Manila Standard - 2017 October 25 - Wednesday

Mining body junks open-pit ban

By Julito G. Rada

VOL. XXXI • NO. 253 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

THE Mining Industry Coordinating Council on Tuesday recommended the lifting of the ban on open-pit mining provided that mining laws are strictly

enforced by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said in a briefing after the MICC meeting at the Finance department that majority of the members of

the council, which he cochairs, voted for the lifting of the ban.

He said the recommendation would be presented to the Cabinet by the first week of November and could be approved before the year ends. Next page

Poll body names Lim acting chief

By Vito Barcelo, Maricel Cruz and Macon RamosAraneta

SECURITY SUPPORT. Australia announces the expansion of its security support to the Philippines, which will involve training in urban counter-terrorism, to fight the rise and spread of

extremism in the region during a joint news conference Tuesday in Clark between Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (left) and Australia’s Defense Minister Marise Ann Payne (right) [left photo].

Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary James Mattis attends the 11th Asean Defense Ministers and 4th ADMM-Plus, also in Clark [right photo]. AFP

2 top Reds arrested in Negros O. TWO alleged high-ranking communist leaders have been arrested in Bago City, Negros Occidental, police and military officials said Tuesday.

Those nabbed were identified as Aurora Cayon, alias Lilay, of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army National Finance Commission; and Louie Antonio Martinez, alias Louie Castro, national military staff, logistics, of CPP-NPA. Recovered from them were a caliber .45 pistol, hand grenade, magazines, and ammunition, the military said.

The two were arrested, Next page

1.1 -m kilos of rice Xmas gift to Rody

By Rio N. Araja SOME 1.1-million rice farmers have pledged to donate one kilo of hybrid rice each as a Christmas gift to soldiers who fought in Marawi City and to the other needy people in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s pro-poor program.

In an interview, Silvestre Bonto, president of the National Confederation of Irrigators Association, said the organization had issued a memorandum, requesting its 1.1-million members to give out at least one kilo of rice each supposedly to be a “surprise” gift to the President.

“Our initiative is a gesture of gratitude to the President for granting us Next page

THE Commission on Elections en banc named Commissioner Christian Robert Lim as acting chairman of the poll agency after President Rodrigo Duterte accepted Comelec chairman Andres Bautista’s resignation.

Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said the Comelec en banc appointed Lim as officerin-charge, the most senior commissioner, who was also appointed in the same position when former Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes retired. Next page

Govt tightens watch on PH-bound IS men

By Francisco Tuyay

EFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday the government is closely monitoring Filipinos returning from the Middle East after fighting for the Islamic State to guard against potential acts of terror following their defeat in Syria and Iraq.

D

On the sidelines of the Asean Defense Ministers Meeting in Clark, Pampanga, Lorenzana said the home-bound Filipinos with links to ISIS were in a “long list of names” provided by Kurdish intelligence.

“They have a long list of names…of Malaysians and Indonesians fighting in Iraq, [and] couple of Filipinos who might come back.

So we are monitoring these people,” Lorenzana said.

The Islamic State fight-

ing in Syria and Iraq has been crushed by coalition forces after years of trying to establish a caliphate in the Middle East.

Islamic State-inspired terrorists under Isnilon Hapilon, described as the emir of ISIS in Southeast Asia, were crushed after a five-month battle for Marawi City.

Even before the Marawi siege, the Philippines was already coordinating closely with Malaysia and Indonesia on the ISIS-inspired fighters, Lorenzana said.

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CRESTFALLEN RETURNEES. A soldier (left) keeps an eye as woebegone residents return and inspect their devastated homes near the battle area of Mapandi in Marawi Tuesday, a day after military authorities declared the fighting, which began on May 23, was over. AFP

Life begins returning to war-torn city, residents still wary

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan, Macon Ramos-Araneta, Maricel V. Cruz and AFP

RESIDENTS of war-torn Marawi City began returning to their homes Tuesday, but gunfire greeted them as soldiers scoured the devas-

tated neighborhoods for re“We are afraid but we want maining militants, who had to check on our houses,” Jawaged a brutal five-month maliah Lomontong, a village battle with government official in her 40s, said as she troops.

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Comelec starts validating Marcos poll protest vs Robredo

By Vito Barcelo and Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Elections has started to decrypt and print the ballot images from three pilot provinces

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

that former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cited in his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

The Presidential Electoral Tribunal had earlier ordered the Comelec to do so using

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

S

the Secured Digital (SD) cards from the provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental at its main office in Intramuros, Manila.

“Decryption is the process of decoding the data which

manilastandard.net

has been encrypted into a secret format. Only an authorized user can decrypt data because decryption requires a secret key or password,” a Comelec official explained. Next page

Many Filipinos doubt cops’ shootout tale—SWS A GROWING number of Filipinos are doubting claims made by the Philippine National Police that suspects killed in the government’s bloody drug war had put up a fight and resisted arrest, the latest Social Weather Stations poll revealed.

Indecision is the prevailing sentiment among Filipinos at 45 percent when asked if the police were telling the truth that suspects they killed really resisted them.

Only 17 percent believed police are telling the truth.

Some 37 percent said the police were not telling the truth—with 19 percent definitely not telling the truth, 19 percent probably not telling the truth, correctly rounded.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Abaya test case for Ombudsman

By John Paolo Bencito

M

ALACAÑANG on Tuesday again criticized the Office of the Ombudsman and told it to show its independence after graft raps were filed in its office against former Transportation secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, a former stalwart of the opposition Liberal Party.

“Public office, as we often hear, is a public trust. Let this be a good reminder to all public officials to perform their official functions with competence, integrity and compassion for they are accountable in all their actions,” Presiden-

tial Spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters. “Similarly, let this be an opportunity for the Office of the Ombudsman to show its true independence in fighting corruption in the corridors of power.”

On Monday, Transporta-

Kintanar takes over Air Force

Govt...

LT. GEN. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. is the new head of the Philippine Air Force, replacing Edgar Fallorina who retired on Tuesday.

A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985, Kintanar was picked to head the Western Command in Puerto Princesa in August and once served as the Philippine Air Force’s chief of staff. The Western Command is responsible for monitoring the disputed Kalayaan Group of Islands.

Fallorina was presented with a citation and the Philippine Legion of Honor with the degree of Commander.

He is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983 and a former deputy chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

John Paolo Bencito

Comelec...

From A1 The former senator sought the recount of ballots in 25 provinces nationwide, but particularly noted that Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental would clearly show the “major discrepancies” in the votes cast in the ballots and those transmitted by the vote counting machines and reported in the certificates of canvass.

The Marcos camp said the Comelec denied Robredo’s motion to postpone the decryption, but a lawyer for the vice president denied there was any such motion.

“We deny making such motion we have made no such motion and there was no attempt to delay the proceeding on our part. The official record of the proceedings will speak for itself,” she said.

Many...

From A1 Net opinion about the truthfulness of the police fell to a significant -20, from a net balance of opinion of only -3 in June 2017.

Net opinion about the truthfulness of the police was lowest in Metro Manila at -34, followed

by Balance Luzon at -31, Visayas at -15 and Mindanao at +3.

The same survey showed satisfaction with President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration was lowest among those who doubt the police.

Public satisfaction with Duterte was a good +43 among those who believed the police were probably not telling the truth, while it was a moderate +15 among those who believed they were definitely not telling the truth.

It was a very good +60 among those who believed the police were probably telling the truth, and a very good +57 among those who were undecided.

Net satisfaction with the administration was an excellent +78 both among those who believed the police were definitely telling the truth and those who said the police were probably.

Meanwhile, it was very good +65 among those were undecided, a very good +50 among those who believed they were probably not telling the truth, and a good +30 among those who believed they were definitely not telling the truth.

The September 2017 Social Weather Survey, conducted from September 23-27 using face-to-face interviews of 1,500 adults had sampling error margins of ±3 percent for national percentages.

John Paolo Bencito

From A1

Dozens of Malaysians and a couple of Indonesians who left their country and joined Philippine terrorist groups such as the Abu Sayyaf were among those killed in the fierce battle with ground troops in Marawi.

At the same event in Clark, Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne underscored the need to fortify entry points against returning compatriots bent on sowing terror in their homeland.

“They are battled-trained, they are hardened, they are extremists of the highest order who have been prepared to do the most appalling things, using civilians as human shields and collaterals,” Payne said.

Payne said they are ready to assist Southeast Asian countries in monitoring and interdicting terrorists.

“We are focused on work-

tion Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Rainier Yebra filed a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Abaya and other former officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications for the allegedly anomalous maintenance contract for the Metro Rail Transit 3 that the department awarded to the FilipinoKorean company Busan Universal Rails Inc. President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier accused Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales of enforcing “selective jus-

tice” after she allegedly failed to prosecute her supposed “yellow” allies.

Duterte criticized the Office of the Ombudsman for being “slow to act on the complaints against the friendly but quick to decide against perceived hostiles,” adding her office could not “act on complaints with cold neutrality and impartiality.”

Despite the President’s threats, Morales vowed to continue its probe into his alleged clandestine wealth.

Abella said the filing of charges against Abaya, a

former president of the Liberal Party, was “long overdue.”

“Our people, especially the long-suffering commuters of MRT who would experience daily train breakdowns during their travel, surely welcome this development,” he said.

Abaya also faces four more graft cases at the Ombudsman for his involvement in the P1.72-billion Contactless Automated Fare Collection System project, the purchase of P3.8 billion worth of license plates and P3.8 billion worth of train coaches from China.

A full-blown investigation

by the Senate Public Services Committee found that out of the 48 train coaches delivered, only 29 had a signaling system installed.

The committee also found that each of the trains weighed just over 49,000 kilograms, some 3,000 kg over the 46,300-kg limit under the terms of the contract.

Senator Grace Poe, chairman of the Senate Public Services Committee, said P526 million of taxpayers’ money were wasted in the purchase of light rail vehicles for the MRT-3.

ing with our neighbors in the region, working with the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.... It’s a complex task across oceans, seas, land and air domains to try and to do that. But it is important... for us to work closely together,” Payne said.

“I think is it important to recognize that this is not just a defense issue... it’s a national security issue... it’s a legal issue, its an immigration issue, as well as a defense issue. We work together closely with our counterparts and particularly with the relationship I have with Secretary Lorenzana,” Payne said.

Both Australia and the Philippines have agreed to increase military cooperation to address the threats of terrorism, she said.

Specifically, the Australian Defense Force will send mobile training teams to train Philippine soldiers in urban warfare and counter-terrorism.

“It’s very practical training by the ADF which will provide and support the Philippine defense

force to be able to counter what are very brutal tactics employed by terrorists,” Payne said.

Canberra has been aiding Manila against local supporters of the Islamic State group in Marawi since September, deploying two AP-3C Orion aircraft for surveillance while helping in informationgathering and analysis.

Defense and military officials in the Philippines declared victory after a five-month battle there that claimed more than 1,100 lives and destroyed swathes of the city.

While it ended immediate fears that the Islamic State would establish a Southeast Asian base in Marawi, concerns remain about its longer-term intentions and capabilities for the region.

Australia has experience tackling the group in Iraq and Syria and Payne said it was crucial the Philippines had the know-how to keep extremists at bay now that the key fight had been won.

She said Canberra would send teams immediately to provide urban warfare counterterrorism training.

“Globally we have seen the effect of extremist ideology and terrorist threats on millions of civilians and it is alarming to see this disruption come to our region,” Payne said.

Payne said the spread of Islamic State-inspired terrorism was a direct threat to Australia and its interests, and Canberra was determined it “cannot establish a geographic foothold in the region.”

As part of the boosted cooperation, the two sides will also work together to enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in the south.

They will also bolster maritime security engagement and bilateral maritime patrols and co-host a seminar on post-conflict rehabilitation efforts.

Hundreds of local and foreign gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS rampaged

through Marawi on May 23.

They then took over parts of the city using civilians as human shields.

More than 400,000 residents were displaced as near-daily airstrikes and intense ground combat left large parts of the city in ruins.

In Clark, Lorenzana said the threat from the Maute group was diminished.

“The Maute family is practically wiped out. The seven sons of the Mautes’ Farhana and Cayamora were all killed in Marawi so I think the Mautes are finished for the moment,” he said.

Police on Monday said an alleged financier and member of the Maute group, Aminkisa Romato Macadato, was arrested in Valenzuela City.

Macadato, the nephew of the Maute matriarch, is accused of being involved in the rebellion in Mindanao and is allegedly connected to the Maute-ISIS local terrorist group, police said.

With AFP

Mining...

From A1

The council also agreed that it should be the DENR, through its Mines and Geoscience Bureau, that should take a close look and take appropriate action on the expansion of 24 mining areas covered by mineral production sharing agreements.

The MICC, co-chaired by Cimatu and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, said preliminary results of a “factfinding and science-based” review of 26 mines ordered closed or suspended by former secretary Gina Lopez should be out by January next year, with a final report ready by March.

The composition of the technical review teams and the methodologies they will use to conduct the review were final-

Life...

From A1 and some relatives walked into their neighborhood near where the main fighting occurred.

Lomontong said her house had survived, although it had been looted.

“Anything easy to take away has gone—televisions, laptops,” she said.

Defense chiefs announced on Monday that the fighting, which claimed more than 1,100 lives and left the eastern half of Marawi in ruins, had ended following a final clash in a mosque in which dozens of gunmen were killed.

The militants had overrun Marawi on May 23 in what President Rodrigo Duterte and security analysts said was a bid to establish a Southeast Asian base for the Islamic State.

The campaign to oust them turned into the Philippines’ longest urban war, forcing about 400,000 people to flee their homes as the militants defied near daily bombing raids by hiding in basements, tunnels and

ized in the second week of October.

As proposed by Dominguez, the MICC agreed to conduct another review in 2019 and succeeding ones every two years thereafter, in keeping with the MICC mandate to review all mining operations once every two years.

On April 27, then DENR secretary Lopez issued Department Administrative Order (DAO)-2017-10 imposing a ban on the open pit method of extraction for copper, gold, silver and complex ores.

In its Aug. 23 meeting, the MICC tasked its technical working groups on economic concerns and on environmental protection and legislation to review and formulate the MICC policy recommendations in relation to the open pit mining ban.

The technical working groups were also directed to clarify related policy concerns that include 1) conflicting national and local level policies and issuances; and (=2)

mosques.

Only a few dozen civilians could be seen on Tuesday morning on the outskirts of the mostly destroyed eastern half of Marawi, where regular bursts of gunfire and occasional explosions could still be heard.

However, the sounds of war did not mean there was renewed fighting, said Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Marawi forces.

He said they were due to soldiers going through buildings looking for militants who may still be hiding, while troops were also detonating bombs that the gunmen had planted.

“It’s possible that there were some [militants] left behind. In every war, that is the SOP [(standard operating procedure],” Brawner said.

“So the firing is part of the mopping operations, because if there are holes, tunnels [in buildings], then the troops fire first into the hole before they check with their flashlights,” he said.

In the western half of the city, which largely escaped the fighting, hundreds of residents had begun returning.

“I feel a mixture of joy

2Fromtop...

A1 based on previous warrants, on Oct.19 at 1:30 p.m.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Cayon held several high positions in the CPP-NPA such as executive committee member, finance head of Komiteng Mindanao, second deputy secretary of Southern Mindanao Regional Committee, and second deputy secretary of Northeastern Mindanao.

Meanwhile, a new Special Envoy to the ongoing peace negotiations between the government and the communist National Democratic Front has been appointed by Norway, its embassy

strengthening the enforcement of existing mining laws, regulations and contracts related to open pit mining.

Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin said the technical working groups were guided by the policy statements of President Rodrigo Duterte on the issue.

“The study also covered the economic, technical, legal and social aspects of open-pit mining,” Agabin said.

Cimatu had informed the MICC during the Aug. 23 meeting that the President’s policy directives on mining include the following: 1) improving the regulatory functions of the government on mining; 2) investigating and resolving issues concerning security and safety in small scale mining; 3) addressing the adverse environmental and social impact of mining, particularly in coastal areas; 4) strengthening regulations on open pit mining; and 5)

and sadness,” businessman Gonaranko Mapandi Jr., 46, said as he stood close to a military checkpoint.

“I’m happy because we are able to return. But I’m very sad at what happened to my city.”

In the Senate, Senator Nancy Binay called on the authorities to hasten the clearing operations so that rebuilding could begin.

She earlier called for the inclusion of indigenous peoples and internally displace persons in the 23-member Task Force Bangon Marawi, which was tasked by the national government to lead recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the war-torn city.

The Chinese embassy on Tuesday has handed over 47 units of heavy equipment for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of Marawi City, noting that Beijing was the first country to donate and deliver support to the Philippines.

Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua congratulated the Armed Forces for ending the five-month siege and assured the Philippines that Beijing would not only be Manila’s partner but also its friend.

in Manila said Tuesday.

In a statement, the embassy said Norwegian diplomat Idun Tvedt was appointed as the new special envoy to the peace process, replacing Elisabeth Slåttum, who just ended her three-year term as special envoy.

Norway has been a facilitator of the peace process between the government and the communists since 2001.

“As I am sad to see Elisabeth Slåttum go, the appointment of Idun Tvedt is a great encouragement for us. She has a high standing in the Norwegian Foreign Service and her knowledge and experience in peace and reconciliation matters are truly impressive,” Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines

“I’m glad China is the first country to donate and deliver rehabilitation equipment to the Philippines. There is a Chinese saying, that is, when you want to do something good, then do it in a timely way,” Zhao said in his speech during the turnover ceremony.

“These equipment arrived just at the time when the reconstruction of Marawi City is about to begin,” the envoy added.

The 47 units of heavy equipment are worth P155 million and include eight excavators, wheel loaders, dump trucks, and cement mixers; five compactors, track type tractors, and bulldozers; and one container van.

“The donation is timely and they are going to put to use immediately,” Zhao said.

Zhao, who was in Marawi Tuesday, said that he observed that the government has been “quick in planning the rebuilding and recovery” of Marawi City.

In his speech he said the the crisis faced by the Philippines can be considered as an opportunity to build a new Marawi and rebuild lives.

Erik Førner said.

“The team here at the Embassy looks forward to working with her and the parties towards a peaceful solution in the conflict between the GRP and the NDFP,” he added.

A lawyer by education, Tvedt has made a career in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in human rights and peace and formerly worked at the Norwegian Embassy in Bogota, where she was a member of the facilitation team responsible for the peace process between the Colombian government and the Marxist-Leninist FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia).

The armed conflict between the Philippine government and the

strictly implementing the mining law and other pertinent environmental laws and regulations to ensure the protection of the environment.

On the 26 mines ordered either closed or suspended under the term of Lopez, the MICC earlier said it would tap the expertise of the Development Academy of the Philippines to implement and manage the “fact-finding and science-based” review process on these mining operations.

The review will be conducted by experts who will be divided into five technical review teams, Agabin said.

Agabin said the clustering of the mines for review were based on the types of minerals and locations.

The five TRTs will look into the environmental, economic, social, legal and technical aspects of the mining operations.

Poll...

From A1 In a related development, the House of Representatives’ committee on justice will no longer submit any impeachment document to the Senate for trial against Bautista.

The panel chairman, Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, said the impeachment proceedings against Bautista was “moot and academic” after President Duterte accepted Bautista’s resignation that was “effective immediately.”

“The conduct of impeachment proceedings was mooted by the acceptance of the resignation,” Umali said at the sidelines of the House justice panel’s meeting Tuesday.

The House justice committee held the meeting supposedly to discuss the Articles of Impeachment against Bautista for a full-blown trial at the Senate.

But since the impeachment document was irrelevant already, Umali said “this meeting of the minds rendered this matter finished.”

He said the committee already received Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as well as the counsel of Bautista informing its members that President Duterte accepted the resignation of the poll chief.

“I think this matter is all very clear.

There was an offer, there was an ac-

communist armed wing has lasted for almost 50 years.

In a related development, the chairperson of the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor on Tuesday lauded the Senate for its support for the peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

“We laud the initiative of the Senate to support the peace talks.

A whole-of-government approach is important for the progress and success of the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front,” said Terry Ridon, chairperson of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, on initiatives taken by the Senate to take an active role in the peace negotiations. Bill Casas

Ex-VP hits Trillanes’ ‘fake news’ FORMER Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday praised the Justice Department’s decision indicting Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for libel over the accusations he hurled against him in 2015.

State prosecutors approved the filing of the libel case before the Makati City Regional Trial Court, and after finding probable cause in the complaint filed by Binay against Trillanes.

Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado said the decision to indict Trillanes for libel only confirmed that the Senate hearings were not in aid of legislation.

“It confirms what we have been saying all along: that the Senate hearings were in aid of political demolition, not legislation,” Salgado said in a statement.

“Senator Trillanes hid behind his parliamentary immunity in order to pollute the people’s minds with his lies as part of a well-orchestrated job against Vice President Binay.”

Salgado said the prosecutors’ decision also exposed Trillanes as “a fake crusader against fake news,” which apparently began as early as 2015 “and Senator Trillanes was its pioneer.”

“It seems Senator Trillanes was the one spreading fake news since 2015. He deserves the unflattering title father of fake news in the Philippines,” Salgado said.

A Justice Department resolution dated Oct. 9, which was signed by Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edwin Dayog and approved by Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon, says Trillanes issued malicious statements published in an online news site “defaming, maligning the reputation and causing dishonor to Binay.

The department also ruled that malice was established and these were not covered by parliamentary immunity.

The department indicted Trillanes for libel in February last year based on a separate complaint filed by Binay’s son, former Makati City mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay. Joel E. Zurbano and Vito Barcelo

ceptance, so there is now a meeting of the minds,” Umali said.

Bautista earlier announced he would resign by end of the year. His term was supposed to expire on Feb. 2, 2022.

Umali said his committee would then prepare a committee report summarizing all the turn of events on the Bautista impeachment case.

The committee report will be submitted to the plenary for adoption when Congress resumes session on Nov. 20.

Congress goes on more than a month-long Halloween break which began last Oct. 13.

Bautista’s announcement led to the decision of the Lower House to impeach Bautista by a 137-75, reversing the decision of justice committee not to unseat him for the complaint filed against him was “defective.”

Bautista’s estranged wife, Patricia, earlier accused the Comelec chief of corruption while in government service, claiming that Bautista had several undeclared properties in his 2016 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

The complaint was embodied in the impeachment case filed against the poll chief by lawyers Ferdinand Topacio and Jacinto Paras, accusing Bautista of betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution over allegations of ill-gotten wealth.

1.1-m...

From A1

free irrigation services,” he told the Manila Standard.

“Those who cannot give rice may donate a cash equivalent of P40 each so we can buy rice.”

The NCIA has set a national irrigators’ association general assembly on Dec. 14 to Dec. 16 in Davao City and has invited Duterte as their distinguished guest, Bonto said.

“It is 100 percent committed that the President is coming over,” he said.

The 1.1 million kilos of good quality rice was supposed to be a surprise gift to the President, he said, adding “it has already come to his knowledge about the donation ahead of time.”

On Nov. 3, NCIA officers and various rice groups’ leaders will meet in Bicol to come up with a final assessment of their free rice program.

“We will start to do an accounting of the rice collection on Nov. 11,” the NCIA chief said.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

BoC post-audit function restored

By John Paolo Bencito and Macon Ramos-Araneta

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has issued an executive order reviving the post clearance audit functions of the Bureau of Customs in a bid to review the correctness of declarations passing through the corruption-laden agency, following the controversial entry of more than P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China.

In Executive Order (EO) No. 46 signed Oct. 20 but made public Tuesday, Duterte reverted the post clearance audit function from the Department of Finance Fiscal Intelli-

gence Unit to the Bureau of Custom, in effect reviving the BoC Post Entry Audit Group and renaming it as Post Clearance Audit Group.

“The PCAG is mandated

to conduct, within three [3] years from the date of final payment of duties and taxes or customs clearance, an audit examination, inspection, verification, and investigation of records pertaining to any goods declaration,” EO No. 46 stated.

The BoC-PCAG will be headed by an Assistant Commissioner of the BoC who will have direct control and supervision of PCAG’s Trade Information and Risk Analysis Office and Compliance Assessment Office.

On the other hand, the defunct DoF Fiscal Intelligence Unit was instituted and renamed as Financial Analytics and Intelligence Unit. Among its functions include revenuerelated data analysis, review

of fiscal matters, and policy advisory.

Some 604 kilos of shabu worth P6.4 billion were found surreptitiously hidden in five cylindrical roller printing machines from China during the time of former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, following an intelligence report provided by Zhang Xiaohui, director of International Enforcement Cooperation Division of Anti-Smuggling Bureau, General Administration of China Customs, stating that two warehouses were being used in illegal drugs operations.

Presidential son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and son-in-law lawyer Manases Carpio have

been implicated in the shabu mess after being linked by a government witness into the smuggling operations.

As this developed, Senator Sonny Angara urged anew the BoC to fast-track the issuance of proper guidelines for the implementation of tax-free balikbayan boxes to truly benefit overseas Filipino workers.

He reminded BoC officials that Christmas is just around the corner and to make sure that the OFW abroad will benefit from this privilege.

“Since last year, we have made the call to clearly and rightly implement the law so as not to burden our people,” added Angara, sponsor of Republic Act 10863 or the Cus-

toms Modernization and Tariff Act that was signed into law in May last year.

The BoC has recently suspended two Customs orders providing the guidelines on tax-free balikbayan boxes after receiving numerous complaints regarding the tedious requirements to avail of the tax incentive.

Under Customs Administrative Order 05-2016 and Customs Memorandum Order 04-2017 that the bureau issued in August, qualified Filipinos while abroad must accomplish an information sheet that includes an itemized list of the contents of the balikbayan box, and must submit a copy of the receipts for brand new items and a photocopy of their passport.

Aegis Juris fratmen seeks case dismissal

By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice has been asked to dismiss the criminal charges filed against members of the Aegis Juris fraternity in connection with the fatal hazing of University of Santo Tomas law freshman Horacio Castillo III last Sept. 16.

Of the 37 respondents, 21 showed up before the DoJ for preliminary investigation hearing and submitted their respective answers to the charges of murder, violation of Republic Act 8049 or Anti-Hazing Law, perjury and obstruction of justice.

The respondents denied the allegations and asked the DoJ panel headed by Assistant State Prosecutor Susan Villanueva to dismiss the complaints filed by the Manila Police District and Castillo’s parents Horacio II and Carmina.

Among those who submitted counter-affidavits were the two primary suspects, frat members John Paul Solano and Ralph Trangia.

In his 29-page counteraffidavit, Solano said he was not present during the initiation rites held in their fraternity library and was only called by his frat brothers to help revive Castillo who was lying on the floor and unconscious with very weak pulse.

CEB to train more than 200 new pilots

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Cebu Pacific Air shelled out US$25 million to train more than 200 aspiring aviators in line with its aim to address its expansion requirements over the next five years.

On Tuesday, the CEB, led by its president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei, formally launched the Cadet Pilot Program to recruit individuals interested to become pilots and undergo 56-week integrated flying training.

The program, which will start in 2018 and be conducted in partnership with Flight Training Adelaide, will create 240 professional pilots who will subsequently join the corps of pilots of Cebu Pacific.

After completion of the program, which also cover flight theory and education course, the cadet-pilots become First Officers at CEB, and join the corps of aviators at Cebu Pacific, flying domestic and international routes.

FOR MARAWI REHAB. People’s Republic of China Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua (right) signs documents along with DPWH Secretary Mark

Villar during the handover ceremony of over 47 units of heavy equipment for the rehabilitation of Marawi City at the DPWH headquarters in Manila on Tuesday.

The equipment from China includes eight units of excavators, wheel loaders, dump trucks, cement mixers, five units of bulldozers and compactors and one container van. Norman Cruz

‘Human rights rap vs Du30 rehashed’ THE report on the human rights situation in the Philippines by the European Union is simply a “rehash of criticisms” against the Duterte administration, Malacañang said Tuesday.

In a Palace news briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella tried to deflect EU’s criticism of the country’s human rights record, saying that they were simply the same with those thrown against Duterte by a los-

ing political party and its candidate during the polls.

Abella likewise skirted around the salient points of the report, claiming that many of the abuses cited were just “based on media reports” and mostly committed in the previous administration—despite the EU’s remarks that the country’s human rights record “considerably worsened as a consequence” of the so-called ‘war on drugs’ waged by Duterte.

“The EU’s report covers the period of last year’s elections and many of its alleged findings are a rehash of criticisms aired by the political party whose candidate lost to the President,” Abella said.

While Duterte won the 2016 elections, many of the criticisms against his human rights records were from the camp of then second-placer former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, a

candidate of the now opposition Liberal Party. Three other candidates—former vice president Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe and the late Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, sought the presidency at the time.

The second half of the year, soon after Duterte took office, was marked by a serious deterioration in respect for the right to life, due process and the rule of law, the report noted. John Paolo Bencito

Duterte streamlines Neda Board’s excom PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday issued an administrative order streamlining the composition of the Neda Board’s Executive Committee and the Investment Coordination Committee for a more effective and speedy approval process.

In his Administrative Order No. 8, signed Oct. 20 (Friday), Duterte opted to rationalize the Neda Board from 22 members to just 12 members, with the President, as Chairperson and SocioEconomic Planning Secretary, as

vice chairperson.

The other board members are the executive secretary, the Cabinet secretary; Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) chairperson; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas deputy Governor and the secretaries of Budget and Management, Energy, Finance, Public Works and Highways, Trade and Industry, and Transportation.

Among those removed from the previous structure of the Neda Board were the Secretaries of Agriculture,

Environment and Natural Resources, Science and Technology, and Tourism; the Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council; Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; chief of the Presidential Management Staff; and the president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines.

Another six-member Neda board ExCo have likewise been reconsti-

tuted, headed by the president as chairperson, and SocioEconomic Planning Secretary as Vice Chairperson; and restored the ICC, with the Finance and Socio-Economic Planning chiefs as co-chairpersons.

Among the responsibilities of the Neda Board ExCom were to approve development plans and programs consistent with the policies set by the President and confirm “extremely urgent” ICC-approved projects.

John Paolo Bencito

‘PCSO rises to greater heights under Du30 govt’ THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has aggressively increased its revenue collections and widened its charity services to the Filipino people especially to remote areas, general manager Alexander Balutan said Tuesday.

“The PCSO is on the rise under the government of President Rodrigo Duterte because we have increased almost all aspects of our operations,” Balutan said.

“We have increased our revenues, our branches, services, and especially our number of beneficiaries since we assumed office

under President Duterte.”

Balutan said that is the reason why officials and employees of the agency chose “PCSO on the Rise” as the theme of anniversary celebration to be held at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City on Oct. 26.

“The PCSO is on the rise because our revenues are increasing, and so we were able to increase the allocation for our Individual Medical Assistance Program [IMAP] which is the fund our branches use for the benefit of our countrymen,” Balutan said.

ARRESTED. Top officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines New Peoples Army were arrested by combined operation of CIDG and the Philippine Army in Negros Occidental.

The operatives identified the suspects as Aurora Cayon alias ‘Lilay,’ finance officer of the CPP/ NPA and Louie Antonio Martinez alias ‘Louie Castro,’ National Military Staff of the CPP/NPA in a press conference held Oct. 24 2017 at the Camp Crame. Photo shows PNP Chief Dir. Gen. Ronald Bato dela Rosa presiding over the conference. Manny Palmero

Piston leader denies CPP link

By Rio N. Araja TRANSPORT leader George San Mateo on Tuesday denied any link with the Communist Party of the Philippines and committing rebellion for organizing a nationwide twoday transport strike.

At the Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City, San Mateo, Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) president, said the strike was “simply just a strike,” and not a form of rebellion against the government.

He dismissed allegations that Piston was a political group, saying the involvement of the progressive Kilusang Mayo Uno in the strike did not mean Piston was a leftleaning group.

“It saddens us when President Rodrigo Duterte said we are a political group just because KMU joined and backed our strike. He even had a dialogue with it [KMU] before,” he said.

When asked by one of the veteran media personnel if he was a member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, San Mateo replied “I am not representing the NDFP. I am not representing the CPP, KMU or Bayan. I’m representing Piston. Do not tell me that I am destabilizing the government. You are out of context.”

He said the President has politicized the issue of jeepney modernization.

The jeepney sector is not yet that prepared for the modernization program of all jeepneys nationwide

by Jan. 1, 2018, he said.

‘Stress-free Naia flights during Asean summit’ THERE will be minimal disruptions for arriving and departing domestic and international flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Ambasssador Marciano Paynor said as he expressed readiness to host the heads of government and state coming to the Philippines for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Meetings that will be held from Nov. 10 to 14.

In a Palace news briefing, Paynor, who is the Asean National Organizing Committee Director General, said that flight activities will be concentrated at Clark International Airport in Pampanga instead of the Naia to avoid unnecessary flight disruptions at the Naia during the international event.

Paynor said the decision to maximize the use of CIA for the upcoming summit was made in order to prevent cancellation of several flights at the Naialike what happened during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation in 2015 where some 450 Naia flights were affected.

“For Apec there were 20 economic leaders who came in. There was a particular delegation whose requirement anywhere they go is one hour prior to arrival, no movement in the air and on the ground, and 30 minutes after. So that’s an hour and 30,” he said.

A4

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Unsafe city

I

T WAS amusing—and a little sad—to hear the Manila Police District this week take exception to a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit that showed that Manila was among the least safe in the world, on the basis that the findings should have said Metro Manila.

“The study was measured based on identified megacities in different parts of the world so it would appear that it is not only confined to the local government of Manila alone,” said MPD director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel, speaking on behalf of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. “So this will include other cities in Metro Manila as well.”

Perhaps the chief superintendent wants

to win points from his mayor for pointing out the obvious—that most international studies use “Manila” to refer to the 16 cities and one municipality that comprise Metro Manila, in the same way they use “Cairo” to mean Greater Cairo and “Tokyo” to refer to Tokyo Metropolis. The EIU says as much in the infographic that accompanies its report.

Nobody who reads the Economist’s Safest Cities Index 2017 will believe that “Manila” refers only to the City of Manila, as the chief superintendent and his mayor seem to think. Most people would believe we have bigger fish to fry.

In the Safest Cities Index 2017 released

by Economist Intelligence Unit, the research arm of the London-based multimedia company The Economist Group, Manila was ranked 55th out of the 60 cities examined in the biennial report.

Joining Manila at the bottom 10 were Cairo, Tehran, Quito, Caracas, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Dhaka, Yangon and Karachi.

Tokyo was named the world’s safest city for the second consecutive time, and was followed by Singapore, Osaka, Toronto, Melbourne, Amsterdam, Sydney, Stockholm, Hong Kong and Zurich.

The report looks at four parameters that make up security: Digital security, defined as the strength of a city’s cyber security and Internet access Health security, which measures air and water quality, along with health care Personal security, which considers crime, violence and police engagement, and Infrastructure security, which considers transportation, and vulnerability to natu-

ral disasters and terrorist strikes.

The chief superintendent correctly points out that Manila (or Metro Manila) ranked low overall because it obtained low marks in digital security and infrastructure security. In both parameters, Manila ended up in the bottom 10.

But it would be wrong to suggest we did all right in the other two factors, health security and personal security. In health security, Manila was 49th, just one step away from the bottom 10. In personal security, Manila was No. 39, deep in the bottom half.

The first step in fixing a problem, it is said, is to acknowledge it exists. The latest Safe Cities Index shows clearly that we have problems in all four parameters— and the sooner we admit that, the sooner we can get around to making Metro Manila a safer place for everyone.

TO THE POINT EMIL P. JURADO

Dividing the nation AN ALLIANCE has been formed by those against the Duterte administration. It is composed of Yellowtards and former Cabinet members during the time of BS Aquino.

The group is called Tindig Pilipinas. It is supposed to be against tyranny.

And then there is Tapang at Malasakit, formed by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

They really have drawn the line, haven’t they?

This division of the people is dangerous. We are now defined by whether we are for or against one man.

As an opinion writer and observer of political events, I am neither for nor against President Duterte.

When I believe he is doing right for the country, I support him. When I believe he is not, I don’t.

I think loyalty (or animosity) toward one person brings us to the road to perdition.

Why do we have to be defined by whether we are for or against one man?

Bye-bye, Bautista LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte cut the Gordian knot presented to him by both resigned Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista and the House of Representatives. And now that Duterte has accepted Bautista’s resignation “effective immediately,” in the words of Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, we can all finally move forward in our collective desire for more transparent and cleaner elections.

Personally, I would have preferred Bautista to undergo an impeachment trial in the Senate, as the House itself had virtually demanded when it rejected in a plenary vote the Comelec chairman’s “postdated” resignation.

I believe that a no-holdsbarred grilling in the Senate of Bautista’s finances and official actions as supervisor of the national elections last year would have shed a bright light on how we choose those who would rule and represent us or how we are made to believe that the winners are those whom we actually chose.

But I console myself with the fact that Bautista, who has lost his immunity from suit as an impeachable official with the acceptance of his resignation by Duterte, will now be haled to court to answer the various allegations hurled against him. It’s possible that the process of prosecuting Bautista through the Ombudsman and in regular courts, while not as sensational and free-wheeling as a Senate impeachment trial, will eventually ferret out the truth about what he

did, if you can get through the thicket of legalities that attend such stilted, rulesbound proceedings.

I also take no small pleasure in the fact that the cur-

I hope Duterte will appoint someone who will really make an effort to drain the swamp that is our electoral system.

rent Ombudsman, Conchita Carpio-Morales, who is widely believed to be the protector of all officials appointed by the previous

administration, will retire by the middle of next year.

Unless Morales focuses exclusively on the charges that will be filed against former chairman Bautista until her own July 2018 retirement, to the exclusion of all other cases that are still pending in her office, I don’t think she will be able to dispose too quickly of even the suits that Bautista’s estranged wife Patricia will bring before the Ombudsman.

Those charges, after all, have not yet been filed, since Bautista’s resignation was only accepted this week. Unless the Ombudsman has found a way to dismiss charges that have yet to be lodged before her office, I think it’s safe to say that it will be Morales’ replacement who will have to decide whether or not to prosecute Bautista.

I am not being facetious.

After all, if I remember cor-

rectly, it was Morales who absolved former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya of any culpability in the graft complaint where Abaya was implicated together with former MRT general manager Al Vitangcol.

In July 2015, the Ombudsman set an extraordinary legal precedent when she found evidence to charge Vitangcol for graft for recommending approval of the alleged irregular awarding of a $11.5-million maintenance contract to a company named PH Trams.

But Morales let Abaya off the hook, even if the transportation secretary (who was also president of the ruling Liberal Party of then President Noynoy Aquino) signed off approval of the same deal, on the ground that Abaya was only in office for a few days when he affixed his signature to the

contract documents.

That is how good Morales was (and is) at protecting the allies of Aquino. And now that Abaya is once again in the news after the Department of Transportation sued him for graft in connection with another billion-peso MRT maintenance contract with a Korean-led consortium named Buri that he approved when he presumably already knew what he was doing, perhaps some justice will be done – especially to the long-suffering 500,000 people who ride the MRT every day. *** But this is really about Comelec and what should be done going forward.

The election body has already moved on, after all, appointing the most senior of the seven commissioners,

Christian Robert Lim, to replace Turn to A5

For those of us who live in a democratic space, there is need for assent and dissent because this is enshrined in the Constitution.

In my column yesterday, I bewailed the fact that we have become a truly troubled nation. The fact that we are also divided spells our doom. *** President Duterte may dismiss or ignore what the European Union Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy to the World. But since we continue to trade with and maintain bilateral relations with them, their findings on the war on drugs cannot be set aside.

The EU report said that despite positive developments in some areas, the human rights situation in the Philippines in the second half of 2016 Turn to A5

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Opinion Why Germany is better at resisting fake news

By Leonid Bershidsky MODERN-DAY elections are increasingly defined by two sides: those who trust traditional media and those who rely on the social networks to provide an alternative, which is far more likely to deliver fake news. While in the US, the nature of the conflict is clouded by the social media’s prevalence, Germany is an example of a society where the battle lines are clearly drawn.

Multiple studies in the US have shown that Democrats trust traditional media more than Republicans do, which makes sense. But so much of media consumption goes through the social networks that it’s almost pointless to ask which party trusts it more. According to a June 2017 IPSOS poll, Democrats outmatched Republicans on social media trust: According to the same poll, Facebook is the biggest news source for Democrats and the second biggest for Republicans, after broadcast TV. Germany is different.

Only 26 percent of Germans —about half the US level— follow the news through social media. More than half of news consumers go directly to the websites of their favorite news providers. But a fresh report on fake news in the run-up to last month’s parliamentary election from the Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, a Berlin think tank that has followed the phenomenon from the early days of the campaign, shows that the voters of the nationalist populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, like US Republicans, are less inclined to trust traditional media than most other Germans, and especially than politically liberal ones. The social media were the most important source of information about the election for just six percent of Germans overall—but for 16 percent of AfD voters. Far-right voters consumed consistently less news than others from traditional sources such as TV, online and traditional newspapers.

Because of this consumption pattern, these voters also got more fake news. Perhaps because they ignored other news sources, they tended to believe it.

For example, they were far more likely than any other voters to believe that the

Dividing...

From A4

worsened considerably.

The EU noted the worsened culture of impunity by the Duterte administration in connection with the war against illegal drugs.

The report also said that various problems remain and some key legislative measures were not acted upon.

Mr. Duterte may ignore what the EU is saying, and even threaten that he would no longer accept any help from it, but he cannot escape the fact that we still have diplomatic and trade relations with the bloc.

The Department of Transportation has finally filed graft charges against former Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya for entering into an anonymous deal that proved to be a disadvantage to the government and a daily scourge for hundreds of thousands of commuters every day.

While it was Busan joint venture was the one that won the bid, the entity that actually performed the work and collected payments was BURI. The notice of award was issued to Busan JV on Dec. 28, 2015. Soon after, the assistant secretary for procurement and Bids and Awards Committee chairperson Camille Alcaraz asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to facilitate the registration of a special purpose company. BURI was in-

Bye-bye,...

From A4 Bautista as head of the agency in an acting capacity during the very first en banc session after Malacañang accepted

German government pays for refugees to get driver’s licenses, that a Lutheran bishop said in a speech that “All Germans are Nazis,” or that refugees from a certain German state often went on vacation to their home countries.

Germany, far less “infected” by the social-network virus and years behind in the development of right-wing media like Breitbart and Fox News (thanks in part to strong hate speech laws), can serve as a kind of control group for the US It’s easier to track here how the social networks play an outsize role in providing news-like fare to people who don’t trust professional journalists.

The same, of course, is happening in the US—only it’s not as obvious from the data. A recent analysis by PC World showed that Facebook pushes more fake news and partisan spin to Donald Trump supporters than to Democrats. Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm is set up to satisfy demand, and that’s what it does, delivering alternatives to people who want them.

Because of this, social media platforms are the natural enemies of centrist and liberal political parties, whose agendas overlap with professional journalists. That centrist bias may also be a problem. Correcting it in Germany, for example, could mean giving more space to the problems of integrating Muslim immigrants, which editors don’t like to do, fearing a backlash against the newcomers.

On the whole, the social networks’ surge into the underserved market for rightwing narratives is probably a bigger problem because of the total lack of editorial control, even the kind exercised by Fox News and other right-wing US media. When it comes to news, the absence of any responsibility and restraint can be dangerous.

Germany is ahead of the US in regulating the social networks (for example, requiring them quickly to remove hate speech or face large fines) because its centrist political establishment doesn’t want to suffer the fate of its US counterparts. After the AfD’s 13 percent result in last month’s election, more government moves to limit the damage from Facebook and its peers should be expected.

Bloomberg corporated Jan. 4, 2016.

That definitely constituted conspiracy.

Santa Banana, it’s clear that the respondents made a pile on the deal!

What goes around, comes around—this is all I can say to Abaya! *** President Duterte vowed to step down once the federal system of government is installed. This should be taken seriously.

I say this because there are two dangers to a federal system: The proliferation of political dynasties and the allocation of regions.

Tribalism is most prevalent in Mindanao. One group cannot get along with another.

I believe in a parliamentary system of government, but federalism?

When Mr. Duterte says he would step down once a federal system is in place, perhaps he knows something we did not. *** Malacañang said the resignation of Commission on Elections chairman Andres Bautista should take effect immediately. It renders the impeachment case against him moot and academic.

It’s good and bad for Bautista. Good because he would have time to concentrate on his defense. It’s bad because impeachment is a political exercise and the accused does not need to be proven guilty.

At least there will be one less distraction for the Senate.

Bautista’s resignation.

Lim is not Duterte’s choice to head up Comelec, whose new chairman will have to serve out the remainder of Bautista’s term, which expires in January 2022. A spokesman for the agency, apparently with

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Pampered BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE Philippines will probably make it to the Guinness Book of Records.

Believe it or not, a diaper thrown by some jerk got caught in the overhead electric cable of the Manila Rail Transit 3, once again disrupting operations.

The diaper was not the Pampers type that babies use nor the kind for women during their monthly visit by nature. But let us not go into detail. The retrieved diaper turned out to be an adult diaper. The gross reality of it all is the irresponsibility of some people in disposing of their trash. This type of people are worse than their disposable trash.

They are a menace and a danger to society.

MRT officials said an alert train driver engineer saw the obstacle hanging

over the electric line and had the good sense to stop the train nearing the Edsa/ Taft Avenue station.

“Oh no, not again,” cursed early-morning commuters who are used to the MRT’s daily glitches. Little did they know their lives had just been saved. MRT officials said the diaper, if it had landed on the tracks, could have caused a derailment. Why it took the MRT two hours to remove the diaper is still being asked.

It looks like there are more obstacles ahead for MRT. The government said it has terminated the maintenance contract with Buri because of shoddy work. Buri, on the other hand, said the government owes them an estimated P300-million back payment for its services.

In another development, the Department of Transportation also announced that former Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and 10 other officials will now be charged for the

allegedly anomalous service maintenance contract they entered into during their DoTC watch.

Changing tack Realizing his mistake, embattled Commission on Elections Chairman Andres Bautista said he was now ready to step down immediately. For not resigning irrevocably and immediately, the House of Representatives, voting in plenary, impeached Bautista for misdeclaration of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) and betrayal of public trust for negligence in line with his duty in the poll body.

President Rodrigo Duterte, according to the Malacañang press office, accepted Bautista’s resignation and is now looking at a short list of potential replacements. It is just as well since the House has not yet forwarded to the Senate the articles of impeachment against Bautista. An impeachment trial in the Sen-

ate would be costly—not only resources but time that could be well spent on priority legislative measures.

But Bautista’s woes are not yet over. His estranged wife, Patricia, through her lawyer Lorna Kapunan, said they will still pursue the plunder charges for the unexplained P1-billion wealth case against Bautista.

It was Patricia who exploded the unexplained wealth charge against her husband. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, so goes the old saying.

Foreign telcos Foreign telecommunication carriers, including an Australian company, Telstar Corp., want to enter the local market to break the duopoly of telecom giants Smart Telecom and Globe. But it looks like that would be like cutting the Gordian Knot if we are to read recent developments in the industry.

The Court of Appeals allowed Smart and Globe to buy the P69-billion shares

of businessman Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp.

The appellate court in effect stopped the Philippine Competition Commission from reviewing the SMC sale of its share to Smart and Globe.

That means that subscribers and consumers to the two telco carriers will continue to suffer from the poor service like slow delivery of text messages and choppy lines when calling.

The Philippines is known as the text messaging capital of the world.

But consumers are not even getting a break from Smart and Globe whose billion pesos of profit is more than enough for them to lower the cost of text messaging.

Is there no limit for the acquisition of wealth?

So next time you read the names of Filipino billionaires in Forbes Magazine’s “100 richest people in the world,” know that some of the money Filipino tycoons made came from you.

Three issues confronting Duterte VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ THREE issues confront President Duterte. They require his urgent attention and action—one, tax reform; two, illegal drugs; and three, the now guerilla war in Marawi. By these three issues will his presidency be measured, either as a success, or as a failure.

For the long term, the most important of the three is taxation.

The Senate’s version of the Department of Finance’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN has been watered down so that net tax revenues in the first year, 2018, will only be P59 billion (or 0.3 percent of the value of domestic economic output or GDP), down from P157.2 billion (or 1 percent of GDP), proposed by the DOF. The P59 billion will not be enough to raise tax revenues as a significant percentage of GDP. The Philippine has been underspending (for infrastructure and other essentials)

by P366 billion (2.3 percent of GDP), a year. Compared to what Thailand has been spending on investment, we

should be investing at least P1.7 trillion year on infra.

The original TRAIN alone, with P157-billion net increase in revenues by 2018 by the government, would have financed 108,000 classrooms, or 460,947 public school teachers, or 10,383 rural health units, or 83,143 barangay health stations, or 227 provincial hospitals, or paved 6,136 kms of roads, or rebuilt 135,000 kms of bridges, or irrigated 457,627 hectares of land. Imagine how much more brilliant, or more healthy our people would have been, or how a little more comfortable our lives would have been, with TRAIN. The senators, of course, are politicians. To them, taxation is a bad word.

Half of them will either run again in 2019 or run for president in 2022. A popular senator, Ralph Recto, was defeated after he advocated higher value added taxes (VAT).

The following senators end their term in 2019: Sonny Angara, Bam Aquino, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito, Francis Escudero, Gregorio Honasan, Loren Legarda, Aquilino Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Antonio Trillanes, and Cynthia Villar. The following senators end their term in 2022:

Franklin Drilon, Joel Villanueva, Tito Sotto, Panfilo Lacson, Richard Gordon, Juan Miguel Zubiri, Manny Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Win Gatchalian, Ralph Recto, and Leila de Lima.

Also, people generally are averse to paying taxes. Why? Because they don’t get their taxpayer money’s worth of services. As I keep repeating, it takes days to get a birth certificate, weeks to get a passport, months to get a driver’s license or a car license plate, and forever— to travel from Magallanes overpass in Makati to Shaw Boulevard on a busy night.

Why part with your money if the service is lousy?

Besides, the government already is awash with cash. The unlamented BS Aquino III presidency left the Duterte government with some P500 billion in unspent cash.

The unlamented chairman of the Commission on Elections, Andres Bautista, left P19 billion of unspent money, money that cannot revert to the General Fund because the Comelec, being a constitutional body, enjoys fiscal autonomy.

But then government really needs P1.7 trillion yearly in additional money

to modernize the country.

Modernization takes time.

The Albay airport of Joey Salceda will take 14 years to build. In certain places in Mindanao, circumferential roads take 50 years to finish. Why? Most of the money is pocketed.

TRAIN is the key measure that will convince the world that the Philippines is a serious place to do business in, that life could better for most Filipinos.

If TRAIN is not adopted almost en toto, Duterte will not be able to start or finish the 75 big infra projects under his ambitious Build, Build, Build program.

In fact, even with TRAIN approved in the form desired by the DOF, only three of the 75 infra projects will be completed during Duterte’s presidency—the Clark airport, the Clark railways, and the Mindanao railway. Majority of the 75 projects are not even backed by project studies.

Now, on drugs. President Duterte seems to be changing gears. He has stopped the increasingly notorious Philippine National Police from waging the violent war of drugs that has resulted in the deaths of at least 3,811 people (up to 12,000 according to some critics, without presenting

evidence).

The violence has hurt the image of an otherwise hugely popular president and made him look like a murderous despot and a habitual violator of human rights.

The war on drugs had one basic premise—kill the users and you will kill the problem. Demand side, as economists would point out.

After all, the Philippines has the highest rate of shabu use in Southeast Asia.

It turns out that the problem is the supply side. This is proven by the P6.4 billion worth of shabu smuggled into the Philippines from China last May this year.

The solution then is to kill the supply side. Kill the smugglers, not kill the users.

Is Duterte willing to do that?

Given his impetuousness and unpredictable political will, one never knows what Duterte could do next.

On Marawi, the problem is twofold—financing the rehabilitation, estimated to be P50 billion, and waging a protracted guerilla war with the Maute terrorists masquerading as a subsidiary unit of the Islamic State of Iraq and Iran. A guerilla war will probably require an extended imposition of martial law on Mindanao island. biznewsasia@gmail.com

Low-hanging fruits I WAS invited to a dinner last Monday by a group of Taiwanese businessmen led by Tyson Hsieh, an old friend of the Philippines, for our livestock raisers who call themselves the Pro-Pork Association.

Some 40 Filipino businessmen from different parts of the country are here on a five-day visit to farms and processing plants to see how they can learn from Taiwanese technology in producing better food at lower costs.

Indeed, Taiwan food costs are quite affordable, which explains why their per capita rice consumption is lower than ours while their daily diet is protein-rich, from abundant fish, fowl, vegetables and meat, and extra vitamins from some of the best fruits in the world.

Our Filipino visitors were amazed at the contrasts: the per capita pork consumption in Taiwan is 45 kilos per year; the Philippines is 15 kgs. only. In beef, they eat 17 kilos a year each; ours is

not even a fifth of that. The disparate ratios are more skewed when it comes to vegetables and fruits.

The pro-pork group are trying to entice the Filipino consumers to eat more pork, belying the so-called health hazards of meat. But I said that at the end of the day, it’s all a matter of cost. Pork, at upwards of 200 pesos per kilo in wet markets, is quite unaffordable to many Filipinos.

The Taiwanese pay about 150 per kilo in comparison, very affordable even to the minimum wage worker, who gets the equivalent of 35,000 pesos. Taiwanese hog raisers are able to sell lower, even if they import most of their animal feed requirements, from soybeans to corn. The Philippines, at least produces plenty of corn, an important ingredient in animal feeds.

Our kababayans were amazed at the variety of produce available in Taiwan, at much affordable prices in comparison to the food cost to average income ratios back home.

Which brings me next to the finding of the recent public opinion polls in our country. The biggest concerns are still controlling inflation, increasing incomes, and pro-

viding jobs. In short, as then Senator Alan Cayetano used to say, “Presyo, Trabaho, Kita.”

These are always the average Filipino’s lament. “Pataas ang presyo ng bilihin; maliit ang kita; kay hirap ng trabaho.”

The “lucky” 10 percent of the population are working abroad, as an escape from the paucity of well-paying jobs to afford the cost of living back home.

In the next five years of the Duterte administration, there ought to be a big improvement in the quality of life of the Pinoy masa, as measured in terms of quality of life, otherwise defined as the affordability of basic needs for a decent life, which Duterte explains as “having a more comfortable life.”

That is really the challenge, awesome as it is considering the many wasted years when successive governments failed to measure up to the P-T-K aspirations of our countrymen.

And yet the answer is really to focus on the most doable, on the so-called lowhanging fruits.

Which I, and many other opinion writers keep identifying as agriculture and tourism.

More cost-efficient and more productive agriculture means higher farm incomes, which impacts positively on the lives of a third of our total population.

More production with proper cost economies means more food available to the rest of our people at more affordable prices.

Considering that we have so much arable land compared to the Taiwanese or the Japanese, it is a matter of applying the right technology and getting our farmers to go into high-value crops with adequate credit facilities and other government support. The solutions have been identified long ago.

The previous administration wasted six years and billions of pesos pursuing the chimera of rice self-sufficiency within three years as advocated by then secretary Proceso Alcala, and in the process, agricultural growth declined.

The Duterte government must attend to this lowhanging fruit with so much impact on Presyo, Trabaho at Kita.

The other low-hanging fruit is tourism.

First of all, ours is a beautiful tropical paradise. Sure,

there are certain blips, like Marawi, like the Abu Sayyaf along the way. But these are incidents which can be isolated to particular areas of our diverse island geography.

We have so much to offer, in practically every region of our country, and the world has come to recognize that.

Secondly, the needed infrastructure could be aggressively pursued by publicprivate sector partnership, especially in providing the right facilities in the proper destinations.

And aside from the construction jobs that such efforts will create, the tourism industry creates jobs for the semi-skilled who do not even need to be college graduates.

Third, aggressive, targeted promotions. Not a matter of promoting the islands to the entire world market, but concentrated efforts in those countries where because of proximity and cost, the Philippines would be a most attractive travel destination.

We just have to get our act together, and under the leadership of a president determined to leave his citizens with “a more comfortable life” at the end of his term, do all these with determination, purpose and zeal.

no small measure of relief, said that Bautista’s departure will not affect Comelec’s operations in any way.

I can only hope that the new Comelec chairman that Duterte will appoint really makes an effort to drain the

swamp that is our electoral system, which has not been made more transparent by the introduction of automation since 2010. I want to see someone who is not only adept at election law, but someone who understands technology,

as well, in order that he or she may avoid the mistakes that Bautista and his immediate predecessor in office, Sixto Brillantes, made when they basically subcontracted the elections to that controversial Venezuela-based IT provider,

Smartmatic.

Finally, I’d like to see an election run by the Comelec that does not thwart the will of the people and whose results are not affected by the transfer of huge sums to small, friendly banks in favor

of very accommodating poll officials and their favored law firms. Bautista is gone, but there is much work to be done and Duterte—if he wants clean and honest elections—will have to find the right person to do the job.

SO I SEE LITO BANAYO

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

World

Standard

A6

TODAY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 Barrioquinto Ceasar, Editor

Xi tightens grip on China

INVITATION TO BID for the Electrification of 3,711 Households in Busuanga Island, Palawan Through the PV Mainstreaming Project Through Solar Home Systems BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BISELCO) Public Bidding No. 17-005 Source of Funding:DOE’s LPF – ASEP GOP Counterpart FY 2017 BISELCO invites suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder list of items: Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Item/Description Supply Delivery and Installation of 3,711 Solar Home Systems Package,, 50 Wp, Including Prepayment Systems, Training and Support and Technical Documentation

P87,208,500.00

Delivery/ Completion Period 180 days from delivery of Solar Home System to Coop Premises

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE Pre-Bid Conference December 1, 2017 2:00 p.m. BISELCO Conference Room Deadline of Submission and Opening December 15, 2017 2:00 p.m. BISELCO Conference Room Bids

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

The complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased at the BISELCO Office upon payment of non-refundable fee of FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (Php 50,000.00).

The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open to all interested parties; however, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference.

The Pre-Bid Conference, Submission and Opening of Bids shall be held at BISELCO Office, Conference Room, Mabentangen Rd., Brgy. Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan.

The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes in the bid box located at the abovementioned address.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BISELCO BAC Secretariat with CP # 09756551525 during office hours.

BISELCO reserves the right to waive any formality in the responses to the eligibility requirements and to this invitation. BISELCO further reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract, and makes no assurance that contract shall be entered into as a result of this invitation without thereby incurring any liability in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

B

EIJING―Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s name was added to the Communist Party’s constitution at a defining congress on Tuesday, elevating him alongside Chairman Mao to the pantheon of the country’s founding giants.

The inclusion of Xi’s name along with his guiding philosophy for the nation cements his place as the most powerful Chinese leader in decades and suggests he could remain its paramount leader throughout his lifetime.

Communist China’s founder Mao Zedong, and the architect of market reforms, Deng Xiaoping, are the only other Chinese leaders to have their names in the document―and only Mao was alive when his was included.

Xi, 64, presided over the weeklong congress’s closing session where some 2,300 delegates approved the constitutional amendment

to include “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”.

An official reading out the amendment said the concept will be “a beacon for the work of the party”.

The concept places a heavy emphasis on the party’s role in governing every aspect of the country from the economy to what people are writing on social media.

“We must work tirelessly and forge ahead on the journey of realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” Xi told the congress in concluding remarks.

Willy Lam, politics professor at the Chinese University of Hong

Kong, said adding Xi’s name to the constitution will “enable him to be like Mao, leader for life as long as he’s healthy”.

Xi’s predecessors, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, had their concepts included in the constitution but without their names and only when they retired.

The congress will also undoubtedly hand Xi a customary second five-year term as general secretary of the party.

Xi could also consolidate his power by filling the country’s ruling council with allies, possibly without even presenting an obvious heir apparent.

The congress also elected a new Central Committee, which will choose the executive Politburo and the country’s top ruling council, the Politburo Standing Committee, on Wednesday.

A vast security apparatus has been thrown around the congress, with businesses ranging from nightclubs to gyms closing to avoid any incidents and factories

shuttered in what so far has been a failed attempt to clear the city’s notorious smog.

When he opened the gathering last week, Xi declared that China had entered a “new era” with the ambitious goal of becoming a “global leader” by mid-century.

His bold vision comes as Xi has sought to portray himself as a responsible global leader while President Donald Trump trumpets a nationalist “America First” policy and the European Union grapples with Britain’s exit from its club of nations.

Xi’s blueprint suggests the Communist Party will continue to increase its control of the country, with no suggestion that crackdowns on human rights activists will wane.

Some of his goals, such as building a modern military by 2035, go beyond the end of his second term, suggesting that he also foresees himself staying at the center of China’s political life for years to come. AFP

(SGD) ENGR. SELWIN Y. ALILI BAC Chairman Approved by: (SGD) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager (MS-OCT. 25 , 2017)

A Sure Bet for Progress in Gaming, Entertainment and Nation Building InvItatIon to BId for Supply and delIvery of ConSolIdated varIouS CCtv equIpment and InStallatIon of materIalS for Corporate departmentS and SatellIte operatIonS GroupS (SoGS) for Cy 2017 under ItB no.

PB17-078COR-10 The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is inviting all interested bidders in its forthcoming public bidding for the Supply and Delivery of Consolidated Various CCTV Equipment and Installation Materials for Corporate Departments and Satellite Operations Groups (SOGs) for CY 2017 under ITB No. PB17-078COR-10.

Brief Description

Delivery Schedule/ Contract Duration (for general support services) Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC):

Item DESCRIPTION TOTAL No. Lot 1 - DVR Stand-alone type, Multi-Channel 1 DVR Stand-alone type, Multi-Channel Lot 2 - CCTV Cameras 2 CCTV Color, Concealed Dome, PTZ Type Indoor Camera (12x or higher optical lens) 3 CCTV Color, Concealed Dome, PTZ Type Indoor Camera (37x or higher optical lens) 4 CCTV Color, Bullet Type, Infra Red (IR) Camera 5 CCTV Color, Concealed Dome, Camera, Vari-Focal Type Optical Lens (700TVL or higher) 6 CCTV Color, Dome Type, Infra Red (IR) Camera Fixed-type, 7 CCTV Color Box Type Varifocal Camera Lot 3 - CCTV Color Monitors 8 CCTV Color Monitor, Wide Screen, NTSC Video Format 32” diagonal screen 9 CCTV Color Monitor, Wide Screen, NTSC Video Format • 21.5” minimum diagonal screen Lot 4 - Video Matrix Switchers 10 Video Matrix Switcher (128 x 16) 11 Video Matrix Switcher (256 x 16) Lot 5 - Camera Control Keyboards 12 Camera Control Keyboard Lot 6 - Uninterruptible Power Supply (6KVA) 13 Uninterruptible Power Supply (6KVA) Lot 7 - Video Distribution Amplifier with Time and Date Generators 14 Video Distribution Amplifier with Time and Date Generator Lot 8 - DVR Racks 15 DVR Rack Lot 9 - CCTV Adjuncts and Peripherals 16 Access Switch 17 Coaxial Cable 18 Data Cable 19 HDMI Cable 20 Connector, BNC Connector3

QUANTITY

22 units 32 units 10 units 17 units 95 units 14 units 2 units 15 units 2 units

1 unit 1 unit 4 units 1 unit 19 units 2 units 1 unit 27 spool 7 box 10 units 700 pieces

Within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of receipt by the winning supplier/contractor of the Notice to Proceed.

The total ABC is Eleven Million One Hundred Twenty-Three Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty-Five Pesos and 42/100 (PhP11,123,955.42), VAT Exclusive, Zero-Rated Transaction.

The ABC for each of the nine (9) lots are as follows: lot no.

1

deSCrIptIon

2

DVR Stand-alone type, MultiChannel CCTV Cameras

3

CCTV Color Monitors

4

Video Matrix Switchers

5

Camera Control Keyboards

6

8

Uninterruptible Power Supply (6KVA) Video Distribution Amplifier with Time and Date Generators DVR Racks

9

CCTV Adjuncts and Peripherals

7

aBC, vat-exCluSIve, zero-rated tranSaCtIon One Million Seven Hundred Twenty-Seven Thousand One Hundred Ten Pesos (PhP1,727,110.00) Four Million One Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Two Hundred Thirty-Four Pesos and 86/100 (PhP4,165,234.86) Nine Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand Seven Hundred SeventyNine Pesos (PhP925,779.00) Two Million Fifty- Thousand Five Hundred Eighteen Pesos (PhP2,050,518.00) Two Hundred Ninety-Eight Thousand Twenty- Pesos (PhP298,020.00) One Hundred Seventy-Six Thousand Six Hundred Sixty- Pesos and 10/100 (PhP176,660.10) One Million One Hundred Ninety-Two Thousand Three Hundred Forty-Five Pesos (PhP1,192,345.00) One Hundred Sixty-Eight Thousand Five Hundred Four Pesos and 50/100 (PhP168,504.50) Four Hundred Nineteen Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty Three Pesos and 96/100 (PhP419,783.96

Source of Funds: Corporate Budget for CY 2017

NOTE: Bidders may bid on one or any of the lots.

Bidders should have completed, within the last three (3) years before the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

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

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

PAGCOR will hold a Pre-Bid Conference, which shall be open to prospective bidders.

All particulars relative to Pre-Bid Conference, Detailed Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its IRR. The schedule of bidding activities is listed, as follows: 1.

Activities Issuance of the Bidding Documents

2.

Pre-Bid Conference

3.

Deadline for the Submission and Receipt of Bids

4.

Opening and Preliminary Examination of Bids

Date, Time and Venue October 25, 2017 to November 14, 2017 November 2, 2017 (Thursday), 10 a.m.

Sixth (6th) Floor, Corporate Lounge, PAGCOR Executive Office, New World Manila Bay Hotel & Casino 1588 M.H. Del Pilar cor. Pedro Gil Street, Malate Manila November 14, 2017 (Tuesday), 10 a.m.

Sixth (6th) Floor, Corporate Lounge, PAGCOR Executive Office, New World Manila Bay Hotel & Casino 1588 M.H. Del Pilar cor. Pedro Gil Street, Malate Manila November 14, 2017 (Tuesday), 10 a.m. onwards Sixth (6th) Floor, Corporate Lounge, PAGCOR Executive Office, New World Manila Bay Hotel & Casino 1588 M.H. Del Pilar cor. Pedro Gil Street, Malate Manila

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Procurement Department (PD), acting as the BAC Secretariat, of PAGCOR and/or inspect the Bidding Documents at Eight (8th) Floor, PAGCOR House Annex, 1105 United Nations Avenue cor. Maria Orosa Street, Ermita, Manila during office hours of PAGCOR from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, based on the following schedule: Approved Budget for the Contract 500,000.00 and below More than 500,000.00 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million

Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Pesos) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00

More than 5 Million up to 10 Million

10,000.00

More than 10 Million up to 50 Million

25,000.00

CLOSING. A general view shows delegates attending the closing of the 19th Communist Party Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. AFP

EU vows to aid Sudan ‘as long as it takes’ Trump KHARTOUM―Even as global donors reduce their aid offerings to war-torn Sudan, the European Union has vowed to provide the African country with humanitarian assistance for “as long as it takes”.

On Monday, the EU offered a new 106-million-euro ($124 million) aid package to Sudan at a time when the United Nations has managed to raise only 39 percent of its overall 2017 aid appeal for

the country, where millions still live on foreign aid.

“There is no doubt that the overall humanitarian situation in Sudan remains very concerning,” the EU’s Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, Christos Stylianides, told AFP in an interview late on Monday after wrapping up a twoday visit to Sudan including to parts of conflict-wracked Darfur.

“We will continue to provide this assistance as long as it takes.”

Kim Jong-Nam murder suspects revisit airport SEPANG, Malaysia― Two women on trial for murdering the North Korean leader’s half-brother visited the Malaysian airport where he was poisoned under heavy police guard on Tuesday, with the exhausted suspects pushed around in wheelchairs and one

bursting into tears.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, wearing bulletproof vests and in handcuffs, were brought to Kuala Lumpur International Airport as part of court proceedings along with the judge, defence lawyers and prosecutors.

About 200 police officers, many armed with rifles and wearing masks, were deployed at the budget terminal.

Kim Jong-Nam was waiting there to board a flight in February when he was poisoned with nerve agent in a brazen assassination that

Prospective bidders may also download the Bidding Documents free of charge from the following websites: www.pagcor.ph and www.philgeps.gov.ph and may be allowed to submit bids provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee of the Bidding Documents not later than the deadline for the submission and receipt of bids.

Prospective bidders should present to PAGCOR’s Cashier located at the Sixth (6th) Floor, PAGCOR Corporate Office, New World Manila Bay Hotel, 1588 M.H. del Pilar Street corner Pedro Gil Street, Malate, Manila either the Fee Slip which may be secured from PD or a copy of this ITB in effecting payment for the Bidding Documents.

Bidders shall bear all costs associated with the preparation and submission of his bid, and PAGCOR will in no case be responsible or liable for those costs, regardless of the conduct or outcome of the bidding process.

Bidders should note that PAGCOR will accept bids only from those that have paid the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents.

All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the venue of the bid opening. Late bids shall not be accepted.

PAGCOR assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

In accordance with Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) Circular 06-2005 - Tie-Breaking Method, the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) shall use a non-discretionary and non-discriminatory measure based on sheer luck or chance, which is “DRAW LOTS,” in the event that two or more bidders have been post-qualified and determined as the bidder having the Lowest Calculated Responsive Bid (LCRB) to determine the final bidder having the LCRB, based on the following procedures: a) In alphabetical order, the bidders shall pick one rolled paper. b) The lucky bidder who would pick the paper with a “CONGRATULATIONS” remark shall be declared as the final bidder having the LCRB and recommended for award of the contract.

PAGCOR reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Please address all communications to the Bids and Awards Committee thru PD, Eight (8th) Floor, PAGCOR House Annex, 1105 United Nations Avenue cor. Maria Orosa Street, Ermita, Manila, Tel No.: (02) 708-0307 or (02) 623-0496.

(MS-OCT. 25, 2017)

shocked the world.

The visit, to give those involved in the case a better understanding of events on the day, took on an air of chaos as a huge pack of journalists pursued the women around the terminal and armed police tried to stop them getting too close. AFP

‘made me cry’ WASHINGTON―The pregnant widow of an American soldier killed in an ambush in Niger said Monday that Donald Trump struggled to remember his name during a condolence call, in an account the president immediately disputed.

Trump’s call to Myeshia Johnson, whose husband Sergeant La David Johnson was one of four US soldiers killed in the October 4 jihadist attack, has generated a storm of controversy and comes as questions swirl over how the attack happened.

“Yes, the president said that he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways,” Johnson said on ABC’s Good Morning America TV program, in her first public comments on the death of her 25-year-old husband. AFP

38 women accuse director of sexually harassing them

Note: For lot procurement, the maximum fee for the Bidding Documents for each lot shall be based on its ABC, in accordance with the Guidelines issued by the GPPB; provided that the total fees for the Bidding Documents of all lots shall not exceed the maximum fee prescribed in the Guidelines for the sum of the ABC of all lots.

(SGD) RODERICK R. CONSOLACION Chairperson Bids and awards Committee (BaC) 2

Urging other global donors to follow the EU, Stylianides said it was justified to aid Sudan as it has millions of displaced people who need assistance and hosts almost a million refugees, half of them South Sudanese.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions displaced in Sudan’s three conflict areas of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan due to fierce fighting between government forces and rebels. AFP

LION CITY. Motorists enter the financial district area in Singapore. AFP

LOS ANGELES―The Hollywood sexual abuse scandal widened Monday after 38 women were said to have accused US film director James Toback of unwanted sexual encounters over a period of decades.

Toback reeled them in with boasts about his movie career and connections, as well as claims he could make them a star, according to their accounts to the Los Angeles Times.

Following the publication of its story, the paper was inundated with emails and phone calls from more

than 200 additional women, it said, though the majority of the new accounts have not yet been verified.

They did, however, follow the pattern uncovered in its investigation: in meetings framed as interviews or auditions, Toback allegedly would turn disturbingly personal, with questions veering to masturbation and pubic hair.

“He told me he’d love nothing more than to masturbate while looking into my eyes,” Louise Post, who met Toback in 1987 while attending Barnard College, told the Times. AFP

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Manila

Standard

TODAY

A7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

World’s top triathletes coming

I

NSPIRED by the success of its first triathlon venture last year, Bellevue Resort will host the second 5150 Triathlon in Panglao, Bohol two weeks from now with some of the world’s leading triathletes bannering the cast again in the premier swim-bike-run event.

Sam Betten returns to defend the men’s crown for the third time with the towering Australian ace also seeking to extend his win streak in 5150 events to five while Dimity Lee-Duke sets out for redemption in the women’s side of the 1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run championship organized

by Sunrise Events, Inc. and backed by title sponsor The

Lucio Tan Jr. and Chip Bowers seal their partnership with a handshake.

Tanduay seals pact with Golden State SAN FRANCISCO—Tanduay Rum from the Philippines, Asia’s first and the world’s largest dark rum brand, announced they are partnering with the 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warrior, marking a first of its kind for a Philippine brand to ink a pact with an NBA Championship team.

“Tanduay is proud, and as basketball fans, thrilled to be associated with the Golden State Warriors,” said President of Tanduay Rum Lucio Tan, Jr. “The world champions of rum teaming up with the 2017 NBA Champions?

Let’s toast to that!”

As part of the partnership, Tanduay Rum will be designated as an official partner of the Golden State Warriors as well as the title sponsor of the team’s Tanduay Rum Club inside Oracle Arena,

THE ratings-based handicapping has been implemented for some months now, and many have raised the questions “what is it?”, and “why are we using it now?”

Ratings-based handicapping “is a flexible numeric-based domestic ratings system allowing horses to move up and down the ratings bands, which enables horses to remain competitive for longer periods, and allows outof-form horses to move down the rating bands (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing).”

The move to the ratingsbased system is in line with the

KARATE GOLD MEDALIST. Matthea Lazo, 13, from the Immaculate Conception Academy, display her medals after winning the individual girls’ kumite (12-13), while capturing a silver in the kata event to help Team AAK-Philippines finish fifth overall with a total of seven golds, five silvers and 11 bronze medals in the recent 7th Karate-do Goju-kai World Championships in Canada.

Philracom’s ratings-based handicapping system Philippine Racing Commission’s efforts for the country to implement compliance with international racing guidelines in line with its International Federation of Horseracing Authorities membership.

This alignment of Philippine racing systems with international standards is a priority initiative of Philracom Chairman Andrew Sanchez, with the support and cooperation of the local Thoroughbred industry.

Philracom Executive Director Andrew Rovie Buencamino explains: “It is the system used in almost all progressive racing authorities and is adopted by IFHA for handicapping horses in international invita-

tional races.”

Our existing (or previous) handicapping, said IFHA consultant for handicapping Ciaran Kelly, cannot qualify as a handicapping system; the handicap race and class divisions are merely merit-demerit systems.

Among the ratings system’s objectives are to “equalize the field and give every horse a chance to win….it will make the handicapping process transparent to the public…and racehorses in the Philippines will be eligible to participate abroad.”

Said Buencamino, “The system [we are now using] was developed with the help of consultant Michael Wanklin, who was

the Senior Handicapper of the Jockey Club of South Africa, Vice-Chairman for Racing of the Singapore Turf Club (STC), and the Chief of the Handicapping Division of the STC, where he was instrumental in guiding the club into the rating system.

He was recommended to us by IFHA consultant for handicapping Ciaran Kenelly, who also visited us this year.”

Think of it as a points system for 3YO and older horses (the “points” are the “ratings”): Grade/group races winners/placers imported horses, minimum 100 points; G1 winners local (P2.5M and up total guaranteed prize or TGP), min. 90 pts.; G2 win-

ners (P500K to P1.499M)/ G1 placers (2nd and 3rd) local, min. 80 pts.; G3 winners (P500K to P1.499M)/G2 placers (2nd and 3rd) local TGP, min. 70 pts.; and so on down the line to non-placers, min.

15 pts.

For the “ratings bands,” the guidelines state that “a maximum 16 points or 8 kgs. weight spread shall be used in ratingsbased handicap races.”

For “ratings-based groupings,” a table of ratings corresponding to classes on one hand and class-division on the other shall be followed.

With reference to this table, “7 shall be the lowest rating and the horses within this group

INVITATION TO BID for the Supply and Delivery of Housewiring Materials and Labor foHousewiring Installation for thirteen (13) Sitios

INVITATION TO BID for the Supply, Delivery and Construction of Line Extension for thirteen (13) Sitios

FOR THE BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BISELCO) Public Bidding No. 17-004 Source of Funding: 2017 SEP GAA Subsidy

FOR THE BUSUANGA ISLAND ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (BISELCO) Public Bidding No. 17-003 Source of Funding: 2017 SEP GAA Subsidy

BISELCO invites suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder list of items:

BISELCO invites suppliers to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder list of items:

Item/Description

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC)

Supply and Delivery of Housewiring Materials and Labor for Housewiring Installation of thirteen (13) Sitios

P 1,640,869.20

Delivery/ Completion Period 30 cd

ACTIVITIES Deadline for Receipt Bids/ /Bid Opening

Item/Description Supply, Delivery and Construction of Line Extension for thirteen (13) Sitios

Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) P 7,849,613.49

Delivery/ Completion Period

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows:

SCHEDULE December 8, 2017 9:00 a.m. BISELCO Conference Room December 20, 2017, 9:00 a.m.BISELCO Conference Room

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

The complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased at the BISELCO Office upon payment of non-refundable fee of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (Php 5,000.00).

The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open to all interested parties; however, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference.

The Pre-Bid Conference, Submission and Opening of Bids shall be held at BISELCO Office, Conference Room, Mabentangen Rd., Brgy. Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan.

The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes in the bid box located at the abovementioned address.

SCHEDULE December 8, 2017 2:00 p.m. BISELCO Pre-Bid Conference Conference Room Deadline for Receipt Bids/Opening December 20, 2017, 2:00 p.m. BISELCO of Bids Conference Room

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

The complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased at the BISELCO Office upon payment of non-refundable fee of TEN THOUSAND PESOS (Php 10,000.00).

The Pre-Bid Conference shall be open to all interested parties; however, only those who have purchased the Bidding Documents may participate in the discussion at said conference.

The Pre-Bid Conference, Submission and Opening of Bids shall be held at BISELCO Office, Conference Room, Mabentangen Rd., Brgy. Poblacion 6, Coron, Palawan.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BISELCO BAC Secretariat with CP # 09756551525 during office hours.

BISELCO reserves the right to waive any formality in the responses to the eligibility requirements and to this invitation. BISELCO further reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract, and makes no assurance that contract shall be entered into as a result of this invitation without thereby incurring any liability in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

BISELCO reserves the right to waive any formality in the responses to the eligibility requirements and to this invitation. BISELCO further reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, or declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract, and makes no assurance that contract shall be entered into as a result of this invitation without thereby incurring any liability in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations.

(SGD) ENGR. SELWIN Y. ALILI BAC Chairman

(SGD) ENGR. SELWIN Y. ALILI BAC Chairman Noted by

Noted by

(SGD) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager

(SGD) RUTH L. GALANG General Manager (MS-OCT. 25 , 2017)

shall race against each other with a set weight of 54 kgs. Adjustment shall be as follows: a) ratings points shall be added to the winner based on the adjustment of winners in the guidelines; b) 2nd placers plus 1 kilo; c) 3rd placers plus .5 kilo; 4th placers to last a deduction of 1 kilo.”

The basic guidelines are: “for winners, an adjustment of not less than 5 ratings pts. and a maximum of 10 ratings pts. and to be based on the margin and manner of victory, [and] quality of opposition. For Class 1, minimum rule does not apply.”

Further, for 2nd and 3rd placers, a maximum adjustment of 2 ratings pts.; for non-placers who have shown uncompetitive effort, for ratings 81 and above, a maximum decrease of 5 ratings pts., and

Hwang Sa Gyang, Loyd Labrador, Raymond Mondejar, Masaichi Otake, Pyo Seung Hwan, Adrian Romero, Wiggam Tapdasan, Pierre Ticzon, Lanz Uy and Paolo Uy. Constantino, on the other hand, seeks a repeat of her nine-stroke romp over Kristine Torralba last year as the manytime national team mainstay heads the field in the Elite women’s side that also includes Koreans Kim Seo Yun and Shin Seo Yun, Missy Legaspi, Isabela Miravite, Kayla Nocum, Yang Ju Young, Sunshine Zhang and Torralba.

Listup is ongoing. For details, call NGAP at (63 2) 7065926 or email ngap2009handicap@ yahoo.com or Beverly Place Golf Club at (045) 4361860 or 0922-8675486 (Ms. Gail). for ratings 80 and below, a maximum decrease of 3 ratings pts.”

There are also guidelines when no reduction in points shall be made depending on certain circumstances and conditions.

The full set of guidelines may be requested from Philracom; visit their website at philracom.gov.ph for their contact information.

These are the bare bones but I hope this gives you some insight. Post questions about this and other racing matters on my Facebook page, “Gogirl Racing”. *** Dr. Ortuoste is a Californiabased writer and researcher.

Facebook: Gogirl Racing and Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @gogirlracing and @jennyortuoste

INVITATION TO BID 1.

The City Government of Laoag through the DBM Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) No. SARO-ROI 17-0007140 dated May 19, 2017 under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP Project) intends to apply the sum of Fifty Five Million Pesos (P55,000,000.00) for the contract Expansion/ Renovation of Laoag City General Hospital (Surgical/Dialysis Facility) at Brgy. 46 Nalbo, Laoag City with Solicitation No. 2017-146 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract. Bids received in excess of the ABC for each lot shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2.

The City Government of Laoag now invites bids for the Expansion/Renovation of Laoag City General Hospital (Surgical/Dialysis Facility) at Brgy.

46 Nalbo, Laoag City. Completion of the Works is required in 18 months.

Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project.

3.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “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.

4.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the City Government of Laoag through the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) Secretariat and City Engineer’s Office and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

5.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidders on October 25, 2017 from the address below in the amount of Fifty Thousand Pesos (P50,000.00).

6.

The City Government of Laoag through its BAC will hold a 1st Pre-Bid Conference on November 7, 2017 and 2nd Pre-Bid Conference on November 14, 2017 at 2:00PM Laoag City Conference Room, which shall be open to prospective bidders.

7.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before December 12, 2017, 2:00 PM. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause. Bid opening shall be on December 12, 2017, 2:00 PM at Laoag City Conference Room. 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.

8.

The City Government of Laoag 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.

9.

For further information, please refer to:

The bidders shall drop their duly accomplished eligibility requirements, technical and financial proposals in two separate sealed envelopes in the bid box located at the abovementioned address.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from BISELCO BAC Secretariat with CP # 09756551525 during office hours.

PAOLO Wong hopes to sustain his top form while Harmie Constantino sets out for another crown as they banner the field in the 2017 NGAP Northern Luzon Regional Golf Championship firing off Friday at the Beverly Place Golf Club in Pampanga.

Wong will be coming into the 54-hole tournament brimming with confidence following his three-stroke win in the recent Canlubang Amateur Open. But the Manila Southwoods’ bet remains wary of his rivals in the Elite division, including Don Petil, Rich Albano, Luis Castro, Aidric Chan and Carl Corpus.

Others vying in the premier division of the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation are Perry Bucay, Korean

Republic of the Philippines Province of Ilocos Norte BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

60

ACTIVITIES

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: Pre-Bid Conference

Province of Bohol and The Bellevue Resort, Municipalities of Panglao and Dauis, 2GO Express, Powerade and Wilkins Pure, TYR, David’s Salon, Gu, Intercare and Pioneer, The Philippine Star, Trilife, Asiatri.com and Finisherpix.

The top male and female elite finishers will pocket P30,000 each.

Meanwhile, aside from the Olympic-distance race, SEI will also hold the Sunrise Sprint, a short distance race series and a sub-category of The Bellevue 5i50 featuring a 750m swim, a 20k bike and a 5k run also for the second Betten time in Bohol.

Wong, Harmie boost NGAP North Luzon cast

located on the mezzazine suite level.

Tanduay Rum-crafted, specialty cocktails will also be available at select beverage stands throughout Oracle Arena.

Tanduay Rum will also be a presenting sponsor of the Warriors Filipino Heritage Night tailgate party on Oct. 29, as well as several other games within the year and will have a variety of signage integrated throughout the venue.

“With our over 500,000 Facebook followers from the Philippines and having a large Filipino following in the Bay Area, this partnership is a perfect fit for both of our brands,” said Warriors Chief Marketing Officer Chip Bowers. “This partnership is also another great way we are able to engage with our fans at a global level.”

THE HOARSE WHISPERER JENNY ORTUOSTE

Bellevue Resort.

The Nov. 5 event will also put the world-class resort in focus for the second straight year and at the same time boost local tourism.

The pristine Panglao Island, billed as one of the country’s top tourist destinations, boasts of natural wonders and attractions as well as artistic, cultural and historical treasures.

Betten beat Henry Beck by nearly nine minutes to clinch the gold medal last year with the former out to improve his 2:01:40 clocking that included times of 21:18 (swim), 56:40 (bike) and 39:47 (run).

The victory was also the top Aussie triathlete’s fourth straight in 5150, making him the top bet again in the coming championship presented by the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board of the Philippines.

Top triathletes from 23 countries are also joining the hunt for the top $2,000 purse in both sides of the event sponsored by venue hosts

CONTACT PERSON; MARIA LUISA F. CASTRO BAC Secretariat Chairman City Planning & Development Office Brgy. 10 A. Tupaz St., Laoag City Tel. (077) 770-5964; Telefax: (077) 7732561 www.laoagcity.gov.ph APPROVED:

(MS-OCT. 25 , 2017)

(SGD) ATTY. MARLON WAYNE D. MANUEL BAC Chair

( M S - O C T. 2 5 , 2 016)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

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

A8

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Simmons powers 76ers past Pistons

Sports

Philadelphia 76ers player Ben Simmons (25) tries to dribble past a Detroit Pistons defender on Oct. 23, 2017 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. AFP

Stags reach Final 4

By Peter Atencio

V

ICTORY. But the San Sebastian Stags won’t be celebrating their coach Egay Macaraya’s 56th birthday.

They will now clash with the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers in the first round of the stepladder semifinals on Friday.

The 6’4” Calisaan knocked in his fifth of eight three-point attempts in the last 18.3 seconds, giving the Stags a 74-69 cushion in the remaining time.

His basket off Costelo’s assist came after the Knights turned the ball over off Jeo Ambohot’s bungled three-pointer.

Costelo drilled in nine points in the last canto,

Games Friday (at the Arena in San Juan) 11 a.m. San Beda vs LSGH (jrs Final Four) 1 p.m. Malayan vs Letran (jrs Final Four) 3:30 p.m. San Sebastian vs JRU(srs stepladder semis)

with his drive past Bong Quinto in the last 44.9 seconds shattering the game’s last deadlock, 71-69.

“Well, deserving yung mga bata for all the hard work na ginagawa nila,” added Macaraya after the Knights missed the semis for the third time in four seasons.

The Knights, led by Jer-

Not yet, not even after the Stags reached the stepladder semifinals of the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball tournament after yesterday’s fourth seed playoff at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“Wala pa ngayon. Kailangan namin mag-focus. Ang

napag-usapan namin, after the NCAA na,” said Macaraya after the Stags put away the Letran Knights, 74-69.

The Stags, behind Michael Calisaan with a career-high 36 points and 10 rebounds, and Ryan Costelo’s 13 points, returned to the semifinals after four seasons.

Warriors chase playoff berth

Founders launch Philippine Obstacle Sports Federation

Games Today (at the MOA Arena) 2 p.m. UE vs La Salle 4 p.m. UST vs Adamson

COACH Derrick Pumaren is keeping his fingers crossed that the University of the East Warriors will make it to the Final Four.

After they beat the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, 73-64, last Sunday, the Warriors found themselves in contention for the number 4 seeding in the semifinals of the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men’s basketball tournament.

“May pag-asa pa. And not until a fourth team makes it (to the Final Four),” said Pumaren.

In their next game, the Warriors will have a tall order and big challenge when they clash with the defending champion La Salle Green Archers at 2 p.m. today at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The Warriors are in sixth place with their 3-7 win-loss slate.

The Green Archers are on a three-game winning run after their 80-74 triumph over the Adamson Falcons.

Holding an 8-2 win-loss slate, the Green Archers are looking for a win that would keep them in second spot behind the Ateneo Blue Eagles (10-0). Peter Atencio

WITH interest in the adventure racing fading over the last decade, competition in obstacle sports is expected to pick next year.

Organizers of the Philippine Obstacle Sports Federation believe so.

POSF president Atty. Alberto Agra said that a series of international events will be held this January that will shine the spotlight on the Philippines in the map of obstacle sports events.

“It’s been 10 months since our formation. And we’ll be having international competitions by January,” said Agra following their launch yesterday at the Solaire Hotel and Casino in Paranaque City.

In obstacle sports, competitors will have a footrace, that’s not like adventure racing, which involves the athlete using lots of gear and equipment.

The athlete involved must overcome

various physical challenges that are in the form of obstacles, like climbing ropes, walls, carrying heavy objects, traversing bodies of water, crawling under barbed wire and jumping through fire.

Interest in the sport has brought about the birth of the POSF, which seeks to identify itself as a national sports association.

Agra said they are now seeking recognition from the Philippine Olympic Committee, and has sought the counsel of the Philippine Olympic Committee through secretary general Steve Hontiveros who attended the launch.

They have worked on their linkages, and are now in touch with Taiwan’s Kent Wong, who has his own group back home.

Ian Adamson, a prime mover in adventure racing, is also involved with the POSF, and he heads an international body himself. Peter Atencio

emiah Taladua, with 16, tied the contest off Bong Quinto’s split freebies with 1:03 left, 69-all.

In the junior division, the La Salle Greenhills Greenies drew big plays from big man Inand Fornilos in the second half to overpower the San Sebastian Staglets, 108-82.

Fornilos scored 24 points and 14 rebounds behind the top scorer Joel Cagulangan, and his efforts in the shaded lane earned the Greenies the no. 4 seeding in the Final Four.

Cagulangan unloaded 30

points, including a triple that put them in front, 56-55, at the start of the third canto.

Then, the 6’2” Fornilos, who stood his ground against Staglets big men Romel Calahat, Neil Villapando and Damie Cuntapay, struck hard twice in the last 5:13, his baskets sending the Greenies ahead by seven, 62-55.

“We made adjustments on how they attacked and scored on us, primarily on offensive rebounds and transition offense. And so, we focused on that,” said Greenies coach Marvin Bienvenida.

BARANGAY Ginebra wants an encore of its championship act last season as it looks to close out Meralco and keep its crown in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Finals.

Ahead 3-2 in the best-ofseven championship showdown, the Gin Kings can claim the championship as they look to finish off the Bolts in Game 6 tonight at 7

p.m. at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan once more.

Knowing how dangerous Meralco is, Ginebra looks to do what it did last year and win the title on the first try and avoid a scary situation.

“It’s important for us to have this lead at this point but we have to finish it off right away,” said Ginebra coach Tim Cone. “Meralco is too dangerous. We’re looking to end it and be at our best.”

While Ginebra aims at repeating what it did last year,

POC Secretary General Steve Hontiveros (right), POSF President Atty. Al Agra, Kent Wong of OSF Taiwan and other officials look on while POSF’s Ian Adamson goes through the obstacle course. Lino Santos

Meralco is hoping to reverse the trend.

Meralco coach Norman Black cited several factors that will enable his Bolts to force a deciding Game 7.

“We have to be really aggressive. We can’t allow them (Ginebra) to hit us first,” said Black. “We also need more production from our starting backcourt (Baser Amer and Chris Newsome).

That will really help us.”

After losing Games 3 and 4, the Gin Kings made sure they

regained a grip of the series after a splendid finish the last time out.

Ginebra came through in the clutch in front of more than 30,000 enthusiasts in the pivotal Game 5 Sunday night where it posted a tough 8574 triumph over Meralco to move a win away from its second straight Governors’ Cup championship.

The Gin Kings are in the exact same situation as they were a year ago against the Bolts.

They were also ahead 3-2 in last season’s finals against Meralco and they were able to end their title drought thanks to Justin Brownlee’s memorable buzzer-beating threepointer.

The defending champions are definitely aiming for the same result.

On the other end, the Bolts are hoping to live for another day and force a Game 7.

Should they do so, the rubber match is scheduled Friday at the same venue.

Toquero vows to give his all at ONE: Hero’s Dream

Filipino MMA fighter Eugene Toquero (left) unloads a left kick against his opponent inside the ONE Championship cage. ONE Championship

FILIPINO Mixed Martial Arts ighter Eugene Toquero will make his fourteenth trip to the cage as a competitor on November 3, and he will be doing so in front of a passionate crowd in Yangon, Myanmar.

The fans at the iconic Thuwunna Indoor Stadium expect another exciting match when Toquero fights on the undercard of ONE: Hero’s Dream against highly-touted Chinese prospect Ma Hao Bin. The 36-year-old Filipino veteran lost to reigning ONE Flyweight

Jabol wins golden double

By Randy Caluag

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings target Philippine Cup crown

By Jeric Lopez

WASHINGTON—Australia’s Ben Simmons set himself beyond such immortals as Michael Jordan and Lebron James with his first NBA triple double on Monday in only his fourth league contest for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The 21-year-old from Melbourne, last year’s NBA Draft top pick who missed all of last season with a right foot injury, scored 21 points, grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and passed out a game-high 10 assists for the Sixers in a 97-86 triumph at Detroit.

“I felt like I needed to just kind of take over and find guys and make plays,” Simmons said.

Simmons became the first NBA player in 50 years to manage a triple double— double-digit game production in three statistical categories —within his first four league starts.

And he’s only the third NBA player to manage the achievement, joining Art “Hambone” Williams of the 1967-68 San Diego Rockets and Oscar Robertson of the 1960 Cincinnati Royals.

Those players went on to become NBA champions, Robertson with Milwaukee in 1971 and Williams with Boston in 1974.

The Aussie is also only the second player to open his NBA career with four double doubles, matching Robertson’s rookie run.

Cameroon big man Joel Embiid scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the 76ers, who took their first win of the season after three defeats.

“I’m just glad we won, honestly,” said Simmons.

“That means so much more than stats for me. AFP

World Champion Adriano Moraes via first-round submission March last year before tasting the same fate at the hands of Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad in December.

This past April Toquero bowed to Indonesian standout Stefer Rahardian by way of unanimous decision.

Toquero said he has made crucial adjustments to his preparation.

“I train longer and harder now. I don’t want to be complacent because I am not getting any younger. This is a huge organization with a lot of very

good martial artists from all over the world. I will give my best in this bout.

I will leave everything on the line,” Toquero said.

Toquero is confident that if his Chinese foe takes him lightly, it would be a catastrophic mistake.

“If my opponent did not train well, then I will eat him alive inside the cage.

I am hungry for that win,” he said.

Ma has strung together an impressive 7-1 professional record that includes three wins by submission and one by knockout.

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur — Literally working double time, Jason Jabol of Dasmariñas, Cavite installed himself the fastest kid and the long jump prince of Batang Pinoy Luzon leg in this heritage city.

If there were a busiest athlete at the Elpidio Quirino Stadium here, it would be the 14-year-old Jabol who saw action almost simultaneously in the boys’ 100-meter run and the boys’ long jump event, which he both dominated for a double-gold finish.

“Nagsabay po kasi ang dalawang event ko. Leading pa lang po ako sa long jump tapos itatakbo na ang 100m,” said Jabol, one of 10 children of parents, Dionisio and Rosemarie.

Jabol, a grade 9 student at the Immaculate Conception Academy in Dasmarinas made 6.18 meters in his first attempt, which turned out to be the winning jump.

Moments later, he went to the starting line of the track with eight other runners, finishing the job in 11.35 seconds to win the gold in the century dash. Claveland Joel Mallari of Makati City (11.52s) and Kharl Berjuela (11.79s) placed second and third, respectively.

He went back for his second and third jumps, but his first attempt proved good enough to win the gold.

Jabol, a four-gold medal winner in the last year’s Palarong Pambansa in Tagum City Davao Del Norte, decided to sit out the fourth and fifth jumps.

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

P0 M+ P0 M

WESM operator seeks P822-m fees B3

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

B1

End of Marawi siege to boost GDP

By Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF

E

CONOMIC Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said Tuesday he expects business and consumer confidence to pick up in Mindanao with the end of the Marawi conflict, paving the way for the rehabilitation of the city.

Cebu Pacific invests $25m to train pilots

CEBU Pacific on Tuesday said it will invest $25 million to train pilots for its expansion requirements over the next five years.

The airline company owned by industrialist John Gokongwei has teamed up with Flight Training Adelaide to launch a Cadet Pilot Program, which aims to produce 240 professional pilots who will subsequently join the corps of pilots of Cebu Pacific.

“This program will allow us to train homegrown Filipino pilots with best-in-class international standards. The candidates need not worry about shelling out money for tuition to flying school to achieve their dream. Cebu Pacific will shoulder the cost first and expose candidates to one of the best pilot training facilities in the world,” Lance Gokongwei, president and chief executive of Cebu Pacific, said.

“Through this program, we aim to have continued access to a pool of highly skilled aviators that would support our growth,” he added.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Govt says expenditures down by 6%

FISCAL expenditures of the government dropped 6 percent in the first nine months of the year to P2.014 trillion from a programmed P2.137 trillion for the period, latest data from the Bureau of the Treasury on Tuesday show.

Cumulative spending in the nine-month period, however, was still 8 percent higher than P1.860 trillion a year ago.

Disbursements in September declined 7 percent to P237 billion from a programmed P255.6 billion for the month and 2 percent lower than the same month last year.

The government posted a P36.9-billion fiscal deficit in September, 51 percent or P38.4 billion lower than the gap registered last year. This resulted in a third quarter fiscal deficit of P58.6 billion, lower than P93.4 billion recorded in the same quarter last year.

Total revenues for the month amounted to P200.1 billion, up 21 percent or P34.1 billion year-on-year. Julito G. Rada

MAP confers distinct award to Gokongwei

THE Management Association of the Philippines announced the selection of industrialist John Gokongwei Jr., founder and chair emeritus of JG Summit Holdings Inc., as the recipient of the “M.A.P. Management Man of the Year 2017” award.

The “M.A.P. Management Man of the Year” is a prestigious award that M.A.P. bestows on individuals in the business community or government for attaining unquestioned distinction in the practice of management and for contributing to the country’s progress.

The conferment of the award follows a thorough, stringent selection process. The distinction of “M.A.P. Management Man of the Year” has only been conferred 41 times in the five decades history of the award.

The criteria for the award include integrity, leadership, and management qualities; contribution to nation building and values formation; effective stewardship within the confines of the highest standard of business; and management

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Unit

Calata loses ‘white knight,’ faces delisting

By Jenniffer B. Austria opportunities and areas of down the rescue deal pro- porter of seafood and aquaMILLENNIUM Global Holdings Inc. said Tuesday it canceled plans to take over problematic agriculture company Calata Corp.

The move will leave Calata without a ‘white knight’ that could save the company from possible delisting from the Philippine Stock Exchange.

MG said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board ruled with finality that it would no longer proceed with the planned acquisition of 81 percent of Calata.

“The company shall instead tap its other business

growth to fortify its business within the country and abroad,” MG said.

“With a firm handshake, the company conveys its gratitude to Calata for having been given the opportunity to do business with the latter,” it said.

Calata earlier agreed to sell an 81-percent stake to MG and spin off its assets to a privately held firm.

PSE last month initiated delisting procedures against Calata for allegedly committing multiple violations of the disclosure rules.

PSE president Ramon Monzon also thumbed

posed by Calata.

Monzon said Calata’s proposal involved many uncertain things including getting the approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission on the proposed increase in authorized capital stock to facilitate the entry of MG. Calata also needed to secure shareholders’ approval for the planned spinoff of its assets and the sale of 81-percent stake to MG. MG earlier said it planned to use Calata to acquire the business of subsidiary Millennium Ocean Star Corp., a leading exporter and im-

culture products in the local and international market.

Monzon said PSE offered to allow Calata to conduct voluntary delisting instead of involuntary delisting on the condition that it would conduct a tender offer to small shareholders.

The proposal was also rejected by Calata, saying a tender offer could “kill the company” because it had no sufficient retained earnings to fund the tender offer.

Calata said it had only P400 million in retained earnings and would need at least P1 billion to finance the tender offer.

Bangko Sentral cautious over cryptocurrency use THE Bangko Sentral Sentral ng Pilipinas said Tuesday it is not prohibiting the use of cryptocurrency in the financial system, but it remains cautious on the possibility that it may be used for money laundering.

A cryptocurrency, like bitcoin, is a virtual currency that uses cryptography for security.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said at the sidelines of the 12th Philippine Forum of The Asset at Conrad Hotel in Pasay City that the use of cryptocurrency could promote the efficient money transfer services.

“But we also realized that cryptocurrency can be used for such schemes like money laundering and other criminal activities. So our approach [is that] we issued regulations earlier this year,” Espenilla said.

“We have actually allowed the use of cryptocurrency in remittance services but we also impose obligations to [operators] to fill Anti-Money Laundering commitments and reporting requirements... and also put in place basic consumer protection arrangement,” he said.

Espenilla said rather than prohibiting the use of cryptocurrency would be very difficult, the Bangko Sentral chose to engage the industry.

“So we agree to a suitable environment. As for the Bangko Sentral itself considering cryptocurrency? That’s an experiment but we are not yet there. There’s a lot of experimentation going on in some countries. We’d like to see first how that works. So in a way, it’s cautious but it’s also not prohibiting,” Espenilla said. Julito G. Rada

US Dollar Peso

United States Dollar

1.000000

51.5070

Japan

Yen

0.008817

0.4541

UK

Pound

1.319900

67.9841

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128195

6.6029

Switzerland

Franc

1.015435

52.3020

Canada

Dollar

0.790514

40.7170

Singapore

Dollar

0.734322

37.8227

Australia

Dollar

0.780500

40.2012

Bahrain

Dinar

2.654069

136.7031

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266660

13.7349

Brunei

Dollar

0.731636

37.6844

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000074

0.0038

Thailand

Baht

0.030147

1.5528

UAE

Dirham

0.272279

14.0243

Euro

Euro

1.175100

60.5259

Korea

Won

0.000885

0.0456

China

Yuan

0.150636

7.7588

India

Rupee

0.015380

0.7922

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.236072

12.1594

New Zealand

Dollar

0.696400

35.8695

Taiwan

Dollar

0.033067

1.7032 Source: PDS Bridge

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will lead today the signing of the implementing rules and regulations of the expanded anti-money laundering law that now includes casinos, Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said Tuesday.

“We will be signing it tomorrow [Wednesday]... This is a joint initiative not just of the BSP but also the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and others.... There has been an extensive consultation on this,” Espenilla said.

He said the amended Anti-Money Laundering law would cover casino operators who were now required to behave in a certain way

in line with anti money laundering expectations.

“Casinos themselves have their own regulator.... in this case Pagcor and a few others who are zone based,” Espenilla said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier signed a law expanding the coverage of the Anti-Money Laundering law or Republic Act 10927 including casinos. RA 10927 amended RA 9160 also known as Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.

Espenilla said the inclusion of casino operations under the coverage of the law was a very significant move to bar the entry of

bilitation of Marawi City which was established by Administrative Order No. 3 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Neda, together with the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management, is in charge of resource mobilization. It also leads TFBM’s planning process and is currently integrating inputs of the Marawi City and Lanao del Sur local governments and the ARMM regional government in the rehabilitation plan.

“The government is committed to integrating crucial peace-building activities in the recovery and rehabilitation program. The ensuing peace-building efforts will also help ensure stability in the Mindanao region and help attract longer-term investments and boost greater consumer confidence,” Pernia said.

Neda, as a key member of Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery of TFBM, provided a recommended framework which aims to build safer, adaptive and disaster-resilient communities in Marawi.

It recommended that the Maranao culture be made integral in rebuilding Marawi and neighboring local government units, including concerns on overlapping land claims. This is apart from improving economic and social conditions and ensuring peace and security.

Software industry eyes $5.9b in revenues

By Othel V. Campos

CACAO EXHIBIT. The Caraga Cacao Industry Council holds the Mindanao Cacao Link 2017 on Oct. 17 to 18 in Butuan City. Cacao Link is the country’s biggest technical and commercial event for the cacao industry as latest scientific and market research developments are showcased by the different players of the cacao chain. Shown are exhibitors and participants in The Cacao Link, a two-day gathering of cacao growers, traders, processors and other industry stakeholders. The Philippines produces an average of 10,000 to 12,000 metric tons of cacao a year.

Implementing rules of new money laundering law to cover casinos

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Tuesday, October 24, 2017 Currency

CEBUPAC’S PILOT TRAINING. Cebu Pacific is investing $25 million to train pilots for its expansion requirements over the next five years. The airline teamed up with Flight Training Adelaide to launch a Cadet Pilot Program which aims to produce 240 professional pilots who will subsequently join the corps of pilots of Cebu Pacific. Shown during the launching of the Cadet Pilot Program at Marriott Hotel in Pasay City are (from left) Cebu Pacific vice president for flight operations Capt. Sam Avila II, Cebu Pacific president and chief executive Lance Gokongwei, FTA owner Steven Young and FTA chief executive Johan Pienaar. Lino Santos

Pernia said investors who put on hold their plans to expand their businesses or set up new ones and consumers who postponed their purchases following the Marawi siege in May could now carry out their plans with greater boldness and certainty.

“We are optimistic that the people of Marawi will be back on their feet as soon as possible. With this, we anticipate a renewed boost in business and consumer confidence in Mindanao,” Pernia said, adding this could also translate into even better tourism prospects for the country.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas earlier reported that business outlook for the fourth quarter turned more positive, with the confidence index rising to 51.3 percent from 42.7 percent in the previous quarter.

Consumer sentiment also turned more upbeat as the confidence index increased to 17.8 percent in the fourth quarter from 13.6 percent in the third quarter.

“This confidence is expected to be reflected in the country’s gross domestic product growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2017 and the succeeding quarters of 2018,” Pernia said.

The National Economic and Development Authority, which is headed by Pernia, is working closely with Task Force Bangon Marawi, the inter-agency task force for the recovery, reconstruction and reha-

dirty money.

Under the new law, casinos including Internet and ship-based casinos are now considered “covered persons” under AMLA. Any single cash transaction in excess of P5 million or equivalent in any other currency is considered “covered transaction” that must be reported to AMLC. The agency also is mandated to monitor suspicious financial transactions.

The law authorized the Court of Appeals to issue a 20-day freeze order on any monetary instrument or property suspected to be related to any unlawful activity.

The Philippines has already become an Asian gambling hub, with data from state-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. showing that local casinos raked in P149 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2016.

Espenilla earlier said the expansion of the antimoney laundering law and relaxation of the deposit secrecy law were among his priorities as BSP governor.

He said the expansion of the anti-money laundering law, including casinos, was one of the biggest challenges in his tenure.

He said expanding the anti-money laundering law

would result in a more secure financial system that would end up protecting consumers. “It is BSP’s job to make sure that that the banking system is secure and prevent the entry of illegal funds in the financial system,” Espenilla said.

Cyber thieves stole $81-million from the account of Bank of Bangladesh in Federal Reserve in New York in February 2016.

The dirty money entered the local financial system through a Makati branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. and eventually through local casinos.

Julito G. Rada

THE Philippine Software Industry Association said Tuesday it expects software and IT services to deliver $5.7 billion in revenues by 2020, almost double the $2.9 billion worth of service exports it generated in 2016.

“Software and IT services alone brought in $2.9 billion to the Philippine economy in 2016. That revenue constitutes 13 percent of the entire Philippine ITBPM sector, and it will still grow because of the huge market potential,” said PSIA president Jonathan Luzuriaga.

PSIA, in a briefing during the 5th Softcon.ph at SMX Convention Center in Taguig City, acknowledged the industry’s growing value added services and products.

“Our international partners and clients from the US, Europe and Australia do business with Philippine software producers because they recognize what our Filipino talent can bring to the table,” De Luzuriaga said.

North America remained the top market for Philippine software with over 50-percent market share, followed by Japan with 30 percent and Europe.

Global demand for IT outsourcing services is expected to reach $147 billion by 2022.

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock exchange pushes amendments to REIT law

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Philippine Stock Exchange is seeking amendments to the eight-year-old Real Estate Investments Trust law, especially a provision imposing a 12-percent value added tax on the investment product.

REIT gives investors the option to invest directly in the finished products that are already earning money―such as residential and office units, hotels or shopping malls or even infrastructure ventures like toll roads and power plants―and not just the property developer.

The law aims to attract investors because it requires the distribution of 90 percent of income yearly.

PSE president Ramon Monzon said in a forum the exchange was working with the Finance Department and Congress on how the amend the REIT law to remove the 12-percent VAT on the transfer of assets.

“We are seeking to repeal tax on the REITs. We are working with DOF and Congress to see how we can change this. We think REIT is a very potent vehicle for real estate companies to generate capital to fund their investments,” Monzon said.

“In BIR’s [Bureau of Internal Revenue] mind, they would like to raise money from this activity. But unfortunately [they] have raised zero,” Monzon said.

Stock market dips as peso plummets to 51.54 a dollar S TOCKS fell for a third day, dragging the benchmark index below the 8,300-point level as investors continued to take profit from the previous weeks’ record gains, while the peso tumbled to a new 11-year low.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, tumbled 68 points, or 0.8 percent, to close at 8,279.92, as three of the six major sectors declined.

The heavier index, representing all shares, also slid 30 points, or 0.6 percent, to settle at 4,855.32, on a value turnover of P7.9 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 113 to 80, while

50 issues were unchanged.

Eight of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led

by PLDT Inc. which rose 2.1 percent to P1,740 and chemical company D&L Industries Inc. which gained 1.4 percent to P10.20. Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. went up 1.1 percent to P93.

The peso declined 0.1 percent Tuesday to close at a new 11-

year low of 51.54 against the US dollar, on value turnover of $551 million. It was the local currency’s weakest finish since it settled at 51.60 against the greenback on Aug. 24, 2006.

Meanwhile, Tokyo’s Nikkei led another broad advance across Asian markets Tuesday, with the Nikkei chalking up its 16th straight gain to extend an impressive record streak.

The Japanese market pushed to fresh 21-year highs on the back of a weaker yen and hopes that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s weekend election landslide victory will usher in further measures to boost the world’s number three economy.

Equities had powered ahead on

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 4.6 31,000 59.7 4,040 98 2,358,130 3.9 20,000 136 4,725,830 2.44 1,495,000 33.5 295,900 15.9 400 31.25 335,600 1.8 2,000 930 50 0.64 676,000 89.5 450,440 0.82 226,000 12.68 4,400 57.9 365,600 239.2 2,680 107 130 88.2 3,300 61.8 209,710 249 580,630 1,945 305 86.85 18,330 1.27 98,000

143,670 240,981.50 231,070,077 78,010 645,993,128 3,602,050 9,951,225 6,360 10,495,310 3,610 46,500 439,030 40,465,494 185,940 55,954 21,256,779.50 632,832 13,820 290,811 12,914,356 145,724,572 593,225 1,592,107.50 124,460

177,115 -18,873,998.50 -366,075,846 -9,600 124,270 -6,394,270 -5,924,694 -363,964 47,960 -2,711,256 -58,263,908 660,852.50 -

41.6 11.34 0.75 1.35 19.32 0.213 4.98 15.1 168.4 44.55 18.5 64 1.9 6.32 10.06 14.8 13 6.95 5.64 17.26 63.6 15.52 12.16 18.88 1.75 246.6 4.5 3.21 23.35 30.8 19 16 286 0.21 10.84 2.93 6.3 9.83 6.85 9.65 1.73 11.5 62 6.5 307.6 4.7 4.6 2.19 13.02 4.61 1.2 139.9 3.28 2.13 28.5 0.94

INDUSTRIAL 41.65 563,900 11.82 3,010,300 0.76 227,000 1.36 431,000 19.88 27,400 0.213 240,000 5 6,736,000 15.18 4,684,100 186.9 90 44.95 443,700 18.5 4,000 64.5 120 1.9 179,000 6.49 33,300 10.2 18,547,900 14.9 226,400 13 133,300 6.99 1,260,000 5.66 20,876,300 17.6 1,352,300 63.6 53,630 16 76,100 12.2 22,900 19.14 400,300 1.8 67,000 248 824,150 4.6 1,399,000 3.25 20,000 23.35 2,800 31.5 264,600 19.2 68,400 16.2 1,806,400 287.6 1,114,880 0.215 530,000 11 5,900 2.93 146,000 6.38 66,400 9.85 1,077,400 7.03 163,000 9.84 2,000 1.73 255,000 11.7 156,000 62.8 461,370 6.79 25,000 307.6 3,400 4.7 161,000 4.6 2,000 2.19 340,000 13.1 609,000 4.63 84,000 1.2 72,000 139.9 636,780 3.28 22,000 2.14 7,396,000 28.5 100 0.95 209,000

23,655,255 35,023,502 174,450 582,010 544,826 51,410 33,689,065 70,857,326 15,421 19,941,310 74,892 7,730 340,730 213,639 187,703,246 3,365,264 1,738,368 8,853,435 118,089,472 23,612,658 3,425,181 1,199,790 280,818 7,637,574 118,840 204,835,422 6,399,480 64,830 65,380 8,275,420 1,303,934 29,228,122 320,574,580 113,830 64,004 430,600 419,228 10,625,564 1,144,846 19,585 442,620 1,814,170 28,712,085.50 164,965 1,047,248 756,980 9,200 755,370 7,968,042 391,840 87,030 89,408,165 72,460 15,896,040 2,850 198,530

-13,508,715 -961,366 67,500 10,850 -5,112,290.00 28,596,954 -22,450 7,090 38,316,792 278,838 -279,928 -4,455,385 -13,796,825 -2,954,788 -1,061,920.50 15,830 -1,462,296 45,372,362 -1,400 -2,375,380 -849,376 -13,589,410 -52,170,494 -271,400 -2,240,617 -14,760 -3,072,259.50 14,950 -400,216 1,518,098 7,556,682 -49,500 -223,290 -

0.335 74 15.06 6.95 0.425 0.435 988 8.5 15.52 7.53 4.9 5.1 0.19 1,149 7.78 74.25 4.99 0.81 6.04 17.5 6.81 0.052 1.56 2.1 102 2.58 940 0.85 1.44 286 0.265 0.203

HOLDING FIRMS 0.335 190,000 74.1 731,640 15.16 7,618,100 7.05 335,700 0.455 53,680,000 0.445 7,710,000 999 784,240 8.54 2,351,200 15.56 6,831,900 7.53 50,000 4.9 1,000 5.7 600 0.19 2,700,000 1,155 326,305 7.9 700 74.4 814,360 5.09 17,000 0.85 6,743,000 6.06 801,600 17.96 1,003,400 6.83 15,032,600 0.054 10,730,000 1.61 4,799,000 2.1 175,000 102.5 460,000 2.58 13,000 940 600,180 0.85 42,000 1.45 720,000 298 14,610 0.265 100,000 0.203 800,000

64,000 54,275,869.50 115,446,602 2,367,355 23,886,800 3,439,350 782,888,890 20,051,294 106,428,520 377,247 4,900 3,360 521,150 377,844,140 5,458 60,599,420.50 85,990 5,571,090 4,914,765 17,880,864 102,936,655 568,240 7,904,320 367,500 47,067,492 33,540 567,934,310 35,700 1,044,010 4,288,530 26,500 163,130

-24,945,803 -48,246,264 2,118,006 -44,000 -153,468,875 -7,000,084 -8,989,884 75,400 -75,829,380 -43,624,964 -5,132,400 1,722,877 -485,726 21,657,036 176,300 11,222,537 -189,185,475 -224,750 374,654 -

9,086,890 2,279,640 42,239 226,120 5,001,030 334,900,405 3,140,460 7,244,710 254,688 11,397 2,249,870 444,630 1,575,210 3,298,820 46,250 10,211,360 782,300 48,548,430 5,690,540 462,750 95,118,416 3,476,450 661,100 1,319,260

-8,122,510 17,814 -95,200 -2,940 99,857,285 -724,860 3,221,370 199,708 2,030,655 -578,000 -14,955,200 60,423,214 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

4.68 59.6 98 3.91 140.9 2.5 33.4 15.9 31.6 1.81 930 0.65 90.2 0.84 13 58.3 239.8 107 88.15 60.5 260.2 1,945 86.9 1.27

4.68 59.7 98.05 3.91 140.9 2.5 33.8 15.9 31.6 1.81 930 0.66 90.25 0.84 13 58.5 239.8 108 88.2 62.3 261.8 1,945 86.9 1.27

4.6 59.5 97.8 3.9 136 2.33 33.4 15.9 31.2 1.8 930 0.64 89.5 0.81 12.68 57.9 235 106 88.1 60.5 249 1,945 86.7 1.27

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

42.6 11.56 0.75 1.35 20 0.217 5.02 15.1 170 45 19.78 64 1.91 6.49 10.08 15 13.14 7.06 5.67 17.3 64 16.5 12.3 19 1.75 249 4.59 3.21 23.35 31.3 19.02 16.34 288.6 0.21 10.84 2.95 6.41 9.85 7 9.65 1.73 11.78 63 6.79 310 4.75 4.6 2.3 13.18 4.69 1.23 141.5 3.3 2.13 28.5 0.95

42.7 11.9 0.78 1.37 20 0.217 5.03 15.18 186.9 45.25 19.78 64.5 1.91 6.49 10.24 15 13.58 7.15 5.68 17.68 64 16.5 12.32 19.3 1.8 252.4 4.79 3.28 23.35 31.5 19.3 16.46 288.6 0.218 11 2.95 6.41 9.94 7.25 9.84 1.74 11.78 63 6.79 310 4.75 4.6 2.3 13.18 4.69 1.23 143 3.3 2.17 28.5 0.95

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

0.345 75.7 15.2 7.05 0.465 0.465 996 8.55 15.52 7.55 4.9 5.1 0.197 1,190 7.78 75.4 4.99 0.83 6.2 17.76 6.81 0.053 1.75 2.1 103 2.58 952 0.85 1.47 298 0.265 0.206

0.345 75.7 15.3 7.08 0.465 0.465 1,010 8.55 15.66 7.55 4.9 5.7 0.197 1,193 7.9 75.4 5.3 0.85 6.3 18 6.9 0.054 1.77 2.1 103 2.58 968 0.85 1.47 298 0.265 0.206

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CEBU PROP A CENTURY PROP CITY AND LAND CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE IRC PROP MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL REALTY

5.04 1.1 8.01 2.4 0.99 44.05 3.72 4.85 5.39 5.55 0.52 1.21 1.22 0.209 0.465 41.5 0.68 1.95 1.55 0.79 5.29 0.315 0.4 0.51

5.04 1.11 8.98 2.4 0.99 44.45 3.75 4.88 5.4 5.82 0.52 1.23 1.25 0.209 0.465 42 0.68 1.95 1.55 0.81 5.37 0.32 0.4 0.51

4.96 1.08 8.01 2.38 0.95 43.9 3.72 4.8 5.33 5.55 0.5 1.21 1.22 0.204 0.46 40.7 0.67 1.9 1.52 0.79 5.28 0.31 0.39 0.5

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

6.5 30 25.75 1.81 3.14 36.15 1.01 6.94 0.86 5.89

6.6 30 25.75 1.83 3.19 36.4 1.04 7.39 0.87 5.89

6.4 30 24.65 1.81 3.13 35.85 1.01 6.93 0.85 5.69

6.55 30 24.65 1.81 3.13 35.85 1.03 7.39 0.85 5.73

1,607,500 200 3,233,800 63,000 36,000 7,096,700 1,999,000 2,800 135,000 4,310,000

10,480,030 6,000 80,731,775 115,210 112,850 256,032,730 2,057,680 19,521 114,790 24,786,283

945,899 6,000 -9,409,115 5,430 -76,165,680 -1,030,000 -693 85,000 -19,816,227

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

20.3 38.65 1.6 0.54 0.05 10.2 0.07 111 8.98 9.7 7.48 960 2,032 6 18.42 2.61 2.6 103 8.39 0.155 1.4 3.12 15.8 4.05 1.39 19.68 0.55 3.03 7.47 4.08 16.9 2.25 5.04 3.03 175 8.8 1,708 1.39 0.39 50.85 92 6.11 4.15 1.57 3.9 1.03 8.45

20.4 39 1.69 0.54 0.052 10.2 0.07 111 8.98 9.94 7.48 960 2,046 6.02 19.42 2.63 2.61 104 8.39 0.157 1.4 3.18 15.8 4.1 1.43 20.1 0.55 3.05 7.47 4.08 16.9 2.28 5.04 3.19 175 8.8 1,746 1.39 0.395 51.1 93.6 6.11 4.22 1.62 3.91 1.03 8.52

20 38.6 1.58 0.53 0.049 9.66 0.07 108.8 8.98 9.7 7.1 960 2,028 5.95 18.42 2.55 2.6 102 8.34 0.155 1.36 3.06 15.2 4.01 1.38 19.6 0.55 2.86 7.12 4.02 16.9 2.21 5.04 2.86 175 8.4 1,705 1.36 0.39 50.8 92 6.03 4.12 1.57 3.85 0.99 8.43

SERVICES 20 38.8 1.61 0.54 0.051 9.75 0.07 109.7 8.98 9.82 7.1 960 2,032 5.98 19.42 2.59 2.61 102 8.37 0.157 1.36 3.18 15.2 4.02 1.41 19.64 0.55 2.88 7.2 4.02 16.9 2.26 5.04 3.07 175 8.47 1,740 1.36 0.39 51 93 6.04 4.12 1.62 3.9 1 8.5

104,900 22,300 352,000 178,000 26,820,000 10,494,100 15,110,000 136,640 2,700 2,137,400 40,100 100 45,335 386,200 23,300 3,534,000 14,000 360,520 316,000 1,560,000 309,000 42,000 18,400 587,000 1,087,000 5,358,200 548,000 225,000 4,070,000 460,000 100 460,000 200 1,257,000 400,250 1,213,100 206,915 5,970,000 3,140,000 2,136,900 1,918,820 93,000 920,000 10,481,000 395,000 4,636,000 689,100

2,109,410 866,005 570,070 96,090 1,355,390 103,558,293 1,057,700 14,937,438 24,246 20,972,393 285,187 96,000 92,124,840 2,306,470 447,584 9,100,880 36,440 36,993,775 2,649,631 242,150 421,920 129,220 280,454 2,369,210 1,522,010 106,128,930 301,400 657,130 29,363,703 1,856,870 1,690 1,034,670 1,008 3,979,050 70,043,750 10,352,899 358,156,255 8,156,940 1,226,100 109,004,418 178,052,759 562,140 3,809,080 16,828,560 1,527,180 4,650,840 5,847,634

-14,245 49,910 9,690 -59,833,913.00 536,188 6,391,688 -31,373,950 285,020 -9,791,155 23,250 -3,060 9,150 -333,990.00 52,440.00 -22,448,908 -39,390 2,492,577 -8,080 0 -7,672,279.00 3,426,965 -1,510,810 -11,727,455.50 -67,559,162.50 139,793 -441,380 3,599,740 161,920 -32,330 2,408,089.00

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

0.0025 1.7 4.87 1.85 1.81 1.6 0.385 8.25 2.54 0.265 0.183 0.194 0.01 0.011 1.89 6.78 1.77 0.5 1.01 0.013 0.013 0.011 2.45 7.57 8.65 42 0.0075

0.0025 1.71 5 1.85 1.81 1.73 0.385 8.34 2.62 0.265 0.185 0.194 0.01 0.011 2.01 6.79 1.77 0.5 1.01 0.013 0.013 0.011 2.46 7.57 8.74 43 0.0075

0.0024 1.69 4.87 1.82 1.81 1.57 0.38 8.16 2.54 0.25 0.182 0.192 0.01 0.011 1.89 6.68 1.71 0.5 1 0.012 0.013 0.011 2.45 7.2 8.24 41 0.0075

MINING & OIL 0.0025 70,000,000 1.7 3,471,000 4.99 37,000 1.82 206,000 1.81 22,000 1.68 38,665,000 0.38 20,000 8.16 10,500 2.57 8,536,000 0.265 1,890,000 0.182 9,910,000 0.193 2,270,000 0.01 13,700,000 0.011 18,200,000 1.96 1,700,000 6.77 1,136,200 1.76 24,000 0.5 12,000 1 206,000 0.013 7,600,000 0.013 5,000,000 0.011 8,200,000 2.46 9,000 7.2 1,500,200 8.25 6,485,600 42.8 2,406,000 0.0075 4,000,000

172,000 5,882,100 183,490 375,070 39,820 64,769,900 7,650 85,742 22,069,310 473,250 1,814,720 437,840 137,000 200,200 3,355,730 7,646,234 42,200 6,000 207,480 94,100 65,000 90,200 22,060 10,966,639 54,418,441 102,087,435 30,000

30,000 238,210 98,780 -450,050 38,600 -161,690 2,049,519 -5,847,901 635,424 -44,975,555 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B LR PREF PCOR PREF 2A PF PREF 2 SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

38.9 532 107.5 105.6 107.9 5.69 1,020 1,045 1.05 1,065 1,012 76 81.5 77 81.2 78.5 79.55

39.95 532 108 107 107.9 5.7 1,040 1,045 1.06 1,065 1,012 76 81.5 77 81.2 78.5 79.55

38.9 532 107.5 105.3 107.9 5.68 1,020 1,045 1.05 1,065 1,006 76 80.5 76.5 81 78.2 78.5

PREFERRED 39 440,000 532 7,000 108 5,300 107 9,720 107.9 60 5.68 379,700 1,040 1,525 1,045 5 1.06 4,000 1,065 2,000 1,007 5,200 76 30 81 283,070 77 10,670 81 11,550 78.2 13,400 78.9 137,710

17,156,500 3,724,000 571,400 1,024,122 6,474 2,158,018 1,556,000 5,225 4,230 2,130,000 5,250,630 2,280 22,948,420.50 817,990 935,725 1,049,830 10,825,049

444,155 -1,064,000 130,600 -1,757,882 -20,380,677.50 60,825.00 -

LR WARRANT

2.45

2.49

2.39

WARRANTS 2.39 128,000

310,250

-

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

5.76 4.32 5.49

5.77 4.32 5.49

5.55 4.1 5.4

5.65 4.2 5.43

884,200 107,000 804,100

5,005,911 451,140 4,374,578

8,370 8,640 -63,342

FIRST METRO ETF

126.4

126.4

126.1

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 126.1 39,710

5,018,139

12,640

USD DMPL A1

10.5

10.5

10.5

81,690

-

MS

PROPERTY 4.97 1.1 8.8 2.38 0.96 44 3.73 4.8 5.4 5.82 0.52 1.21 1.22 0.205 0.46 40.9 0.67 1.95 1.52 0.8 5.34 0.315 0.39 0.51

1,824,000 2,086,000 5,000 95,000 5,191,000 7,604,500 841,000 1,505,000 47,200 2,000 4,406,000 367,000 1,289,000 16,080,000 100,000 248,400 1,153,000 25,228,000 3,738,000 584,000 17,839,400 11,020,000 1,670,000 2,626,000

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES

12,332,477 77,547,197 131,144,258

PROPERTY

124,666,945

SERVICES

115,357,571

MINING & OIL

207,776,798

GRAND TOTAL

670,660,259

10.5

SME

DDS

7,780

VALUE 2,009.09 (down) 35.26 1,167,972,312.52 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,852.46 (up) 4.15 1,284,127,972.81 HOLDING FIRMS 8,422.76 (down) 104.15 2,665,931,166.10 PROPERTY 3,913.08 (down) 17.80 SERVICES 1,702.16 (up) 3.41 933,895,684.03 MINING & OIL 13,079.94 (up) 212.25 1,456,344,502.82 PSEI 8,279.92 (down) 68.40 365,515,633.158 All Shares Index 4,855.32 (down) 30.47 7,888,637,393.74 Gainers: 80; Losers: 113; Unchanged: 50; Total: 243

Friday on news that US senators passed a budget plan allowing them to introduce Donald Trump’s muchvaunted tax cuts with a simple majority vote instead of a 60-40 split.

However, there are fears that the recent surge will run out of steam and lead to a sell-off.

“These markets are tired, fatigued and need new information to fuel the beast,” Chris Weston, chief market strategist at IG in Melbourne, told Bloomberg News.

Tuesday’s rises in Asia came despite a retreat on Wall Street, where the Dow ended a five-day run of records ahead of a wave of corporate earnings releases including General Motors, McDonald’s and Amazon.

Tokyo ended up 0.5 percent to continue the best run of gains in its near 70-year history. Sydney gained 0.1 percent and Seoul ended marginally higher but Hong Kong was down 0.5 percent in afternoon trade.

Shanghai rose 0.2 percent after China’s twice-a-decade party congress ended, with President Xi Jinping cementing his power at the apex of the Communist Party.

With Bloomberg, AFP

PSC gets clearance to hike capital to P1.6b

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission approved the application of Philippine Seven Corp., the local franchise holder of convenience store chain 7-Eleven, to increase its capital stock to P1.6 billion from P600 million.

PSC said in a disclosure to the stock exchange the increase would consist of 1.6 billion common shares with a par value of P1 per share, up from 600 million common shares with a par value of P1 apiece.

“The increase in authorized capital stock of the corporation would augment the unissued shares of 140,878,427 and provide available unissued shares for future stock dividends within the next three to five years,” PSC said.

The company earlier approved the stock dividend declaration of 65 percent of the outstanding capital stock of the company of 458,435,323 shares, or equivalent to 297,982,960 common shares with par value of P1 apiece.

PSC is the country’s leading convenience store chain with 2,087 stores as of endJune.

PSC plans to spend P3.5 billion this year to open 412 stores nationwide. It said 50 stores would open in Mindanao, 50 in the Visayas and the rest in Luzon.

The company plans to spend P3.5 billion in 2017 to support store expansion, store renovation and equipment acquisition.

Aside from aggressively expanding its store network, PSC also focuses on growing same-store sales to boost profitability. Over the near term, the company aims to boost same-store sales to a high single digit from the current low single digit level.

PSC said it would improve its services to take advantage of the growing customer preference towards innovation and convenience and expand product offerings.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

Standard

Business

TODAY

B3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Rigid tests eyed for imported cement, steel

A

PRODUCT safety and quality advocacy group has urged the government to implement stricter testing for imported cement and steel to determine their high quality and safety before they are sold in the domestic market.

The Philippine Product Safety and Quality Foundation issued the call amid reports that substandard cement and steel products made in other countries had entered the Philippine market.

The PPQSF said such stringent regulatory practice was common among many countries, including Malaysia and Australia.

The foundation said in a position paper imported shipments should not be released without undergoing the mandatory testing for safety and quality standards.

“What is the use of testing if you will release the unsafe product anyway? Product recall orders for dangerous products like steel and cement are not practical because they will already have been widely distributed and become part of buildings and houses,” the PPSQF said.

The advocacy group said post-shipment inspection at ports of entry within the country should be done for imported cement for safety reasons, and release of the same should be done only after safety tests had been satisfied.

The PPSQF board of directors expressed concern that substandard steel and cement had penetrated the local market to the prejudice of the Filipino consumers and the public in general.

Organized by the Department of Trade and Industry in 2002, the PPQSF is composed

of key players the consumer and industry sectors. The group cited the results of a nine-country survey revealing that Asean economies inspect steel and cement imports at port of entry, and do not rely on preshipment inspections done in other countries.

The report, which was relayed to the DTI on August 30, showed that neighboring economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Brunei, all had policies requiring the inspection and testing of cement at their ports of entry. Other Asian economies, including Taiwan, and Japan, as well as Australia implement similar protocols for cement.

The survey cited a number of factors that have caused the economies to employ sampling and testing procedures at the ports where the cement imports arrive.

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE PROPOSED MARIBOJOC PORT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PORT OF MARIBOJOC, MARIBOJOC, BOHOL The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 485,806,838.39 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Proposed Maribojoc Port Improvement Project, (LFP BHL No. 038-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Improvement of Existing Rock Causeway (Area = 1,823.96 sq. m.) B. Construction of Back-up Area with RORO Ramp on Fill (Area = 6,304.98 sq. m.) C. Construction of Breasting Dolphin (2 sets) D. Port Lighting System. Completion of the Works is required in 690 calendar days. 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 non-discretionary “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.”

WESM operator seeks P822-m fees

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 the Philippine Ports Authority‘s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

By Alena Mae S. Flores PHILIPPINE Electricity Market Corp., operator of the country’s electricity trading floor, is seeking approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission to approve proposed market fees of P822.208 million in 2008.

PEMC, operator of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, sought the fees in a nine-page petition with the ERC dated October 12. The amount is equal to the funding requirements of PEMC for 2018 as approved by its board.

PEMC said it incorporated in its budget the cost of the preparation and initial operations of the WESM in Mindanao for 2018.

The agency said the bulk of the expenses would go to maintenance and operating outlay of P392.7 million, followed by personnel services covering 160 employees and costing P359.5 million, and capital expenditures amounting to P69.99 million for upgrade.

The petition did not include the cost of the Market Management System procurement still pending with the ERC. PEMC said it would collect the market fee estimated at P0.0104 per kilowatt-hour from generators.

The indicative market fee rate is based on the Luzon and Visayas energy forecast of 79,262.97 gigawatt-hours.

“It should be noted however that the market fee shall be recovered from Luzon and Visayas generator pending the commencement of the commercial operations of WESM in Mindanao,” it said.

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES Tel. No. (0632) 527-8356, Fax. No. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 25 October 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 FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P 50,000.00).

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

COIN OFFERING.Coinlancer, a cryptocurrency expected to benefit freelancers, has launched its 300-million initial coin offering on October 14. The ICO, which costs $0.25 per token and aims to raise a total of $50 million, will end on November 14, 2017. At the press launching are (from left) Amarjit Singh, ddvisor to Coinlancer; Shahin Pilli, chief executive officer of World of Professionals Organization Ltd., Sai Teja, Coinlancer advisor; and Rushabh Shah, chief finance officer of Coinlancer. Freelancers will largely benefit from the new cryptocurrency given its low transaction rate of only 3 percent compared with the usual 10 to 20 percent service fee paid by freelancers to centralized hubs such as Upwork.

BoI approves P78-m poultry expansion

By Othel V. Campos THE Board of Investments approved the P78.3million project of 557 Feather Meal Corp as an expanding producer of poultry dressing with cold storage facility and an P8.7-million cashew production under the 2017 Investment Priorities Plan of the Board of Investments.

The poultry dressing project qualified for incentives under the preferred activities category under the Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry Listing while the cashew project received the nod under the export activities category.

“This expansion will address the chicken meat requirements of Central Luzon

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES Tel. No. (0632) 527-8356, Fax. No. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

considering its growing demand,” said Trade Undersecretary and BoI managing head Ceferino Rodolfo said.

The company began commercial operations in June 2017 with an additional 460 personnel on board in the additional facilities for poultry dressing with processing plant and cold storage services to its existing plant in Concepcion, Tarlac.

The expansion will increase the plant’s capacity to process up to 12.48 million birds annually, in addition to a registered capacity of 19.9 million a year or an increase of 63 percent.

The facility exclusively serves the poultry dressing and further processing requirements of San Miguel Foods Inc..

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 08 November 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:00 a.m. of 21 November 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 21 November 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend. Late bids shall not be accepted.

•

The Philippine Ports Authority 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.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539 PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP) M. Standard – Oct. 25, 2017

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

Required PCAB Registration: Large B – Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering

BONIFACIO DRIVE, SOUTH HARBOR, PORT AREA, MANILA 1018, PHILIPPINES, P.O. BOX 436, MANILA, PHILIPPINES TEL. NO. (0632) 527-8356, FAX NO. (0632) 527-4855 HTTP://WWW.PPA.COM.PH

INVITATION TO BID

INVITATION TO BID

FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING, PORT OF CATAGBACAN, BOHOL

FOR THE PROPOSED OZAMIZ PORT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, PORT OF OZAMIZ, OZAMIZ CITY, MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL

FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF T-HEAD PIER EXTENSION AND BACK-UP AREA, PORT OF ZAMBOANGA, ZAMBOANGA CITY

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 14,610,723.57 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of Passenger Terminal Building, Port of Catagbacan, Bohol (LFP BHL No. 0392017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 179,078,973.48 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Proposed Ozamiz Port Improvement Project, Port of Ozamiz, Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental (LFP MOZ No. 040-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority, through the Corporate Budget of the Authority for CY 2017, intends to apply the sum of P 90,287,547.13 being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for the Construction of T-Head Pier Extension and Back-up Area, Port of Zamboanga, Zamboanga City (LFP ZBA NO. 041-2017). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Construction of R.C. Pier (Area = 1,008.00 sq. m.) B. Construction of Back-up Area (Area = 2,272.32 sq. m.) C. Paving of Existing Back-up Area (Area = 6,893 sq. m.) D. Port Lighting System. Completion of the Works is required in 450 calendar days. 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.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Extension of T-Head Pier (Area = 1,296.00 sq. m.) B. Construction of Back-up Area (Area = 1,521.00 sq. m.) C. Port Lighting System. Completion of the Works is required in 360 calendar days. 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.

The Philippine Ports Authority now invites bids for A. Construction of Passenger Terminal Building. Completion of the Works is required in 240 calendar days.

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 non-discretionary 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 the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 25 October 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 (P 25,000.00).

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

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 08 November 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 1:00 p.m. of 21 November 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 21 November 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

•

Required PCAB Registration: Small B – Building and Industrial Plant

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 the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 25 October 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 FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P 50,000.00).

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

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on 25 October 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 FIFTY THOUSAND PESOS (P 50,000.00).

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

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 9:00 a.m. of 22 November 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before 1:00 p.m. of 22 November 2017. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in the bidding documents.

Bid opening shall be on 22 November 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

•

Required PCAB Registration: Medium B – Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering

For further information, please refer to:

For further information, please refer to:

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

Bid opening shall be on 22 November 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the 7th Floor, PPA Building, A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidder’s representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

•

Required PCAB Registration: Medium A – Port, Harbor and Offshore Engineering

The Philippine Ports Authority 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.

For further information, please refer to: BAC Secretariat, Philippine Ports Authority 5th Floor, PPA Bldg., A. Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila Telephone/Fax No. 527-47-35 527-83-56 to 83 loc. 539

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP) M. Standard – Oct. 25, 2017

Interested bidders may obtain further information from the Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Engineering Projects and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 08 November 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

The Philippine Ports Authority 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.

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP)

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.

The Philippine Ports Authority’s Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on 08 November 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at the PPA Function Room, 7th Floor, PPA Bldg., Bonifacio Drive, South Harbor, Port Area, Manila, which shall be open to all prospective bidders.

The Philippine Ports Authority 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.

PPA Website: www.ppa.com.ph

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary 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.”

ADRIAN FERDINAND S. SUGAY Chairperson, PPA Head Office Bids and Awards Committee for Engineering Projects (HO-BAC-EP) Standard – Oct. 25, 2017

Standard – Oct. 25, 2017

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

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

B4

wednesday, october 25, 2017

LOCaL gOVernmenT uniTs

‘GRAVE FINDER’. A user tries out the ‘grave finder’ application on the website of the Manila North Cemetery, an innovation introduced by Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada last year, as the city braces for millions of visitors to its four public cemeteries next week for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Meanwhile, the Halloween spirit is alive at stores as scary masks (inset) adorn the aisles of toy stores and department stores across the country. Lino Santos

Manila braces for 2m visitors at 4 cemeteries

By Bill Casas MANILA Mayor Joseph Estrada on Tuesday said the city government is preparing for the influx of two million visitors at the city’s four cemeteries for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, Nov. 1 and 2.

Estrada said the four city-owned graveyards are the 54-hectare Manila North Cemetery in Sta. Cruz, the largest in Metro Manila; La Loma Catholic Cemetery; Manila Chinese Cemetery; and Manila South Cemetery, which is located in Makati City but still part of Manila’s territory.

The mayor said he ordered Manila Police District Director Chief Supt. Joel Coronel to lead the city’s security preparations during the holidays.

As directed by Estrada, Coronel said the MPD will deploy close to 2,000 policemen at the cemeteries during the observance of All Saints and All Souls beginning on October 27 until Nov. 2.

Foot and mobile patrols and checkpoints in strategic areas will also be put up, Coronel said.

The police chief said various City Hall offices such as the Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, the Manila Health Department, Department of Public Order and Safety, and the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau will also assist the MPD.

Farmers call for food, land

By Mel R. Caspe

T

ACLOBAN CITY―A belated celebration of the World Food Day happens today for hundreds of farmers from Leyte and Eastern Samar, all organized under Katarungan (Kilusan Para sa Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan) Eastern Visayas Chapter.

In line with this year’s theme, the farmers’ call centers on “Paggalang sa Karapatang Lupa, Paba-

hay at Pagkain, Hustisyang Pang Klima at Proteksyon para sa Sektor ng Agrikultura – Kailangan na!”

(Respect for Land Rights, Shelter Rights, Food Sovereignty, Climate Justice and Protection for the Agricultural Sector, Needed Now!).

The Food and Agriculture Organization notes that “each year, millions of people leave their homes to escape hunger, poverty and conflict.” World Food Day is celebrated on Oct. 16 each year.

In this year’s celebration, Pope Francis himself appealed to governments

to end conflicts and tackle climate change that would ensure that migration will be a “voluntary choice.”

In 2010, about 53.34 percent of 1.8-million population in Eastern Visayas was employed in the agricultural sector.

Three years later, Super Typhoon “Yolanda” made several landfalls in the region, damaging farm machineries, roads, irrigations and destroying 8.5 million coconut trees.

With palay and coconut as the region’s main crops, Yolanda further laid burden on the struggling farmers’ economic viability.

A few days after the typhoon, the Metro Manila Development Authority reported bus-loads of passengers from the region going to Manila.

The situation may have only been temporary, but this bears truth to the fact that families will leave their place once hunger,

calamities and conflicts threaten their sustenance, Katarungan said.

In 2000, 31 farmers were forcibly evicted from their CARP-awarded land in Brgy. Matica-a, Ormoc by a gun-toting group loyal to the former land owner. The years that followed saw these farmers work as farm hands in other lands.

Sixteen years later, the farmers of Bugho Farmers Association earned justice and were reinstalled in June

2016, but not after dealing with conflict, intimidation and harassment, funded by an interested land speculator in the area, Katarungan said.

In 2001, 144 farmers from San Miguel and Alangalang were stripped of their Certificate of Land Ownership Awards, citing their organization as “fictitious” or “inexistent (sic) for being not duly organized under the Philippines laws.”

Davao peace panel to parley with NPAs

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY―The Davao City Peace Committee or DC-PEACE convened for the first time on Tuesday to discuss its strategic plan on dealing with the New People’s Army for the localized peace talks here.

Retired judge Ridgway Tanjili, DC-PEACE chairperson, said the committee will deliberate on how they are going to parley with the communist NPA rebels who are in Davao City.

“We still need to gather data to know the grievances of the other parties, what they are their concerns and what do they want,” Tanjili said in a press briefing.

Before the negotiations, the committee needs to know the situation on the ground to make a strategy out

of it, said veteran peace convener and DC-PEACE Technical Consultant Irene Santiago.

“The most important thing is to know the situation on the ground for data gathering. We also need to know the cause of the violence, who are their leaders and what the source of the violence is,” Santiago said.

DC-PEACE is composed of Tanjili, Santiago as technical consultant; lawyer Raul Nadela, Mayor Duterte’s Chief of Staff; Archbishop Romulo Valles; Barangay Captain Jessielito Areja of Malabog; Ma. Luisa Bermudo of the City Social Services and Development Office; and lawyer Elisa Lapina from the City Legal Office.

Mayor Sara Duterte said the committee will start communicating to the NPA’s three identified

leaders here in the city, and will wait until November 17 to know if the rebels intend to talk or not.

“We have today ]to November 17 to wait for their feedback. The person designated to reach out to them will report if they have a positive or negative response,” the mayor said.

Duterte clarified the city is not asking the rebels to surrender, but to sit down and talk to the city government on how they can work together instead.

Meanwhile, Mayor Duterte said the city will write to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to explain the purpose of the localized peace talks, after she read a statement from Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza on not supporting the talks.

In BrIeF LTO license printing kiosk opens at QC Hall THE Land Transportation Office will set up a kiosk at the Quezon City Hall where registered drivers can have their five-year driver’s license cards printed at the main lobby of the Quezon City Hall beginning Wednesday up to Friday.

The LTO kiosk to be set up at the Human Resources Department training room on the 5th floor of the Quezon City Hall will operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“The LTO is now ready to process and print driver’s license cards with five-year validity, including the 1.2 million paper license backlogs in the National Capital Region that accumulated since we started giving the five-years validity in October 2016,” LTO regional director Clarence V. Guinto said in a letter to Mayor Herbert Bautista.

LTO offices in Metro Manila have extended their operating hours from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily to address its backlog along with the current renewal and new applications for driver’s licenses and other transactions.

Meanwhile, Mayor Bautista publicly lauded the dedication to duty of a traffic enforcer who chased a delivery van on foot after its driver violated regulations as well as the tricycle driver who came to his aid.

Bautista extended a personal invitation to Ernesto Martin of the Department of Public Order and Safety and tricycle driver Jonel Armada to be his special guests in his 8th State of the City Address. Rio N. Araja

MISS EARTH PH. Delegates of Miss Earth 2017, led by Karen Santos Ibasco, the winner of the Miss Philippines

Earth 2017, were warmly welcomed in the city of Parañaque for a series of environment, eco-tourism and tree planting activities along C-5 Exit Road in Barangay San Dionisio. The delegates were treated by Parañaque First Lady Janet Olivarez (kneeling, center) and Public Information chief Mar Jimenez (left) during the activity, a project of Rotary Club of Makati and the city’s environment and natural resources office. Ibasco will vie for the Miss Earth World

‘Oplan Ligtas Biyahe: Undas 2017’ all set Pangasinan IN OBSERVANCE of All Saints’ Day, Skyway O&M Corp. or SOMCO, the operator of the Skyway System and Naia Expressway, will implement “Oplan Ligtas Biyahe: Undas 2017” from Oct. 28 to Nov. 2.

This will ensure the safety and convenience of the increased number of motorists who will use the expressways to go to pay respects to their departed loved ones in memorial parks and cemeteries in places south of Metro Manila and vice versa, SOMCO said.

In intensifying its traffic, safety and security operations, SOMCO will coordinate closely with the Metro Manila Development Authority, the Philippine National Police-National Capital Region Police Office, the local police in the vicinities of the Skyway System, the PNP Highway Patrol Group, and the concerned local government units.

On Oct. 28, 29, and 31, additional traffic personnel will be deployed on the southbound direction of the Skyway System and

Naia, especially in choke points like Dona Soledad Ave. and Dr. A Santos Ave. up to the Loyola and Manila Memorial parks where heavy traffic is expected.

Likewise, motorists and commuters returning to Manila on Nov. 1 and 2 are expected to congest the northbound direction of the Skyway System from Alabang Viaduct to Skyway Main Toll Plaza B to the Runway area, Magallanes, Don Bosco, Amorsolo and Buendia off-ramps.

Vizcaya villagers get wells, roadwork BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Villagers in the town of Diadi recently received deep well and road concreting projects from the SN Aboitiz Power-Magat Inc. based here.

Diadi Mayor Norma Miguel said the projects will benefit 259 households or more than a thousand villagers.

The deep wells were given to barangays Butao and Escoting to reduce the villagers’ dependence on private water sources and stem their vulnerability to water-borne diseases due to lack of safe public water supply.

The wells, Miguel said, were funded with P200,00 each for recipient barangays through SNAP-Magat’s corporate social responsibility program and the Energy Regulation 1-94 fund managed by the Department of Energy.

The DOE requires the utilization of a portion of electricity sales of all power generators for community projects of host local governments.

“We are very thankful for these projects because they leave a mark of economic progress for our villagers,” Miguel said. Ben Moses Ebreo

SCHOLARSHIP PACT. Quezon Gov. David Jayjay C. Suarez (center) signs an agreement with local private

schools under the Serbisyong Suarez Scholarship Program for college students in the province led by ABE International Business College headed by Marilou B. Tibur, Alpha Centauri Educational System, Inc, headed by Gisela R. Tolcidas, Calayan Educational Foundation headed by Atty. Ronaldo Antonio V. Calayan, Mount St. Aloysius College Seminary headed by Msgr. Ordelo R. Lontoc, Offsmore-Onshore Institute of Technology Inc. headed by Engineer Roy D. Miles, Philtech Institute of Arts and Technology headed by Engineer Flores C. Valderama, and St. Anne College Lucena Inc. headed by Dr. Jaime M. Buzar. Benjie A. Antioquia

finalist for biz-friendly PCCI plum

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan― Pangasinan is finalist for the Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit Award Province Level 1, a recognition handed out by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Provincial Planning and Development coordinator Benita M. Pizarro presented to Gov. Amado I. Espino, III the special plaque of recognition from the PCCI after the flag-raising ceremony at the Capitol Plaza.

It followed by the presentation of the ISO 9001:2015 certifications to administrative and support services of the provincial government.

The plaque, signed by PCCI president George T. Barcelon and LGU Award chairman Jose S. Alejandro, cited Pangasinan under the leadership of Espino for “exemplifying commendable initiatives towards good governance reforms that promote trade and investments, and significantly contribute to local economic development.”

Dexter A. See

Life

The Skin Renew line repairs and restores skin cells

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

fashion & beauty

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wednesday, octoBeR 25, 2017

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Beyond skin aging ONTRARY to popular belief, collagen doesn’t just address skin aging.

Yes, collagen is important in the battle against skin aging because as we grow older, the body’s ability to manufacture collagen declines. But collagen also gives skin elasticity, hair its strength, and connective tissue the ability to hold everything in place.

Collagen also helps with skin’s moisture level and overall skin health in general.

Collagen by Watsons came to the Philippines two years ago. Before that, it was already a successful line in Watsons China. Watsons has sold 177 million of Collagen

by Watsons products.

According to Jared De Guzman, Watsons Group Category manager, Collagen by Watsons addresses different skin care concerns.

Collagen by Watsons is new generation of skin care that contains critical nutrition for your skin. This concept, originally developed in Korea, has been dermatologically tested and proven to help boost the skin’s natural collagen levels. It is designed with Tri-Collagen Complex, a unique formula of three collagen molecules working together to purify and regenerate skin cells and improve elasticity.

Collagen by Watsons’s Nourishing range improves the skin’s elasticity, keeping it moisturized, firm, and supple.

The Watsons line is so successful that the beauty and wellness retailer has introduced collagen drinks and other new products.

Collagen by Watsons’ tagline is beauty lies in the layers. This means going back to the basic foundation of the skin, which is collagen.

It offers an extensive range for difference skin care needs.

The Nourishing range’s collagen boosting system improves the skin’s elasticity to keep it moisturized, firm, and supple.

White Regeneration is the whitening range made with Penta Lucent system that reduces dark spots and prevents melanin formation. With this range, skin is whiter, fairer, and more translucent.

Reverse the signs of aging with Skin Renew. With its skin-rejuvenating pro-

Collagen by Watsons’s White Regeneration range

gram, this line repairs and restores skin cells to give a firmer and younger looking skin.

The Hydro Balance range has Smart Water Channel that infuses water deep into the skin, keeping it hydrated. It locks in moisture to keep skin feeling fresh, soft, and smooth.

Learn more on how Collagen by Watsons can help you achieve a healthy, beautiful skin. Chat with Call on Collagen chatbot by visiting http://m.me/CallOnCollagen. Get beauty tips and reminders, skin facts and be updated with the latest store offers and promotions.

SM Advantage Card members get 40 percent off on selected Collagen

by Watsons products until Nov. 22.

The SM Advantage Card is available at any Watsons store or at The SM Beauty Section.

Kenneth Cole, for the fourth consecutive season, embraces The Courageous Class—those determined individuals who overcome life’s challenges to become the inspiring role models they were meant to be.

The Courageous Class is an idea borne of Kenneth Cole’s legacy as an aspirational, urban style brand with a fearless voice for social justice that empowers many to “look good, for good.”

The Courageous Class looks for inspiration through getting involved.

They care about their communities and each other, and don’t let where they have come from, or the adversity they have faced, define their potential.

The Courageous Class believes the real models are the role models.

The images were shot in Brooklyn, New York by Matthew Brookes. The campaign features the work of celebrated stylist tracey nicholson, hair

by David von Cannon, and makeup

by Chris Colbeck.

Corinne Foxx

Corinne is an actress, model, entrepreneur, and social activist, dedicated to using her brand and image to uplift and inspire others through philanthropy and devoted advocacy of nonprofit organizations.

Specifically, Corinne works openly and candidly as an ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She fearlessly speaks about her struggle with anxiety, in an effort to destigmatize mental illness and create open conversations about mental healthcare. Corinne’s dedication to philanthropy does not stop with NAMI. She actively advocates for the United Nations foundation, Girl Up!, working closely with its advisory board to create powerful initiatives.

One of Corinne’s influential pledges to uplifting communities has been the establishment of her own online magazine and marketplace, Foxxtales.

The website builds a creative community for like-minded, diversityfocused millennials; while also offering an online marketplace, supporting female-run artisan businesses.

Casil McArthur

Casil is a male model, singer, activist, and artist who is transgender.

Coming from a small town in Colorado, Casil started modeling as a girl at age 10 in Singapore and Los Angeles.

At the age of 16, after visiting all of

The Courageous Class Kenneth Cole Fall 2017 season’s The Courageous Class is composed of Casil McArthur, Nathaniel Dam, Corinne Foxx, and Chloe Norgaard.

the women’s modeling agencies in New York, Casil felt he couldn’t live as a female anymore and made his final decision to transition from female to male, officially changing his name to “Casil McArthur.” Several months later, he was signed to Soul Artist Management and started his career as a male model.

His first photoshoot was for Interview magazine. Shortly after that, he was introduced to esteemed photographer Collier Schorr. In a year, Collier shot Casil for 40 pages, including the cover of RE:edition Magazine, Another Man Magazine, Milk Makeup cosmetics, and a Saint Laurent campaign. Casil then met Steven Meisel, who shot him for Vogue Italia and a 20-page feature story in W magazine. The next landmark job for Casil came in December 2016 when Casil walked his first show as a male in the Coach 75thanniversary fashion show in New York City.

When he is not modeling, Casil enjoys being back home in Estes, Colorado, spending time with friends, and working as a barista in the Stanley Hotel. Today he is setting his sights on his next goals, with his focus on trans rights. He hopes to be a role model for trans teens, especially those transitioning from male to female. To date, he is the only female-to-male trans model of note in the business.

Chloe Norgaard

Chloe is an American/Danish model with international success. She is known for her Redken, Uniqlo, Forever 21, and GAP campaigns, as well as for walking the runways of Rodarte, Philipp Plein, Desigual, and Moschino. Her magazine work includes Vogue Japan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, L’Officiel, Glamour, Nylon, and i-D Magazine. A student at The New School for Art Therapy and Psychology,

she is also an avid traveler who is drawn to colors, which is evident in her ever changing hair color. (She spray-painted her hair blue when she was in the first grade and has now made a career out of her fixation with bleach.)

Chloe has been passionate about wildflowers since she was a child living in Texas. A true lover of nature, she was recently inspired to start the charity Wildflower Boom, which provides food to bees (and butterflies) by “guerilla planting” mini sanctuaries everywhere. Typically, hives don’t thrive in the city due to constant habitat loss. Chloe considers it a natural art project that is aesthetically pleasing and beneficial for the environment.

Nathaniel Dam

Nathaniel is a model and a volunteer for underserved communities. He’s first generation American with parents who migrated to the US from Vietnam. His

Buddhist parents have always instilled the spirit of volunteerism in Nathaniel by taking him to Vietnam to help in a monastery, and here in the US at Deer Park monastery, which stems from a Buddhist group that helps Asian-American kids assimilate into American society yet still preserve their Buddhist way of life.

Nathaniel now encourages others to volunteer and give back, and regularly works for the social volunteer app called Deed. Recently, he’s been working in a soup kitchen in NYC in support of the homeless.

In the Philippines, Kenneth Cole is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Alabang Town Center, B7 Bonifacio High Street, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati, SM Mall of Asia, and TriNoma.

Visit facebook.com/KennethCole.

Philippines or follow @ssilifeph on Instagram for more information.

Life

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wednesday, october 25, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

BOSS for the global man

Boiled wool and bonded leather and cotton provide protection from the elements

Adventures and explorers inspire the latest collection of BOSS Menswear, which is composed of pieces featuring precise cuts, tailored construction, and details.

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Maritime influence is found in pea coats and duffels

ITh a collection designed for the global traveller and focused on the fundamental elements of the brand, the BOSS Menswear presents a man prepared for everything and ready to take on the world.

Adventures and explorers provide the direct inspiration: those who voyage across the world and rely on performance and functionality. This approach, informed by a nautical influence, is combined with key foundations of BOSS Menswear—precise cuts and construction, and a love of detail—to create a collection that’s primed for the modern traveller.

Tailoring sits at the heart of the collection.

Each look is grounded with precision cuts and expert construction: the starting point of BOSS Menswear. Wider silhouettes based on BOSS suiting from the 80’s and 90’s are mixed with slimmer, modern cuts, and long and short designs are mixed together.

The contrast in each look—heavy, dense wool with lightweight nylon, precise suits under practical

parkas—emphasizes an attitude to dressing that’s modern and exemplifies what BOSS does best.

A maritime influence is found in design and detail. Pea coats and duffels are cut from heavyweight cloths and secured with buckled straps and chunky fastenings, while hardware reflects nautical equipment.

Innovative fabrics reinforce this theme, with boiled wool and bonded leather and cotton providing protection from the elements while also creating oversized shapes that feel new. Fisherman-style knitwear is crafted in generously chunky constructions, and zipped closed with functional ring pulls, providing a practical, masculine look.

The story continues with the construction of

the garments. Many pieces have sealed seams for protection, while specialist equipment has been used to sew the heavier fabrics to create truly sturdy outerwear.

Colors are precise and masculine: off-white, burgundy and olive green tones sit against grey and navy shades. The same slant is taken with accessories, where sturdy leather shoes are reinforced with substantial rubber soles, and bags come in practical shapes based on holdalls and sailor’s duffels.

In keeping with BOSS’s considered approach, each piece in this bespoke collection is perfectly fitted to the model that wears it. Every item of outerwear has the model’s name sewn into the collar, reflecting this personalized approach.

In the Philippines, BOSS is located at City of Dreams Manila, Greenbelt 5, Newport Mall, Rustan’s Shangri-la and Shangri-La Plaza East Wing.

Stylish look with McJim classic leather belt WhEThEr at casual gatherings or in business-related events, men must aspire to look stylish and be appropriately dressed as well.

When they choose the right clothes for the occasion—and the accessories to go with these—they shall have taken the first big step towards looking selfassured and confident.

One essential item that can make or break a man’s attire is a belt—and he will never go wrong with a belt from McJim’s collection of authentic leather belts.

For four decades now, McJim, a brand that is known for creating leather goods of high quality, has been offering must-

have accessories not just for work, but also for important social occasions.

McJim Classic’s real leather belts has unique-looking metal buckles and come in neutral colors and designs (basic dark brown, basic modernist black, and reversible minimalist), making it easy for you to match one with any piece in your wardrobe.

The basic dark brown belts mean serious business for people who move around the corporate world. The perfect accessory to match your well-cut slacks or trousers and long-sleeved shirt, McJim’s basic dark brown belt adds class and style to your look whenever you do client calls or attend business meetings.

The basic modernist black, meanwhile, gives you that sleek elegant look when you’re out for lunch or dinner with family and friends, a romantic date with someone, or having fun at birthday bashes and weddings.

Lastly, the reversible minimalist belt is a sleek and modern-looking belt that helps you project a low-key but elegant image, whatever the occasion is.

Your fashion accessories say a lot about who you are, so be sure to choose McJim Classic Leather, the trustworthy brand for men of all ages and recognized for making leather goods of superior quality and classy designs.

Kutis Filipina membership card holders get to enjoy discounts and other perks at the clinic

Membership card launched

A modern gentleman can never go wrong with McJim’s classic real leather belts which come in basic dark brown, basic modernist black, and reversible minimalist.

KuTIS Filipina, a beauty, wellness and skin care clinic located in Marikina City has just renovated the branch on Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue in San roque.

To celebrate its new look, a membership card was launched to loyal customers and beauty enthusiasts.

The membership card is open to men and women. A membe r sh ip fee of P9,800 can be used for one year.

Members get a weekly Kutis Express Face care that includes cleaning and clearing the pores through mechanical e xtraction. They can also avail of microexfoliation of the upper chest, neck, and face every month Also, enjoy KutisKlassic Face Care

that includes cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, and diamond peel.

Once a month, members can use the silkpeel machine and have a 30- minute use of PDT (red, blue, pink light).

Members can also get 20 percent discount on regular services and products on their birthday. They also get to enjoy 5 percent discount on regular services and products all year round.

The membership card is for one person only and is not transferrable.

For more information, call (02) 6460807 or 0917-5038784.

The Kutis membership card is only available at the Mayor Gil Fernando branch, San roque Marikina City.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Laura Lehmann (left) and Winwyn Marquez (right) during their double send-off party.

The two beauty queens are representing the Philippines at Miss World and Miss Reina Hispanoamericana pageants, respectively.

Laura Lehmann, Winwyn Marquez set their sights on global crowns ALL eyes are now on two Miss World Philippines 2017 titlists as they get ready to compete in their respective international competitions scheduled for this coming November.

Miss World Philippines 2017 Laura Lehmann is in China now and will tour the country from Guangzhou. The much-awaited Miss World 2017 coronation night will be held on Nov. 18 at the Sanya City Arena.

With her modeling and TV hosting experience as well as her athletic prowess, Laura feels confident about hurdling the pageant’s various fast track challenges, as well as making a difference with her Beauty With A Purpose advocacy presentation. She is equally excited about her “Cariñosa” Filipiniana dance presentation for the Dances of the World segment.

Laura appeals to her Filipinos to vote for her for the Talent and Multimedia challenges, where online votes play a crucial role in ensuring her victory. Fans may download the Mobstar app, search for her name, and swipe right to vote.

Meanwhile, Winwyn Marquez, the first Asian contestant to join the Miss Reina Hispanoamericana pageant, left on Oct. 19 via New York, then Panama City, en route to Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Aside from visiting the Bolivian capital of La Paz, Winwyn is also scheduled to have guest appearances where she and other Miss World hopefuls will showcase their talent.

The Reina Hispanoamericana 2017 coronation night will be held on Nov. 4 at the Salon Siriono dela Feria Exposición in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Avid pageant watchers are wondering. Will Laura replicate Megan Young’s historic win? Or how will Winwyn fare as she marks the country’s debut participation in the hotly contested Reina Hispanoamericano pageant?

Miss World Philippines National Director Arnold Vegafria believes that Laura and Winwyn both have what it takes to sustain the Filipina’s winning streak on the global pageant scene.

“This is the era of the Filipina beauty, and everyone can see Laura and Winwyn’s winning attitude. They’re both very articulate and outspoken, they’re very mindful of their unique cultural heritage, but more than that, they’re both driven with their own burning passions for their own noble advocacies, which are crucial towards making a better impact among the judges,” Vegafria asserts.

The Miss World Philippines organization has been working with the girls double-time since their coronation last Sept. 3, ensuring that all their logistical requirements (wardrobe, costume, gowns, etc.) and performance levels (talent, Q&A, walk) are up to par with global standards.

Vegafria adds, “It’s been a stressful month of preparations, but it’s all worth it. We’ve been blessed with great mentors and trainers, supportive sponsors, very inspiring and encouraging beauty queen colleagues, but more than that, it’s really the girls’ never-say-die attitude that drives them to always do their best at whatever challenge is given them. I’m confident that they will wave the Filipino flag proudly wherever they go.”

Vegafria also expresses his gratitude to the glam teams who worked their magic on the two queens. Laura’s glam team is headed by renowned designer Mark Bumgarner; make-up artist Albert Kurniawan; hair stylist Paul Nebres, stylist Kat Cruz; designer Bessie Besana for her national costume; and video producer Ronald Rillo.

Winwyn’s glam team is headed by Dubai-based international designer and renowned designer to the Hollywood stars Ezra Santos; also, designers Mak Tumang and Francis Libiran; costume by Edwin Uy; stylist John Paul Dizon, make-up artists Tong Niu and Renz Pangilinan; and video producer PJ Calingo.

Honoring young talents in FILMMAKING

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CCLAIMED director Brillante Mendoza was one of the jurors at the recently concluded CineMaybank Short Film Competition, a flagship event that honored budding filmmakers from the country’s top colleges and universities.

Despite his busy schedule, Mendoza still allotted time to mentor the students who participated in the film event.

From screenplay to post production, the 57-year-old film director made sure that participants were well guided and that they had the proper tools to meet the requirements of the inaugural short film competition. He critiqued them in a positive manner and motivated them to come up with better ideas and viewer-friendly masterpieces.

“Early this year, executives of Maybank approached and asked me for my idea about putting up short film fest. Then I said I wanted to get involved from conceptualization to editing process. I wanted to train the participants especially when I learned that it’s open to young students,” Mendoza told Manila Standard after the awarding ceremony held on

CineMaybank Short Film Competition winner, "Bente," a film directed by Micah Andrea Donesa of San Sebastian College – Recolletos

Maybank President Choong Wai Hong (leftmost) and Brillante Mendoza (rightmost) join the crew of Blind Production, the student film outfit behind the short film "Bente"

Friday at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in BGC in Taguig City.

Reason why the film director was hands-on in training the students was because he wanted the participants to come up with “professional works.”

“Our goal was to inspire budding filmmakers because they somehow reminded me of my experience when I was making my first film. I had no proper tools and the kind of support these students were getting right now. So, we believe we can produce good films through this event. Although they’re still students, we wanted them to come up with professional work that if people saw the films, they wouldn’t think that they’re just student projects. It’s a good thing that Maybank’s vision is aligned with my film foundation’s vision that’s why it’s easy for us to collaborate in this program,” he added.

And surprisingly, Mendoza further said, the films produced were very insightful and seemed to reflect the collective mindset of the young filmmakers. The themes were varied and reflected a close affinity with society’s

GMA Pinoy TV wins three top awards in US marketing tilt GMA Network, the most internationallyawarded broadcast company in the country, joins big names in the global media and entertainment industry after its global arm GMA International (GMAI) brought home three top awards from the 2017 National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Excellence in Multicultural Marketing Awards (EMMA) in New York.

The EMMA honors marketing efforts that are excellently designed for culturally diverse audiences and customers in North America. The prestigious award-giving body held its awarding ceremonies at the Marriot Marquis in New York on Sept. 26.

Winning first place in the television category is the “Becoming Pinoy: Sameera Aguilar” episode. The special short-form content featured a Filipino mother living in Dubai, who made sure to pass on to her half-Pinoy/half-Emirati children Filipino culture and traditions despite being born and raised in a foreign land. “Becoming Pinoy” aired worldwide via GMA Pinoy TV. GMA likewise reigned supreme in the Social Media category, winning first place for the Social Media Take-Over: Alden Richards online event. The Pambansang Bae brought online users from all over the world with him during his Singapore adventure through GMAI’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. Exclusive content and live videos reached almost two million people and yielded more than 300,000 worth of engagements. Alden has amassed a huge and devoted following worldwide as one-half of the phenomenal Filipino love team, “AlDub”.

In the Diversity Awareness category, GMA bagged first place for its “Becoming Pinoy: Reggie Lee” entry, an episode of a series of shortform content on GMA Pinoy TV that profiles Filipinos born and raised in different cultures and those of mixed ancestry.

GMAI’s First Vice President and Head of Operations Joseph Francia expressed pride at securing an EMMA not just for the network but also for the global Filipinos. “We at GMAI are grateful to be among some of the most well-known brands in the global media and entertainment industry to be recognized with EMMAs this year,” said Francia. “Viewing habits are changing and we are challenged every day to reach and engage our various audiences through relevant and resonant messaging on television, social media, and other outlets. These awards validate the efforts of our teams and partners in Manila and other territories where GMA programming is enjoyed. We share these awards with all our faithful subscribers of GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV and GMA News TV International around the world,” he added.

The EMMA is an annual competition organized by NAMIC, the premier organization that educates, advocates and empowers for multiethnic diversity in communications industry worldwide. Since its launch in 2005, GMA Pinoy TV has consistently earned recognition from the award-giving body.

NAMIC Senior Manager Susan Waldman (left), GMA International First Vice President and Head of Operations Joeph Francia (center) and International Consultant Grace Labaguis (right).

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, October 25, 2017

ACROSS 1 Joy Adamson lioness 5 Tender cutlets 9 Marsh stalker 14 Night crawler 15 Arm bone 16 Kiri Te Kanawa, e.g.

17 Is, to Pedro 18 Back muscles 19 Lying facedown 20 Adjust the tires 22 Intellectual 24 Mark 26 Onassis nickname 27 Fix 30 Estimated the value of 35 Quark homes 36 Very dry, as champagne 37 Drone’s home 38 New pet, maybe 39 Prickly evergreens 42 Actress — Thompson 43 Notion 45 Milk, to Yves 46 Sharp spine 48 Tell about 50 Partakes of a sumptuous dinner

51 Not mil.

52 More unusual 54 Apple pastry 58 Watch carefully (hyph.)

62 Not those 63 Beside oneself 65 Monsieur’s pate 66 Gene Autry movie 67 Longish skirt 68 Skip over 69 Wharves 70 Like good cheddar 71 Galileo’s hometown DOWN 1 Water pitcher 2 Leave far behind 3 Tijuana Ms. 4 Dental filling 5 Lacking in refinement 6 Large African antelope 7 Emmet 8 Have durability 9 Dominion 10 Parsley or lemon slice 11 Black bird 12 Flying piscivore 13 Stratum 21 Kind of potato

day-to-day issues.

“It’s a mature viewpoint. It’s obvious that the students were very serious in becoming professional filmmakers in the future,” the director added.

According to Mendoza, he had worked closely with the CineMaybank participating students for almost five months. They had gone through a film workshop with him for two months and another three months for the conceptualization of their films before they went to the final touches during the post-production.

Out of 24 entries from 10 participating schools, four students were honored during the culmination of the event on Oct. 18 for the individual category. The winners were: Micah Andrea Donesa, Outstanding Direction for Bente (San Sebastian College – Recoletos; Al-Jhun Romel Virgo, Outstanding Screenplay for Pasasalamat (Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila); Jamilla Chua, Outstanding production design for Avenida, Napupuno Ka ng Gracia (Far Eastern University); and Andrew Bon Lentejas, Outstanding

23 Swiftness of motion 25 Previous 27 Lightning-quick 28 Chopin piece 29 Vatican figures 31 Exec, slangily 32 Places to store grain 33 Turn inside out 34 Koontz and Martin 36 Spill the beans 40 Relish tray item 41 Guide

44 Prosecutor 47 Auto style 49 Cabbie’s fares 50 Below zero 53 Nest 54 Organ valve 55 Siamese, now 56 Nerve network 57 Dalai — 59 Half, in combos 60 Redding or Skinner 61 — — move on!

64 Band’s booking

Performance for Pugay (Ateneo de Manila University).

For the major awards, three films were honored as Best Short Films: Gunita, an entry from De La Salle College of Saint Benilde was awarded 3rd Short Best Film and won P15,000; Pasasalamat from PUP won 2nd Best Short Film and walked home with P30,000; and Bente, San Sebastian College – Recolletos, was recognized the Best Short Film and won P50,000.

“The winning film is heart-lighted take on children’s values as three boys take an adultlike attitude in coming to terms with the best use for a 20-peso bill they found in the playground. The film also met the criteria the competition was looking for,” Mendoza said.

The CineMaybank Short Film Competition is a flagship event that celebrates the 20th Anniversary of Maybank whose humble beginnings stand as strong pillars of its leadership in Asia today. The competition was created to discover visionary artists in this digital age.

“As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we wanted to give back and honor the best creative works. This film event was borne from our vision of humanizing financial services which hopes to widen the reach on enlightened film audience among our students,” said Choong Wai Hong, president and CEO of Maybank, in his welcome remarks during the CineMaybank’s awards night.

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017

Camarines Sur Julia Gonowon crowned as the first ever Miss Millennial Philippines besting 37 other candidates from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao

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‘MISS MILLENNIAL PHILIPPINES’ J ULIA Gonowon from Camarines Sur bagged the first “Miss Millennial Philippines” crown.

Held recently at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, the 21-year-old fourth year Psychology student bested 37 other candidates from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to win Eat, Bulaga’s anniversary segment.

“I feel so blessed and very honored to win the first title. This win comes as a surprise and it’s definitely a labor of passion and hard work. Also, I wouldn’t be able to win the competition without the love and support of my kababayan.

The crown is really for them,” she said.

For two months, the Miss Millennial entrants spearheaded the tourism

campaign of their respective provinces in a beauty pageant that is first of its kind in local television. They were asked to come up with creative materials to promote the beauty and charm of their provinces.

Gonowon says her journey to the crown was not that easy as she had to juggle her studies, the competition, and being the breadwinner of her family.

She said fulfilling the weekly tasks had become a challenge for her as she’s studying in Manila while often going back and forth to Camarines Sur to work on her materials.

“I went through a lot during the competition. Since July I had to work non-stop on our weekly challenges.

I also had a hard time adjusting to the format as it’s not the typical pageant, which I’m used to. I had to forego the heels and dresses and go back to the basic. But nothing worth having comes easy and it all paid off.”

Gonowon, who has joined numerous local pageants, also said that she owes much of what she and her family have now to contests like “Miss Millennial Philippines”. She was able to support her education and family with her winnings.

“Pageants gave me a better life. I had to stop school because my parents didn’t have the money to support my education. I want to finish my degree so I had to think of ways to support that.

At first I was hesitant to join beauty competitions, as I’m not used to wearing dresses and swimsuits. But I said there’s no harm in trying. I had to take that risk if I want to fulfill my dreams.”

She’s also grateful to Eat, Bulaga! as it gave her and other millennial the opportunity to show the world what the youth can do today.

“I’m thankful to the program because we were given the chance to show that the millennials are not just into social media. We can channel our love for

First Cignal Experience Center now operational THE awesome experience of watching various channels spread over an impressive, state-of-the-art, 86” LED screen equipped with 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound is just one of the reasons to visit the first-ever Cignal Experience Center recently opened on the ground floor of the Cignal HQ, Mandaluyong City.

The roster of notable guests that graced the unveiling of the Center included PLDT Group ChairmanPresident and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan, Mediaquest Holdings Inc. President and CEO Ray C. Espinosa, Cignal TV President and CEO Jane Jimenez-Basas, Voyager Innovations Inc CEO Orlando Vea, and Mandaluyong Councilor Cherry Lyn Pablo Santos representing the city government.

Jimenez-Basas said the Cignal Experience Center aims to reach out to current and new customers and allow them to explore first-hand Cignal’s various channels and content in awesome HD quality. She added the flagship center is in keeping with Cignal’s reputation as an industry innovator.

Jimenez-Basas reiterated, “The Cignal Experience Center, as its name implies, is a way for our subscribers to actually

experience first hand what they have on their plate once they choose Cignal. From improving our content to providing more channels for the gamut of consumer tastes, to enhancing the customer experience even in seemingly mundane tasks such as paying bills or articulating feedback, Cignal is making a push to make this all an awesome experience. And since we’re no.

1 in the market, it is high time that we have our own store!”

Also spotted at the launch were content partners from Fox, Viacom, Turner and members of the Tabi Po cast – Adrian Alandy, Phoebe Walker, Jourdanne Castillo and AJ Muhlach.

PLDT’s Manny Pangilinan

also lauded the dedication and commitment of the Cignal team that has resulted in the company’s amazing growth in its eight years of existence. “I hope that this is just the first of many Cignal stores that you will open all over the country that will showcase the excellent quality of service that Cignal provides”, Pangilinan says.

The Center also aims to raise the level of personalized customer service through faceto-face transactions. The Center’s modern and crisp interiors plus the solicitous attention of Cignal agents guarantee the ease and comfort of doing business. Existing subscribers can settle their accounts in a breeze through Cignal agents or via the automated bills payment machine in the area. New customers can apply for Postpaid subscriptions and learn more about Cignal’s latest promos and offers right in a relaxed and attentive atmosphere.

More than a one-stop shop, the Cignal Experience Center brings customer service for Pay TV subscribers to another level of awesome.

The Cignal Experience Center is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the Ground Floor, Launchpad, Sheridan corner Reliance streets, Mandaluyong City.

technology in so many good things. It’s also a good feeling that we were able to extend a helping hand in promoting our respective provinces.”

Asked what’s next for her, Gonowon said she’s keen to finish her studies and eventually compete in national beauty pageants. She said her ultimate dream is to win a local contest and eventually represent the country in the international competition.

Gonowon is also open to joining show business as she’s fond of hosting and acting. The young beauty said she wants to inspire more millennials to do good for their community.

“I want to prove in my own way that the youth of today is not just tech savvy, but we also have dreams and aspirations.

We can use social media to inspire more millennials like me.”

Aside from the crown, Gonowon also won a condominium unit from Bria Homes, a Mitsubishi Montero Sport and

P500, 000.

She said part of her winnings will go to charity and that she will visit a remote baranggay in Camarines Sur to share her blessings.

Following Gonowon’s win are Miss La Union Carina Carino (first runner-up), Miss Aklan Eleonara Velentina Laorenza (second runner-up), and Miss Malabon Shiara Joy Dizon (third runner-up).

Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte beauty Dianne Irish Joy Lacayanga was hailed Miss Bayanihan Queen as she received the highest text and online votes. She won P100,000 and a million for her province.

“Thank you is not enough for all the support I received from the Ilocanos.

It’s such an honor for me to represent my hometown and to share the beauty of Ilocos. I hope through the segment we were able to inspire the youth of today to act more and be an agent of change in the community,” Lacayanga ended.

MiguelTanfelix AND Ivan Dorschner

INSPIRE YOUTH

TO CELEBRATE Miguel Tanfelix’s birthday this year, GMA Artist Center in cooperation with his fans’ club prepared a thanksgiving party where all his fans wore black while Miguel wore white jacket with matching pants.

The party was an expression of love from the fans and their unconditional support for Miguel’s showbiz career, which is now on its 12th year. For fans, having a chance to get together with their idol can be such a fulfilment.

Miguel thought that it was just a simple celebration, but it overwhelmed him as the party was given to him

by Artist Center had 150 fans in attendance. He was surprised to see his fans from different provinces and as far as Batangas who travelled just to be with him. Most of them gave their birthday messages for Miguel who spiritedly listened and spent time for picture taking with

Kapuso actor Ivan Dorschner celebrates with Boy Scout of the Philippines

all of them.

“Kapag birthday mo, masayang kasama ang mga mahal mo sa buhay. So para sa’kin, hindi yun family at friends lang. Gusto ko pati ang aking mga fans ay makasama ko rin para masabi ko kung gaano ako nagpapasalamat sa kanila,” Miguel says.

His celebration became more exciting when Bianca Umali arrived to give him a special message, “I’ll always be here for you, you know that. You and I are partners, and I am more than happy to be the Bianca Umali of Miguel Tanfelix. “ Meanwhile, Ivan Dorschner shared fun and knowledge with the young members of the Boy Scout

of the Philippines (BSP) to celebrate his birthday. Ivan is an Eagle Scout, the peak of Scouting advancement.

Ivan was able to inspire the BSP members with his knowledge on being a Boy Scout and pointed out that the Scouts’ brotherhood is the most important value they should uphold. The young members then showed him their “Ivan Clap,” and spent lunch together over a boodle fight.

The Kapuso star explained why this was the celebration he planned, “Being a Boy Scout is already a part of me and I want to share my knowledge to the younger generation.

It’s a responsibility that I’m proud of, and I wish to inspire them.”