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UN experts insist on probe of slays By John Paolo Bencito THREE United Nations human rights experts on Thursday renewed their call for the Duterte administration to carry out “prompt, impartial investigations” into the high number of killings associated with its bloody drug war that had seen thousands killed since the President took ofﬁce last year. Agnes Callamard, Special Rap-

porteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; Michel Forst, Special Next page

VOL. XXXI • NO. 280 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

Joma warns of revolt if Rody goes after left By John Paolo Bencito

TAKE AIM. President Rodrigo Duterte test-fires a sniper rifle donated by the Chinese government while the troops conduct a sniping capability demonstration during his visit at Fort Magsaysay

in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija on Wednesday. Three months ago, during his visit to war-ravaged Marawi City, Duterte also fired a sniper rifle at positions held by Islamic State-linked gunmen to show solidarity with government troops who have been fighting the terrorists. Malacañang Photo

COMMUNIST Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison on Thursday warned that more people would take up arms against the government if President Rodrigo Duterte makes good his threat to go after organizations that he claims are “legal fronts” for the revolutionary movement. “He wants everyone to revolt,” Sison said in Filipino, in an interview with TV5. “Gusto niyang mag-rebolusyon lahat ng tao [He wants everyone to revolt],” Sison, whose seeking exile in Utretch, told TV5. Next page

‘2 justices go against CJ’ Impeachment complaint bolstered

Faeldon defiant, won’t ask Senate to free him FORMER Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon will not request the Senate to release him from its custody even after the Department of Justice had cleared him of wrongdoing in connection with the P6.4-billion “shabu” shipment from China, his lawyer said Thursday. Jose Dino said Faeldon felt vindicated by the DoJ ruling but would not

ask the Senate for his release to send a message to the public that “nobody has to be investigated in aid of persecution and of one senator, in aid of obsession.” “We have not asked the Senate, speciﬁcally the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, nor will we ever request it to release captain Faeldon despite the vindication that we received based on

news reports that the DoJ has absolved us from any liabilities,” Dino said in a phone interview. Senator Panﬁlo Lacson on Thursday said many of those who participated and witnessed the congressional hearings on the P6.4-billion shabu smuggling case were shocked and angered by the dismissal of the charges against Next page

Transport usec quits amid train glitches as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3 system continued to be crippled by technical glitches. TRANSPORTATION UnChavez submitted his irrevodersecretary for Rails Cesar cable resignation to President Chavez resigned Thursday Rodrigo Duterte, saying he

By Darwin G. Amojelar and Macon R. Araneta

was leaving his post because of “recent events involving [the] MRT-3 system and [a] simple sense of delicadeza.” Chavez said his resignation would pave the way for Next page

Palace fears drug menace worsening By John Paolo Bencito, Rio N. Araja and Bill Casas

By Rey E. Requejo and Maricel V. Cruz

wo magistrates of the Supreme Court will testify against Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, boosting the impeachment complaint against her in the House of Representatives.

Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro is set to testify against Sereno before the House committee on justice, while Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza has attested to one of the impeachment charges involving his earlier appointment to the Court.

De Castro has accepted the invitation of the House panel for her to attend the hearing next week, said lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, the complainant in the impeachment case. “She conﬁrmed her attendance,” Gadon said. A Court insider who

spoke on condition of anonymity also confirmed De Castro would testify against Sereno. “Justice De Castro will appear before the House justice committee on issues under the culpable violation of the Constitution ground against the chief justice,” the source said. De Castro was invited by the House for the internal memorandum filed in the Supreme Court last July questioning several of Sereno’s administrative orders, including the appointment of a Philippine Judicial Academy official and the provision for travel allowances Next page

THE drug situation may worsen if the conduct of the bloody anti-drug operations will not be returned to the Philippine National Police, Malacañang said Thursday. “What he [President Rodrigo Duterte] said was, ‘to Next page

ON THE TRAIN. Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque braves lining up in two of Metro Manila’s busiest mass transport systems Thursday, saying at the end of his trip his experience is ‘not that bad’—compared to the thousands of commuters who use the mass transport system daily. He arrived a little past 9 a.m. where he queued up for more than 10 minutes—when the morning rush-hour crowds have reached the sidewalks of Edsa. John Paolo Bencito

Ease curbs on foreign investment, Neda told TO RAISE the Philippines’ level of competitiveness, President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the National Economic and Development

Authority to take “immediIn his Memorandum Orate steps” to lift or ease re- der No. 16 issued Nov. 21 strictions on foreign invest- but only released Thursday, ments in at least eight prior- Duterte ordered concerned ity areas. Next page

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MRT firm offers to fix messy line MRT Corp. , the owners of the MRT-3 System, said that they can rehire Sumitomo and ﬁx the MRT-3 System without stopping operations if the Transportation Department would allow them. MRTC conﬁrmed that Sumitomo Corp. is willing to return as the maintenance Next page

manilastandard.net

ENHANCING COMPLAINT. Two magistrates of the Supreme Court—Teresita Leonardo-de Castro (left) and Francis Jardeleza (right) will testify against Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, boosting the impeachment complaint against her in the House of Representatives. The former has accepted the invitation of the House panel while the latter has attested to one of the charges. MS File Photo

M’sapano massacre: Ball now in defense court AMPATUAN, Maguindanao―The Families of the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre have renewed their call for justice―even as a private prosecutor said her panel had presented its case, and

that it was now the defense’s turn to present its evidence and counter-testimonies. Lawyer Nena Santos said of the 189 accused, 115 had already been indicted and charged and that others had

either died or turned state witnesses. She made her statement even as Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Joel Egco on Next page

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News

Singapore beats growth forecast as trade improves S

INGAPORE’S economy beat expectations to grow at its fastest pace in nearly four years during the third quarter, data showed Thursday, boosted by a surge in global demand that has buoyed Asia in the face of brewing protectionist fears.

conditions, the Singapore economy performed better in the third quarter,” the ministry said in a statement. It said growth outlook for major export markets such as the United States, eurozone, China and Southeast Asia had improved along with a stronger recovery in global electronics demand. The latest data “adds Singapore to the list of Asian countries that have recently reported better economic growth numbers”, United Overseas Bank (UOB) said in a commentary. “And the reason (is) very much similar: that the ‘bounceup’ in global trade since the second half of 2016 had spilled

over positively, and particularly, to export-oriented Asian economies,” UOB said. “The best performing sector remains the manufacturing sector, and within it, semiconductor production -- a sight that is not unfamiliar when comparing with other semiconductor-producing economies such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and even Malaysia.” Song Seng Wun, a regional economist with CIMB Private Banking said demand is coming from within Asia and outside the region including from the United States and Europe. He told AFP protectionist rhetoric, led by US President Donald Trump, has not affected trade with Asia so far. AFP

the undersecretary enjoyed his full trust and confidence. “We have been doing plans and strategies together, up and until yesterday. Even by text as I was in sickbay. That is why I am surprised by the very sudden turn of events,” Tugade said. On Nov. 6, the Transportation Department terminated the three-year maintenance contract of Busan Universal Railway Inc. (BURI) due to poor performance. Since then, the government has taken over the operation and maintenance of the MRT-3. In a statement Thursday, the department said it was in highlevel discussions with potential maintenance providers, including the previous contractor, Sumitomo Corp., and its technical

partner, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. “Finding an interim maintenance service provider for MRT-3 in the medium-term, and an operations and maintenance concessionaire in the long-term, are some of the measures that the DOTr is taking to restore MRT-3’s operational reliability for its 500,000 daily riders,” the department said. MRT -3, which runs along Edsa from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City, serves over 500,000 passengers a day, beyond its rated capacity of 350,000. The line has a fleet of 73 Czechmade air-conditioned rail cars. With Rey E. Requejo, Maricel V. Cruz and John Paolo Bencito

involving the killings of men, women and children,” the three Special Rapporteurs said in a joint statement. “Many of the killings appear to be perpetrated by law enforcement officials and by unknown assailants. This seems to indicate a climate of official, institutional impunity, which can only encourage further killings and other excessive use of lethal force by law enforcement personnel or those acting on their behalf or with their acquiescence.” But Malacañang on Thursday

slammed Callamard saying she should not come to the Philippines “when uninvited.” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque made the statement in response to questions about Callamard and President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent statement that he would slap the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings if she would probe the administration’s war on drugs. “I reiterate the position that the President should be taken seriously but not literally,” Roque said.

promoting peace and solidarity among Mindanao’s Christians, Muslims and Lumads of natives. The Mindanao Week of Peace starts on Nov. 29 and ends on Dec. 6 with this year’s theme “Owning Mindanao’s History for Peace and Development.” Santos said the prosecution was hopeful of securing a conviction on the accused that include some members of the Ampatuan family held during eight years of trial before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221. Meanwhile, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu said the provincial government’s peace efforts were focused on conflict management and the settlement of the conflict involving instances of family feud, strengthening educa-

tion and scholarship programs, anti-illegal drugs abuse,and rehabilitation. Mangudadatu, who lost his wife Genalyn and a sister in the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao Massacre, said such were parts of the efforts to avoid a repeat of the incident, Cases of “rido” or family feud had to be promptly settled, Mangudadatu said, adding that eight cases of rido had to be resolved before he attended the gathering of the victims in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman here Tuesday. “The case has been terminated as far as the prosecution is concerned; it’s now the turn of the defense to present evidence and counter-testimonies,” Santos said. Nash B. Maulana, with PNA

agencies to take immediate steps in lifting or easing existing restrictions on foreign participation in: private recruitment for local and overseas employments; practice of particular professions, where allowing foreign participation will redound to the public benefit; contracts for the construction and repair of locally-funded public works; teaching at higher education levels; retail trade enterprises;

and domestic market enterprises. The order also covers public services, except activities and systems recognized as public utilities such as transmission and distribution of electricity, water, pipeline distribution system, and sewerage pipeline system. It also calls for the easing of government restriction on culture, production, milling, processing, and trading except retailing of rice and corn and acquiring by barter, purchase or otherwise, rice, corn, and other by-products. This move aims to amend the

Tenth Regular Foreign Investment Negative List under Executive Order No. 184 issued in 2015, in accordance with the objectives of the order. Members of the Neda board were also directed to immediately advise the President regarding restrictions on foreign participation, which may already be lifted or eased without the need of legislation and support legislative efforts that may be necessary to eliminate the said restrictions, including a pending legislation seeking to clarify the definition of public utilities. John Paolo Bencito

MRTC if we hire them,” Engr. Frederick Parayno, President of MRT Corp. said in an interview. In fact, Sumitomo has thoroughly discussed an action plan for rehabilitation of the MRT with MRT Corp., which the MRT owners submitted in several letters to Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade as early as February 2017 as well as to President Duterte. MRTC has likewise invited the DoTr to join

them in their discussions with Sumitomo. The rehabilitation plan of MRT Corp. will include a full inspection of the MRT to be completed within 30 days by 100 engineers, the purchase of 50 Million USD worth of spare parts, replacement of broken rails, the complete overhaul of all 73 units or cars of the MRT. Parayno confirmed that the rehabilitation can be completed by

Sumitomo, all while the trains continue to be operational, in as soon as 26 months from the beginning of the rehabilitation program. MRTC has likewise expressed its willingness to advance the 150 Million USD for the rehabilitation of the trains, to recover later only through fares, even without increasing MRT fares beyond the rates of air-conditioned buses. Rio N. Araja

The forecast-beating performance for the island-state follows similarly strong readings from the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan, all of which have benefited from a pick-up in world trade. The trade ministry said the economy expanded 5.2 percent on-year in July-September, accelerating from 2.9 percent in the previous three months and the fastest rate since the fourth quarter of 2013.

It also beat the 5.0 predicted in a Bloomberg News survey. The improvement came as the key manufacturing sector, a key pillar of the trade-dependent economy, expanded 18.4 percent, from 8.4 percent growth in the preceding quarter. The government raised its full-year growth forecast for this year to 3.0-3.5 percent from the previous projection of 2.0-3.0 percent. “In line with stronger demand

Abella wears new hat as DFA usec

Transport...

FORMER presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella is joining the Foreign Affairs Department as its new Undersecretary for Strategic Communications, the Palace announced Thursday. Abella was appointed on October 27, but his papers only came out Thursday. Prior to serving as presidential spokesperson, Abella was a businessman, writer, and former evangelist. President Rodrigo Duterte had been tightlipped about his decision to replace Abella with law professor Harry Roque as his mouthpiece, only saying it was a “personal decision.” John Paolo Bencito

Joma... From A1

“Go ahead, let him kill, jail, and kidnap those in the legal democratic force, let us see what happens,” Sison said. He also scored Duterte for labeling the communist terrorists, saying that government forces have killed more civilians. In a separate television interview, National Democratic Front of the Philippines chief peace negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said they remain hopeful that Duterte’s move to abandon peace talks was just a means of “expressing his anger” over a communist attack in which an infant was killed. “We are hopeful that all these rants of the President in the last few days are just that—that he is expressing his anger and would return to trying to talk with us to achieve basic social and economic reforms in the country,” Agcaoili told ANC. “There is a clamor by the people for a just peace in the struggle for social and national liberation of the Filipino people so if the President would like to abandon that and stop engaging in peace negotiations, that’s his responsibility, his own lookout,” he added. The government, he said, should not backtrack on the promises and agreements they made, including Duterte’s vow to release all political prisoners. In the Palace, presidential spokesman Harry Roque sought to justify the President’s order to arrest all persons showing sympathy to the communist rebels, saying there was a legal basis for such actions. With F. Pearl A. Gajunera, Macon RamosAraneta and Bill Casas

MRT... From A1

provider of the MRT if hired by MRTC. Sumitomo is the maintenance contractor that designed, built and maintained the MRT-3 system for 12 years without major glitches. “Sumitomo has confirmed its willingness to return as the maintenance contractor of the

From A1

the appointment of a person better qualified to perform the duties and responsibilities of his position. “I hope the problems plaguing the MRT-3 system [will[ be resolved properly and with dispatch,” he said. Just this month, a coach decoupled from a train and a woman who got dizzy while waiting for a train fell from the platform of MRT-3 Ayala Station onto the tracks and lost her arm. Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said “contrary to the insinuation of others,” he did not ask Chavez to resign, saying

UN... From A1

Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; and Diego García-Sayán, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, said the Duterte administration must bring the perpetrators to justice and thoroughly review its current policy in this regard with a view to stopping further attacks taking place. “A great number of new cases have been reported to us

M’sapano... From A1

Thursday vowed to resolve the Maguindanao Massacre within President Rodrigo Duterte’s term. “Well within four years or well within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte based on the assumption that the defense will present an equal number of witnesses as the prosecution,” Egco told reporters in Malacañang. In Cotabato City, peace advocates in Mindanao are not losing hope that genuine peace is attainable on the island and in the whole country. A Roman Catholic bishop will lead this year’s celebration of Mindanao Week of Peace that features various activities

Ease... From A1

Herrera laid to rest on Nov. 26 at Heritage MANILA Standard senior reporter Christine Herrera, who passed away Nov. 19 at age 49, will be laid to rest Sunday, Nov. 26, at Heritage Park Fort Bonifacio, immediately after a 9 a.m. Mass at the park’s Chapel 1 Left Wing. Daily masses will be held for Herrera at the chapel at 6 p.m. The necrological service will be held Saturday night, Nov. 25, at 9 p.m. Herrera, a feisty reporter who covered Congress for the Standard, died on Sunday morning of cardiac arrest while on vacation in Bangkok, Thailand. Fondly called “Mamu” by her friends in the media, Christine is survived by her husband Lito Herrera, daughters Nikki and Abby, son-in-law JB, and grandson Malcolm Mason. Born on January 2, 1968 in Romblon, Christine joined the Standard during the stewardship of then editor-in-chief Jullie Yap-Daza, after her stint in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Christine graduated college from the University of the Philippines, where she was a student activist with the League of Filipino Students before embarking on her journalistic career.

‘2 justices... From A1

for the chief justice’s staff. De Castro had assailed the appointment of Brenda Jay Mendoza as Philja chief of office for the Philippine Mediation Center, which she said violated their Administrative Order No. 332008 that required the appointment for the post to be approved by the Court en banc. She also questioned Sereno’s grant of foreign travel allowance to members of her staff without the required approval from the full court. She said Sereno’s staff were being given travel allowances, even when they were not on official time. Lastly, De Castro has questioned the “long delay” in the appointment in vacant key positions in the Court pending before Sereno’s office, “which is prejudicial to the best interest of service.” The issues raised in De Castro’s memorandum were among the grounds for impeachment cited by Gadon is his complaint. De Castro denied providing information to Manila Times reporter Jomar Canlas on Sereno’s alleged falsification of several Court documents, including a temporary restraining order on party-list proclamations--as claimed by Gadon during the hearing on Wednesday. “I have never released to Jomar Canlas any information, report, or document regarding

Palace... From A1

prevent the problem from worsening’ … the drug problem,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters. “I think we need to accept what the President has said. He does not want the problem to worsen and that is why… The thing is, he used ‘may.’ Effectively, effectively, he has manifested already a decision to return it to the PNP.” Roque made his statement even as an official said the Philippine National Police was prepared to return to conduct Duterte’s war on drugs. “We will follow the directive of the President, Chief Executive, and Commander-in-Chief,” PNP spokesman Dionardo Carlos said in a text message.

Faeldon... From A1

Customs personnel, including Faeldon. Senator Richard Gordon, head of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, which conducted the Senate investigation of the shabu shipment facilitated through Customs, said he partly disagreed with the findings of the Department of Justice. “There is yet no final evidence to establish that Customs personnel are not in any way liable for the importation of drugs and on its entry into the green lane. Further investigation must be made to determine their liability,” he said. Malacañang on Thursday said the reappointment of two Customs officials accused of accepting bribes likely meant they were innocent of the allegations against them.

the work of the Court,” she said in a brief statement. Gadon stood firm on his claim, however. “What is being denied is that she gave to Jomar Canlas documents and information. It was not denied that the memorandum exists. In fact, the House already has a certified copy of the said memorandum,” the lawyer said. Gadon said the House panel is also set to invite Jardeleza in relation to the impeachment charge that Sereno manipulated the Judicial and Bar Council in attempting to block his appointment to the Supreme Court. The lawyer cited Jardeleza’s speech in the commencement exercises of UP College of Law in 2015 where he slammed Sereno. Sereno had objected to Jardeleza’s nomination because of his move then as solicitor general to order the deletion of key parts of the Philippine memorandum or memorial that was to be submitted to a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal in the Hague, particularly the portion on the Itu Aba. Taiwan-controlled Itu Aba is the largest island in the contested Spratly Islands. In his speech, Jardeleza said even if he wanted to, he could not defend himself over Sereno and Carpio’s accusations as he was bound by the client-lawyer confidentiality and could not discuss in public aspects of the territorial dispute.

“We are ready,” he said in another text message. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday said it welcomed the decision Duterte’s decision to bring the Philippine National Police back to again conduct the war on drugs. “It has been the desire of PDEA that the PNP will return in the fight against illegal drugs,” director general Aaron Aquino said. “PDEA has repeatedly admitted that it is undermanned, underbudgetted and underequipped, hence the need for other law enforcement agencies, particularly the PNP.” But Duterte’s order to return the anti-drugs war operations to the police is a sign of a “murderous drug war”, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. With PNA The other day, Malacañang released the appointment papers of Ariel Nepomuceno and Teddy Raval as customs deputy commissioners. Both are included in Lacson’s list of Customs executives who supposedly took bribes. Faeldon was detained in the Senate after he was cited for contempt by the Blue Ribbon Committee for refusing to answer questions from Lacson and Sentor Antonio Trillanes IV during a public hearing. Faeldon has filed an ethics complaint against the two senators for allegedly harassing him and abusing their authority as lawmakers. Dino said their camp believed Faeldon was just being subjected to “lies and vilification” and that his continuous Senate detention was but a “small price to pay” to stress his message. Macon Ramos-Araneta

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Panel OKs Natl Press Freedom Day bill By Maricel V. Cruz

PANEL in the House of Representatives has passed a measure declaring Aug. 30 of every year as “Marcelo H. Del Pilar National Press Freedom Day.” The House committee on public information, chaired by Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy of Bagong Henerasyon partylist, approved House Bill 3702 authored by Rep. Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado of Bulacan. In passing the bill, HerreraDy said Congress recognized the vital role of the press in nation building and aims to raise public awareness about press freedom. Meanwhile, an undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government is suing a Rappler reporter over a series of reports about DILG officials and employees asking President Rodrigo Duterte to sack him. DILG Undersecretary John Castriciones filed a libel complaint with the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against Rappler’s Rambo Talabong over the following reports: DILG officials, employees urge Duterte to fire three undersecretaries; three DILG undersecretaries ‘floating’ since April; DILG asks Malacañang

to decide fate of three ‘floating’ execs soon. Castriciones was among three undersecretaries whom DILG officials and employees asked Duterte to fire. They sent a letter to the President, signed by “Concerned employees” of the DILG. The Sy-Alvarado bill seeks to encourage members of the press to report matters of public interest regardless of the entities or persons that may be offended in the process. The holiday also honors Marcelo H. del Pilar, recognizing him as the father of Philippine journalism. Del Pilar was a key figure during the struggle against Spanish occupation, and one of the leaders of the Philippine Propaganda Movement. He became the editorin-chief of La Solidaridad, the newspaper of Filipino propagandists who pushed for the Philippines to become a province of Spain and afford the citizens the same rights with those in the mainland.

Massive search expands for US sailors after crash EIGHT warships joined a US aircraft carrier and scores of helicopters and planes Thursday to search for three American sailors who went missing after their plane crashed in the Philippine Sea. The families of the missing sailors were notiﬁed after a C-2A “Greyhound” aircraft with 11 people on board went down Wednesday afternoon around 930 kilometers (500 nautical miles) southeast of Okinawa, the US Navy said in a statement. Eight sailors were rescued shortly after the accident and taken for medical evaluation to USS Reagan, an aircraft carrier that was in the Philippine Sea for an exercise with Japanese forces. “All are in good condition at this time,” the statement added. The plane was on a routine transport ﬂight, carrying passengers and cargo from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan to the USS Ronald Reagan. The Reagan is leading the joint

effort by the US and Japanese navies to ﬁnd the missing sailors. “Searching through the night, several ships and aircraft covered more than 320 nautical miles [600 kilometers] as of this morning,” the US Navy said in a statement on Thursday. The American destroyers USS Stethem, USS Chafee and USS Mustin have been combing the area, along with maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters. They were joined by the Japanese “helicopter carriers” JS Kaga and JS Ise, as well as the Japanese destroyers JS Teruzuki, JS Samidare and JS Shimakaze. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump tweeted: “The @ USNavy is conducting search and rescue following aircraft crash. We are monitoring the situation. Prayers for all involved.” The C-2A is a re-supply workhorse for US aircraft carriers, routinely ferrying cargo, mail and people onto and off the globally deployed vessels. AFP

Let evidence ‘speak for itself’ —Marcos camp to Robredo THE camp of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has told Vice President Leni Robredo to let the evidence reveal the truth in the electoral protest he ﬁled against her. Marcos’ lawyer and spokesperson Vic Rodriguez hit Robredo’s camp for accusing them of “misleading” the Supreme Court by including “unregistered” voters in their list of proposed witnesses from Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao. The names were required by the SC, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, so they could testify for Marcos’ claim saying votes should be nulliﬁed in the three Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao provinces because of electoral fraud. On Thursday, Rodriguez slammed Robredo’s lawyer Romulo Macalintal for calling them “liars” over the proposed witnesses. “Attorney Romy Macalintal is

at it again. This time, he’s calling us liars. According to Macalintal, we lied because the names on our witness list were not registered voters. If truth be told, the names on our witness list were the members of the Board of Election Inspectors who were actually on duty on election day,” said Rodriguez. He echoed a similar statement earlier given to Rappler by George Garcia, another lawyer of Marcos. Rodriguez said the BEIs “were named as witnesses—and not as registered voters” in the list they gave to the PET. “Since the BEI members were physically present when the alleged ‘voting’ took place, they would be able to testify on whether the contested ballots had been pre-shaded or if an honestto-goodness ‘election’ actually took place in Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao,” said Rodriguez.

Opinion

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Mounting MRT woes

HE GLITCHES have been happening more often and it seems the operation of the Metro Railway Transit 3 (MRT 3) system that runs along Edsa is about to get worse. Less than a month after the government took over the operation of MRT 3 from a foreign contractor, the rail system has become a runaway train and a more unpredictable and unsafe transportation mode in the metropolis.

Adelle Chua, Editor

Transportation Undersecretary for Rails Cesar Chavez finally made an honorable move when he tendered his irrevocable resignation Thursday to President Rodrigo Duterte amid the mounting problems of MRT 3. Chavez had no choice—he had to

take the blame for messing up the MRT 3 operation. Chavez quit because of the “recent events involving MRT 3 system and (for the) simple sense of delicadeza.” He conceded that his resignation would provide opportunity for the appointment of person better qualified to perform the duties and responsibilities of the agency. His resignation came after a coach decoupled from a train and

an accident involving a passenger who lost her arm when she fell from the platform of the Ayala station. Chavez is believed to have widely caused the termination of the three-year contract of Busan Universals Rail Inc., the maintenance provider of MRT 3, early this month due to alleged poor performance. The government since then took over the operations and maintenance of the Edsa rail system.

The termination of the contract left the rail operation with no skilled personnel to man MRT 3. The government in the first place should have not allowed the situation because of the safety risks faced by commuters. The Department of Transportation, meanwhile, cited that highlevel discussions were ongoing with potential qualified and experienced partners who could provide the main-

tenance requirements of MRT-3, including Sumitomo Corp. and technical partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The government should have first tapped a qualified team that would have taken over Busan’s job before terminating the contract. The DOTr, instead, removed the skilled operator of MRT 3 and assumed the rein. The government also consequently exposed over 500,000 daily train passengers to danger.

Uber’s big problem is a culture of dishonesty By Leonid Bershidsky

End of the line LOWDOWN

JOJO A. ROBLES CESAR Chavez resigned, he said, because someone has to take responsibility for the daily woes of the 500,000 people who take the breakdown-prone MRT 3. I fail to see why people would want to read more into his resignation than what he himself said in his letter to President Rodrigo Duterte. I’ve known Chavez, a former broadcaster, for many years. He’s always been transparent and ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done, especially after he decided that he wanted to learn how to run the country’s trains as deputy

administrator of the Light Rail Transit Authority during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. In the Duterte administration, Chavez was probably the most experienced and qualified of all the officials of DoTr, as far as railway operations are concerned. If the government wants someone to take Chavez’ place who is as knowledgeable and as competent as he is, it will have to get someone who is not currently serving in the department. Chavez said “delicadeza” or a sense of propriety forced him to resign as undersecretary “in light of recent events involving the MRT 3 System.” He probably meant the frequent and increasingly regular breakdowns of the Edsa commuter train, culminating in the

embarrassing decoupling Duterte, who made fixing of a train set in Makati last Metro Manila’s horrendous week. traffic a campaign promise, Chavez did everything must know that bringing he humanly could to get the back the glory days of the distressed line to reach the MRT 3 is a very important level of reliability that it had part of solving the mess. during Arroyo’s term. But I The abrogation of the think Chavez decided that maintenance contract the plunderawarded ous neglect by the that the train Aquino adline suffered Chavez did all m i n i s t r a during the tion to the he could, which presidency of Korean-led Noynoy Aqui- is all that can be consorno was just too expected from tium Buri crippling, and any government was just the pressure one of the of making it ofﬁcial. things that whole again needed to in the shortest be done time possible immedisimply got to him. ately. The filing of plunder The problems that plague charges against the former the MRT 3, almost every- officials who gave Buri the one agrees, simply cannot contract that practically debe solved overnight. And stroyed the most important

commuter train line in the country was another. But Chavez felt that he had already reached the end of the line, as far as fixing the MRT 3 was concerned. He had done all he could, which is all that can be expected from any government official. There is no need to besmirch Chavez’ reputation or to impute base motives on Duterte and his transportation officials for Chavez’ decision. As for me, I can only wish my friend Cesar good luck and thank him for his service. *** The proof of political sustainability is, of course, in longevity. In the wild and wooly world of Philippine politics, this means that the current party in power must be able to survive and

thrive, whoever is in power. I remember the time when the currently dominant Partido Demokratiko Pilipino was so small that one noted politician said all its members would comfortably fit inside a Volkswagen Beetle. And look at PDP now, swelling its membership ranks like nobody’s business. Only last weekend, the party of President Rodrigo Duterte took in 50,000 new members in Cebu province. An estimated 40,000 people filled the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City, where House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez administered the oath of the new members, who vowed to support Duterte’s reform agenda, especially the war on drugs and corruption. The party declared that

Turn to A5

UBER’S voluntary disclosure of a year-old hack that exposed the personal data of 57-million drivers and customers could be taken as a sign that under new Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi, the company is changing its ways. But no, Uber’s biggest problem is still its culture of dishonesty— something the leadership change hasn’t fundamentally altered. The October 2016 cyberattack was not the only one Uber tried to cover up under CEO Travis Kalanick. Last year, the company was fined for failing to disclose a 2014 hack. In the more recent case, the company merely paid hackers $100,000—ostensibly for not using the stolen data, but really for their silence. There are numerous examples of a deceitful culture at Uber, from the use of the Greyball software, which made it difficult for law enforcement officials to book rides, to the surreptitious tracking of iPhones in violation of Apple’s terms of service. More examples keep coming out. On Monday, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission fined Uber $8.9 million for not running proper background checks and letting dozens of people with felony convictions and driver’s license issues ferry passengers around. The background check issue is chronic: It’s at the heart of the London transportation authority’s decision to lift Uber’s license. Uber has pretended to go along with requirements but often neglected to do it in practice. All this, Khosrowshahi would have us believe, is now a thing of the past. “While I can’t erase the past, I can commit on behalf of every Uber employee that we will learn from our mistakes,” he wrote in a press statement after the hack disclosure. But how much has really changed? Turn to A5

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Opinion From A4

won’t admit that Uber is a transportation company rather than a tech “platform”—the key issue in a European Court of Justice case brought by a Spanish taxi lobbying group that didn’t take kindly to Uber’s attempts at regulatory arbitrage. But Khosrowshahi’s biggest business move so far—the plan to buy 24,000 self-driving Volvos, more than $1 billion’s worth—shows the company’s insistence that it’s an app-based marketplace is no more than a ruse. If it owns the cars and the technology needed to operate them, it’s very clearly in the transportation business. And, in some parts of the world, Uber has already bought cars. In Singapore, this practice, combined with the company’s trademark contempt for safety rules, led to an Uber-owned car’s catching fire with a driver inside. But, instead of admitting the obvious, Khosrowshahi is content to keep defending the “platform” claim. Uber, already under Khosrowshahi, fought to the bitter end in a London arbitration case, in which two drivers insisted they were really employees, not independent contractors picking up orders on a “platform.” That ended in defeat—but Khosrowshahi didn’t come out with any plan to provide more protections for drivers in the U.K. or elsewhere. Instead, Uber announced the Volvo deal, showing the company would rather replace the drivers -- whom it still calls “partners” in promotional material—with robots. Essentially, doing “what works” was Kalanick’s approach, too. Continuity is usually good for business, but not in Uber’s case. Complete honesty and openness— about the business model, the relationship with “partners,” the origins and functions of technology used, the old (and possibly new) coverups—would be costly but transformative and also potentially life-saving. As it is, Uber continues to run the risk of ending up like Enron, a company brought low by the same kind of dishonesty that still runs in Uber’s veins.

End... From A4

it had a distinct ideology, constitution and political platform, and that new members must undergo a basic membership seminar in order to understand what PDP stands for, instead of joining merely for political convenience or expediency. PDP’s exponential growth in areas outside of its home base in Mindanao is no surprise, of course. Politicians in this country routinely gravitate to the party in power, for the simple reason that belonging the right party is usually rewarded by the incumbent administration by way of infrastructure projects and all sorts of other goodies dispensed by the political leaders du jour. In the same manner, politicians who remain in parties that are no longer in power become pariahs who would probably bolt to the groups identified with the new incumbents, if they only could. Just look at the once-monolithic Liberal Party of Noynoy Aquino, which is now populated

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Not a House of Cads

Uber’s... The hack admission was the result of an investigation by a law firm hired by Uber’s board, which is trying to minimize the company’s legal problems. It wasn’t an internal investigation. Uber couldn’t have swept its results under the rug. Khosrowshahi has published a new, vegetarian set of the company’s cultural norms (“We are customer obsessed ... we celebrate differences ... we do the right thing ... we value ideas over hierarchy”)—but in his preface to the publication, he mentioned the limits of his overhaul: “Rather than ditching everything, I’m focused on preserving what works while quickly changing what doesn’t.” “What works” appears to include fighting prolonged legal battles in which Uber is clearly in the wrong, on principle if not necessarily in the legal sense. Instead of complying with the requirements of London regulator Transport For London, Uber is still pursuing an appeal against its license ruling in the courts. The process, according to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, could take “years,” allowing Uber to keep operating without a license—not the kind of responsible behavior that’s covered by the new cultural norm that says Uber seeks to “harness the power and scale of our global operations to deeply connect with the cities, communities, drivers and riders that we serve, every day.” It was clearly wrong for Uber to hire engineer Anthony Levandowski from Google affiliate Waymo and pay $680 million for his just-created self-driving truck startup: Both decisions only made sense if Levandowski could bring over his Waymo work. Uber actually fired the engineer in May, and he’s refused to testify, citing his Fifth Amendment rights. But Uber is still fighting Waymo in court rather than admit that it had tried to cheat in order to jump ahead technologically. It won’t even settle the case and “do the right thing”; instead, it’s clearly doing “what works.” In another sign that the company hasn’t changed much, Khosrowshahi, like Kalanick before him,

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

only by politicians who are just too unacceptably Yellow to be taken in as members of some other party. PDP promises to avoid the same fate that has befallen every political group that has been formed since the restoration of democracy in 1986 and has successfully won power by the victory of its presidential candidate. But unless Duterte’s PDP becomes an honest-to-goodness grassroots democracy movement and not just a temporary repository of politicians seeking membership and largesse in the dominant political group, it will suffer the same ignominious end as every other oncepowerful party that went before it. That is the challenge for Alvarez, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and the rest of the party’s leadership: to make sure that PDP not only survives but continues to be robust and relevant even after Duterte’s presidency. Or else it’s back to that old Volkswagen Beetle.

BACK CHANNEL ALEJANDRO DEL ROSARIO THE television series “House of Cards” which starred Oscarwinning actor Kevin Spacey had many local viewers. But after allegations of sexual misconduct, Spacey was replaced by the producers in the lead role of a fictional US president who used guile and double dealing. Like the fictional President Frank Underwood’s White House of cards collapsed, so did Spacey’s acting career. But the lower chamber probing Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno of impeachable offenses is proving it is not a House of Cads. The House justice committee ruled that Sereno’s lawyers cannot speak for her because they are not the accused who skipped the hearing. But after dismissing Sereno’s four-man legal team, members of the justice panel themselves turned out to be the ones who subjected lawyer complainant Lorenzo Gadon to intense cross examination often impugning the integrity of his allegations against the chief magistrate. The justice committee hearing was in effect a dress re-

hearsal for the trial in the Senate where congressmen appointed will serve as prosecutors. The hard questions were asked of Gadon, presumably to prepare him for the cross examination of senators sympathetic to Sereno. As it is there are at least six senators—Risa Hontiveros, Antonio Trillanes, Bam Aquino, Grace Poe, Kiko Pangilinan and Franklin Drilon whose vote might go in favor of acquitting Sereno. With 19 senators, six of them opposition members, it would take at least 16 votes to convict Sereno The battle then is how to win at least three senators to the majority to convict. Who among the six Liberal Party senators will be the turncoat? It took 20 senators out of the 23 to convict the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona with Senator Bongbong Marcos, the late Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Joker Arroyo dissenting to acquit. This was my impression of the proceedings covered live on television by ANC. The word cad is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as men who behave boorish against women. The impeachment case against the chief magistrate of course has nothing to with gentlemanly behavior. It is a legal political process and a numbers game of which the administration’s su-

permajority has plenty of. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez should just follow the lead of former Speaker Manny Villar who after the opening prayer, banged the gavel signaling the House session open. He then immediately said the impeachment case against former President Joseph Estrada is hereby forwarded to the Senate. Sereno skipped the House hearing last Wednesday after Speaker Pantaleon said the legal counsels cannot speak for her as they are not the accused. The House explained it is giving Sereno the opportunity to cross examine her accuser, lawyer Larry Gadon. But who is Gadon? Nobody has heard of him until he lodged the impeachment complaint against the chief magistrate. In Wednesday’s lengthy House justice committee hearing, it was chief complainant Gadon who was on the dock defending his allegations against Sereno that she committed impeachable offenses including betrayal of public, not declaring her true Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, and abuse of authority. In one instance, a committee member asked why it was them and not Gadon who were being made to substantiate the charges against Sereno.

For example, the panel sought answers from Gadon if he had personal knowledge of his allegation Sereno manipulated the outcome of the Judicial Bar Council in excluding SC nominee Francis Jardeleza, the former solicitor general.who later managed to become SC associate justice. Gadon replied that his information was culled mostly from newspaper reports and sources inside the Supreme Court. This infuriated members of the justice panel that Gadon’s allegation was weak on this count. Justice committee chairman Reynaldo Umali who was the congressional member of the JBC was aghast by Gadon’s allegations that Sereno was able to manipulate all seven members of the JBC collegial panel into voting against Jardeleza. Gadon also appeared to be ambivalent on the dates and amount in his allegations Sereno submitted a false SALN and did not include her income when she was a University of the Philippines professor. In Wednesday’s House justice committee hearing of the impeachment case against the Chief Justice, it was accuser Gadon who was taken to task by committee members who felt they were being used to substantiate Gadon’s case against

Mine mine mine

FORMATION GARY OLIVAR IF YOU’RE a regular MRT 3 passenger, you must be familiar with the sinking feeling in the stomach that train passengers are getting more and more often these days, after the latest stories about trains decoupling, passengers having to walk on the rails, the woman who fell and lost her arm, the “black box” that went missing, and more than half the cars now out of commission. All these horror stories can be traced back to the misbegotten decision by the PNoy administration to replace Japan’s venerable Sumitomo as maintenance contractor, with a misbegotten Korean-Philippine joint venture named BURI. These are the guys who would buy essential train parts from local chopchop stores and then bill government for them at original European supplier prices. Well, the long arm of Duterte justice has finally caught up with all those jokers under PNot. They’re now facing the next best thing to “tokhang”— being charged with plunder for

awarding the P3.8-billion maintenance contract to BURI when they were still members of the government procurement policy board, thereby turning this and other similar contracts into a “bottomless cash cow.” The defendants are led by then-DoTC Secretary Mar Roxas and include his successor Joseph Abaya and seven other former Cabinet members, most of whom were also members of the Liberal Party (then headed by Abaya as party president). These gentlemen share in the culpability for the mess at MRT 3. I know, I know; these guys will plead that they were just doing their duty. But they should have said the same thing on behalf of GMA— especially those among them who used to work for her: Roxas, Abad, and Purisima—when Mrs Arroyo was jailed for nearly six years for likewise just doing her duty by affixing her marginal notation “OK” on a PCSO board resolution that she was otherwise not involved with at all, neither during the board deliberations nor in the subsequent execution of the resolution. Do I see the noose tightening around the bald head of a certain Asperger’s-challenged

former president? The palms of my hand are already turning red from rubbing together in glee.

*** The noose should also be tightened around the private individuals who collaborated in these government shenanigans—like one Marlo de la Cruz in the MRT 3 case, who’s been described as a top LP political operator. Another one of Mar Roxas’ operators who may deserve a long vacation in the hoosegow is a certain Francis Eric Gutierrez, owner of SR Metals Inc (SRMI), a nickel mining company in Agusan del Norte. A top campaign financier of Roxas during the last elections, Gutierrez was cited by no less than President Duterte himself, right after he took office last year, for abusing SRMI’s mining tax exemptions, not only to evade paying taxes, but also to despoil the environment through abusive mining practices. Now it appears that Gutierrez and his business partner, Caloocan City Rep Edgar Erice, another LP stalwart, may also have committed forgery and swindled a hapless small miner, on their

way to earning billions of pesos from over-mining. The small miner, one Rodney Basiana, has complained to the Surigao City prosecutor that Gutierrez and Erice falsified public documents in order to assert their ownership over an 81-hectare mining property in Tubay, Agusan del Norte, which Basiana says is actually covered by his mining claim. Basiana says he properly filed his mining application over the Tubay property in July 1997. Many years later, in October 2005, he assigned his mining application to SRMI, the Gutierrez-Erice company, as consideration for the promise of receiving 5 percent of future mining revenues from Tubay. SRMI went on to strip the property and earn oodles and oodles of money. Testifying before the Senate in 2012, Gutierrez admitted that his company grossed some P2.8 billion from nickel sales to China But he also had to admit that his company “overmined” by 1.8 million tons, since small miners are limited to extracting only 50,000 tons a year. Now, did Basiana get his 5 percent from all this moolah? Not a cent, he says. And the reason he says he was left out

Sereno. He was hard put in explaining his claim that Sereno manipulated the Judicial Bar Council to exclude from the short list then SC justice nominee Francis Jardeleza. Gadon was asked how he came to the conclusion that Sereno was able to manipulate the seven-man JBC. As it turned out, Sereno merely invoked the JBC rule of unanimity in approving a nominee to the Supreme Court. Congressmen Romeo Acop, Gwendolyn Garcia put Gadon to task for not being able to substantiate his complaint that Sereno was “ capricious and whimsical” in excluding Jardeleza from the short list of nominees for an associate justice position. Gadon was asked if it is his conclusion that the rest of JBC members allowed themselves to be manipulated by Sereno as head of the JBC, a collegial body which included a member of Congress. Umali, then a JBC member, felt offended that in effect, as alleged by Gadon, the seven other JBC members allowed themselves to be “manipulated.” Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop cited a JBC rule that a member can invoke the clause of unanimity in determining the fitness of a nominee to the high court.

in the cold is because Gutierrez and Erice claimed that it was really SRMI that filed the mining application in July 1997—even if the company was registered with the SEC only in May 2005! So what does that make the mining claim documents that Gutierrez has been waving around? According to Basiana, nothing but forgeries. *** Was the payment of 5 percent of revenues to Basiana really that onerous to Gutierrez ? If it was, I’m sure people would love to hear why. Mine mine mine, indeed. Was the over-mining of 1.8 million tons really necessary in order to satisfy Gutierrez’ profit expectations? That would be a great story to hear, too. And why was Congressman Erice, a highly visible stalwart of the ruling party at the time, getting himself involved in a shady deal like this? Didn’t he fear the ire of his incorruptible party chief President PNoy? Or was all that anti-corruption talk just for show? Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@yahoo.com.

BizNewsAsia’s book on tycoons and taipans VIRTUAL REALITY TONY LOPEZ BIZNEWSASIA marks today its 16th year of leadership as the Philippines’ largest and most influential weekly business and news magazine. Tonight’s anniversary event starts at 6:30 at the Garden Ballroom of Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. Those who have confirmed their attendance include two former presidents, half a dozen cabinet members of the Duterte administration, and many of the leading lights of Philippine business, the economy, and governance. I founded BizNewsAsia in 2001 to fill a void for a local weekly business and news magazine. The magazine readily took off, garnering a pass-on circulation, with its BizNewsAsia Power 100 issue, selling 35,000 copies, equivalent to a pass-on circulation of 350,000 readers, at ten readers per copy. To mark BizNewsAsia’s 16th year, we honor 50 of the Philippines’ best and brightest tycoons, taipans, entrepreneurs, and CEOs. BizNewsAsia launches today a first in the country, a book on “The Philippines’ Best: Tycoons, Taipans, Entrepreneurs”. It is available on a private limited edition sale. Goggle biznewsasia.net for details. I doubt that you can find a book with such sprawling cover-

age of the country’s tycoons. I have met, interviewed and interacted with Top 50 tycoons in the book. This experience lends authority, immediacy, urgency and an air of humanity to the profiles. I also ranked the tycoons and taipans in terms of wealth. BizNewsAsia easily outsells local magazines and foreign brands because of its broad and deep coverage of business, politics and global issues, and outstanding profiles of personalities in business and governance. BizNewsAsia is perhaps unique because it is one of the few publications that have not been harmed by the shift of readers and advertisers to the Internet and thus had to suffer diminishing readership and influence. BizNewsAsia never lost readership nor lost money. This year alone, The Entrepreneur Magazine and Forbes Philippines had to stop their print version. The BizNewsAsia blockbuster, “The Philippines’ Best: Tycoons, Taipans, Entrepreneurs” chronicles the track record of the outstanding movers and shakers of business and the economy, as well as individuals who have helped improve the life of the Filipino thru the passion in and quality of their governance. The Who Is Who profiles are drawn from my 47 years of experience of as a business writer and analyst. Among those profiled in the book: Amable Aguiluz V, An-

drew Tan, The Ayalas, Bansan Choa, Benjamin Diokno, Carlos Chan, Carlos Dominguez, Cesar E.A. Virata, Danding Cojuangco, Dennis Uy, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Edgar Sia II, Edmund Gaisano, Elizabeth Lee, Enrique Razon Jr., Erramon Aboitiz, Felino Palafox, Felipe Gozon, Fidel Ramos, George SK Ty, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Helen Yuchengco Dee, Henry Lim, Isidro Consunji, Jaime Bautista, JJ Atencio, Joey Salceda, John Gokongwei, Jr., Jose Leviste, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Josephine Gotianun Yap, Lilia de Lima, Lucio Tan, Manuel Lazaro, Manuel Pangilinan, Manuel Villar, Jr., Nedy Tantoco, Nestor Tan, Oscar Lopez and Federico Lopez, Ramon Ang, Raul Concepcion, Roberto Ongpin, Rod Valencia, Socorro Ramos, Tessie Sy, Tony Tan Caktiong, and Washington SyCip. Thirty emerging or young entrepreneurs are also profiled. Among them: Natividad Cheng, Jose R. Soberano, Lester Yu, Rissa Mananquil Trillo, Antonio S. Tan, Charles Streegan, Cristino Panlilio, Francis Ganzon, Lester Mark Yee, Levy Espiritu, Estela Nievera, Maynard Ngu, Octavia Hizon, Peter Laurel, Ricardo Lagdameo, Melesa Chua, Robert John Blancaflor, Rommel Juan, Samuel Po, Nix Nolledo, Judith Versoza, Philip Tan, Jose Mari del Rosario, Antonio Escalante, Julieta Austria, Martine Cajucom, Roland Delantar, Benjamin Lao, and Wilson Tieng.

The 16th anniversary event is sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Megaworld, DoubleDragon Properties, and Meralco. As in past years, BizNewsAsia will honor outstanding men and women in business, entrepreneurship, and governance. They will be cited for Management Excellence, Business Strategy and Visioning, Entrepreneurship Excellence, Financial Management Excellence, Customer Management Excellence, Construction Management Excellence, and Social Entrepreneurship Excellence. San Miguel Corp. vice chairman and president Ramon S. Ang is the sole awardee for Business Strategy and Visioning Excellence. Honored for Management Excellence are: Teresita T. Sy, chairman, BDO Unibank, Inc.; Helen Yuchengco Dee, chairman, RCBC; Isidro A. Consunji, chairman and president, DMCI Holdings, Inc.; Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, chairman and CEO, GMA Network Inc.; Dennis A. Uy, president and CEO, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc.; Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Dept. of Budget; Jaime J. Bautista, president and COO, Philippine Airlines; and Januario Jesus Gregorio III Atencio, president and CEO (until-end 2017), 8990 Holdings, Inc.. Cited for Entrepreneurship Excellence are: Edgar “Injap” Sia II, chairman and CEO, DoubleDragon Properties Corp.; Zenaida “Nedy” Tantoco, chairman and CEO, SSI Group, Inc.; Andrew L.

Tan, chairman and CEO, Alliance Global Group, Inc.; and Amable “King” Aguiluz V, founder and chairman, AMA Group, Asia’s largest school system. Cited for Financial Management Excellence are: Felipe S. Yalong, EVP and CFO, GMA Network, Inc.; Ferdinand K. Constantino, EVP and CFO, San Miguel Corp.; June Cheryl A. Cabal-Revilla, SVP and Controller, PLDT Inc., and CFO Smart. In a special class is Eduardo M. Cojuangco, Jr., chairman and CEO, San Miguel Corp.. BizNewsAsia considers him the Philippines’ most successful industrialist. He made San Miguel the largest and best. He parlayed a P1.6 billion of loans from coco levy money into a P120-billion fund to be used for the development of the Philippine coconut industry. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, 2nd District, Albay is honored for Strategy and Management Excellence. Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III, for Business and Economic Management Excellence, Bayani Fernando, founder and CEO, BF Corp. for Construction Management Excellence; Elizabeth H. Lee, founder and CEO, EMotors, Inc. for Social Entrepreneurship Excellence. Al Panlilio, head of Customer Service of Meralco, will be awarded for Customer Management Excellence. biznewsasia@gmail.com

News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF Graft raps filed vs firm execs THE Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday ordered the filing of 13 counts of graft rap against Proceso Maligalig and Agustiniana Avelino, board of directors of the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering Corp. Inc. In a resolution, the Ombudsman said “withdrawing huge amounts from the coffers of Baseco sans proof that these amounts were properly disbursed or utilized constitutes bad faith. Certainly, these repeated withdrawals of Baseco funds resulted in quantifiable, pecuniary losses to the corporation, thus, constituting undue injury within the context of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019.” Maligalig and Avelino made 13 cash withdrawals from October 2008 to December 2010 in the amount of P102,070,993.33 without stating any public purpose or justification nor were they supported by documentation. “Both respondents stressed that the funds were justifiably used but no single piece of evidence was presented to corroborate their statement. Rio N. Araja

Govt operatives arrest terrorist By Francisco Tuyay

SUSPECTED key operative of the Islamic State-inspired AnsarKhalifa Philippines terror group has been arrested in a police and military raid in Sarangani province Wednesday. Chief Insp. Aldrin Gonzales, information officer of Police Regional-12, identified the suspected IS terrorist as Akbar Maguid Buyoc, alias Abu Saipen, a member of AKP who was nabbed at his residence

in Sitio Dampilan, Brgy Lumatil, Maasim town at 3:15 a.m. Buyoc has an outstanding arrest order issued by the Department of National Defense and signed by Secretary

Delfin Lorenzana in relation to the martial law in Mindanao for violation of Article 134 (Rebellion) of the Revised Penal Code. The raiding team recovered from Buyoc’s possession one fragmentation grenade. The suspect is reportedly a nephew of slain AFP founder and chieftain, Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, alias Tokboy. Tokboy was neutralized by anti-terror operatives at a beach resort in Brgy. Kitagas, Kiamba in Sarangani early January

this year. Sr. Supt Joseph Semillano, provincial director of Sarangani Police Provincial Office said that after the death of Tokboy, they have conducted intelligence monitoring for the possible regrouping of the remnants of the AKP. They said police operatives in region-12 is also enhancing its operations against terrorist elements, for possible terror attack in the region. The AKP was tagged as the architect of a foiled bombing

attempt near the United States Embassy in Manila in December last year. An intelligence source said that the Ansar Khalifah Philippines is the organizational precursor of ISIS with dozens of foreign nationals believed to have link to ISIS under the Jemaah Islamiya banner who slipped into the country unnoticed. Aside from the AKP, other known terrorist groups operating in Mindanao include the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Ma’rakat

Teens ‘take over’ the Senate for a day By Macon R. Araneta make the world a better

DAR acts on land conversion cases ACTING Agrarian Reform Secretary Rosalinda Bistoyong on Thursday urged provincial agrarian reform coordinating committees to be vigilant and report cases of illegal land conversions. “Report illegal land conversions in your areas,” she told committee heads during a three-day 2017 national assessment n Cebu City. Bistoyong, the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council Executive Committee chairman, said the illegal conversion of agri-lands to commercial and others use has limited the production of food for the country. “Because of massive illegal conversion, we are now having problems on food security. Agricultural lands are decreasing so fewer lands are farmed for food production and livestockraising,” she said. Rio N. Araja

‘PH kids suffer from abuse’ MANILA—About a third of Filipino children continue to experience poverty and are deprived of fundamental rights including proper nutrition and protection from abuses, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Thursday. “Three in every 10 Filipinos are stunted or are short for their age due to severe malnutrition, and eight out of 10 children have experienced physical, emotional, and sexual violence including sexual exploitation,” Unicef said in a statement released on World Children's Day. The group said 31.4 percent of Filipino children nationwide are affected by poverty, while incidence of child poverty in Mindanao is higher at 48.2 percent. “Services for adolescents’ physical, mental, and reproductive health are extremely limited while access to basic social services are critically scarce for children living in poverty,” Unicef said.

Al Ansar, Ansar Khilafa and the Abu Sayyaf Group who pledged support to ISIS. It was the BIFF, a known local terrorist group in Mindanao, who first pledged support to ISIS in August 2014. followed by the ASG and other newlyformed rebel factions. The PNP in region-12 are taking strict measures, such as target hardening and working cohesively to address any nefarious activities that may happen within their area.

NEVER FORGOTTEN. National Press Club president Paul Gutierrez, along with other officials and members light candles on the wall remembrance of the victims to commemorate the 8th year Anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre at the NPC Compound in Intramuros, Manila. Norman Cruz

DPWH to build typhoon and quake-proof center in W. Visayas By Vito Barcelo THE Department of Public Works and Highways will construct a P34-million earthquake and typhoon-proof evacuation center in Western Visayas, one of the most exposed province in the country from strong and powerful typhoons. Public Works Region 6 director Wenceslao Leaño Jr. said the the evacuation center will be built in the highland barangay of Milibili in Roxas City, Capiz and is slated to be completed next year to cater the public when the need arises. “We are constructing the

evacuation center on a stable foundation that even strong winds and rain cannot easily destroy the building. It is also being built on a slope which makes it flood-proof,” Leaño said. The Region 6 evacuation center will have a 2-storey accommodation building complete with a prayer room, communication area, and a storage room convertible to a play area. The project also includes separate male and female toilets and bathroom, generator room, pump room, laundry and drying area, as well as a materials recovery facility.

In addition, the center will have infirmary building that will serve as hospital for the sick or injured evacuees, with pharmacy and an office for Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council and Office of the Civil Defense. Director Leaño added that the area will have standard ramps, persons with disability comfort rooms and wheelchair access ways for PWD evacuees. Meanwhile, a newly widened bridge along Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road in Barangay Jugaban, Carigara, Leyte has been opened by the DPWH. Public works Secretary

Mark Villar said the P4.6-million Jugaban Bridge widening and strengthening project has been completed as scheduled by the DPWH Leyte Second District Engineering Office. “The project which widened the bridge from two lanes to four lanes now facilitate smoother and more convenient travel to locals and visitors of the province,” he said. “Jugaban Bridge is one vital bridge along Palo-CarigaraOrmoc Road which is among the busiest highways connecting two key cities in Leyte -Tacloban and Ormoc,” the DPWH official said.

FOR a couple of hours Thursday morning, 27 children ages 12 to 17 went to the Senate, stood in the halls of grayer, older men and women to share their hopes and fears, hoping that their older counterparts listen and act on their proposals. In their discussions, the children, who took on the role of the 24 senators, sergeant-at-arms, and other Senate officers, said teenage pregnancy, corporal punishment, sexual abuse, and the discrimination of indigenous people are the four main problems confronting Filipino children. Partido Liberal president Senator Francis Pangilinan welcomed the children to the Senate, noting that the future of the country needs their leaders’ time and attention, to give them importance and priority. “Children need to have their rights protected and upheld because they are vulnerable and impressionable. Children need to be guided on what is right and wrong so that they become productive citizens,” he said. Pangilinan said the legislative exercise should help shape the children’s role in society later, as future leaders. The senator, a champion of children’s rights, said the country’s leaders should help ensure that all Filipino children are able to realize their dreams and full potential. He said everyone has the duty to

Bldg attendants to be hired as regular employees at Naia By Joel E. Zurbano

NP JUMPS TO PDP. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez welcomes Romblon Rep. Emmanuel Madrona to the fold as the newest member of the PDP as part of ongoing efforts to consolidate the party and mobilize grassroots support from various areas throughout the country for the Duterte administration's agenda for genuine change. Madrona jumped from the Nacionalista Party to PDP Laban out of his conviction that the President's party is in the best position to spark reforms aimed at reducing poverty and sustaining economic growth and social development. Joining Madrona in shifting loyalty to PDP were Romblon Vice Governor Otik Riano, and a number of Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, mayors and vice mayors in the province.

MORE than 1,050 building attendants under the job-order work arrangement at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be hired as regular employees in a three-year contract effective next month. Manila International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal said his agency and private companies at the airport agreed to hire the said workers for three years in line with the thrust of the present administration to stop the end of contract policy, especially in government agencies. Monreal said the 1,057 airport buildings

attendants working at four terminals of the airport will also enjoy 13th month pay, health benefits and Social Security Service contribution effective on Dec. 1. These workers are presently covered by Job Order Personnel without the security of tenure. Monreal said under the new policy, all building attendants must be given what is due to them and must be employed continuously for three years and renewable every three years unless removed for a serious violation or habitual absenteeism. He added the new contract has no age limit. Naia Terminal 1 has

356 building attendants, while Terminal 2 has at least 270 while Terminal 3 got 372. Terminal 4, being the smallest facility, on the other hand, hired 57. Most of these attendants are in janitorial services for more than 10 years while some of them already spent 15 years cleaning the toilets of the Naia. “This is a good opportunity for us. Atleast we are assured of employment for three years and renewable until the company exist, the 13th month pay, medical benefits and SSS,” said Alma Nival, one of the attendants who welcomed the development.

TRAIN’s ‘earmarking’ provisions will help poorest Filipinos—Bam SENATOR Bam Aquino has opposed moves to remove the earmarking provision of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, which is aimed to help the country’s poor cope with the expected increase in prices of goods and services brought about by the government’s proposed tax measure. He pointed out that this tax measure will hit the poorest of our countrymen the hardest.

“It’s necessary on our part to have the earmarking and an effective cash transfer program para sa ating mahihirap na kababayan during the period of amendments for TRAIN,” Aquino said. He said earmarking allots parts of revenues generated from the tax measure to several priority programs, including financial assistance to the country’s poor through an un-

conditional cash transfer program to help them cope with the expected price increase once the measure is enacted into law. Based on computation, he said the country’s poor will be given a P300 monthly financial assistance for a certain period of time to help cover the increase in prices of basic goods due to additional tax on sugar beverages and petroleum.

He said it should be guaranteed that the poor families can get monthly help from the government to balance the increase in prices. “If we will do that, Aquino warned, we will be passing a measure which will hit our poorest countrymen the worst.” He said the Department of Finance itself presented the cash transfer program as the best solution to help the country’s poor cope with the increase

in prices. During the period of amendments, Aquino committed to present proposals on how to ensure that the welfare of the country’s poor will be protected under this tax reform program. “We have to think of the welfare of our poor countrymen who will be hit by the increase in the prices of commodies,” he said. Macon Ramos-Araneta

place for children. This Senate event replicates a similar exercise in New York. On World’s Children Day last Monday, Nov. 20, children from all over the world had a similar exercise and “took over” the United Nations General Assembly. There, they raised the issues that most concern and affect them. Pangilinan, together with Senators Bam Aquino, Franklin Drilon, and Risa Hontiveros, seeks to declare Nov. 20 as World Children’s Day. In sponsoring Resolution 549, the lawmakers want the entire Senate to express its full support of the declaration to focus on children’s rights and welfare, protection and development. The senators said the Senate should “promote and support active participation of children and youth worldwide especially those most vulnerable, under-represented, and marginalized.” Nov. 20 commemorates the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, as well as the Convention of the Rights of the Child in 1989. “This exercise reminds us here at the Senate of the need to bring focus on children, as well as our promise and commitment when the Philippines signed Convention of the Rights of the Child 50 years ago, and then ratified it 20 years after,” Pangilinan said.

Missing fishermen in Pacific found safe THE crew of a Japanese trawler found capsized in remote Pacific waters have been located safe and well in the Philippines, the US Coast Guard said Thursday. The abandoned Gyotoku Maru No.1 was found drifting 350 kilometres (220 miles) southwest of Palau on Monday after it sent an SOS message. With no word on the fate of the seven-man crew— five Indonesians and two Japanese—a major international search effort was launched. The coast guard said it turned out the trawler had collided with another fishing vessel, which then rescued the stricken sailors and took them to the Philippines. “We’re incredibly relieved these men are safe and back on dry land,” search coordinator Lieutenant Commander Josh Empen said. Empen thanked those involved in the search, which included vessels from Japan and Palau, as well as US ships and planes based in Guam.

Sports Rivera, Otico roll into net quarters IN-FORM Bryan Otico knocked off another rival in straight-set fashion while Shaira Rivera sustained her form and stunned No. 4 Wing Ka Lin of Hong Kong as they moved into the quarterfinal round of the Phinma-PSC Juniors Tennis Championships Week 2 at the Manila Polo Club in Forbes Park yesterday. The top-seeded Otico, winner of the PCA Open last week who eased out Japanese Nowa Matsubayashi, 6-3, 6-2, last Tuesday, clobbered Malaysian Danial Ahmad Farid, 6-2, 6-1, to roll into the quarters against the winner in the Jericho Grollman of the US-Odeda Arazza of Indonesia duel. Arthur Pantino, runnerup in Week I of the Group 4 ITF (International Tennis Federation) 18-and-under event sponsored by the Philippine Investment Management Consultants (Phinma) and Technifiber, also gained a berth in the Last 8 with a 6-4, 6-2 decision over Hong Kong’s Marvin Lee. He will next face the victory in the Ryota Ishii of Japan-Shamirul Adam Das of Malaysia clash being played at presstime. Also advancing to the quarters is Taiyo Yamanaka of Japan, who subdued Darrshan Suresh of Malaysia, 6-1, 6-3, in the upper half of the 32-player draw of the event sanctioned by the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta). Rivera, on the other hand, upended Wing, 6-1, 6-2, as she crashed into Last 8 in the girls’ side that includes No. 2 Punnin Kovapitukted, Lisa Mays of Australia, Chinese Jingyi Li, Elizabeth Stevens of the US and Week I champion American Nicole Hammond.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

‘ONE fighters aspire to be heroes’ By Reuel Vidal

INGAPORE—ONE Championship is more than just a promotion that showcases competition between Mixed Martial Arts fighters said its chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong to Manila Standard yesterday. “ONE Championship is a celebration of Asia’s greatest cultural treasure which is martial arts. It promotes deep-rooted Asian values of integrity, honor, courage, humility, respect and discipline,” said Chatri as he promoted ONE: Immortal

Pursuit where ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren defends his title against Japan’s legendary grappler Shinya Aoki at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, November 24. ONE Championship is different from its western

counterparts whose entire marketing platforms are focused on glorifying the violence inside the cage, the antagonism and belligerent behavior of its fighters. “Our fighters aspire to be heroes. They are good human beings and role models who conduct themselves properly at all times and who represent Martial Arts well. We celebrate values that all humanity can embrace,” said Chatri. ONE Championship is now Asia’s biggest sports media property because Asia is fertile ground for Martial Arts competition as a spectator sport. Martial Arts is

Chatri Sityodtong

deeply rooted in Asian Culture. Asian countries have their own native Martial Arts. Kali in the Philippines. Silat in Indonesia. Muay Thai inThailand. Tae-

kwondo in Korea. Judo and Karate in Japan. “Six years ago I had a simple thesis. Every region in the world had a billion dollar sports media property. Europe had the English Premiere League and other soccer leagues. America had the National Basketball Association and the National Football League. Asia had none. That’s why I started ONE Championship,” said Chatri. He said ONE’s ultimate goal is to have 52 events in a year or one fight a week spread across the biggest Asian cities like Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and other locales.

“More than just the fights ONE Championship celebrates Asian heroes. ONE Championship fighters are mostly from Asia. We promote the things that unite the continent. We honor values that bind us together as Asians,” said Chatri. In the undercard of ONE: Immortal Pursuit Team Lakay fighter Gina Iniong battles top contender Mei Yamaguchi in a three-round atomweight encounter. Iniong returns to the cage two weeks after her victory over Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol as replacement to injured ONE champion Angela Lee.

Tanduay volleyfest Sunday

VOLLEY CHAMPS. Members of the De La Salle Zobel midgets volleyball team, led by Most Valuable Player Gabrielle Webb (front, third from left) and coach Jeremiah Monreal (standing, third from left), celebrate their second straight championship after sweeping St. Scholastica’s College in the 48th Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association.

National duckpin keg tourney slated GIFT certificates worth P350,000 and trophies will be at stake in the 42nd National Open duckpin bowling championships slated tomorrow (Saturday) until Dec. 3 at the 6th floor of the The Marketplace Bowling Center along Kalentong St. in Mandaluyong City. According to PHIDBC (Philippine Duckpin Bowl-

ing Council) president Inez G. Magbual, competition will be conducted in team and single events for men and ladies. “The tournament is open to all duckpin bowlers nationwide,” said Magbual. Gift checks and trophies for the team competition are: P35,000 for first, P30,000 for second and P15,000 for third in the men’s division and P30,000

for first, P20,000 for second and P15,000 for third in the ladies’ division. Trophies and gift checks in the men’s and ladies’ singles competition are P12,000 for first, P9,000 for second and P7,000 for third. Acting PHIDBC secretary general Engr. Thors Labay says competition in team and singles will start at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

CANTADA Sports, in coordination with the Philippine Volleyball Federation, is holding the 1st Tanduay Athletics Luzon Secondary (Under 18) Invitational Beach Volleyball Championships at the sand courts of the Cantada Sports Center on Sunday in Taguig City. Boys and girls under 18 years old are competing in their respective divisions. Teams from Baguio City, Zambales, Marinduque, Cavite, Pangasinan and Isabela have confirmed their participation. Far Eastern University, National University, Rizal Technological University, University of Makati, Xavier School, Olivarez College, Mandaluy-

ong High School and Pasay City High School have likewise confirmed. Thirty-three teams have registered (18 boys and 15 girls). Two players compose a team. Players in teams must be enrolled in the same school and should have been born on Nov. 27, 1999 or later. There are no entry fees and complimentary food and drinks will be served to all participants, accredited officials and guests of the organizers all day Sunday. Out-of-town participants will be billeted at the sports center and will be provided transportation money. The tournament is backed by Tanduay, led by Bong Tan Jr.

Bong Tan Jr.

LOTTO RESULTS

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

Sports

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

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Racela: One loss won’t define us THE Far Eastern University Tamaraws were one stop away from making it to the finals. If not for an awkward attempt from Isaac Go that went in, the Tamaraws would have reached the finals against the defending champion La Salle Green Archers in in the 80th University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament. Point guard Ron Dennison was not able to keep Go from making that basket with 20.1 seconds left. Coach Olsen Racela said that their loss to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, 84-88, in overtime does not define how they performed for the whole season. “We were one stop away from making it to the finals. But still, this loss does not define us. I’m proud of how my players grew this season,” said Racela. The Tams finished Season 80 with a 42.2 percent field-goal average and 44.4 rebounds. They were within their average norms against Ateneo with 42.03 percent field goals to go with 39 rebounds. This will be second straight season that FEU will miss the finals after last winning the crown at the expense of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers back in 2015. Racela said the boys have matured since the start of the season, learning from the philosophy of taking every game by possession. “Now, they know how it is to play by possession. ‘Yun ang sabi ko sa kanila since the start of the season. That’s how it is. That’s how you win games,” added Racela. He later apologized to graduating players like Dennison and Allen Trinidad, for not having brought them to the finals. Peter Atencio

Isaac Go of Ateneo (11) screens teammate Aaron Black (8) from 2 FEU defenders in a UAAP semifinal game won by the Eagles, 88-84. Peter Atencio

Reyes names Gilas’ Final 12 for Fiba tilt N

By Jeric Lopez

ATIONAL team coach Chot Reyes named the final 12-man line-up for the Philippines’ upcoming campaign in the 2017 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. As expected, naturalized import Andray Blatche leads the pack. He will be joined by seasoned Gilas veterans June Mar Fajardo, Jayson Castro, Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Abueva, Gabe Norwood and Troy Rosario along with young guns Matthew Wright, Allein Maliksi, Kiefer Ravena, Roger Pogoy and Kevin Alas. Reyes announced his final roster around lunch time yesterday. These 12 will represent the country in its fight against Japan today. However, the lineup per game can change. Any of them can suddenly be inserted into the game against

Chinese Taipei back home on Monday or the succeeding games in this home-and-away tournament format. The final cuts were Raymund Almazan, Carl Bryan Cruz and Mac Belo. According to Reyes, they all took the decision professionally, understanding the needs of the team against its Asian counterparts. Meanwhile, LA Tenorio, Terrence Romeo, and Rookie of the Year Pogoy lead the initial list of awardees to be honored during the 24th PBAPC Awards Night next week at the Gloria Maris Restaurant inside the Gateway Mall in Cubao. Tenorio will be the recipient

of the Order of Merit honor, Romeo is the Mighty Sports Scoring Champion anew, while Pogoy banners the All-Rookie team to be feted by the group of sportswriters, who regularly covers the PBA beat. The Order of Merit is given out to the individual who had the most number of Player of the Week honor handed out by the PBAPC. The Barangay Ginebra veteran point guard was named four times during the course of the league’s 42nd season. Romeo, meanwhile, submitted a PBA-best 23.3 points average per game to emerge anew as the top local scorer last year. The Globalport gunner is the scoring champion for the third straight season, and the first player to do so after Gary David did it four straight times (2010-13). Pogoy, last season’s best rookie playing for TnT Katropa, leads the year’s All-Rookie team to be recognized during the affair presented by Cignal.

Red Robins shoot for 22nd NCAA title

The Gilas stalwart shares the honor with Matthew Wright (Phoenix), Jio Jalalon (Star), Kevin Ferrer (Barangay Ginebra), and Reden Celda (KIA). The highpoint of the awards night is the presentation of the Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan Coach of the Year award held in honor of the prodigious late mentor, who scored the league’s first ever grand slam with Crispa in 1976. Also on tap are the Danny Floro Executive of the Year award named in behalf of the former Crispa team owner and the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year being held in honor of the league’s former three-time MVP and part of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players. Other awards to be given are the Mighty Sports Defensive Player of the Year, Mr. Quality Minutes, All-Interview team, and the PBAPC’s first ever Game of the Season award. Part of the program will be the official launch of the PBAPC Facebook page.

EXPERIENCE is on the side of defending champion Malayan High School Red Robins when they clash with the La Salle Greenhills Greenies at 3 p.m. today in Game 3 of the 93rd National Collegiate Athletic Association junior basketball tournament at the Filoil Arena in San Juan City. The Red Robins are going for their 22nd secondary basketball title that will allow them to tie San Beda’s record as the league’s winningest high school team. On the other hand, the Greenies will shoot for their very first championship. La Salle took the series opener, 74-68, last week but Malayan High bounced back strong and seized Game 2, 91-81. “We are determined to win everything in Game 3 and we will give it our best to bring the title back to Mapua,” said

Game today (Filoil Arena, San Juan) 3 p.m.- Mapua vs LSGH (jrs)

Mapua coach Randy Alcantara. Last year, the Red Robins ended a 16-year title drought by stunning San Beda to go home with its 21st title and gain the distinction as the league’s most-decorated team, alongside San Beda. In Game 2, Clint Escamis exploded with 25 points including 10 in the fourth quarter when the Robins weathered a furious fightback by the Greenies. Then, Warren Bonifacio filled up the void left by Will Gozum, who fouled out as early as the third quarter, and finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Greenies will be a complete team with the return of top forward Inand Fornilos from a one-game suspension. Peter Atencio

Pauline romps to 7-shot victory Monsour TAGAYTAY—Pauline del Rosario re-staked her claim as the country’s hottest player, fending off an early scare from Chihiro Ikeda and rolling to another seven-stroke victory over Cyna Rodriguez despite a 76 in the ICTSI Splendido Ladies Classic at Taal Splendido Golf Club here yesterday. Her overnight eight-shot lead cut into half with a two-over card coupled with Ikeda’s two-under round after 10 holes, del Rosario pounced on her rival’s poor play on the par-5 11th where she gained two shots despite a double-bogey mishap. It was cruise control from there as del Rosario matched her

opening 38 for that four-over finish and a 54-hole total of 217. Ikeda, who nipped Thai Wannasiri Sirisampant to snap a long title spell at Forest Hills two weeks ago, signed up with a 9 on No. 11 after blowing her chance to further close in. She never recovered her bearing and bogeyed two of the last seven and limped with a 77, dropping to fifth instead at 226. The victory, worth another P150,000, was the fourth for the rookie pro, who scored a breakthrough at Orchard and ruled the Baguio stop of the circuit sponsored by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas

Golf Tournaments, Inc. She then dominated a tough field at Pradera Verde, beating no less than Symetra Tour campaigner and many-time LPGT winner Princess Superal by seven. “I learned a lot from this victory, particularly on playing relaxed while staying focused,” said del Rosario, whose pro campaign is backed by Golf Depot and Ping. She, however, stressed the need to improve on her long game, putting and concentration as she heads to the range starting today to prime up for the rich ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters at The Country Club in two weeks time.

National U, Hope near volley semis NAZARETH School of National U notched its third straight-set victory while Hope Christian High School recalled its fierce form as they zeroed in on the semifinal berths in Pool A 18-andunder Rebisco Volleyball League at the Sta. Rosa MultiPurpose Sports Complex in Laguna last Wednesday. The NU girls clipped University of Mindanao-Tagum, 25-14, 25-15, to stay tied at the helm at 3-0 with HCS, which needed an extra set to repulse a tough Koronadal National Comprehensive HS side Tuesday then thumped Leyte National HS, 25-9, 2516, with two playdates left in the single round elims of

Games today (Friday) 1 p.m. – USJ vs FEU 2 p.m. – HFA vs LNS 3 p.m. – HRC vs DLL 4 p.m. – HCS vs NSN 5 p.m. – BTT vs ALC 6 p.m. – UMT vs KNC

the tournament sponsored by Rebisco and organized by Metropolitan Sports and Events Group, Inc. headed by Freddie Infante. NU and Hope dispute the top seeding as they clash in the featured match at 4 p.m. today (Friday) with Holy Rosary College and De La SalleLipa tangling in the other top encounter at 5 p.m. in Pool B. HRC of Sta. Rosa continued to dish out top form, repelling Bacolod Tay Tung

HS, 16-25, 25-20, 25-20, in a duel of unbeaten teams as the hosts likewise closed in on the Final Four with a 3-0 card in their side of the twogroup event backed by Asics and Mikasa. De La Salle-Lipa matched HRC’s slate with an imposing 25-18, 25-12 romp over University of San Jose-Recoletos. BTT dropped to 2-1 but remained in the semis hunt in the event featuring 12 of the country’s top 12 high school volley squads although the Bacolod girls will need to sweep their last two matches against the tough Lipa-based squad and Angelicum Learning Center of Cagayan de Oro.

to be feted by WTA ACHIEVEMENTS of Makati Rep. Monsour del Rosario outside of the field of taekwondo will be recognized by the Korean-based Kukkiwon, the official taekwondo governing organization in the world. Del Rosario, who is currently the secretary general of the Philippine Taekwondo Association, will be among the eight honorees, who will receive an award as “Man of the Year in the World.” “Ibang klaseng award ito, angat ang Pinoy at Pilipinas dito,” said Del Rosario after receiving a letter of invitation from Kukkiwon. Del Rosario, ranked first in the Philippines in the lightweight division when he was still part of the national team, will be in Seoul to receive his award on Dec. 2. The seven other awardees to be feted are Korean. “It will be a momentous occasion. It will be presented by the World Taekwondo Association,” added del Rosario. Del Rosario said the award will hopefully inspire young athletes to excel, not only in the sport of taekwondo, but in other professions outside of the sport as well. Del Rosario, who competed in several international competitions, including the 1988 Seoul Olympics, said credentials given by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee were a big boost to this award. Peter Atencio

Manila Water taps two global IT ﬁrms B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Investors withdrew $563m in October

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Thursday, November 23, 2017

F OREIGN E XCHANGE R ATE Currency Unit US Dollar Peso United States Dollar

1.000000

50.6280

Japan

Yen

0.008994

0.4553

Pound

1.332100

67.4416

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128029

6.4819

Switzerland

Franc

1.018537

51.5665

Canada

Dollar

0.787588

39.8740

By Julito G. Rada

Singapore

Dollar

0.742721

37.6025

Australia

Dollar

0.761800

38.5684

FOREIGN fund managers withdrew more than $500 million worth of funds from the local equities and securities markets in October amid global concerns, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas show. The Bangko Sentral said foreign portfolio investments yielded a net outflow of $563 million in October, a reversal of the net inflow of $59.87 million registered a year ago. The October net outflow in October also offset the $112-million net inflow in September 2017. Data showed that gross inflows in October reached $1.384 billion, down from $1.633 billion a year ago, while total outflows rose to $1.948 billion from $1.573 billion. About 89.8 percent of investments in October were in securities in the Philippine Stock Exchange particularly in holding firms, property companies, mining, banks and food, beverage and tobacco. About 10.1 percent went to peso government securities while the 0.1 percent balance were placed in peso debt instruments and peso time deposits. The United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, British Virgin Islands, and Luxembourg were the top five investor countries in October. Foreign portfolio investments, or ‘hot money,’ resulted in a net outflow of $812 million as of Nov. 3, in contrast to the net inflow of $1.5 billion in the same period last year. “This may be attributed to certain domestic and international developments, including the interest rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve, global terrorist attacks, North Korea’s nuclear missile tests and the closure order for several mining companies in the country,” the Bangko Sentral said. Foreign portfolio investments are overseas funds that are temporarily invested in local stocks, government securities and money market. These funds are also called ‘hot money’ because of the ease they are invested in and taken out of the local markets.

Bahrain

Dinar

2.648305

134.0784

UCPB-PLDT DEAL. ePLDT Inc., the industry-leading enabler of digital enterprise solutions in the Philippines, and PLDT Enterprise seal a partnership

agreement with United Coconut Planters Bank for the banking group’s adoption of Microsoft Office 365. Shown during the signing of the agreement at UCPB headquarters in Makati City are (from left) UCPB vice president and head of human resources Stella Fulgencio, UCPB first vice president of IT Randall Rogelio Evangelista, UCPB president and chief executive Higinio Macadaeg Jr., PLDT chief revenue officer Eric Alberto, PLDT Enterprise vice president Chito Franco and ePLDT vice president Nico Alcoseba.

Saudi Arabia Rial

0.266660

13.5005

Brunei

Dollar

0.739973

37.4634

Indonesia

Rupiah 0.000074

0.0037

Thailand

Baht

1.5473

0.030562

UAE

Dirham 0.272287

13.7853

Euro

1.182200

59.8524

Korea

Won

0.000922

0.0467

China

Yuan

0.151190

7.6544

India

Rupee

0.015415

0.7804

Malaysia

Ringgit 0.243309

New Zealand Dollar

0.687900

Taiwan

0.033405

Dollar

12.3182 34.8270 1.6912 Source: PDS Bridge

SMC to spend $15b on airport By Darwin G. Amojelar

AN Miguel Corp. said it expects to complete the construction of a new international airport in Bulacan province at a cost of $15 billion or P750 billion in ﬁve years, once the government approves the project.

“We will build it with no government guarantee and no subsidy, no strings attached to the government. Based on our estimate, the construction of the new airport

will take at least ﬁve years,” San Miguel president and chief operating ofﬁcer Ramon Ang said. “The project will help grow our economy and tourist arrivals,” he said. Ang said the the company was looking at Filipino partners in the proposed international airport in Bulacan. “We will look for partners, our priority is Filipino partners,” he said. The Department of Transportation earlier granted an original proponent status to San Miguel to construct an airport with at least four runways and covering 2,000 hectares in Bulacan near Manila Bay. All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corp., a consortium led by retail tycoon Henry Sy Sr. and the Tieng family also

submitted an unsolicited proposal to build a new international airport south of Manila in Sangley Point, Cavite. ARRC plans to reclaim 2,500 hectares at Sangley Point. The company expects to complete the reclamation in 12 months. The new airport would be designed to have a capacity of 50 million to 100 million passengers for completion in ﬁve years. These two projects are expected to affect the expansion plants of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the current main gateway in Parañaque City, and Clark International Airport in Pampanga province. State-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority is currently bidding out the development of a P12.55-billion new

passenger terminal in Clark International Airport. The project aims to construct a new passenger terminal building and accommodate 8 million passengers per annum and build and install all required associated facilities, both landside and airside, to support the operations of the new terminal. The construction period is between 2017 and 2020. International Air Transport Association director-general and chief executive Alexandre de Juniac, however, said Clark is too far from Manila as an alternative to Naia. The Japan International Cooperation Agency said passenger trafﬁc in the Philippines was expected to reach 101.49 million by 2040.

PAL set to begin flights to Toronto and Auckland PHILIPPINE Airlines said Thursday it will start operating non-stop flights from Manila to Toronto, Canada and to Auckland, New Zealand next month. The flag carrier currently operates flights to New Zealand with a stopover in Cairns, Australia, utilizing the narrow-body Airbus A320. The new service will mean a shift to the more comfortable wide-body Airbus A340 aircraft more suitable for long-haul flights. Data on international arrivals from the Department of Tourism showed that 23,431 New Zealand residents visited the Philippines in 2016, reflecting a 14-percent increase from 2015. New Zealand visitors increased more than 30 percent In the first half of 2017 from a year ago. About 23,000 Filipinos also visited New Zealand last year. PAL said it would also fly non-stop thrice weekly from Manila to Toronto, using Boeing 777, which would reduce travel time from 16 hours to 14.4 hours. PAL is set to accept delivery of two more Boeing 777300s in December and two Airbus A350-900s in the first half of 2018. These orders will allow the flag carrier to add non-stop frequencies between Manila and the US West Coast and open a non-stop Manila – New York service. Currently, the MNL-NYC service stops over in Vancouver. Darwin G. Amojelar

IN BRIEF Hyundai’s sales jump 33%

HYUNDAI Asia Resources Inc., the ofﬁcial distributor of Hyundai vehicles in the Philippines, said vehicle sales in October increased 33 percent to 3,266 units from 2,462 units a year ago. The October sales brought total sales in January to October to 30,717 units, or 12 percent higher than the previous year’s sales of 27,483 units. “As the season of giving approaches, Hyundai is thrilled to offer our consumers exciting new offerings and value for money deals. We are committed to put our efforts in full swing through modern premium products and customer service,” said Hari president and chief executive Ma. Fe Perez-Agudo Sales of passenger cars grew 22 percent to 2,113 units from 1,726 units in October 2016. The good performance of Accent, the top-selling model of the segment, contributed heavily to the growth. Accent posted an impressive growth of 88 percent in October, almost doubling sales to 1,424 units. Sales of light commercial vehicles grew 57 percent to 1,153 units from 736 units in October last year. Othel V. Campos

UCPB adopts Office 365

PLDT Inc. said Thursday unit ePLDT Inc. and PLDT Enterprise, signed a partnership agreement with the United Coconut Planters Bank for the adoption of Microsoft Office 365. Office 365 is a suite of productivity tools, which allows users to work anytime, anywhere and on any device. It boasts of communication solutions built for effective team collaboration―from e-mail and instant messaging to social networking and video conferencing. UCPB also adopted Skype for Business Cloud PBX on top of the Office 365 package. UCPB president and chief executive Hignio Macadaeg Jr. said the partnership with ePLDT helped in providing resolution to its disaster recovery requirements through the cloudbased application while improving internal collaboration among its employees. “We look forward to more opportunities to enrich our working environment through powerful solutions that will further enable our associates to deliver the Bank’s personal and proactive service to our clients. With our partnership to ePLDT, I am confident that we will be able to make significant progress towards achieving our mission,” Macadaeg said. Darwin G. Amojelar

Remote work helps workers

REMOTE working improves productivity levels by offering business people a much-needed change of scenery, according to latest research commissioned by Regus, the ﬂexible workspace provider. Results of the study showed that over three quarters of Filipino workers suffering from symptoms of cabin fever fould relief by varying their work environment. Regus canvassed over 200 business people in the Philippines and found that, in addition to improving productivity, remote working also helped workers to concentrate (81 percent). A break from the usual business environment renews focus, and enables mobile workers to go through their to-do list without interruptions from colleagues and ringing phones, it said. Flexible working was also found to improve travel schedules (79 percent), as remote workers spend less time commuting. “Traditionally, business managers are thought to be hesitant about allowing employees to work remotely. So it may come as a surprise that managers are aware of the positive impact of remote working on their workforce. Offering employees the possibility of mobile working, even for a couple of days a week, increases their productivity levels as well as general wellbeing,” said Regus Philippines country manager Lars Wittig.

Internet bullying targets youth

THE Internet has created a new ground for bullying, scams, identity theft and many other crimes, with the youth targeted more than ever. The anti-cybercrime group of the Philippine National Police recorded a 71-percent surge particularly in cyberbullying cases ranging from online libel to abuse of minors in 2016. These would often leave the victims with low self-esteem and isolated even from their families. Global cybersecurity leader Trend Micro Inc. said that as part of efforts to raise awareness on Internet safety among kids and families, it would bring back the “What’s Your Story? Art Caravan” to Greenﬁeld District in Mandaluyong City on Nove. 25. First launched in 2013, the art caravan visits different schools to encourage students to create digital or traditional art aimed at promoting Internet safety, in line with Trend Micro’s pursuit of a world safe for exchanging digital information. “The pervasiveness of the Internet leaves everyone vulnerable to phishing scams, cyber bullying, identity theft, sexual harassment and other crimes. In tackling the dangers that the Internet brings, educating the youth gives us a great start,” said Trend Micro director for technology marketing Myla Pilao.

Budget deficit widens to P21.8b

CITI’S NEW HEADQUARTERS. Citi Philippines celebrates the inauguration of Citi Plaza, the bank’s new corporate headquarters located in Bonifacio Global City. At the ribbon cutting ceremony are (from left) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr., Citi Asia Pacific chief executive Francisco Aristeguieta, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano and Citi country officer for the Philippines Aftab Ahmed.

20 govt agencies joining Asean single window AROUND 20 government agencies are expected to go online under the Asean Single Window platform in the ﬁrst half of 2018 to improve the business climate in the country, the Department of Finance said Thursday. A report by an anti-red tape team to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III during the recent DoF Executive Committee meeting that the agencies were anticipated to go online between the ﬁrst and second quarters next year. The DOF’s anti-red tape team is led by Undersecretary and chief economist Gil Beltran. The ASW gateway, a regional initiative that aims to speed up cargo clearances and promote economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the organization’s 10 member-states, is being tested this month. The Finance Department said it would harrness the power of digital technology

to implement three major initiatives to improve the ease of doing business in the country. These are the TradeNet platform for traders, the establishment of the Philippine Business Data Bank down to the local government level and a parallel modernization initiative in the DOF and the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs. The Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of the Interior and Local Government will hold a live demonstration on Philippine Business Data Bank to local government units on Nov. 28. The DILG is in-charge of logistics, while DICT is incharge of the program ﬂow. The Finance Department’s technology modernization architect Dr. Dennis Reyes said there were multiple initiatives ongoing under the Anti-Red Tape Program. Reyes was present during a public forum organized by

the National Competitiveness Council to discuss the Philippines’ efforts to further improve its current ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business index. Reyes said the TradeNet platform, which would also serve as the Philippines link to the ASW gateway, would be up and running by the end of the year and would later place onboard a total of 66 government agencies “progressively over the course of the next two to three years.” The PBDB will involve the Department of Trade and Industry, which chairs the NCC, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the country’s economic zones and over 1,600 local government units, Reyes said. The data bank will allow the online processing of business permits by LGUs as a part of the Duterte administration’s continuing initiatives to improve the ease of doing business in the country. Julito G. Rada

THE government said Thursday it incurred a budget deficit of P21.8 billion in October, up from the P2.3-billion shortfall recorded a year ago, as spending growth outpaced the increase in revenue collections, the Bureau of the Treasury said Thursday. This brought the 10-month fiscal deficit to P234.9 billion, up 9 percent or P18.8 billion from the same period in 2016. The figure represented 49 percent of the full year deficit target of P482.1 billion. Data showed that government disbursements jumped 28 percent in October to P226.9 billion, the highest growth in spending this year. Total expenditures in the first 10 months also went up 10 percent to P2.241 trillion. Revenue collection rose 17 percent in October to P205.1 billion, supported by the double-digit increases in the contributions from Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Treasury. Collections in January to October also went up 10 percent to P2.006 trillion from the same period last year. BIR collections climbed 17 percent in October to P142.5 billion. “This marks the sixth time the Bureau was able to post double digit year-on-year growth for the year. Total BIR collections as of end-October amounted to P1.441.7 trillion, up by 11 percent over the same period last year,” the Treasury said. Julito G. Rada

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Manila Water taps two global IT firms By Alena Mae S. Flores truth’ for capes informaMANILA Water Co. Inc. said it signed partnership agreements with two technology giants in the development and implementation of a comprehensive project management system to efﬁciently carry out its obligations to consumers. Manila Water said Tech Mahindra and Oracle would provide solutions for the water concessionaire’s Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management System, a powerful tool which integrates all processes related to portfolio and project management. “Through the EPPMS, the enterprise will now have a reliable ‘single source of

tion, enabling the much-improved governance through centralized and integrated monitoring and control of project implementation,” Manila Water group director for corporate project management of Manila Water Maidy Lynne Quinto said in a statement. The system also allows the real-time monitoring of project performance and resources by the entire project team all throughout the project’s timeline. Tech Mahindra will design and eventually oversee the implementation of the solutions to be utilized by EPPMS, while Oracle will provide the applications to be used for the system.

Stock market rebounds; Pure Foods leads gainers

tocks rebounded Thursday to end a twoday slump, boosted by another record close on Wall Street and after Credit Suisse said global equity markets have further upside potential in 2018. The Philippine Stock Exchange index, the 30-company benchmark, climbed 77 points, or 0.9 percent, to close at 8,343.23, as all six major sectors advanced. The heavier index, representing all shares, also rose 36 points, or 0.8 percent, to settle at 4,883.37, on a value turnover of P4.4 billion. Advancers outnumbered

losers, 105 to 92, while 43 issues were unchanged. Sixteen of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by San Miguel Pure Foods Inc. which jumped 11.9 percent to P560. Oil exploration company PXP Energy Corp. rose 4.5 percent to P10.62, while property developer Mega-

world Corp. gained 2 percent to P5.66. Credit Suisse Group AG said it was not too late to join the stock-market rally as an accelerating global economy drives gains into 2018. “Even after a year of exceptionally good returns in risk assets, Credit Suisse investment strategists believe that global equity markets have further upside potential in 2018,” the Zurich-based bank said Thursday in its investment outlook for next year. “Economic growth is expected to remain robust in

the months ahead, supported by both advanced and emerging markets,” it said. Stocks globally have been on a tear. US stocks reached all-time highs in the run-up to the Thanksgiving holiday, while the MSCI Asia Paciﬁc Index surpassed its 2007 peak based on closing prices. The Asian equity gauge has outperformed its US and European peers this year, led by surging Chinese stocks such as China Evergrande Group and Sunac China Holdings Ltd. Meanwhile, the dol-

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.44 17,000 59.8 83,670 101.1 1,196,680 145.9 1,065,570 2.07 566,000 33.35 249,100 15.78 18,300 34.95 649,100 0.66 1,000 1.75 78,000 0.6 982,000 94.5 1,240,200 0.8 1,179,000 11.96 100 25 2,000 57.2 35,780 240.2 2,970 87.75 10 56.15 593,970 254 177,700 1,925 15 86.95 41,440 1.28 575,000

58,530 4,958,038.50 120,648,689 155,515,621 1,175,300 8,332,740 285,888 22,805,130 660 135,060 587,660 116,889,938 942,160 1,196 50,000 2,048,878.50 715,842 877.5 33,317,515 44,933,050 28,825 3,601,401.50 730,450

6,880 1,589,958 27,744,504 -41,394,349 4,991,025 -169,975 44,324,398.50 -938,396 481,300 2,517,256.50 -8,350,076 9,575 -163,386.50 -

40.6 12.32 0.72 1.34 17 0.228 4.11 15.5 42.6 19.4 64 1.88 5.46 11.02 10.68 14.76 11.22 7.32 5.77 17.16 61.9 24.85 11.84 19.7 2 254 58.5 4.1 3.79 28.8 18.16 18.44 323 0.205 8.49 2.46 6.36 9.4 7.58 1.57 12.2 58 6.56 560 5 4.6 2 12.9 6.6 0.137 1.18 137.8 1.99 0.65

24,062,850 48,610,728 55,420 228,770 1,745,616 191,360 51,451,290 17,656,350 27,912,465 140,716 8,557,412 357,000 201,858 12,332 81,380,630 4,588,552 4,319,672 1,048,495 34,438,422 7,139,520 2,054,438 22,693,650 13,024 7,007,906 1,629,880 75,006,436 4,095 110,140 363,560 78,092,470 1,942,996 67,187,390 71,931,880 144,490 100,305 177,550 3,280,598 25,851,733(1, 228,400 1,696,690 2,136,614 22,872,311 56,076 105,890,665 852,130 9,200 280,260 393,280 10,772,928 13,700 106,770 61,949,428 16,134,960 570,980

-10,655,635 32,009,130 2,660 -538,710 9,824,630 -2,767,385 4,714,870 60,257,354 189,330 -3,594,462 -66,624 -21,393,195 -1,104,212 -1,234,973.50 -1,200,560 -355,810 -40,000 -31,729,506 -51,160 3,887,960 -28,923,876 29,661,438 2,040.00 -71,780 218,579 945,008.0004) 1,214,180 -210,470 5,976,894 -29,607,700 -400,000 10,000 180,560 -22,823 -8,604,854 1,895,350 -

10,050 39,912,940.50 36,292,962 299,300 146,386 1,462,800 1,393,750 313,404,145 8,182,735 67,363,062 660,949 16,380 99,690,290 794 56,246,861.50 961 507 584,250 190,016 23,743,326 83,950 65,379,467 323,640 390,100 164,760 432,600 13,056,348 2,640 154,821,305 5,030 15,258,290 2,252,790 254,900 9,200 556,540

267,649 -6,413,812 -155,598,530 -6,362,999 53,289,954 2,276,625 -7,261,062.50 92,221 14,010,324 53,200 -37,116,472 3,272,346 -64,812,530 975,100 -65,000 95,500

2,192,497 4,687,620 2,348,790 172,800 2,865,750 153,551,425 475,630 2,610,940 89,384 3,634,650 10,350 714,600 1,157,850 3,650,430 35,690 25,330 13,840,180 6,648,410 1,234,130 69,825,558 57,254,700

550,000 92,000 -314,684 -245,500 28,827,025 -21,980 -410,100 -150 517,145 4,941,220 -44,240 4,419,580 478,300

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

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

3.45 59.85 101 146.5 2.05 33.5 15.6 35.35 0.66 1.62 0.59 94.5 0.79 11.96 25 57.35 240 87.75 54.9 250 1,920 87 1.27

3.45 59.85 101.3 146.5 2.16 33.55 15.9 35.45 0.66 1.75 0.61 94.5 0.82 11.96 25 57.55 243.2 87.75 56.95 254 1,925 87 1.28

3.44 58.5 100.5 145.3 2.04 33.35 15.6 34.55 0.66 1.62 0.59 94.1 0.79 11.96 25 57.1 240 87.75 54.8 249.8 1,920 86.9 1.27

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

40 12.22 0.71 1.33 17.5 0.228 4.03 15.5 44 19.08 63.5 1.9 5.3 11.5 10.62 14.78 11.1 7.39 5.74 17.5 62 23.55 11.84 20 1.98 254.6 58.5 4.1 3.49 29 18.18 18.26 323.4 0.201 8.3 2.49 5.92 9.37 7.5 1.56 12 58.3 6.52 501.5 4.83 4.6 2.04 12.8 6.16 0.137 1.19 137.6 1.98 0.65

40.6 12.4 0.73 1.34 17.58 0.228 4.14 15.52 44 19.4 64 1.9 5.46 11.5 10.82 14.8 11.5 7.39 5.79 17.5 62 25.15 11.84 20 2.05 255 58.5 4.2 3.8 29 18.5 18.46 323.8 0.205 8.49 2.5 6.62 9.5 7.59 1.58 12.3 58.35 6.56 565 5.01 4.6 2.04 12.96 6.8 0.137 1.19 137.9 2.04 0.65

39.85 12.16 0.71 1.33 17 0.22 4.03 15.3 42.5 19.08 63.5 1.88 5.3 11.02 10.6 14.5 11.06 7.28 5.74 17.1 61.35 23.55 11.84 19.24 1.97 253 58.5 4.06 3.47 28.7 18.16 18.18 322.4 0.2 8.28 2.42 5.9 9.37 7.5 1.56 11.88 58 6.52 501 4.83 4.6 1.96 12.8 5.99 0.137 1.16 136.5 1.97 0.63

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

0.335 70.5 15.78 0.95 6.75 0.37 0.39 1,016 7.85 14.5 7.9 0.182 1,176 7.94 71.05 4.61 5.07 0.68 5.6 18.84 0.395 6.65 3.47 0.047 1.07 2.06 111 2.64 966 0.84 1.78 275.8 0.25 0.184 0.194

0.335 71.8 15.78 1 7.06 0.375 0.39 1,028 7.85 14.6 7.99 0.182 1,189 7.94 72 5 5.07 0.68 5.6 18.96 0.395 6.69 3.61 0.047 1.11 2.06 112.8 2.64 975 0.84 1.8 285 0.25 0.184 0.194

0.335 68.8 15.68 0.95 6.75 0.36 0.365 1,015 7.48 14.5 7.85 0.182 1,168 7.94 70.95 4.61 5.07 0.64 5.56 18.84 0.38 6.62 3.15 0.047 1.06 2.06 110 2.64 959 0.83 1.68 275.8 0.24 0.184 0.19

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

5.56 0.93 10.12 2.4 0.93 42.7 3.68 4.79 5.46 0.475 1.15 0.207 0.48 38.6 0.66 0.14 1.83 1.5 0.78 5.6 0.395

5.68 0.97 10.96 2.4 0.96 43 3.73 4.79 5.46 0.48 1.15 0.208 0.5 38.7 0.68 0.141 1.83 1.51 0.8 5.66 0.395

5.45 0.92 10.04 2.4 0.92 42.65 3.65 4.7 5.3 0.47 1.15 0.203 0.465 38.2 0.66 0.14 1.79 1.49 0.76 5.52 0.375

VOLUME

599,300 3,974,700 77,000 172,000 102,500 840,000 12,655,000 1,147,500 643,500 7,300 133,710 189,000 37,300 1,100 7,615,200 313,800 384,900 143,000 5,968,700 414,700 33,350 918,300 1,100 357,800 816,000 295,570 70 27,000 101,000 2,710,700 106,800 3,656,100 222,810 720,000 12,100 72,000 523,300 2,749,900 30,400 1,082,000 177,300 394,310 8,600 193,110 171,000 2,000 140,000 30,500 1,658,000 100,000 91,000 450,120 8,032,000 893,000

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.37 0.54 6.73 24.55 2.01 3.2 35.7 1.03 0.88 5.81

0.385 0.59 6.86 24.7 2.04 3.2 35.95 1.03 0.88 5.9

0.365 0.54 6.62 24.5 1.94 3.17 35.55 1.01 0.83 5.72

0.38 0.57 6.71 24.6 1.94 3.2 35.95 1.02 0.87 5.75

3,750,000 52,272,000 813,200 2,295,500 1,125,000 15,000 2,033,000 511,000 84,000 7,198,600

1,419,000 29,733,050 5,498,272 56,481,320 2,216,830 47,800 72,831,110 522,720 73,860 41,399,482

10,950 378,830 367,704 -27,445,895 511,950 388,725 51,000 -11,706,395

2GO GROUP ABS CBN ACESITE HOTEL APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD 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 NOW CORP PACIFIC ONLINE PAL HLDG PAXYS PHIL RACING PHIL SEVEN CORP PHILWEB PLDT PREMIUM LEISURE PRMIERE HORIZON PUREGOLD ROBINSONS RTL SBS PHIL CORP SSI GROUP STI HLDG TRAVELLERS WATERFRONT WILCON DEPOT

17.1 36.5 1.43 0.48 0.047 11 4.55 10.38 0.077 101.3 8.82 9.11 7.15 2.69 960 1,870 5.85 18.2 3.09 2.33 104 8.36 0.144 1.38 3.19 15.2 3.8 1.2 23.7 0.53 3.44 6.45 3.93 2.94 11 5 2.86 7.95 134.5 8.48 1,634 1.3 0.335 47.4 94 5.8 3.48 1.66 3.65 0.95 8.1

17.2 36.7 1.5 0.48 0.047 11.54 4.6 10.38 0.081 101.9 9 9.13 7.15 3 960 1,870 5.91 18.2 3.23 2.33 104.7 8.36 0.145 1.39 3.19 15.2 3.8 1.23 24.05 0.53 3.95 6.7 3.95 3.06 11 5 2.86 7.95 195 9.07 1,640 1.32 0.34 48.25 94.9 5.8 3.48 1.73 3.75 1.02 8.11

16.5 36.1 1.4 0.475 0.046 11 4.53 10.12 0.076 101.1 8.8 9.01 7.15 2.69 960 1,856 5.83 17.5 3.09 2.3 101.6 8.3 0.143 1.37 3.09 15.2 3.65 1.19 23.1 0.52 3.31 6.25 3.9 2.81 11 4.8 2.85 7.95 134.5 8.35 1,618 1.3 0.33 47.4 92.2 5.66 3.33 1.64 3.65 0.95 8.05

SERVICES 16.7 36.1 1.46 0.48 0.047 11.5 4.6 10.16 0.079 101.4 9 9.1 7.15 2.94 960 1,870 5.85 18.2 3.11 2.32 104.7 8.35 0.145 1.37 3.09 15.2 3.7 1.22 23.15 0.52 3.67 6.65 3.9 2.91 11 4.8 2.85 7.95 145 8.85 1,639 1.31 0.34 48.05 94.8 5.67 3.35 1.73 3.71 0.98 8.1

64,700 42,300 1,156,000 330,000 7,500,000 591,300 30,500 4,749,300 233,060,000 56,770 5,700 1,488,900 6,300 663,000 535 23,245 456,500 5,400 3,385,000 11,000 181,140 325,000 3,590,000 53,000 10,000 2,000 462,000 774,000 5,772,100 10,000 8,278,000 3,055,500 2,477,000 13,277,000 100 25,500 10,000 150,000 38,290 2,876,500 40,955 1,314,000 560,000 1,316,300 85,070 298,200 765,000 6,856,000 293,000 10,245,000 4,959,400

1,089,090 1,533,485 1,648,360 157,400 351,200 6,799,976 138,600 48,535,992 18,454,100 5,749,798 50,196 13,487,047 45,045 1,917,200 513,600 43,402,700 2,674,426 98,140 10,717,040 25,440 18,776,147 2,713,206 515,770 73,020 31,200 30,400 1,702,170 935,010 136,952,340 5,230 30,407,600 19,874,388 9,727,320 38,941,250 1,100 124,130 28,580 1,192,500 5,802,026 25,492,708 66,646,995 1,722,990 185,300 63,055,760 8,038,101.50 1,691,536 2,579,290 11,659,050 1,088,720 10,149,750 40,056,361

3,400 6,776,950 13,879,628 1,728,000 -810,689 39,034 8,490 -480,000 -19,625,655 -502,150 1,170,468 54,720 -296,010 -3,040,150 21,310 4,414,976 5,615,200 -70,800 8,820 17,160 -3,821,835 55,390 21,216,085 121,960 -40,265,885 -2,307,378 2,361,960 513,180 -181,700 9,720,476

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

0.0025 1.72 4.75 15.98 1.72 1.71 1.65 0.355 7.52 2.83 0.245 0.152 0.153 0.01 1.83 6.8 1.57 0.93 0.012 0.012 0.011 2.2 6.95 10.3 37.1 0.0071

0.0025 1.74 4.83 15.98 1.72 1.71 1.65 0.355 7.88 2.9 0.255 0.153 0.154 0.011 1.87 6.82 1.57 0.95 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.25 7 10.9 37.2 0.0071

0.0024 1.7 4.62 14.14 1.7 1.7 1.6 0.34 7.12 2.78 0.238 0.148 0.15 0.01 1.79 6.67 1.4 0.9 0.012 0.012 0.011 2.16 6.91 10.08 36.65 0.0071

MINING & OIL 0.0024 1,329,000,000 1.7 10,192,000 4.7 376,000 15.4 4,100 1.7 35,000 1.7 35,000 1.6 4,359,000 0.34 1,660,000 7.88 18,500 2.89 6,377,000 0.239 3,540,000 0.15 43,330,000 0.151 30,410,000 0.01 217,500,000 1.81 504,000 6.67 3,535,400 1.44 944,000 0.93 1,827,000 0.012 100,000 0.013 4,900,000 0.011 70,300,000 2.16 193,000 6.92 551,800 10.62 21,834,700 37.05 2,228,600 0.0071 2,000,000

3,201,000 17,453,490 1,768,680 63,270 59,540 59,700 7,025,580 573,800 134,745 18,119,090 852,200 6,505,330 4,584,000 2,183,400 909,970 23,807,784 1,348,940 1,664,950 1,200 63,400 833,500 420,090 3,833,288 229,215,030 82,205,135 14,200

555,980 -27,740 -7,944,150 120,000 383,500 795,634 2,840 30,360 -513,886 716,362 -48,794,000 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FGEN PREF F GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF B PCOR PREF 2A PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2I

36.1 520 107.1 105 107.9 5.59 1,020 1,049 1,010 105.7 1.92 77.5 81.5 81 80.1

36.1 520 107.1 105 108 5.59 1,020 1,049 1,010 105.7 1.95 77.5 81.5 81 81.7

35.95 520 107.1 104.5 107.9 5.5 1,020 1,049 1,010 103 1.92 77.5 81.5 80.4 80.1

PREFERRED 36 249,300 520 70 107.1 12,900 104.5 47,870 108 60 5.5 456,400 1,020 900 1,049 27,910 1,010 6,000 103 3,350 1.95 2,000 77.5 24,700 81.5 50,220 80.4 31,200 81.7 310

8,975,855 36,400 1,381,590 5,002,443 6,476 2,510,290 918,000 29,277,590 6,060,000 345,995 3,870 1,914,250 4,092,930 2,526,780 25,151

-904,860 -2,510,290 -

LR WARRANT

2.3

2.25

WARRANTS 2.28 193,000

435,300

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

11.8 3.16 4

12.44 3.16 4.1

11.3 3.03 3.8

SME 12.44 3.08 3.9

34,661,292 30,810 11,314,300

67,552 6,100 -987,230

FIRST METRO ETF

126

126.1

125.5

10,422,033

12,590

HOLDING FIRMS 0.335 30,000 71.8 571,500 15.68 2,310,800 1 315,000 7.06 20,800 0.36 4,020,000 0.365 3,710,000 1,020 307,270 7.53 1,085,600 14.54 4,634,600 7.98 83,700 0.182 90,000 1,179 84,480 7.94 100 72 786,900 5 200 5.07 100 0.67 896,000 5.56 34,000 18.96 1,255,900 0.38 220,000 6.67 9,799,400 3.32 94,000 0.047 8,300,000 1.08 154,000 2.06 210,000 111.3 117,390 2.64 1,000 972.5 159,260 0.83 6,000 1.72 8,762,000 285 7,980 0.24 1,020,000 0.184 50,000 0.19 2,920,000 PROPERTY 5.68 0.95 10.1 2.4 0.92 42.9 3.66 4.75 5.46 0.48 1.15 0.207 0.47 38.5 0.68 0.141 1.82 1.51 0.8 5.66 0.385

393,300 4,992,000 230,700 72,000 3,085,000 3,585,500 130,000 552,000 16,800 7,630,000 9,000 3,480,000 2,420,000 94,700 54,000 180,000 7,611,000 4,424,000 1,589,000 12,416,100 149,340,000

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

8,755,740

INDUSTRIAL

64,590,121

HOLDING FIRMS

52,270,596

PROPERTY

274,772,579

SERVICES

322,793,439

MINING & OIL

1,755,876,476

GRAND TOTAL

2,484,915,120

2,881,200 10,000 2,878,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 126.1 82,780

VALUE 2,091.90 (UP) 9.26 517,790,963.11 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,959.46 (UP) 33.14 1,206,615,771.73 HOLDING FIRMS 8,475.13 (UP) 106.12 912,127,105.38 PROPERTY 3,886.29 (UP) 30.86 SERVICES 1,645.73 (UP) 15.77 640,854,934.09 MINING & OIL 12,114.32 (UP) 67.05 669,585,253.616 PSEI 8,343.23 (UP) 77.55 406,928,242.781 All Shares Index 4,883.37 (UP) 36.99 4,410,345,788.21 Gainers: 105; Losers: 92; Unchanged: 43; Total: 240

lar struggled Thursday in Asia following the previous day’s losses as dovish Federal Reserve minutes rowed back expectations for US interest rate hikes. While board members at the US central bank will likely lift borrowing costs next month, official records of their October meeting indicate some are increasingly concerned about persistently low inflation as well as high equity prices. The release of the minutes came after data showing a surprise drop in key durable goods orders, fueling a sell-off in the greenback across the board. They also came out a day after Fed boss Janet Yellen had warned that too quick an increase in rates could cause inflation to stagnate well below the bank’s two percent target rate. “The minutes reflected a continued push toward another rate hike because of economic strength and a tight labour market,” Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader, said. “But like Fed chair Janet Yellen... the minutes also reflected the Fed’s concern that inflation may stay lower for longer. That suggests calls for three and four hikes next year may be misplaced.” Expectations that rates would be lifted several times next year—partly through an improving economy and flagged tax cuts—helped drive the dollar up over the past year. In Asian trade Thursday, the dollar was flat against the yen, euro and pound, having tumbled against all three on Wednesday. With AFP, Bloomberg

D&L eyes new plants in Batangas D&L Industries Inc. said Thursday subsidiaries D&L Premium Foods Corp. and Natura Aeropack Corp. submitted applications with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority for the registration of their planned new manufacturing facilities in Batangas province. “The planned expansion will position D&L Group to grow over the next 20 years. The group’s current utilization rate stands at 70 percent, allowing the group time to complete the expansion,” D&L said in a disclosure to the stock exchange. The company undertook the last major capacity expansion prior to the initial public offering of D&L in 2012. D&L Foods is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oleo-fats Inc. which caters primarily to OFI’s growing export business, while Natura Aeropack is 70-percent owned by Chemrez Technologies Inc. and 30-percent owned by Aero-Pack Industries Inc. OFI, CTI and API are subsidiaries of D&L Industries, the country’s largest specialty foods ingredients, plastics and oleochemicals ﬁrm. Natura’s facilities will be dedicated for the manufacture of coconut oil fractions, coconut-based surfactants, and downstream consumer products which are sustainable, naturallyderived , mild and non-irritant. Products are used in healthcare, personal care, home care as well as baby care.

Alena Mae S. Flores

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

World

Manila

Standard

TODAY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Arctic change as bears crowd on Russian isle M

OSCOW―A boatload of tourists in the far eastern Russian Arctic thought they were seeing clumps of ice on the shore, before the jaw-dropping realization that some 200 polar bears were roaming on the mountain slope

DEVOTEE. This photo taken on November 19, 2017 shows a Catholic devotee in a congregation holding up a prayer book during a Sunday service at the St. Francis Roman Catholic Church in Hpa-an in Myanmar’s Karen State.The Catholic community in Myanmar numbers just 700,000 out of the country’s 51 million people, in spite of their long history in the country. Pope Francis lands in Myanmar on November 27, locked in the headwinds of a global outcry over its treatment of its minority Muslim Rohingya, some 620,000 of whom have been driven out. AFP

Proposal to lower marrying age for Muslim women stirs outrage BAGHDAD―A proposal in Iraq’s parliament to scrap the minimum age for Muslim girls to marry has stirred outrage among critics who view it as a license “to rape children”. Conservative Shiite deputies on October 31 proposed an amendment to a 1959 law that set the minimum age for marriage at 18. The initial legislation, passed shortly after the fall of the Iraqi monarchy, transferred the right to decide on family affairs from religious authorities to the state and its judiciary. But now the new bill looks to go back on that―and would authorize the marriage of any girl if it had the consent of the religious leaders from the Shiite or Sunni Muslim community to which her parents belong. In effect, it makes “the opinion of the Shiite and Sunni ulema [scholars] obligatory for judges”, said a liberal independent MP,

Faiq al-Sheikh, a member of Iraq’s legal commission. Historically, he recalled, Islam has allowed the marriage of pubescent girls from the age of nine, the same as Aisha when she is believed to have been married to the Prophet Mohammed. Social media has been ﬂooded with criticism of the parliamentary bill, ranging from outright indignation to black humor, with anger also rife on the streets. “It’s a law worthy of the Islamic State [jihadist group] that provides legal cover to the rape of children,” Hadi Abbas, an army retiree in the southern city of Kut, told AFP. Ali Lefta, a 40-year-old teacher in the port city of Basra, said it amounted to “the murder of the innocence of children” and that the bill was “the latest in a string of stupid laws based on tribal and confessional modes of thinking”. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE InvItatIon to BId no. Goods-075-2017 75

The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the General Fund intends to apply the below listed procurement w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected a bid opening. Name of Project

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

1. Security Services in the 1st Bataan Command Center, Balanga Motorpool, Bataan Tourism Center, Bataan Provincial Health Office, NPC/Transco Lot Limay and Mariveles District Hospital, Bataan covering the period from January 01, 2018 to December 31, 2018

=P=13,910,166.00

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listed Procurement. Delivery of goods is required within 365 Calendar Days. Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

“It was a completely unique situation,” said Alexander Gruzdev, director of the Wrangel Island nature reserve where the encounter in September happened. “We were all gobsmacked, to be honest.” The bears had come to feast on the carcass of a bowhead whale that washed ashore, later resting around the food source. The crowd included many families, including two mothers trailed by a rare four cubs each, Gruzdev told AFP. Climate change means ice, where polar bears are most at home, is melting earlier in the year and so polar bears have to spend longer on land, scientists say.

This might wow tourists but means the bears, more crammed together on coasts and islands, will eventually face greater competition for the little food there is on land. Locals are also at risk from hungry animals venturing into villages. Wrangel Island, off the coast of Russia’s Chukotka in the northeast, is where polar bears rest after ice melts in early-August until November, when they can leave land to hunt for seals. It is also considered the birthing center for the species, with the highest density of maternity dens in the entire Arctic, Gruzdev said. AFP

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 8, Tacloban City Office Address: Website:

INVITATION TO BID No. 01-2018 The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening. Item/Description 1.

Cat-BobonIP Contract #01-2018– Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Catarman-Bobon Irrigation Project,Catarman&Bobon, Northern Samar 2. Cat-Bobon IP Contract #02-2018– Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Catarman-Bobon Irrigation Project, Catarman&Bobon, Northern Samar 3. Cat-Bobon IP Contract #03-2018– Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Catarman-Bobon Irrigation Project, Catarman&Bobon, Northern Samar 4. PIP Contract #01-2017– Construction of Siphon and Elevated Flume of PinipisakanIrrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar

Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

5. PIP Contract #01-2017– Construction of Earth Canal, Canal Structures and Service Road of Pinipisakan Irrigation Project, Las Navas, Northern Samar Cajecsan CIP Contract #01-2017– Construction of Diversion Dam, Concrete Canals and Canal Structures of Cajecsan CIP, Mondragon, Northern Samar 7. Cal-igang CIP Contract #01-2017– Construction of Concrete Canal and Canal Structures of Cal-igang CIP, Catarman, Northern Samar

Duration

67,454,476.64

540 cd

35,000.00

85,463,602.75

720 cd

50,000.00

45,413,885.58

720 cd

30,000.00

42,253,170.87

630 cd

30,000.00

18,608,252.01

360 cd

15,000.00

32,757,564.69

360 cd

25,000.00

32,694,113.94

360 cd

25,000.00

The Prospective Bidders should have completed, within five (5) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project whose value must be at least fifty percent (50%) of the ABC. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of republic Act 9184 (R.A. 9184), otherwise known as the “Government procurement Reform Act”. Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their ongoing contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities Issuance of Bid Documents Pre-bid Conference Receipt and Opening of Bids

1. 2. 3.

Schedule Starting November 21, 2017 November 28, 2017 December 12, 2017

Time 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.

The NIA reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

Noted: (SGD) JIMMY L. APOSTOL Regional ManagerI

Bids must be delivered on or before December 13, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 or Bid Securing Declaration in standard form. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted. In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days. Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan Activities 1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid 2. Eligibility Check 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents 4. Request for Clarification 5. Opening of Bids

Schedule November 22 – 28, 2017 Refer to date of Opening of Bids November 22 – December 13, 2017 December 1, 2017 December 13, 2017

The Provincial Government of Bataan reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. For further information, please refer to:

(MS-NOV. 24, 2017)

Website:

Telefax No. (632) 323-7596 TIN 000-916-415

NIA Road, Marasbaras Tacloban City, Philippines www.nia.gov.ph

INVITATION TO BID No. 02-2018

Item/Description 1. DGMRIS Contract #01-2018– Construction of Canal Lining, Canal Structures & Road Improvement of Daguitan RIS, Julita, Leyte 2. DGMRIS Contract #02-2018– Construction of Canal Lining & Canal Structures of Daguitan RIS, Burauen, Leyte 3. DGMRIS Contract #03-2018– Construction of Canal Lining & Canal Structures of Guinarona RIS, Tabontabon, Leyte 4. DGMRIS Contract #04-2018– Construction of Canal Lining & Canal Structures of Guinarona RIS, Tanauan, Leyte 5. DGMRIS Contract #05-2018– Construction of Canal Lining & Canal Structures of Guinarona RIS, Tanauan, Leyte 6. DGMRIS Contract #06-2018– Construction of Canal Lining, of Marabong RIS, Tabontabon, Leyte 7. DGMRIS Contract #07-2018– Construction of Canal Lining, and Canal Structures of Daguitan RIS, Julita, Leyte 8. DGMRIS Contract #08-2018– Construction of Canal Lining, of Daguitan RIS, Dulag, Leyte 9. DGMRIS Contract #09-2018– Fabrication and Installation of Steel Gates of Daguitan RIS, Dulag, Leyte 10. DGMRIS Contract #10-2018– Construction of Canal Lining, of Daguitan RIS, Burauen, Leyte

Approved Budget for Contract (Php)

Duration

Cost of Bid Docs

The Department of Finance (DOF) now calls for the submission of eligibility documents for Supply and Delivery of Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Model for Specific Industries and Sustainability Trainings. Eligibility documents of interested consultants must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat on or before December 4, 2017, 9:45 am at 7th Floor, Procurement Management Division, EDPC Bldg. cor. P. Ocampo Sr. St., Malate, Manila. Applications for eligibility will be evaluated based on a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Department of Finance (DOF) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below during 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested Bidders on November 24, 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 Three Thousand Pesos (Php3,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Department of Finance (DOF), provided that Bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

The SBAC shall draw up the short list of consultants from those who have submitted Expression of Interest, including the eligibility documents, and have been determined as eligible in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The short list shall consist of at least one (1) prospective bidder who will be entitled to submit bids. The criteria and rating system for short listing are: I. Applicable Experience II. Quality of Personnel III. Workload Relative to Capacity Total

- 20% - 60% - 20% 100%

The minimum passing score is seventy five percent (75%). 6.

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the IRR of RA 9184. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

The Department of Finance (DOF) shall evaluate bids using the Quality-Cost Based Evaluation/Selection (QCBE/QCBS) procedure. The Department of Finance (DOF) shall indicate the weights to be allocated for the Technical and Financial Proposals. The criteria and rating system for the evaluation of bids shall be provided in the Instructions to Bidders.

The contract shall be completed within eight (8) months.

The Department of Finance (DOF) 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.

10. For further information, please refer to: Ms. Liceria A. Te BAC Secretariat 7th Floor EDPC Building, BSP Complex Cor. P. Ocampo Sr., Street Roxas Boulevard, Manila Telefax No.: 526-4786

(MS-NOV. 24, 2017)

Republic of the Philippines

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004 DEPARTMENT ORDER NO. 0 6 9 2 0 1 7 16 November 2017

This order is issued pursuant to Section 7 (4), Chapter 2, Book IV, of Executive Order No. 292, otherwise known as the Administrative Code of 1987, in relation to Sections 104, 431, and 1800 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), and Sections 107, 129, 131, 148 and 244 of Republic Act No. 8424, otherwise known as the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended. Section 1. Fuel Marking Program. This Order shall covers formulation and implementation of a fuel marking program as may be allowed by all applicable laws and regulations. All petroleum products which can be marked without violating safety regulations shall be marked with the official marking agent as may be designated. Section 2. Fuel Marking Technical Working Group. A Technical Working Group is herein established for the purpose of the fuel marking program. The composition of the TWG shall be as follows: Chairman

Undersecretary, Revenue Operations Group or his/her authorized representative

Vice Chairman

Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) or his/her authorized representative

280 cd

10,000.00

11,450,847.73

280 cd

10,000.00

18,793,384.14

360 cd

20,000.00

17,927,292.14

360 cd

20,000.00

25,463,885.30

360 cd

25,000.00

BOC Deputy Commissioner as designated by the BIR Commissioner or his/her representative

4,738,997.85

280 cd

5,000.00

2,369,652.79

360 cd

5,000.00

1,764,849.27

120 cd

5,000.00

Section 3. Authority of the Fuel Marking TWG. It shall be the responsibility of the Fuel Marking TWG to formulate and implement the fuel marking program within the bounds of applicable laws and regulations. The authority necessary to commence and implement the program are granted to the Fuel marking TWG, including but not limited to the following:

604,823.46

120 cd

1,000.00

(1) Approve the Terms of Reference (TOR) and engagement of the services of the fuel marking provider as recommended by the BOC and the BIR;

2,843,604.27

280 cd

5,000.00

(2) Approve the operational and technical instructions on the implementation of the fuel marking program as recommended by the BOC and the BIR; and

Prospective Bidders are not allowed to participate if they have negative slippage in their ongoing contracts. Individuals with Special Power of Attorney (SPA) are not allowed to transact and participate in the procurement utilizing another construction firm. The schedule of BAC activities are as follows: BAC Activities 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-bid Conference 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids

(SGD) GIL S. BELTRAN Undersecretary and BAC Chairman

11,453,288.48

Schedule Starting November 22, 2017 November 29, 2017 December 13, 2017

Time 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders upon payment of non-refundable amount of the Bid Documents to the Cashier.

Noted:

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC CHAIRMAN

The Department of Finance (DOF), Government of the Philippines under the General Appropriations Act for CY 2017 intends to apply the sum of Two Million One Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php2,100,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Supply and Delivery of Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Model for Specific Industries and Sustainability Trainings. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at the opening of the financial proposals.

MANDATING THE MARKING OF ALL PETROLEUM PRODUCTS THAT ARE REFINED IN, MANUFACTURED IN, AND/OR IMPORTED INTO THE PHILIPPINES

Republic of the Philippines Office of the President NATIONAL IRRIGATION ADMINISTRATION (PAMBANSANG PANGASIWAAN NG PATUBIG) Region 8, Tacloban City

Ms. Aileen C. Sagun Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph

(MS-NOV. 24, 2017)

The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Region 8, Marasbaras, Tacloban City through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), hereby invites Domestic Contractors, registered with and classified by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB), to bid for the hereunder contracts. Bids received in excess of ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on November 29, 2017 at 11:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan.

Roxas Boulevard Corner Pablo Ocampo, Sr. Street Manila 1004 Request foR expRessIon of InteRest foR PROCUREMENT OF CONSULTANCY SERVICE FOR THE SUPPLY AND DELIVERY OF COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS (CBA) MODEL FOR SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES AND SUSTAINABILITY TRAININGS FOR THE TAX INCENTIVES DATABASE BUILD-UP ANALYSIS (TIDBA) PROJECT

(SGD) ALEJANDRO C. CULIBAR, D.M. BAC Chairman

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committee and inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Approved Budget for the Contract

Republic of the Philippines

The BAC will issue a complete set of Bidding Documents to eligible bidders upon payment of non-refundable amount of the Bid Documents to the Cashier.

Office Address:

500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million More than 500 Million

“Today we are witnessing the beginning of a new and unfolding full democracy in our country,” he said in front of hundreds of supporters, some wearing shirts emblazoned with images of the 75-year-old leader. “We want to grow our economy, we want jobs... all patriotic Zimbabweans (should) come together, work together,” he said. He was surrounded by a large security detail and arrived at the headquarters of the ruling ZANU-PF party in a presidentialstyle motorcade. Two young men held a stuffed crocodile above their heads, a reference to Mnangagwas’s nickname, earned for his reputation for stealth and ruthlessness. AFP

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

Cost of Bid Docs

Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Peso) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 75,000.00

H A R A R E ― Z i m b a b w e ’s incoming president Emmerson Mnangagwa told adoring crowds in Harare on Wednesday that they were witnessing “unfolding full democracy” as he returned to take power after Robert Mugabe stepped down after 37 years in power. It was his first public speech since Mugabe fired him on November 6 over a succession tussle with the former first lady, a move that prompted the military’s intervention to force Mugabe from power, leading to his resignation on Tuesday. Mnangagwa, who has close ties to the army and the security establishment, will be sworn in as president at an inauguration ceremony on Friday, officials said.

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”.

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a nonrefundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 04-2012 listed below.

Zimbabwe’s next leader prepares to take power

Telefax No. (632) 323-7596 TIN 000-916-415

NIA Road, Marasbaras Tacloban City, Philippines www.nia.gov.ph

Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

(SGD) ALEJANDRO C. CULIBAR, D.M. BAC Chairman

Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Or his/her authorized representative Members

BIR Deputy Commissioner as designated by the BIR Commissioner or his/her representative

(3) Perform oversight function over the engaged fuel marking provider and conduct periodic inspections on the facilities and personnel of the fuel marker provider; The Fuel Marking TWG may call upon any officials of the Department of Finance (DOE) and its attached agencies for assistance in the implementation of this Order. They may further request the participation of experts and resource persons, as they may deem necessary, for the same purpose. Section 4. Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue shall issue the relevant administrative issuances, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Finance, necessary for the implementation and enforcement of the Fuel Marking Program. Section 5. Separability Clause. If for any reason, any provision of this Order is declared unconstitutional or invalid, such parts thereof not affected shall remain in full force and effect. Section 6. Repealing Clause. All orders, circulars, memoranda, and other issuances, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Department Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly. Section 7. Effectivity. This Department Order shall take effect immediately after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

(SGD) JIMMY L. APOSTOL Regional Manager

CARLOS G. DOMINGUEZ Secretary of Finance (MS-NOV. 24, 2017)

(MS-NOV. 24, 2017)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Canadian trash in containers still in Subic Bay

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

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

By Romeo Dizon

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

QUEEN IN TOWN. Newly-crowned Reina Hispanoamericana Teresita Ssen ‘Winwyn’ Marquez (center) receives a plaque of recognition from Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez and his wife Janet (left side), for bringing pride to the city and the country with her victory in the international beauty pageant. Marquez’s parents, former city mayor Joey Marquez and former actress and city councilor Alma Moreno (right side), joined Winwyn, in the ceremony at City Hall, followed by a motorocade in her honor.

QC named UN City, only one in country By Rio N. Araja QUEZON City has been declared a United Nations City—the only city in the Philippines given this recognition. The citation was announced during the UN Conference on Road Safety organized by the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance. Aldrin Cuña, city administrator, said QC was chosen in recognition of its efforts in promoting peace, safe migration of overseas Filipino workers, and its partnership with UN-based organizations. “Because of our commitment to UN conventions and human rights, we have been declared a UN City, and also because of our efforts in promoting peace. We all know Mayor Herbert Bautista is part of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines peace panel,” Cuna said. Every constituent of the city must be proud of the UN recognition, he said. As a result of the declaration, the UN flag will now fly alongside Quezon City’s colors at city hall’s flagpole.

Makati seniors gain gifts By Joel E. Zurbano

HE Makati City government on Thursday announced it has started distributing year-end cash gifts to more than 79,000 senior citizens in time for the holiday season. The senior citizens, who are beneficiaries of the city’s Blu Card program, will be receiving cash gifts on scheduled dates from Nov. 23 until Dec. 11, 2017. The Blu Card holders get the annual gift corresponding to their age cat-

egories as follows: Beneficiaries 60 to 69 years old will receive P1,500; 70-79 years old, P2,000; and 8089 years old, P2,500. This year, the city government allocated P326.2 million for the cash gifts to seniors and centenarians.

It is given in two equal installments every June and December. “We dearly love our elderly Makatizens and we remain committed to giving them a happy life in every way possible. We hope that the cash gift benefit will help defray their expenses for day-to-day needs,” said Mayor Abigail Binay. The program was launched in 2002 initially to provide financial assistance worth P3,000 to beneficiaries of a Blu Card holder upon his or her demise. It was ex-

panded in 2003 to include financial assistance in the form of a cash gift to augment their budget for daily needs like food and medicine through City Ordinance No. ‪2003-058. Upon the initiative of Mayor Binay, members of the City Council approved late last year City Ordinance 2016-A-043, granting an additional P1,000 to the annual cash gift of Blu Card holders. City social welfare department chief Ryan Barcelo said Blu Card holders from

By Bill Casas

DREAM STREAM. Mall workers dressed as Venetian characters (lower left corner) regale and bring holiday cheer to patrons at the Venice Grand Canal at Mckinley Hill in Taguig City during its Venetian Christmas launch. The mall will hold a Grand Christmas Parade on Dec. 9. Manny Palmero

said were “baseless accusations and misinformation” through the sharing of “fake news” by top leaders and supporters of his political foes on social media. He specifically cited a reported Court of Appeals Resolution No. CA G.P. SP No. 149375, dated October 13, 2017 and supposedly

penned by CA Justice Japar B. Dimaampao, as “fake.” This report, Bayron said, was posted on the Facebook account of a certain Jose Maria “Joey” Mirasol, who the mayor identified as a top political adviser of former city mayor Edward Hagedorn. Mirasol’s Facebook post on Nov. 17 reads: “The CA

Munti ‘tanods’ now traffic enforcers THE Muntinlupa Traffic Management Bureau will be deputizing barangay police officers or “tanods” in its traffic operations starting December. Through a memorandum of agreement, Barangay Tunasan police officers shall be deployed to augment traffic management along barangay roads. Barangay Police Officers can apprehend and issue tickets to traffic violators, particularly illegally-parked and stalled vehicles. Tunasan’s tanods will be trained by the MTMB on

barangays Bel-Air, Southside and Sta. Cruz on Thursday got their cash gift at their respective barangay halls. At the same date and time, the distribution of cash gift for beneficiaries from La Paz and Valenzuela was at their covered courts. For barangay Kasilawan, the venue will be at the covered court of barangay Carmona. Today, the distribution for barangays Pitogo, San Lorenzo, Pinagkaisahan, Carmona and Singkamas will take place at their barangay

halls, while it will be done at the Elderly Wellness Center for the beneficiaries from Tejeros. Beneficiaries from barangays Olympia (covered court) and Bangkal (barangay hall) are slated on Nov. 27 and 28, while those from barangays Comembo and East Rembo can claim their cash gift at their respective covered courts on Nov. 29. On Dec. 1 and 2, the distribution will be done at the barangay hall of barangay Rizal and at the covered court of barangay Poblacion.

Manila on lookout for banned firecrackers

Puerto Princesa mayor hits ‘fake news’ posted on Facebook PUERTO Princesa City Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron on Thursday decried the use and distribution of “fake news” by his political opponents aimed at “sowing confusion, to malign, vilify him in public, and worst destroy his reputation and person” as an elective public official. Bayron reacted to what he

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga―The 105 containers containing trash and hazardous materials imported from Canada four years ago are not going anywhere—remaining in their current position at the Subic Bay Freeport—despite statements to the contrary by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. No action is being taken on the trash, neither by the importer nor concerned government agencies, two weeks after Trudeau was asked during the recent 31st Asean Summit meeting in Manila what would be done with it. Vic dela Cruz, division head of the hazardous waste management bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Luzon, said neither the Canadian government nor the importer had contacted the DENR office for the immediate and proper disposal of the 40-footer containers with garbage. The only information received from the importer, identified as Adelfa Eduardo of Chronic Plastic, is no longer interested to return the containers to Canada due to lack of funds, Dela Cruz said. “I don’t know if they paying storage fee inside the naval base [in Subic],” he added.

traffic rules, regulations, and road trafficking techniques. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi hopes the initiative will improve traffic conditions in the city, especially its barangay road network. “Muntinlupa LGU supports the national government’s drive of clearing the country’s roads of illegally parked and stalled vehicles obstructing the free flow of traffic,” Fresnedi added. The tanods will be deputized for six months and may be renewed after passing the written and actual

examination to be administered by the Traffic Bureau, the mayor said. Deputized barangay police officers shall submit monthly reports to MTMB, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the city government on the status of apprehensions. Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said the deputation in Tunasan will serve as a pilot project for the project. Other barangays are also encouraged to train with the Traffic Bureau, she added.

Resolution dated 13 Oct 2017 that Bayron claims stays the Ombudsman dismissal order is fake. It does not appear on the CA case status website and cannot be confirmed by Justice Japar Dimaampao. True blue dishonesty.” Bayron charged that Mirasol’s post was a “complete falsehood” and “malicious-

ly dispensed” to lie to and fool the public. The supposed CA order was “fully debunked” by the certification issued by lawyer Teresita R. Marigomen, Clerk of Court for the appellate court, and lawyer Arnel D. Macapagal, Chief Reporter of the CA, on Tuesday, Nov. 21. Benjamin B. Chavez

TO PROTECT public health and safety, the city government of Manila under Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada has started monitoring local public markets for banned firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices. Estrada has tasked the Market Administration Office to look out for unscrupulous vendors or stallholders engaged in the clandestine sale and distribution of illegal firecrackers. “This early, we should start a close surveillance of our markets and strictly remind the vendors that they could be penalized for selling prohibited firecrackers as mandated by the law,” Estrada said, referring to Republic Act 7183. The law regulates the sale, manufacture, distribution and use of 10 common types of firecrackers and 12 types of pyrotechnic devices. Firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices not specifically listed in the subject law are considered prohibited such “Super Lolo,” “Big Triangulo” and similar ones with high explosive content that could endanger life and limb.

Estrada also cited Executive Order No. 28 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on June 20 further limiting the use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic materials only during community fireworks displays. The city government, according to Estrada, is still waiting for the Philippine National Police to release the updated list of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices that are prohibited under EO 28. “While we are waiting for the guidance of the PNP, we will continue monitoring our public markets following the provisions of RA 7183,” he said. Under EO 28 and pursuant to RA 7183, the PNP should promulgate the criteria for what constitutes forbidden firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices within 30 days upon the effectivity of the EO No. 28 for the guidance of the public. According to Section 3 of the subject executive order, all firecrackers falling under PNP’s specific list of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices may not be manufactured, sold, distributed, or used even as part of a community fireworks display.

SOLAR ROOF. Foreign

guests walk past the 2,914-piece solar panel on the rooftop of SM City Trece Martires in Cavite on Wednesday. The solar panels are capable of generating half a megawatt of electricity, enough to fully charge 130,000 cellphones, light up 15,500 10-watt LED lamps, run 4,500 30-watt electric fans, and provide power to 300 households, according to mall officials. SM’s use of solar energy promotes clean air and saves the environment by helping reduce carbon footprint from electricity produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, officials added. Norman Cruz

Life

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

culture and media

fRIday, noVemBeR 24, 2017

Pages

Multimedia comedian’s new book

MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA. The talented scholars of Klassikal Music Foundation, together with founder Dr. George T. Yang, showcase their singing prowess at 'Klassikal Music Foundation Presents: One With the Stars'.

Music onstage

STanD-uP comedian and comedy writer Alex “The Master” Calleja, who has helped bring Filipino stand-up comedy to a wider audience, now conquers a new medium with his book Lakas Tawa (aBS-cBn Publishing). alex is now a certified multimedia comedian in the country, having done gigs in bars, stage and television and, now, print with the release of his compilation of jokes not just from his Lakas Tawa program on aBS-cBn TVplus channel cineMo, but from the entirety of his entertainment career. The Pinoy comedian, who was runner up at the Laugh Factory’s global search for the Funniest Person in the World said of the book, “It’s handy so it can be brought anywhere. It can make people laugh wherever they are.” The former IT professional said it feels good to see his jokes in a book and is proud to be a published writer. “I’m now in the same league as Jose Rizal, J.K. Rowling, and Dan Brown,” he quipped. Priced at P150, the book is exclusively available in all national Book Store outlets nationwide. Fans can continue to watch alex calleja’s comedic genius through his bar shows and Lakas Tawa” on cineMo (aBS-cBn TVplus ch. 3) everyday at 10:55 a.m., 4:55 p.m. and 10:55 p.m..

KmF scholars in ‘one with the stars’

ack from last year’s hit classical concert Songs from a Silver World, the scholars of klassikal Music Foundation (kMF) put a grand twist on some of the most enjoyable songs ever written in Klassikal Music Foundation presents: One with the Stars, kMF’s 10th anniversary musical extravaganza.

Held at Maybank Performing arts Theatre, the concert trained the spotlight on the kMF scholars and their talents. They performed their own renditions of contemporary songs apart from numbers from world famous operas. Inspired by a song from the musical Fame, the show featured a repertoire that included old favorites such as “Thank you for the Music” and “To all the Girls I Loved Before,” and recent chart-toppers such as “chandelier” and “Girl on Fire.” “our aim is to bring joy to the entire community that supports the brightest scholars of the klassikal Music Foundation and the organization,” says Dr. George T. Yang, Mcdonald’s Philippines founder and chairman. The kMF scholars delighted guests with their voices together with the Foundation’s founder himself. Dr. yang, recognized as one of the Philippines’ most sought-after tenors, performed a special number during the show. Rising balladeer Daryl Ong, the night’s special guest, also serenaded the audience with a soulful rendition of the song “How Did you know?” The concert was broken into six segments and directed by International Filipino baritone and Musical Theater director Andrew Fernando, with musical direction by Dingdong Fiel, choreography by Rudy De Dios and Anselmo Dictado of Ballet Manila, and lighting design by John Batalla. kMF Board Members include Dr. yang, Dr. Raul Sunico, Lily Monteverde, Rachelle Gerodias-Park, Gerard Salonga, and Dr. Raul Navarro. One With the Stars was a concert unlike any other. The young vocalists who performed that night were regarded as some of the best of their generation. With kMF’s help,

'Lakas Tawa,' a compilation of jokes by Alex Calleja

Dancers from the Lisa Macuja-Elizalde School of Ballet Manila elegantly interpret the song 'Colors of the Wind' sung by the KMF scholars they have perfected their skills through training with the finest voice teachers from the top local conservatories. now, they are ready to take on the world. “as the leading scholarship program for classical singers in the country, we will keep on pushing the boundaries for our students. We want our singers to be capable of providing quality entertainment as they perform pop tunes as timeless songs,” says Dr. yang. “kMF is focused on the future of each scholar. Their success brings joy to the entire community.” The Foundation takes pride in the level of talent and skill demonstrated by its scholars, whom it considers

not only as superb performers but also as symbols of the enduring relevance and importance of the art form. “classical singers matter in an ever changing, ever forward-moving world by pursuit of excellence,” adds Dr. yang. “kMF aims to show that young classical singers can also make a meaningful impact in our country’s music industry.” Founded in 2007 by Dr. George T. yang, kMF is a scholarship fund that provides assistance to deserving students who are financially incapable of pushing through with costly music degrees. By doing so, this brings these wunderkinds closer to their dreams.

design

Students and industry leaders collaborate on design exhibit

Spider chair by Mary Patron and John Zureta

A collaborative robotic structure by Stuart Yang, Dorothy Chan, Anthony Brian Cruz and Patrick Sunico

Many may be unaware, but most of today’s gadgets and equipment became a reality, thanks to the exhaustive work of industrial designers. Smartphones, desktops and laptop computers, furniture and home appliances, automobiles, and aircraft, all these involved the painstaking effort of conceptualizing and creating not only the most efficient products, but also ones that are sustainable and user friendly. The students and faculty of the Industrial Design (ID) program of De La Salle-college of Saint Benilde (DLS-cSB) recently held Extraordinary, a showcase of the material output by the creative minds, at partner establishment SM aura Premier atrium, led by Mall Manager Margie de Leon. Spearheaded by internationally acclaimed Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue, who serves as a DLS-cSB Senior Industry Fellow, the exhibit featured items ranging from rendering and tabletop models, to lighting and furniture designs. actual outputs shown included modern packaging, 3D printed crafts and objects, handmade stools, and luxe furniture. a robotics display was likewise achieved through the endeavor of members of the faculty, which highlighted the ID department’s capabilities. artworks from the center for campus art’s exhibit Design, art, autism, which dwells on this specific mental condition, added color to the show. Benilde School of Design and arts (SDa) Environmental Studies cluster associate Dean, architect Cynthia Funk, pointed out that the ID program not only requires reserves of imagination, inspiration, and innovation, but also “practicality and sustainability, a social responsibility, and creativity in action”. Meanwhile, cobonpue explained that Extraordinary was an opportunity for the public to see the diversity of the ideas and skills Benilde’s ID students possesses. He said, “In school, new ideas are always nurtured.” “What I like about this exhibit is that what it shows are on-going developments, and there are things that can be improved,” he said. “We are trying to infuse a science of form-making of aesthetics that’s applicable to everything,” he added.

First ‘culture changer’ magazine launched

InDocHInE Media Philippines launched My Pope, the country’s first culture changer magazine that is entirely dedicated to being the monthly source of inspiration for readers from all walks of life. The launch issue celebrates the lifestyle and values of Pope Francis. Take a peek into his living quarters, and discover a more private side of his personality in an exclusive interview with his niece. on the local front, the magazine is filled with stories that highlight encouraging developments in the lives of our fellow Filipinos—positive and gamechanging Filipinos whose values and actions reflect the same ones Lolo kiko stands for. Sections will feature good news, inspiring stories, traditions, arts and crafts, everyday heroes and much more. and as Pope Francis always emphasizes the importance of community, My Pope will also include the miracles—both big and small—readers have experienced in their own lives. My Pope Philippines is available at newsstands at a launch price of 85 per copy.

My Pope Philippines magazine

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017 Isah V. Red, Editor • Nickie Wang, Writer

…are talking about

...are not talking about

Bench Under the Stars The daring biennial underwear show staged by country’s leading mass produced fashion brand united all the fandoms last weekend. In fact, many were tweeting about the steamy fashion show it trended for a few days generating an avalanche of memes for everyone to feast on. From big stars who were apparently fully clothed to the barely there fashion and showbiz personalities who left almost nothing to the audiences’ imagination, it sure did have everything for everyone. Bench knows how to tease people and we just can’t wait for the next “high-class” ﬂesh fest to happen again. Sarah Geronimo The German-based Daf BAMA Music Awards has named the singer-actress best Filipino Act. Meanwhile, Golden Panther Awards, an international awards ceremony that honors best-selling recording artists, included her in their list of nominees this year for the Best Artist Awards. These two may mean nothing, as they are virtually unknown music award giving bodies. But the fact they only included Sarah G in their respective lists of best artists means that the singer-actress is the most recognizable and popular recording star in the country.

CineLokal An internationally acclaimed director once said that the indie ﬁlm industry is not and will never be the “new mainstream” as indies cannot not compete with commercial movies because they have an entirely different audience and target market. So, why did CineLokal get bumped off? Was it because the organizers were afraid that they might lose their audience because of Justice League? Talk about lack of conﬁdence in someone’s own work.

Alyas Robin Hood So, it’s already bye-bye for primetime series that features the network’s primetime king. Why are they cancelling the program? We thought it’s one of their top-rating and income- generating TV series? We bet the network has already gone past the in-denial stage and now realized that the material they renew for a second season is no longer moving at an entertaining pace. Derek Ramsay ABS-CBN is welcoming the actor back. In a statement released by the network, it said that Derek and the management have already “resolved the issues arising from his transfer to another network ﬁve years ago.” Perhaps, the actor has already realized that he just wasted ﬁve years in his showbiz career going nowhere. But it’s a good decision though, at least he now knows that no other network can give him the exposure that needs.

Justice League Warner Bros. Pictures’ epic action adventure proved its might at the Philippine box ofﬁce, earning almost P300 million across 772 screens to become the no. 1 release in the country, and setting new records. With its four-day gross, it toppled Thor: Ragnarok that conquered the Philippine box-ofﬁce last month with P200 million ticket sales. So who says Filipinos like movies that don’t challenge their intelligence and taste in terms of visual effects and storytelling?

ABS-CBN programs, content honored at CMMA ABS-CBN picked up 12 honors, including Best Drama Series Program and Best News Commentary, for its shows and other content that champion good values worth emulating by Filipinos at the 39th Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA). Top-rating afternoon family drama The Greatest Love, which ended in April and told the story of Gloria (Sylvia Sanchez), a mother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and struggling to keep her family

together, was named Best Drama Series Program. Meanwhile, Failon Ngayon sa DZMM, Ted Failon’s award-winning radio show, was hailed as Best News Commentary. Other Kapamilya winning programs include Home Sweetie Home (Best Comedy Program), ASAP (Best Entertainment Show), Oyayi (Best Children and Youth Program), and Pluma (Best Religious Program). ABS-CBN songs, music

videos, and station ID were also honored, including “Ikaw ang Sunshine Ko” (Best Secular Song), ABS-CBN Palawan Christmas Station ID 2016 (Best Station ID), “Together We Thrive” by Piolo Pascual (Best Music Video and Best Inspirational Song), and Halalan Prayer (Best TV AD-Public Service). Since 1978, the Catholic Mass Media Awards (CMMA) has honored media programs and other content that spread Seasoned actress Sylvia Sanchez (third from right) with the rest of the cast of the family drama, "the Greatest Love" genuine Christian values.

Kapuso news head honored at UP CMC’s 1st Glory Awards FOR her work in the field as GMA News Online’s for a three-day period of broadcast journalism, Executive Vice President during the May 2016 GMA Network’s Senior for Editorial, also helped National Elections. Vice President for News accomplish GMA News GMA News pillar Jessica and Public Affairs Marissa Online’s record-breaking Soho, documentarist/ Flores was honored at the audience engagement of anchor Kara David, and first-ever Glory Awards. journalist 109.8 million page views investigative Flores, a Malou Mangahas Bachelor of Arts in were also awarded Communications Glory medals of Major in Journalism distinction. graduate at the UP The Glory Awards College of Mass was organized in Communication, honor of UP CMC’s is credited for the first dean, the late comprehensive growth Dr. Gloria Feliciano. of GMA Network’s The awardees— News and Public all alumni of UP Affairs organization CMC—were chosen that currently airs for their outstanding more than 30 regular work and influence programs, as well in broadcasting, as numerous public j o u r n a l i s m , affairs specials. communication Under Flores’ research and film, leadership, GMA as well as allied News and Public communications Affairs has earned the fields such as distinction of being development the most awarded communications, broadcast news m a r k e t i n g organization in the communications, country. public relations, Flores, who GMA Network's Senior Vice President for social advocacy and concurrently serves News and Public Affairs Marissa Flores the performing arts.

Lasallian community holds frosh acquaintance party #UN17E recently welcomed the newest batch of freshmen of the De La Salle University (DLSU) and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLSCSB) with a grafﬁti and street art themed gig at the Henry Sy Sr. Hall Grounds. Organized by DLSU’s Lasallian Ambassadors (LAMB) and Benilde’s Student Trainers (STRAINS), it aimed to acquaint the frosh students with the entire Lasallian community. Well-known DJ Rammy Bitong, a DLSU alumnus, and Raphael Carbonell started off the night with music, before DJ Cupcakes (Stephen Tongco) and fellow Benildeans DJs Chris Hiceta and Rever (Gabby Mirandilla) faced off in a discspinning contest. Indie bands Autotelic, Ben

from other Lasallian schools in the country, including De La Salle Zobel, De La Salle Sta. Rosa and De La Salle Dasmariñas. “You all now are called Lasallians!” he declared. On the other hand, Brother Suplido emphasized that a Lasallian is not just being a student at a Lasallian institution, but it is about being DLSU President Bro. Raymundo Suplido FSC and DLS-CSB President Bro. Dennis Magbanua FSC welcome the Lasallian- part of a family. “We are 85 Lasallian Benildean community present at the UNITE 2017 event families in the whole world.” & Ben, Lunar Lights, as they showcased their Hosts 99.5 Play FM and Brisom then took hip-hop moves. A short break brought DJs Katz and Jelo then over with a feels trip of favorite hugot songs that in the hip-hopping duo introduced the evening’s everyone sang along to. of DLSU President Bro. most-awaited set. The Suplido cheering of the crowd The attendees burst Raymundo into chaotic cheers FSC and DLS-CSB welcomed vocalist Yael during a showdown President Bro. Dennis Yuzon as Spongecola FSC. played the hit song between Saint Benilde Magbanua Romançon Dance They greeted the new “Tuliro,” which rocked Company (SBRDC) breed of students, with the Taft grounds and and La Salle Dance Brother Magbanua also lifted up spirits despite students the downpour. Company-Street (LSDC) welcoming

Motoring

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Chevrolet Colorado: Centennial edition

OR 100 YEARS, Chevrolet has relentlessly built legendary, strong, and dependable trucks that are made for work and play. From the ﬁrst production Chevy 1918 One-Ton to the redesigned Chevrolet Colorado, the same DNA has been carried through each Chevrolet truck – that of power, dependability, durability, and quality.

Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), announces the introduction of the bowtie brand’s latest icon: the 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Centennial Edition, a truck that celebrates 100 years of Chevrolet Truck heritage.

Legendary Design The 2018 Colorado Centennial Edition features design elements that exude the rich Chevrolet truck engineering history. It includes exclusive heritage bowtie emblems on the front and rear. On its front doors are 100-year Chevro-

let badges that are inspired by the colors and design cues found on early trucks. Each limited-edition Colorado Centennial model also features a vehicle build number displayed as badges on its front doors and unique hood decals. Sitting on 18-inch black alloy wheels, the truck’s robust design makes it the ideal vehicle for heavy-duty work and off-road adventures. The rugged character of the 2018 Colorado Centennial Edition is further enhanced by the inclusion of a bedliner, fender flares, and a tubular body sports bar as standard. Built to Last The Chevrolet Colorado Centennial Edition is powered by a 2.8L Duramax four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. With a Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT), it

produces 200 horsepower at 3,800 rpm and 500 Nm of torque at a low 2,000 rpm. The Euro 4-compliant engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The Colorado retains the same serious off-road capability with its 1-ton hauling capacity, 3.5-ton towing capacity, and best-in-class 800mm water wading capability. The Chevrolet truck is equipped with host of active and passive safety features to keep your mind at ease wherever you are on the road. The 2018 Colorado Centennial Edition features side impact beams, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), dual front airbags, Panic Brake Assist (PBA), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Hill Descent Con-

trol (HDC) and Hill Start Assist (HSA), Roll-Over Mitigation (ROM), and Trailer Sway Control (TSC). The Colorado comes with convenient features including remote start engine, front and rear park assist, electro chromatic inside rearview mirror, lane departure warning, forward collision alert, and tire pressure monitoring system. Form and Function Inside, the new 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Centennial Edition provides superior comfort and segment-leading technology and connectivity, including an intuitive 8-inch color touchscreen that houses the latest-generation Chevrolet MyLink Infotainment System and Siri Eyes Free, which serves as a vehicle personal assistant so you can keep your eyes on

the road and hands on the wheel at all times. The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Centennial Edition is another icon in the bowtie brand’s legendary line of trucks. Available at a limited number, the special edition truck is priced at PHP 1,848,888.00. It will be available in Summit White color. The 2018 Chevrolet Colorado Centennial Edition will officially be available in Chevrolet showrooms on November 30, 2017. It will also be featured in the upcoming Chevrolet Motorama at SM Megamall from November 30 to December 6, 2017. To know more about Chevrolet Philippines, its products and latest offers, log on to www.chevrolet. com.ph or like the Chevrolet Philippines Facebook page.

FASTLANE

Celebrate Christmas with Blade WITH Christmas just around the corner, Blade Autocenter is the perfect shopping destination to purchase gifts for your Dad or brother who’s into cars. Strategically located in 50 branches nationwide, Blade’s automotive lifestyle stores can be conveniently found in SM, Robinsons and Ayala Malls. a With globally popular brands such as Sparco, OMP, Goodyear, Polaroid and Chupa Chups and car care products such as Sonax, Wurth, Megiuars and Mother’s among others available in their network of stores, Blade has carved it-

self a respectable niche in the aftermarket industry as the ultimate automotive lifestyle store in the domestic market. The brands we carry are all licensed and Blade is an official distributor of the aforementioned brands. We also offers special discounts on items ian observance of the Christmas rush,” explains Albert Go of Blade. They also have an extensive line-up of audio-video products such as Pioneer and an array of safety gadgets dashboard cameras from brands such as Blaupunkt and Poloroid. Blade Auto Center’s line of car accessories

and gadgets are reasonably priced due to its high purchase volume. “Savings are passed on to the customers. With our network of 50 locations, Blade is able to negotiate for the lowest cost,” adds Go. Trained personnel are on hand to assist and answer any inquiries, plus installation of accessories is also an option for consumers. With stores conveniently located in malls nationwide, customers can shop in a relaxed and cool environment with professional sales representatives on hand to offer advice and technical information about the products.

New skin in six days FOILACAR Industries, the company which innovated car paint protection and preservation is set to carve inroads into the local market with its latest automotive protection system. Dubbed as FoilaPaint, this paint procedure is a total makeover of the car in any color in just six days. This is made possible by Foilacar’s GlossFx controlled environment paint system. The GlossFX is a big oven designed to dry out any foil on cars in 30 minutes. This procedure fast tracks car foiling technology, whose drying time

usually takes a day to dry out. “This machine enables us to paint anything from the car exterior, down to interior pieces for our Foilainterior Division. The technology involves diesel combustion which is utilized for heating the oven in a safe and environment-friendly manner,” adds Jan Vincent Mercado, Chief Financial Officer of Foilacar Industries. This multi-million oven technology also enables us to finish more cars. Unlike before due to the drying time, our output is limited. Now with GlossFX, we

can dry out five to eight cars a day,” explains Lester Codog, President of Foilacar Industries. As car guys, we all love the concept of temporarily changing the color of your car, wheels and other accessories. We did that with Foilacar, although when it came to wheels and other body panels like the grille of a car or SUV, the foil wrapping is a bit tedious and time consuming. We were searching for a technology that would provide ease of use and offer the same protection and visual appeal of the vinyl wrap,” adds Codog.

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor DINO DIRECTO III Asst. Editor

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

Motoring

Tesla takes on the supercar manufacturers with its cutting edge Roadster.

TESLA roadster cutting-edge supercar Text by Dino Ray V. Directo III

mid the jeering crowds and in the shadows of the World’s ﬁrst e-truck, Elon Musk, TESLA’s innovative Founder and CEO unveiled to what seems to be the silver bullet that just might take out the conventional gasoline-fed supercars of the present generation

TESLA’s all-new roadster is a stunning four-seater that boasts jaw-dropping numbers that measure up to the claims of Musk who at the onset of the unveiling promised an electric supercar that would blow the likes of Porsche and Ferrari off the water. “This is a smackdown to the fossil fuel addicted automotive industry, and this is a sign that tomorrow’s technology is here today,” states Musk. With the Beastie Boy’s song “Sabotage” blaring loudly from surround speakers at the venue, the second-generation TESLA Roadster came to an abrupt stop with Musk grinning and began to introduce his latest offering to the World, an electric roadster that can make the boys from Stuttgart and Maranello break a sweat.

He began to explain that this “base” model will do 0 to 60 in 1.9 seconds, the only car in the World at the moment to break the two-second barrier. He also said the new Roadster would climb from 0 to 100 mph in 4.2 seconds, and will clear the quarter mile in 8.9 seconds, “It’ll be faster than that jet over there,” Musk quipped, as an airplane flew over the vibrant crowd crammed into Tesla’s Hawthorne, California facility. Musk would not confirm the top speed, but hinted that it was “above 250 mph.” It is a humble comparison to the current world record holder, the Agera RS by Sweden’s Koenigsegg, which holds the record at 277.9 mph. As the crowd stood in stunned silence, Musk revealed that the Roadster was equipped with a

200kWh battery pack and with a 620-mile range per charge, or over 1,000 kilometers. Again, another record shattered — or so Musk claims. Imagine driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco and back, without recharging, Musk teased. The vehicle has three motors, one in the front and two in the rear, has an all-wheel drive lay out, and torque steering. The exterior design is an obvious kick in the butt against the sports car industry, with design cues inspired by its competitors which includes a McLaren P1 cockpit, an Acura NSX exterior, Bugatti Chiron headlights, a Targa-like roof, and a rear reminiscent of an Aston Martin DB10. “The point of doing this is to give

a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars,” Musk said. Driving any other turbo-charged sports car, is going to feel like a steam engine with a side of quiche. With buyers waiting at the sidelines for a crack at his new baby, Musk revealed that production of the Roadster is scheduled to start in 2020, but knowing TESLA, it could be earlier than that. Reservations are being entertained for $50,000 towards the $200,000 base price, or be different and get one of the first 1,000 Founders Series models with more performance and an asking price of $250,000 that has to be paid upfront. The launch of the TESLA Semi and the new Roadster is meant to usher in Musk’s next phase of his “Master Plan”.

The steering wheel is a design statement from Tesla.

The KYB Equipped Corolla of David Feliciano powered him to win the overall championship

KYB stages special rallycross leg

Text and photo by Dino Ray V. Directo III IN AN effort to prove the reliability and dependability of its shock absorbers, Massive Autoparts, the country’s pioneering company in suspension and automotive parts recently staged a special leg of the Philippine Rallycross Series. Held recently at the open parking grounds of the Clark International Speedway, the country’s best drivers went all out and hit the dirt hard as they battled for precious points leading up to the penultimate round in Clark. Dust clouds formed around the venue as veteran rallye drivers Jun Magno, Mon Dimapilis and David Feliciano, among others, drove out fast and took the corners with reckless abandon as each of the competitors slugged it out for the championship and the title of being the fastest dirt master of them all. In the end, talent eventually gave way to who had the best suspension set-up. The KYB Rallycross event in Clark will eventually become part of the 2018 Series according to Olson Camacho, veteran driver and founder of the rallycross series. A highlight to the Clark Rallycross leg was the “KYB Time

Attack”, which was clinched by veteran racer Mon Dimapilis. “KYB is proud to be a part of this Series, We are already excited for next year,” says Gen Leong of Massive Auto Parts. Plans are also in the pipeline to stage some of the races at the Lubao Motorsports Park. “Some of the legs will be held in Lubao, Pampanga as part of the local government’s tourism efforts,” adds Quesada. Best of the best in rallycross David Feliciano of Team KYB/Motul won the overall championship, by sweeping the Open Class, and Group Three Categories. His car, a Toyota Corolla AE111, is equipped with KYB’s New Special XR shock absorbers. The New SR Special is a premium direct replacement shock absorber that’s designed with greater durability ensuring the quality, structural reliability and safety of a genuine KYB shock absorber. With years of experience in manufacturing shock absorbers, KYB engineers obtained the most optimal damping characteristics through constant research and development, plus actual suspension tuning. This allows the New SR Special to enhance the basic performance of any car.

Tech & Gadgets First Anniversary Issue

WHAT’S INSIDE? Must-have for techies – D2 Battle of the Big Boys – D4 8 Types of Selfies – D6

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2017

IT’S A TECHIE WORLD

Tech and Gadgets Anniversary Issue

November 24, 2017

Must-haves for techies this Christmas By Peter Paul Duran

HE holidays are just around the bend and many of you are starting to think about what perfect gift to give this Christmas. You may have the budget, but not the idea. So save someone from your yearly Kris Kringle transgressions and veer away from the usual mugs and picture frames as we list down the 10 must have gadgets that you can buy to surprise that techie friend or loved one of yours. 1. DSLRs Digital photography has seen a big boost in recent years with more and more affordable consumer line models available in the market for

IdeaPad Y910, a stylish, powerful and portable plug-and-play device with DIY flexibility that offer the most immersive experiences. Price: Hold you breath, P130,000 to P150,000 Parting point: With a laptop, you’ll look very professional at your everyday coffee break at Starbucks. “May tinatapos lang na business report.”

the growing enthusiasts to choose from. Nikon D3400 It ranks up on top of the entry level DSLRs in the market today. If you’re looking for your first DSLR to upgrade from your point-andshoot camera, then this model is really a bang-for-the-buck. Notable entries are Canon’s 800D and Nikon D5600. Price: P20,000-P22,000 Parting point: Get professional looking pics at your Christmas party. But please, don’t wear this as a necklace, you’re not a jejemon. 2. Smart Watches If we’ll be adhering to the natural order of things, then watches are reserved primarily to show you what time it is. But if you’re like me where time is just a concept and a reminder of how I’m perpetually late all the time, then smart watches that offer so much more other than telling time, is a worthwhile gift to give this holidays. ZTE Quartz This bad boy is insanely priced lower than its competitors. Unlike the notable apple watch 3, the ZTE Quartz is handsomely priced at the 5k mark that lets you experience almost the same specs of other brands at a fraction of a cost. Price: P4,500-P5,000 Parting point: Now you have proof that you actually

jogged earlier this morning. No to those fake “after run” selfies! 3. Laptops These reliable computers-on-thego, are perfect for anyone. From students, working professionals, businessmen, entrepreneurs and even gamers, laptops provide so many in a build so compact. So this gadget really is one of the more staple products on anyone’s wish-list every Christmas. Asus VivoBook Max X541NA

Manila

Standard Cherry Mobile unwraps “CherryGalo Specials” this Christmas Season TODAY Spoiler alert: Enjoy BIG price drop!

Let’s all rejoice in this season of giving as Cherry Mobile, the mobile leader in local technology, rewards excited Christmas shoppers this yuletide season with more exciting devices and promos. Starting this November, grab your favorite Cherry Mobile smartphones that are on a big price drop. Kumpleto ang pasko sa CherryGalo! CHERRY MOBILE IRIS: EYES ON THE PRIZE SAVE P500! FROM P3,499, NOW ONLY P2,999. The Cherry Mobile IRIS, the mobile device designed with an eye scanner becomes the perfect gift for yuppies who love their tech and their privacy. Use your eyes to open this modern marvel. In addition to the impressive tech, IRIS boasts a 5’ HD Screen for crisp viewing, and 8MP rear and 5MP front camera for vivid captures. You’re also assured of a more seamless mobile experience thanks to the 1.3GHz Quad Core processor, 8 GB ROM and 1GB RAM. CHERRY MOBILE OMEGA ICON 2: SCREEN SUPREME SAVE P300! From P3,299, now only P2,999. Cherry Mobile dishes out an iconic model with the Omega Icon 2. Enjoy a full-HD viewing experience with exceptional clarity and vibrancy thanks to Omega’s 1080 x 1920, 5” screen and 8MP rear and 5MP front camera. Operating on Nougat 7.0 OS, the Omega Icon 2 goes big with a 1.3Ghz Quad-Core processor. Enjoy continuous performance as the Omega Icon 2 is also fitted with 1GB RAM and 8GB storage (expandable up to 32GB via micro SD).

CHERRY MOBILE FLARE X2: DOUBLE THE FUN SAVE P2,000! FROM P7,999, NOW P5,999. Elevate your gaming experience with this exceptionally powerful device that is powered by 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Octa-Core processor, and is equipped with a generous 4GB RAM coupled with 32GB internal memory that is expandable up to 64GB via microSD. Further, the Cherry Mobile Flare X2 goes sleeker on its premium exterior as it sports a 5.5” fullHD screen display and dualDragointail Glass panels. For a more modern feel, the Flare X2 is fitted with a fingerprint sensor, helping to transform the overall secured experience. The Flare X2 also goes bigger with a 16MP BSI PDAF rear camera with LED flash and 8-MP front camera. CHERRY MOBILE COSMOS THREE: UNIVERSALLY AWESOME SAVE P2,000! FROM P9,999, NOW ONLY P7,999. The stars have aligned to bring you Cherry Mobile’s powerhouse of a device, the Cosmos Three. This smartphone is fitted with the ultra-powerful MediaTek Heli X20 deca-core processor and a Mali-T880MP4 graphics processors, which ensures a smooth and seamless mobile experience. In addition, it boasts 3GB RAM, a 5.7” FHD IPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution, and a 13MP rear camera and 8MP front cameras. A great smartphone for hardworking professionals who need all-around connection, the Cosmos Three is dual SIM fitted and is 4G LTE, 700MHZ ready.

and IdeaPad Y910 It’s the most affordable that we can find but can still muster enough firepower to be a do-it-all laptop. Dell’s Inspiron 14 and Acer’s Aspire ES1-332 are also honorable mentions but it’s really up to you as the products don’t really differ from each other’s specs and price range. Price: P17,995 For the serious gamers, who have really serious money to burn, you can’t go wrong with Lenovo laptops, such as the

4. Home entertainment speakers The subtitle might be misleading as most HES or home entertainment speakers are more frequently used (and boasted) outdoors. Make every pool or garden Christmas party much more entertaining with these booming boxes. Heos 1

Listen to your favorite audio tracks wirelessly, indoors or outdoors, via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi audio streaming with the new Heos 1. The compact enclosure features humidity resistance, making the HEOS 1 ideal for listening in damp or steamy environments, such as the bathroom. It’s also a perfect outdoor system when on the go. Price: P16,000.00-17,000 Parting point: Use this anywhere and you’ll find yourself partying even in the middle of nowhere, just hope you still have the energy to dance even if you’re basically lost though. 5. Smartphones To rid smartphones off of this list is blasphemy so we take a look at the coolest smartphones options to give this holiday season. And 2017 saw a number of innovations in the smartphone scene with many brands offering unheralded features in their handsets at very competitive prices. Features that blew us away is the added security of the face recognition technology.

Vivo V7+ One such phone that has this technology is Vivo’s newest flagship phone. The phone sports an unheard of 24MP front cam and saw significant improvement in both hardware and specs from its predecessors. This phone is perfect for anyone that loves selfies, is all out at Mobile Legends and a perfect phone for the all-screen purists. Price: P17,990 Parting point: Well, smartphones. There’s not much explaining needed to why it’s a perfect gift to that techie loved one.

6. Gaming Consoles After setting record after record, Sony’s PlayStation series still tops anyone’s dream gift every holidays. A bespoke gift for those gamer daddies and the ultimate reward for the kids, game consoles are hard to scratch off any wish list. Sony PlayStation 4 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW Everyone who has owned a PlayStation or any gaming console for that matter will salivate at this product which features cool game controllers that match up to the games that they offer. If you’re on (Turn to page 2) a smaller budget but still want this beast, try out their Slim version. Game on! Price: (Pro) P18 to 19,000 (Slim) P14 to 15,000 Parting point: Get super HD quality on games and an enhanced gaming experience that you can

November 24, 2017

Tech and Gadgets Anniversary Issue

Must-haves...

gest going for the 1TB or 2TB hard drives. Western Digital My Passport 1TB Perfect for those hoarders of movies and soap operas, Western Digital’s credible line of true 1TB external storages would give anyone a terabyte of happiness when they receive on. Price: P3,000-4,000 Parting point: Don’t mistake these for powerbanks though. They might look the same but one’s not for the use of the other. Terabytes don’t charge phones. Or do they? Only time will tell.

From D2

share as a family this holiday break! 7. Earphones/Headphones F o r the music junkies, to receive a good pair of h i g h quality in-ear earphones or headphones is a Christmas wish come true. Escape the cacophony of the metro manila traffic when you commute with these devices. Bose SoundTrue Ultra Earphones Touted as one of the most comfortable in-ear headphones available in the market, that delivers clean and well-balanced sound. These stay securely in your ears, and an integrated inline remote works well for making cell-phone calls. Price: P4,000 Parting point: There are a lot of options out there but if you want to really cancel out the honking bus behind your ride, then consider putting these bad boys on. A word of caution though, don’t use them while crossing the street. 8. With the advent of internet streaming, Smart TVs are the in thing. And you need the “King of TV” to enjoy Netflix, iFlix and the like. LG OLED TV

Powered by the only organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology in the world, the LG OLED TV is designed to elevate home entertainment to premium cinematic levels. From delivering unrivalled audio-visual experiences right at home to a sleek, ultra-thin minimalist design perfect for any decor, the LG OLED TV is definitely on a league of its own. Price: See parting point. Parting point: You want a really nice TV set, be ready to cough up serious money. 9. External Drives Memory limits won’t be anymore of your problems when you receive (or

give) external hard drives. Variants come in at 256GB, 500GB, 1TB and so on, but if you really want to store all those K-Dramas and Netflix Series, then I sug-

10. Drones All right, this product is probably for the uber enthusiasts, but having a drone is sooo cool. So consider giving this product to your camera buff family member as an advanced

D3 gift for the next three Christmases. DJI Spark A mini drone that features all of DJI’s signature technologies, allowing you to seize the moment whenever you feel inspired. With intelligent flight control options, a mechanical gimbal, and a camera with incredible image quality, Spark empowers you to push your creative boundaries. Price: P30,500 Parting point: Drones are just so cool.

BATTLE OF THE BIG BOYS:TAKE YOUR PICK iPhone X, Google Pixel 2 XL, Samsung Galaxy S8

By Nathaniel Mariano

EVOLUTIONIZING smartphones for over a decade and even with the iconic Home button getting ditched from the physical display, Apple has surely brought its A-game to the world with the creation of its new ﬂagship smartphone called the iPhone X.

Congratulations on your

1st Anniversary

MANILA STANDARD TECH & GADGETS!

Released last Nov. 3, Apple just marked a new era of iPhones as the iPhone X allows its users to fully immerse themselves on the phone, experiencing the device as the real display. Now tagged as the future of smartphones, the new iPhone X was quickly the talk of the town as Apple packed the said smartphone with incredible new features and advanced technologies. Apple iPhone X iPhone X has developed the form and display together to define a whole new integration. A stunning all-screen, all-glass display is apparent from front to back and its corners, polished in a stainless steel band to reinforce the water-resistant design. For the first time, the allglass formulation, the most durable glass used in a smartphone, enables its users to charge their phones wirelessly. The 5.8-inch Super Retina display, the first OLED panel, provides users with a million-to-one contrast ratio, beautiful colors, true blacks and a wide array of color support. The High-Definition Range (HDR) feature allows users to capture amazing photo and video contents. Also, for more dynamic and real experience, the True Tone feature automatically adjusts the white balance of the interface in order to match the natural light surrounding the user. The new TrueDepth camera system, located within the tiny space above the phone, enables new features. By mapping 50 facial muscle movements in real time, the TrueDepth camera brings emojis to life called as the Animoji. It features the 7MP TrueDepth camera and a redesigned 12MP rear camera with dual OIS for capturing more detailed photos and videos. It also uses depth-sensing technology that allows users to unlock their phones at a glance called the Face ID. With over 30,000 dots invisible to the naked eye, the Face ID maps the geographical points of the user’s face. More so, the neural engine on the A11 bionic chip, the one responsible for delivering great performance amidst multi-purpose use, recognizes the user even in the dark and adapts to your physical changes, making your face as your secure password and allowing you to not only unlock one’s phone but also to authenticate it and use Apple Pay. Indeed, with all these features, people at Apple surely have put a lot of effort into creating what they think a great and true smartphone should be. The design, features, performance, and even the camera are all impressive enough to create hysteria amongst Apple users. However, amidst the worldwide fervor, one must decide whether to risk

money for a big-time smartphone or look past it because of its cost, finding another smartphone in the process. Google Pixel 2 XL When you question everything that a phone can do, you find a new way forward. Just a month after Apple showed off the iPhone X last September, tech giant Google released its own handheld devices called the Google Pixel 2. These flagship handsets of Google carry Android 8.0 Oreo as its operating system. Like Apple, Google has opted for an all-screen front design. The Pixel 2 XL has an almost all screen front with only small bezels at both top and its end, adding speakers within. The said smartphone features a combination of metal and glass, attaching a metal frame and encasing a glass panel at the top of the rear. Though both the iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL are waterproof, only the iPhone X is compatible with wireless charging. However, Google assured users of its fast-charging capability that easily puts the battery life for seven hours for only 15-minute charging. The Google Pixel 2 XL comes with a 12.2-megapixel single rear camera and an eight (8)-megapixel front-facing camera. There is also a portrait mode, the auto-HDR, and an unlimited storage for photos, but sometimes the Pixel 2 XL falters on measuring white balance. Still, it is one of the smartphones with capable cameras. Supported by 4GB of RAM, the Pixel 2 XL is available in 64GB and 128GB storage options; neither of which offers microSD support for storage expansion. The Google Pixel 2 XL runs on Android Oreo with all the latest features and functions Google has. The Google Assistant can be easily accessible by squeezing its frame, compatible with a wide array of services. Although it has been bombarded by criticism due to its dullness in colors, the Pixel 2 XL has more RAM, a sharper display, a higher resolution front camera, and more open software. However, the Google Pixel 2 XL is a little cheaper as its price starts at roughly P42,993, or US $849 (£799, AU$1,399), while the iPhone X costs P50,589, or US $999 (£999 / AU$1,579). Samsung Galaxy S8 As Samsung believes that we live our lives through our phones, they created a bezel-less and full-frontal edge-to-edge screen smartphone to allow users get the incredible full-screen experience. Released last April 2017 and since then known as one of the most beautiful phones ever made by Samsung, the Samsung Galaxy S8 presents a new experience by immersing oneself in a big-

ger view. As for its design, the Galaxy S8 is made with a metal core and glass to its front and rear sides. The glass in front and back is protected from scratches, water, and dust. Unlike in iPhone X, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 still has a virtual home button that lies under the display screen, situated where it normally is – invisible when not in use, then becomes accessible when you need it. Also, both iPhone X and Galaxy S8 use the OLED feature for more striking colors, increased contrast, and blacker blacks. However, Samsung’s own display can go brighter, beating reflections and more impactful HDR contents. Meanwhile, Apple has the advantage when it comes to HDR as the iPhone X has included the Dolby Vision and True Tone technology to its features, allowing contents to look more pleasing to the eyes. As for the camera, though it does not have a dual camera in its rear, the Galaxy S8 has a 12-megapixel rear camera and an eight (8)-megapixel front camera, delivering crisp and vivid photos even at night. It also uses the Exynos or even the Qualcomm 835 platform. The said smartphone also has greater storage, allowing the use of microSD for expansion. In the case of Apple, if one needs a lot more space, it also requires additional money. As for its charging capability, the Galaxy S8 lasts for a day, offers fast charging through cables, and accepts wireless charging. It is even more secure with a fingerprint scanner, a facial recognition, and an iris-scanning feature. Lastly, as for the price, the Galaxy S8 is obviously much cheaper as it has been on the market for seven months now. The price starts at P31,890.

November 24, 2017

Tech and Gadgets Anniversary Issue

E know all too well that Filipinos today belong to a snap-happy generation that is always camera-ready. ‘Smile dito, pose doon!’ (Smile here, then strike a pose there!). Our trusty smartphones have allowed us to express our personalities through these photos and we just can’t get enough of how Pinoys have been super creative, and sometimes funny, in crafting their own social-media worthy contents.

Here are some of the best kinds of selfies that we see on our feeds – the ones that we’ll never get tired of seeing. Try them out for your next post! ‘Wag nyo nang i-deny’ (don’t deny it), you may have done these poses or at the very least – have wanted to try them out. 1. The Kakagising ko Lang… 3 hours ago Your typical “I woke up like this” shot— except that you actually woke up 2-3 hours earlier to get that perfectly tousled hair and ‘no-makeup’ makeup look. Come on, who are you

November 24, 2017

8 types of Pinoy Selfies kidding? Photo: @iamarnyross on Instagram using the ZenFone 4 Selfie Taray ng rosy cheeks! (Those rosy cheeks are killer!)

2. The ‘Medyo’ Bad Girl/Boy look A selfie inspired by the infamous Instagram Baddies (see: Kylie Jenner, or pwede rin si Xander Ford), where you simply strike a mean poker or ‘palaban’ face and look as if you just don’t give a care in the world – but in reality, it’s really all about that fierce Instagrammable look!

gram using the ZenFone 4 Selfie 3. The Sparrow Face Known as the new generation’s duck face, the Sparrow Face is inspired by, yes, that small and plump bird that you’ve probably heard of. You can easily achieve this look by slightly opening your eyes and mouth -- like a hungry sparrow waiting to catch the worm. We also like calling this the slightly nagulat (slightly shocked) pose. Photo: @iamkatgalang on Instagram using the ZenFone 4 Selfie

4. The Pa-Candid Shot (The ‘staged’ candid shot) A selfie where it looks like you didn’t know the photos were being taken. We all know the truth; we’ve all seen and done this. And if you’re telling us that you haven’t (and we know you’re smirking right now), stop pulling our leg!

Photo: @zedrikeurope on Insta-

Congratulations Tech & Gadgets Section! From:

Photo: @itsmariahazel on Instagram using the ZenFone 4 Selfie 5. The ‘Pa-Candid Daw’ Shot (The ‘Staged and failed’ candid shot) Candid shots that are epic fail because you can clearly see the hand or the monopod in the frame. But then, as long as you get likes for being so ‘funny and creative’, who cares? Photo: @4thesmile on Instagram using the ZenFone 4 Selfie Anyare, kuya? Paki-explain. (What happened? Please explain.)

6. The Stuck in Traffic selfie Yes, this is what traffic does to many people: selfies galore! EDSA, Taft, Katipunan, C5, Aya-

la, and Sucat selfies are particularly popular, often accompanied with some gripe about their drivers or other cars on the road. Check the hashtag #StuckInTraffic or #TrafficMode to see what we’re talking about! If you haven’t seen one in your timeline, are you sure you’re in the Philippines? Photo: @marcsolis3 on Instagram using the ZenFone 4 Selfie Parang uwing-uwi na! (That look screams “I want to go home!”)

7. The I Have My Life Together Shot Most of these consist of post-workout selfies at the gym, but photos that scream “productivity!” also work! (e.g. A selfie with a book you’re reading, working on a project in your laptop, etc.). These are the selfies where you actually take pleasure in multi-tasking: taking a selfie while being so intensely enthralled with your serious routines. Really? Photo: @piauyy on Instagram using the ZenFone 4 How to be you po?

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher Riera U. Mallari Editor Peter Paul Duran Nathaniel Mariano Writers Linda Apalisok Rex Sardina Luz Jimenez Layout Artists

8. The Wefie And finally, here is one of our favorites! Wefies can be done anytime, anywhere, and with any pose as long as you’re with your family and friends -- and maybe a pesky photobomber or two. Don’t we all love taking wefies? More friends, more scenery, more fun! Photo: ZenFone 4 Ambassador in the Philippines, Bea Alonzo, taking a wefie during the Never Let Me Forget shoot Wow, feel na feel! (Wow, they’re really feeling it!) Regardless of the poses you take, no one can ever deny the power of being equipped with a mobile phone that can take your selfie and wefie game to the next level, to become a Selfie Master! Equipped with the first-ever SelfieMaster™, which is the go-to app for photo, video, and livestream beautification for any selfie-loving Pinoys, the ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie line-up is made great for any type of look, pose, or shot! Not only that, but this very special dual-lens selfie-based smartphone is all about capturing life in great qual-

ity and freshness; especially with their critically acclaimed Softlight LED flash. Top that with its impressive and advanced camera technologies like the ASUS DuoPixel™ Selfie Camera and SuperPixel™ Engine, which promises you the best quality selfies and wefies at all times! With the ZenFone 4 Selfie series, you’ll definitely become a Selfie Master in no time!

Anita F. Grefal OIC-Operation Baldwin Felipe OIC-Advertising Sales Paula Reynoso Head-Supplements Sheila Suarez Joan Velasco Eric Jutic Edelyn Elamparo Advertising Support Group

Tech and Gadgets Anniversary Issue

November 24, 2017

Driverless, electric future just around the corner

DRIVERLESS, electric car is only a swipe away in the cities of the future, where pollution clampdowns and rapid advances in technology will transform the way we travel, despite lagging infrastructure. As more and more countries announce a phasing-out of pure petrol and diesel cars, early versions of tomorrow’s models are already on the streets: hybrid cars, fully electric motors and vehicles that can partially drive themselves. Attitudes to vehicle ownership in cities are changing as smartphone apps make a ride available in minutes. David Metz, of the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London, believes developed cities have reached “peak car”, with ownership no longer associated with increasing prosperity. Metz said city planning was changing to temper the vehicle access once thought vital. “We now see high-density urban areas are more successful with less traffic,” he said, citing London’s car-free Leicester Square entertainment district and the Canary Wharf financial hub. ]Cars could be phased out of city centres altogether, as urban planners ditch the 20th-century, car-focused gridplan model for city streets. Private cars, sitting idle for 23 hours a day, might

be eclipsed by car-pool clubs, journey-sharing apps or onetrip rental cars as seen in cities around the world from Berlin to Istanbul to Vancouver. ‘Driving everywhere by themselves’ Driverless technology also looks set to revolutionise urban road travel, according to industry figures. Graeme Smith, chief executive of Oxbotica, a British company developing autonomous vehicle software, said new cities being planned in China envision all vehicles being electric, autonomous and publicly-owned. “In those cities, your life would be fundamentally different,” he told AFP. “50 years into the future, maybe these things will be driving everywhere by themselves -- but there’s a progression to go through.” Driverless technology faces the challenge, over time, of bringing down the cost of sensors while improving their performance -- and there is currently no standard operating methodology. Some cars with levels two and three autonomy are already on the roads. Britain’s Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said he expected the first level four self-driving cars to reach the

UK market by 2021, bringing the world closer to level five, or total autonomy. Fully driverless cars could help ease gridlock by driving closer together in convoy and avoid traffic by exchanging real-time information. ‘The final destination’ The switch to electric vehicles (EVs), meanwhile, is already well under way. Volvo will no longer sell solely diesel or petrol cars from 2019, while Volkswagen’s Audi brand is gearing up to offer an electric version of every one of its models. “We think it is really the final destination for the auto industry,” said Eric Feunteun, Renault’s electric vehicle programme director, told journalists in Utrecht in the Netherlands earlier this month at an event where the French car maker unveiled partnerships with renewable energy companies. Britain and France intend to ban the sale of fully petrol or diesel cars from 2040, while smog-plagued India wants to sell only electric cars by 2030. Besides legislation on a pan-European and a national level, cities themselves are taking action on pollution. London is set to introduce an ultra-low emissions zone in the city centre in 2019, with

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charges for more polluting vehicles, and hopes to extend it to the inner London ring road by 2021. ‘Woeful lack’ of charging points Manufacturers said they feel up to the challenge. “We’ll supersede the sale of petrol/diesel cars way before 2040,” said Jonny Berry, Renault’s regional electric vehicles fleet sales manager.

The Renault Twizy electric vehicle (EV) during the Regent Street Motor Show in London AFP

Tech and Gadgets Anniversary Issue

November 24, 2017

GCash partners with Noel Bazaar for early Christmas shopping

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Also get 10% cashback when you shop with GCash at Noel Bazaar

IS the season for Christmas and giftgiving, and what other way to prepare for that than to shop at the biggest holiday fair in the metro through GCash. This year, GCash has partnered with Noel Bazaar to make shopping even easier with the scan to pay feature and give customers a treat with 10% cashback for their purchases with GCash. Aside from making the holiday rush easier through cashless payments, the GCash promo makes this Yuletide season more exciting by allowing GCash users to shop at as many stalls as they want at the Noel Bazaar and get the 10 percent cashback as long as they use GCash. Shoppers are awarded a maximum of P100 cashback for every stall they buy at when they use GCash to pay for their purchase. That means a lot of savings and opportunities to find the best Christmas gifts for your loved ones! Noel Bazaar, which opened its doors 16 years ago, is considered the granddaddy of all bazaars, with over 500 participating mer-

chants and average daily visitors of around 6,500. It offers a wide range of gift suggestions from fashion and beauty products, gifts, toys and novelty items to travel essentials and airline tickets. The shopping mecca also includes an International Food Feast for hungry shoppers. One of the highlights of the bazaar is the GMA Celebrity Ukay-Ukay & GMA Auction, featuring preloved items GMA Kapuso Stars sell at a very affordable price. This year’s GMA Celebrity Ukay-Ukay offers items from “Ultimate Star” Jennylyn Mercado, “Meant To Be” Boys (Ken Chan, Jak Roberto, Ivan Dorschner and Addy Raj), and the “Celebrity Glam Moms” (Yasmien Kurdi, Lj Reyes, and Chynna Ortaleza). As one of the most anticipated events of the season, shoppers now have more chances to visit

Noel Bazaar in different venues. First stop is at the World Trade Center in Pasay City on November 16 to 19 and November 24 to 30. From there, the bazaar moves to its next venue at the Filinvest Tent in Alabang on November 30 to December 3. Last minute

shoppers have a final chance to catch the bazaar at the SMX Convention from December 14 to 17. GCash, the country’s leading cashless payment service, is already being accepted in many stores nationwide. GCash has made it easy for its users to

pay and collect money from the app—from booking a ticket to paying bills and shopping online, at the mall or at the Noel Bazaar—providing transparency and allowing easy tracking of purchases through the GCash App.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus arrive at Globe Telecom GLOBE Telecom announced it will offer the new generation iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Customers will be able to purchase the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus at www.globe.com.ph/iPhone8 and in stores starting November 17. For complete pricing details, please visit www. globe.com.ph/iPhone8. “Every year, the iPhone launch is always something Apple enthusiasts look forward to. With Globe Postpaid’s ThePLAN, customers can get the best experience out of their iPhone 8 and 8 Plus with more data and access to the best content,” says Globe Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Business, Issa Cabreira. iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are a new generation of iPhone featuring a new glass and aluminum design in three beautiful finishes—space gray, silver and a new gold—made with the most durable glass

ever in a smartphone, Retina HD displays, A11 Bionic chip and is designed for the ultimate augmented experience. The world’s most popular camera gets even better and wireless charging brings a powerful new capability to iPhone. iPhone 8 Plus features dual 12-megapixel cameras and introduces Portrait mode with Portrait Lighting, bringing dramatic studio lighting effects to iPhone, allowing customers to capture stunning portraits with a shallow depth of field effect in five different lighting styles. With Globe Postpaid, customers can get iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus at at-

tractive monthly repayments with ThePLAN 1799 or with the best Globe has to offer, ThePLATINUM Plan 4999. ThePLAN 1799 comes with 11 GB of data, together with access to top TV, movie, and music apps. Customers get full access to the Netflix and Disney apps for 6 months, plus 3 months of Spotify Premium subscription at no extra cost and an additional 1GB to stream your favorite songs. The plan also comes with unlimited calls to Globe/ TM and unlimited texts to all networks. Get to know

more about ThePLAN at globe.com.ph/ postpaid/theplan. With Globe Platinum, experience the best Globe has to offer. Get Priority Network access to keep your mobile data at its most optimal levels. You also enjoy the freedom to surf, watch, and listen to your heart’s content with All-Month Data Surfing. Plus, have access to Thea, your Platinum Virtual Concierge that not only addresses Globe-related concerns, but can book dining reservations, buy movie tickets, or assist you with virtually anything under the sun. To learn more about ThePLATINUM 4999 Plan, visit www.globe.com.ph/platinum. For more details on pricing and data plans, please visit www.globe. com.ph/iPhone8. For more details on iPhone please visit www.apple.com/ph/iphone.