760 27,356,790 59,640 11,660 35,489,440 31,738,455 8,007,976 203,847,220 294,370 4,395,852 416,140 1,861,230 10,566,426 323,977 347,239 1,927,030 23,838,566 13,538,232 14,501,060 2,795,670 86,800 506,140 1,268,740 55,770,736 184,590 2,880 63,770 274,495,844 5,740,420 16,020 1,628,650

318,145 -356,248.00 14,300 -414,505 2,440,898 12,111,866 13,963,055 439,627 -7,800 -2,737,378.00 4,151,908 -918,616 -69,549 -8,586,487 1,063,066 -1,111,148.50 -310,954 8,225,846 -114,600 17,674,872 -125,000 -3,300 -3,403,730 20,211,279 -5,972,840 94,695,320 38,600 -1,298,450 -297,439 1,800 657,150 6,640,021 462,640 -487,000 105,120 13,500 4,183,682 108,090 -80,376,237 -18,000 -

0.35 73.25 15.76 1.07 6.99 0.325 0.33 938 8.22 15.82 7.5 5.5 0.208 1,168 7.66 75.85 5.19 5.04 0.88 6.72 17.22 0.41 6.96 0.048 0.99 2.06 2.58 97.55 2.63 858 0.85 1.46 292 0.199 0.22

HOLDING FIRMS 0.35 910,000 73.95 715,970 16.9 26,401,700 1.07 7,000 6.99 63,800 0.34 2,350,000 0.335 170,000 950 205,340 8.62 5,905,000 15.88 7,438,400 7.83 419,700 5.5 30,500 0.208 200,000 1,175 97,250 7.9 4,800 78.1 2,416,010 5.19 3,300 5.04 3,600 0.89 510,000 6.74 1,171,300 17.26 4,124,500 0.41 100,000 6.96 48,783,000 0.05 14,900,000 1.05 251,000 2.08 697,000 2.67 33,000 97.65 153,550 2.63 17,000 862 293,620 0.9 29,000 1.46 2,280,000 295 3,130 0.199 980,000 0.22 240,000

318,800 52,671,422 436,529,912 7,490 446,066 776,550 56,550 195,455,335 49,942,274 118,026,262 3,318,241 169,568 41,600 114,435,755 37,131 188,607,487 17,127 18,144 450,860 7,959,568 71,417,642 41,000 341,050,111 730,290 261,180 1,442,720 87,930 15,015,720 44,800 253,722,195 24,920 3,387,310 919,286 195,660 52,800

-7,991,597.50 65,794,192 -22,547,255 25,366,442 -14,491,316 -29,070 24,193,890 46,493,652.50 -1,177,570 -172,534 -3,719,811 65,920 -1,216,718.50 136,274,260 -16,280 -235,520 -

4.99 1.21 2.47 1.03 45.4 3.8 5.02 5.4 5.6 5.6 0.51 1.29 1.52 0.237 0.485 43 0.68 0.149 2.13

PROPERTY 5.18 1.21 2.5 1.06 45.5 3.84 5.05 5.47 5.89 5.99 0.52 1.32 1.55 0.255 0.485 44 0.7 0.149 2.15

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

4.63 59.85 102.3 4.05 129.9 1.9 35.8 16 31.8 8.95 1.68 910 0.69 87.8 0.91 13.1 25 60.9 239 90 49.9 249.4 1,820 86.6 1.32

4.75 59.9 102.3 4.1 130 2.2 35.95 16.1 31.8 8.95 1.72 910 0.7 89.1 0.91 13.1 25 61 240 90 49.95 253.8 1,820 86.6 1.34

4.6 59.4 101.4 4.05 129.2 1.9 35.8 15.92 31.2 8.71 1.66 910 0.69 87.8 0.89 13.1 25 60.3 238.4 90 49.45 249 1,820 86.5 1.3

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR ENERGY DEVT EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP ROXAS HLDG SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VIVANT VULCAN INDL

41 9.65 0.79 1.42 23 0.232 121 5.82 17.3 165.3 39 20.6 64 80 1.92 6.04 11.4 10.1 15.3 14.86 7.3 7.3 1.79 18.98 68.25 14.3 13.02 19.1 1.9 242.6 59.4 4.98 3.34 23.35 30.95 19.92 17.26 272 0.23 12 2.99 6.7 10.6 7.2 9.96 1.8 13.06 68.5 6.57 310 4.38 4.38 2.72 13.38 4.5 0.144 1.19 150.2 2.27 26.7 1

41.8 9.71 0.8 1.45 23.05 0.234 121 5.89 17.32 165.3 39.8 20.6 64.2 80 1.95 6.31 11.54 10.2 15.3 14.86 7.3 7.65 1.79 19 68.5 14.3 13.2 19.22 1.92 248 60 5.15 3.34 23.35 30.95 20.45 17.34 280 0.23 13.4 3.02 6.9 10.6 7.2 9.96 1.8 13.26 68.55 6.7 311 4.38 4.44 2.73 13.7 4.53 0.144 1.21 156.5 2.27 26.7 1.01

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

0.355 73.5 15.78 1.07 6.99 0.33 0.345 943 8.22 15.9 7.5 5.74 0.208 1,168 7.99 75.85 5.19 5.04 0.9 6.86 17.26 0.41 6.99 0.05 0.99 2.07 2.58 98.2 2.64 860 0.86 1.52 299 0.2 0.22

0.355 73.95 16.96 1.07 7 0.34 0.345 960 8.62 15.9 7.95 5.74 0.208 1,185 7.99 79.4 5.19 5.04 0.9 6.88 17.52 0.41 7.08 0.05 1.05 2.08 2.67 98.2 2.64 870 0.9 1.53 299 0.2 0.22

8990 HLDG A BROWN ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CEBU PROP A CEBU PROP B CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST EVER GOTESCO FILINVEST LAND

5 1.23 2.49 1.05 45.5 3.86 5.09 5.51 5.6 5.6 0.53 1.33 1.52 0.237 0.49 43 0.69 0.149 2.15

5.18 1.24 2.51 1.07 46 3.86 5.1 5.51 5.89 5.99 0.53 1.34 1.56 0.255 0.49 44.3 0.7 0.149 2.18

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

1.56 0.93 5.31 0.385 0.5 0.5 6.13 26.5 1.8 3.15 34.85 1.05 0.89 6.42

1.6 0.93 5.37 0.39 0.52 0.5 6.37 26.6 1.8 3.16 35 1.05 0.89 6.5

1.53 0.91 5.26 0.365 0.49 0.49 6.02 26.25 1.78 3.15 34.7 1.03 0.87 6.28

1.55 0.92 5.35 0.37 0.5 0.49 6.2 26.45 1.8 3.15 34.8 1.04 0.87 6.36

8,870,000 1,294,000 54,054,300 115,780,000 19,540,000 2,930,000 4,235,600 1,708,100 3,273,000 19,000 8,285,400 768,000 201,000 12,303,400

13,844,250 1,194,170 288,026,933 43,230,550 9,851,075 1,438,550 26,441,370 45,248,455 5,838,780 59,880 288,939,395 795,390 174,890 78,369,686

-4,004,220 113,460 -116,671,150.00 219,250 -55,000 -42,015 13,982,695 -23,944,840 5,018,341

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

22.1 40.65 1.6 0.57 0.039 5.11 10.76 0.073 111.6 9.15 10.4 7.56 3.25 2,050 6.09 17.94 13.32 2.37 2.98 107.6 8.4 0.164 1.33 3.15 15.98 4.6 1.44 14.2 2.37 8.25 4.4 18.96 2.51 11 5.12 8.01 170 9.62 1,675 1.61 0.4 52.45 93.9 5.84 4.62 1.57 2.05 3.75 1.27 8.97

22.65 40.7 1.68 0.6 0.04 5.11 10.84 0.075 112.5 9.3 10.5 7.58 3.25 2,090 6.09 17.94 13.32 2.6 3.02 107.9 8.42 0.167 1.33 3.22 16.16 5 1.44 15.8 2.37 8.41 4.4 18.96 2.51 11.1 5.15 8.01 173 9.7 1,688 1.62 0.4 53.8 93.95 6.05 4.62 1.58 2.08 3.95 1.4 9.18

21.9 40.5 1.6 0.57 0.039 5.11 10.58 0.072 111.6 9.15 10.38 7.31 3.25 2,044 6.07 16.6 13.32 2.33 2.97 105.3 8.4 0.163 1.32 3.05 15.52 4.51 1.39 14.2 2.37 8.25 4.28 18.96 2.44 11 5.12 8 168 9.5 1,665 1.59 0.4 52.4 92.85 5.84 4.55 1.55 1.84 3.75 1.26 8.95

SERVICES 22 40.6 1.68 0.59 0.039 5.11 10.82 0.073 112.5 9.15 10.44 7.37 3.25 2,044 6.09 17 13.32 2.51 3.02 105.6 8.42 0.164 1.32 3.05 16 4.69 1.42 15.5 2.37 8.28 4.33 18.96 2.45 11.1 5.15 8 168 9.61 1,684 1.61 0.4 53.5 93.25 6.05 4.6 1.57 2.08 3.9 1.4 9.08

161,100 167,800 342,000 3,265,000 30,200,000 100 26,218,600 23,570,000 191,320 4,200 2,094,700 173,200 1,000 17,985 409,800 405,300 400 10,108,000 44,000 737,330 322,600 2,010,000 180,000 26,000 94,600 9,093,000 2,004,000 14,335,100 10,000 2,500,200 2,248,000 300 2,477,000 55,500 600 134,100 1,190,220 1,023,500 88,125 4,031,000 570,000 2,348,460 599,460 141,300 1,624,000 7,039,000 18,000 5,056,000 85,843,000 1,827,400

3,549,060 6,808,765 566,170 1,895,320 1,178,900 511 281,884,584 1,712,820 21,471,386 38,610 21,867,248 1,287,779 3,250 36,942,160 2,492,045 6,885,368 5,328 24,969,110 131,070 77,868,744 2,710,253 331,020 238,000 80,900 1,518,780 43,168,880 2,826,270 215,994,258 23,700 20,799,326 9,709,070 5,688 6,088,610 613,980 3,087 1,072,820 200,184,700 9,761,382 148,335,980 6,477,950 228,000 125,269,706.50 55,837,196.50 846,313 7,470,150 10,991,720 35,800 19,498,610 115,940,290 16,597,976

-46,360 -204,600 29,281,418 9,537,435 9,150 718,288 -668,141 -6,052,930 -271,086 -466,540 -13,742,676 -45,750 4,419,750 54,629,436 -1,798,778 -38,900.00 127,600 -72,820 -19,900,190 9,610 228,845 499,980 29,812,836 -21,175,119.50 1,375,950 -6,999,690 720,190 -651,290 2,806,969

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

0.0026 1.64 4.9 1.9 1.41 0.4 8.72 2.61 0.27 0.181 0.01 0.012 2.05 7.77 1.78 0.52 1.07 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.43 8.42 5.7 47 0.0079

0.0027 1.65 4.95 1.9 1.45 0.4 9 2.66 0.27 0.182 0.01 0.012 2.05 7.77 1.78 0.54 1.09 0.013 0.013 0.013 2.5 8.62 6.1 47 0.0079

0.0026 1.62 4.9 1.9 1.39 0.39 8.72 2.61 0.265 0.18 0.01 0.012 1.98 7.66 1.72 0.51 1.06 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.43 8.4 5.7 46.15 0.0079

MINING & OIL 0.0027 233,000,000 1.64 7,523,000 4.95 75,000 1.9 16,000 1.4 4,451,000 0.39 1,070,000 8.8 15,300 2.61 5,456,000 0.27 440,000 0.181 4,300,000 0.01 5,200,000 0.012 2,900,000 2.02 1,067,000 7.74 2,451,100 1.77 134,000 0.53 54,000 1.07 1,155,000 0.013 13,000,000 0.013 100,000 0.013 270,900,000 2.43 138,000 8.46 503,500 6.08 16,456,200 46.35 1,743,100 0.0079 235,000,000

613,000 12,265,170 369,760 30,400 6,297,090 420,500 136,150 14,350,920 118,300 777,220 52,000 34,800 2,146,620 18,894,188 234,090 27,830 1,237,180 166,100 1,300 3,382,000 335,470 4,254,111 97,788,170 80,963,725 1,856,500

-1,734,530 -4,920 -1,179,490 27,000 -857,330 9,026,190 -395,000 -1,364,980 20,242,633 19,528,980 -

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

40.75 525 524 107 105.4 105 118 516.5 5.78 1,025 1,030 108 1,060 1,119 1,016 103.7 109.1 76.4 80.5 81 78.5 79.3

40.8 526 524 107 105.5 105 118 517 5.79 1,025 1,040 110 1,065 1,125 1,025 106.8 109.1 76.4 80.5 81.1 78.5 80

40.55 525 524 107 105.3 105 118 516.5 5.78 1,025 1,030 108 1,060 1,119 1,016 103.7 109.1 76.4 80.05 81 78.5 79.3

PREFERRED 40.55 472,800 526 2,670 524 10 107 27,300 105.5 14,770 105 77,000 118 12,500 517 1,660 5.78 502,000 1,025 3,930 1,040 1,005 110 17,200 1,065 4,700 1,125 2,865 1,025 5,730 106.8 280 109.1 120 76.4 50 80.05 20,440 81 51,400 78.5 22,700 80 6,300

19,269,555 1,401,920 5,240 2,921,100 1,556,808 8,085,000 1,475,000 858,140 2,901,570 4,028,250 1,035,200 1,861,850 5,000,550 3,209,055 5,850,120 29,160 13,092 3,820 1,644,655 4,163,500 1,781,950 503,755

2,842,295 -242,770 -200,445 507,870 -

LR WARRANT

2.62

2.9

2.6

WARRANTS 2.86 2,955,000

8,218,590

71,500

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

4.5 4.76 5.9

4.5 4.95 5.91

4.16 4.75 5.76

4.23 4.9 5.78

3,581,590 664,030 5,653,190

-13,310 -760,873

FIRST METRO ETF

124.4

125.8

124

883,244

-

NAME

MS 1,626,000 10,618,000 509,000 2,880,000 16,527,200 812,000 1,813,500 294,400 7,600 16,000 16,492,000 887,000 571,000 109,140,000 500,000 1,234,900 459,000 10,000 13,070,000

8,144,940 12,946,450 1,270,300 3,013,280 753,798,690 3,110,870 9,199,193 1,595,546 42,589 89,990 8,559,520 1,159,800 878,190 27,061,330 244,150 54,138,125 316,950 1,490 28,080,290

-7,526,240 1,380 316,360 143,269,585 73,590 -7,575 -5,470 52,000 -15,100 -1,398,980 4,900 2,109,655 6,900.00 -12,160,330

T RADING S UMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SME

839,000 136,000 971,500

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 125.5 7,070

SHARES

VALUE

23,013,934

837,347,058.50

76,291,175

1,411,818,437.93

122,176,015

1,996,170,307.11

PROPERTY

420,217,671

1,829,619,515.56

SERVICES

252,864,600

1,624,137,146.98

MINING & OIL

808,481,302

246,802,068.59

GRAND TOTAL

1,704,999,026

7,956,680,938.17

FINANCIAL 1,987.42 (up) 4.56 INDUSTRIAL 11,452.58 (up) 111.42 HOLDING FIRMS 8,246.46 (up) 103.64 PROPERTY 3,969.12 (up) 2.09 SERVICES 1,731.62 (up) 11.42 MINING & OIL 13,984.75 (up) 58.47 PSEI 8,286.86 (up) 67.54 All Shares Index 4,885.00 (up) 30.96 Gainers: 107; Losers: 95; Unchanged: 54; Total: 256

DD hires 4 banks for P7.5-b share sale

By Jenniffer B. Austria DOUBLEDRAGON Properties Corp. said it hired four banks to handle a P7.5-billion follow-on offering that aims to expand the property developer’s public float and attract more long-term foreign investors.

DoubleDragon said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange it would offer 135 million primary shares at P50 apiece that would raise P6.75 billion in proceeds. An over allotment option of up to 15 million shares was also set aside which would boost total proceeds to P7.5 billion.

The P50-per-share offer price is 16.4-percent higher than the stock’s closing price of P42.95 on Wednesday, when the company’s registration statement was filed with the SEC. DoubleDragon hired Credit Suisse, Maybank Kim Eng and BPI Capital Corp. as underwriters for the offering.

The planned share sale is expected to result in higher total equity which the company said would strengthen its financial position. DoubleDragon’s total equity stood at P20.25 billion as of end-June.

Total assets reached P50.54 billion.

“This exercise is an important step for DoubleDragon that we believe will catapult the company into new levels.

During our IPO in April 2014, there was limited opportunity for large institutional investors to participate,” DoubleDragon chairman Edgar Sia II said.

“As we approach the completion of our 2020 targeted portfolio comprising of 1.2 million square meters or 120 hectares of prime leasable space, this is a great opportunity for key investors to take part in the hyper growth years of the company,” he said.

Cebu builder set to launch P10-b projects CEBU Landmasters Inc. said Thursday it will launch up to P10.61 billion worth of projects in the second half, part of a plan to expand its foothold in the southern part of the country.

The listed developer said the new projects would be on top of the P7.09 billion worth of projects that it launched in the first half, bringing the total amount of developments this year to P17.7 billion.

These projects are located in Sibulan (Negros Oriental), Bacolod (Negros Occidental), Iloilo, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro. “The real estate market in the Visayas and Mindanao continues to thrive. Our vertical and horizontal project launches are proudly spread out across the most progressive markets in the region.

Our expansion to these key VisMin cities of Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo and Dumaguete is a strong indication of our positive outlook. We are also banking on our expertise and knowhow as a homegrown player from VisMin,” CLI chief operating officer Franco Soberano said.

CLI said it would introduce two more hotels in its mixeduse projects in Cebu City, in addition to its first hotel project―Citadines by Ascott.

It will also expand its economic housing brand Casa Mira, which will have more than 7,000 economic housing units as it expands to four more locations.

Jenniffer B. Austria

LGUs

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

B3

NCIP hit for not helping IPs in FPIC

By Dexter A. See

L

UNA, Apayao—Apayao Governor Elias C. Bulut Jr. has criticized the Cordillera office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples for not providing the needed technical assistance to the local officials and indigenous peoples in the province.

Bulit said NCIP-CAR favored the construction of renewable energy plants in identified growth areas to

hurdle the tedious free and prior informed consent or FCIP process for the proposed hydro projects.

The governor said local officials and IPs already did their part in convincing their fellow indigenous tribes potentially affected by the proposed hydro projects to relocate to safer grounds, but the FPIC process “seems to be not in favor of the IPs and instead in favor of those who are against the projects, even without valid reason and even if they are not residents of the affected areas.”

“We are disappointed over the way the NCIP han-

dles the FPIC process for our proposed renewable energy project. We invited potential hydro investors to help develop Apayao but it seems the present conditions of the FPIC process are not investor-friendly,” Bulut stressed.

The governor disclosed local officials are now being blamed by the IPs for their displacement from their previous to give way for the project and the IPs. The tribes are now coming back to them to look for jobs,

but the investors have yet to start their projects because of the delayed completion of the FPIC process, Bulut said.

The governor said the NCIP needs to review the guidelines of the FPIC process to make sure that the IPs will not be compromised, especially if they are in favor of the project to be introduced in their ancestral domains, “so that their desired growth and development can be realized for their own benefit and that of future generations.”

Bulut asserted the IPs of Apayao should not be affected by NCIP’s problems in other similarly situated provinces in the Cordillera, because the Apayao IPs “welcome the implementation of environmentally-friendly development projects that can contribute to improving their economic situation.”

He underscored the development of the province’s hydro potentials will definitely be a big economic driver for the province, because aside from having

a reliable source of power, more jobs will be generated for the qualified residents, guaranteed income for the host communities and increased economic activities and sources of livelihood for the people.

Under Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous People’s Rights Act, companies intending to exploit, develop and utilize the rich resources of the State must first secure the FPIC of the affected indigenous peoples and indigenous cultural communities.

Pangasinan takes part in Coastal Cleanup Day LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—A throng of Capitol employees and volunteers from various national government agencies and organizations participated in the provincial governmentorganized coastal clean-up held at the stretch of Lingayen Beach here.

An advance activity held in observance of the International Coastal CleanUp Day was celebrated on Sept. 16. The event led by Governor Amado I. Espino III in the afternoon of Sept. 15, coincided with the city’s regular weekly coastal cleanup drive, which seeks to keep the Lingayen beach clean and in order.

Espino thanked Capitol employees and volunteers for heeding his call to help preserve the Lingayen beachfront, “which is frequently visited by local tourist and guests from other provinces,” he said.

Along with provincial government offices and

hospitals, participating provincial offices of national government agencies included the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fire Protection, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, National Food Authority; and some non-government organizations.

Environment advocates, armed with their cleaning materials, made the rounds at Lingayen Beach to collect plastics and other garbage left by beachgoers.

The team collected 150 kilograms of waste materials.

At the Capitol beachfront, the cleanup teams had a hard time looking for litter. “We have to extend the coverage of the clean-up activity beyond the Capitol beachfront where we were able to collect much of the garbage materials,” Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Nathaniel Pulido said. Dexter A. See

Subic Bay Freeport locators, residents and employees take part in the annual International Coastal Cleanup on Saturday along the Waterfront area of the Subic Bay Freeport, in consonance with millions of other volunteers in the global effort to protect the sea and coastal areas. Butch Gunio

RP Energy gains support of barangay, fisheries officials

By Butch Gunio SUBIC, Zambales—More stakeholders of the long-delayed power project in Zambales have pushed for the approval of Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc.’s power supply agreement with the government.

The Barangay Balaybay government and the Municipal Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

Management Council of Subic submitted letters of support for the project to the Energy Regulatory Commission.

RP Energy’s PSA, which was submitted in April 2016, is a crucial document needed before the company proceeds with the construction of its 2x300 megawatt coal-fired power plant in Subic.

During a regular session of the Barangay Balaybay Council on

Sept. 3, Barangay Chairman Arturo P. Manzano and the seven Sangguniang Barangay Members signed Resolution No. 09 expressing support to RP Energy in seeking the urgent approval of its PSA. According to the resolution, RP Energy will construct a 23-kilometer transmission line, and part of that facility are nine towers that will be built on Barangay Balaybay.

“Even though the power plant has not been constructed yet, RP Energy is already helping the barangay in its various programs and projects,” according to the resolution, noting that “construction of the project will immensely help the barangay and its residents.”

In line with this, the barangay council “has decided to appeal to ERC to expedite the release of the PSA of RP Energy.”

IN BRIEF Asia CEO Forum top execs donate books LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—The Provincial Government of Pangasinan led by Gov. Amado I. Espino III has received a new set of book donations from Asia CEO Forum executives Rebecca Bustamante Mills and Richard Mills.

A total of 509 books donated by the Mills couple were turned over to Provincial Librarian Cynthia Encarnita F. Vila after their courtesy call on the governor at the Urduja House here.

Vila said this batch of books is composed of circulation, paperback fiction novels, reference materials for intermediate, secondary, and tertiary education, and hardbound books that will benefit students and researchers alike who frequent the provincial library.

The Millses promised to continue sponsorships through donations of books, which will help in building library collections. They are also coordinating with the provincial government to pave the way for the subsequent donation of computers to libraries and schools in the province, Vila added. Dexter A. See

Espino hails parents for bringing kids to chess clinics LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—“Sports is not just a regular activity for Pangasinense youth but an opportunity for the younger generation to reach for their dreams.”

This was disclosed by Gov. Amado “Pogi” I. Espino III during the closing ceremony of the 7th Gov. Amado Espino Chess Clinic recently at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center.

The chess clinic which ran from Sept. 9 to 17, was participated in by some 322 kids and adults.

In the closing ceremony, Espino extended his deep appreciation to all parents and guardians who took time to accompany their children to the venue where different lessons on chess were lectured.

The project was launched in 2009 by the provincial government in coordination with the Pangasinan Chess League. Dexter A. See

Manila

Standard Provincial Government of Bataan

TODAY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP SELECTION COMMITTEE (PPP-SC) Invitation to submit Comparative Proposals

Public notice is hereby given that the Public-Private Partnership Selection Committee (PPP-SC) of the Provincial Government of Bataan and Magic Leaf Marine Logistics Corporation, the Original Proponent (OP), for theestablishment, operation and maintenance of Bataan-Manila Integrated Transportation System (BatMan ITS) under a Joint Venture Agreement, have completed successful negotiations on September 13, 2017 under Stage 2 of the Competitive Challenge process pursuant to the Provincial PPP Ordinance 02, S. of 2013.

Under the negotiated terms of the Joint Venture Agreement, the Project shall involve the incorporation of a separate Joint Venture (JV) corporation which will own, manage and operate the Project.

The Project is an integrated transportation system which shall include a regular ferry operation that will service the Orion, Bataan to the Mall of Asia in Pasay route and vice versa and such other ports, via Manila Bay, and a bus transportation system directly servicing the passengers of the ferry from the port to the different towns of Bataan and vice versa.BatMan ITS will provide fast, efficient, safe and effective mobility of passengers and goods to and from Metro Manila for an estimated travel time of 45 minutes only, using a 2006 Model, 108 passenger capacity, 132 Tons, “Catamaran Type”, “JG-Smooth Water Class” vessel. At least one (1) additional vessel shall also be on standby to serve as alternate vessel to ensure the reliability and continuity of the ferry service.

Final notice is hereby given to eligible Private Sector Proponents (PSPs) to submit their comparative proposals. Interested PSPs must submit their notarized Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to submit comparative proposals to Provincial PPP and Investment Center, Provincial Governor’s Office, Bulwagan, Capitol Compound, Balanga City on or before 5:00 in the afternoon of 5 October 2017. EOIs must and can only be submitted by the PSP that will apply for eligibility and submit comparative proposals. The EOI must also contain a statement that the PSP has undertaken and completed a similar development project under a similar arrangement.

PROGRAM PACT. Dr. Edwin Villar (seated right), Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development Acting Deputy Executive Director for R&D, and heads of six universities from the Cordillera Administrative Region sign an agreement for the S&T Action Frontline for Emergencies and Hazards Program on Wednesday. Butch Gunio

Potable water to flow for 80k Echague residents by Q1 2018 TUBIG Pilipinas, a subsidiary of Pure Energy Holdings Corp., is set to complete the first phase of the Echague Water Supply, Sewage, and Septic Utility Project in the first quarter of 2018.

Once operational, about 80,000 residents of the Municipality of Echague, Isabela will no longer fetch water from deep wells and common faucets. Residents of Isabela will soon enjoy the convenience of flowing potable water in their homes.

“This project hopes to bring convenience to the residents of Echague.

Hopefully, with water flowing into their homes, we are able to raise the

quality of living in this province,” said Ryan T. Yapkianwee, president of Tubig Pilipinas.

The project involves constructing and operating a Level III water supply distribution system for bulk water production and to supply potable water. The project also includes a management and maintenance service for a period of 25 years.

A concession granting Tubig Pilipinas the authority to construct, operate, manage, and maintain a water, sewage, and septic utility system in Echague was granted by way of Municipal Resolution in Dec. 5, 2016.

Further, the EOI must contain an undertaking by the PSP that it will adhere to the Ordinance, policies, pronouncements of and qualification criteria set by the PPP-SC, and that it will not seek and obtain a writ of injunction or prohibition or restraining order against the PPP-SC, the Province and its officials to prevent or restrain the Competitive Challenge process, the award of the Project and carrying out the Project, and that it will not institute any criminal, civil and/ or administrative cases against the officials of the PPP-SC and the Province.

PSPs that will participate must acknowledge the right of the original proponent to match the best qualified proposal submitted in this Competitive Challenge, upon which the PPP Project shall still be awarded to the original proponent under the terms and conditions of the said best qualified proposal.

If no notarized EOI from a proper entity is received within the aboveprescribed period, the Project will be awarded to the OP and Stage 3 of the Competitive Challenge process is deemed terminated.

PSPs which have filed their EOIs may obtain the forms for prequalifications and eligibility, and submit eligibility requirements onor before 5:00 PM, October 20, 2017. Tender documents shall be issued only to eligible private proponents upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Philippine Pesos: Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php 50,000.00), and must submit their comparative proposals on or before 5:00 PM, December 8, 2017. If no PSP qualifies as eligible and/or procures the tender documents and/or submits compliant comparative proposals, the Project will be awarded to the OP and Stage 3 of the Competitive Challenge process is deemed terminated.

The PPP-SC reserves the right to reject any and all application for qualification and eligibility found not in conformity with the aforesaid Ordinance, relevant issuances, and this Notice.

Prepared by:

Approved by:

(SGD) Atty. EFREN C. LIZARDO PPP-SC Secretary

(SGD) Engr. ENRICO T. YUZON PPP-SC Chairman

(MS-SEPT. 22, 2017)

LGUs

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

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

STORY TIME. Laguna 1st Dist. Rep. Arlene B. Arcillas reads to children in fairy tale costumes as the province celebrated International Literacy Day on Sept. 8. Arcillas said: ‘Reading to these kids is only half the fun. Encourage them to read and learn from books and you are giving them a priceless gift—the gift of knowledge! It gives me so much joy to celebrate Literacy Day each year!’ Roy Tomandao

NV gears up for IP month celebration

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Preparations are now being done for the Indigenous Peoples Month in November.

Former governor Ruth Padilla, indigenous peoples’ consultant of the provincial government, said they are conducting meetings with the IP Council of various tribes of the province.

“This year’s celebration will be two days full of poetic debates, songs and dances that depict rituals and ceremonies of various tribes,” she said.

Padilla said five tribes—the Ifugaos, Igorots, Bugkalots, Isinais, and Gaddangs—have signified their intention to participate in the IP Month activities.

The cultural and traditional shows will also be augmented by the recipients of the series of IP Summer Workshops for young IPs. “Presentations will be specified per IP group to avoid repetition and give the audience the idea of a proper way to do a particular dance or song, which is the objective of the said IP Summer Workshop,” she said.

The celebration will be on November 9 to 10 at the Indigenous Peoples Education and Development Center in Bagabag town.

The IP month celebration is part of the “Prayers N’ Faith” program of governance, which started during the administration of Padilla and is being continued by her husband, Gov. Carlos Padilla.

Joy anoints Gian as next VM

By Rio N. Araja

Q

UEZON City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte is strongly endorsing District 3 Councilor Gian Carlo Sotto as the “only choice” to succeed her in 2019.

At the launch of the Super Health Assistance Card for solo parents in District 4 Wednesday afternoon, Belmonte called on the voters in the area to support Sotto, saying he is the perfect bet to succeed her.

“I am asking for a little of your help and support. People have asked me, ‘Vice, you are our next mayor, but we have yet to think it over who to choose as vice mayor. But I have told them not to have a second thought [of who to sup-

“Batman is nothing without Robin; in the same way I am nothing without Gian,” she said.

Belmonte, who has declared her bid for the mayoralty in 2019, said she consulted former District 4 councilor Jesus Emmanuel “Bong” Suntay as to who should be her running mate in the coming local elections.

Sotto “We came up with the same conclusion—to choose port],’” she told the 800 single Gian,” added the daughter of parents who joined the event former QC Mayor and House at the Amoranto Theater on Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Scout Chuatoco Street.

Belmonte Jr.

She took pride in saying Sotto is “too humble, even if he comes from a very prominent and famous family.”

“First of all, he is handsome. Wouldn’t you want to work with someone like him?” she teased the crowd.

“Gian is a cousin of [megastar] Sharon Cuneta and sister of Ciara, who was the former girlfriend of John Lloyd Cruz. You see I know about that [issue].

He is the relative of Senator [Francis] Kiko [Pangilinan], Oyo Boy and Pauleen Luna, the godson [and

Hybrid Electric Road Train to serve GenSan commuters THE 40-meter-long Hybrid Electric Road Train developed by Filipino engineers from Department of Science and Technology-Metals Industry Research and Development Center is expecting to hit the highways of General Santos City this October after its trial run in Cebu City last February.

The train consists of five interlinked air-conditioned coaches, can hold up to 240 passengers per trip, and is expected to provide technological solutions to urban transport concerns like traffic congestion, of which General Santos City is currently facing.

It is mainly designed for roads and not for rails, thus the HERT only runs at maximum speed of 50 kph.

DoST Regional Director Dr. Zenaida Hadji Raof Laidan will extends support and commitment in implementing the road project, as the regional office

The Hybrid Electric Road Train consists of five interlinked air-conditioned coaches and can hold up to 240 passengers per trip.

ties up with the GenSan local government and DOST MIRDC. “As part of the preparation of its implementation in General Santos City,

DoST MIRDC is conducted series of route assessments and inspections to ensure viability of using the road train in the main roads of the city,” said

Laidan.

Based on the route survey, the HERT will initially start at Barangay Katangawan, then pass through Lagao Public Market, the

national highway, and the city’s circumferential road going to Gensan Fish Port.

“Aside from serving a mass number of daily commuters around the city, the HERT also advocates a greener use of technology, as it is powered by electric batteries instead of solely diesel fuel, thus creating lesser carbon emission,” she added.

This road train project is being deployed for trial runs to ensure that it meets the standards prior to its complete rollout to urban cities. The field testing of HERT in the road of General Santos City may ease the burden of daily commuters if the city will adopt the technology upon the completion of the trial run.

Science Secretary Fortunato T. de la Peña agreed to donate the HERT to the city if it is viable and effective to decongest the main roads of GenSan.

nephew] of Bossing [Vic Sotto], [and] the cousin-inlaw of Kristine Hermosa.

Saan ka pa [Where else will you look]?” she said.

Despite his pedigree, the young Sotto has never been arrogant and has always been very humble at work and in dealing with his constituents, Belmonte said.

Meanwhile, Suntay spearheaded the launch of an expanded benefit program for single parents in District 4 from his own personal funds, the first of its kind in Quezon City.

He pledged to help the district’s 1,790 single parents duly registered with the city government’s Social Services and Development through a voluntary cash grant of P3,000 each to foot their 10-day stay in a hospital or any medical clinic in Metro Manila within one year, as well as the 10-day hospitalization of any of their minor children or dependent.

The registered single parents, colloquially called “Nay-Tay,” were issued tamper-proof SHAC cards.

Papal chef Jessie readies menu to support Caritas CHEF Jessie Sincioco, who served Pope Francis when he visited the Philippines in 2015, continues her devotion of helping the Church as she creates a special menu set for two to support Caritas Manila’s Youth Servant Leadership Program as part of the social services and development ministry’s 75 Days of Charity.

The proceeds of the special set menu specially prepared by Chef Jessie will help sustain the Caritas Manila flagship program, which supports the college and technical-vocational education of about 5,000 underprivileged youth, mostly coming from the country’s poorest provinces.

Caritas Manila executive Director Rev Fr. Anton CT Pascual invites the public to experience the gastronomic creativity of Chef Jessie,

who catered to the Papal Visit two years ago.

“It is my gratitude to invite the public and the faithful to dine with Chef Jessie’s restaurants. This is a blessed experience of tasting Chef Jessie’s cooking that Pope Francis enjoyed and at the same time be part of Caritas Manila’s 75 Days of Charity. Through this endeavor, we could help send students to schools and achieve their dreams,” Fr. Pascual said.

Chef Jessie currently runs three restaurants: Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie, Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, and the Chef Jessie Grill at the Grove by Rockwell.

Among the recipes included in the special set menu are Chef Jessie’s Ciabatta Bread, Rolls, Butter and Special Dip (which was loved by Pope Francis), and Rev. Fr. Anton’s Super Healthy Salad.

Malapitan, Caloocan SM Foundation opens PWD-friendly school building in Batangas brass plant fire trees INSTEAD of going to the streets to protest, Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan led the members of the City Environmental Management Office to plant fire trees (Delonix regia) in the northern and southern parts of the locality.

Initially, Malapitan requested for 10,000 fire trees or flame trees to be planted, but the number doubled as requesters flooded his Facebook account, signifying their support to the project of the city mayor.

The Department of Public Safety and Traffic Management and its action officer Hilario Castro joined the planting.

Malapitan said the trees will add beauty to the roads and give shade. “It will also help clean the air,” he added.

Residents who want to assist in the planting may coordinate with CEMO or DPSTM at Caloocan City hall north or south, the mayor said. Jun David

LEMERY, Batangas—SM Prime Holdings, through the SM Foundation, last week opened its second disabledfriendly public school building that it donated and will be used by Grade 5 students of the Lemery Pilot Elementary School.

The first such PWD-friendly structure was built by SM Foundation in Ormoc City.

The two-story, four-classroom school building was turned over last Sept. 15 to top officials of Lemery Pilot and the local Department of Education executives.

The ceremonies included the handing of the ceremonial key to school principal Ma. Teresa Caringal and DepEd officials by SM Foundation’s Debbie P. Sy and Linda Atayde, SM Regional Operations Manager Cid Victoria, and Linda Gabriel, SM Lem-

ery Mall Manager, representing SM Prime Holdings.

Lemery Pilot ES has distinguished itself from other state primary schools in that it had produced multi- awarded faculty, principals, and students in various subjects throughout the years, which resulted in its being the first choice by DepEd in piloting new programs and curricula for introduction nationwide.

As with most other SM donations, the building comes fully furnished with wall fans, desks and teacher’s tables, blackboards, cabinets for books, desks for left-handed pupils, and a toilet per classroom, unlike schools built years ago, which only had a room of four toilet-cubicles on each wing.

It also has ramps for people with disabilities leading to a toilet on the ground floor, as most PWDs are asked to stay only on the ground floor.

SM Foundation executive director Debbie Sy (fourth from left) hands over the symbolic key of the PWD-friendly school building erected by SM Prime Holdings via the Foundation (inset) to officials of the Department of Education and the Lemery Pilot Elementary School.

A

YALA Malls, an avid advocate of sustainability, arts and culture, hosts a special project with Artkitektura Festival 2017, the first ever learning program in the Philippines that aims to educate and inspire the youth and professionals. Artkitektura Festival brings to the fore the idea that architecture can exist in harmony with nature and enhance human experience. Architecture is more than just building a structure, its responding to space and creating a conducive environment that promotes growth and harmony of all those who move and live within it.

Life

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

CULTURE AND MEDIA

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

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Bobitoys on display at Ayala Malls for the Artkitektura Festival 2017

Artkitektura FESTIVAL

“In all our developments, Ayala Malls always takes into consideration the environment we are present in. With Greenbelt, we preserved the park; in U.P. Town Center, Fairview Terraces, and Centrio in Cagayan de Oro we built our malls around the trees in that location for years. In our regional malls like Glorietta and Trinoma, we integrated greens through pocket and roof top gardens,” says Ayala Land Malls Inc. President Rowena Tomeldan. “What distinguishes Ayala Malls from others is the amount of space we allocate to greenery.”

Ayala Malls doesn’t only take the existing environment in consideration, they are also

staunch supporters of sustainability.

In 2016, Ayala Malls launched Blooms and the Organic Gardens—a campaign committed to the conservation of indigenous Philippine plants and growing organic herbs and vegetable plants.

Until October, Ayala Malls becomes the proud host and stage for the festival—the first of its kind in the country—that celebrates the holistic approaches to architecture and the built environment through a series of exhibitions and talks.

When it comes to great architecture, what better way to kick off the festival than with an inspiring exhibition by no less than the

master himself, architect Bobby Mañosa.

In two special exhibits at Alabang Town Center Activity Center (Aug 6-17) and TriNoMa Cinema Lobby (Aug 18-Sept 9), Ayala Malls brought the tribute exhibit— Mañosa: Beyond Architecture, launched at the National Museum in February. Mañosa, best known for his work on the Coconut Palace, Amanpulo and Pearl Farm resorts, is widely recognized as the country’s first and most stalwart champion of authentic Filipino architecture.

In addition to inspiring exhibitions and displays, Ayala Malls gifts its mall-goers with inspiring art installations that make us

Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP) exhibit, titled 'Silya' highlights Filipino, organic design by presenting award-winning chair designs made from native/organic materials.

Architect Francisco 'Bobby' Mañosa leads the exhibition of some of his projects

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Golden-bellied Flyeater

rethink of how we interact with space and how space impacts us.

Garden Soundscapes—a unique art installation design by Teresa Barozza, a sound artist, composer, and recipient of the Ani ng Dangal Award from the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts—creates such an impactful surrounding in Greenbelt Park. Titled “Vocalizations,” the installation creates a truly unique, all-sensory experience, weaving together color, ambient sounds, and movement, which highlight how nature is very much alive and vibrant.

Forty years ago, Greenbelt was home to over 500 different bird species that was thought to have disappeared with the aviary that housed them. But to this very day, bird species from the old aviary—the Oriole, Colasisi, WhiteCollared Kingfisher, and Zebra Dove, among others—can still be found in Greenbelt.

Combining the past with the present, by mixing real bird calls from birds that used to be in the Greenbelt aviary with the noise of the bustling city, the sound installation takes on an artistic approach to pay tribute to the history of Greenbelt. At the same

time, it also acknowledges Ayala Malls’ sustainability efforts in preserving the park and its biodiversity, despite being in the middle of the Central Business District.

To the mall-going public, Soundscapes becomes an invitation to become aware of how actions and reactions, internal and external triggers, sound and silence, past and present, nature and urban life, create complex sense experiences. Listen to the sounds of the “wild” and catch the surreal experience nightly (6 to 9 p.m.), until Oct. 8.

Artkitektura 2017 also showcased other works of Filipino ingenuity side by side international design, at the Greenbelt 5 Gallery. In addition, the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines (CFIP) added local touch with, “Silya,” highlighting Filipino, organic design on the same level, presenting award-winning chair designs made from native/organic materials. Passersby are invited to take a seat and see for themselves how furniture influences mood and movement within a space CFIP will also host talks with featured designers on the weekends of September at the Greenbelt Gallery.

Samuel L. Jackson

praises comic book on Twitter TWO Filipino comic book artists from the Philippines, working as part of an international comic book project, have had their work published to critical acclaim in the Czech Republic. AJ Bernardo, 33, and Josel Nicolas, 29, have illustrated multiple stories for Welsh writer James Stafford, 38, for the graphic novel The Sorrowful Putto of Prague. Originally launched in 2011 as a webcomic, the comic was recently collected into book

Cover of Czech edition of 'The Sorrowful Putto of Prague' by James Stafford

form and published in Czech as Truchlivý amoret pražský by Argo, one of the Czech Republic’s leading literary publishing houses.

Spinning a series of dark, baroque tales filled with black humor and Czech mythology, the book has been met with hugely positive reviews in the Czech press and gained significant exposure on national television and radio. Just prior to its publishing, Hollywood movie legend Samuel L. Jackson praised The Sorrowful Putto of Prague to his 6.7 million fans on Twitter, calling the comic “dope ass.”

“This is a great example of the importance of creative industries, both from the point of view of economic results, but also as a way to bring together the opportunities between the continents,” said Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olša, Jr. “With the recent success of the globally acclaimed Czech board game “Code Names,” which only a few months ago saw its Philippine edition, the 33rd lan-

AJ Bernardo's sample works for 'The Sorrowful Putto of Prague' guage version, and the third—after Japanese and Korean—in Asia, this shows that many more opportunities and chances lie in the possible cooperation between the Czechs and the Filipinos.”

It is hoped there will be a Filipino edition of the book in the near future, so that local comic fans can see the acclaimed work of these local artists in print for themselves.

Welsh writer James Stafford began writing the series with Putto back in 2010 and

Josel Nicolas creation for James Stafford's graphic novel

hired AJ Bernardo to illustrate several stories after finding him on an online art forum. Despite having never met in person and Bernardo having never been to Prague, the pair began a fruitful six-year working relationship. Josel Nicolas came on board several years later and is now a key part of the global project along with artists from Romania and the Czech Republic.

“It’s been hugely inspiring to work with AJ and Josel,” said Stafford. “I was incred-

ibly lucky to find them as before the internet age collaborating with people on the other side of the world like this just wouldn’t have been possible. I’m very proud of being able to partner with them and very much looking forward to continuing with the series in the coming years.”

The project also has a free online soundtrack including music by Roger O’Donnell, keyboard player in legendary British rock group, The Cure.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor • Nickie Wang, Writer

T

HE latest star to sign with the burgeoning talent management group known as ALV Talent Circuit is Sunshine Cruz. Arnold Vegafria, who made headlines recently for his trendsetting and epic production of the 2017 Miss World Philippines pageant, welcomed Cruz to ALV’s fold at a contract signing recently.

Currently starring in ABSCBN’s top-rating primetime series Wildflower, the flawless beauty is excited about her latest career move. She says, “I just feel and know that I will be in good hands with Arnold. I know that I have so much more to offer and ALV can bring that out in me.”

It’s no coincidence that the youthful-looking mom is actually being looked up to by her eldest daughter and upcoming singer Angelina Cruz, who also signed with ALV as well as Universal Records in December 2016.

The proud mom shares, “Angelina’s very happy and ALV knows Angelina’s priority, which is her studies. Singing comes after. Both Universal and Arnold are both understanding and patient, and I’m thankful for that. She’s really excited with her latest single with Iñigo Pascual titled ‘Paraiso’.”

Prior to landing her Wildflower role, Sunshine had already starred in several soap operas on ABS-CBN, including Dugong Buhay, Galema (Anak ni Zuma), Pure Love, Oh My G! and Dolce Amore. She also picked up two Best Actress recognitions (Star Awards for TV) for two of her Maalaala Mo Kaya guest appearances.

Despite her steady stream of ABS-CBN projects, she clarifies that she’s not an exclusive artist.

She points out, “I always get offers and opportunities. I’m not an exclusive artist of ABSCBN, but they’ve been more than generous to me. Hindi ako

YOUTHFUL. Sunshine Cruz is on a roll as she dabbles between TV and movies. The young looking single mom has recently signed up with Arnold Vegafria’s (left) ALV Talent Circuit.

SUNSHINE

CRUZ

has maintained her svelte figure, vibrant charm and age-defying looks despite being a working mom, making her the perfect endorser for health and beauty products. What’s her secret?

She discloses, “Healthy food and I exercise when I have the chance. Three or four times a week of either zumba, spinning or boxing.”

And how does she describe herself as a mom?

“I can be strict, but I can also be a spoiler, Being a single mom is challenging but I’m proud of myself because I know I’m doing great. I reward my kids when they have high grades and I always find time to bond with them,” she beams proudly.

Asked to comment on the current state of her heart, her radiant smile says it all.

“Happy!” she affirms. *** “It is something interesting.”

This is how Shaina Magdayao describes her new project with Lav Diaz in which she plays a singer.

“First time kong gagawin ‘yung ganoon and I think first time nilang makakapanood ng something like this. All I wanted is to work with Lav Diaz at ito nga ‘yun,” she said.

Shaina showed interest in singing when she was only four years old. Her father, Ike Magdayao, started training her because it was her dream to be with her sister Vina Morales in a concert. Now that she’s playing a singer in Daz’s film, someone

asked if she went through voice lessons or had a vocal coach. ”Dasal lang ang ginawa ko.

Kasi at that time, I was doing The Better Half, so Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Better Half ako and weekends, I fly to Malaysia kasi doon kami nag-shoot, so dasal lang talaga more than the voice lesson at paniniwala na baka naman may nakikita si direk Lav kaya ako ‘yung kinuha niya. Sobrang nahihiya talaga ako.

“And until now, hindi alam ng dad ko (kakanta ako sa movie) na it’s anti musical-musical.

And the moment that he hears me sing, naku sobrang matutuwa ‘yun kasi siya talaga ‘yung singer sa amin (dating member ng banda si daddy Ike) and he knows how I hate singing, pero iyon it’s a different experience (for me), even the moviegoers next year,” Shaina said.

“That movie with direk Lav is an anti-musical-musical or a rock opera. It’s really something different and I hate singing, alam mo ‘yan, wala talaga akong confidence, ihagis n’yo na lang ako kasi dancer ako, i-lift-lift n’yo na lang ako, handang-handa ako riyan.

“Wala kasi talaga akong confidence when it comes to singing but doon lumabas ‘yung pagiging artista (singer) kasi noong nasa harapan na ako ng camera, kinakabahan man, nagawa ko naman (kumanta), so the whole film we will be singing pero walang melody,” Shaina added.

now with ALV Talent Circuit nawawalan ng serye with them.

Nag-o-overlap pa nga sometimes ang offers.”

Though closely identified with her dramatic portrayals, the mestiza actress still dreams of exploring more fertile acting turf, with villain, kontrabida or mistress roles ranking high in her bucket list. She admits, “I’ve been crying a lot in my series, but I’d really want to challenge myself given the chance. I want people to hate me naman, hindi yung lagi na lang kakaawaan.”

Though not as regular, Sunshine has also dabbled in movies recently.

She recounts, “I did one with Liza (Soberano) and Enrique Gil, Mang Kepweng with Vhong Navarro and one with APT a

few years ago. I’ve been focusing more on seryes, then spending my free time with my kids.”

Would she be open to signing up with a movie outfit, such as Regal Films?

She stresses, “I was a Regal baby before. I hope Mother Lily still remembers me. I would love to work with them again soon.”

Given the chance, Sunshine would also love to go back to one of her first loves: singing.

It’s no secret that she hails from a prominent musical clan, and would love to do her share in upholding their legacy. She asserts, “Being a Cruz is a blessing and we Cruzes love to perform and we’re trained to give our best in everything we do.”

It’s amazing how Sunshine

Shaina Magdayao scores a leading role in Lav Diaz’s “anti-musical musical” filmed in Malaysia

PEOPLE …are talking about

...are not talking about

Alden Richards His portrayal of Bonifacio Ilagan in Alaala, a Martial Law Special on GMA 7, has earned mixed reviews. Although the docudrama failed to win in the numbers game on Sunday, being one percent short in toppling Gandang Gabi Vice, Alden has received massive praises for his effective interpretation of the character. And of course, people will still find anything to criticize the actor and the docudrama, but at the end of the day, when you elicit mixed reactions, that’s when you succeed proving that you actually did a great job.

Mulawin vs Ravena How did the finale episode of GMA-7’s Mulawin vs. Ravena fare in ratings game? Ask AGB Nielsen and it well tell you it didn’t do well, much more if you referred to Kantar Media’s national viewership data.

Since its premiere that received lukewarm reception from the televiewers, the show had struggled to keep up with competition. And this struggle continued until its final episode. It only registered a TV rating of 8.9 percent or almost three points lower than its rival. The Kapuso bosses might be saying, “We shouldn’t have touched a classic!”

Love You To The Stars and Back It’s nice that local films are actually doing well at the tills.

Take the Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto film, for example.

The romantic movie made a killing at the box office during its first week. Now, according to Star Cinema, the film has already breached the P100 million-mark two weeks after its commercial release.

The film is regarded for its unconventional story though still following the romcom formula.

It’s safe to say that Love You To The Stars and Back has won not just the audience and also the critics for being a little different.

Empoy Marquez The comedian is a classic example of an actor who didn’t need washboard abs like Piolo Pascual or the mestizo features of James Reid to make it big in showbiz. Following the phenomenal success of the sleeper hit Kita Kita, Empoy Marquez bags another lead role in the upcoming comedy film, The Barker. And just when we thought he’s already reached his peak, the actor signed an exclusive contract with Star Cinema. You see, Empoy is definitely on a roll. .

Maymay Entrata She’s gone through quite the transition from a virtual nobody to a showbiz novelty.

And we have to give it to her for immediately amassing a substantial amount of followers because it means people saw something in her that other showbiz newbies lack. But one thing we can hardly understand is how on earth can someone who’s not even able to hit proper notes sell records? Maymay’s debut album has been certified Platinum since its release in June. Does this mean a lot of people are still lured into buying trash?

I Can See Your Voice The original version is still miles better and much more fun to watch even if viewers don’t understand what the hosts and contestants are talking about. Hence, it pains to see how the local version bastardized the show. While it’s easy to understand that not everyone has to be a comedian to make a show entertaining, there should be at least a conscious effort among the cast to act naturally for the sake of spontaneity. And no, Luis, people watched the premiere telecast not because they were interested in it. They just wanted to compare it with the original.

Motoring

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

C3

BMW Expo turns into family event

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SIAN Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the official importer and distributor of the BMW brand in the country recently staged an Expo which highlighted the BMW lifestyle. Held at the Bonifacio Global City, patrons of the brand got the chance to experience the latest innovations and its full model line-up with fun activities thrown into the mix making the three-day exposition a family affair.

“BMW has consistently led unique and exciting customer experiences, pushing boundaries through daring and visionary creations that do not compromise the ultimate goal: Sheer Driving

Pleasure. This event demonstrates our dedication to delivering premium mobility that allows us to be the pioneer of Joy,” said ACC President Maricar Parco. “There’s no better way to share our journey

and vision than through the BMW Xpo 2017, with no less than our customers and industry partners.”

The event featured 3 exhibitions of BMW’s core values that deliver the brand’s commitment to bring Joy in every aspect of mobility: Visionary, Precious, and Thrilling.

Thrills and easy own packages On display were the latest generation of BMW’s most-successful business sedan, with the allnew BMW 5 Series, leading the roster. Other featured vehicles represented the brand’s groundbreaking concepts for the mobility of tomorrow along with a fascinating augmented reality experience with the Vision Next 100 Concept Car and BMW 5

Series through the BMW Vision Gate. The epitome of contemporary luxury, the BMW 7 Series, was displayed together with the newest collection of BMW Lifestyle. Curated modern apparel and accessories to match every individual with a discerning palate were also presented by Hugo Boss. Even the smallest of BMW fans enjoyed limitless pleasure as the event included a Junior Drivers’ Course and Kiddie Dome with arts and crafts activities for the young and young at heart, making the event a family affair.

The most powerful letter in the world, M, took guests to where too much is just right. Visitors feasted their eyes on the first-ever BMW M2, the intensified BMW M4 in Competition Package, and

select vehicles in the exclusive M Sport trim. Guests even immersed in the thrill of making life a ride with BMW Motorrad.

The growing Heritage Line, including the pure riding machine BMW R nineT that embodies the quality and tradition of the BMW Motorrad brand, was showcased together with motorcycles from the Adventure and Sport Lines.

Apart from the interactive highlights, participants also got to test-drive the latest BMW vehicles and received vouchers from Hugo Boss and Petron, while aspiring BMW owners chose from a wide range of certified pre-owned vehicles or BMW Premium Selection at special prices.

During the 3-day fête, brand-

new BMW vehicles were made available at exclusive rates along with an exciting treat. Customers can look forward to 5 years of free BMW Service Inclusive for every purchase of a brand-new automobile. The program covers maintenance and repair of original BMW parts in all authorized BMW Service Centers to take customers’ mind off the unexpected costs of regular automotive upkeep.

“With all of these thrilling activities and world-class display of premium automobiles, the BMW Xpo 2017 represents our strengthened commitment to delivering Sheer Driving Pleasure today and the years to come,” concluded Parco. Dino Ray V. Directo III

FASTLANE 100% pure electric vehicle shuttle at BGC

F1 : Scuderia Ferrari gains from Shell’s power of two Shell V-Power race fuel and Shell Helix Ultra race lubricant delivered 23.3% of the total efficiency gain of Scuderia Ferrari’s power unit since the end of the 2014 season. This means Scuderia Ferrari can go over half a second a lap faster with the same amount of fuel.

Shell Motorsport Innovation Manager Guy Lovett explains what this means: “Efficiency is crucial for us in motorsport, where performance improvements are primarily found through exploiting efficiency, due to the fuel limit, so we can only go faster by getting more out of each drop of fuel.

“At Shell, we work tirelessly with Scuderia Ferrari designers and engineers over the winter and during each season, with 21,000 hours devoted to the Formula 1 products alone. The scale of the efficiency benefits we have delivered since the end of 2014 is a testament to all the team at Shell, and truly demonstrates the benefits of our Innovation Partnership with Scuderia Ferrari in practice.

Ultimately, we strive to bring improvements from the intense testing environment of the racetrack to help develop the best fuel and lubricants for drivers on the road.”

The 2017 Formula 1 cars require more power due to ‘draggier’ designs and because drivers spend longer at full throttle, efficiency is now more impor-

tant than ever. Shell must deliver maximum performance to Scuderia Ferrari from the fuel as well as lubricating the engine, to enable the cars and drivers to perform at their peak in each race of the season. Such gains in efficiency have already helped power Scuderia Ferrari to four race wins and eight further podium places in the first half of the 2017 season.

Scuderia Ferrari Driver and current series leader Sebastian Vettel said: “Our performance so far this season relies on all parts of the puzzle working together, and of course the fuels and lubricants from Shell are playing their part – stats like this show how their expertise contributes to give us an advantage on the track.

Mattia Binotto, Technical Director, Scuderia Ferrari said: “It’s really impressive that Shell fuels and lubricants delivered nearly a quarter of the overall efficiency gain of our power unit since the end of 2014, and our thanks go to Shell for delivering such an improvement. To achieve ever increasing standards of performance out of the same amounts of Shell V-Power race fuel is remarkable, and this combined with the benefits of Shell Helix Ultra race lubricants in the engine, is an important factor contributing to Scuderia Ferrari’s ontrack results.”

EMOTORS, Inc., the social enterprise and local manufacturer and assembler of electric 3-wheel vehicles and The Net Group (TNG), the country’s largest green office building developer, tie up to promote the use and benefits of EMotors’ ZüM passenger e-shuttles.

The partnership with EMotors makes TNG the first company to utilize sustainable, pure electric vehicles to serve the transport needs of its own staff, officers, and tenants starting with their two buildings, Net Park and Net Lima located at the heart of upscale Bonifacio Global City (BGC)—a prime location populated by global companies the likes of Google with its young, tech savvy, globally connected and sustainably conscious BGCitizenry.

“We want to help alleviate the stress of commuting for TNG staff and our tenants even within a short range of radius with the free point-to-point ZÜM electric shuttle, one that also supports our corporate sustainability goals,” says Raymond Rufino, CoPresident, The Net Group.

“The endeavor provides for a winwin-win situation for all stakeholders where the company, the people, and the city gain from the obvious benefits

of using zero-emission, zero-noise electric vehicles,” says EMotors President, Elizabeth H. Lee. According to Lee, the project is also aimed to help tackle three major social issues: 1) Women’s Welfarewhere majority of the e-shuttle drivers are women; 2) Livelihood Creation- where drivers get to earn a living that is less taxing, more enjoyable, and fulfilling; and 3) Environmental Protection by limiting environmental degradation, pollution, and supporting clean air efforts.

“By working together, we co-create mutual value. We connect with visionary leaders & citizens who put importance in transforming the way we live, work, play, one that jumpstarts a radical change in how we move around our communities and lessen our impact on the environment,” says Elizabeth Lee. As cities worldwide continue to become innovative climate solution hubs, the time for electric vehicles becoming an integral part of a city’s transport mix may come sooner that you think.

Jenson Button drives Motul powered NSX MCLAREN-HONDA Formula One driver Jenson Button suited up for Team MUGEN last August 26 at the Round 6 of the Super GT Series 46th Internation SUZUKA 1000km using the NSX Concept GT powered by Motul. Also known as the “Suzuka 1000km The Final”, the Formula One ace joined the team last June 6 and 7 for tire testing and car familiarization at the Suzuka Circuit. “After driving an NSX CONCEPT-GT at Honda Racing THANKS DAY last December, I became interested in racing in SUPER GT. I spoke with Honda and they have given me a chance to race at the Suzuka 1000km. As a F1 driver and a member of TEAM MUGEN, I will push to win. I am very much looking forward to racing in front of my Japanese fans again,” states Button.

Team MUGEN participated in the SUPER GT SERIES GT500 us-

ing the NSX-GT with three drivers, Hideki Mutoh and Daisuke Nakajima as regular drivers alongside Jenson Button. “We are delighted to confirm that Jenson will be driving for TEAM MUGEN in the Suzuka 1000km. He is an extremely talented and experienced driver, and we hope he will have a great race. Hideki Mutoh, Daisuke

Nakajima, and Jenson Button is an exciting and formidable driver lineup and we are confident TEAM MUGEN will be able to show our best performance at the final ever Suzuka 1000km,” explains Nagataka Tezuka, Director for Team Mugen.

The Suzuka 1000km is the longestrunning car race in Japan, held annually since 1966. 2017 will be the last time Suzuka will host the race followed by new endurance race starting from 2018.

Motul has been a long and loyal partner in this highly competitive arena through its successful technical partnerships with different teams, beginning with NISMO in 2003 and expanding to others in the years since.

By working closely with all the Japanese manufacturers, Motul constantly upgrades and improves the lubricant technology available to its teams and ultimately to its consumers worldwide.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Edi tor DIN O DIREC TO III A ss t . Edi tor

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

Motoring

The X-Trail gets a makeover Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

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OME hell or high water, Nissan hass unveiled an enhanced version of its popular compact crossover, the X-Trail. It defied the elements to launch recently the compact crossover known for its high ground clearance and goanywhere capabilities. Company officers and enthusiasts joined the unveiling of the new X-Trail at the Blue Leaf events hall in Paranaque.

Visible changes were made to the X-Trail’s front fascia, which Nissan says is a global design norm highlighted with Nissan’s

signature V Motion 2.0 grille design. The angular and aggressive front end compliments the bumper and re-styled fog lamp

Ramesh Narasimhan, President and Managing Director of Nissan PH, shows off the new X-Trail.

clusters. The rear end has more chrome accents with a reshaped lower bumper. LED tail lights add more rear visibility and a welcome addition to the design is the sunroof which comes as a standard feature for the X-Trail line-up. This latest version also sits on massive 19-inch alloy wheels that add aggressiveness to its visual appeal.

“The Nissan X-TRAIL offers enough room for families and groups who love to go on road trips,” says Nissan Philippines President and Managing Director Ramesh Narasimhan. “With Nissan Intelligent Mobility, our customers can enjoy each adven-

ture as they drive safe and sound.

We want them to treat the new XTRAIL as a partner that looks out for them so they can have a fun and hassle-free time on the road,” Narasimhan added.

The X-Trail also comes equipped with electronic features for an improved way of driving.

The list of high tech features include an Around View Monitor that provides drivers with a 360-degree perspective for easier navigation, Moving Object Detection that sends a visual and audible alert when there’s movement around the vehicle, Blind Spot Warning that detects objects in the driver’s blind spot,

Forward Collision Warning and Intelligent Emergency Braking that sends a visual and auditory warning, and applies an emergency brake to avoid collisions, Rear Cross Traffic Alert that alerts the driver to unseen vehicles while reversing, and finally the 4x4-I System that automatically adjusts power distribution to give drivers full control of the vehicle as they take on challenging road conditions.

Patrons of the X-Trail can choose from a set of special color hues such as Premium Corona Orange, Marine Blue, Pearl White, Gun Metallic, and Diamond Black.

The new door and instrument panel finishers, new shift knob design, revised center console, and the console lid define the car’s plush interiors. Other design modifications include a new D-shaped steering wheel with a modernized interface, and leather-booted transmission shift lever. Adding to the convenience of customers is the motion activated tailgate, that allows customers to access the rear compartment with ease.

The Nissan X-Trail goes on sale this month and is available in both 4x4 and 4x2 variants. Retail price starts at P1,728,000 and P1,399,000 respectively.

Wheel Gallery celebrates 15 years of innovation

The men behind the brand (from left): Johnny Tan, Justin Uy and Sam Liuson.

MENTION the word customization and the first things that comes to mind are the custom rides of Black Rhino and Concept One. For the past 15 years, Wheel Gallery, the country’s popular destination for aftermarket wheels and tires has been at the forefront of the aftermarket industry.

Borne out of the idea of innovating and providing the market with the latest wheels from the global market, Wheel Gallery has evolved from being a player to becoming the industry standard. “Our journey was not easy, and we encountered a few bumps along the way but we managed to be steadfast and resilient with God’s grace,” states Sam Liuson of Wheel Gallery, who manages the company

with partner Johnny Lim Tan. Liuson is stalwart in the wheels and tires industry. Prior to his establishment of Wheel Gallery, he worked for a local wheel brand, and was a car salesman in the United States for sometime.

Aside from its Concept One wheels for sedans and AUV’s, Wheel Gallery is also the exclusive distributor of Black Rhino wheels USA. Black Rhino wheels are popular among SUV and off-road enthusiasts due to their rugged design and tough as nails build quality. “We are very satisfied with the way Sam is representing the brand in the Philippines and due to his efforts, Black Rhino has become a byword in the domestic aftermarket industry,” says Ryan Gallagher of Black Rhino USA. Liuson

organizes an off-road event for Black Rhino owners for them to appreciate their 4x4 SUV’s and to test the sturdiness and toughness of Black Rhino.

Among Wheel Gallery’s popular products is Saffiro Tires, which has fitments for sub-compact, compact sedans, AUV’s and SUV’s. After 15 years in the business, Liuson’s shop has become a landmark in the city of San Juan. “We will continue to offer innovative wheel designs to suit the requirements of the local market,” he said.

Those who wish to level up their game and earn extra pogi points, visit Wheel Gallery at 318 Santolan Road cor. M. Paterno, San Juan. Dino Ray V. Directo III

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