Manila Standard - 2017 October 20 - Friday by Manila Standard

MAHMUD, 19 MAUTE MEN KILLED—MILITARY By Francisco Tuyay and John Paolo Bencito

VOL. XXXI • NO. 248 • 5 SECTIONS 26 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

GOVERNMENT troops killed a Malaysian jihadist and the alleged ﬁnancier and architect of the Marawi City siege, along with 19 Islamic State-inspired Maute bandits in two consecutive days of ﬁghting, President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday. Duterte said Mahmud Ahmad’s death completes the downfall of the jihadist leaders that fought it out with government troops in the capital city of Lanao del Sur. “There were three of them—Is-

nilon] Hapilon, [Omar] Maute, and Doc [Mahmud]. He was taken this [Thursday] afternoon and that completes the story,” the President said. Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año said Mahmud, a Malaysian ISIS militant and one of the brains behind the Marawi siege, and 19 militant ﬁghters were blasted to death inside their concrete hideout in a search-and-destroy mission inside the main battle zone. Año said the information was based on accounts by rescued hostages, and the Next page

Marawi walls tell of long, urban war By Cecil Morella, AFP MARAWI—At first glance, the endless rows of devastated buildings could be the aftermath of a great earthquake. But the punctured, bullet-riddled walls tell the true story of the Philippines’ longest urban war. “No one wanted this to happen,” President Rodrigo Duterte said on Tuesday as he declared Marawi city “liberated from the terrorists’ influence” after a nearly fivemonth battle with gunmen loyal to the Islamic State group. A day earlier troops had tracked down and killed the Islamic State “emir” for Southeast Asia—Isnilon Hapilon, leader of the militants. The battle for the southern city, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, lasted more than four times longer than the US-led campaign to liberate Manila from Japanese World War II occupation forces. In the process the military literally destroyed Marawi to save it from gunmen it Next page

RISING FROM THE PYRE. This photo, taken on Oct. 17 shows a damaged mosque minaret (left) and buildings in the lakeshore Lanao del Sur capital town of Marawi—at first glance, the endless rows of devastated buildings could be the aftermath of a major earthquake. But the punctured, bullet-riddle walls tell the true but bloody story of the Philippines’ longest urban war. AFP

PH shuns future EU aid Cayetano to notify Union

Du30 admin rates ‘very good’—SWS

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and John Paolo Bencito

By John Paolo Bencito

MOST Filipinos remained satisﬁed with the “very good” performance of the Duterte administration despite double digit drops in Metro Manila and Balance of Luzon, the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed Thursday. The Third Quarter 2017 Social Weather Stations sur-

HE Philippines will reject all forms of aid from the European Union so its member states will not think they have the right to meddle in domestic affairs, Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Thursday. In an ambush interview, Cayetano said he will formally notify EU Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen about the country’s decision, which comes on the heels of President Rodrigo Duterte’s latest vitriolic attack on the

EU, which has been critical of his bloody war on drugs. “The point of the speech of the President last night [Wednesday] was if the grant has strings attached [such that] you can meddle in our politics,

DFA: Savings from US trip FOREIGN Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the government saved money when he stayed in the United States for more than a month. Cayetano also defended the bloggers who joined the government’s ofﬁcial delegation, when he recently

Lawyers in Aegis Juris hazing may be disbarred By Bill Casas and Macon RamosAraneta THE mother of University of Santo Tomas freshman law student and Aegis Juris neophyte Horacio “Atio” Castillo III on Thursday called for the disbarment of the lawyers involved in the initiation rites that led to her

son’s hazing death and the coverup of the crime. Carminia Castillo made her statement even as a representative of the Supreme Court’s Office of the Bar Confidant said lawyers with pending cases filed against them may not take their oaths during Wednesday’s Senate hearing on the death Next page of Atio.

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vey of 1,500 respondents, found 71 percent of adult Filipinos were satisfied, and 13 percent were dissatisfied with the general performance of the current national administration, for a net satisfaction rating of +58, classified by SWS as “very good.” Some 16 percent were undecided. The net satisfaction rating was six points below the +64 posted in June 2017.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano

spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “It was planned that way,” Cayetano told the Manila Standard in a chance interview at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig on Wednesday. Next page

2 Caloocan cops belie eyewitness claim on teeners’ slaying By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

gelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo “Kulot” de Guzman did not match the testimony of an THE testimony of two po- eyewitness and the results licemen implicated in the of forensic analysis for the deaths of teenagers Carl An- case, even as the cops asked

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the Department of Justice on Thursday to dismiss the criminal complaints ﬁled against them. Police Ofﬁcers 1 Jeffrey Perez and Ricky Arquilita

and taxi driver Tomas Bagcal appeared at the DoJ’s second preliminary investigation hearing to submit their respective counter-afﬁdavits Next page

The polling company traced the six-point drop to satisfaction rating declines in Metro Manila (16 points) and Balance of Luzon (11 points). The administration’s ratings went up slightly in Mindanao (two points) and the Visays (one point). The administration’s net rating stayed excellent in Mindanao, at +74 in September 2017, up by two points Next page

Justice junks Faeldon plea on shabu case THE Justice department on Thursday dismissed the plea of former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to dump the criminal complaints ﬁled against him by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in his alleged involvement in the P6.4-billion drug smuggling scandal. The department made the dismissal in a resolution after Faeldon pleaded to Next page

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Impeach threats reprised S

ENATOR Francis Escudero on Thursday reminded President Rodrigo Duterte’s critics that the impeachment threats against the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court’s chief justice also took place during the Aquino administration.

“Doon sa nagsasabi na papunta na sa isang diktadurya si Pangulong Duterte dahil ginagawa niya sa Ombudsman at sa Chief Justice, again, baliktanawan natin ang ating kasaysayan, hindi ba’t ganyan eksakto din ang ginawa ng nakaraang administrasyon?” Escudero told reporters.

“Tinakot ng impeachment ang dating Ombudsman, nag-resign na lang. In-impeach ang nakaupong chief justice.” Escudero made his statement even as he said the Senate will only begin with the impeachment proceedings against Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista once the House of Repre-

sentatives transmits the articles of impeachment to the Senate. “The Senate will only convene as an impeachment body and the ball will only start rolling when the impeachment articles are already transmitted by [House] to the upper chamber,” Escudero said. Earlier, he was referring to former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who resigned on April 29, 2011, or 10 days before the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, was scheduled to start her trial. On May 2012, the impeach-

ment tribunal convicted the Chief Justice Renato Corona over his failure to fully disclose his wealth in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth. Duterte, meanwhile, has said he will personally file impeachment cases against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. “Halos kung titignan n’yo, parallel, pareho, parang kino-kopya yung sa nangyari sa ating kasaysayan na wala namang ganoong alegasyon tulad ng mga alegasyon ngayon na binabato sa administrasyon,” Escudero said.

He noted that three incumbent senators were jailed during the Aquino administration while one senator, Leila de Lima, remains in detention under the Duterte administration. Former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada were detained over pork-barrel charges. De Lima, meanwhile, is detained at the PNP Custodial Center over her alleged involvement in the drug trade inside the national penitentiary when she was Justice secretary. Macon Ramos-Araneta

Rody-Donald one-on-one in the works at Asean gab By John Paolo Bencito BILATERAL talks between President Rodrigo Duterte and United States President Donald Trump are being hammered out as the world’s attention turns toward Southeast Asia with its hosting of two high-level conferences this November. “Definitely, we want it, they want it,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told Palace reporters in a chance interview at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City Wednesday night. Cayetano said both US and Philippine governments are still coordinating whether to hold the talks in Manila, during the sidelines of the 30th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, or at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ meeting in Vietnam. Trade and terrorism will be high on the agenda for Trump and other world leaders who are set to visit Manila and the region, after Duterte set the tone for the discussions during the 31st Asean Summit, which will be chaired by the Philippines. “The schedules are still all very complicated because of the related meetings [that will be attended by] other nations and everyone,” Cayetano said. “But I’m sure they’ll be able to speak [with each other] because our relationship [with the US] is really important. And President

Marawi... From A1

says are intent on carving out territory for a Southeast Asian caliphate. An Agence France-Presse team saw metal shutters and walls pockmarked with bullet holes, pavements piled high with twisted metal and cannibalized cars, and streets strewn with machine-gun slugs. The scenes evoked pictures of destruction in war-torn Middle Eastern cities like Aleppo and Mosul. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana estimates the government will need $1.1 billion to rebuild the city. On the ground floor of some buildings, soldiers peered warily at the street through holes just big enough for men to crawl through. These gaps are evidence that the militants who seized the city on May 23—estimated by military officials to have numbered one thousand—brought in a new

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and defend themselves against the double murder, torture and planting of evidence charges they are facing. Arnaiz’s parents, Carlito and Eva, their witnesses, and law-

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transfer the case to the Ombudsman. But in the resolution dated Oct. 12 but was only released on Thursday, the department insisted

Trump and President Duterte like each other,” he added. Trump is set to meet with several key Asian leaders next month, including the controversial Philippine strongman, on a tour otherwise dominated by efforts to isolate North Korea. The White House has announced Trump’s visit to Manila from Nov. 12 to 13 to participate in the Asean meetings. The US President’s first Asian tour will take him to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. Describing himself as a “hardliner,” Duterte said Thursday something must be done amid various issues concerning Southeast Asia. “I wish more talks to come, [more] trade, and if there is one thing that must be immediately solved, it is the problem of the Moluccas,” Duterte told diplomats, referring the threats of piracy in the Malacca Strait, the narrow stretch of water between Malaysia and Indonesia’s Sumatra Island. Duterte said that he would challenge Asean leaders to enhance trade facilitation between member-states and create a collective environment similar to what the 28-member European Union has. “One is the not-so-much active cooperation between the Asean and the matters of trade,” the President noted during the High Level Forum on the Asean at 50.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte admitted firing an undersecretary of the Department of Budget and Management amid allegations of corruption. “I wanted to slap him. I wanted to kick him. I fired him for corruption,” Duterte said without naming the official in a speech during a Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry event in Manila on Thursday. Duterte said he would not publicize the name of the official because he did “not want to shame the family” of the official. Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno could not be reached for comment. In the same speech, Duterte said he also fired three employees from his office. “There were three employees in my office, influencepeddling. This one was tinkering with the money; I told you, stop [it],” he said. John Paolo Bencito

MAHMUD... From A1

HAPPY CAMP-ERS. President Rodrigo Duterte gamely poses for a selfie with personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology during his visit to Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on Oct. 18, 2017. Presidential Photo

PH...

which is shared by a number of Cabinet members is that these grants give them the legal authority to meddle that crosses [the line],” Cayetano said. Cayetano was referring to Duterte’s pevious remarks ordering all EU diplomats to leave the country within 24 hours as he was enraged by the visit of a small group of European parliamentarians denouncing the extrajudicial killings in the anti-drugs campaign. The EU later explained that the delegation did not speak for the EU, but Duterte was not satisfied with the clarification. Cayetano also resented how European non-government organizations have repeatedly called on the Philippines to stop rights abuses in the so-called drugs war. “EU-based think tanks and

human rights groups have made bad and damaging conclusions and it creates an environment for them and for us, for their policymakers in not being able to deal with us in a much more friendly manner,” he said. He said the government can take the criticism, “but let’s not talk about aid and grants because we’ll view it as meddling and you view it as you have the right to meddle.” Cayetano described EU grants as “one-sided” since the agreements allow the EU to unilaterally end the grant and dictate the conditions. He said “many” other countries give grants without conditions, naming India, China, Russia and Japan. He said many US grants also have “no strings attached.”

+67 in June Across classes, the Duterte administration’s net satisfaction rating stayed very good in classes ABC and D; with satisfaction from those in class ABC staying very good at +60 in September 2017, up by five points from +55 in June 2017. It also stayed very good in class D or the masa, at +60 in September, although four points below the +64 in June. It fell one grade level from very good to good among Class E respondents, however, regis-

tering a steep 22-point decline for +68 in June to +46 in September. Out of 17 specific performance subjects rated, the same survey revealed net satisfaction ratings of the Duterte administration were very good on four subjects, good on eight subjects, and moderate on five. The net rating of the administration was very good on: Helping the poor (+67), Protecting the environment (+58), Defending the country’s territorial rights (+52), and Providing jobs (+50).

While Cayetano admitted that public funds were used for his official”trip, he said that this was more practical than having his trips separated. “There was a budget. It was more economical than going back and fourth in the country

for four times,” he said. Cayetano, left the country early last month to attend the 72nd regular session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York that convened on Sept. 12 to 19. Cayetano’s last official engagement in the United States was when he attended the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Wash-

ington D.C. on Oct. 12 to 13. At the UN, Cayetano said the government’s war against drugs is a “necessary instrument” to preserve and protect human rights, and not to violate them. He also signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which is the first legally binding international agreement to completely eliminate nuclear weapons. John Paolo Bencito

yers from the Public Attorney’s Office were also at the hearing. The three-man DoJ investigating panel, headed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Ma. Emilia Victorio, gave the complainants until Oct. 23 to reply to the policemen’s defense. Another hearing was set for Oct. 26 for the filing of rejoinder affidavits

by the respondents. In their statement, Perez and Arquilita said Bagcal, Carl Angelo’s supposed holdup victim, sought their help at about 3:30 a.m. while they were on beat patrol along the stretch of C-3 Road in Caloocan City last Aug. 18. They said Bagcal approached them “because he was robbed

by his passenger.” After the taxi driver gave them a detailed description of the alleged robber, Perez and Arquilita said they proceeded to the scene of the crime within two minutes. “We saw a person whom we suspected to be what Mr. Bagcal described to us... We alighted from our motorcycle and casu-

ally walked towards the direction of that person. Mr. Bagcal, who was also behind [us] during the case, shouted that the person in front of us was the person who robbed him, [so] we shouted to the person to stop walking while we introduced [ourselves] as policemen,” they said in their affidavit.

it had the jurisdiction to conduct a preliminary investigation of any case involving a public officer with a salary grade above 27. The department also said that certain provisions of R.A. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, also provided that the Regional Trial

Court had jurisdiction regardless of the position of the offending public officer. The department’s basis in dumping Faeldon’s appeal was its ruling on the case of Senator Leila de Lima issued on Feb. 12, 2017, a position that was upheld by the Supreme Court’s decision

on De Lima’s case involving illegal drugs. “This panel finds no cogent reason to deviate from the earlier position of the department that it has jurisdiction to conduct a preliminary investigation over the drug cases involving public officers and employees including those

who have a salary grade of 27 and higher,” the resolution says. On Oct. 10, the high court ruled that the regional trial courts, not the Sandiganbayan, had jurisdiction on illegal drug cases involving public officials and employees regardless of salary grade.

style of urban warfare that initially flummoxed Filipino troops. The militants blasted rat holes through walls to turn hundreds of densely built buildings in the city center into a maze of improvised tunnels to evade relentless air strikes as well as US and Australian spy planes and drones. They seized hostages, using some as human shields and others as cooks, medics, or grave diggers for dead gunmen. They also forced captives to loot houses for cash and weapons and even to fight alongside them, the military said. “These terrorists are using combat tactics that we’ve seen in the Middle East,” US Pacific Command chief Admiral Harry Harris told a security forum in Singapore on Tuesday. It also marked the first time that IS-inspired forces had banded together to fight on such a scale in the region, he added. Of the more than 1,000 dead, the military and police lost 164 men, with more than a thousand soldiers were wounded in houseto-house combat. With AFP

Budget usec axed amid graft raps

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it’s more damaging than helpful [due to the] sovereignty issue,” Cayetano told reporters in the sidelines of a forum on the Asean organized by the think-tank Economic Research Institute for Asean and East Asia. Cayetano said he has no information whether there are new EU grants in the pipeline, and could not confirm Duterte’s claim about rejecting a grant of $18 million to $20 million from the United Kingdom. He then assured the public that the decision to reject the EU aid will not affect the country’s “overall relationship” with the European bloc. “The view of the President

Du30... From A1

from +72 in June 2017. It stayed very good in the Visayas, at +57 in September, hardly changing from +56 in June. It stayed very good in Balance Luzon, at +52 in September, down by 11 points from +63 in June. It also stayed very good in Metro Manila, at +51 in September but down by 16 points from

DFA:... From A1

military was still working on getting full confirmation of Mahmud’s death. “One of the rescued hostages revealed that Mahmud is dead and was buried last night. We will look for the cadaver,” Año said. “The AFP is increasingly becoming confident that he was among those who have been killed during yesterday’s [Wednesday] operations,” he added. Ahmad was among the five militants who sought sanctuary among the Abu Sayyaf bandits after a major crackdown on Islamic militants in Malaysia. “Our operations to flush out and deal with terrorist stragglers has been continuing relentlessly since yesterday. Last night’s operations have been very positive. We were able to neutralize 13 rebels and we confirmed this. Early this morning, we were able to get seven more,” Año said. Troops were also able to rescue a mother and her teenage daughter. “Troop morale remains very high and motivation to finish the fight is at its highest,” Año said. About a dozen more terrorist stragglers remain in one of the buildings in the battle zone. On Monday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi City following the killing of Abu Sayyaf chieftain and ISIS emir for Southeast Asia, Isnilon Hapilon, and Maute leader Omar Maute.

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In other developments: • The University of Santo Tomas Law Dean and Aegis Juris Fraternity member on Thursday said the rest of the UST law community should not be judged for the actions of some of its members who are accused in Atio’s hazing death. “There are 780 students sa UST [College of Law]. How many were involved... just a few. They do not speak for the Faculty of Civil Law,” Nilo Divina told dzBB radio. He made his statement a day after the Senate hearing on Atio’s death. • The Anti-Hazing law is a special law so that all those who helped in the coverup following the death of Atio could be held liable for obstruction of justice, Senator Francis Escudero said on Thursday. Since the Philippine National Police had already filed murder charges against the frat men involved in the hazing death of 22-year-old Atio, the “senior brod” in the coverup was liable as an accessory to the crime, Escudero said. “The senior brod who helped conceal the crime is liable as an accessory and the penalty is two degrees lower than the crime charged against the principal [suspects],” he said.

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Trillanes files ethics rap vs Dick By Macon Ramos-Araneta

ENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday ﬁled an ethics complaint against Senator Richard Gordon over what he claimed as unparliamentary acts, language or conducts which amount to “disorderly behavior” violative of the Rules of the Senate and other laws.

In a 27-page complaint, Trillanes also told the Senate Ethics committee, chaired by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, that Gordon should also be held liable for violation of

the Revised Penal Code, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Ofﬁcials and Employees and the Lawyer’s Code of Professional Responsibility. He said Gordon,

chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, should be meted appropriate sanctions and penalties commensurate to the gravity of his offenses. Trillanes based his complaint on the alleged malicious utterances made by Gordon last Aug. 31 during the hearing into the P6.4billion shabu smuggling being conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee which latter chairs. While trying to make his point to support his motion to invite President Duterte’s eldest son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and son-law lawyer Manases Carpio, Trillanes said Gordon rudely interrupted him.

Trillanes has accused the two members of the President’s family as behind the so-called Davao Group, which allegedly facilitates the release of shipment at the Bureau of Customs in exchange for huge bribes. The two appeared in the senate hearing and denied involvement in any smuggling activity. Gordon accused Trillanes of having acted “like an accuser, prosecutor and judge all rolled into one” during the hearing. Trillanes also complained that Gordon insulted him when he was accused of turning the Senate into a “cockpit of tsismis” and of being talkative without

knowing (the thing). “Thereafter, respondent unilaterally declared, on his own and without the required motion, that the complainant is “out of order” and proceeded to “suspend” the session,” said Trillanes in his complaint. He said that such words coming from a senator when addressed to a colleague, clearly constitutes oral defamation or slander. “The words and/or language used by respondent Sen. Gordon, are in the nature of offensive or improper language and/or imputations, which can properly be declared as unparliamentary,” Trillanes said. “Worse, when respondent

was not able to get complainant to back down and succumb to his malicious designs through his threats and intimidation, respondent arbitrarily and whimsically declared complainant to be out-of-order and then declared a suspension of the proceedings.” The opposition senator also accused Gordon of malicious utterance in the hearing last October 3, 2016 of the Senate committee on public order. He accused Gordon, a rabid supporter of the President, of the “uncanny habit of shooting from the hips” ﬁrst and accusing his colleagues of all sorts of things before giving them a chance to explain their side.

Rebuild Marawi the right way —Chiz By Macon Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz SENATOR Chiz Escudero on Thursday expressed hopes that the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the wartorn Marawi City should not be similar to what happened to Leyte and other areas ravaged by Super Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda.’’ Escudero was referring to the snail-paced government’s reconstruction efforts delivery of services to thousands of residents displaced by the typhoon that devastated the Visayan region . “I hope it’s not slow like ‘‘Yolanda,” Escudero told reporters on Thursday’s “Kapihan sa Senado.” He also cited the need for a comprehensive plan in rebuilding Marawi City after the death of the terrorists’ top leaders in the city before dawn on Sunday. “There are many deadends there. It’s an opportunity for the government to ﬁx and correct the errors in developing Marawi before,” said Escudero. Senator Loren Legarda, chairman of the Senate finance committee, said a 500-million subsidy for a loan facility will be available for Marawi residents, under the auspices of the Land Bank of the Philippines, to enable them to reconstruct their damaged houses. “I am one with the many Filipinos who are calling for the immediate rehabilitation and restoration to normalcy within Marawi City,” said Legarda. While the Department of Budget and Management has already allocated P5 billion for this year for rehabilitation, she said more funds have been allocated for the quick recovery and rehabilitation of the city under the proposed 2018 national budget.

PROTEST. Youth activists tag President Rodrigo Duterte as anti-poor and inutile during a lightning protest held at the Gate 7 near Malacañan Palace on Thursday. Norman Cruz

‘Jeepney phaseout a burden to commuters’ By Maricel V. Cruz and Bill Casas A PARTY-LIST lawmaker on Thursday thumbed down the proposed jeepney modernization program of the Duterte administration, saying the plan will only lead to impending fare hikes for commuters and massive displacement of jeepney drivers and operators. ACT Teachers party-list

Rep. France Castro also urged the Duterte administration to reevaluate their jeepney modernization plan even as she stressed that “genuine modernization of the transport system should be safe, efﬁcient, affordable and nationalized.” “The jeepney modernization plan of the Department of Transportation will only upgrade jeepney units and rationalize routes but will not modernize the system of

public transportation,” ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said. “The proposed modernization plan will only lead to small operators under huge debt and many displaced drivers,” he added. The Department of Transportation earlier said a unit of the modernized jeepney will cost P1.8 million. The government said it will only subsidize P80,000

per unit and will give the operator ﬁve percent equity, six percent interest and seven years to pay for a unit. “Expensive modernized jeepneys will only lead to fare hikes with the proposed subsidy package of the government,” Castro said. “Operators will not be able to afford the new units and will only pass the burden to commuters.” “Public transportation is a public service and should

therefore be subsidized by the government,” Castro added. “With the current system, the government will depend on big private companies to operate our public transport vehicles like what they are doing with the MRT and the LRT.” She stressed that phasing out the jeepneys also does not solve the trafﬁc problem and air pollution in the country.

DENR chief vows to impose higher excise tax on mining By John Paolo Bencito ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu on Thursday vowed to impose higher excise taxes for mining companies, saying that these would result in “very big revenues” for the government. “Absolutely yes, kailangan [it’s needed],” Cimatu told reporters in a Palace news brieﬁng.

Cimatu could not say by how much he wants excise tax to be increased but he is aware of options being suggested by some sectors. “There was this study before. There were some proponents who wanted to increase this two percent to ﬁve percent but the mining companies are opposing, that’s how it is,” he said. “These are things we have to plan properly. But

two percent seems too small,” he added. The government imposes on miners a two percent excise tax based on the gross value of minerals, aside from corporate income tax and fees for local government units where their mines are located. But other countries impose higher tax rates, some collecting 10 percent excise tax from mining companies,

Cimatu said. “So these are the things that we have to look [into] because as of now, we are the ﬁfth mineralized country in the world and their estimate is that if we can get all these, it can translate into a very big revenue for the government and it can translate I think into trillions of pesos,” he said. In his second State of the Nation Address last July,

President Rodrigo Duterte warned all mining stakeholders to practice responsible extraction and utilization of resources, or he will “tax them to death.” The inter-agency Mining Industry Coordinating Council will meet next week to discuss whether or not to continue a ban on open-pit mining that was instituted by his predecessor, Gina Lopez.

Sandiganbayan OKs ex-Ecija gov’s trip By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER Nueva Ecija governor Tomas Joson III was allowed by the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division to travel to Japan pending the resolution of his graft case over the alleged irregular donations he made in 2007. The anti-graft court, in a resolution dated Oct. 10, granted Joson’s motion that he may be allowed to an 11day trip in Tokyo from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1. The court allowed Joson to travel abroad pro-

vided that he will present himself and his travel documents to the court within five days upon his arrival. “His itinerary of travel shall cover only Tokyo, Japan,” the Sandiganbayan said. “That accused shall leave not earlier than October 22, 2017 and shall be back in the Philippines not later than November 1, 2017.” Joson posted a P360,000 travel bond in 2012. In his motion, Joson earlier invoked his right to travel and leisure as

an ordinary citizen despite the charges leveled against him at the antigraft court. The former governor was accused of “causing undue injury to the Nueva Ecija government” when he donated one unit each of mobile clinic, Toyota Revo, Ford F150, and Nissan Urvan to the municipality of Quezon. State prosecutors said Joson extended unwarranted beneﬁts to his nephew, Eduardo Basilio Joson, who was then sitting as Quezon mayor.

DOJ HEARING. Former Bureau of Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon arrives at the Department of Justice in Manila on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017 to attend the resumption of the hearing on drug trafficking at the Bureau of Customs. Norman Cruz

China unveils ‘Xi Jinping Thought’ By Rey E. Requejo BEIJING—President Xi Jinping has laid down a new driving philosophy for the Communist Party of China’s role in leaping the nation’s new level of economic development to building a “great modern socialist” country with his “Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.” Xi’s political report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC on Wednesday constitutes the new roadmap for the party’s crucial role in building China’s “moderately prosperous society” and the latest step towards establishing a modern socialist state. In addressing the 2,280 delegates to the party congress at the Great Hall of the People here, Xi, who is also the CPC’s general secretary, outlined a twostep approach to achieve a great modern socialist country once building a moderately prosperous society in all respects is achieved by 2020. “Both China and the world are in the midst of profound and complex changes. China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development; the prospects are bright but the challenges are severe. All comrades must aim high and look far, be alert to dangers even in times of calm, have the courage to pursue reform and break new ground, and never become hardened to change or inactive,” Xi said, even as he hailed the country’s economic development under the leadership of the CPC. “We will unite the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and lead them to a decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and in the drive to secure the success of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era,” he declared.

DDB to help fulfill PDEA’s mandate, says Santiago By Rio N. Araja THE Dangerous Drugs Board will help the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency lobby for additional support from Congress to reinforce PDEA’s manpower and beef up its capability. DDB Chairman Dionisio Santiago assured the public that policies needed to improve the services and capability of PDEA are in place. “The public can also be assured that drug prevention and advocacy programs will continuously be strengthened to complement the supply reduction strategy and bring forth a comprehensive, balanced and holistic approach to the drug problem,” he said. He said DDB welcomes President Rodrigo Duterte’s memorandum directing PDEA to lead the war on drugs. “The directive is in accordance with the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9165 which mandates PDEA to enforce the provisions of the law and serve as the implementing arm of the DDB, particularly in the conduct of supply reduction measures,” he added.

Opinion

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

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EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Funding the Marawi rehab

ITH the virtual liberation of Marawi City, the Philippines must now initiate a quick massive rehabilitation plan involving the reconstruction of the entire Muslim capital in the south. The reconstruction will require billions of pesos as fighting in the city practically razed all building structures in the area.

The government this early plans to float so-called patriotic bonds in January next year to raise funds for the rehabilitation of the war-torn city. It also sought assistance from

the World Bank, which has the experience and expertise in reconstructing similar areas that suffered heavy damage from war and conflicts. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has conceded that the Philippines alone may not get the job done. The city’s reconstruction, for one, is complicated. Many returning residents are informal settlers living in multi-story structures and have no ownership title to show. Senate President Senate Aquilino Pimentel III acknowledged the daunting task ahead. The extent of the damage sustained by Marawi and the large number of displaced citizens because of the rebellion, he says, required a well-coordinated,

large-scale rebuilding effort on the part of the government. The rebuilding may call for a Marshall Plan type of program in which the US government gave over $13 billion in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II. The initiative, named after US Secretary of State George Marshall, who served as the US Army Chief of Staff during WW II, rebuilt wardevastated regions in Europe, modernized industry and contained the spread of communism. Rebuilding Marawi City may have a similar tone in the sense that its reconstruction will not be exclusive and inevitably include the whole of

Mindanao. The job at the same time must support peace-building efforts in Mindanao and eliminate the root of rebellion in the south. The World Bank noted that the “scaled-up program for the entire Mindanao will focus on supporting the government’s program to raise agricultural productivity and improve connectivity from farm to market; boost education, skills, and employability of the youth; and help build resilient communities.” Mindanao’s economy, including that of Marawi City, should be the focus of the rehabilitation. Providing jobs and raising the income of the population will quiet the discontent in the region. PENSEES FR. RANHILIO CALLANGAN AQUINO

Catalonia and the international legal order IN A referendum that the Spanish government has rejected as illegal, Catalans voted —or so it seems—to graduate from the status of an autonomous community to a sovereign state. This has stirred a hornet’s nest, but it is clearly not Spain’s problem alone. The world is watching closely. The UK that is seemingly is still in a stupor after what now seems to have been an inebriated vote to leave the EU is deciphering the signals. The EU, for its part, has neither endorsed nor denounced, but is clearly not happy about the prospects of unions breaking up. Brexit, after all, remains a bitter pill to swallow—and the EU is determined to make the swallowing as bitter for the UK as well! The concept of the international legal order that the Catalonia “si” carries to the fore is the provocative but

Trillanes’ latest adventure LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES FOR once, I’d love to hear from Senator Antonio Trillanes. But so far, the perpetually bloviating senator hasn’t, to my knowledge, uttered a peep about his latest adventure. Trillanes has gone to the United States to seek a meeting with Senator Marco Rubio (Republican, Florida), some think tanks, lobbyists and alleged Company types, in a supposed bid to pressure President Donald Trump to skip the Manila leg of his visit to Southeast Asia next month. This is a serious charge, levelled by purportedly highly-placed, reliable sources in the Department of Foreign Affairs. That Trillanes met Rubio is no longer in question. The Florida senator, who lost to Trump in the Republican primaries in the run-up to the last US presidential elections,

has gone on social media to post pictures of him and his Philippine counterpart during the latter’s visit. Rubio, who also heads the powerful US Senate foreign relations committee, is a known critic of the Duterte administration. Last May, Rubio filed a bill seeking to severely restrict the sale of firearms to the Philippines, citing reported doubts about President Rodrigo Duterte’s commitment to the upholding of human rights. Rubio’s co-author was the senior Democrat on the committee, Senator Ben Cardin. Cardin last year opposed the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the PNP, which prompted the US State Department to stop the transaction and which so angered Duterte that he said he would procure arms for Philippine security forces elsewhere. The thing is, Trillanes himself has not been making his usual noises about his current trip. And this is

a senator who only recently brought a team of Manila media workers with him to Singapore to witness him going up to a bank teller’s counter in a strange bid to prove that he had no hidden bank accounts abroad.

Trillanes has never stopped working to bring down legitimate administrations that did not free him from jail.

Trillanes is also known to deliver privilege speeches to empty Senate session halls, which is are duly and faithfully reported in the press the following day. But the sena-

tor, who must know that he is skating on thin legal and diplomatic ice on his current trip, has not said a word in public since he was seen leaving for Los Angeles on board a Philippine Airlines flight. If it is true that Trillanes is exporting his message of destabilization against Duterte to the US and attempting to convince key officials to pressure Trump into not visiting the Philippines, the senator may be setting himself up for a not-so-warm welcome upon his return. No less than National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon told me in an interview yesterday that the senator may have really “crossed the line” this time. Trillanes’ latest sojourn to a country that he has visited a lot recently reminds me of the time when he became the self-styled “back-channel” negotiator of then President Noynoy Aquino to China. According to then Sena-

tor Juan Ponce Enrile, who questioned Trillanes’ 16 trips to Beijing, the senator effectively and single-handedly sabotaged regular diplomatic efforts to repair relations between China and the Philippines—and perhaps enriched himself in the process. So this is not really the first time that Trillanes has dabbled in unofficial, backdoor diplomacy. Except that this time, the senator is really out to smear the Philippine government in the eyes of officials of an important ally instead of working to improve ties. (If Trillanes or any of his fans attempt to tell us that he is actually just shopping for clothes again at Macy’s or asking US officials and those supposed shadowy Central Intelligence Agency and lobbyist types to support Duterte, they should be laughed out of town. In the case of Trillanes, perhaps he should stay out of town for good.) The truth is, Trillanes has

never stopped working to bring down legitimate Philippine administrations that did not free him from jail. Only this time, he no longer incites his fellow soldiers to take up arms against civilian authority—what he wants to do is to undermine government by attempting to influence allies like Trump to abandon Duterte. Of course, these are just my thoughts while I wait for Trillanes to tell all of us what he’s really been up to in the US. And if he’s once again been up to his old skulduggery, minus the high-powered firearms and the wads of cash from coup financiers, I’ll be waiting, as well, for him to return and face the consequences of his latest attempt at regime change. *** Speaking of the old skulduggery, the Commission on Human Rights has declared that it wants to find out if the armed

While international law clearly upholds the right to selfdetermination, it does not link this from the right to secede. still ambiguous “right to self-determination.” That what was Barcelona celebrated: the right of the Catalans to determine their future after severing the umbilical cord with España, la madre. But while international law clearly upholds the right to self-determination, it does not link this— in fact, makes every effort to distance it—from the right to secede. But what Catalonia voted for in exercising its right to self-determination was secession from Spain, and that is what keeps the applause muffled, if any is even heard at all! As European elites lost their grip over their colonies, “the right to self-determination” gained recognition until it found its way to key international accords and

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Opinion How Facebook must prepare for the 2020 election Bloomberg editorial BY NEARLY any measure, Facebook Inc. is an extraordinary success. Its market capitalization exceeds $500 billion. Its user base outnumbers all but one continent. Mark Zuckerberg, its chief executive officer, is one of the world’s wealthiest people. No one should begrudge Facebook (or Zuckerberg) this success. Yet as it begins to play a more central role in American media and politics, the public has a right to expect it to accept the responsibilities that come with its growing power and influence. Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation and have pledged to bring more transparency to political advertising on the network. Such ads proved immensely powerful during the 2016 election— Donald Trump’s digital guru says they were “how he won” —yet they’re free from the kind of disclosure required of television and radio ads. That no longer makes sense: Campaigns spent $1.4 billion on digital advertising in 2016, more than they spent on cable TV, while 67 percent of Americans now say they get news from social media. The company has announced it is hiring 1,000 people to manually review ads with significant political content. It will also require more disclosure of ad buyers and will make ads available for anyone to see, by visiting the buyer’s Facebook page. Those are positive steps, but the company can go further. The public has a right to expect Facebook and its competitors to be more alert to intrusions by foreign governments. It’s now clear that Russia engaged in a pervasive online campaign to sow discord in US politics and help elect Trump. In part, it did so by using fake accounts and

Catalonia... From A4

became part of the corpus of the law of the United Nations. But clearly, what it referred to was the right of colonized peoples to determine their future by being rid of the yoke of colonialism. It transformed “colony” from being a characterization of subjugation and submission to one of entitlement and defensible claim. Because peoples had the right to self-determination, colonizing masters keeping nations under their vassalage became violators of a basic right. As new sovereignties emerged while political tectonics sectored the world into blocs and hegemony took over where once there were empires, the right to selfdetermination took on a new meaning. It was the right to be left free of the smothering embrace of spheres of power and of influence. Then, not only political but economic and cultural concerns became concerns of the right to selfdetermination. The break-up of the USSR was expected: It was a forcible construct held together only by the force of an ideology that had tapped might military force. But it is the Yugoslavia experience that gives the world pause in the matter of supporting secessions. It remains ambivalent in its result — and in the present conglomeration of new states (or restored states) with ever-shifting frontiers, there seems to be no clear advantage gained from the former

Trillanes’... From A4

forces followed the so-called rules of engagement when it killed the two top leaders of the Marawi City uprising, Isnilon Hapilon, the wouldbe emir of the first Islamic State caliphate in Southeast Asia, and his sidekick, Omarkhayyam Maute. I agree that this should be done, but

buying divisive advertising on social media—including some worth $100,000 so far disclosed by Facebook, which may have reached 10 million Americans. Better controls are necessary to ensure foreign governments and entities aren’t running political ads—admittedly a tough task as effective political ads need never mention a candidate or election. Nevertheless, Facebook could start by opening up more of its data to outside security researchers and sharing more information with government officials and other tech companies. On this score, the industry’s counter-terrorism efforts could serve as a model. All this will require investing in people and technology. Fortunately, Facebook is not short of resources. And then there’s the company’s vaunted ability to innovate: Once Facebook acknowledged that the proliferation of fake news on its network was a problem, for instance, it soon found that a relatively simple flagging system could reduce the reach of such hoaxes by 80 percent. Similar ingenuity can be brought to bear on these other challenges. Part of Facebook’s genius has been profiting from media content produced by others, not paying for the reporting, researching, editing, fact-checking and lawyering that good journalism requires. The problem is that such hard work is what upholds standards, prevents hoaxes, educates voters, shapes civil discourse, holds politicians to account, and generally stands between democracy and the abyss. Facebook is not, as Sandberg and Zuckerberg are fond of pointing out, a traditional media company. That simple fact, however —for which its shareholders are undoubtedly grateful —does not allow it to abdicate its civic responsibilities to the political system in which it has flourished.

state of affairs. It seems to be accepted doctrine in international law that “the right to secede” has its relevant context only in situations of the systematic violation of the fundamental rights or the continued marginalization of an ethnic or racial minority. Then, it is an appeal more to international morality than an entitlement under the law. The post-modern world has a characteristic tolerance, liking even for pluralism, and therefore a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state should not be too much of an issue these days. But contradictions do persist: for while there are very clear movements at trans-national and supranational unions, communities and organizations (and the rising influence these have in international affairs and their power to generate international law), there also seems to be a retreat to that form of “tribalism” that seems to offer some protection from what can be an overwhelming and daunting form of “globalization” as totalization. The Catalonian experience best exemplifies this ambiguity for while, on the one hand, there was exuberance in Barcelona over what the Catalans undoubtedly consider a triumph, it is either limp applause or dissent sotto voce that is heard from the rest of the world. rannie_ aquino@csu.edu. ph rannie_ aquino@sanbeda. edu.ph rannie_ aquino@outlook. com only if the CHR will also look into how the brutal IS-inspired terrorist-occupiers of Marawi followed the same rules. And you wonder why some people want to slash CHR’s budget to nothing or to abolish it altogether. CHR’s Chito Gascon is really a piece of work—or at the very least a clone of Trillanes, using his government position (and taxpayers’ money) to commit overtly traitorous acts.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

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Truth as first casualty BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE first casualty of war, according to observers and victims, is really the truth. There is, in fact, a book with the title “The First Casualty” written in 2005 by Ben Elton. The British author was way ahead of his time even before the advent of “fake news” and “alternative truth.” The government and our legislators are so aghast by the proliferation of “fake news” in social media there is now a proposed law penalizing its purveyors. But our onion-skinned public officials should look at themselves in the mirror to realize that they, too, in many instances, are guilty of spreading fake news. Spokespersons of public officials are quick to deny reports that hurt their prin-

cipals. But journalists in the mainstream media will tell you that the first confirmation of a sensational scandal story is a denial by the suspects or people involved. Some journalists may be accused of writing inaccurate news reports, but this is due to deadline pressure. Journalism, after all, has been called “literature in a hurry.” That, of course, is no excuse for irresponsible reporting. Anyway, there is an existing libel law punishing the malpractice. The complainant or aggrieved party, however, must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the journalist wrote the story with “malice aforethought.” A ground for dismissal of a libel case is if the plaintiff cannot prove the accused wrote the story maliciously with the intent of maligning and damaging the name and reputation of the aggrieved party. And so the cycle of denial

or confirmation goes on. That social media discovered and learned they have a potent tool to join the fray added to the muddled, heady mix of bashing, cyber-bullying and fake news. What we are now experiencing is a modern-day Tower of Babel. There are, however, sober and incisive comments by some officials regarding certain current events. “The real casualty of this war is the truth,” succinctly said Zia Alonto Adiong, the spokesman of the Marawi City crisis, adding that there is a misconception this is a war between Muslims and Christians. Adiong said this is farthest from the truth. Christians and Muslims have been living peacefully even before the ISIS-backed Maute terrorists laid siege to the city. Marawi with its many beautiful mosques is home to Muslims who compose 90 percent of the population.

Why, then, did the Maute/ISIS terrorists attack Marawi? One of the reasons given is that ISIS wanted to establish a caliphate in Asia’s predominantly Christian country. What better place for propaganda purposes than in Marawi, Lanao del Sur? Adiong said a crime was committed against Islam by the Mautes/ISIS group who purveyed a false picture of Muslims as a flock of violent extremists. This is not what Islam preaches, said Adiong who pointed out that the Mautes with their ISIS supporters have a different, violent, ideology, if you can call it an ideology. This violent extremism, nonetheless, still manages to recruit and convert young Muslims to join a dark and sinister world that has no regard for human life. What god-fearing people (whether they believe in Christ or Mohammed)

would commit such atrocities of death and destruction? Survivors in the Marawi siege recount horrific tales of beheading of male victims and the rape of women captives. There is retribution and punishment for those who commit such horrific crimes. The Mautes are almost wiped out—their leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon— were killed Monday by Philippine Scout Rangers sharpshooters using nightvision lens. With the death of the two leaders, President Duterte declared Marawi liberated. At the same time he warned terrorism might spread to other parts of Mindanao and even to Metro Manila. This he said can be expected because the terrorists want to recover from their setback in Marawi. That of course justifies not lifting martial law in Mindanao just yet.

rights NGOs, declared that “there’s no reason for us to leave the country or to think that investments aren’t coming.” Even the Commission on Human Rights hailed the leadership change as “an indication that the administration is willing to listen”, and said they were “looking forward to a more collaborative relationship with PDEA.” Based on what the PDEA’s been saying, they appear to have a new three-point agenda. One, focus on “high value and high impact targets.” Two, continue with their own “internal cleansing” reforms. And three, establish refuges for recovering drug surrenderees, presumably in collaboration with the folks in civil society, the Church, and LGU’s. Without an alliance with those “rehabilitation force multipliers,” the PDEA by itself simply can’t look after all those hundreds of thousands of druggies. This is a well-thought-out agenda that deserves everyone’s support, especially from all those do-gooder critics who can now put their money where their very loud mouths are. *** Finally, to cap off the good news: Naia is no longer considered one of the world’s 20 worst airports, nor is it one of Asia’s 5 worst airports, according to “The Guide to Sleeping in Air-

ports,” a travel website. These are infamous lists that Naia joined starting in 2011, which (by no coincidence) is also when the PNoy gang took power. After that gang left office, numerous reforms were instituted by the new administration. Among them: restrictions imposed on general aviation to reduce travel delays; a new five-minute rule for pilots to take off after declaring their readiness to do so; construction of Rapid Exit Taxiways for departing aircraft; and cleaner toilets, more seats, free Wi-Fi, and well-wishers’ area inside the terminals. In addition to the good news about Naia, four other local airports (Iloilo, Mactan-Cebu, Clark and Davao) also rejoined the list of the top 25 best airports in Asia. These are feathers in the cap for our beleaguered Transportation Secretary Tugade, as well as Naia’s general manager Ed Monreal. *** Why have I been so optimistic in this space today? It’s because it’s my 65th. My gratitude goes out to my wife and children and to the rest of my family, friends, schoolmates, brods, comrades, and colleagues who kept me company over the decades. Marami pong salamat sa inyong lahat.

Sixty-five FORMATION GARY OLIVAR THE final retaking of Marawi early this week seems to have been a game-changer that opened the floodgate to lots of good news. The business community is looking forward to fat pickins from the multibillion-peso rehabilitation of the ravaged city. The Makati Business Club declared that “paths to peace are once again opening up.” The Management Association of the Philippines opined that “rebuilding should start as soon as possible, and with that comes many business opportunities”. This optimism is good to hear from a Manila-centric business community that isn’t particularly fond of Muslim Mindanao. It’s a bit sad that it took the destruction of a city to open their eyes to the commercial, not to mention philanthropic, opportunities among fellow Filipinos who just happen to have a different language and religion—as well as living really far away—from the rest of us. It might be a good idea for the country’s bestknown politician from Mindanao to hold a pledging session with all these businessmen converts to Marawi’s cause, the same as what he did earlier for

the Sulu region. As soon as their good word—if not yet their cold cash—is on the table, they can take their respective turns at the trough. *** Going even farther, Duterte might also want to use the Marawi situation to enlarge the window for Islamic finance in this country. The DBM has announced plans to issue P30 billion of bonds to finance the city’s rehabilitation, hopefully by next January. That will deliver on Duterte’s earlier promise to make at least P20 billion of government funds available. Bond issue size will be finalized as soon as the folks running the rehabilitation program complete their plans. In this connection, it occurred to us that the financing might also include at least one tranche of Islamic finance, or so-called “sukuk” bonds, which are tailor-made to finance infrastructure projects. Such bonds did in fact finance the entirety of Malaysia’s public infrastructure over the past decades. Clearly, this new type of bonds would be snapped up by the multibilliondollar capitals of Islamic finance in the Middle East and among our Asean and South Asian Muslim neighbors. Such a deep reservoir of potential demand would drive down the overall costs of the entire Marawi bond issue.

Thinking farther ahead, it would also open up a whole new source of global capital to meet the financing requirements, not only of Marawi, but also of the future Bangsamoro state and, through the Bangsamoro, the rest of the new states in a federalized Philippine republic. Some analysts might quibble that the country’s financial system is not yet geared up to offer Islamic securities. But at least one prominent lawyer—the managing director of one of the country’s biggest law firms, and a fraternity brod of mine—believes that those securities can in fact be offered even now, based on more creative and aggressive interpretations of current law and precedent. *** On the anti-drug front, the Social Weather Stations continued with its usual striptease by disclosing that public satisfaction as of September with the campaign against illegal drugs remains “very good,” with a net rating of +63. The gross rating, 78 percent, was only one point below June’s. Duterte’s post-survey decision to transfer leadership of the campaign from the PNP to the civilian PDEA has been uniformly well received. The European Chambers of Commerce, despite the noises being made by their countrymen in the EU bureaucracy and human

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@yahoo.com.

Victory in Marawi VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ IT TOOK the latest in war technology, more than P50 billion in cost, and a longer time frame—four months and three weeks—to score victory in Marawi against insurgents wanting to establish a caliphate and a hub for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in Southeast Asia, but the victory was sweet and decisive just the same. And Southeast Asia could heave a sigh of relief with the apparent mortal blow to ISIS’s expansionary ambitions in the region, home to some 240-million Muslims. When the insurrection erupted on May 23, 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte was making a state visit in Moscow. He promptly declared martial law and cut short his visit to two days and the same night flew to

Mindanao to oversee the counter terrorism operation. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, a retired general, initially placed the number of terrorists at no more than 50 and indicated the counter-terrorism would be finished in a matter of days. The military failed to reckon with the support of local officials in Marawi and nearby provinces and the seeming sympathy of residents. Duterte himself declared later the siege of Marawi was funded by illegal drugs money, principally from the criminal syndicate Maute group. Wearing gear ready for combat and an aviator’s dark glasses, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte made his seventh visit to balmy Marawi on Oct. 17, 2017. Amid cheers and tears, the commander-in-chief declared the war-torn city’s liberation from terrorists. His declaration came on

the heels of the death of terrorist leaders, Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute. The President also announced that the liberation of Marawi City marks the start of the rehabilitation process of the war-torn city. The President commended the military and the police for risking their lives fighting terrorists. He led the distribution of groceries, wrist watches, and sunglasses to government troops. He also gave them new pistols. Joining the presidential victory sojourn were Defense Secretary Lorenzana, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año, Philippine Army Commander Major General Rolando Bautista, Philippine National Police Director-General Ronald dela Rosa, and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence Go.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby declare Marawi City liberated from the terrorist influence that marks the beginning of rehabilitation for the people,” the Duterte said in Marawi, a day after Maute terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute were killed by sniper fire using thermal technology by government troops. ‘Wag na natin itong ulitin kailanman. Sa panahon ko, hindi ako papayag. Government must have access dito sa loob,”an exultant commander-in-chief declared. Duterte expressed gratitude to the government troops. He also lauded the military and the police for their bravery. “Maraming salamat at maligaya kaming mga Pilipino sa inyo. Mabuhay! Mabuhay! Mabuhay ang Armed Forces pati police! Matatapang, lalo na sa babae,” Duterte said.

The President was also concerned about the government’s wounded security personnel. “Mga minahal kong sundalo, pulis, ang problema ko ang nasugatan ngayon. Marami ‘yan. ‘Yung iba nabaldado,” he said. “I can guarantee you. Sinasabi ko na sa inyo ngayon, walang iwanan. Ipupwesto ko silang lahat,” the President said. According to government data, nearly 1,000 people have been killed in the conflict, including more than 800 enemies, 47 civilians and 163 government troops since the rebellion started in May. Immeasurable is the long-term damage done to Marawi and nearby provinces. And has the ISIS been really stopped in its track as it marches and marauds through Southeast Asia and the rest of Asia? biznewsasia@g mail. com

News

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Immigration officers on high alert By Vito Barcelo

MMIGRATION ofﬁcers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airports and other ports of entry nationwide have been placed on heightened alert for the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders’ summit.

Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente instructed Marc Red Mariñas, the bureau’s port

operations division chief, to raise the alert order in the different ports to thwart the possible entry of inter-

national terrorists who could create trouble during the international event. Morente said the BI was coordinating with other law enforcement and intelligence agencies of the government and their counterparts abroad in seeing to it that the Asean summit was conducted peacefully to enhance the country’s prestige in the international community. “It is imperative that our men at the ports exercise extra vigilance in monitoring and screening all arriving foreign passengers so that

those intending to disrupt the summit are not able to sneak into our country,” the BI chief said. The Philippines is hosting next month’s Asean summit to be attended by heads of state from various countries, including the US, Japan and China. In compliance with Morente’s directive, Mariñas issued the other day a memorandum directing immigration personnel in all international airports and seaports to be on a high state of alert. The memorandum in-

structed immigration officers to conduct strict arrival and departure formalities and rigid primary inspection on passengers and crewmen, including those of special and chartered flights. Mariñas also ordered personnel assigned to the BI’s border control and intelligence units to not only monitor and ensure that all passengers pass immigration inspection but also assist in the “profiling” of the latter. Suspicious looking passengers and those with doubtful purposes in visit-

ing the country should be referred and meticulously subjected to secondary inspection by members of the bureau’s travel control and enforcement unit. Members of the BI-Interpol unit at the Naia were instructed to maintain open lines of communication with the bureau’s counter terrorist group and intelligence division as well as with their counterparts from other government agencies such as the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and the Interpol.

TF Alamid to aid MMDA enforce even traffic flow By Joel E. Zurbano THE government on Thursday formed a special team to help enforcers in managing traffic in critical areas of Metro Manila as the holiday season draws near. The team, dubbed as Task Force Alamid, will be assigned to various areas of interest such as airports, seaports and bus terminals in the metropolis to assist the Metro Manila Development Authority and local traffic enforcers in controlling the flow of traffic during the Yuletide. Government officials belonging to InterAgency Council on Traffic will participate as task force commanders, including five from the Department of Transportation, 20 from the Police Highway Patrol Group, 25 from MMDA, 10 from the Land Transportation Office, 10 from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and seven from local government units. Alamid personnel will also assist traffic enforcers to implement the special lanes designated for motorists going to and from airports and commercial establishments in Metro Manila. The MMDA earlier identified the Christmas and Airport lanes for motorists to shorten the travel time during the holiday season, when traffic flow is expected to be heavy. MMDA general manager and concurrent i-ACT chief Thomas Orbos said Alamid would also help impose an absolute clearing of all forms of obstruction along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue and secondary roads. Authorities said thousands of people were expected to go out of the country for a holiday trip while some would go to the provinces for vacation and spend Christmas with their families.

SENATOR Grace Poe is pushing for an additional outlay of P2 billion for next year’s implementation of the school-based feeding program to restore health for malnourished school children. Poe, who earlier committed she would move for an increase in the feeding program’s budget, said the initiative was important to ensure that 2.5 million wasted and severely wasted students or those with chronic malnutrition would be properly supported next year. She added there was a huge backlog in food prepa-

By Rio N. Araja THE Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday indicted former Island Garden City mayor Aniano Antalan of Samal province for grave misconduct. Antalan is also set to face trial for three counts of indirect bribery and two counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan. He was also meted out the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, forfeiture of retirement benefits, cancellation of eligibility and bar from taking the civil service examination. “In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to Antalan’s salary for one year,” the Ombudsman’s decision read. Antalan was no longer a mayor of the city and was replaced by Mayor Al David Uy in June 2016. In December 2012, a memorandum of agreement was entered into by the local government, COOPNATCCO party-list and Samal Island Multipurpose Cooperative.

‘Recycle to reduce solid waste’ By John Paolo Bencito

PHILISTINE TRAFFIC. The rough-hewn daily traffic in Marcos Highway corner Felix Avenue in Cainta, Rizal is getting to the nerves of commuters, with the downtempo construction of the Emerald station of LRT Line 2 beside the busy Sta. Lucia mall and Robinsons Metro East. Sonny Espiritu

Govt emergency response units hold drill at Naia By Joel E. Zurbano

GOVERNMENT emergency response units on Thursday held a drill at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to prepare them in the event of a plane crash and other emergency situations. The exercise, dubbed as Crash and Rescue Exercise, was conducted to test the response capability and effectiveness of airport’s emergency plan in rescuing passengers in an

aircraft accident. The CREX is held every two years in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Suggested and Recommended Practices. General manager Eddie Monreal of the Manila International Airport Authority said the scenario was a Clark-bound plane carrying 75 passengers and six crew on board encountered engine trouble while takeoff and crashed at Naia’s runway 13

and burst into flames. Monreal explained the drill was far from the real situation where rescue teams and fire engine teams were much quicker and faster than “we have seen today.” He said the minimum response of Naia should be within five minutes but responders arrived in two minutes beyond time requirements. The emergency response capability is approximately two minutes from the Naia’s

Fire and Rescue building to the crash site as required under the ICAO standards. There were also fire and rescue from different fire stations outside Naia who also volunteered during the exercise. Among those who witnessed the exercise were different government and private agencies, including military units, Metro Manila Development Authority, Pasay City local government, Office for Transportation

Security, and Department of Transportation. The drill showed fire on the plane wreckage that was quickly put out by responding rescue and firefighting personnel using chemical foam. Monreal added the authority had lists of a fleet of nine fire trucks, each with the capacity of carrying at least 3,000 gallons of water, or an aggregate capacity of 15,000 gallons of water, aside from 500 pounds of dry chemicals in each fire truck.

Apellate court upholds bail for 3 in Navarro case By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan tial arts expert Simon “Zimmer” ﬁed in granting the application for sumption of guilt, the trial court has THE Court of Appeals upheld on Thursday the bail granted by the trial court on the three suspects in the serious illegal detention case ﬁled by host-comedian Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro. In a 15-page decision penned by Associate Justice Renato Francisco, the ninth division stated that accused model Deniece Cornejo, businessman Cedric Lee, and mar-

Ras could now post bail after the appellate court found Navarro’s petition without merit. “While Navarro had indeed been detained, there is a possibility that said detention might be legal in view of citizen’s arrest and not for the purpose of kidnapping. Clearly, the evidence of guilt presented by the prosecution failed to exclude all reasonable probability of any other conclusion; hence the RTC is justi-

bail,” the ruling stated. In September 2014, Regional Trial Court Judge Esperanza Paz Cortes allowed in her ruling a temporary release of Cornejo, Lee, and Ras after posting P500,000 each. The CA agreed with the lower court’s ﬁnding that “the evidence of guilt of the prosecution was not strong.” The CA further stressed that “if the prosecution’s evidence does not establish or amount to a great pre-

discretion to grant the bail in favor of the accused.” Associate Justices Sesinando Villon and Manuel Barrios concurred in this ruling. Navarro ﬁled the case against the three after Lee and Raz allegedly beat him up on January 22, 2014 in a condominium unit in Bonifacio’s Global City in Taguig after he was caught allegedly trying to rape Cornejo.

P2b pushed for 2018 feeding program By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Ex-mayor Antalan indicted

ration and storage equipment in public schools “which in turn hampers the latter’s mission to provide education and nutrition.” She cited the need for enough facilities to prepare nutritious food for millions of children under the program. She said “we need to invest for the future of our youth by suporting their nutrition.” Poe, who co-sponsored a measure seeking to institutionalize the feeding program, said the additional funding would be used for procurement of equipment necessary for the establishment of new and upgrading of existing school kitchens with ad-

equate storage facilities. The DepEd allocated P5.3 billion in the proposed 2018 General Appropriations Act for the feeding program. In this year’s national budget, the DepEd had allotted P3.9 billion to feed 1.8-million students. The feeding program targets wasted and severely wasted Kinder to Grade 6 pupils nationwide for a total of 120 feeding days. Poe said various research studies done by local groups and international monitors suggested hunger, malnutrition and stunting—or children who are short of their age—were still prevalent in the Philippines.

UNITY WALK. A group of registered nurses, which calls itself Filipino Nurses United, stages a unity walk in Manila Thursday to mark Nurses Week and to raise public awareness on the sad plight of nurses who continue to receive low wages and remain in poor working conditions. Norman Cruz

THE 19-hectare sanitary landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal will reach its full capacity by 2022, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said Thursday, and encouraged the public to recycle their garbage as part of efforts to reduce the country’s solid waste. “The expected life [of the] Rodriguez [landfill] is until 2022,” Cimatu told reporters in a Palace news briefing. Cimatu stressed that alternative solutions, including recycling, would be needed to solve the country’s solid waste problem. The Rodriguez landfill receives more than 4,000 to 6,000 tons of solid waste from different parts of Metro Manila, Cimatu said. Other alternatives that could be explored include waste-to-energy methods to lessen the waste and provide power to communities, he said.

Excellence honored at Tinta Awards THIS month, Philippinebased advertising agencies, digital agencies, media independents, print media publishers and printing companies, advertisers and students gather as one when the United Print Media Group recognizes outstanding examples of print media excellence during the awards night on Oct. 24 at the Manila Hotel. The Philippine Creative Print Awards — also known as the Tinta Awards — is the ﬁrst Philippine press awardgiving body geared toward recognizing excellence in print advertising that encourages creativity and imagination. The organizer, UPMG, is the premier national association of more than 100 titles of major publication companies ranging from newspapers, tabloids and magazines in the country that gives due recognition to the ingenuity and brilliance of Philippine print advertising practitioners.

Sports Game 5 tickets available at Ticketnet, SM Tickets

TICKETS for Game 5 of the PBA Governors’ Cup championship series between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco are available at Ticketnet and SM outlets. Game 5 of the best of seven series will be played Sunday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. The defending champion Kings lead the series, 2-1. The league previously played twice in the 55,000-seat playing venue, but this marks the first time a finals series will be held in the world’s largest indoor arena inaugurated in 2014. Games 6 and 7, if necessary, will also be held in the same venue and tickets also sold at Ticketnet and all SM outlets. The PBA Commissioner’s Office also announced that free rides will be provided to fans coming from the metro. Rides will be on a first come-first serve basis. The Jam terminals in Buendia and Cubao have been designated as the pick-up and drop-off points. Departures for the Philippine Arena are as follows: Buendia terminal (1:40 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 2:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m) and Cubao Terminal ( 2:20 p.m., 240 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 3:40 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:20 p.m. and 4:40 p.m.).

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Wizards edge 76ers; Lin injured

ASHINGTON—Australian Ben Simmons was beaten in his debut while Asian-American standout Jeremy Lin suffered a severe right knee injury as the new NBA season tipped off Wednesday for most clubs. Simmons, a 21-year-old forward from Melbourne, was the top pick of last year’s NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers but missed all of last season with a broken right foot. Simmons made his much-awaited league debut at Washington, where the 76ers lost their season

opener to the host Wizards 120-115 despite 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists by the Aussie. “I felt like I was playing (a video game), honestly,” Simmons said. John Wall scored 28 points and Bradley Beal added 25 for the Wizards, but Washington clung to

only a 115-113 edge with 1:44 remaining after Simmons sank two free throws to end a 7-2 Sixers run. Turnovers doomed two chances for the Sixers to equalize in the dying seconds, and the Wizards went 5-of-6 from the free throw line down the stretch to seal the victory. “How about Ben Simmons’ first game in the NBA?” 76ers coach Brett Brown said. “His first game was really exceptional -- really, really exceptional.” Joel Embiid had 18 points, 13 rebounds and

one blocked in 27 minutes after leg injuries kept him to only 31 games in his first three NBA seasons. “To see Embiid out there ... I’m like, ‘Man, I’m actually here.’ It was fun,” said Simmons. A day after Gordon Hayward suffered a broken left leg, it was Brooklyn’s Lin, the NBA’s first US player of Chinese and Taiwanese heritage, who went down in Indiana’s 140-131 home win over the Nets. Lin, who scored 18 points, was hurt with 4:53 remaining, landing

awkwardly after a drive to the basket, and helped off the court with a right knee injury. “We just hope he’s OK,” Nets forward Caris LeVert said. Lin played only 36 games last season due to nagging hamstring injuries. Hayward made an emotional video appearance at Boston’s home opener saying he would be “all right,” but it was Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo who spoiled the night for the Celtics, scored 37 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to

spark Milwaukee over the Celtics 108-100. Orlando’s Evan Fournier scored 23 points, seven of them in the last two minutes, to lead the Magic over visiting Miami 116-109, their first season-opening triumph since 2012. At Detroit, the Pistons made a triumphant debut at their new home in Little Caesars Arena with a 102-90 victory over Charlotte. Tobias Harris scored 27 points to lead Detroit while Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 24.

Alsons Power, Diaz bare weightlifting scholars

Olympic Games silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz with her weightlifting scholars

Local bets upbeat as PPS Bacolod tourney begins

PETE Andre Rodriguez and Alexa Milliam hope to anchor the local bets’ charge as action in the Pawnshop-Palawan Express Pera Padala Bacolod leg regional age group tennis tournament gets going today (Friday) at the Centercourt and Panaad Tennis Courts. Close to 200 players are vying for top honors and ranking points in nine age categories of the Group 2 tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and presented by Slazenger also held in celebra-

tion of the Masskara Festival. Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia has guaranteed a successful staging of the five-day tournament, which features the likes Vhon Tudtud of Naga City, Cebu and La Carlota aces Kiana de Asis, Karl Baran and Troy Llamas. Meanwhile, Rodriguez hopes to draw inspiration from the crowd as the No. 2 seed in the boys’ 14-and-under division clashes with Arvince Angling in the first

round, hoping to go all the way to the finals against top seed La Carlota’s Khenz Justiniani. He is also vying in the 16-U class headed by Troy Llamas, WIlfredo Grospe and Reynan Mahusay. Milliam, on the other hand, is tipped to dominate the girls’ 12- and 14-U sections that also feature Jufeann Cocoy, Jasmin Jaran and Areetha Rodriguez. Milliam is also entered in the 16-U side headed by de Asis with Erica Sevilla joining de Asis in

the premier 18-U category of the tournament backed by the Unified Tennis Group, including Cebuana Lhuillier, PPS-PEPP, Wilson, Toby’s, BMeg, Citigreen, Babolat and Tru-Flex. “Focus should also be on the boys’ 12-, 14- and 16-U divisions and the 10-unisex side which drew 32-player rosters, ensuring wide open battle for supremacy and ranking points,” said Palawan Pawnshop president/CEO Bobby Castro.

THE Alsons Power Group – Mindanao’s first and most experienced independent power producer thru its Zamboanga City-based subsidiaries - San Ramon Power Inc. and the Western Mindanao Power Corporation, together with 2016 Rio Olympics weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz, officially presented the inaugural batch of scholars of the Alsons Power-Hidilyn Diaz Scholarship Program for aspiring weightlifters. The event was held during the Zamboanga Hermosa Weightlifting Championship at the Universidad de Zamboanga gym in Zamboanga City. Alsons Power partnered with Diaz to spearhead this scholarship program as part of the Group’s commitment to help provide more educational opportunities for the young people in Zamboanga City, where Alsons Power is the primary supplier of electricity thru its 100-megawatt WMPC diesel power plant in barangay Sangali in the eastern portion of the city. The partnership aims to produce world-class Filipino weightlifters and support the country’s efforts in winning gold in the Olympics and in other international sports competitions. This is also Alsons Power’s way of honoring Diaz for bringing glory to the country and, at the same time, boosting interest in the sport and encouraging potential weightlifting champions both in Zamboanga and in the whole Philippines. The first batch of scholars are Citadel Callenero, 13, from Tal-

on-Talon National High School; Jane Linette Hipolito, 16, from Universidad de Zamboanga Senior High School; Rosegie Ramos, 13, from Universidad de Zamboanga Technical High School; and Rose Jean Ramos, 11, and Desiree Jane Garcia, 13, who both hail from Mampang Elementary School. The five scholars are part of the current pool of young weightlifters training under the supervision of the Philippine Weightlifting Association (PWA). The PWA, headed by its vice president and Technical Committee chairman Elbert Atilano, Jr., found these young students worthy of the scholarship based on their performance during year-round competitions and on the additional criteria involving academic performance and family income level. Through the Alsons-Hidilyn Diaz scholarship program, the five students will each receive a subsidy worth P40,000 that will cover the provisions for school uniforms, shoes, a bag and school supplies, as well as a monthly stipend for transportation and food allowances covering the school year. “I’m feeling hopeful because this is a new generation of athletes who would someday bring honor to our country,” Diaz said. “Our role is to put Philippine weightlifting on the spotlight but I am optimistic that this will also carry over to paying more attention to Filipino athletes and encouraging support for the sports sector.”

Mangulabnan is Superbikes’ champ a 2nd straight time

Members of the BMW Motorrad Philippines Racing Team cheer Marvin Mangulabnan’s triumph.

Mon open to reconciliation with Peping By Randy Caluag IS there a chance for Philippine Sports Commissioner Ramon Fernandez and Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuangco to bury the hatchet and finally work on the same page with the 2019 Southeast Asian Games, to be hosted by the country, just around the corner? One has to initiate and extend the hands of reconciliation, but it looks like Fernandez is not inclined to make the first move. “Hindi naman ako ang nagsimula nito. Mauna lang siyang lumapit (for talks) at pag-usapan ang kapakanan ng atleta,” said Fernandez, when asked about the possibility of a kiss-and-makeup with the long-time POC chief, during the PSC-POC Media Sports Chat on Wednesday. Fernandez said he’s so passionate about his crusade to rid Philippine sports of corruption and there’s nothing personal in his differences with Cojuangco. “Sa akin naman, para lang sa mga atleta ang mga ginagawa ko because dati rin akong naging national athlete,” said the former national cager, who later became famous as the “El Presidente” of the professional Philippine Basketball Association. Fernandez has been at odds with Cojuangco, who branded him as a game-fixer during his prime in the pro league. Fernandez retaliated by investigating Cojuangco’s alleged unliquidated millions of pesos, used by the Philippine Southeast Asian

Games Organizing Committee for the country’s hosting of the 2005 SEA Games. Cojuangco and other POC officials operated Philsoc during the hosting. On Wednesday, Fernandez obliged to a rare breakfast meeting with Philippine Karate Federation president Joey Romasanta, a known close ally of Cojuangco, on the invitation of PKF secretary-general Raymund Lee Reyes. “It was just a light discussion. Parang gettingto-know each other. Nalaman ko doon na si Joey pala is head of the committee on membership ng POC and also the solidarity committee na nag-handle ng Olympic scholarship for athletes,” added Fernandez.

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

BMW Motorrad Racing Team professional rider Marvin Mangulabnan emerged as the 2017 Overall Champion of the Philippine Superbike Championship after the final leg concluded last Oct. 1 at the Clark International Speedway—marking two consecutive victories for the ace rider. Both pre-final and final legs offered Mangulabnan difficult challenges – the overcast weather and extremely competitive spirit on race day. Kicking off from the third spot in the final race, Mangulabnan spent the remainder of this year’s PSBK in a gripping neck and neck battle with fellow contenders, speeding in and out of second place before finishing the match at third. With the highest points accumulated throughout the whole season, Mangulabnan ultimately prevailed as the overall champion for the PSBK 2017. Meanwhile, Asian Carmakers Corporation was appointed by the BMW Group as importer, distributor, and service provider of BMW automobiles in the country in 1993. ACC is a wholly owned Filipino com-

pany under the Alvarez Group of Companies chaired by Gov. Jose Ch. Alvarez. The group is recognized as one of the pioneers in the Philippine automotive industry. Under its stewardship, the BMW brand has led the premium automotive segment for 14 consecutive years. In the Philippines, BMW has the widest dealership network in the luxury vehicle segment with eight (8) full service dealer facilities nationwide. These dealers are: AutoAllee BMW in Eton Centris, North EDSA; Autohaus BMW in Quezon City; Motor Ventures BMW in Alabang; Prestige Cars BMW in Makati; Premier Cars BMW in Pampanga; Autobahn BMW in Bacolod; Autowelt BMW in Cebu; and Premium Motoren BMW in Cagayan de Oro. ACC also has a growing motorcycle business with BMW Motorrad. Its network currently includes five (5) dealers, namely Autohaus BMW in Quezon City, Autowelt BMW in Cebu, Premier Cars BMW in Pampanga, Autobahn BMW in Bacolod, and Premium Motoren BMW in Cagayan de Oro.

PH Women’s U, UMAK eye 2nd finals slot EITHER Philippine Women’s University or University of Makati will get the chance to snap Centro Escolar University’s title run in the 48th Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association senior basketball tournament. PWU downed Assumption College, 6046, and league rookie UMAK whipped San Beda College Alabang, 79-48, in the quarterfinals at Assumption Makati gym on Sunday to arrange a playoff this weekend for the second finals slot. Six-time defending champion CEU won all its four elimination-round games and earned an automatic championship ticket that carries a twice-tobeat edge. The one-game junior semifinals this

Saturday will pit defending champion Chiang Kai Shek College against La Salle College Antipolo and De La Salle Zobel versus San Beda. In midgets’ play, Miriam edged seventime defending champion DLSZ, 49-46, to climb to a share of the lead with idle St. Paul College Pasig at 5-1. DLSZ remained in second spot at 4-3. San Beda raised its mark to 2-5 and kept St. Jude Catholic School winless in six games after a ruthless 48-8 triumph. Over at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, midgets volleyball holder DLSZ completed a seven-game sweep of the elimination round with a 25-18, 25-19 victory over San Beda. DLSZ will take on Miriam in the Final Four.

30 slots at stake in Ronda A TOTAL of 170 of the participating 200 cyclists eye the remaining 30 slots to the main race of the LBC Ronda Pilipinas 2018 as they compete in the second last qualifying race slated on Saturday in Danao City, Cebu. The top 38 riders of this one-day race, which will stake P30,000 to the champion, P20,000 to the runnerup and P1,000 for the third placer, will join 20 seeded riders and 38 more who made it through the first qualifier in Tarlac City last month. The 96 qualified riders will then battle for the whopping P1 million top purse and the honor of being called LBC Ronda Pilipinas champion in the much-awaited 11-stage main race scheduled in March next year. “Just like the first qualifying race in Tarlac, we expect another exciting race in Danao as we’re hopeful to discover many more new faces and perhaps a young champion,” said LBC Ronda Pilipinas project director Moe Chulani. Navy-Standard Insurance’s Jan Paul Morales, the reigning champion, is also competing as part of his preparation for a successful title defense. The same goes with Santy Barnachea, the 41-year-old two-time winner in this annual race bankrolled by LBC who is eyeing a historic third crown, and another former titlist Irish Valenzuela.

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

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2017

GM Short crowned champion BACOLOD CITY--Grandmaster Nigel Short of England stamped four decades of experience and beat Indian GM Srinath Narayanan in the final round of the Piaya Network Negros International Chess tournament at the Ikthus Osborn Hall Thursday here. Short, at 52 years old, would have been eligible to play in weaker seniors’ division tournaments. Still, he proved to everyone that he has a strong finishing kick by matching wits with the young guns and ending with a runaway score. By ending with eight points out of a possible nine and a full point ahead of his closest pursuers, Short took the $3,000 top prize and a glass trophy from Piaya Network’s businessman owner Tony Aguirre. Outstanding after racking up four straight wins, Short’s stamina was impeccable and his strength not waning in the face of pressure. He was stalled with two draws in the early rounds, the last when he offered a draw in an inferior position to local GM Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. in the fifth round. “I am very delighted that I was able to hold my nerves in the end,” said Short, a four-time visitor to the Philippines. He promised to come back and defend his title next year. “I love it here.” In his match with Narayanan, Short, playing the black side of the Canal Variation of the Guioco Piano, punished his opponent’s dubious moves in the middle game and carefully nursed his material advantage and won on the 53rd move. Second seed Karen Grigoryan of Armenia dealt Antonio his second straight loss and finished at seven points in a tie with fifth seed GM Nguyen Duc Hoa of Vietnam. Nguyen upended untitled Ted Ian Montoyo, one of the tournament’s revelations.

Marano is face of Superliga FOR her strong influence to the youth and deep love of the sport, Abby Marano was the top choice by the Philippine Superliga as its newest league ambassador. Marano, the star middle blocker of F2 Logistics, was appointed to become the face of the league starting with the Chooks to GoPSL Grand Prix, which erupts tomorrow at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan. An explosive pair of matches will usher in the import-laden conference as Generika-Ayala takes on powerhouse Petron in the first match, while Cignal battles two-time champion Foton in the main encounter. Both matches will be shown live on ESPN5, the league’s official broadcast partner. PSL president Ramon “Tats” Suzara lauded Marano’s selection, saying that she may be a direct opposite of previous league ambassadors like Gretchen Ho, Cha Cruz and Mika Reyes, but her growing base of fans and love for volleyball made her a perfect fit for the role.

Sports SMB’s JuneMar Fajardo, shown here throwing his weight inside the shaded lane, is poised to win his fourth MVP award.

Bolts eye equalizer; Fajardo 4-time MVP

18-0 sweep catapults Pirates to 1st NCAA finals‘stint

By Jeric Lopez

By Peter Atencio

WITH their championship series far from over, Barangay Ginebra and Meralco both seek some much-needed leverage in the resumption of their best-of-seven finale in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. After the Bolts made a series out of it, they now look for a follow-up to equalize even as the Gin Kings attempt to bounce back when they meet in Game 4 at 7 p.m. todat at

the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Prior to that, the annual Leo Awards will take place first at 5:30 p.m. where the highest individual awards will be given including the Most Valuable

Player, the Mythical Team, the Rookie of the Year and the Most Improved Player, among others. San Miguel Beer star June Mar Fajardo is poised to take home his fourth straight Most Valuable Player and break his own record as the only cager in league history to win the coveted award that many times in succession. He is also set to tie legends Alvin Patrimonio and Mon Fernandez with most the MVP titles. Meralco coach Norman Black hopes that his wards can keep the fire burning for them to be able to square the series

Game Today

(Araneta Coliseum) 7 p.m. Meralco vs Ginebra

up heading into the weekend. “We played defense and played hard for 48 minutes to take the last game. We need to do the same thing again to tie and completely get back in the series,” said Black. The Bolts reduced the Gin Kings’ lead to 2-1 after a resounding victory in Game 3 Wednesday night. Meralco reversed its fortunes and took charge down the stretch to take a 94-81 vic-

tory and get back in the series through Best Import Allen Durham’s dominant 38 points and 20 rebounds. But the story of that win is old reliable Reynel Hugnatan’s breakout game of the conference. The crafty veteran stepped up and unleashed 22 points on seven drained triples to power the Bolts to the much-needed victory. Hugnatan effectively filled in the void left by Ranidel De Ocampo, who strained his calf and left Game 3 early. De Ocampo might be lost for the series.

Malaysians pad lead to 3

GENERAL TRIAS—Malaysia turned in a 236 for the second straight day and stretched its lead against defending champion Philippines to three strokes after two rounds of the 34th Asean Senior Amateur Championships at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club here yesterday. Idris Ngah, who opened with a hot 71 at the Aoki course Wednesday, struggled with a 76 at the Norman layout but it proved enough for Malaysia to gain one more shot against the home team. Dato Dzaamoddin Salleh matched Ngah’s Round 2 card while Goh Chan Tau added an 84. With a 472 total, Malaysia kept the Filipinos at bay although the latter improved with a 237 after an opening 238 for a 475, setting the stage for a final round shootout for the Stroke Play Team Gross title today. “The game is not over,” said Phl team captain Vidal Querol, who expects the foursome of Rodel Mangulabnan, Eduardo Sison, Edgar Quiao and Eddy Jose Manzanares to deliver and save the host’s title-retention bid in the six-country tournament hosted by the Federation of Philippine Amateur Senior Golfers, Inc. headed by Melito Salazar, Jr. “It’s make or break for us but we’re very confident we’ll overcome the three-stroke lead of Malaysia,” added Querol.

After an 85, Sison improved with 77, a birdie-less round that could have been better if not for back-to-back double-bogeys at 10 and 11, to lead Phl. Mangulabnan submitted 79, his day hit by a quintuple bogey on No. 13, where he went outof-bounds twice. “It was a short hole and I paid for being too aggressive. I should have finished one or two over,” rued Mangulabnan, who vowed to bounce back strong in the final round. “I’ll be on attack mode, going for broke since the Philippines is three-down.” Quiao was the third scorer for Phl with 81 as Manzanares didn’t count for the second day with 82. Retired Gen. Don Montenegro, meanwhile, produced the best card for the Filipinos with a one-under 71 as he moved to No. 2 in the Stroke Play Individual Gross title race, just one shot off Ngah’s leading 147. Montenegro, who had an opening 77, gunned down four birdies to offset three bogeys en route to the best round for the day of the three-day event sponsored by Camella, OmniPay, QuickMinds Corporation, Steel Asia, MegaFiber Food Fiber Health Supplement, Eastridge Senior Golfers and Royal Northwoods Senior Golfers, among others. Rodel Mangulabnan vows big comeback for the hosts

Asistio, Eustaquio snare title in playoff

Tonton Asistio (left) and amateur partner Jude Eustaquio hold their trophies after nipping the Jelbert Gamolo-Jolo Magcalayo in sudden death to win the inaugural ICTSI National Pro-am Open title.

LIPA City, Batangas—Former national players Tonton Asistio and Jude Eustaquio battled back from three down with four holes to go in regulation then edged Jelbert Gamolo and Jolo Magcalayo in the playoff to snare the ICTSI National Proam Open crown at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club here yesterday. Asistio hacked a superb 7-iron approach shot from 180 yards on the par-4 18th of Mt. Malipunyo to within a foot in sudden death to the delight of the big gallery that ringed the green then Eustaquio calmly sank it to clinch the victory as Magcalayo’s tying birdie-putt from 40 feet out fell short.

“It’s great. When we compete, we’re expecting something great,” said Eustaquio whose partnership with Asistio dates way back to their junior days. “I really have the inkling of winning here because we’ve been playing together since we were eight years old. We knew each other well,” added Eustaquio, who also teamed up with Asistio in the 2009 SEA Games in Laos. Asistio took the top P360,000 purse, for his first pro win, while Eustaquio, a golf director at Forest Hills, received a trophy and gift prizes from Mt. Malarayat GCC chairman Antonio Torralba.

Gamolo and Magcalayo actually came out better than second round co-leaders Raymund Gonzales and Iñigo Raymundo in a fierce final round duel, hitting back-toback birdies from No. 13 to build a three-shot cushion over the Gonzales-Raymundo and Asistio-Eustaquio pairs. But they stumbled and fumbled with bogeys in the next two holes and while Gonzales and Raymundo failed to cash in and settled for pars, Asistio and Eustaquio birdied the par-5 17th to salvage a 72 and force a playoff at one-over 217 total. Gamolo and Magcalayo hobbled with a 75.

CAMEROONIAN Mike Nzeusseu knocked in three charities in the last 12.7 seconds to lift the Lyceum Pirates to a historic 107-105 double-overtime win over defending champion San Beda Red Lions Thursday at The Arena in San Juan. The 6’6” Nzeusseu’s endgame efforts enabled the Pirates to complete an 18-game, eliminationround sweep that put Lyceum into its first-ever finals’ appearance in the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament. Fans and supporters cheered wildly after Nzeusseu sank only one of two gift shots off Robert Bolick Jr.’s foul in the last 2.8 seconds, but it proved enough cushion to win the game for the Pirates. Two of Nzeusseu’s freebies came in the last 12.7 seconds off Arnaud Noah’s foul, allowing the Pirates to overtake the Red Lions for the last time, 106-105. As Nzeusseu finished with 27 points and 21 rebounds, students and alumni gave the Pirates a standing ovation as they matched the Red Lions’ 18game winning streak back in 2010. “The courage is there. They just want to keep on playing. They just want to keep on grinding. I don’t know, I was just relaxed. I just told them to keep on playing. CJ (Perez) was struggling at the start. And I just trusted this guy. He’s gonna make mistakes, which was normal, but I know I could count on him, I could count on Mike, on (Jesper) Ayaay and the twins. And I’m just happy we’re there (finals),” said Pirates’ coach Topex Robinson. Donald Tankoua, who fouled out in the last 19.8 seconds of regulation, tallied 34 points for the Red Lions, who finished the second round with a 16-2 win-loss record in second spot. Bolick’s driving shot past Nzeusseu with 1:27 left allowed San Beda to take the upperhand for the last time, 105-103. Because of the sweep, a stepladder semifinal playoffs for the second finals berth will take place.

BPI set to raise P30b in October F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Unit

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

51.3870

Japan

Yen

0.008856

0.4551

Pound

1.320700

67.8668

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128059

6.5806

Switzerland

Franc

1.018953

52.3609

Canada

Dollar

0.802246

41.2250

Singapore

Dollar

0.737191

37.8820

Australia

Dollar

0.784400

40.3080

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654069

136.3846

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266652

13.7024

Brunei

Dollar

0.734484

37.7429

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030175

1.5506

UAE

Dirham 0.272309

13.9931

Euro

1.178800

60.5750

Korea

Won

0.000883

0.0454

China

Yuan

0.150896

7.7541

India

Rupee

0.015375

Malaysia

Ringgit 0.236855

New Zealand Dollar

0.715100

Taiwan

0.033125

Dollar

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

0.7901 12.1713 36.7468 1.7022

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. invests P5.2 billion in the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy program, following its decision to put up a state-ofthe-art plastic injection facility in its Santa Rosa plant. At the opening of the 1st Philippine Auto Parts Expo are (from left) Philippine Parts Maker Association president Ferdinand Raquelsantos, Cars Program Management Office director Romulo Manlapig, TMP president Satoru Suzuki, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Cars PMO manager Marissa Concepcion and Board of Investments governor Henry Co.

By Julito G. Rada

Source: PDS Bridge

Japanese wary of tax reforms By Othel V. Campos

APANESE investors on Thursday expressed concern over the government’s tax reform program which may remove the incentives given by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority to investors.

Japanese Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines president Hiroshi Shirashi said Japan was the Philippines’ single biggest source of foreign direct investments as of end-2016 at $12.4 billion, followed by the Netherlands with $9.4 billion and the US with $8.4 billion. “We support the tax reform but we also wish to maintain the Peza incentives. That

is important,” Shirashi told reporters at the sidelines of the 43rd Philippine Business Conference at Manila Hotel. He said the tax reform program “may affect the Philippines’ core competence” especially if incentives given to economic zone locators would be recalled or diluted. The Japanese group said the tax reform program would not only create implications over value added tax and corporate income tax, but could also affect Peza incentives. “The Peza incentive is a very strong competence of the Philippines than other Asean countries,” it said. JCCP said while Japan was already the Philippines’ largest source of foreign investments, there was still room for growth. It noted that among Asean countries, the Philippines received the least FDIs from

Japan in the ﬁrst ﬁve months of 2017, with only $561 million. The group said that in the same period, Singapore received $1.95 billion worth of FDIs from Japan; Thailand, $1.3 billion; Indonesia, $1.095 billion; and Vietnam, $856 million. One advantage of the Philippines, the group said, is the competitive labor cost. It said wages in the Philippines were already comparable with Vietnam, where the rates were increasing faster. Another factor that may continue to attract investments from Japan is the further liberalization of foreign equity investment in some industries, it said. Shirashi said the open policy and easing of foreign equity restrictions could become additional attraction to capture a new growth momentum. He said the promotion of partnership between the Philippines

ICTSI set to purchase equipment worth $22m

and Japan’s small and medium enterprises could support further inflows. Shirashi said Japanese companies were optimistic about doing business in the Philippines, as the country ranks number one in terms of profit expectation. Data from the Japan Trade External Organization showed that 77.7 percent of Japanese firms operating in the Philippines were expecting a profitable return of investments, the highest in Asia. Meanwhile, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organizer of the 43rd Philippine Business and Conference 2017, prepared a set of resolutions on agriculture, education, energy and power, environment, industry development, legislative, SME development and transportation and logistics for consideration of the Duterte Administration.

LandBank’s net profit hit P9.3b in 8 months

By Darwin G. Amojelar PORT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. said it will spend $22 million to purchase 16 hybrid rubber tired gantries for Manila International Container Terminal. The company led by businessman Enrique Razon Jr. said the purchase of new equipment was part of its $80-million capital equipment program for the flagship terminal. ICTSI senior vice president and head of Asia-Pacific and MICT Christian Gonzalez said the new RTGs would be the first of their kind in the Philippine ports system. “The new RTGs will improve terminal efficiency and allow us to match demand in terms of operational performance. Terminal utilization currently remains exceptional, and we see no signs of congestion despite the volume influx,” Gonzalez said. “Just as important is that we can expect a minimum 40-percent reduction in carbon emissions and up to 60-percent better fuel economy. A side benefit is that the smaller engines mean reduced noise levels at the yard,” he said. Manufactured by Japanese shipbuilder and equipment maker Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., the Mitsui Li-ion Hybrid RTG can stack one over five containers high and six containers wide, including truck roadway. It has a rated load of 40 metric tons. The first batch is scheduled for delivery in November next year, with the remaining eight to be turned over by October 2019.

Port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. will soon deploy 16 hybrid rubber tired gantries at the Manila International Container Terminal. The $22-million equipment purchase is part of ICTSI’s $80-million capital equipment program for its flagship terminal.

Court’s TRO hinders power supply competition By Alena Mae S. Flores the RCOA, such as the issu- for renewal. THE Energy Regulatory Commission on Thursday expressed concern over its inability to issue new retail electricity licenses in the wake of the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court against retail competition and open access. “The ERC has received inquiries and letters of concern from the RES [retail electricity suppliers] regarding the renewal of their licenses and the effect of the non-renewal of the same,” the regulator said in an executive summary. “These RES contend that the non-issuance of a RES license would greatly affect their operations and likewise put the contestable customers who they have effective contracts with at a disadvantage,” ERC said. The commission said the issuance of the TRO put on hold operational matters of

Peso sinks to 51.53 per dollar

TOYOTA INVESTMENT.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, October 19, 2017 Currency

Business

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

ance of licenses in favor of retail electricity suppliers and the lowering of threshold of contestability. RCOA gives the consumers, initially those with one megawatt of average monthly consumption, the power to chose their own suppliers. The threshold level shall be lowered to 750 kilowatthour users until it reaches the household level as mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. “These [issuance and extension of RES licenses] are integral to the mandate of the ERC in promoting competition and ensuring customer choice pursuant to the provisions of Epira,” the document said. ERC said the SC decision effectively barred the entry of new players in the electric power industry. There are currently 14 license applications, of which seven are new and seven are up

The new applications included those of Solar Philippines Retail Electricity Inc., Green Energy Supply Solutions Inc., Green Core Geothermal Inc., Megawattsolutions Inc., Trademaster Symbior Rooftop Inc., Energy Trading Management Corp. and Asia Paciﬁc Energy Corp. Applications for license renewals include those of DirectPower Services Inc., Ecozone Management Inc., GNPower Ltd. Co., PRISM Energy Inc., AdventEnergy Inc., Aboitiz Energy Solutions Inc. and Phinma Energy Corp. Of the seven applications for renewal, ﬁve already expired, including those of DirectPower, Ecozone Power, GNPower, Prism and AdventEnergy. These would affect a total of 144 contestable customers with a combined demand of 267.16 MW.

STATE-OWNED Land Bank of the Philippines, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, said it posted a 2-percent increase in net income in the first eight months to P9.3 billion from P9.1 billion a year ago, led by growth in loans and investments. LandBank said in a statement the latest figure was in line with its 2017 net income target of P13.75 billion. LandBank’s capital as of end August reached P100 billion for the first time, up by 9 percent from P91.6 billion in August 2016. Capital adequacy ratio―a measure of financial strength―stood at 12.66 percent, while Tier 1 ratio reached 11.84 percent, both higher than the regulatory limit. “These strong capital ratios reflect LandBank’s sound financial position and our continuing drive to improve our capital base so we can further expand support to our priority sectors, especially farmers and fishers,” LandBank president and chief executive Alex Buenaventura said. He said the bank continued to fortify its operations, improve customer service to its wide range of client, and pursue its development thrust of accelerating growth especially in the countryside. Revenues from loans rose 9 percent as gross loan portfolio jumped 24 percent in the eight-month period to P597.1 billion from P483.6 billion a year earlier. Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF Metrobank buys out partner

METROPOLITAN Bank & Trust Co., the second-largest bank in terms of assets, said it bought out partner ANZ Funds Pty. Ltd. in credit card unit Metrobank Card Corp. Metrobank, which has a 60-percent stake in Metrobank Card, said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it signed an agreement with ANZ for the acquisition of another 20-percent stake for P7.4 billion. It would acquire the remaining stake by the third quarter of 2018. Metrobank’s joint venture with ANZ was formed in 2003 with Metrobank holding a 60-percent stake and ANZ the remaining 40 percent. Metrobank Card Corp. is the leading provider of credit cards in the Philippines with more than 1.5 million cards in force based on data obtained from the Credit Card Association of the Philippines. Metrobank president Fabian Dee said in a statement the joint venture arrangement created a lot of value for both partners. Metrobank Card Corp. was transformed into the number one credit card company in the Philippines. “We expect that the historically strong performance of MCC can be sustained on the back of robust consumption spending,” Dee said. Julito G. Rada

AirAsia PH flying to Vietnam

THE Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget airline on Thursday announced it will launch flights from Manila to Bali and Jakarta in Indonesia and to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Captain Dexter Comendador, AirAsia Philippines chief executive, told reporters the airline would fly from Manila to Ho Chi Minh City starting Nov. 17. The airline is offering all-in promo fares for Ho Chi Minh flights for as low as P2,590 until Oct. 22. The travel period is between Nov. 17 and April 30, 2018. AirAsia will also start flying to Jakarta on Jan. 9 and to Bali on Jan. 19. “It is an exciting time for all of us in the Philippines as we continue to bring the country closer to our neighboring cities within the Asean region and beyond via AirAsia’s inter-Asean connectivity and massive network,” Comendador said. “AirAsia is the only airline that directly services all ten Asean countries with established operations in the Philip-

THE peso sank to a new 11-year low of 51.53 against the US dollar Thursday, as investors’ demand for the greenback picked up in the fourth quarter. The local currency lost P0.13 Thursday from 51.405 a dollar Wednesday. It was the peso’s weakest closing in more than 11 years, or since it settled at 51.60 against the green back on Aug. 24, 2006. Total volume turnover reached $565.70 million Thursday, up from $497.6 million Wednesday. “We continue to see the effects of higher corporate demand for imports and trade financing. Rumors about a possible hawkish Fed chairman in John Taylor appeared to have spooked the market. There seems to be some nervousness in the market,” Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said in a statement. Guinigundo, however, said the peso movement continued to be consistent with the trend. He said the foreign exchange rate was manageable and its impact on inflation had gone down. “In short, our latitude in allowing greater flexibility in the exchange rate has widened. When the cycle reverses, we should see some upward shift,” he said. “The peso touched P51.61 last Friday but supply of US dollar came out to close the week at P51.39. We still expect the peso to trade within this range in the near term with the view that Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas turns hawkish and eventually does a pre-emptive move to stabilize inflation expectations,” ING Bank Manila senior economist Joey Cuyegkeng said in a report. “The peso touched P51.61 last Friday but supply of US dollar came out to close the week at P51.39. We still expect the peso to trade within this range in the near term with the view that Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas turns hawkish and eventually does a pre-emptive move to stabilize inflation expectations,” ING Bank Manila senior economist Joey Cuyegkeng said in a report.

pines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia,” he said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Harbor Star buys energy firms

HARBOR Star Shipping Services Inc., a leading provider of harbor assistance, lighterage, salvage and towing services in the country, said its unit acquired a 60-percent stake in three related renewable energy ﬁrms. Harbor Star said in a disclosure to the stock exchange that wholly-owned subsidiary Harbor Star Energy Corp. purchased a 60-percent interest in Astronergy Development Gensan Inc., Astronergy Development F1 Inc. and Astronergy F2 Inc. or the ADI Companies. Harbor Star said the ADI Companies had a long-term land lease from the Environment and Natural Resources Department and owned entitlements, licenses and permits to operate a 25-megawatt solar power plant in General Santos City. The plant could be expanded to 75 MW. The construction of the initial 25-MW solar power plant will be completed by the second quarter of 2018. Harbor Star said in March it planned to diversify into renewable energy. The shipping ﬁrm earlier teamed up with port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. to operate Cavite Gateway Terminal on a six-hectare property in Tanza, Cavite. Jenniffer B. Austria

Western bullish on remittances

WESTERN Union, a global leader in payment services, said it remains bullish on the outlook for remittances in the Philippines. Jeffrey de Venecia Navarro, country director for Western Union Philippines, said in a news brieﬁng in Makati Thursday the outlook for the industry remained promising especially in the fourth quarter when the volume of remittances was expected to increase. “We are optimistic of growth this year and we are happy if the numbers go high because everyone beneﬁts, especially the families in the country of OFWs abroad,” Navarro said. Western Union teamed up with LBC Express Holdings Inc., the country’s market leader in retail and corporate courier and cargo, money remittance and logistics services. LBC has a network in over 30 countries. Navarro said the partnership expanded its retail network in the Philippines with the addition of more than 1,200 LBC branches, which would now pay out money transfers received from more than 200 countries and territories. Western Union had 5,900 agent locations across the Philippines as of June 2017. Julito G. Rada

Business

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks advance; RCBC rises S

tocks rebounded Thursday toward the 8,500-point mark, following record runs in Tokyo and Wall Street which bolstered Asian markets.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 55 points, or 0.7 percent, to close at 8,487.37, as four of the six major sectors advanced. The heavier index, representing all shares, also rose 26 points, or 0.5 percent, to settle at 4,950.47, on a value turnover of P7.9 billion. Gainers outnumbered losers, 102 to 97, while 49 issues were unchanged. Thirteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. which jumped 5.6 percent to P60.50 and aviation company MacroAsia Corp. which gained 5.2 percent to P19.20. Conglomerate Ayala Corp. rose 4.30

percent to P1,116.00, while Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. added 2.6 percent to close at P92.00. Meanwhile, the seemingly unending run of records on Wall Street continued to help Asian markets on Thursday, with Tokyo also buoyed by a weaker yen but Shanghai slipped after data showed China’s economic growth moderating. Another positive day of earnings provided a base for the Dow and S&P 500 to clock up fresh all-time highs while US investors were also hopeful Donald Trump can succeed in pushing through his tax cut plans. However, there was a sobering warning from his Treasury chief Steven Mnuchin who warned markets could suffer a sharp sell-off if lawmakers on Capitol Hill do not pass the measures. Still, for now investors are happy to go buying. Tokyo ended 0.4 percent up at a 21-year high—and a 13th straight gain

that marks its best run in 30 years. The weaker yen was providing extra support, along with confidence in the global economy and expectations for a clear election win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday. The Japanese currency was sitting above 113 to the dollar, boosting the country’s exporters. The greenback has been lifted by speculation that a fiscal hawk could take the helm at the Fed early next year. Among other markets Sydney rose 0.1 percent and Singapore put on 0.6 percent while Wellington and Taipei also chalked up gains. Seoul slipped 0.4 percent. But Hong Kong was down 0.4 percent in the afternoon following five days of gains and Shanghai slipped 0.3 percent after figures showed a slight dip in Chinese growth. In early European trade London fell 0.3 percent, Paris dipped 0.2 percent and

Frankfurt gave up 0.1 percent. Beijing unveiled ﬁgures showing the world’s number two economy grew 6.8 percent in July-September, against 6.9 percent in both the previous two quarters but in line with forecasts. However, while a tad weaker, the data points to stability in the economy after years of slowing growth and will likely be welcomed by the Communist Party as it holds its twice-a-decade congress to hand Xi Jinping another ﬁve-year term. Thursday’s reading also indicated the economy was on course to beat the government’s annual target of about 6.5 percent. “Relatively strong economic performance this year offers a good opportunity for the government to address several long-term economic issues,” Raymond Yeung, chief Greater China economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group in Hong Kong, wrote in a recent report. With AFP, Bloomberg

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.48 19,000 59.7 23,940 98 2,659,460 3.91 30,000 147 1,509,740 2.48 1,655,000 33.5 50,100 15.9 5,700 31.4 357,500 1.81 21,000 959.5 800 0.65 1,769,000 92 2,535,710 0.84 223,000 12.76 3,000 24.75 4,500 58.1 482,360 240 510 108 200 88 120 60.5 1,465,090 265.2 424,920 1,935 305 86.6 2,020 1.26 11,000

84,890 1,424,998 260,018,752 117,310 219,236,461 4,195,500 1,676,560 90,130 11,289,930 38,210 767,985 1,142,040 233,009,278.50 185,820 38,334 111,535 28,079,178.50 122,110 21,600 10,600 87,005,370.50 112,557,868 589,675 174,901.50 13,910

1,404,790 -88,249,288 47,923,232 718,140 789,470 -1,977,095 -16,000 -29,993,420 -5,441,598 -9,410 -5,400 -5,116,843.50 -3,323,384 28,588.50 -13,910

41.15 11.08 0.74 1.35 19 0.212 4.97 15.22 44.5 18.7

INDUSTRIAL 42.75 905,900 11.16 986,900 0.76 223,000 1.37 552,000 19.2 4,500 0.212 710,000 5.04 12,754,000 15.24 722,700 44.95 881,700 18.4 18.4

38,467,320 11,026,946 165,870 750,840 85,926 153,050 63,902,120 11,014,810 39,970,710 7,400

7,388,745 -510,828 -5,798,590 2,781,454 -5,359,290 137,330

64 83 1.92 6.5 11.5 10.2 14.8 13.6 7.05 5.75 1.61 18.1 67 16.82 12.42 19.8 1.82 250 60.6 5.3 3.27 32 19.84 16.6 290.8 0.214 11.2 2.95 6.46 10.08 5.98 9.9 1.75 11.4 66 6.75 309 4.97 2.22 13.42 4.68 0.142 1.3 144 3.32 2.17 28.95 0.97

64 82 1.9 6.32 11.4 10.14 14.7 12.8 7 5.65 1.61 17.92 65.6 16.2 12.36 19.1 1.77 244.6 60.5 4.96 3.27 31.6 19.4 16.3 286 0.21 10.5 2.93 6.25 9.85 5.79 9.8 1.73 11 64.8 6.45 308 4.74 2.05 13.18 4.6 0.14 1.2 140.1 3.31 2.1 28.95 0.96

64 83 1.91 6.48 11.5 10.2 14.8 13.6 7 5.68 1.61 17.98 66 16.7 12.36 19.2 1.8 247 60.6 5.06 3.27 31.7 19.56 16.3 287.8 0.213 11.2 2.93 6.25 10.08 5.8 9.89 1.75 11.1 64.85 6.73 309 4.85 2.06 13.42 4.68 0.142 1.23 140.1 3.31 2.14 28.95 0.96

2,170 30 175,000 123,100 77,100 5,040,300 801,400 3,513,400 924,100 14,859,600 14,000 1,123,100 68,880 73,100 15,200 2,663,200 138,000 1,090,420 20 2,856,000 1,000 372,700 490,500 1,682,700 309,330 2,990,000 95,500 230,000 406,000 411,500 31,300 12,100 281,000 429,900 392,450 101,800 5,670 552,000 4,171,000 63,900 6,000 240,000 284,000 1,731,210 33,000 7,793,000 100 60,000

138,880 2,471.50 333,850 792,942 883,100 51,317,172 11,838,686 47,602,770 6,479,433 84,483,818 22,540 20,189,420 4,531,279 1,217,626 188,380 51,497,620 245,170 270,241,412 1,211 14,717,710 3,270 11,839,745 9,607,788 27,605,408(8, 89,333,914 634,260 1,039,986 677,770 2,564,359 4,114,412 183,469 119,012 489,590 4,832,432 25,518,305 681,888 1,747,292 2,694,170 8,825,590 851,016 27,930 33,920 354,450 244,004,980 109,300 16,704,960 2,895 57,640

78,720 -34,200 -6,350 -11,500 -1,174,798 2,447,496 -2,224,708 -3,497,153 -24,320,308 -6,945,276 -2,170,549.50 -93,020 -12,483,364 46,234,412 -59,110 2,526,605 1,920,968 113,986.0003) -21,601,820 -50,150 321,064 -69,950 -156,600 -371,508 -8,146,875.50 337,071 -1,614,832 806,620 -4,581,680 74,602 -46,380 -183,331,043 460,230 -

ABACORE CAPITAL 0.35 ABOITIZ EQUITY 74.9 ALLIANCE GLOBAL 15.84 ANGLO PHIL HLDG 1.11 ANSCOR 6.99 ATN HLDG A 0.44 ATN HLDG B 0.44 AYALA CORP 1,070 COSCO CAPITAL 8.45 DMCI HLDG 15.84 FILINVEST DEV 7.53 GT CAPITAL 1,241 HOUSE OF INV 8.49 JG SUMMIT 76.25 JOLLIVILLE HLDG 4.43 KEPPEL HLDG A 5.06 LODESTAR 0.82 LOPEZ HLDG 5.8 LT GROUP 17.32 MABUHAY HLDG 0.385 METRO PAC INV 6.84 PACIFICA 0.052 PRIME MEDIA 1.78 PRIME ORION 2.07 SAN MIGUEL CORP 102.8 SEAFRONT RES 2.58 SM INVESTMENTS 980 SOC RESOURCES 0.84 SOLID GROUP 1.44 TOP FRONTIER 297 UNIOIL HLDG 0.28 WELLEX INDUS 0.189 ZEUS HLDG 0.21

0.35 75.4 15.84 1.11 7 0.44 0.44 1,116 8.46 15.86 7.6 1,241 8.49 76.25 4.43 5.06 0.84 5.85 18.16 0.385 6.9 0.054 1.88 2.07 104.8 2.63 980 0.84 1.49 299 0.28 0.19 0.21

0.34 74.6 15.42 1.01 6.99 0.42 0.415 1,060 8.4 15.6 7.53 1,212 7.8 74.5 4.43 5.06 0.82 5.75 17.12 0.385 6.77 0.051 1.5 2.07 100.6 2.58 953.5 0.84 1.43 297 0.265 0.189 0.207

HOLDING FIRMS 0.345 590,000 75.4 519,450 15.48 9,196,100 1.04 137,000 7 40,300 0.42 19,260,000 0.415 7,870,000 1,116 1,265,525 8.46 1,740,200 15.8 3,487,500 7.6 8,700 1,215 184,180 8 163,500 75.2 681,520 4.43 5,000 5.06 1,000 0.83 310,000 5.84 83,100 18.16 1,206,100 0.385 30,000 6.9 6,917,100 0.054 13,760,000 1.5 5,432,000 2.07 145,000 104.4 490,380 2.63 47,000 970 226,240 0.84 10,000 1.49 2,355,000 299 1,320 0.265 150,000 0.189 1,540,000 0.21 510,000

201,750 39,059,092 143,092,384 139,140 282,071 8,237,300 3,361,700 1,382,186,530 14,707,529 55,073,862 65,791 224,321,465 1,307,171 51,127,877.50 22,150 5,060 256,050 481,926 21,542,244 11,550 47,351,601 729,320 9,035,830 300,150 50,773,283 121,410 217,686,115 8,400 3,475,400 394,110 40,500 291,190 106,360

-10,200 -6,723,101.50 -28,215,656 451,180,580 2,805,434 -690,918 -63,983,665 -24,932,870 -8,300 190,548 -4,125,498 -11,550 1,907,232 123,000 9,211,149 -79,515,815 -8,400 -21,200 -62,260

8990 HLDG 4.95 A BROWN 1.13 ANCHOR LAND 8.69 ARANETA PROP 2.39 ARTHALAND CORP 0.97 AYALA LAND 42.3 BELLE CORP 3.75 CEB LANDMASTERS 673,050 CEBU HLDG 5.25 CEBU PROP A 5.53 CENTURY PROP 0.51 CITY AND LAND 1.25 CITYLAND DEVT 1.27 CROWN EQUITIES 0.203 CYBER BAY 0.475 DOUBLEDRAGON 42 EMPIRE EAST 0.69 EVER GOTESCO 0.144 FILINVEST LAND 1.97 GLOBAL ESTATE 1.54 IRC PROP 0.88

4.95 1.13 8.69 2.39 1.02 43.45 3.81 4.91

4.86 1.09 8.69 2.38 0.96 41.65 3.71 4.97

PROPERTY 4.9 120,000 1.09 5,607,000 8.69 500 2.38 402,000 1.02 5,905,000 43.35 10,952,400 3.77 502,000 4.85 4.91

588,440 6,158,320 4,345 960,680 5,821,900 471,544,850 1,882,270 939,000

-500,270 12,080 -9,550 -10,417,805 -752,990 4,587,420

5.25 5.8 0.52 1.27 1.27 0.209 0.475 43 0.7 0.144 2 1.55 0.9

5.25 5.53 0.51 1.22 1.22 0.199 0.465 40.5 0.69 0.144 1.94 1.52 0.88

5.25 5.8 0.51 1.27 1.27 0.205 0.47 40.5 0.69 0.144 1.98 1.54 0.9

2,625 12,012 3,832,960 17,470 198,510 3,462,600 262,300 19,885,205 3,059,470 ( 7,200 38,905,790 13,115,370 55,460

-90,350 -290,050 -23,250 6,424,555 945,989.9997) -29,136,320 -76,500 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

AG FINANCE 4.47 ASIA UNITED 59.45 BANK PH ISLANDS 98 BDO LEASING 3.93 BDO UNIBANK 142.7 BRIGHT KINDLE 2.5 CHINABANK 33.5 COL FINANCIAL 15.9 EAST WEST BANK 32 IREMIT 1.82 MANULIFE 960 MEDCO HLDG 0.65 METROBANK 90 NTL REINSURANCE 0.83 PB BANK 12.82 PBCOM 24.85 PHIL NATL BANK 58.25 PHIL STOCK EXCH 240 PHILTRUST 108 PSBANK 90 RCBC 58 SECURITY BANK 261 SUN LIFE 1,930 UNION BANK 86.5 VANTAGE 1.27

4.48 59.7 98.3 3.93 147.9 2.6 33.5 15.9 32 1.82 960 0.65 92.25 0.84 12.82 24.85 58.5 240 108 90 60.5 266 1,935 86.8 1.27

4.46 59.2 97.4 3.9 142.6 2.43 33.4 15.7 31.4 1.81 959.5 0.64 89.9 0.83 12.76 24.75 58.1 238.2 108 88 57.45 261 1,930 86.5 1.26

ABOITIZ POWER 42 AGRINURTURE 11.22 ALLIANCE SELECT 0.75 ALSONS CONS 1.38 ASIABEST GROUP 19.2 BASIC ENERGY 0.217 CEMEX HLDG 4.98 CENTURY FOOD 15.22 CIRTEK HLDG 46 CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION 64 CONCRETE B 82 CROWN ASIA 1.92 DAVINCI CAPITAL 6.35 DEL MONTE 11.5 DNL INDUS 10.14 EAGLE CEMENT 14.78 EEI CORP 12.9 EMPERADOR 7.03 ENERGY DEVT 5.67 EUROMED 1.61 FIRST GEN 18.1 FIRST PHIL HLDG 65.65 GINEBRA 16.2 HOLCIM 12.4 INTEGRATED MICR 19.12 IONICS 1.77 JOLLIBEE 245.4 LIBERTY FLOUR 60.5 LMG CHEMICALS 4.96 MABUHAY VINYL 3.27 MANILA WATER 32 MAXS GROUP 19.84 MEGAWIDE 16.4 MERALCO 289 MG HLDG 0.211 PANASONIC 10.5 PEPSI COLA 2.95 PETROENERGY 6.46 PETRON 9.89 PHIL H2O 5.79 PHINMA 9.9 PHINMA ENERGY 1.75 PHX PETROLEUM 11.1 PILIPINAS SHELL 66 PRYCE CORP 6.45 PUREFOODS 308.2 RFM CORP 4.74 SFA SEMICON 2.19 SHAKEYS PIZZA 13.18 SPC POWER 4.61 SWIFT FOODS 0.14 TKC METALS 1.2 UNIV ROBINA 144 VICTORIAS 3.32 VITARICH 2.1 VIVANT 28.95 VULCAN INDL 0.97

42.75 11.26 0.76 1.38 19.26 0.22 5.17 15.3 46.75 18.6

VOLUME

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

5.4 0.315 0.435 0.51 6.68 26.35 1.82 3.18 37 1.04 0.85 6

5.41 0.325 0.435 0.51 6.68 26.6 1.83 3.19 37.05 1.05 0.87 6.12

5.34 0.315 0.415 0.49 6.5 26.35 1.81 3.13 36.25 1.03 0.85 5.94

5.39 0.315 0.425 0.495 6.58 26.4 1.81 3.14 36.8 1.05 0.87 6.1

14,454,700 14,380,000 4,170,000 6,695,000 2,026,600 620,000 130,000 220,000 17,204,100 1,027,000 28,000 2,029,700

77,907,870 4,597,350 1,766,200 3,326,290 13,329,303 16,381,390 235,810 690,780 630,189,060 1,068,390 23,960 12,297,948

15,126,086 -22,400 -8,600 -22,495 116,891 2,513,475 77,860 157,000 -110,953,265 -8,500 -54,030

2GO GROUP 19.66 ABS CBN 39.3 ACESITE HOTEL 1.62 APC GROUP 0.55 APOLLO GLOBAL 0.05 BERJAYA 5.06 BLOOMBERRY 10.08 BOULEVARD HLDG 0.071 CEBU AIR 111.4 CENTRO ESCOLAR 8.71 CHELSEA 9.15 DFNN INC 7.55 GLOBE TELECOM 2,036 GMA NETWORK 5.98 GOLDEN HAVEN 19 HARBOR STAR 2.26 IMPERIAL 2.79 INTL CONTAINER 102 IPEOPLE 11.88 IPM HLDG 8.39 ISLAND INFO 0.156 ISM COMM 1.37 JACKSTONES 3.29 LBC EXPRESS 15.86 LEISURE AND RES 4.05 LORENZO SHIPPNG 1.6 MACROASIA 18.14 MANILA BULLETIN 0.59 MANILA JOCKEY 2.83 MELCO RESORTS 6.8 METRO RETAIL 4.11 MLA BRDCASTING 17.04 NOW CORP 2.29 PACIFIC ONLINE 11.04 PAL HLDG 5.08 PHIL SEVEN CORP 175 PHILWEB 8.44 PLDT 1,697 PREMIUM LEISURE 1.46 PRMIERE HORIZON 0.395 PUREGOLD 51.6 ROBINSONS RTL 95.05 SBS PHIL CORP 6.14 SSI GROUP 4.22 STI HLDG 1.51 TRAVELLERS 4.08 WATERFRONT 1.09 WILCON DEPOT 8.25

19.7 39.35 1.67 0.55 0.053 5.06 10.24 0.071 113.4 8.99 9.58 7.55 2,036 6.05 19.7 2.63 2.79 103 12.28 8.39 0.156 1.4 3.29 16.1 4.17 1.67 19.22 0.59 2.92 6.95 4.2 17.04 2.29 11.04 5.08 175 8.6 1,710 1.46 0.395 51.9 95.3 6.25 4.3 1.56 4.08 1.09 8.59

19.6 38.85 1.61 0.53 0.05 5.06 10.04 0.069 111.4 8.71 9.15 7.55 2,010 5.97 18.1 2.21 2.78 101.7 11.88 8.35 0.155 1.37 3.1 15.86 4.02 1.43 18.14 0.55 2.81 6.75 4.03 17.02 2.25 11 5.02 175 8.31 1,680 1.44 0.395 51.2 93.55 6.09 4.18 1.51 3.97 1.01 8.25

SERVICES 19.7 86,500 39 42,000 1.62 494,000 0.55 2,332,000 0.051 59,070,000 5.06 2,300 10.04 3,539,100 0.07 12,810,000 112.5 602,170 8.99 800 9.43 3,341,400 7.55 1,000 2,016 35,240 6 438,900 19.1 67,900 2.57 32,172,000 2.79 24,000 102 1,479,240 12.28 14,800 8.38 282,900 0.155 5,080,000 1.39 10,000 3.21 376,000 16.04 14,900 4.07 866,000 1.44 26,981,000 19.2 5,580,700 0.58 264,000 2.92 123,000 6.8 6,983,800 4.2 1,133,000 17.02 2,800 2.28 1,290,000 11.04 9,900 5.04 2,400 175 4,910 8.6 453,200 1,710 120,505 1.44 5,562,000 0.395 870,000 51.75 1,300,800 93.8 938,490 6.25 39,700 4.3 23,062,000 1.56 2,562,000 4.01 1,056,000 1.04 15,001,000 8.59 4,343,900

1,699,686 1,641,245 799,770 1,236,580 3,028,730 11,638 35,795,526 896,560 67,931,652 7,133 31,417,198 8 7,550 71,066,140 2,628,702 1,279,500 78,804,540 66,740 150,952,400 175,904 2,372,153 788,390 13,810 1,171,840 238,082 3,506,420 42,426,130 104,624,064 147,910 355,650 47,692,860 4,661,410 47,662 2,930,700 109,146 12,084 859,250 3,830,458 204,887,545 8,111,590 343,650 67,288,836.50 88,395,569.5 ( 242,845 99,038,480 3,952,620 4,228,450 15,584,140 37,024,429

32,400 -36,400 -4,732,634 32,388,223 ,812,428.0003 -41,171,270 527,770 -84,835,891 1,550 -6,850 -72,640 -100,290 -7,249,554 -5,069,752 263,560 729,600.00 771,750 -37,998 -9,956,560 28,930 39,500 224,871.50 63,336,677.5) 165,700 3,574,740 317,480 701,030 -2,080 -799,197

ABRA MINING 0.0025 APEX MINING 1.72 ATLAS MINING 4.91 ATOK 16.38 BENGUET B 1.87 CENTURY PEAK 1.56 DIZON MINES 8.3 FERRONICKEL 2.63 GEOGRACE 0.265 LEPANTO A 0.194 LEPANTO B 0.195 MANILA MINING A 0.01 MARCVENTURES 1.84 NICKEL ASIA 6.89 NIHAO 1.72 OMICO CORP 0.51 ORNTL PENINSULA 1.02 ORNTL PETROL A 0.013 ORNTL PETROL B 0.013 PHILODRILL 0.012 PHINMA PETRO 2.47 PX MINING 7.65 PXP ENERGY 8.67 SEMIRARA MINING 42

0.0026 1.75 4.99 16.86 1.87 1.59 8.39 2.66 0.265 0.194 0.202 0.011 1.84 6.89 1.72 0.53 1.02 0.013 0.013 0.012 2.47 7.67 8.99 42.7

0.0024 1.71 4.8 16.38 1.87 1.53 8.25 2.6 0.26 0.187 0.195 0.01 1.83 6.74 1.68 0.51 1.02 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.45 7.55 8.4 41.65

MINING & OIL 0.0025 134,000,000 1.74 4,791,000 4.98 142,000 16.86 5,600 1.87 69,000 1.58 3,453,000 8.25 1,300 2.63 5,128,000 0.26 30,000 0.189 7,950,000 0.202 70,000 0.011 29,200,000 1.84 2,218,000 6.82 938,400 1.7 60,000 0.53 20,000 1.02 257,000 0.013 6,100,000 0.013 58,000,000 0.012 85,900,000 2.46 36,000 7.6 1,424,500 8.98 6,044,700 42 4,149,200

336,100 8,276,970 691,380 92,784 129,030 5,440,060 10,757 13,525,580 7,850 1,497,350 13,720 300,100 4,059,200 6,383,541 101,830 10,240 262,140 77,200 754,000 1,017,700 88,590 10,858,200 52,673,660 174,275,530

271,640 -4,810 -97,240 36,110 620,430 0 1,452,079 -40,800 -162,500 -58,960 -7,473,662 197,539 -105,556,500

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

1.05 5.7 38.9 76 76.5 77.3 78.1 78.25 79.35 81.15 81.25 106.4 108.1 112.8 520 530 540.5 1,012 1,065 1,146

1.06 5.71 38.9 76 76.5 77.3 78.1 78.25 79.4 82 81.25 106.4 108.1 112.9 520 535 540.5 1,012 1,065 1,150

1.05 5.68 38.1 75.95 76.5 77.15 78.1 78.2 79.05 81.15 81.25 105.3 108.1 100 515 530 540.5 1,012 1,065 1,146

PREFERRED 1.06 15,000 5.68 463,900 38.5 7,800 75.95 5,310 76.5 6,700 77.15 24,100 78.1 26,500 78.2 40,000 79.1 8,000 82 72,900 81.25 12,300 105.3 49,130 108.1 50 100 55,400 515 10,800 535 90 540.5 600 1,012 320 1,065 3,940 1,150 2,590

15,860 2,642,592 300,530 403,304.50 512,550 1,859,607 2,069,650 3,128,200 634,535 5,962,700 999,375 5,182,559 5,405 6,019,635 5,574,920 48,000 324,300 323,840 4,196,100 2,968,180

-2,540,182 -15,430 -162,500 -

LR WARRANT

2.41

2.45

2.4

WARRANTS 2.45 126,000

306,160

-12,050

6.17 2.87 4.5 5.58

5.7 2.87 4.41 5.48

SME 5.85 2.87 4.5 5.54

15,082,052 22,960 58,010 1,470,256

428,297 -111,394

FIRST METRO ETF 126.7

128.6

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 126.7 128.6 8,270

1,053,120

USD DMPL A1

10.54

73,780

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

OPEN

MS 500 2,100 7,512,000 14,000 159,000 17,110,000 560,000 479,100 4,434,000 50,000 19,670,000 8,574,000 63,000

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

6 2.87 4.41 5.52

10.54

TRADING SUMMARY

DDS 10.54

VALUE

FINANCIAL

13,254,472

962,047.385.83

INDUSTRIAL

86,980,912

1,731,664,776.76

HOLDING FIRMS

78,572,212

2,297,050,575.68

PROPERTY

146,897,780

1,370,359,410.775

SERVICES

221,729,309

1,218,705,530.91

MINING & OIL

350,155,344

280,925,246.7992

GRAND TOTAL

900,432,504

7,878,444,243.15

2,541,200 8,000 13,000 266,000

7,000

FINANCIAL 2,087.26 (up) 29.48 INDUSTRIAL 10,931.41 (down) 28.37 HOLDING FIRMS 8,736.91 (up) 70.54 PROPERTY 3,952.57 (up) 21.26 SERVICES 1,699.98 (down) 0.39 MINING & OIL 13,172.34 (up) 54.68 PSEI 8,487.37 (up) 55.64 All Shares Index 4,950.47 (up) 26.01 Gainers: 102; Losers: 97; Unchanged: 49; Total: 248

BPI set to raise P30b in October By Julito G. Rada BANK of the Philippine Islands, the fourth-largest lender in terms of assets, said Thursday it will issue the first tranche of long-term negotiable certificates of time deposits worth P30 billion this year to fund expansion. BPI said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it received the go-signal from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to issue the notes Thursday. BPI said it received an advice “that the Monetary Board approved the request of BPI for authority to issue longterm negotiable certificates of time deposit in the aggregate amount of up to P30 billion.” “The LTNCTD will be issued in one or more tranches with the first tranche targeted to be issued within the year, subject to prevailing market conditions. The issuance will support BPI’s expansion plans and diversify the bank’s funding sources,” BPI said. LTNCDs are time deposits that have a maturity of at least five years. The LTNCDs shall be insured with the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. for up to the maximum insurance coverage and subject to PDIC’s applicable rules and regulations. BPI sad it posted a 7.7-percent decline in net income to P11.7 billion from a year ago, because of lower trading gains. Total revenues closed flat at P35.3 billion, but net interest income increased 13.6 percent to P23.5 billion, supported by a wide average net interest margin and a higher loan-to-deposit ratio. Operating expenses increased 5.4 percent to P18.3 billion, on increased spending in technology and, to a lesser extent, higher regulatory costs.

Pryce’s income rises 32% to P943m By Alena Mae S. Flores PRYCE Corp. said Thursday consolidated net income increased 32 percent in the first nine months to P942.69 million from P712.9 million a year ago. “Income growth stemmed from a similarly strong growth in revenue of almost 37 percent, fueled mainly by a nearly 23.3-percent growth in liquefied petroleum gas sales volumes in the Visayas and Mindanao markets,” Pryce said in a disclosure to the stock exchange. Pryce said sales volume posted strong growth in the Visayas and Mindanao “notwithstanding a sharp increase in average LPG contract prices” which went up to $463 per metric ton this year from $329 per metric ton last year. LPG, the group’s main product, accounted for 93 percent of total sales reeves, while sales of industrial gases, real estate and pharmaceutical products accounted for the 7-percent balance. Pryce is optimistic of achieving its full-year net income goal, amid the strong nine-month financial performance. “The last quarter is historically the strongest of the year in terms of sales volume. Management expects to attain its net income target of P1.254 billion for the year, plus or minus 10 percent,” the company said. Operating expenses rose 16 percent to P612.47 million, on higher depreciation expenses as a result of the reappraisal conducted.

Manila

World

Standard FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

TODAY extrastory2000@gmail.com

World’s deepest lake in peril, scientists warn

QUALITY CONTROL. An employee checks out cognac at Cognac Hennessy’s new bottling plant on October 18, 2017 in Salles-d’Angles. AFP

Suicide attack kills 43 Afghan soldiers KANDAHAR―At least 43 Afghan soldiers were killed in a Taliban-claimed suicide attack on a military base in southern Afghanistan on Thursday, officials said, the third assault on a security installation this week. Just two soldiers are known to have survived unscathed after the attack on the base in the Chashmo area of Maiwand district in Kandahar province, the defense ministry said in a statement, adding that nine soldiers were wounded and six unaccounted for. Defense ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri told AFP the attackers detonated at least one explosive-packed Humvee vehicle and razed the compound in the early morning assault. “We think the militants used an explosive-packed Humvee vehicle to detonate the gate of the base and we are looking to see if there was more than one,” Waziri said. “Unfortunately there is nothing left inside the camp. They have burned down everything they found inside.” The Taliban claimed the ambush in a message to journalists that said all 60 security personnel on the base were killed. AFP

G7 to put squeeze on internet giants I

SCHIA, Italy―Tech giants including Google, Facebook and Twitter will come under pressure in Italy this week to go further and faster in helping G7 powers tackle the ever-greater threat of extremists online. A two-day meet of Group of Seven interior ministers, which kicks off on the Italian island of Ischia on Thursday, comes just days after US-backed forces took full control of Raqa in Syria, which had become a byword for atrocities carried out by the Islamic State group. Despite the breakthrough in the battle against IS, the head of Britain’s domestic intelligence service said Wednesday that the UK was facing its most

severe terrorist threat ever, particularly due to the spread of jihadist material online. MI5 head Andrew Parker said attacks could now accelerate rapidly from inception to action, and “this pace, together with the way extremists can exploit safe spaces online, can make threats harder to detect”. In a first for a G7 meet, representatives from Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Twit-

ter will take part in the talks between the seven ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. “The internet plays a decisive role in radicalization. Over 80 percent of conversations and radicalization happen online,” said Italy’s Marco Minniti, who is hosting the summit on the volcanic island off Naples. In June, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube announced the launch of an anti-terror partnership, the “Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism”, aimed at thwarting the spread of extremist content online. Facebook has launched campaigns in Belgium, Britain,

France and Germany to develop “best practices”. And in September, Twitter touted victories in the battle against tweets promoting extremist violence, saying it has been vanquishing those kinds of accounts before governments even ask. But last month top Western counter-terror chiefs said they need more support from social media companies to detect potential threats, particularly with jihadist attacks increasingly being carried out by home-grown “lone wolves”. Tough privacy laws and protections enjoyed by the largely US-based web giants are impeding authorities, they said. AFP

Forces comb Raqa after ejecting IS RAQA, Syria―Two days after retaking Raqa from Islamic State group jihadists and dealing their dreams of statehood a fatal blow, US-backed forces combed the ruins of the Syrian city for survivors and bombs. A lightning final assault by the Syrian Democratic Forces on Tuesday saw jihadist defenSes collapse faster than expected as the SDF claimed a landmark victory in the three-year fight against IS. SDF fighters flushed jihadist holdouts from Raqa’s main hospital and municipal stadium, wrapping up more than four months of fighting to seize what used to be the inner sanctum of IS’s self-proclaimed “caliphate”. On Wednesday, SDF forces fired into the air and danced the traditional Middle Eastern dabke line dance to blaring music amid the otherwise eerie silence of the city. Inside the stadium, the militia’s flag was raised as bulldozers worked to clear the ground of explosives that IS had strewn throughout the city. AFP

Serial killer’s execution delayed CHICAGO―Texas delayed a confessed serial killer’s execution Wednesday to investigate lastminute revelations that potentially connect him to another murder for which someone else is awaiting execution. Anthony Shore was to be put to death for raping, torturing and murdering three girls and a young woman in Houston between 1986 and 1995. But prosecutors feared he was going to posthumously via a note―and falsely―confess to another murder, for which a fellow Texas death row inmate is to be executed next month. In a July search of Shore’s prison cell, authorities discovered materials relating to the 1998 murder of 19-year-old college student Melissa Trotter, including copies of court exhibits and crime scene photographs. Larry Swearingen was convicted of Trotter’s murder and is to be executed on November 18. AFP

MOSCOW―Lake Baikal is undergoing its gravest crisis in recent history, experts say, as the government bans the catching of a signature fish that has lived in the world’s deepest lake for centuries but is now under threat. Holding one-fifth of the world’s unfrozen fresh water, Baikal in Russia’s Siberia is a natural wonder of “exceptional value to evolutionary science”, meriting its listing as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Baikal’s high biodiversity includes over 3,600 plant and animal species, most of which are endemic to the lake. Over the past several years, however, the lake, a major international tourist attraction, has been crip-

Cave on moon can house astronauts

ARRIVAL. Former US President Bill Clinton waves as he arrives for a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May at Downing street in London on October 19, 2017. AFP

Barack Obama returns to political arena R ICH MON D ―Ba rack Obama is returning to the political arena for the first time in months after keeping a low profile and avoiding direct confrontation with his White House successor. The 56-year-old former president is scheduled to attend campaign rallies in New Jersey and Virginia on Thursday to support Demo-

cratic party candidates for governor. Voters in both states will decide the gubernatorial contests on November 7, one year after Donald Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton and stormed into the White House on a wave of antiestablishment fury. The races are a potential indicator of voter sentiment

ahead of the 2018 midterm elections, which will be a major test for Trump and his Republican party. “There are only two big elections this year, for governor in NJ and VA,” political science professor Larry Sabato told AFP. “What’s at stake is bragging rights headed into the 2018 midterm elections,” Sabato said. AFP

TOKYO―Scientists at Japan’s space agency have discovered a huge moon cave that could one day house a base that would shelter astronauts from dangerous radiation and wild temperature swings, officials said Thursday. Data taken from Japan’s SELENE lunar orbiter has confirmed the existence of the 50-kilometer long and 100-meterwide cavern that is believed to be a lava tube created by volcanic activity about 3.5 billion years ago. The major finding was published this week in US science magazine Geophysical Research Letters. “We’ve known about these locations that were thought to be lava tubes...but their existence has not been confirmed until now,” Junichi Haruyama, a researcher at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, told AFP on Thursday. The underground tunnel, located under an area called the Marius Hills, would help protect astronauts from huge swings in temperature and damaging radiation that they would be exposed to on the moon’s surface, he added. AFP

pled by a series of detrimental phenomena, some of which remain a mystery to scientists. They include the disappearance of the omul fish, the rapid growth of putrid algae and the death of endemic species of sponges across its vast 3.2 million-hectare (7.9 million-acre) area. Starting in October, the government introduced a ban on all commercial fishing of omul, a species of the salmon family only found in Baikal, fearing “irreversible consequences for its population”, the Russian fisheries agency told AFP. “The total biomass of omul in Baikal has more than halved since 15 years ago” from 25 million tons to just 10 million, the agency said. AFP

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that HAYES SOLAR ENERGY CORPORATION is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as Renewable Energy Developer of Solar Energy Resources [27.27 MW DC (22.5 MWAC) Hayes Solar Power Project] at the Phividec Industrial Estate of Misamis Oriental Special Economic Zone, Tagoloan & Villanueva, Misamis Oriental to avail of the incentives under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513). Any person with valid objection/s on the abovementioned project may file his/ her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD) NESTOR P. ARCANSALIN Director Resource-based Industries Service (MS-OCT. 20, 2017)

Republic of the Philippines Department of Finance Securities and Exchange Commission IN THE MATTER OF

: : REGISTRATION OF COMMERCIAL PAPERS CITYLAND, INC. : : x----------------------------------------x

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on 13 October 2017 a sworn Registration Statement was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on behalf of CITYLAND, INC. for the registration of Seven Hundred Million Pesos (Php700,000,000.00) worth of Commercial Papers. According to the papers presented, the following persons are the officers/directors of the corporation: Name Stephen C. Roxas Andrew I. Liuson Grace C. Liuson Josef C. Gohoc Paul Y. Ung Peter S. Dee Alice C. Gohoc Helen C. Roxas Emma A. Choa Rudy Go Eden F. Go Melita M. Revuelta Romeo E. Ng Melita L. Tan Rosario D. Perez Atty. Emma G. Jularbal

Position Director/Chairman of the Board Director/Vice Chairman of the Board Director/Deputy Vice Chairman of the Board Director/President Independent Director Independent Director Director Director Executive Vice President/Treasurer Senior Vice President/Compliance Officer Vice President Vice President/Assistant Corporate Secretary Vice President Vice President Vice President-Executive Affairs Vice President-Legal Affairs/Corporate Secretary

Said registration statement and other papers/documents attached thereto (collectively known as *RS*) are open to inspection by interested parties during business hours, and copies thereof, photostatic or otherwise, shall be furnished to any party, upon request, at such fees as the Commission may prescribe. The RS and the Prospectus dated 13 October 2017 and the corresponding updated version may be downloaded from www.cityland.net.

VICENTE GRACIANO P. FELIZMENIO, JR. Director Markets and Securities Regulation Department (MS-OCT. 20 & 23, 2017)

lines 4 to 6-1 by Road Lot 12, both of the conso. subdivision plan xxx containing an area of Three Hundred Seventy Nine (379) square meters. xxx xxx xxx”

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION OFFICE OF THE EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF QUEZON CITY BDO UNIBANK, INC., (formerly BANCO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC.), Mortgagee/s, -versus-

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 004-2017000713 Registry of Deeds-Quezon City

FRE NO. 11852

ERNIE C. TORRADO, Mortgagor/s x-----------------------------------x

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE OF REAL PROPERTY UNDER ACT 3135 (AS AMENDED)

*A parcel of land (Lot 52, Block 8, of the conso. subdivision plan, Pcs-04-000820, being a portion of the cons. of Lot 47-A and 47-B, Psd-9299, Lot 54-A and 54-B, Psd.-16445, LRC Rec. No. 1037), situated in the Capitol District, Quezon City, Metro Manila. Bounded on the NW.,along line 1-2-3-4, by Road Lot 12, along line 4-5 by Lot 53, Block 8, both of the conso. subdivision plan; and on the SE., and SW., along lines 5-6-1 by Lot 51 (Open space) Block 8, all of the conso. subdivision plan xxx containing an area of Four Hundred Two (402) square meters. xxx xxx xxx” All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned at the aforesaid office on the above stated date and time.

UPON extra-judicial petition under ACT 3135, as amended by ACT 4118, and pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Deed of Real Estate Mortgage executed on January 31, 2017 by ERNIE C. TORRADO – No. 159 Chico Street, Project 2, Quezon City/Lots 52 and 53, Block 8, Road Lot 12, Filinvest 2, Brgy. Bagong Silangan, Quezon City, Mortgagor/s in favor of BDO UNIBANK, INC. (formerly BANCO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC.), Mortgagee/s, Interested parties are hereby to satisfy the mortgage debt in enjoined to investigate for the amount of P 7,432,274.21 themselves the title/s to the as of September 1, 2017 said property/ies and the inclusive/exclusive of interest, encumbrances thereon, if there penalties, attorney’s fees and be any. other charges together with all the lawful fees and expenses In the event that public auction of foreclosure sale, the Ex- should not take place on said Officio Sheriff of the Regional date due to fortuitous event or Trial Court of Quezon City and/ if the same be declared a nonor his duly authorized Deputy working holiday, it shall be held Sheriff, hereby announces on DECEMBER 5, 2017 at the that on November 23, 2017 same time and place without between the hours of 9:00 further notice. A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Office Quezon City, Metro Manila, of Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff, Regional Trial Court, OCTOBER 6, 2017. Hall of Justice Bldg., Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, (Sgd.) MANUEL S. PANLASIGUI will SELL through public auction Sheriff IV to the highest bidder and for cash, in Philippine Currency, (Sgd.) GREGORIO C. TALLUD Clerk of Court VII and the following described real Ex-Officio Sheriff property/ies with all the improvements existing thereon, WARNING: It is absolutely to wit: prohibited to remove, deface TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF or Destroy this Notice of Sheriff’s Sale on or Before the TITLE NO. 004-2017000712 Registry of Deeds-Quezon City date of the auction sale under

*A parcel of land (Lot 53, Block 8, of the conso. subdivision plan, Pcs-04-000820, being a portion of the conso. of Lot 47-A and 47-B, Psd-9299, Lot 54-A and 54-B, Psd.-16445, LRC Rec. No. 1037), situated in the Capitol District, Quezon City, Metro Manila. Bounded on the NW.,along line 1-2, by Lot 54, Block 8 (Payatas Impt. Co.) on the SE., along line 3-4 by Lot 52, Block 8; and on the SW., along

penalty of the law.

Copy Furnished: BDO UNIBANK, INC. (formerly BANDO DE ORO UNIBANK, INC.) 11th Floor, South Tower, BDO Corporate Center, 7899 Makati Avenue, Makati City ERNIE C. TORRADO No. 159 Chico Street, Project 2, Quezon City Lots 52 and 53, Block 8, Road Lot 12, Filinvest 2, Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City (MS-Oct. 20, 27 & Nov. 3, 2017)

P2.5b set for QC children’s programs

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

friday, october 20, 2017

By Rio N. Araja

LGUs LocaL government units

BACLARAN SWEEP. Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez (center), Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Danny Lim (right) and their respective personnel inspect the area around

Redemptorist Church in Baclaran to transfer some 3,000 vendors in an equal area to sell their goods and merchandise this Christmas season. Lim also visited the site of a flea market to be build by the city government where all vendors in Baclaran will be transferred, in a bid to solve the traffic congestion in the area and address the problem of illegal vendors there.

2-m tourists for CAr

By Dexter A. See

AGUIO CITY—Tourism industry stakeholders have projected close to two million tourist arrivals in the Cordillera region this year, helping spur economic growth and development in the countryside. Maria Venus Q. Tan, Department of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region regional director, said for the

first six months of this year, the region saw over 959,000 foreign and domestic tourist arrivals in the different parts

of the region, with Baguio accounting for over 730,000 arrivals. Last year, data obtained from the DoT-CAR showed a total of 1,788,648 foreign and domestic tourist arrivals around the region. Domestic tourists numbered 1,670,484, while foreign tourists totaled 117,241 and balikbayans were at 923 arrivals. DoT-CAR projected 1,878,080 total tourists regionwide, with domestic tourists projected at

1,754,008, foreign tourists pegged at 123,103, and balikbayans to be 969 arrivals. The tourist arrivals in 2016 were already 19.87 percent more than the 1.49 million posted in 2015, and 87.3 percent more than the 955,133 recorded in 2011, the agency added. Based on the tourist arrivals for the first semester of this year, the region will overshoot its projections considering the influx of tourists during the last

quarter of the year, DOTCAR. The region is popular during the Christmas season and even for the long weekends this November. Tan said there has been a sustained influx of visitors to Baguio and other preferred destinations in the region during weekends because of the easier access to the city from the lowlands courtesy of the 88-kilometer Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. TPLEX has reduced travel time from Metro Manila to as

In BrIef

Tacloban housing almost complete TACLOBAN CITY— Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez on Thursday reported that 12,545 housing units are almost fully constructed for the survivors of Super Typhoon “Yolanda.” The city was the hardest hit by the typhoon on Nov. 8, 2013, which killed thousands and destroyed houses and other properties. In a letter, Romualdez thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for the 10,734 houses that are now occupied by the surviving families. “On behalf of the City of Tacloban, I am personally thanking you for the swift action on building the housing for “Yolanda” victims and relocation program,” she told the President. Romualdez highlighted the vital role that Michael Diňo of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Visayas played in setting the tone and pace of the rehabilitation efforts, and commended Diňo for hurdling the bureaucratic red tape and mobilizing government agencies. Robbie Pangilinan

low as 3 hours. She attributed the sustained growth in tourist arrivals in the region “to the aggressive development of the different road networks that link to the leading tourist destinations in the different parts of the region.” Tan expressed her gratitude to the “overwhelming support” provided by the local governments in aggressively promoting their existing and soon-to-be explored tourist spots.

SAYING child care is Quezon City’s “critical” concern, Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista on Thursday vowed to promote children’s rights. He lauded the city council for the passage of a landmark measure in 2012—the Quezon City Children’s Code—that has provided continuing support for various childfriendly programs and earmarked one percent of the Internal Revenue Allotment for the city’s local development plan for children. “In fact, we have allocated more than that for the actual programs. Out of our city budget of P17.53 billion in 2016, including the special education fund, our city government has allotted an aggregate of P2.525 billion, or 14.4 percent of the city funds for programs for children,” Bautista said. He said the city government has made investments in children’s survival, education, protection from abuse and violence, and even youth participation. According to Bautista, 20 percent of the city’s child population is younger than 10 years old, and 30 percent is younger than 15 years. City health officials have implemented programs to promote child birth, he said. “Even from the time they are in the womb, the city wants to ensure that babies are born full term, healthy and wanted.” Maternal mortality rate has dropped substantially from 54.91 per 100,000 live births to 49 percent per 100,000 in 2016, Bautista noted.

Spot of first Mass in CagVal traced BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—A scheduled trek of local mountaineers led them to discover the historical and eco-tourism value of a mountain in Sta. Fe town. The team of Nueva Vizcaya Mountaineering Society recently visited barangay Bantinan where a mountain, which has long been forgotten, offers historical significance on the first Catholic Mass ever conducted by the Spaniards in Cagayan Valley. Mount “Kudoh,” as it was called by the Kalanguya tribe elders, means a cross erected a hundred years ago. “The cross was no longer there, but barangay as well as municipal officials claimed the presence of the cross as passed by their grandparents,” said Genaro Basilio Jr., chief of the provincial government’s public affairs and information assistance division. Ben Moses Ebreo

RESILIENCE COUNCIL. The National Resilience Council, led by the Department of National Defense and Hans Sy of SM Prime (center, front row) was launched to enable government and the private sectors to work together to make the country resilient to disasters. Present at the council’s launch were convenor Ambassador Roberto Romulo, Senator Loren Legarda, NRC vice chairman Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, and ARISE board members at SM Aura in Taguig City. Manny Palmero

Central Luzon SMEs earn P40m from trade fair By Romeo Dizon SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—Christmas came early for 156 small and medium enterprises in Central Luzon as they overshot their target of P35 million in earnings from the recent Likha ng Central Luzon trade fair held at the SM Mega Mall Trade Hall in Mandaluyong City.

Malou Balano, executive director of Philexport in Central Luzon, said the enterprises’ earnings reached P40 million based on the initial returns from the four-day trade fair. Digna Romero, trade and industry supervisor of the Department of Trade and Industry in Central Luzon, said they cannot yet determine the

top province or enterprise topgrosser as they are still validating the figures. “We have to determine the top grosser based cash on book and purchase order [PO],” Romero said. The trade fair is the showcase of the best products under the One Town, One Product program of the DTI in support of the Central Lu-

zon Growth Corridor Foundation of the seven governors in the region. The local manufacturers who participated in shows with their markings include 47 Vida Pampanga, 35 with Tatak Bulacan, 21 Taas Noo Novo Ecijano,16 Natural Tarlac,13 of Galing Bataan,13 Siempre Aurora, and 11 with Zambales’ Finest.

SM Foundation seeks scholars SM Foundation is now accepting applications for its scholarship program for academic year 20182019. Online application is available through the SM Foundation website www.sm-foundation.org, where a list of partner colleges and universities are available. Those interested to apply may e-mail education@sm-foundation. org or call 552-7013 or 857-0100, locals 1681, 1684, 1687 & 1688. Qualified to apply for the pro-

gram are public high school graduates and private high school graduates with DepEd vouchers after completing Grade 10 from public schools in certain covered areas across the country. Applicants must be fourth year high school or grade 12 graduating students with a general weighted average of at least 88 percent by the second of third grading period. Their total household income must also be at most P150,000 per year.

KSK IN CEBU. Eighty participants who comprised batch 144 of SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ Training program show their diplomas as they completed their training in Barangay Sudlon II, Cebu City. Small vegetable farmers and beneficiaries of the government’s 4Ps program were among the graduates. The KSKS consists of training programs for both rural and urban farmers.

Noveleta conducts Health Summit NOVELETA, Cavite—The local government here led by Mayor Dino Reyes Chua recently held a Health Summit for locals in coordination with the Provincial Health Office. The LGU provided quality healthcare services at the Public Market rooftop, where volunteers from the provincial government’s medical mission team, the Philippine National Red Cross, Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, St. Paul College, and the Department of Health supported the mayor’s program. Thousands of locals availed of services such as pediatric and adult consultation, dental extraction, family planning counseling, HIV and blood sugar testing, urinalysis, pneumonia vaccination and blood donation.

Bataan board, NCIP sign pact for Aetas BALANGA CITY, Bataan—The Provincial Board headed by Vice Governor Cris Garcia has authorized Governor Abet Garcia to sign an agreement with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples to fund and issue a certificate of ancestral domain title for the Aeta communities in the province. “All the members of the provincial board are supportive of Aetas in the province,” the vice governor said. Board Member Danilo Salonga, representative of the Aetas, said the NCIP has submitted a proposed budget of P5.96 million for the delineation and titling of the remaining ancestral lands and domains in Bataan. NCIP has committed to undertake the project, from social preparation up to registration and awarding of the corresponding Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles in accordance to the approved work and financial plan. Butch Gunio

Life

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

culture and media

fRIday, octoBeR 20, 2017

on stage

‘Hair’ back on stage H

air, the first-ever tribal love-rock musical on Broadway, is the year-end grand musicale of Repertory Philippines’ (REP) 2017 season. Relive the rocking spirit of the '60s in this iconic production from Nov. 17 to Dec. 17 at Onstage Theater in Greenbelt 1. set in the tumultuous 1960’s, the twentysomethings of New York City band together to form a tribe—the hippies—as a cry of protest against the Vietnam War. The story follows native Oklahoma farm boy Claude, irrepresswho meets the energetic, irrepress ible tribe of Central Park hippies on his way to enlist in the Us U Army. This free-spirited tribe, led by the charismatic Berger, inspires Claude to rebel against the war, his parents, and society, and to assert love, peace and freedom.

From its groundbreaking use of rock music in theater to its fearless depiction of the decade’s stark realities—from the bohemian underground, the sexual revolution, and the violent anti-war movement—Hair is an unforgettable and iconic production that is truly a product of its time, and continues to be a relevant piece of theater up to today. The angst and energy of the era is captured in the show’s amazing musical score with classic hits like “Let the sun shine in,” “Aquarius,” and “Good Morning starshine.” Hair even won the 1969 Grammy Award for Best score from An Original Cast show Al-

bum, while its 2009 Broadway revival earned the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. in REP’s version of this award-winning production, Markki Stroem alternates with Topper Fabregas as Claude with George Schulze as Berger, Caisa Borromeo as sheila, and a stellar cast of young performers. Chris Millado directs the grand musicale with Ejay Yatco as musical director. You won’t be able to resist getting pulled into this phenomenon with book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and music by Galt McDermot. Don’t miss REP’s final offering for the season. Purchase your tickets by calling REP at 843 3570 or Ticketworld at 891 9999, or log on to www.ticketworld.com.ph. For updates and show schedules, log on to www.repertoryphilippines.ph, like and follow repertoryphilippines on Facebook and instagram, and follow @repphils on Twitter.

choral music

2017 MBC

National Choral Competition regional eliminations AsiA’s largest radio network has launched this year’s MBC National Choral Competition, aiming to scour the countryside anew to attract the best vocal ensembles from around the Philippine archipelago. The nationwide search, launched by Manila Broadcasting Company in 2007, is considered the biggest all-inclusive choral competition in the Philippines today and forms part of the network’s pre-Christmas activities. it features competitions for children’s choirs and an open category for schools, churches, residential communities, companies, government agencies, and special interest groups who may want to take part. The grand prize winner in the children’s choir category will receive P100,000 while the champion in the open category takes home P150,000. Auditions are being conducted in iloilo (Oct. 14); star Theater (Oct. 15); Zamboanga (Oct. 20); Laoag (Oct. 27) and Cauayan (Oct. 29) . Choirs from other provinces may opt to send an application packet consisting of a high-quality audition video along with the application form, which must be received

at the MBC head office in Pasay on or before Oct. 16. Provincial ensembles that qualify will each receive a travel subsidy to help defray costs of travelling to Manila for the competition proper scheduled on Dec. 5-9, 2017 at Aliw Theater. Previous winners of the MBC National Choral Competition include Hiyas ng Pilipinas, Quezon City Performing Arts Foundation Children’s Choir, Coro de Manila, University of the Visayas Chorale, st Louis University Glee Club, Laoag City Children’s Choir, the University of Baguio, Boscorale, and Capitol University Glee Club. Detailed mechanics are downloadable from the official Facebook page of the MBC National Choral Competitions. To register or inquire about other details, contact Yes FM Cauayan – 0917-433-0344; Love Radio iloilo – 0917-501-7070; Easy Rock Cebu – 0917-315-3539; Love Radio Gensan – 0916-509-2222; Love Radio Lucena – 0916-743-6757; Love Radio Laoag – 0915-406-9800; YesFM Zamboanga – 0917-105-1555 and email siouxstar@ gmail.com for the Mega-Manila auditions.

Topper Fabregas play the lead character Claude

Markki Stroem plays Claude

Caisa Borromeo plays Sheila

George Schulze as Berger

Architect Funk’s plans

for Benilde’s architecture curriculum

3-time MBC National Choral Competition champion Hiyas ng Pilipinas

CONsTRUCTiON and Project Management, Preservation and Conservation, Urban Planning and Design, and Design Journalism and Critique specializations are set to be offered in the revamped 2018 curriculum of De La salle-College of saint Benilde’s (DLs-CsB) Architecture Program, as disclosed by Environment studies Cluster Associate Dean Architect Maria Cynthia Funk. Other features of the degree include integration of Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CAAD), the provision of business, construction and project management classes, all under a course sequence that follows international standards, spearheaded by a nurturing faculty. “Our program is designed to train better designers and architects. This is one of the reasons behind the success of Ria An-

gelica Zamudio, who placed eighth in the most recent Architecture board exams,” expressed Funk. To prepare for the licensure exam, the college likewise offers formal review classes, supplemented by free library access for reviews and group study sessions, and a team of mentors who are available for consultations, either in face-to-face or online exchanges. “Our students are educated to be responsible designers by inspiring, encouraging, and empowering them to think outside of the box, granting them the freedom and the mandate to be visionaries and to keep on pushing the envelope. And at the end of the day, have the confidence to discuss and impart their ideas in a convincingly strong passion. To follow, but to follow critically. To lead, but lead with humility.” she concluded.

Architect Maria Cynthia Funk

Secret of success of Top 10 architecture board passer Laoag City Children's Choir

QC Performing Arts Foundation Children's Choir

munities for the better. in line A POsiTiVE attitude and with this, i am a person who a focused curriculum were believes in purposeful design keys to the success of Ria — one that creates meaningful Angelica Zamudio, the De connections between people La salle-College of saint and the built environment.” Benilde (DLs-CsB) graduTo prepare its students for the ate who ranked eighth in the board, the college offered forJune 2017 Architect Licenmal review classes, gave alumni sure Examination. free access to its library for reArchitecture Program Proviews and group study sessions, fessor Larry Carandang, and provided a team of mentors under whom Zamudio took who are available for consultaBuilding science and Fountions, either in face-to-face or dation Design courses, said, online exchanges. “she started modest in the While Benilde’s Archifreshman years, but because tecture program is a new ofshe was willing to learn, she fering, Environment studies quickly started to outshine Cluster Associate Dean Arothers who started better than her.” June 2017 Architecture Licensure Examination board passer Ria Zamudio chitect Maria Cynthia Funk stated that its graduates perin an interview, Zamudio a (middle) with her father Gerardo and mother Nilda formed well in five past licenBs Architecture-Architectursure examinations. al Design degree holder from in addition to Zamudio, another alumnus, the college, explained her viewpoint on her als, philosophies, and style. Architecture is field, “i believe that architecture is more a tool that, when used thoughtfully, has the Nielsen Uy, took 10th place in a past Archithan just an extension of one’s personal ide- power to engage individuals and shape com- tecture board exam.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Life

friday, october 20, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

FANTASMAGORICAL. Resorts World Manila stages, for the first time in the Philippines, Ian Fleming's musical 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' featuring an all-Filipino cast, including Gian Magdangal, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Raymond Concepcion, Yannah Laurel, Isabeli Araneta Elizalde and more.

‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’

premieres at Resorts World Manila R

eSORTS World Manila, in cooperation with Full House Theater Company, sets the Newport Performing Arts Theater stage for the premiere of Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the Philippines on Oct. 21.

Originally a bedtime story book written by Fleming, the creator of James Bond, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was first released as a film in 1968. The english musical was first staged at the London Palladium in 2002, and became its longest running show ever with a three-and-a-half-year run. A UK tour also ran from 2005 until 2008. The musical follows the adventures of

eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts and his two children Jeremy and Jemima. Potts’s flying and floating car invention, named Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, brings him and his family to an exhilarating trip to rescue Grandpa from the greedy Baron Bomburst who wants to steal the car. More twists and turns ensue as the Potts take Chitty for a one-of-a-kind ride.

The first Philippine staging of the British musical on the NPAT stage features an all-Filipino cast headlined by stage actor Gian Magdangal, who marks his return to the country after three years of performing at Hong Kong Disneyland and Universal Studios in Japan. Magdangal takes on the role of Caractacus Potts, while stage actress Yanah Laurel plays his love interest Truly Scrumptious. Twelve-year-old Noel Comia, a two-time Aliw Awardee for Best Child Performer and recent Cinemalaya Festival’s Best Lead Actor, alternates with 11year old stage actor Albert Silos as Jeremy Potts. Isabeli Araneta Elizalde returns to the NPAT stage after her breakthrough per-

formance in RWM’s Annie as Jemima Potts; elizalde alternates with Zoey Alvarade. Completing the cast is seasoned theater actor and Full House artistic director Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo as Baroness Bomburst, Raymond Concepcion as Baron Bomburst, FHTC co-artistic director Michael Williams as Toymaker, Lorenz Martinez as Childcatcher, Mako Alonso as Boris, and Reb Atadero as Goran. For its eighth production, RWM is pulling all the stops to present a full-packed show complete with comedy, action, romance, drama, and fantasy. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is directed by Jaime Del Mundo, with assistant direction by Lauchengco-Yulo and

artistic direction by Williams. “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has always been on the table because given the enormity of the NPAT stage, we always have to put shows that have spectacle,” shares Lauchengco-Yulo. Producers promise the audience at NPAT a flying car, which according to them is one of the most expensive theater props of all time. “it’s very ambitious but we all agree that it’s a great choice,” enthuses Lauchengco-Yulo. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang opens on Oct. 21 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Resorts World Manila. Visit www.rwmanila.com or call (02) 908-8833 for inquiries and more details. – Bernadette Lunas

5 finalists to AirAsia’s CreateCamp

The young storytellers will travel around the country and undergo trainings Republic of the Philippines Office of the President

PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

PDEA Bldg., NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Barangay Pinyahan Quezon City 1100, Philippines www.pdea.gov.ph

Invitation to Bid for Supply of Labor and Materials for the Renovation of PDEA ANNEX Building (Re-Bid) Bid Reference No. 2017-25 1.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), thru its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) Capital Outlay 2017 intends to apply the sum of FIFTEEN MILLION PESOS (Php15,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the Supply of Labor and Materials for the Renovation of PDEA Annex Building. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) now invites bids for Supply of Labor and Materials for the Renovation of PDEA Annex Building. Completion of the Works is required 180 working days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in SECTION II Instructions to Bidders.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy-five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 4:00PM only.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidders on October 16, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty-five Thousand pesos only (Php25,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on October 18, 2017 at 10:00AM at PDEA DDGA’s Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City 1100, which shall be open to prospective bidders. Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before October 30, 2017 at 10:00AM. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Five students from Manila, Baguio, Cebu and iloilo were named finalists of #AirAsiaCreateCamp, the airline’s social media reality search for young, aspiring, and creative individuals who will showcase their best photography and videography skills to become part of AirAsia’s community of online storytellers. The competition, which aims to develop and empower young Filipino talents by providing mentorship programs, technical know-how, and support, opened the search in July with over 500 entries received online. After an initial judging period, participants were narrowed down to 50 with select panel of judges declaring top five entries based on creativity, originality, and quality of storytelling. AirAsia Philippines CeO Captain Dexter Comendador said, “We are amazed with the quality of work from these young talents and this competition highlights just how much talent and skills are just out there waiting to be discovered, supported, and be given a platform to

iN A bid to meld together creativity, technology, and innovation, Apple Premium Reseller Beyond the Box is collaborating with three diverse and talented female artists for the second issue of Beyond, a comic book compilation drawn entirely on the iPad Pro. Currently emerging to prominence as some of the country’s most promising artists, Julienne Dadivas (also known as Hulyen), Mika Bacani, and Rian Gonzales are all set to exhibit their REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION

BRANCH 113, PASAY CITY GRAMERCY FERNANDEZNAGATA, Petitioner, -versusCIVIL CASE NO. R-PSY-17-27339-CV For: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage KAZUYUKI NAGATA Respondent, x---------------------------------------x

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat c/o Mr. Arvin E Sadullo or Ms. Jella P. Palacios at the PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM only, Mondays to Fridays starting October 16, 2017 at Tel No. (632)920-8082. However, any queries relative to the contents of the bid documents and the project requirements can only be made by bidders who purchased the bid documents not later than Ten (10) days prior to the Submission and Opening of Bids.

A Motion with Leave of Court to Serve Summons by Publication was filed by the petitioner through counsel, copy of which was furnished to the Office of the Solicitor General, and the Trial Prosecutor.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. Ms. Jella P. Palacios or Mr. Arvin E Sadullo PDEA-Logistics Management Service PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City Tel No. (632)920-8082 (SGD) JESUS A FAJARDO, MMOAS Deputy Director General for Administration Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee

(MS-OCT. 20, 2017)

shine. We are proud to bring finalist from Northern Luzon, Manila and visayas to compete for the first-ever social media reality show.” The five finalists are Paul Garrido from Mapua institute of Tech-

nology; Raymond Baguilat from University of Baguio; Beatrice Paragas from the University of the Philippines; Angela Cara Durano from De La Salle University in Cebu; and John Paul Saluba from

Beyond the Box taps female artists for comic book collaboration

Bid opening shall be on October 30, 2017 at 10:00AM at PDEA DDGA’s Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City 1100. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

10. For further information, please refer to:

AirAsia Philippines names the five CreateCamp finalists: Paul Garrido, Raymond Baguilat, Beatrice Paragas, Angela Cara Durano, and John Paul Saluba

University of iloilo. They will travel to Bohol, Palawan, Tacloban, and the Cordilleras region and undergo rigid trainings and workshops for a month. Their journey is documented and shared in AirAsia’s social media platforms and the public can vote for their favorite among the finalists. AirAsia storytellers Patrick Martin, Kyrke Jaleco, Neila Lomotan, Ayendela Torre, Rachel Halili, Javi Cang, Enzo Cruz, Benj Ramos and Paolo Cuarteron are mentoring them. The grand winner will receive over a million pesos worth of prizes including AirAsia Philippines flights to domestic and international destinations, Apple Macbook Pro 13, Nikon D5600, fully sponsored three-day/two-night stay at Amorita Resorts in Bohol, and will become an official member of AirAsia Storytellers community. Keep updated with AirAsia’s CreateCamp search via #AirAsiaCreateCamp and #CreateCamp or go to www.airasiacreatecamp.com.

ORDER

Allegedly service of summons to the respondent cannot be served personally for the reason that he is not residing /unknown at the given address. WHEREFORE, as prayed for, let the service of Summons in the above-entitled case be served through publication in a newspaper of general circulation at least, once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks. SO ORDERED. Pasay City, Metro October 3, 2017.

Manila,

(Sgd.) CARIDAD H. GRECIACUERDO JUDGE

SUMMONS

KAZUYUKI NAGATA Blk-6 Lot-11 Coastalwood, Brgy. Ligas, Bacoor, Cavite AND Aichi-Ken Japan GREETINGS: You are hereby required within thirty (30) days after service of this Summons upon you, to file with this Court and serve on the plaintiff your Answer to the Complaint, copy of which is attached, together with the annexes and a Civil Case Information Statement. If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the Complaint. Moreover, pursuant to the IBPOCA Memorandum on Policy guidelines dated March 12, 2002, you are expected not to file a Motion to Dismiss but instead, you are required to allege the grounds of such Motion as defenses in your answer. Likewise, you are expected to utilize the depositionrecovery measures under Rules 23, 25, 26, 27 & 28 of the Rules of Civil Procedure. Failure to resort to deposition by written interrogatories under Rule 25 and the request for admission of facts under Rule 27 may be prejudicial to your interest. WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court this 3rd day of October, 2017.

(Sgd.) RENATO C. OCZON (OFFICER-IN-CHARGE/L.R.) (MS-Oct. 13 & 20, 2017)

fresh, unique, and entertaining take on the concept of Beyond. At a very young age, Rian was exposed to many art forms, with anime and cartoons as her favorites. Her fondness for animation kindled her curiosity for drawings and the way they come into life. Fueled by this curiosity, she developed her own style until she was able to sketch her way to success. Rian refers to her technique as “a constant work in progress.” Continuously evolving as an artist, she landed on the international scene after doing covers for Archie Comics (Betty and Veronica, Josie and the Pussycats), iDW Publishing (Jem and the Holograms), and valiant Comics (Faith). Recently, she held her first solo exhibit Rainbow Candy Girl in Singapore, showcasing her pieces that feature anime-like portraits of women in vibrant avant-garde fashion. Known for her comic book moniker Hulyen, Julienne is well-loved for her homespun visual trademarks and non-conforming humor. Bringing her to popularity in the industry was her first zine UGH #1 which depicted a character’s wry reactions to daily encounters. Julienne’s UGH #1 was followed by two more issues that equally received good reviews. Now, she continues to incite laughter among her thousands of social media followers by uploading funny comic strips on her Facebook page. Some of her works have also been published in Komikon’s Sulyap comics anthology, Scout magazine, and Young Star. A graphic artist for restaurants by trade and a children’s book illustrator by passion, Mika’s dream came true when she worked with Adarna House for the children’s book titled What Kids Should Know About Filipino Food. Mika is also known for her instagram project “100 Days of Summer Strangers,” in which she

Beyond features works of Hulyen, Mika Bacani, and Rian Gonzales collated her illustrations of strangers she met on her daily grind. Her other works have also been published by top broadsheets, glossies, and other publications. Celebrating creativity and innovation through modern technology, Premium Apple Reseller Beyond the Box is compiling these artists’ original works in the second volume of Beyond.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

PEOPLE ...are not talking about

…are talking about Seven Sundays Going by the numbers, the movie will have a good second week. In fact, the family drama has just joined the ranks of other Star Cinema ﬁlms that breached the P100-million gross earning in less than one week. The movie, which features a star-studded cast, reminds us of the ﬁlms that ABSCBN’s production arm had produced in the previous decade. It’s rather a good thing, at least, that this generation has its own version of Tanging Yaman. Julia Barretto She never received any formal lessons in investing. She even relies on her mother to help her manage her own money. It’s true that she’s not a typical 20-year-old because Julia is now building her own house using the fruits of her hard work. The young actress obviously knows that success doesn’t last forever and this realistic assumption about future earnings is what separates her from all other celebrities who wind up losing everything. So, don’t wonder why she’s still being trolled for being wise on her money. Apparently, envy is a very potent word as it is a deadly disease.

Baron Geisler Only a few weeks have passed when the actor claimed he’s already sober and in a better state he’s been in years. But the troubled actor was arrested after allegedly making a scene in a bar in Quezon City early this week. And you guessed it right. It’s all because of alcohol. This dude doesn’t really need another chance in showbiz, professional help is what he badly needs. Matt Evans After almost a decade of being a Star Magic talent, the former Pedro Penduko actor is now dancing to a different tune – change of loyalty. People were rather surprised seeing him in a talk show on GMA 7 as it was the ﬁrst time he appeared on a different channel. They already saw it coming but they didn’t hear any negotiation, and there’s no haggling of contract, too. But of course, it only happens to important actors.

Xander Ford So, social media’s favorite son is making rounds in different TV shows, including news oriented ones to talk about his transformation and how his life had a 360-degree turn after going through that much publicized transformation. While people see an entirely different person now, many feel that Xander is still the same Marlou Arizala who lacks the proper attitude to be in this business. And no amount of body scrub, whitening soap, beauty drops, and plastic surgery can change that.

Mark Neumann The Fil-Croatian actor is currently dabbling between acting and hosting. He even feels that he’s been busy than ever before even without a management contract to secure his future in his showbiz. And he recognizes that. Mark is not picky when it comes to projects. He doesn’t care whether he’s just given a minor role for as long as he has work. We hope he continues this kind of attitude, we wouldn’t know, probably one day he’d get a chance to be in a lead role just like before in his previous networks.

Jackie Chan hunts Pierce Brosnan in ‘The Foreigner’ TWO legendary stars go against each other in a gripping and relevant action thriller from the director that helmed the Hollywood blockbuster film Casino Royale. In The Foreigner, Jackie Chan plays Quan, a restaurant owner who lost his daughter in a politically motivated bombing. In search of the people responsible, he seeks the assistance of Irish Deputy Minister, Liam Hennessy, played by Pierce Brosnan. When the latter expressed powerlessness to help, Quan points out Hennessy’s bestforgotten past that proves his capacity to identify the bombers. Desperate to squeeze information out of Hennessy, Quan mounts his own explosive attacks. As the conflict between the two men escalates, Quan’s tragic past also unravels, and the quest for the terrorists becomes more persistent. “(It’s) about settling your demons,” says Producer Scott Lumpkin (Masterminds, Safe Haven, Best of Me) of this film based on the best selling novel The Chinaman by acclaimed crime writer Stephen Leather. “Quan is wrestling with tragedies in his past…It’s time to pay back

those that have done wrong for everyone.” “While we were working on it, we knew that Jackie Chan would be playing Quan and we had Pierce Brosnan in our sights too,” says screenwriter David Marconi (Enemy of the State, Live Free or Die Hard). “So, when I was doing the script, it was with these actors in mind.” Jackie Chan, who is legendary for his explosive martial arts action sequences and larger-than-life performances readily accepted the challenge of playing a character

that has “a quiet, almost solemn intensity”. He says, “Every year, I try to do something different…(this) will give audiences a chance to see another side of Jackie Chan.” “It‘s a character we haven‘t seen him play before. We all expect Jackie to come in and start kung fu-ing‘ everybody, but Jackie approached the character from a cerebral perspective,” explains Lumpkin. “He meticulously plans how he’s going to approach his antagonists…you can see that in his mind as the character

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Friday, October 20, 2017

ACROSS 1 Galileo’s hometown 5 Welsh dog 10 Relay-race sections 14 Nonstop 15 Circumvent 16 Help go wrong 17 Supermarket amenity 18 Tractor pioneer 19 Spanish title 20 Patellar reflex (2 wds.) 22 Mr. Dangerfield 24 Mongrel 25 Tropical isle 26 Slow movers 29 Able to read and write 33 Hardly wordy 34 Workbench attachment 35 Reduction 36 Codgers’ queries 37 Suffuse 40 Sleep briefly 41 Aphrodite’s child 43 Some little piggies 44 Game of chance 46 Noon break 48 Day’s end 49 Physical damage

50 Whipped up 51 Sprinkled 54 Eager for company 58 Polite cough 59 Papas or Dunne 61 Malevolent 62 Long reed 63 Propane holders 64 Gentle person 65 Pirate captain 66 Leavening agent 67 Tiny parasitic insect DOWN 1 Hunt’s partner 2 Novelist — Turgenev 3 Dried-up 4 Goddess of the hunt 5 Military students 6 Not secret 7 Smell strongly 8 Dog sound 9 Said again 10 Edinburgh boys 11 Poet’s black 12 — -splicing 13 Command to Rover 21 Minty quaff 23 Not in 25 Southwest

scenery 26 Kind of guitar 27 Indira’s father 28 Incendiarism 29 Pep up 30 Makes a scene 31 Make happy 32 Railroad terminal 34 Racecar sound 38 Forever 39 Give the slip 42 Plotted 45 By — (alone) 47 Half a bray

48 Most rational 50 Brothers 51 Quarterback’s dread 52 Siamese, now 53 Separate violently 54 Horne of jazz 55 — Office 56 Play charades 57 Island off Italy 60 Funny Charlotte —

develops.” Producer Jamie Marshall (Twilight, Warrior, Immortal) admits to have been “a little anxious” about Jackie playing an older man because the actor has “so much energy and youth…but after hair and makeup and three hours of rehearsals with director Martin Campbell, he came in on the ﬁrst day of shooting as Quan.” Marshall was blown away. An actor oozing with class, Pierce Brosnan brings a sense of balance, coolness and class to the character of Hennessy. “Hennessy is completely believable - he’s got a great charm at the beginning, but slowly he reveals how much of a bad-ass he is,” describes Lumpkin. This is Brosnan’s reunion movie with Martin Campbell who directed him in the 1995 James Bond movie, Goldeneye. Campbell is known for his expertise in storytelling, always capturing the character’s emotional high point within the scene. With a brilliant cast and director, The Foreigner is nothing short of magic. Proudly presented by VIVA International Pictures and MVP Entertainment, it is showing in cinemas nationwide.

Maja Salvador introduces herself as Lily Cruz in the record-breaking episode of "Wildflower"

Maja’s wild comeback scores new all time high rating for ‘Wildflower’ MAJA Salvador’s much awaited comeback as Lily Cruz once again became the talk of the town and gave the hit primetime series “Wildflower” its newest all-time high national TV rating of 33.8 percent on Oct. 9, compared to its rival program’s 18 percent, based on data from Kantar Media. Lily captivated viewers as she made a grand entrance and crashed the Ardientes’ victory party with class and style, wearing a scene-stealing gold gown. To add up to the tension, Lily formally announced that Ivy Aguas is officially dead and that the Ardientes may be next. “Black is out. Gold is in. And just like gold, I am indestructible!” said Lily in her fierce comeback speech. Netizens instantly went abuzz with the scene that made the episode’s official hashtag #WildflowerIndestructible a trending topic on Twitter nationwide and worldwide. How will Lily’s plans to take revenge on the Ardientes change now that she is everyone as Lily Cruz? How will the Ardientes escape her wrath? Wildflower airs weeknights before TV Patrol on ABS-CBN or ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).

SONGBIRD REIGNS. The

country's most successful chanteuse, Regine VelasquezAlcasid, celebrates three decades of music in "R3.0."

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

T IS all systems go for the 30th anniversary celebration of Regine Velasquez–Alcasid tomorrow and the starry Songbird has never shone as bright as she does these days. Regine sold out her anniversary concert tickets in only two days after these were made available. The show, titled R3.0 will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena tonight. The massive demand for seats from thousands of fans here and abroad prompted Regine to agree to a second show, which will be held the following in the same venue. Another proof of Regine’s enduring appeal is the fact that she came up with two big hit singles in a month. These are her version of the Up Dharma Down song “Tadhana.” which was released late in August and the new original titled “Hugot,” which came out only two weeks ago. Both are cuts from her upcoming album also titled R3.0.

The R3.0 celebration also marks Regine’s return to Viva, where she became what she is today. It was at Viva where she recorded her first album in 1987, which included her first hit “Urong Sulong” and her first movie theme song, “Isang Lahi” for Gabi Na Kumander. This was followed by other hits. like “On The Wings Of Love,” “Dadalhin,” “Ikaw,” and many more. She made her mark as an actress in the Viva movie Wanted Perfect Mother opposite Christopher de Leon, which also gave her the big hit “You Are My Song.” This was followed by blockbusters, like Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw with Robin Padilla, Ikaw Lamang Hanggang Ngayon with Richard Gomez, and “Of All The Things” opposite Aga Muhlach. Regine had her first concert, produced by Viva at the Folk Arts Theater. She is now one of the country’s

One of the most awaited music releases of recent times, R3.0 is made up of three discs. These are Rise, which is made up of new material by local songwriters like “Hugot” by Michael Mendoza, “Higher” by Jimmy Borja and “Skybound” by Mayniell Dulay; Renditions, which contains old favorites that she usually perform in her shows like “Tadhana,” “If You Go Away,” “Usahay” and others; and the third disc, Reﬂections, has reworkings of some of her biggest hits like “You Are My Song,” “I Can,” “Dadalhin,” “On The Wings Of Love” and others. Those who will purchase Platinum tickets to the R3.0 concerts will get a free copy of the special 3-disc commemorative edition of the album R3.0.

leading concert artists performing all over the world. It was also with Viva TV that Regine made her hosting debut in the talent show Star for a Night. All these and many more will be celebrated at MOA on October 21 and 22 with performances by Ogie Alcasid, Morissette Amon, Mark Bautista, Sarah Geronimo, Jed Madela, Lara Maigue, Jona, Julie Anne San Jose, Aicelle Santos, Erik Santos, Angeline Quinto, and other surprise guests. R3.0 is a presented by VIVA Live and iME in cooperation with GMA Network. Copresented by PLDT Home, and Belo Medical Group. Tickets to the Sunday show are still available at Platinum P6720; VIP A P5040; VIP B P2800; Patron A P3920; Patron B P2800; Patron C P2800; Lower Box 1 P2240; Lower Box 2 P1680; Upper Box A P840; and General Admission P392.

Regine all set for

30 year celebration th

Early Christmas treat to senior women of G.R.A.C.E.S CHRISTMAS came early for the abandoned grandmothers staying at the Golden Reception and Action Center for the Elderly and other Special Cases or G.R.A.C.E.S. Failon Ngayon, which is celebrating its eighth year this month, spearheaded a renovation project that has now given them a more livable and comfortable home, complete with appliances and facilities that will make each day more beautiful for them. In the Oct. 8 episode of the program, multi-awarded TV and radio anchor Ted Failon gave viewers a peek at the improved Tamundong Ward of G.R.A.C.E.S., where elderly women like Carol Hullar are spending the remaining days of their lives. Carol could not hide her happiness upon seeing their new home. “We are happy because our place is now clean and we can finally have a place to sleep on comfortably,” she said. Another resident added, “Now even if it’s raining, I won’t get wet while I sleep.” Ted first featured G.R.A.C.E.S., which serves as a home for senior citizens found in the streets or have been abandoned by their families, last May. This led to partnerships with organizations and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for a project that will give joy and comfort to its residents, who continue to long for the love of their families. Apart from support for the repairs of the hall, donations in the form of pillows, blankets, hospital beds, and modern wheelchairs also came in. A flat screen TV with an ABS-CBN TVPlus box was also given to provide amusement to the grandmothers. Several volunteer students also helped out in painting the area with happy colors. Ted said with these improvements, they hope to make the elderly women’s lives more bearable and longer. “Everyone here wants to live longer. And I’m sure

with this facility, we can help them have a longer life. We thank the grandmothers for the inspiration they have given us,” he said. Joining Failon Ngayon in this effort were the DN Steel Group of Companies, Gloria Dy Sun Corporation, Yakult Philippines, Rotary Club North Bay East, United Architects of the Philippines-National, Bayanihan Arkitektura, Davies Paints, and DSWD. “We are glad that we’re able to give back in this way. The renovation and design were excellently done, the hall is well ventilated and it spreads good vibes. Everything that the elderly needs is now right here at the facility,” Emmanuel Leyco, DSWD undersecretary said. According to Merly Hervas, House Parent at G.R.A.C.E.S., “This is of great help to us, our elderly will be more comfortable and at the same time we could assist them better and give them a higher level of service they rightfully deserve,” she shared. Meanwhile, Failon Ngayon also launched its microsite as part of its eighth year celebration. Videos and articles on the program’s features as well as episodes can be found at news.abs-cbn.com/failonngayon. The “Failon Ngayon FYI” section also gives information on how to help out those in need with the help of “Failon Ngayon” and government agencies. Catch the heartfelt anniversary episode of Failon Ngayon featuring its early Christmas gift to the women of the G.R.A.C.E.S. on iwantv.com.ph or skyondemand. com.ph. For more information, visit news.abs-cbn.com/ failonngayon and follow@Failon_Ngayon on Facebook and Twitter. For those who want to extend their assistance to G.R.A.C.E.S., please call 02-929-1187 or email them at graces.NCR@gmail.com.

Elders enjoy their newlyrenovated home while the "Failon Ngayon" team, who also initiated the program, treats them with early Christmas party

With the 8th season return of “The Walking Dead” this month, the long-running TV series also hits its 100th episode.

The Walking Dead Celebrates 100th Episode in Asia FOX Networks Group Asia (FNGA) announced a multi-city marketing stunt to promote the 100th episode and season 8 premiere of The Walking Dead on FOX across Asia on Oct. 23 at 11:30 a.m. with a primetime telecast at 9:p.m.. The Walking Dead: Escape Rooms promotional stunts will run from Oct. 21 to 23 in select Breakout branches; 2F, The Block, SM North EDSA / 3F, Greenbelt 5 / 2F, Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City — Fans will ﬁnd themselves locked in a room, with clues from the series and non-linear puzzles hidden throughout, given one mission – to escape. Players must work together to escape the themed rooms within a 20-minute time frame. In the aforementioned branches, the room features inspired game-play from The Walking Dead inaugural seasons — Season 1 and 2. Dean Dezius, vice president Entertainment Channels, Content and Communication, FOX Networks Group Asia, FNGA said, “The Walking Dead is one of our most successful shows in Asia on FOX. We have millions of fans across the region eagerly waiting for the new season, and we’re excited to provide them with a real life The Walking Dead experience, in which they collaborate with one another as part of this year’s ambitious stunt. We’re conﬁdent this exhilarating experience

complements the Season 8 launch and The Walking Dead’s 100th episode perfectly.” The Walking Dead, one of the world’s most watched dramas, returns for a terrifying and exhilarating series, consisting of 16 episodes. In this highly anticipated 8th season, Rick brings “All Out War” to Negan and his forces. The Saviors are larger, better equipped and ruthless – but Rick and the unified communities are fighting for the promise of a brighter future. The battle lines are drawn as they launch into a kinetic, action-packed offensive. Up until now, survival has been the focus of Rick and our group, but it’s not enough. They have to fight to take back their freedom so that they can live. so that they can rebuild. As with any battle, there will be losses. But with Rick leading the Alexandrian forces, Maggie leading the Hilltop, and King Ezekiel leading the Kingdom -Negan and the Saviors’ grip on this world may finally be coming to an end. The Walking Dead airs on Oct.23, same day with the US at 11:30 a.m. with a primetime telecast at 9 p.m. on FOX. The show is also available on demand on FOX+, FNGA’s newly launched videostreaming service featuring an unrivalled combination of content. Binge watch Season 1 – 7 anytime, anywhere on FOX+ in preparation for Season 8.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

Enhanced

MOBILITY

Motoring Quarterly

HALF-A-BILLION AUTOS ROLLING By Othel V. Campos

VER THE last ﬁve years, the Philippine automotive sector has been growing by leaps and bounds. Every year is another record year topping previous year’s sales by double digit-levels. Combined sales report by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI), the Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) and the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) showed robust sales in the last four years. F r o m 184,248 units in 2012, total sales more than doubled to 417,356 units in 2016.

Sales of CAMPI and TMA grew 24.6 percent to 329,300 units in 2016 from 288,609 units in 2015. Based on the industry’s conservative forecast, sales of half a billion units by 2020 would not be a farfetched possibility given that CAMPI and TMA chalked up combined sales of 302,869 units as of September 2017. AVID has yet

to disclose its sales ﬁgures. Projected sales in 2017 remained valid at 450,000 units with the possibility of a higher reforecast owing to brisk growth with the approaching Holiday season. In addition, spike in sales is also expected due to the growing public perception that automobile prices will increase as soon the tax reform package gets approved

and takes effect in 2018. Because of the worsening traffic problem, the Philippine government has set the stage for improved mobility, a plan that goes hand in hand with the automotive incentives program under the Trade Department which has slotted the Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program into the third part of the Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (CARS). Mobility via PUV Modernization The PUV program seeks to replace 200,000 units of old, ageing and polluting jeepneys with hybrid or cleaner jeepneys, buses and similar public transport vehicles. Fiscal and non-fiscal incentives await five or more participants that will qualify for the program. The Board of Investments (BOI), though uncertain if it can afford to increase the threshold of incentives of $1,000 per vehicle as given to two approved players under CARS - Toyota Motors Philippines Corp. (TMPC) and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines, Inc. (MMPC) – considers to allocate the

remaining P9 billion worth of incentives under CARS to the PUV program. “We are still reviewing the program in as much as we have not also ﬁnalized the number of companies that will be allowed to participate in the PUV program,” said Trade secretary Ramon Lopez. The PUV incentives package, when crafted, should go to the accredited manufacturers or assemblers of the modern public utility vehicles. One hurdle that manufacturers need to clear is the capability to meet the 50 percent local content requirement for each and every PUV unit that will be manufactured under the program. Lopez said that by giving the incentives to builders and assemblers, “we encourage them to produce the modern PUV at cheaper cost and able to pass on the savings to buyers.” Several autoparts maker have expressed interest to join the PUV modernization program. Among them are ﬁve local motor vehicle body builders - Almazora Motors Corp., Centro Manufacturing Corp., Del Monte

Motors, Hino Motors Philippines Corp. and Sta. Rosa Motor Works Inc. In addition, about 8 platform suppliers such as Foton Motor Philippines, Diamond Motors Corp. (for Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp.-FUSO), Hino Motors Philippines Corp., Hyundai Philippines, IKK Ichigan Inc., Isuzu Philippines Corp., Philippine Utility Vehicle (PhUV) Inc., and Pilipinas Taj Autogroup Inc. (TATA) have readied their prototypes in hopes of clinching a deal The government targets at least 120-150 units of modern PUV will ply the streets of Metro Manila, at the onset, by end-2017and additional 350 units by the first quarter of next year for a total of 500 modern PUVs by then. The 3-year program aims to replace 200,000 units of old, aging and polluting jeepneys in six years with modern, emission-compliant and safe and comfortable jeepney and similar public transport vehicles. About P9 billion worth of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives should have been awarded to the third player should there be another car

company able meet the demands of the program. The PUV modernization program is a multi-agency program led by the Transportation Department. Lopez said the additional support the Trade Department will provide the PUV program “is not enough” but will, nevertheless, put extra value into the program. The Department is also planinng to incentivize the program in as much as counter-funding from Filipino makers are also needed to make the program a viable project. The Philippines has many suppliers that can deliver the needed spare parts. There are several local jeepney body builders that can provide support to the program. Utilitarian movers The numbers have not settled down yet, and still many players spearheaded by the traditional car companies are vying for a slot in the PUV program. Because of the popularity and utilitarian nature of the ubiquitous L300 cab and chassis, Mitsubishi is hitching in the program using this versatile model. Turn to D2

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

Enhanced

MOBILITY

MOTORING QUARTERLY

Shell pumps getting a major makeover By Alena Flores

HE PHILIPPINE oil industry is on the brink of a revolution with pump stations and their landscape soon to be getting a major makeover. That holds true particularly in the case of Pilipinas Shell which has embarked on a major expansion to usher in the era of electric vehicles. At least 10 Pilipinas Shell retail stations will showcase electric charging stations starting December, a move that challenges the rest of the traditional oil industry players. Pilipinas Shell partnered with QEV Philippines to put up the ﬁrst electric vehicle fast charging infrastructure network in the country. QEV Philippines, a partnership between Spanish businessmen Endika Aboitiz and Enrique Banuelos signed the agreement with Pilipinas Shell chief executive ofﬁcer and president Cesar Romero early this month. The agreement calls for an initial 100 pilot sites for the EV charging posts with 10 sites due for completion by December. “Shell is an innovative energy company, a willing and able player in the Energy transition to a low carbon energy future. Shell will be the only Retail Station that will offer a universal EV Charging Station in the country,” the company said. Pilipinas Shell emphasized that it is a willing and able player in the energy

transition to a low carbon energy future. “Electric vehicles are non-carbon emitting vehicles that contribute to this direction. QEV’s plan to introduce e-vehicles in the country require charging stations in strategically located areas. This synergy between QEV and Shell led to the eventual decision of Shell to put up the proposed charging stations in our facilities,” it said. The system is new to the country as the current retail stations only carry oil products such as diesel, gasoline and kerosene. This has raised questions on the safety of putting an electric vehicle charging station and fuel pumps in one station although the system has been in place in other countries. “Safety is a priority of Shell, hence, we ensure that It will be safe and within Shell safety standards,” the country’s second biggest oil ﬁrm said. Pilipinas Shell and QEV Philippines has engaged the Department of Energy (DOE) and other relevant government agencies to help in the regulation of the said electric vehicle charging stations. ABB, the Swiss multinational company specializing in robotics power and automation technology ar-

HALF-A-BILLION... From D1 Mitsubishi vice president for marketing Froilan Dytianquin said Mitsubishi’s mother unit in Japan has approved the proposal of the Philippine unit to reintroduce the L300 model equipped with a new Euro 4 engine. “Even before the call to upgrade to Euro 4 engines, we already announced that we will be phasing out the L300 model. Right now all locally-manufactured L300 are still using the Euro 2 engine. We have to upgrade now to higher engine speciﬁcations to comply with the provision of the Clean Air Act,” he said. The reengineering process will take about 1 1/2 years, just about the time to enroll to production of class 1 jeepneys that will start in 2018 under the PUV Modernization Program. Trucks leader Isuzu Philippines, Inc. made known its plans to diversify its production portfolio by taking the

big leap into public transport thru the PUV program. Company vice president for marketing Joseph Bautista said the company is planning to compete in the production of class 2 and 3 categories with seating capacity of 23 and 25 passengers, respectively. The company will be using the Crosswind platform for the modern jeepneys. Apart from the basic features, Isuzu will also equip the unit with GPS, Wiﬁ and other digital enhancements. A third contender is Pilipinas Taj Autogroup Inc., the ofﬁcial partner of India’s biggest automotive company Tata Motors Ltd. Pilipinas Taj is mulling over the construction of an assembly facility in the Philippines that will cater to Tata’s expansion to ASEAN and the Philippines as a major assembly point of Tata commercial vehicles. Company president Cresencio Fernandez Jr. said the

eas will supply the charging posts. ABB has installed EV charging posts all around Europe and in many parts of the world. Electric vehicles have been around in the country since 2008. The country started with electric jeepneys that plies the Makati Green Route. Pilipinas Shell is bullish about the emerging electric vehicle industry and has taken a leap of faith with its partner QEV. “QEV is planning to convert existing jeepneys with diesel engines to a lithiumion batteries over the next five years. Shell, through its strategically located retail stations will provide the needed infrastructures for the universal charging stations for all the converted jeepneys. The charging station can also accommodate private vehicles with electric engines,” the oil firm said. QEV Philippines is banking on the government’s jeepney modernization program to jumpstart the electric vehicle industry. QEV Philippines has proposed the conversion of an initial 50,000 jeepneys over five years ( or 10,000 jeepneys per year) by replacing their diesel engines with lithium-ion batteries. QEV Philippines said one of the main reasons for the slow uptake of electric vehicles has been the lack of supporting charging infrastructure and set its sights to establish the first EV charging infrastructure network in the Philippines. This issue on EV infra is being addressed by Pilipinas Shell, through parent firm Royal Dutch/Shell Group, which has put up electric vehicle charging stations, mainly in the Netherlands and Great Britain. The oil firm is making the bold move to quickly adapt in an ever changing automobile market with electric cars increasing in popularity and the fast transition of car fleets from combustion en-

Filipino company will be funding the assembly facility with technical support from Tata. It has created two prototypes for Class 1 and 2 using the Tata Ace and Super Ace models of Tata. Unlike the passenger and commercial vehicles, jeepneys and PUVs are exempted from the tax reform bill that extends to single cab chassis, buses, trucks, cargo vans and special-purpose vehicles. Tax Reform Bill or TRAIN While the goal of the government is to raise revenue to ﬁnance economic programs, most of the industries saw this as an impediment that will slow down if not curtail the growth of these industries, the automotive industry not excluded. Since the proposed tax reform is a time bomb ticking, affected industries have no recourse but to conform raising suggestions along the way to dilute the original version crafted by the Finance Department.

gines to electric. QEV Philippines, for its part, aims to promote a sustainable solution for healthier, cleaner cities by reducing the amount of carbon emissions in the air brought about

by transportation. “With the growing problem of climate change, QEV seeks to spearhead the green electromobility movement in emerging countries such as the Philippines,” it said.

QEV Philippines’ green jeepneys are also expected to revitalize the country’s longrunning jeepney industry by paving the way for local jeepney manufacturers to enter the electric solutions in-

dustry via building, renewal, and maintenance trainings. QEV Philippines proposes rehabilitating old jeepneys and make them like new, complete with electrical motors that will make it run on

Based on the Senate version of automotive tax under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill, taxes on car priced P600,000 and lower will taxed by 3 percent, which is 1 percent lower than the Congress version. Dytianquin said the Senate version of or Senate Bill 1592 will generate moderate increase in prices compared to the full implementation of the 2-stage phase version by Congress. “The 2 percent increase in excise tax will not so much as impact on the price of small cars, which is the mass market being developed by car companies in this automotive age. The Senate version of the new excise tax will actually generate moderate increase in prices if we compare it to the full implementation of the 2-stage phase version by Congress. As there are different versions, we anticipate that a bicameral meeting between Senate and Congress to settle differences,” he said. For vehicles priced over

P600,000 to P1.1 million, an excise tax of P12,000 will be imposed plus 20 percent of value in excess of P600,000 while those priced over P1.1 million to P2.1 million, excise tax will be raised to P112,000 plus 40 percent of value in excess of P1.1 million; and for vehicle with value of over 2.1 million, buyers will have to hurdle excise tax amounting to P512,000 plus 60 percent of value in excess of P2.1 million. Comparably under House Bill 5636, automobiles priced over P600,000 to P1.1 million will carry P18,000 excise tax plus 30 percent of value in excess of P600,000; those selling over P1.1 million to P2.1 million, will be imposed P168,000 plus 50 percent of value in excess of P1.1 million; for units priced over P2.1 million to P3.1 million, excise tax will be P668,000 plus 80 percent of value in excess of P2.1 million; and for those priced over P3.1 million, an excise tax of P1.468 million will be imposed on top of 90

percent of value in excess of the units price. Dytianquin said the added tax will not result in revenue loss since it will be passed on to consumers. “There are numerous factors that could affect our customers. They may simply opt to go for a lower variant or a lower model, or they may choose not to purchase a new vehicle at all, their preferred model being out of their reach. This means that any potential revenue loss because of customers dropping from high-end models might ﬁnd themselves behind the wheel of a lowerend variant. Not only that, if consumers decide to rush their purchases before the excise tax is to take effect, there will simply be fewer people to purchase new vehicles next year. This makes it almost impossible to get an accurate or even a baseline expectation of the possible loss.,” he said. The segments that will bear the brunt of the automotive tax hike are the premium SUVs and MPVs. Sales

of low to mid-grade variants of these vehicles are seen to continue to increase as they will be backed by vehicle ﬁnancing. Despite the unease caused by the proposed tax measure, the industry expects sustained vehicle growth. “The economy has progressed to the point where people simply need vehicles and there are many moving up in economic stature. More and more people will be able to afford brand new vehicles due to affordable ﬁnancing made so by lower interest rates. Immediate effect will probably result to temporary slowdown as the market adjusts to new vehicle prices especially on higher priced vehicles such as SUVs, MPVs, and pick ups. However, market is expected to recover after a few months as it accepts the new prices,” Dytianquin explained. He added that in the long term, a change in vehicle preference may happen especially if the value for money proposition will improve in other segments.

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TMS: Mobility redefined ACH year, Tokyo plays host to what is dubbed arguably as the greatest show in the motoring world.

This year’s staging of the Tokyo Motor Show tries to outshine previous shows as organizers promise to come up with more exciting offerings. TMS is scheduled to open its doors to the public from October 28 to November 5, with an attraction like the Tokyo Connected Lab 2017 expected to wow the crows once more. Organizers say the To-

kyo Connected Lab 2017 “will explore how the very meaning of mobility will be redefined when connected automobiles communicate with each other and with infrastructure through information and communication networks and artificial intelligence.” The first program is dubbed “The Future” where the visitors will sit inside a giant dome, which can seat

Rainy day tips for bike riders RAINY days present many challenges to motorists. Besides the trouble of getting drenched by the downpour, heavy rains cause floods in many areas in and around the metro, worsening the already daunting traffic situation. Long lines at train and bus stations snaking through the street further compress packed roads and contribute to the slow flow of traffic. In line with its road safety campaign, MDPPA Road Safety Committee Chairman Jacinto Cadugo shares some tips about how to stay safe and enjoy the ride during these rainy days. Wear proper rain gear. Avoid getting soaked as this can distract from driving. Soaked clothes can also cause illness. Wear proper helmet, with the visor protecting the face. Also wear bright-colored rain gear with reflectors to increase visibility on the road. Check the motorcycle before leaving. Make sure the motorcycle is in good condition. In particular, inspect the tires to ensure they are not worn out and can tackle the wet roads ahead. Be mindful of the road conditions and other vehicles. When it rains, avoid the painted lines on the road as these become more slippery. Also avoid rainbow-colored sections of the road, which contain oil, and are, therefore, extra slippery. Always watch out for manholes, puddles and other road obstructions that may increase the risk of accidents. In addition, keep a safe distance from other vehicles to ensure a good enough braking distance. Stay protected from outside forces. Always keep the headlights and the tail lights on to be easily seen by other vehicles. As helmets do not have wipers, spraying water-repellent solution on the visor can help guard visibility against the heavy rain. Know when to stop. When lightning strikes, stop riding. Head for the nearest cover but do not stop under a tree. Stay alert. Make sure to have enough sleep before driving, especially if it is a long ride. If sleepy, stop at a nearby store or coffee place to rest and power up before resuming the ride. Riding under the rain can be fun but only when one is well-equipped and prepared to do so. In the event of an accident or any emergency while on the road, dial 117 to alert the Philippine National Police (PNP) or 320 to call the road emergency hotline of the Metro Manila Development Authority .

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MOBILITY Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher R. L. Tomeldan Editor Dino Ray. V. Directo Asst. Editor Othel V. Campos Alena Mae S. Flores Genevieve Tiu Writers Jove Atienza Linda Apalisok Layout Artists Anita F. Grefal OIC-Operation Baldwin Felipe OIC-Advertising Sales Paula Reynoso Head-Supplements Sheila Suarez Joan Velasco Eric Jutic Edelyn Elamparo Advertising Support Group

up to 300 people at a time, and–on the basis of the answers of participants to questions posed to them and six key concepts (‘social good,’ ‘universal,’ ‘move,’ ‘drive,’ ‘private,’ ‘share’)–see their ideas for an urban-centered “mobility society’ of the future through 360-degree visual projections. “The Maze” is the second program where up to 30 visitors at a time will experience what it’s like when cars, drivers, and a total city infrastructure are all connected as they drive through a fully connected, maze-like Tokyo of the future in their

own connected cars using 30 sets of interconnected PlayStation VR systems. The ﬁnal program is “The Meet Up” where a series of conference sessions will build on the motor show’s ‘Beyond the Motor’ theme, with leaders and innovators from a wide range of backgrounds discussing the future of mobility and the new opportunities it could bring. In addition, an idea-pitching event on the “next steps” for mobility will be part of this program, “involving members of the general public who will participate on the basis of the particular ideas they pitch.”

Enthusiasts mill around cars on display during the Tokyo Motor Show 2016.

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Cars we would like to see on the road Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

ITH the impending tax increase on cars and SUV’s next year, car dealers are expecting an influx of buyers gradually forming a beeline to beat the adjustments of the retail price. Despite the increase, the domestic automotive market remains resilient and robust compared to its ASEAN neighbors with first and second quarter sales increase figures of 38.4 percent or 61,094 units sold, which is an improvement from the same period recorded during the same period last year. Filipinos seems to be unfazed with the tax increase as a steady stream of consumers flow in and out of car dealers. Given this sales phenomena, this writer is optimistic about the car industry and is excited to see new car models joining the fray next year. Relative to the industry’s healthy stance, this writer have compiled a list of cars that I want to see on our local roads next year.

Subaru BRZ STi

X-Men Edition RX-8

Subaru has always been known as a manufacturer who pushed the boundaries of performance. With the impending launch of the Honda Civic Type R in the domestic market, the only manufacturer who can step up the plate to counter Honda’s prize ﬁghter, pound for pound at present is Fuji Industries. Initially developed for expansion of Subaru’s performance division Subaru Tecnica International (STI) in the United States, this STi tuned BRZ variant made quite a splash and was very popular in other markets outside of Japan as well. The STI Performance Concept is a showcase for the engineering prowess and tuning capability of STI, featuring the racing engine developed by STI for the BRZ Super GT racecar, suspension and chassis components and aerodynamic upgrades. This special

edition veers away from the garden variety BRZ with its aggressive aerodynamic styling starting from the front fascia, down to the massive rear wing and splitter that generates enough down force to hug fast corners.

Mazda RX8 (X-Men edition)

In true superhero fashion, the aggressively styled Mazda RX-8 X-MEN Car, based on the production model 2004 Mazda RX-8, possesses its own unique super power-in this case, the new generation rotary engine RENESIS. In addition, its dominant presence is accentuated by an impenetrable Mutant Blue exterior which includes an X-shaped grille, a ﬁerce rear spoiler and an enlarged trademark “X” on the vehicle’s nameplate. On the inside, the Mazda RX-8 X-MEN Car is trimmed in imposing silver and black shades, including the door trim, seats and steering wheel. A communication device is prominently displayed on the upper center console. X2 director Brian Singer worked closely with Mazda on the RX-8 X-MEN Car in a unique collaboration to bring the Mazda RX-8, the company’s brand icon, to the big screen with a starring role in the ﬁlm. Singer revised the movie’s original script to accommodate the vehicle. Turn to D5

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Hyundai RN30

CARS... From D4 Hyundai RN30

Hyundai is planning a new “N” performance line of flagship performance vehicles, and the wild RN30 is an early taste of what we might expect going forward. The car is based on the new Hyundai i30, but with numerous body enhancements, including high tech headlights, a floating fender on each wheel, side splitters, and a large rear spoiler extending as a roof canopy propped up by a center fin. The car has been lowered 84 mm (over 3 inches) compared to the i30, and rests on 19 inch alloy wheels. The interior features racing bucket seats with harnesses surrounded by an integrated roll cage. The RN30 is powered by a turbocharged 2 liter inline-4 producing a full 375 hp and 333 lbft of torque

Toyota S-FR

This Toyota concept explores the idea of a small, lightweight, and economical sports car from Toyota that would slot below the GT86. The car is rumored to weigh a mere 2160 lbs and be powered by a 1.5 liter inline-4 producing 128 hp and 109 lb-ft of torque. It is also supposed to cost less than the Mazda Miata, though frankly this speculation seems really optimistic. The S-FR’s compact body is incredibly light, yet offers a smooth driving style. Not just a sports car, it pairs the simplicity of an entry-level model with an intimacy that brings human and machine closer together. Beneﬁting from the unique advantages of a lightweight sports car, the concept offers smooth, responsive and direct handling that gives a real sense of communication between car and driver―one key beneﬁt of the FR (front engine/rear drive) format.

Volkswagen Passat GT

The concept is largely a cos-

Toyota S-FR

metic upgrade to give the Passat a more aggressive profile, with over 20 design changes from the standard car. Noteworthy changes include a black honeycomb grille framed top and bottom by a red accent line, similar to the Golf GTI. Other changes include black window surrounds, roof, and trunk spoiler, as well as smoked taillights and LED headlights. The interior showcases carbon fiber trim on the instrument panel and door trim, as well as duotone black and gray seating, and piano black console trim. The GT is lowered 0.6 inches over large 19” Tornado wheels covering red-painted brake calipers. Power comes from a 3.6 liter FSI VR6 producing 280 hp backed up a 6-speed DSG dualclutch automatic transmission. The engine benefits with reduced backpressure from a dual trapezoidal exhaust and a sport muffler.

Honda S660

With the recent entry of the Civic Type R, Honda is on its

way of getting its groove back. It would solidify their presence as a performance oriented and innovative manufacturer if it decides to bring in the S660. I test drove this variant in Twin Ring Motegi when it was introduced in 2015, and the S660 features a mid-engine

layout with a 660-cc, threecylinder turbo that keeps it within the parameters of a kei car in the Japan Domestic Market (JDM). Tipping the scales at just 1830 pounds, the S660 employs the same three-cylinder turbocharged engine found

Volkswagen Passat GT

in the popular N-Box kei car. However, to improve throttle response, Honda engineers revised the turbo geometry to produce quicker off-the-line acceleration and stronger mid-

range torque. Will it appeal to Filipinos as much as it appealed in the JDM market? Only Honda can answer that when it decides to bring in this cute two-seater.

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Leave it to the ladies Text by Genevieve Tiu

ET’S face it — women, under no bias, have become a force to be reckoned with in almost every industry. The automotive category is no exception. In the management ranks, there are more women executives taking the helm. On the consumer level, there are more women drivers on the road than ever before. These women are not only drivers by choice, but most are also the key decision-makers in the choice of vehicles that they drive. Before you dismiss them as the market for crossovers and compact cars (cute, aren’t they?), let’s take a quick dive into what exactly goes through their heads when women window-shop for their dream machine.

Majority of the women surveyed by the author finds the Mazda Miata sexy

Women find SUV’s such as the Honda CRV a practical buy for its size and no worries style of driving

#1: Fuel Economy / Gas Consumption With gas prices going ever higher, the top priority for women is how much value for money their car can afford them. Never mind how pretty it looks — will its consumption eat into the bulk of their hard-earned salary on the daily commute through Manila’s deadly traffic? The next consideration is whether or not the model comes in diesel, which would make it even more economical on a daily driving basis. #2: Price In case you haven’t figured it out, part of the fun of shopping is finding the best deal. A car is no exception. Going back to point #1, a car has to offer more than style. It has to come with a price tag that is equal to the benefits that come with it. Women will always shop with a budget ceiling. How high or low the budget will curve will depend on what kind of value the car has to offer. #3: Maintenance Or, we can call it after-sales service and warranty. Machines break down and even the girliest of women understand this. What matters post-sale is whether the dealership (or carmaker) can offer the most reliable and attentive service possible. If she finds that she will have to battle it out at random shops just to be able to find the part her car requires, you can bet that that’s one notch down for that brand she’s been researching on. #4: Brand A brand’s reputation makes or breaks a

product’s success. It is through a carmaker’s history that women will discern how reliable or unreliable a certain car model is. This is also where reviews are rooted in — how reliable and well-made the product range is, how helpful its sales people are, what kind of value-added promotions does it offer, how reliable after-sales service is, how convenient it is to reach out for maintenance concerns. #5: Style This is probably the factor that most people assume would be at the top of the list. Or, at least, at the top 3. Unfortunately, the modern-day power woman is more practical than that. While design will always be a consideration, it is no longer the most important thing to look at. After all, a wise woman once quipped, “To go for all looks without the brains (or a solid foundation) is like being in a toxic long-term relationship — it will always take more from you than it gives.” Ladies, you know what I’m talking about. As a bonus treat, it was interesting to discover that SUVs top the bar when it comes to the kind of ride that most women prefer. While sedans are perfect for riding comfort and seamless style, nothing beats being able to battle it out on EDSA, going through uneven, rough roads, and surviving unexpected rains and flooding. That said, it is safe to conclude that when it comes to shopping, value is still key, especially when it comes to investments. Like, a car.

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Eyes on the road! MORE people are realizing the importance of dashcams with the trafﬁc related incidents such as road rage and accidents caused by road hazards. The recorded video is the solid evidence needed for you to claim your insurance and visual proof to back up your claim. German manufacturer Blaupunkt, a byword in the audio/video industry is providing drivers the tools needed for additional road safety and security with the DVR BP 2.0 and 3.0 FHD. The Blaupunkt DVR BP 2.0FHD also has a superb 120 degree ultra wide viewing angle; making it ideal for capturing large amounts of action from the road ahead. Storing the footage is easy as the camera accepts micro SD cards up to 32GB and with this units excellent loop recording facility it will allow for continuous recording so you’ll never have to worry about missing that all important video evidence. Aside from its slim design and solid construction associated with German quality and reliability, the DVR BP 2.0 and 3.0 FHD is worth considering due to its affordability of just P3,150 for the entry level BP 2.0. Blaupunkt dash cams are sleek and compact in design; and it weighs only only 50 grams. Measuring at just 63 x 58 x 30 mm, both the the DVR BP 2.0 and 3.0 are discreet but still manages to record in full crystal clear 1080p HD. It also has a built-in microphone and speaker. Another important feature of the Blaupunkt DVR BP 2.0FHD is its internal G-sensor, this sensor is fully adjustable and can be set at a high, medium or low level. This will ensure that in the event of a collision or harsh braking the motion G-shock sensor will automatically activate the cameras emergency recording mode. These video ﬁles are then fully protected and saved and can’t be overwritten by the loop recording function and can therefore be watched back at a later date and possibly used as evidence against another driver. Blaupunkt dashcams are available in dealers nationwide.

Wrap it or paint it!

STAND out and be loud with Foilacar! Aside from improving the aesthetics of your ride, Foilacar’s wrap technology and now its six-day paint makeover provides protection for your car or SUV. “We offer paint preservation in an innovative and unique way,” explains Lester Codog, President of Foilacar Industries. Their wrapping/painting facility in Barrio Kapitolyo in Pasig is a destination of choice of celebrities and captains of industry who want their cars to reﬂect their personality. “At Foilacar, expensive cars like Ferraris, Rovers, Mercedes Benzes, Jaguars and BMWs get a full wrapping of foil that changes the car’s color, depending on the preference of the owner. The owner of a vehicle can

also have his or her car wrapped in the same color, which in turn protects the original paint finish of the vehicle for as long as eight years given proper care,” adds Codog. Faster drying time for repaint is made possible by Foilacar’s GlossFx controlled environment paint system. The GlossFX is a big oven designed to dry out any foil on cars in 30 minutes. This innovative procedure enables Foilacar to fast track the drying time usually takes a day to dry out. “This machine enables us to paint anything from the car exterior, down to interior pieces for our Foilainterior Division. The technology involves diesel combustion which is utilized for heating the oven in a safe and environment-friendly manner,” says Alex Cunanan, COO of La Deco, a subsidiary of Foilacar Industries. This multi-million oven technology also enables us to finish more cars. Unlike before due to the drying time, our output is limited. Now with GlossFX, we can dry out five to eight cars a day,” explains Lester Codog, President of Foilacar Industries. Since Foilacar innovated the exterior protection and paint preservation in the country, the company has expanded their services to foil wrapping other modes of transportation such as airplanes, helicopters and yatchs. Foilacar Industries have also expanded their network globally with branches in New York, Indonesia and Japan. “We have also penetrated the real estate industry with our La Deco line of foil wraps which is currently the popular choice of architects and real estate companies, due to its ease of use and reliability, plus the endless choices of colors and designs,” he adds. To experience the ultimate in paint protection technology, visit the Foilacar showroom at #10 Brixton St., Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig City and Foil Plus along West Avenue, Quezon City.

Game Changer! GIVE your rig some attitude and grip with Black Rhino wheels! Designed and engineered with the off-road enthusiasts in mind and inspired by the tough African beast, Black Rhino has carved a respectable niche in the Aftermarket industry as an innovator and trend setter in terms of wheel technology and design. Product tested in the toughest trails in the United States, Black Rhino wheels are engineered to carry the heavy loads often associated with Trucks and SUV’s. Their extensive product line of wheels are hub centric or supplied with centering rings to ensure a smooth vibration free ride. The wheels come in a variety of sizes in different ﬁnishes - Matte Black, Gloss Black with Machine, Matte Black with Matte Machine, 5,6 and 8 Lug, all depending

on what perfectly suits your truck, lifted truck and SUV. All Black Rhino wheels are custom ﬁt for truck and SUV brands such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, Ford, Chevrolet, Mazda, and European makes as well. The Black Rhino truck and SUV wheels lineup is built with two types of vehicles in mind. The ﬁrst set-up is for Trucks or SUV’s with negative offset that works perfectly for those wanting an Extreme lift stance. The second is for more street friendly vehicles that you want to give that stylish look to set it apart from all other vehicles. Those who want to level up their game, Black Rhino wheels are available in dealers nationwide or text 0917-880-1111or log on to www. conceptonewheels.com

Motul joins IMSA as long term partner STARTING from the 2018 season, Motul will become the ‘Ofﬁcial Motor Oil’ of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. Motul has the entitlement rights for the Motul Pole Award for the WeatherTech Championship Prototype (P) and GT Daytona (GTD) classes, as well as all Continental Tire Challenge classes which includes cars eligible for the award running two Motul decals. In addition to its entitlement of the Motul Petit Le Mans and overall partnership with Road Atlanta, Motul has preexisting partnerships with seven additional WeatherTech Championship venues and events. Scott Atherton, IMSA President: “Motul is a highly respected, premium motor oil brand that is an ideal match for IMSA and the many other premium brands involved with our platforms. It is recognised globally as a leader in its industry, just as IMSA has achieved similar status in motorsports. As evidenced by this weekend’s 20th Motul Petit Le Mans ﬁnale and activations as a multitude of venues on the IMSA calendar, Motul is extremely active in promoting its products through our sport and will be even more so through or partnership.”

Guillaume Pailleret, Motul USA President: “Motul has been involved with the 24 Hours of Le Mans since the 1950’s; very few brands can commit to such a persistence and passion for endurance racing. The IMSA team and sponsors have turned IMSA into a north American racing powerhouse. We see a great ﬁt and we are honoured to be part of the IMSA adventure on a multiyear deal. Six decades of endurance racing have been providing us with a unique laboratory opportunity for our product formulations, exposing powertrains to the most hostile conditions. Races like those change companies like us. We can’t wait to meet the IMSA fans across the United States and Canada.” As an industry pioneer in synthetic oils, Motul oils and lubricants were developed to provide lubrication for modern day sophisticated engines, while assuring fuel savings and automotive efﬁciency. Be smart, wise and get exceptional value from Motul’s line of performance tested motor oils. For details on how to improve your car’s performance, call Autoplus Sportzentrium at 726-0399 log on to www.motul.com.ph. Motul oil and lubricants are also available in select dealers nationwide. Turn to E2

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Trail proof your rig with Overland! WITH its vast experience and knowledge of taking on the rugged terrain, Overland has been designing and engineering off-road products to protect your SUV from the harsh elements of Mother Nature, while maximizing your vehicle’s load. Overland’s line of off-road gears and equipment are designed to take on the punishment of trail driving. Their extensive lineup of 4x4 bumpers are designed to minimize vehicle damage and keep you moving. The standard Bull Bar replaces the front bumper completely with a robust steel bumper designed specifically for each application. You won’t find a more thoroughly designed and manufactured vehicle protection system than Overland’s line of front, rear and side bumper protection. Engineering a bull bar requires careful consideration of a number of factors to ensure it properly serves its purpose. Factors such as vehicle design, crush rate, air bag deployment, approach angles, accessory fitment, strength, weight and aesthetics are taken into consideration. Overland steel bumpers are custom-fit for pick-up trucks such as the Toyota H-Lux, Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X and D-Max, Ford Ranger and the Mazda BT-50. Prior to global distribution, Overland products were tested in the jungles of Thailand, Malaysia and Burma. Protect and enhance the capacity of your SUV with Overland. It is available at Autobuff, Banawe Q.C.; WERNZ Off-road Shop; Goldcars Banawe and in dealers nationwide.

The KYB edge VETERAN racer and drift King David Feliciano reigned supreme in the Rallycross Challenge held at the Motorsports Park in Noveleta, Cavite, beating out 20 other challengers from all over Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Aside from his racing experience, Feliciano’s edge was the KYB SR Special suspension system, “The car felt different and it really hugged the muddy track even when the car is flying off a ramp,” says Feliciano. The New SR Special is a premium direct replacement shock absorber that’s designed with greater durability ensuring the quality, structural reliability and safety of a genuine KYB shock absorber. With years of experience in manufacturing shock absorbers, the new SR Special enhances the basic performance of any car, on and off the race track. “It made the car more competitive and safer as well,” adds Feliciano. The New SR Special was developed based on motorsports technologies based on inputs from popular Japanese D1 drift and Super GT racecar driver Nobutero Taniguchi aka “NOB” or ‘No One Better’ to test the New SR Sports. “Car manufacturers usually develop softer suspension based on ordinary drivers preferences. That is the reason why normal cars tend to nose dive when braking hard or roll when cornering. This is why the New SR Special has been designed with improved damping characteristics to reduce rolling and pitching and get better handling and adds, I recommend the New SR for drivers who like a comfortable ride in town who ride with family or want to improve performance without sacrificing comfort,” says Taniguchi. “ We have fitments for most sedans, compact cars , SUV’s and tuned cars from brands such as Subaru, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Ford and Suzuki,” adds Gen Leong of Massiveparts, distributor of KYB in the country. For details and inquiries contact Massiveparts Inc., with their address at 2823 Bagac St. Tondo, Manila, telephone numbers (+632) 2534193/ (+632) 2534050 / (+632) 2534045. Visit their facebook www.facebook.com/KYBPhilippines

Parking space solutions PARKING is a major concern for people visiting or working in business districts such as Ortigas, Makati and in developed urban areas such as Manila and Baguio City. Add to this the number of vehicles on the road, which is multiplying to alarming proportions, real estate developers and building operators have tenants falling prey to abusive towing companies and traffic enforcers of LGU’s. Emicor Incorporated, the country’s largest and pioneering firm in car lift systems and Smart Parking technology offers a long term financial solution. Already in use in developed countries such as Japan, Singapore, United States Korea and Europe, Smart Parking has been providing practical and intelligent solutions Worldwide for years. Suitable for areas with existing structures and limited parking spaces, Smart Parking will only require a minimal space equivalent to two parking slots or 32 square meters. Ingress and egress

is not a problem due to an optional electric turntable that can be installed in ﬁve days, which includes machine calibration, testing and personnel operation training. The Smart Parking system is Korean technology with a motor made in Germany. It also has a 10-year warranty with a lifespan of 25 years. In the Philippines, Smart Parking is already being used in car dealers and in high end hospitals to maximize their real estate and doubling their parking space proﬁts. The smallest unit can hold six sedans with a maximum of 16 sedans, with a parking unit which can accommodate 12 SUV’s. Emicor also has parking solutions for car collectors which can accommodate two to four cars and even more depending on the size of their garage. Other advantages of Smart Parking include maximizing your limited space; security against theft; safety because the structure can withstand an M8 earthquake and 250kph winds; quick installation in a matter of days and environment friendly. For details on how to maximize your parking space, you may call +632 3723601 to 05 or log on to smartparking@emicor-inc.com for details.

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MOBILITY

Parts warehouse opens in Taguig T

O SUPPORT customer satisfaction with a bigger inventory for their vehicles, Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) has inaugurated its latest warehouse located in Metro Manila’s booming cities, Taguig City. In partnership with DB Schenker (Schenker Distribution Solutions Inc), IPC opened the DB Schenker Levi Mariano Warehouse last July 18, as start of a strategic partnership between the two giants in their respective industries. The ribbon cutting ceremonies was headed by IPC president Hajime Koso, EVP Shojiro Sakoda, Isuzu Motors Limited Japan after sales division executive officer Hiroshi Hisatomi and DB Schenker Managing Director Jonathon Kottegoda Breden. Transferring its parts warehouse to their new home, the newly-inaugurated facility warehouse for IPC—which will be hub for all Isuzu parts and accessories—is now strategically-located nearer to Isuzu dealerships. Situated at Pedro Cayetano Avenue, Ligid-Tipas in Taguig, the allocated space for IPC at the DB Schenker Levi Mariano Warehouse is 6,000 square meters as compared to the previous warehouse of 3,586 square meters. The DB Schenker Levi Mariano Warehouse still has some 1,600 space that can still be utilized should there be a need for expansion. Moreover, it has more than 12,000 stocks locations ranging from bins, to shelves, to selective racking and even block stocks intended to securely and properly store the various parts for wide array of Isuzu vehicles. IPC transferred its parts warehouse to this new facility that has bigger space and nearer to port and Isuzu dealerships. Aside from addressing the need for a bigger warehouse space, IPC chief Hajime Koso said that the move was made to improve three major concerns from growing sales of units, storage space and customer satisfaction. To address all these, Koso said, they need to maintain an inventory sufficient to the growing needs of customers, implement proper racking and shelving of parts with sufficient space that would, in turn, improve delivery frequency to dealers and delivery lead time. “We see this new partnership as a good investment for Isuzu. We would like to continuously improve on our efficiency in making our vehicles as well as catering to the needs of our customers,” Koso said. Further, Koso also said that that the move is in line with their celebration of being two decades of successfully being the responsible partner and meeting the demands of the Filipinos through their line-up. “To the 20 years that has passed and beyond, rest assured that IPC will continue to develop more ways to attend to the growing demands of the market. We will continue our pledge in serving this nation,” Koso claimed.

MOTORING QUARTERLY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

TRUCKS & BUSES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2017

Text and photos by Dino Ray V. Directo III

HE T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship is a popular motorsport event in India, organized annually by Tata Motors. First held in March 2014 at the Buddh International Circui in Greater Noida, the T1 is also recognized by the Federation Internationale de l’ Automobile (FIA) and Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). This truck racing championship is participated in by race drivers from the British Truck Racing Championship and the European Truck Racing Championship with a dose of Indian racers battling for precious points for the podium.

Enhanced

MOBILITY

MOTORING QUARTERLY

1000-bhp

race truck

This Prima truck is popular in India’s Formula T1 Championship

Here in the Philippines, the closest thing that we are going to experience truck racing is by visiting the Tata Ph corporate ofﬁces in Marikina, where an actual Tata race truck is prominently parked in front of their building. Like any other racing machine, this Tata Prima truck had its interior stripped of unnecessary equipment with only the steering untouched.

The dashboards were removed, and an FIA certiﬁed steel roll cage are installed inside the cabin for safety and protection. The stock seats were also replaced by body hugging and light bucket racing seats. This T1 Prima race truck was unveiled early this year to kick off the Fourth Season of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship. This Prima race truck highlights

Tata’s truck building experience and expertise. Developed to deliver immense power and acceleration of 0 to 160km/ hr within 10 seconds and a torque of 3,500nm at 16002200 rpms, this Prima race truck has an all-new and powerful 1000 bhp engine. Based on a 12 liter ISGe Cummins turbo diesel engine, engineers mounted the heavy engine in the center of the chassis for equal weight distribution. It also has an advanced fuel delivery system and airﬂow that allows it to produce 1040 bhp at 2,600 rpms. The power output is managed by an all-new ZF 16-speed gearbox, making it fastest race truck developed by Tata Motors. With

high performance rotating parts made of special materials, the engine is meant to withstand high temperature & pressure that a race truck is subject to on a race track. “It is by far, the fastest truck ever produced by Tata,” says Art Balmadrid, General Manager and Vice President of Pilipinas Taj. Tata says that the new 1000 bhp T1 Prima race truck is similar to the race trucks that compete under the FIA in the UK and Europe. “After having hosted three successive T1 seasons, we at Tata Motors are happy to announce our next big innovation in the form of the 1000 bhp T1 PRIMA race truck. Built with speciﬁcations similar to that of trucks that race globally, the vehicle was developed in a record time 12 months – a demonstration of teamwork, speed and capability. With this new track based machine, we are truly ahead of contemporary; we are future ready and through T1 we’ve proved time and again to showcase a distinctive partnership between sporting and technological excellence for the Tata Motors brand,” states Ravindra Pisharody, Executive Director for Commercial Vehicles of Tata Motors. About the Tata Prima: The award-winning World Truck i.e. PRIMA is equipped with strong aggregates and a robust chassis frame and suspension. The Tata PRIMA range meets the highest operating standards under extreme conditions, thanks to outstanding material and build quality, comfort, driving dynamics, offering customers with of lowest cost of operations. The Tata PRIMA range has set up new benchmarks in the performance and design of a nextgeneration commercial vehicle, based on superior technology, optimum power, fuel efﬁciency and safety. About Tata Motors: Tata Motors Limited is India’s largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of INR 2,75,561 crores (USD 41.6 billion) in 201516. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand, South Africa and Indonesia. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, the business comprising the two iconic British brands. It also has an industrial joint venture with Fiat in India. With over 9 million Tata vehicles plying in India, Tata Motors is the country’s market leader in commercial vehicles and among the top in passenger vehicles. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia, South America, Australia, CIS and Russia.