Manila Standard - 2017 December 23 - Saturday

‘VINTA’ BATTERS MINDANAO; 7 DEAD, 4 OTHERS MISSING AT LEAST seven people were killed and four others were missing after tropical storm “Vinta” (international name: “Temblin”) struck Lanao del Sur and other parts of Mindanao Friday, unleashing floods and landslides across a region of 20-million people, officials said.

Vinta hit the east coast of Mindanao, the archipelago nation’s second-largest island, before dawn with gusts of 125 kilometres (80 miles) an hour bringing torrential rain, the state weather office said.

“We forced hundreds of people to evacuate some villages, but the water rose swiftly and our rescuers cannot reach other areas,” civil defense officer Saripada Pacasum Jr. of Lanao del Sur province, one of the hardest-hit areas, said.

STORMS’ FURY. Policemen and rescuers inspect the yacht Katerina (left photo) after it ran aground near Lorito in Dinagat Island at the height of Tropical Storm ‘Urduja’ (internaMeanwhile, the National Disastional name ‘Kai-Tak’) on Tuesday, while policemen rescue a baby in Cagayan de Oro City (right photo) after the Cagayan River swelled from the heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm ter Risk Reduction Management ‘Vinta’ (‘Tembin’). AFP Council said Friday that inclement weather caused by Tropical Storm “Urduja” has so far caused P1.15 billion in agriculture and infrastructure damages.

In a press briefing, NDRRMC spokesperson Mina Marasigan said the damages were confined to five regions—Mimaropa, Bicol, Central and Eastern Visayas, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.

“Urduja,” which exited the THE death toll from the sinking of the m/v Mercraft 3 rose to five even as 252 Next page VOL. XXXI • NO. 309 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net passengers and crew of the ill-fated ferry had been rescued, the Philippine Coast Guard said Friday.

Coast Guard spokesman Armand Balilo confirmed that five passengers of the ferry had died but only two― Rufo Combalicer and Francisco Azuela―had been identified.

“The Coast Guard will conduct an investigation on the cause of the accident but the bad weather could be the main factor,” Balilo said.

He made his statement even as the Palace on Friday expressed regret over the incident.

The inter-island ferry with more than

Ferry death toll rises; 252 crew, passengers safe

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Rody vetoes 5 tax reform provisions

By John Paolo Bencito

Reds follow Du30’s lead, declare ceasefire

By John Paolo Bencito THE Communist Party of the Philippines on Friday declared a unilateral ceasefire to celebrate the Christmas season and the 49th anniversary of its armed wing, the New People’s Army—a few hours shorter than the earlier declaration made by the government.

The temporary ceasefire shall

be in effect from 6 p.m. of Dec. 23 to 6 p.m. of Dec. 26; and 6 p.m. of Dec. 30 to 6 p.m. of Jan. 2, 2018, said Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, NPA spokesman.

“During this period, all NPA units and people’s militias shall cease and desist from carrying out offensive military campaigns and operations against the uniformed armed personnel of the Armed

Devanadera fears ERC paralysis

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Ombudsman’s decision to suspend four commissioners of the Energy Regulatory Commission could paralyze the power sector, put at risk trillions of pesos of investments and plunge the country into darkness, the chairman of the agency said Friday.

“The debilitating impact of the Ombudsman’s decision to sus-

pend the four incumbent ERC commissioners will render the operations of the agency in severe paralysis,” ERC chairperson and chief executive officer Agnes Devanadera said.

The Office of the Ombudsman ordered a one-year suspension on all four commissioners of the ERC—Josefina Patricia Asirit, Alfredo Non, Geronimo Sta. Ana and Next page

Stranded workers homeward bound

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan and Vito Barcelo MORE than a thousand stranded Filipino workers in Hong Kong will be able to spend Christmas with their loved ones in the Philippines after Malacañang approved the proposal of the Department of

Foreign Affairs and the Department of Labor and Employment to bring them home in time for the holidays.

In a statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said the President approved the plan he and Labor

Forces of the Philippines [AFP] and its paramilitaries, and the Philippine National Police [PNP] of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines,” the NPA statement read.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque welcomed the move by the CPP-NPA-NDF to follow suit.

“We expect that the CPP-NPA Next page

7 of 10 Pinoys rate Duterte ‘very good’

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s net satisfaction ratings rose to “very good” in the fourth quarter of 2017, the latest Fourth Quarter Social Weather Stations survey released Friday showed.

The latest survey, conducted from Dec. 8 to 16, showed 71 percent of Filipinos satisfied with Duterte’s performance, while 13 percent are dissatisfied.

Indecision, meanwhile, is at 15 percent.

Duterte’s gross satisfaction rose by 5 points from 67 percent in the previous quarter.

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has applied a direct veto on five provisions of Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, the first phase of his administration’s comprehensive tax reform package.

In his letter to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and members of the House of Representatives, Duterte pinpointed five items which might hurt the government’s resolve to fund its social and economic infrastructure that will benefit the poor.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez said with the veto, government revenues should be closer to P90 billion in the first year of TRAIN, instead of the projected P82.3 billion.

The President vetoed Section 6 (F) of the TRAIN law, which provides “reduced income tax rates of employees of regional headquarters, regional operating headquarters, offshore banking units and petroleum service contractors and subcontractors,” which effectively maintains the special tax rate of 15 percent of gross income on the tax rates of employees of multinational Next page companies.

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BENEFITS FOR REDS. President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during his speech at the event dubbed Panaghiusa Para sa Kalinaw (Unity for Peace) at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Pandacan, Davao City on Thursday.

Duterte explained to the 668 New People’s Army rebel returnees at the event the benefits they would get under the Comprehensive Local Integration Program or CLIP. Presidential Photo

Xmas message: Duterte pays tribute to Marawi defenders

By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday called on Filipinos to remember those who have suffered due to the months-long siege in Marawi City, and the people who defended the country’s sovereignty from Islamic

State-inspired terrorists.

“In the midst of all merriment, let us pause and remember our countrymen who have lost their lives fighting for the integrity of our country, and for those who lost their homes and loved ones in the recent war, those who are Next page

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Du30 drama on FB: Dad Paolo scolds kid Isabelle

By John Paolo Bencito TAKING a family spat public, Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte on Friday vented his ire on social media toward his eldest daughter, Isabelle, for her mean tweets toward him, and supposedly allowing herself to get “pimped” twice.

In a Facebook post, President Rodrigo Duterte’s son told his social-media-savvy daughter—who was herself at the center of controversy recently for having a pre-debut photo shoot at Malacañang no less— to change her last name for supposedly being a “disgrace” to the clan.

Writing in Cebuano, the vice mayor said: “Dili ingon nga ug IBUGAW KA KADUHA ANANG TAWHANA MUHILOM LANG KO!! Ug kanang imong inahan ug tataytayan way pakialam nimo pwes ako dili! Dili tungod kay DUTERTE ko tungod kay AMAHAN KO!!! Pagkambyo ug apelyido ug gusto ka! Wala na kay respeto!”

[I won’t keep quiet after that person pimped you twice! And if your mom and stepdad don’t care about you, I’m not like them! Not because I’m a DUTERTE but because I am A FATHER!!! Change your last name if you want to! You don’t show any respect!],” Paolo said, without naming who allegedly pimped the presidential granddaughter.

Ferry...

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250 passengers and crew capsized between Dinahican, Quezon, and Polilio Island in bad weather.

“We are saddened by the unfortunate incident involving Mercraft 3,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

Senator Grace Poe said the first order of the day was the immediate rescue of the passengers from the capsized ship.

She said rescue teams with adequate equipment should be deployed at once to ensure that all lives were saved.

“We reiterate our push for the creation of a National Transportation Safety Board, which will ensure that better safety standards are in place to prevent disasters from happening,” she said.

The 206-ton refurbished ferry was earlier reported to be carrying 251 people. The ferry has a capacity of 258 passengers.

“All the passengers and crew are accounted for, but as I have said, we will reevaluate based on the claims of the families of the missing passengers,” Balilo said.

He said the boat left the port around 9 a.m. and capsized an hour later due to strong winds and giant waves.

A survivor said the passengers panicked when the boat started to take in water and leaned to one side, causing the ferry to tilt and capsize.

The Coast Guard has yet to issue an official cause of the incident. Vito Barcelo, John Paolo Bencito and Macon RamosAraneta

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far from their families, and those who are not as fortunate and as blessed as most of us,” Duterte said in his Christmas message.

“Let us show our true compassion and include them in our supplications during the Yuletide season,” the President added.

Meanwhile, Duterte will continue to celebrate Christmas Day with his family at his hometown, Davao City, his second Christmas since coming to power, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Friday.

“Gaya ng lahat ng mga Pilipino, kasama niya ang kanyang mga pamilya at mga mahal sa buhay at

Hazing frat leader released T

By Rey E. Requejo

HE Supreme Court has ordered the release of Aegis Juris fraternity leader Arvin Balag from detention arising from his refusal to answer questions during the Senate hearing on the hazing death of UST law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III.

“Order in the interim the imme- diate release of petitioner Arvin

Balag on the basis of his prayer set forth in his motion to resolve petition pending the resolution of the instant petition by the Court,’’ the high court said.

The resolution was adopted on Dec. 12 but was only released to reporters on Friday.

Balag filed his petition on Oct. 25 seeking a temporary restraining order and an appeal for his immediate release from detention.

Balag said the contempt order

violated the constitutional right of people appearing in legislative probes and right to fair trial, and that the investigation was not in aid of legislation but “in aid of prosecution.”

Balag also claimed he was denied equal protection of the law because the other resource persons who refused to answer questions were not cited in contempt.

Balag, president of Aegis Juris, apologized for his previous actions

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HIGH AND DRY. This photo taken on Dec. 21, 2017, shows passengers stranded due to bad weather at the Real Port in Quezon Province. Rescue teams resumed their search for survivors after a ferry carrying more than 250 passengers capsized, with at least five confirmed dead. The accident occurred in rough waters off the main island of Luzon Thursday as the Mercraft 3 keeled over en route to a remote island. Story on Page 1 AFP

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“While I understand the laudable objective of the proposal, the provision is violative of the equal protection clause under Section 1, Article III of the 1987 Constitution, as well as the rule of equity and uniformity in the application of the burden of taxation,” Duterte said.

Explaining why he vetoed the provision, Duterte insisted that given the significant reduction in the personal income taxes, “the employees of these firms should follow the regular tax rates applicable to other individual taxpayers.”

Duterte vetoed a second group of provisions, Section 31 and 33 of the new tax reform law, which provides “zero-rating of sales of goods and services to separate customs territory and tourism enterprise zones.”

Should this provision be applied, Duterte said that this will “go against the principle of limiting the VAT zero-rating to direct exporters.”

“The proliferation of separate customs territories, which include buildings, creates significant leakages in our tax system.

This makes the tax system highly inequitable and significantly reduces the reneues that could be better used for the poor,” Duterte said.

As for tourism enterprises, the President said that the provision “actually grants a new incentive to suppliers of registered tourism enterprises.”

He also said the current law allows only duty and tax free importation of capital equipment, transportation and other goods, which could be used to avail of the incentives.

The President also vetoed line 12 of Section 38, providing “exemption from percentage tax of gross sales/receipts not exceeding P500,000.”

Duterte said the exemption will result in unnecessary erosion of revenues for the government, and nandoon siya sa Davao [Like all Filipinos, he will be with his family and loved ones in Davao],” Roque told reporters in Malacañang.

Duterte says he wishes for “a progressive and peaceful country, and for the prosperity of our countrymen” as the entire nation celebrates the Yuletide season.

Roque said Duterte will continue to celebrate Christmas by having the traditional “noche buena” with his family and his 10 grandchildren, and will welcome supporters who usually flock to his home in Ecoland, Davao City.

“The President now has 10 grandchildren. That’s usually the basis of our unity as a nation.

We all do the same thing during Christmas, spending it with your family,” Roque said.

would lead to abuse and leakages.

“The subject taxpayers under this provision are already exempted from the VAT, thus, the lower three percent tax on gross sales or gross receipts is considered as their fair share in contributing to the revenue base of the country,” he said.

Duterte meanwhile, described as “too general” the fourth group of provisions, line 25 Sec. 43 of TRAIN providing “exemption of various petroleum products from excise tax when used as input, feedstock, or as raw material in the manufacturing of petrochemical products, or in the refining of petroleum products, or as replacement fuel for natural gas fired combined cycle power plants.”

Duterte said that these already cover all types of petroleum products, and exempting them “may be subject to abuse by taxpayers, and thus lead to massive revenue erosion.”

The current tax code, he said, already identifies which petroleum products can be exempted.

Lastly, a fifth group of provisions, lines 20 to 29 of Section 82 providing the “earmarking of incremental tobacco taxes,” will effectively amend the Sin Tax Law, or Republic Act 10351, and if approved, will run against the spirit of the law and hurt the sourcing for the government’s guaranteed funds for universal health care.

“The provision will effectively diminish the share of the health sector in the proposed allocation,” he said.

Duterte thanked lawmakers for the milestone bill, which amends the “outdated provisions” of the National Internal Revenue Code.

“I am very pleased to sign this very important piece of legislation mainly because of my sincere objective to help our poor countrymen and ease the burden of the common taxpayers,” he said.

“This government will do its best to implement this noble objective under the tax reform package while maintaining fiscal dis-

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Gloria Yap-Taruc--for allegedly for giving the Manila Electric Co. an undue advantage when it excepted it from the competitive selection process for power supply agreements.

“As a collegial body, the presence of at least three members of the commission is needed to constitute a quorum to enable the ERC to adopt any ruling, order, resolution, decision or other acts of the commission in the exercise of its quasi-judicial and quasilegislative functions,” Devanadera said.

Devanadera also said the decision has far-reaching conse-

cipline and adhering to the true principles of taxation: Fair, simple and efficient,” he added.

Congress is expected to pass next year the balance of onethird—involving provisions on the estate tax amnesty, a general tax amnesty, the proposed adjustments in the Motor Vehicle Users Charge and amendments to the bank secrecy law and automatic exchange of information.

The final ratified version also includes tax administration reforms, such as a mandatory fuel marking program and a system that would enable the Bureau of Internal Revenue to check real time the financial submission of large taxpayers.

The Health department, meanwhile, commended Congress for passing TRAIN, which provides for an increase in taxes for cigarettes and sugar-sweetened beverages that will support programs to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent and control non-communicable diseases.

The law also supports the initiatives of the DoH on lowering the prices of medicines by exempting from the 12-percent VAT all medicines used for diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

World Heaalth Organization also lauded the Philippines for being the first country in Asia to introduce such a landmark tax measure, which imposes a tax of P6.00 or P12.00 per liter on all sweetened beverages, depending on the type of sweetener used.

“With millions of Filipinos who have become overweight and obese, and with diabetes now afflicting millions more of our countrymen, we support a higher pricing policy for less healthy food and beverages as part of a multi-pronged strategy to combat non-communicable diseases,” Secretary Francisco Duque said.

The additional resources generated by this measure can be used to subsidize the national government’s health care reform agenda of providing universal health care to Filipinos. With Macon Ramos-Araneta quences in terms of monetary value assigned, as the amounts involved in pending applications for approval before the Commission reached P1.588 trillion.

Broken down, the amount involves capital expenditures application worth P384.5 billion, point to point projects estimated at P2.2 billion, sale of sub-transmission assets at P900 million, power supply applications worth P1.2 trillion and accrued interest alone from the feed-in tariff allowance of P526.7 million.

“At present, there are 18.4-million electrified households. If a regular household has four members, then a total of 73.6-million Filipino that will be affected by any non-action on the part of the Commission,” she said.

country on Tuesday, wrought P581.47 million in losses to agriculture and P569.72 million in damages to infrastructure, the disaster agency said.

Marasigan added that a total of 12,041 houses were damaged during the weather disturbance in Bicol, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga region. Of the figure, 9,123 were partially damaged and 2,918 were totally damaged.

The Philippines lies on the Pacific typhoon belt and endures an average of 20 typhoons and storms each year, but Mindanao is rarely hit by these cyclones.

A small landslide buried several houses in the town of Tugaya and killed two children, with five other people missing and believed trapped beneath the rubble, Pacasum said.

Another landslide buried four houses in the city of Valencia, killing an elderly woman, said the city’s civil defense officer Junrey Vallejo.

Rescuers used heavy machinery to dig in search of a girl who remained missing as of Friday afternoon, he said.

Pacasum said four of those reported killed were from Madalum town, two were from Wato and one was from Tugaya.

Police and civil defense officials reported heavy flooding in several Mindanao towns and

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would honor their word and comply with the unilateral ceasefire, so that our people could truly experience a peaceful Christmas celebration,” he said in a statement.

“May we all stand together in fulfilling our shared desire of achieving lasting peace throughout the nation.”

Despite the government’s own temporary truce, the CPP and NPA are “only too aware of the AFP’s treachery, attacks and deception,” Madlos said.

All units of the NPA and the people’s militias will remain on “active defensive mode,” the communists said.

“As such, all leading organs and branches of the CPP, commands and units of the NPA and people’s militias and revolutionary mass organizations shall closely monitor any hostile actions, provocations or movements being carried out by the enemy armed forces,” he added.

The government on Thursday cut short its unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels, after the CPP called the move “a farce.”

The government ceasefire originally declared Wednesday was supposed to run continuously from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2, 2018 but

and said it was never his intention to “disrespect” the committee.

He is among the respondents facing criminal charges before the Department of Justice for Castillo’s death on Sept. 17.

He has denied criminal liabilities and asked the Justice department to dismiss the charges against him, claiming there is no evidence that Castillo was injured as a prerequisite for admission to Aegis Juris. cities as Tembin weakened and swiftly moved across the region.

Photos shared by rescuers on social media showed rampaging, mud-brown floodwaters sweeping down a highway in Lanao del Sur province, engulfing houses and a van, and people seeking refuge on the upper floors of their homes.

Pacasum, the provincial civil defense officer, said among the flooded areas was the city of Marawi, recovering from five months of fighting between troops and Islamic militants that left more than 1,100 people dead earlier this year.

Police also reported widespread flooding in Cagayan de Oro, one of Mindanao’s largest cities.

Electricity was cut across large swathes of the island.

“Vinta” struck less than a week after Tropical Storm “Urduja” devastated the central Philippines, leaving more than 54 dead and 24 missing.

It further weakened from a tropical storm into a tropical depression on Friday afternoon as it crossed Marawi City in Lanao del Norte toward Sominot, Zamboanga del Sur. A number of domestic flights of Cebu Pacific Air and its sister airline Cebgo have been cancelled on Friday due to unsafe weather conditions caused by “Vinta.”

The airline said it would mount additional flights from late afternoon of Dec. 22 and Dec. 23 to accommodate affected passengers. will now take effect from Dec. 23 6 p.m. until Dec. 26, 11:59 p.m. and from Dec. 30, 6 p.m. to Jan. 2, 11:59 p.m.—less than six hours longer than the NPA-declared ceasefire.

In an interview Wednesday with the Manila Standard, CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison, who lives in exile in The Netherlands, called the suspension of military operations a “farce” and said the NPA rebels “will remain on alert against attacks from the AFP and the PNP.” On Thursday night, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is offering aid and protection to NPA rebels who surrender to the government.

At an event in the Eastern Mindanao Command in Camp Panacan, Davao, Duterte said he declared a ceasefire for all, and that it was up to the communists if they wanted to join.

During the event, more than 700 former rebels surrendered as part of the Comprehensive Local Integration Program of the local government and the Office of the Presidential Adviser of the Peace Process, aimed at building confidence with those who want to turn themselves in.

He also offered financial and housing assistance, job opportunities and an assurance that they can join the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

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Duterte’s net satisfaction rating rose by 10 points to a “very good” +58, one grade up from the good +48 in September 2017.

The 10-point rise in the President’s net satisfaction rating nationwide was due to increases of 14 points in Balance Luzon, 11 points in Metro Manila, 10 points in the Visayas, and 3 points in Mindanao from September to December 2017.

Duterte’s net satisfaction rating stayed excellent in Mindanao, at +80 while in Metro Manila, it rose by one grade from good to very good at +55.

It rose by one grade from good to very good in the Visayas, at +53; and in Balance Luzon from good to very good at +50.

Duterte’s ratings likewise remained “very good” in both urban and rural areas; in all classes; among both men and women; among 25 year olds and above; and in all educational levels.

Secretary Silvestre Bello III put together on Wednesday to help the Filipinos who were stranded in Hong Kong after they were defrauded by the travel agency that they bought their tickets home from.

“Our countrymen in Hong Kong and other parts of the world have a very special place in President Duterte’s heart, and it is just right that we make their Christmas wish come true by doing what we can to bring them home,” Cayetano said.

He made his statement even as the Department of Labor and Employment expressed gratitude to Cebu Pacific for offering to provide free seats to accommodate some of the stranded Filipinos.

The department said it was now coordinating with Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and the Department of National Defense to bring home the stranded Filipinos before Christmas.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Balutan says Cam wants to take over PCSO reins

PhilHealth holds Service Missions overseas

PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office Alexander Balutan has turned the tables on Sandra Cam, saying that Cam’s real motive in casting aspersions against PCSO officials is because she wants to take over the chairmanship of the agency.

Balutan made the statement following Cam’s criticism that PCSO held an ‘extravagant’ Christmas party for its employees in a 5-star hotel.

But Balutan vowed that if Cam, who was recently appointed as PCSO board member, succeeds in grabbing the chairmanship of the PCSO, he would immediately resign.

“Bago pa lang sya dumating sinasabi na nya sa media na gusto nya magchairman,” Balutan said in radio interview.

“Hindi pa man sya pumapasok dito, nagaapply palang, nung araw, last year, ganun na sinasabi nya, lilinisin nya kami rito sa PCSO so sumakit ang loob namin dito. We are building up the reputation of PCSO,” he added.

Balutan added that Cam appears to be trying to destroy the agency in the eyes of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Sinisira nya ang ahensya before the President.”

“Eh sasakit naman ang loob ko kung sya ang magiging chairman, eh better na mag-resign nalang ako,” he added.

But Cam, the whistleblower of the jueteng payola scheme in 2005, said she was interested in Balutan’s position.

“Kanila na ang pwesto.

Hindi ‘yan paninira. Pera ng bayan itong pinaguusapan natin. Kanila na ‘yang pwesto. I can even resign anytime. I don’t need to be in the government, to be in public service, you know that, Igan. Galit sila, nakakaamoy sila sa akin na marami na akong nadiskubre,” she said.

SERVICE missions in at least 12 overseas locations, conducted over a five-month period, enabled the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to address the information and membership needs of overseas Filipino members.

A service mission is a three-day activity aimed at disseminating updated information on the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) to enable OFWs to sustain their PhilHealth membership. At the same time, the service missions are aimed at enrolling Filipinos from the target countries, increasing the premium collection, and expanding the marketing and advocacy linkages among the Filipino communities.

From March to July this year, composite teams from PhilHealth have conducted service missions in Singapore; Sabah, Malaysia; Doha, Qatar; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Surabaya, Indonesia; Hong Kong; Kuwait; Muscat, Salalah and Sohar in Oman; Manama, Bahrain; Chongqing, Chengdu and Kunming in China; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Seoul, South Korea.

Services offered during the service missions include printing and issuance of Member Data Records and PhilHealth Identification cards, updating of member’s information, distribution of information materials and corporate giveaways, and addressing individual inquiries of OFW-members. These service missions also enable PhilHealth to meet and network with various leaders and member organizations of OFWs in the countries visited.

Catholics urged to pray for calamity victims

By Vito Barcelo THE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines urged Filipino faithfuls to offer prayers and aid to victims of calamities that struck the Visayas and Bicol regions as the Christian world usher in and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

“Again, this is another very sad situation for many of our people who will be for sure in difficult circumstances as we usher in and celebrate the birth of our Savior. May we enjoin our Catholic faithful and all people of good will to offer our sincere prayers to the Lord to let these people, in his mysterious ways, feel his care and love, his mercy and compassion,” newly installed CBCP president Davao Archbishop Romulo Valles said.

In his pastoral message titled “On the Suffering that Typhoon Urduja Brought to our People,” the Davao Archbishop said that typhoon “Urduja” struck the Visayas and Bicol regions as many of us prepare for the Christmas holidays.

He also asked the entire Filipino people to pray that the typhoon “Vinta” which is forecast to hit Mindanao to change its destructive path and spare the country from another destruction and possible deaths.

TIMELY RELIEF. Members of the Philippine Navy load to BRP Tarlac vessel 220 tons of assorted relief items such as food and non-food items like hygiene kits, medical kits, mosquito nets, plastic mats (bedding) and solar lamps consolidated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to be distributed to the victims of typhoon ‘Urduja.’ Norman Cruz

SC asked to compel govt to treat injected kids for free

By Rey E. Requejo

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GROUP has asked the Supreme Court to compel officials of the Health, Education and Interior departments to provide free medical services and treatment to children injected with the controversial antidengue Dengvaxia vaccine.

The Gabriela Party-list Rights of Children in made its petition through Southeast Asia.

Rep. Emmi De Jesus and Gabriela on Friday the Association for the also filed before the

Ombudsman graft charges against former President Benigno Aquino III and his Cabinet secretaries over the P3.5-billion dengue vaccination program.

Charged with Aquino were former Health Secretary Janette Garin, former Budget secretary Butch Abad and former executive secretary Paquito Ochoa.

It was the second complaint filed against Aquino and his former

officials in connection with the dengue vaccination controversy involving the French drug maker Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengvaxia.

Gabriela said the Health and Interior departments should monitor the children in all villages and regions who were injected with the vaccine.

The group said these departments should also provide free services including, but not limited to, medical check-ups, consultations, medical

treatment and blood tests.

The group said fee medical services should continue until it was determined that the threats brought by the Dengvaxia vaccine had been minimized or eliminated.

Gabriela also asked the high court to order the Health, Education and Interior departments to create a registry of children who were administered with the vaccine to facilitate the delivery of free health care services to them.

Expect heavy traffic in and around airports—Naia

By Joel E. Zurbano and Darwin G. Amojelar MANILA International Airport Authority general manager Eddie Monreal expects monstrous traffic on major streets leading to and from the four terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as the number of air travelers and vehicles started to increase on Friday.

In a meeting, Monreal tapped security managers to address the now observable traffic along major thoroughfares around the airport complex.

He told them to coordinate with the city governments of Pasay and Parañaque, and the Metro Manila Development Authority to reduce inconvenience to motorists and airline passengers who have flights to catch.

Monreal also ordered all time police visibility especially at critical areas in the complex. He said foot patrol at public areas should be round the clock and vigilance of security personnel must be ensured.

“Let us not put our guards down just because Christmas is the season

to be jolly. Remember, this is also the time when bad elements take advantage,” Monreal told his security managers.

He also said parking areas should be closely monitored for illegal porters and enterprising individuals posing as airport workers offering help to arriving passengers.

“I want full manning of posts inside the terminals and make sure passenger needs are attended to properly and expeditiously,” Monreal.

The airport chief wants all baggage carousels to be working, giving word to his engineering team to have technicians on standby for any problem that may arise.

Monreal directed the terminal managers to talk to the airline operators and remind them to have their people within reach to attend to passenger concerns relating to their baggage. He also ordered them to make sure that all initial and final security checkpoints inside the terminal are manned especially during peak hours.

Specific instruction was also given to the managers of Terminals

2, 3 and 4 to coordinate with the domestic carriers regarding possible cancellations in the coming days when Typhoon ‘Vinta’ hits ground.

“Talk to the domestic carriers. Tell them to submit their flight plans on time,” Monreal said.

He also emphasized the need for on time departures. “Let us spare our passengers from the agony of waiting for long hours. Respect for other people’s time is what I am driving at.”

Monreal directed his team to make sure that there are contingency plans to employ when challenges come.

At least two million air travellers, including overseas Filipino workers, are expected to arrive in four terminals this month to spend and enjoy their vacations with friends and families this holiday season.

“We expect an increase of 20 percent more to arrive until January 2, 2018,” said Monreal.

Meanwhile, the NLEX Corp. on Friday said it is ready for the anticipated surge in traffic volume at the North Luzon Expressway and

Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway this Christmas and New Year holidays.

“It’s all systems go for the rise in traffic volume this Christmas season.

Our team has always been prepared to assist our motorists and manage the traffic flow,” Rodrigo Franco, NLEX president and chief executive said.

Since Dec. 16, NLEX-SCTEX Traffic Operations have been on heightened alert and have deployed additional traffic personnel to closely monitor traffic conditions at NLEX Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, Bocaue, San Fernando, Sta. Ines and SCTEX Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas.

Mainline road works will likewise be suspended until January 2, 2018 unless safety repair is required.

During critical hours of Dec. 22, 23, 29, and 30, the NLEX Balintawak Toll Plaza will open 24 toll collection points instead of the usual 18, while the Mindanao Avenue Toll Plaza will increase its toll collection points to 10 from 7.

The SCTEX Tarlac Toll Plaza will also have 20 collection points for northbound motorists.

Tapang at Malasakit Alliance opens new office

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—Tapang at Malasakit Alliance of the Philippines opened their first office here which it said will serve as the address of the core group that aims to help the current administration to push the “ultimate reform for change.”

The Tapang at Malasakit is headed by President Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest Daughter, Sara, and Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, wife of Foreign Affairs Secretary Peter Alan Cayetano and Duterte’s running mate during the presidential election, along with other board of other members who shows strong support for the Duterte administration.

Sara said that the Tapang at Malasakit is not a government funded organization, though Davao City and Taguig City is associated with the group due to her and Cayetano’s involvement.

“This office is run by private individuals, supporters of President Duterte. The only link of Tapang at Malasakit to Davao and Taguig City is me and Mayor Lani because we are both mayors of the two cities, but we are not working here as a mayor,” Sara said.

The Tapang at Malasakit will link private individuals who aim to help the present administration like the rehabilitation of Marawi and other areas such as Biliran and Leyte said Sara.

CHRISTMAS TRAFFIC. Bumper-to-bumper traffic in Edsa Kamuning is back, as people rush to and from Christmas parties and shopping for the holidays. Manny Palmero

DFA raises alert level in Honduras due to unrest

By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan THE Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines has raised Alert Level 1 (Precautionary Phase) in Honduras due to the political unrest in the country after the November 2017 general election.

In a statement, the agency urged all Filipinos working and residing in Honduras to take necessary precautions during this period.

“All members of the Filipino community are advised to take necessary precautions,” the DFA ordered.

Alert Level 1 is raised when there are valid signs of internal disturbance, instability, or external threat to the host country.

The DFA said that Filipinos may visit the Philippines Consulate which is located at San Pedro Sula, Cortes, Honduras.

Protests erupted across Honduras last Monday following an official declaration that President Juan Orlando Hernandez has won reelection, even as the Organization of American States proposed a re-do of the disputed vote.

Vice President Ricardo Alvarez rejected the call for new elections and accused opposition leaders of acting like children.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

Adelle Chua, Editor

Forcing the spirit

N

O MATTER how we try to introduce the “Christmas spirit”—whatever it means—to the daily affairs of our nation, it can get difficult, due to both natural and man-made challenges.

For example, twin storms ravaged parts of the country in the past few days.

“Urduja” supposedly left a damage of P1 billion after leaving dozens dead in the Eastern Philippines.Coming close to it, “Vinta” left three people dead and six missing. This week, too, a ferry mishap

left five dead even as 250 were rescued. There will be no merriment for the families of the dead and for those who were displaced by the disasters.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of the Philippines, which President Duterte had earlier branded a terrorist organization, has declared

a unilateral ceasefire for the Christmas season and on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of its armed wing. But the government had earlier declared its own ceasefire—the question is, of course, whether good faith will be observed—it had been violated numerous times.

A travel agency, Peya Travel, failed to confirm the flight of anywhere between 200 and 1,000 passengers who want to be home in time for the holidays. As a result, dozens of overseas workers are stranded in Hong

Kong. The government as well as some airlines have pledged to help, but not all of the stranded workers may be flown home to celebrate Christmas with their families. Will the erring agency be made to pay for the invaluable anxiety it caused to the OFWs who had toiled long and hard in a foreign land.

Finally, the furloughs. For the season, high-profile detainees have been allowed leniency. A senator jailed for supposedly misusing congressional allocations has been given the goahead to spend Christmas

at home; another, jailed on drug charges, has been allowed visitors. The leader of a fraternity that caused the death of a young man, has also been recommended freed. He had been detained for refusing to answer senators’ questions regarding the hazing.

What will matter is what is done when the holidays are over and we get back to business. As another potentially challenging and tumultuous year begins, there will be no more holiday spirit to speak of—just that of decency and justice.

HAIL TO THE CHAIR VICTOR AVECILLA

Doy Laurel in Philippine history (Part 3)

Caroling POWER POINT ELIZABETH ANGSIOCO THE traffic lights turned red. Right on cue, a girl of maybe 11 years of age approached our vehicle and begun mumbling something I could not understand. I was told that the girl was singing a Christmas song. In other words,”nangangaroling.”

At another corner, a boy approached, this time, he was not singing but holding a small carton with the words, “namamasko po.”

If it were up to me, I would not give them anything not because I wanted to be unkind but because I felt in a way, cheated. Well, the girl was given some money but not the boy. At least the girl exerted some

‘effort’ and finished her “song.” The boy was begging, pure and simple, and I am not one to encourage begging. True, Christmas is a time for giving but somehow, I want things to be done in the “proper” way.

You do not just belt out a Christmas carol not memorizing the lyrics, without rehearsals, by your lonesome, and sans accompaniment no matter if its just a toy maracas, flattened soft drinks crown held together by a ring of wire, or a guitar.

Caroling, for my generation, was a serious holiday tradition done by groups, whether friends, neighbors, colleagues, or members of organizations, to spread the spirit of Christmas, bring cheers to people, have fun, and also to have additional

pocket money. It was never primarily about money except for groups that help disadvantaged people.

Most definitely, doing caroling is not begging.

I do not exactly know when it died but I see the major differences between past and present.

While it was fun to earn from caroling, the thinking was, if the group is good, then homeowners would perhaps gift the group more. We had to do well so we could all be

proud of ourselves.

As a girl, even as a teenager, I have happy memories of caroling. By midNovember, plans were already underway in terms of Christmas activities.

Kids would already start collecting soda crowns to flatten to be converted into their instruments. Teenagers would already talk about who would want to do caroling (joining the group was not limited to those who could actually sing), schedule of practice, songs to be performed, areas to be covered. Always, a most important decision point was who would be the guitarist. If no one played the guitar in the group, there would be a search for one, or the group would decide on other instruments. There must be accompaniment.

I could not, and still can-

not sing. My voice tended (and still tends) to go from one extreme to the other but this was never a problem for the teenager version of myself in joining caroling groups.

Rehearsals were a lot of fun but serious at the same time. We were happy to be with friends. We sought ways to better what we were doing. Depending on the singing skills of group members, there were even attempts at blending of voices. Some would go first voice, others would do second voice. Nobody went to practice without knowing the lyrics of the songs or prepare to be ribbed. Yes, it was just for caroling but like others, we took pride in things we did.

“Pwede na” was not a line we used.

If you want to know how a non-singer like me did it,

well, I sang ever so softly so as not to ruin the numbers. I already did lip sync during my youth. Moreover, I made myself useful in other ways. The singing is one important part but someone had to make sure that people were at the appointed place at the appointed time. Someone had to hold the gifts we received. That someone was me.

I stopped doing this when I entered college but continued to like looking at and listening to younger ones do caroling. The tradition lived on.

When I had children, I saw them living the tradition every Christmas with their own sets of friends. My girl and my boys all did the ritual of flattening-of-the-”tansan” when December came. I

WITH Cory Aquino bent on running for president despite Laurel’s presidential candidacy, the opposition was doomed. Marcos was certain to win in a three-way fight.

In the middle of December 1985, Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin urged Laurel to give way to Aquino. To save the cause of the political opposition which he worked hard to unify and organize, Laurel relented and agreed to settle for the vice presidency, if Aquino agreed to run for president under the UNIDO. Aquino reluctantly agreed and, upon the urging of Laurel, the UNIDO gave its full support for Aquino’s candidacy. In turn, Aquino promised to Laurel that she will stay as president only for two years, and eventually resign in favor of Laurel, and that about half of her Cabinet will be Laurel’s recommendees.

Mrs. Aquino wrote her promise on a piece of paper and gave it to Laurel, with the promise that she will replace the document with a formal one after the next day. Doy’s elder brother, Assemblyman Jose B. Laurel, Jr., who was present, said that the Laurels do not need a formal document because the word of the widow of their fraternity brother, Ninoy Aquino, was enough for them.

Ninoy Aquino and Doy Laurel were fraternity brothers in the Upsilon Sigma Phi in UP. Laurel joined the fraternity in 1947, and he invited Aquino to follow suit in 1950. President Marcos, Speaker Laurel, Speaker Yñiguez, Senate President Puyat, Assemblyman Tolentino, Senator Roxas, UP president Lopez, Joker Arroyo, Philippine Bar Association president Eduardo Hernandez, and

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Opinion Japan’s war crimes— we remember them still MAN’S inhumanity to women is starkly depicted in the statue of the comfort women violated by Japanese troops in WWII. The women’s sense of having been shamed beyond belief, on top of the pain and anguish suffered, forced a good number of them to take their own lives, while others simply lost it to insanity. Some survived to tell their grim stories, all to no avail: Japan refused to listen, let alone acknowledge their existence.

There is no taking away from the fact that Japanese inhumanity, beyond the savagery inflicted on the comfort women, also led to the killings—some set to the torch, babies thrown in the air and impaled on bayonets, others shot or also bayoneted, slashed with swords, beheaded, all killed in unbelievable forms, while others died from stray shells.

From Feb. 3 to March 3,1945 alone, over 100,000 victims died in the Battle of Manila. Their shocked, grieving families formed Memorare-Manila 1945 Foundation and have lived with the pain of loss and grim memory for over 72 years. Similarly, the Japanese government refuses to acknowledge vicious atrocities committed by their soldiers in World War II. We support the action taken by the National Historical Commission, the City of Manila, and Tulay, reminding viewers with the statue Comfort Women of the Japanese troops’ vicious war crimes.

We call on the nation’s youth to examine that period in depth, and ask the Department of Education to include lengthier expositions of that war and the hell and war crimes Japan inflicted on Filipinos through their threeand-a-half year occupation of the Philippines.

Jose Miguel Cabarrus is president of the MemorareManila 1945 Foundation

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Joy, prayer and gratitude

EVERYMAN

By Jose Miguel Cabarrus

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017

THERE’S a saying: “No news is good news.” This proverbial phrase was first coined in the mid-17th century to signify that all must be well when you haven’t heard from somebody. In other words, any news is better than evil news.

But today, people must have already spun a different twist to the meaning of this phrase such that in contemporary usage it may often mean good news cannot be considered news at all. People tend to become more excited to hear bad news rather than good news.

This is especially true in news reportage and other mass communications like radio, television etc.

Even in social media, the predominance of bad and negative news in postings, shares and comments will give you the impression that nothing good is going on in this world.

We are bombarded daily by intrigues, crimes and

all forms of inhumanity of man against his fellow human beings to a point that we sometimes become desensitized, inure, and callous to all forms of misery. We respond by incessant complaining and acrimony, shouting to all and sundry how dysfunctional this society of ours has become.

This season of advent it is time to heed the invitation of Christ to take a different path; an alternative path that will turn our sorrows into joy, despair into hope and pain to healing and recovery. In his homily this advent, Pope Francis reminds us that “when we are in darkness and difficulty the smile doesn’t come, but there is the hope that teaches us to smile on that path to find God,” Francis said, noting that one of the trademarks of those who break away from God is “the absence of the smile, the smile of the hope of finding God.” This is the invitation that Christ is asking us this Season. In the Gospel of Matthew, 11:28, Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you

who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Indeed, if the spirit of Christ is in us, we can find rest even in the direst of situations, and in the most difficult moments. “When we are in darkness and difficulty the smile doesn’t come,” Francis said. “But there is the hope that teaches us to smile on that path to find God.” the Pope adds.

In so many instances in the past, we have shown how nature smiled on us by teaching us as a people how to laugh and be resilient even in the most difficult times. We can afford to joke and laugh in the midst of endless political intrigues, an unsolvable traffic jams, grinding poverty, rampant criminality and extrajudicial killings—these are some of the long array of dysfunctionalities of daily existence. Yet, Christ offers us a different kind of laughter and happiness. In his yearly message Pope Francis makes clear to us what kind of happiness Christ can really offer. He said: Perhaps these people know

how to “have a good laugh” or make jokes, but they are missing the smile that only God knows how to give, the Pope continued. Life, he said, “is often a desert, it’s hard to walk in it, but if we entrust ourselves to God it can become beautiful and wide like a highway...It’s enough to never lose hope, it’s enough to continue to believe, always, despite everything,” he said, noting that often when we find ourselves in front of a child, “there is a spontaneous smile because a child is hope. Let us also smile even if it was a difficult day, because we see the hope.”

A week ago, that is on Dec. 17, Pope Francis in his message to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square said three simple attitudes that can help prepare us to welcome Jesus Christ.

“Saint Paul invites us to prepare for the coming of the Lord by assuming three attitudes: constant joy, persevering prayer and continual thanksgiving,” the Pope said. “Joy, prayer and gratitude are three attitudes that prepare us to

live Christmas in an authentic way,” he said.

To be truly happy, God teaches us to learn from the innocent happiness of a child. So laughing and making jokes should not be at the expense of others, but one borne out of innocence, respect for others and dependence on God the Father much like an innocent child who respects his elders and depends totally on his mother. This alone is possible if we hope and totally trust in the Lord.

Mundane laughter and happiness, much like what we read in social and other forms of media nowadays, is empty. Often it is joviality drawn from cynicism, and irreverence made at the expense of other’s dignity. This can be demeaning, uncivil and beneath what has been designed to us by God. Yet the joy and smile that Christ brings to us is one that uplifts the spirit, one that is genuine, and eternal because it is founded on hope and love.

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Blind and misguided nationalism BACKBENCHER ROD P. KAPUNAN Conclusion

MARKER. A seven-foot bronze statue of a Filipino comfort woman is unveiled along Roxas Blvd. in Manila in remembrance of the estimated 1,000 Filipino women conscripted into sexual slavery in Japanese-run ‘comfort stations’ during WWII. Norman Cruz

Doy...

From A4 public interest advocate Louis Biraogo are likewise members of the Upsilon.

With Laurel and Aquino in agreement, the election was now between the AquinoLaurel team of the UNIDO and the KBL tandem of Ferdinand Marcos and Arturo Tolentino.

There were, however, ambitious politicians waiting in the wings. Former Senator Jovito Salonga, who was abroad for the bulk of the martial law years and whose presidential ambitions were aborted by martial law, was back in the country, and he announced that he was running for vice president. Salonga eventually withdrew because he had no election machinery to support him.

When news of the AquinoLaurel team-up broke out, some of the petitioners who questioned the special election in the Supreme Court withdrew their petitions.

Eventually, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the special election, but the reasons cited by the tribunal were sketchy and specious.

The Aquino-Laurel tie-up created a rift between Laurel and Kalaw. The latter expected to be the UNIDO’s vice presidential candidate, but with Laurel now running for vice president, Kalaw was expected to yield. At first, Kalaw relented, but upon the advice of her lawyers, Kalaw decided to be a third-party candidate for vice president.

Eventually, the Batasang Pambansa proclaimed Marcos and Tolentino the winners of the polls. Voters in Metropolitan Manila, however, protested.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Armed Forces of the Philippines Vice Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos launched a mutiny.

When their coup failed, Enrile and Ramos holed up at Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame and declared their opposition to President Marcos. Upon learning of this development, Cardinal Sin urged the people to surround the two camps to protect the mutineers. Thousands answered the call, not entirely out of patriotism but

mostly out of curiosity and entertainment.

The AFP chief of staff, General Fabian Ver, urged Marcos to order an all-out attack against the camps by military forces loyal to the government. Marcos refused to do so, and preferred to relinquish power rather than order an attack against his countrymen.

When troops loyal to the government started joining the rebels, and after Marcos left Malacañang. Aquino seized power in what is now called the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.

Upon seizing power, Aquino declared a revolutionary government. After appointing Laurel prime minister, Aquino abolished the position. She did, however, appoint Laurel her Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Soon enough, the news media began exposing corruption among Aquino’s relatives.

One famous journalist called Aquino’s relatives Kamaganak Inc. Even her famed Presidential Commission on Good Government was repeatedly accused of corruption.

The military establishment that installed Aquino in office began mounting several coup attempts against her. A protest at Mendiola organized by farmers ended up in a massacre. Aquino comported herself as an icon of press freedom but she sued veteran journalists Maximo Soliven and Luis Beltran for libel. Despite her call for genuine agrarian reform, Aquino practically exempted her Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac from the program.

As the Aquino presidency dragged on, Laurel was systematically marginalized and ignored by Aquino and her minions in Malacañang.

When Laurel protested to Aquino privately, Aquino declared that according to her lawyers, the Edsa Revolution erased all her political promises, including those which she made to Laurel. This compelled Laurel to resign from the Cabinet, and to resume his role as an opposition leader.

Laurel made an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1992, where he lost to Aquino’s anointed candidate, Fidel Ramos—Ninoy’s jailer during martial law.

CAPITAL should be made dynamic. Like money, it can only be appreciated if used to purchase goods or invested to generate more profit. In the words of Karl Marx, capital, to have its useful value, must be made into motion like buying or investing. That way, capital is made productive.

Following this line, modern Marxist theoreticians no longer interpret foreign investment along the stereotype view of seeing it as an instrument to exploit the less-developed countries commonly understood as “imperialism.” Many have taken the view to implement its use-value following that least understood theory of Marx on surplus capital. Capital, in that sense, is volatile that by its nature must be placed in constant motion.

A stagnant capital will not drive creativity. We were made to believe that capitalism began with the exploitation of the workers. But such is wrong because man has been exploiting man even before the advent of capitalism.

The only thing that changed was the status of people being exploited by the same ruling class. Workers came about because of mass production, the land-based serfs during the feudal period, and slavery during the formative years of civilization.

Rich and developed countries invest their excess capital not out of benevolence but of the truth that stagnant capital could push their economy to recession. In that, one could

get to know that capital in the form of foreign investment has its positive and negative effects. One can negatively look at it as exploitative, or positively as a tool for development.

We could no longer take a simplistic position that capital is exploitative because it enriches others. Poor countries equally need foreign investment to finance economic development and to secure the employment of their people. Spartanlike policy of self-reliance is arduous and prone to discontent.

For all their capital savings, rich countries would suffer recession, production slowdown and increase unemployment if their capital is made stagnant. Foreign investment allows them to convert their surplus capital to one of productive value.

Capital is also volatile that in any instance where there is inequality, economic and political instability could result. Capitalism or free enterprise, from its inception, has remained a politically unstable system because of economic inequality. The same economic postulate is true if capital is equalized.

Capital could lose its functional purpose if all are made capitalists. Remember, socialism did not erase capitalism but was only substituted by the State.

The upheavals in Eastern Europe and the reformatting of Marxist socialism to some sort of capitalism are manifestations that people will remain prone to discontent like demanding equality if they suffer deprivation just as others would demand more from the rest if they feel they deserve more for the value of their labor and talent.

As stated, previous Presidents tried various approach-

When Laurel was asked if he regretted giving way to Aquino and, ultimately, losing his one big chance to become president, he said, “no sacrifice is too great for my country.”

Laurel’s last stint at public service was his chairmanship of the commission which marked the centennial of Philippine independence in 1998.

Six years later in 2004, Laurel passed away virtually unheralded, at age 76. He is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Though Laurel did not get to be president, his good name has become part of the political lexicon. During every presidential election, many candidates are asked to do a “Doy Laurel” and yield personal ambition for the sake of national interest and unity.

Upon learning of Laurel’s passing, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said, “He gave of himself so completely to the quest and helped recover freedom for the people, not by forwarding himself, but by volunteering to slay his own personal ambition.”

It’s time the historical record recognize the heroism of Doy Laurel, the greatest president this country never had.

es to bring about economic progress. We followed the terms of globalization mandating states to leave it to the free market forces to decide the prices of goods, with a precondition that we have to privatize all our industries, and dismantle all forms of tariff barriers.

Our selective transfer of vital and strategic industries to private hands did not bring down the desired goals to bring down the prices of goods and services, promote employment and attract foreign investors. Rather, the economic transition became a buying spree for the oligarchy with

Filipino oligarchs are much cleverer.

an added incentive that privatization should be accompanied by deregulation in the prices of oil, gas, water, electricity, toll fees, and the conversion of franchise tax on utility industries to value-added tax thereby passing on the burden to the people.

The Filipino oligarchs are much cleverer. They pretend to be nationalists but are in fact the embodiment of “running dogs” while acting as though they are the business associates of their god on earth. Most of them borrow their capital or enter into dubious partnership with foreign capitalists to buy those industries with the government serving as guarantor.

Their record of collaboration is seen how they op-

Caroling From A4

heard them and their friends go from house to house singing Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy, Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, even Michael Jackson’s Give Love on Christmas Day. I did not worry that something bad would befall them. Tokhang was unheard of then and while there were crimes, people still trusted the Philippine National Police.

I do not exactly know when the tradition of caroling died but I see the major differences between past and present.

Sometimes I still get letters from groups helping orphans asking if they could do caroling at our place but I no longer

posed land reform fearing that diversification could weaken their position as principal exporters of agricultural products like sugar, coconuts, bananas, mangoes, pineapple, etc. The “Parity Rights Agreement” was classic how many of our prime agricultural lands were reconsolidated to ‘haciendas’ to meet the lucrative sugar quota they alone benefited.

The same can be said of our mining industries that began with the American occupation. While increasing areas have been mined of various mineral deposits, its being a nationalized industry failed to show significant contribution to the economy. The prices of our mineral products remained relatively the same, except for the price of gold. Like the sugar barons in the late 40’s to the 70’s, the mining concessionaires consolidated their position in banking to capitalize their mining explorations. It was only during the Marcos administration that steps were taken to process some of our mineral exports like steel and copper to semifinished products.

The same can be said of our transport and telecommunications industries. The oligarchs took the status of a nationalized industry to maintain their monopoly to amass wealth. The idea of building super expressways to shorten travel time was taken over by exorbitant toll tees slapped to commuters. Communications have also become the oligarchs’ inexhaustible gold mine, yet could not match their monopolistic industry by upgrading their technology to justify their rate.

The oligarchs sought the acquisition of MWSS by indicting the state-owned

see and hear children and young people sing Christmas Carols like before.

I do not know if children and teenagers still know the tradition of caroling. The girl and the boy at the beginning of this piece were after the money that perhaps they were under impression people should give them because it is Christmas season. So the girl struck it out on her own to do caroling. And the boy? He wanted to fast track things more so he just carried a “namamasko po” cardboard around.

Many families are impoverished, I know. I do not blame the children. They are victims here. Maybe the parents, too, are victims of social injustice.

However, we have responsibilities as parents. Letting children out on the streets to beg takes

firm as inefficient, graft ridden, and low incomegenerating corporation.

Even if they succeeded in widening the coverage of services in their franchised areas, it came at a very high cost to our people. The price of water per cubic meter rose by more than 500 percent. Both the private operators of our dams and irrigation system are now taking turn in jacking up their prices. What is anomalous is that some local government units collect fees from private wells installed by property owners. All these caused residential users to pay more and for farmers to abandon their farms due to high production cost.

Today, the cost of our electricity is the second in Asia.

The oligarchs continue to trifle the mandate even when they are only required to divest 15 percent or a pittance of their holdings. Owners resort to delaying and other schemes to get away with the divestment provision of the law. They are also allowed to increase their rate at will based on performance which effectively rendered the Energy Regulatory Commission toothless. This made their foreign financial brokers happy. Payment is assured because of the currency exchange rate adjustment.

If the dollar goes up against the peso, rate increase will be forthcoming.

In water, electricity, and other major projects, monetary imperialism through CERA is SOP in contracts entered into by the oligarchs. All these explain why the oligarchs’ version of nationalism failed to take roots in the heart of every Filipino because they know it is not meant for them. rpkapunan@gmail.com

away their childhood. Begging takes away people’s dignity.

No parent should allow this. At the macro level, no government should allow this.

Perhaps if my children are still kids now, I also would not allow them to stay out too late to do caroling. It is a dangerous time when even kids get killed in a bloody war against drugs. It may not be the time to do caroling especially at nights.

Yes, I think the tradition of caroling is lost. But let us not let goodwill die, too. While we do not like to tolerate begging, let us help those who need help.

Give not because people beg but give because we want to help.

Let this tradition live on. bethangsioco@gmail.com @ bethangsioco on Twitter

News

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Budget to benefit farmers’

By Rio N. Araja

D

AVAO City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles, House committee on appropriations chairman, on Friday said the country’s farmers shall benefit from the P2.6-billion allocation for free irrigation under the 2018 P3.767-trillion General Appropriations Act. He stressed this after 24 lawmakers who were Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez given zero-budget for their disclosed that funds from infrastructure projects un-

der next year’s national budget were realigned to finance free college tuition and compensation adjustment for military and uniformed personnel.

“Included in the P3.767trillion General Appropriations Act for 2018 is a P2.6-billion allocations for free irrigation as part of the Duterte administration’s farmer assistance program,” he said.

He added: “From the outset, President Duterte has vowed to help boost farmers’ production by subsidizing their irrigation needs.

“He highlighted this yet again when he signed the 2018 GAA on Tuesday.

It’s our responsibility as lawmakers to facilitate the Chief Executive’s worthy causes.”

According to Nograles,

the P2.6-billion irrigation fund represented a 30-percent increase from its 2017 allocation.

“In the 2017 budget, we set aside the amount of P2 billion as subsidy for free irrigation, and we did it again in the 2018 budget with a higher allocation of P2.6 billion,” he said.

“Our farmers need all the help they can get if we are to achieve our potential as

an agricultural juggernaut in Asia. With proper planning and the right pieces of legislation, this dream can be a reality under President Duterte,” he said.

The National Irrigation Administration said the country had about 10.3 million hectares of agricultural lands.

About 3.1 m illion hect ares are considered i r r igable.

Pag-IBIG Fund partners with 4 govt agencies PAG-IBIG Fund signed Friday Memoranda of Agreement and Understanding with four government agencies at the launch of the BALAI Filipino (Building Adequate Livable Affordable and Inclusive Filipino Communities) Program at the Crown Plaza, in Quezon City.

Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairperson Eduardo del Rosario said: “President Rodrigo Duterte is very emphatic in addressing the needs of those who have less in life, particularly their housing needs.

“Pag-IBIG Fund will play a very big role in achieving our target of 250,000 housing units per year for both the formal and informal sectors. With the 70-percent reduction in the national housing budget, Pag-IBIG will come into the picture.”

Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive officer Acmad Rizaldy Moti himself said: “The partnerships are Pag-IBIG Fund’s way of supporting the BALAI Filipino Program.

USAID donates 1.1-m books for DepEd THE United States Agency for International Development officially handed over 1.1-million supplementary books for the Department of Education’s Kindergarten to Grade 3 (K-3) classroom libraries in Regions I (Ilocos) and VII (Central Visayas).

The ceremonial turn-over was held at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Central Office on Dec. 11—disclosed only Friday—as part of the Basa Pilipinas (Read Philippines)—USAID’s flagship basic education activity which supports the Philippines’ goal of improving the reading skills of one million earlygrade students.

On behalf of DepEd, Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Lorna DigDino expressed her gratitude to USAID for reaching out to 1.8 million K-3 learners, training 19,000 teachers, and granting eight million pesos’ worth of learning materials to 3,000 public schools.

“This zeroes in on how important reading is, for all the kids and all of us,” she stated.

Dino also shared her hopes that other regions in the country would likewise be given access to the newly turned-over supplementary books, and emphasized that developing reading and comprehension skills are pre-requisites for learning 21st century skills.

US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Michael Klecheski also lauded the wonderful partnership they have had with DepEd over the years.

They have also been very active in promoting innovation in the Philippines, and in institutionalizing literacy instruction approaches and materials to deepen and sustain gains in reading achievements.

“To have an educated country, we have to have a very educated public,” he said.

“The four Memoranda show Pag-IBIG’s commitment to serve our public better. As we build our corporate headquarters through National Housing Authority, we help build the homes of our brothers and sisters in the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

“And as we fast-track our services by partnering with Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, we ensure due diligence and evaluation on our socialized housing receivables by partnering with National Home Mortgage and Finance Corporation.”

The MOA with HLURB will be for the synchronization of the implementation of policies and business rules to ease the flow of transactions, Pag-IBIG said in a statement.

The MOU with NHA will be for the construction of PagIBIG Fund’s corporate headquarters inside the NHA Main Compound in Quezon City.

The MOU with NHMFC will be for NHMFC’s purchase of socialized housing receivables from Pag-IBIG Fund.

LATE LEARNERS. Last minute Christmas shoppers look Friday for what they think are cheap stuff in Baclaran in Metro Manila’s Parañaque City—less than two days before C-Day. Lino Santos

Villar urges public: Protect cleanliness of oceans

By Macon R. Araneta STRESSING that the death of marine creatures like the endangered turtles (pawikan) will threaten the country’s entire ecosystem, Senator Cynthia Villar urged the public to protect and maintain the cleanliness of their habitat—the oceans.

Villar, chairman of the Senate environment committee, said Friday the death of marine creatures would also have adverse effects on the people’s livelihood and food sources.

She said one of the ways to protect the oceans was to

avoid throwing plastic garbage in the water systems.

In her capacity as Senate environment committee chair, Villar said she was working on amending the 17-year-old Ecological Solid Waste Management law to hold accountable manufacturers that dump plastic wastes in rivers and seas.

Last month, Villar said she attended a panel discussion in Singapore, organized by the European Union, which dealt on ensuring a plastic-free ocean.

She said among the concerns raised in the discussion was the amount of

wastes that reached the oceans and eventually damaged the ecosystem and marine biodiversity.

On top of that, she noted in a statement that those wastes killed marine creatures, including endangered turtles, considered integral to the ecosystem as they keep sea grass beds healthy.

Based on a University of Georgia study, the Philippines ranked third, next to China and Indonesia among 192 countries surveyed, in terms of volume of plastic wastes produced by the population that could potentially enter the seas and oceans.

“That truly alarmed me because marine plastic wastes pose an extreme danger to our country’s marine natural resources,” said Villar, adding it was already among the common causes of the disease and death of animals.

“I am sure you have heard about increasing reports and incidents of whale sharks, turtles and other animals that get entangled in or ingest plastic wastes. We have seen photos of turtles hanging on [fish] nets or plastic straws stuck in their nostrils,” said Villar in her statement.

She described as “very timely” the recently-concluded 12th Meeting of Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Migratory Species of Wild Animals as biodiversity and the protection of animals were among the major topics discussed.

She said the story of how the Pawikan Conservation Project in Bataan started in 1999 was a very good one.

She said this was a good example on how the outlook of residents were changed by becoming more environmentally aware and better informed.

Binay meets up with 3 awardees

By Joel E. Zurbano THE Makati City government on Friday named the three new centenarian awardees for this year, bringing to 45 the number of centenarians given plaques of appreciation and checks worth P100,000.

Africa Reynoso of Barangay Forbes Park and Leng Gee Lee of Dasmariñas Village, who both turned 100 years old this year, were thrilled when Mayor Abigail Binay met up with them at their respective homes.

The other centenarian, Carolina Domingo of Barangay Sta. Cruz, reached 103 years but passed away in August. Mayor Binay handed the award and cash gift to her family.

“Reaching 100 years old is a great reason to celebrate.

It will be wonderful to reach that age and be surrounded by your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I personally look forward to meeting our centenarians because I like hearing their stories— both of joy and hardships,” Binay said.

“Our centenarians are living pieces of history and it is only proper that we honor and appreciate them for their contributions,” she added.

The mayor was accompanied by Vice Mayor Monique Lagdameo and Makati City Rep. Luis Campos during the home visits.

City Ordinance 2012-099 entitles Makati senior citizens who are Blu Card holders to a one-time P100,000 cash gift upon reaching 100 years old.

It serves as a tribute for their significant contributions and role in the history and development of the city.

The latest awardees were able to meet the criteria set by the Makati Social Welfare Department, the lead implementer of the Blu Card Program: 1) must be a Filipino citizen; 2) must be a bonafide resident of Makati; 3) must have reached 100 years old between January to December of the current year; 4) must be a Blu Card and White Card holder for at least five years.

Earlier, some 79,000 senior citizens who are Blu card holders received their yearend cash gifts.

Blu Card holders received their year-end cash gift corresponding to their age categories as follows: Beneficiaries 60-69 years old received P1,500; 7079 years old, P2,000; and 8089 years old, P2,500.

Masa Masid drop boxes in place

WORRIED WAIT. South-bound passengers at the North Port in Manila, scheduled to sail on to their provinces in the Visayas, are antsy Friday as they await their new travel time after their original timetable was canceled due to Typhoon ‘Vinta.’ Norman Cruz

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista, Quezon City Police District director Guillermo Eleazar and Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Catalino Cuy have partnered to have a standardized and more confidential way of getting citizens’ suggestions and complaints.

A memorandum of agreement was entered into among the three agencies on the distribution of the Mamamayang Ayaw sa Anomalya, Mamamayang Ayaw sa Iligal na Droga (Masa Masid) suggestions and complaints drop boxes to the city’s 142 barangays.

Bautista led the distribution of the Masa Masid drop boxes to the barangay chairpersons.

The acquisition of the drop

boxes is funded by the city government through the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council to address the need to have standardized drop boxes and to cater to the suggestions for better city governance and management of the local government as well as to receive any information on illegal drug peddling and corruption.

The drop boxes will be placed in strategic locations outside the barangay halls and shall be collected and opened every first and third Friday of the month by the persons-in-charge, including the barangay councilors, Philippine National Police’s focal person and one faith-based organization member of the Masa Masid team.

Suggestions and complaints

will be sealed in a brown envelope with the signature of the persons-in-charge.

In another development, there will be no Christmas break for garbage collection services.

Garbage collection services in Quezon City will remain normal during the Christmas week leading to New Year’s day.

Frederika Rentoy, head of the Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department, said street sweepers and haulers will be deployed as scheduled from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2.

“The measure is meant to maintain the cleanliness in all areas and to promptly collect all refuse that may be generated during the Yuletide season,” she said. Rio N. Araja

Vehicular mishaps in Metro Manila recorded on Friday ‘carmageddon’ THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reported several vehicular accidents at different times on Friday, further hampering traffic on what navigation mobile application Waze called the “worst day to drive” in the Philippines.

Transport officials in Metro Manila, picking up from what Southern Californians call a

major traffic jam they have described as “carmageddon,” are also now using the term to stress traffic gridlock resulting from accidents or vehicular stalls following major roads being closed down.

In one eight-hour stretch during the day, the MMDA reported on its official Twitter account nine vehicular accidents and

three instances of a van or a bus stalling.

Twelve other vehicular accidents and four other instances of stalling were recorded throughout early Friday morning, according to MMDA tweets.

One of the latest incidents occurred at 3:50 p.m., involving a bus and a car that occupied one lane along Epifanio delos San-

tos Avenue, northbound, close to Farmers Market in Cubao, Quezon City.

Another occurred at 3:26 p.m. along Marcos Highway-Gil Fernando Avenue which involved a car, occupying one lane.

Official sources could nopt explain how the disasters occurred.

The MMDA has yet to respond to a query on a real-time situa-

tioner on Metro Manila traffic on Friday, but its General Manager Tim Orbos said earlier that traffic would be heaviest between 4 and 6 p.m. due to busy bus terminals.

The MMDA has boosted its graveyard shift force ahead of Friday’s anticipated traffic logjams, with travelers flocking to bus terminals in time for the holiday exodus.

Sports Nash, Kidd head Hall of Fame nominees LOS ANGELES—Former star NBA point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd head the list of first-time eligible candidates for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2018, the organization said Thursday.

Canada’s Nash, a twotime NBA Most Valuable Player with the Phoenix Suns, ranks third in the NBA history with 10,335 assists.

Kidd, the current coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, ranks second in assists (12,091) and career tripledoubles (107).

Ray Allen, the all-time leader in career three-point baskets (2,973), is another first-time candidate.

Other NBA stars eligible for the first time include Grant Hill, Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton.

Current San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon is one of the firsttime eligible women’s candidates. Hammon and fellow first-time candidate Katie Smith (current coach of the New York Liberty) were college and WNBA stars.

Finalists will be announced during NBA AllStar Weekend, February 16-18.

The Class of 2018 will be unveiled during the Final Four collegiate basketball semi-finals in San Antonio, Texas.

Meanwhile, TJ Warren scored 27 points and Troy Daniels drained the goahead three-pointer with 17 seconds to play as the Suns downed the Memphis Grizzlies 97-95.

A Suns turnover gave the Grizzlies a last chance to win, but Tyreke Evans missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer. AFP

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Beasley lifts Knicks past Celtics L

OS ANGELES—Michael Beasley was the unlikely hero in the New York Knicks’ upset of NBA Eastern Conference leaders Boston Thursday, exploding for 32 points to fuel a 102-93 triumph over the Celtics.

Beasley’s effort off the bench—including 28 points in the second half—had “MV-P” chants ringing around Madison Square Garden.

He more than compensated for Kristaps Porzingis’ worst NBA game: an 0-for11 shooting display that yielded one point and saw the Knicks’ Latvian star sit

out the final 17 minutes.

With the Knicks down by nine, Beasley came in for Porzingis with 5:37 left in the third quarter and promptly scored 10 points in five minutes.

“I’m just here for the team,” Beasley said.

“Whatever they need, whenever they need it.

Scoring, rebounding, defense, just trying my best.

As humbly as I can say it, I just feel like every shot that I shoot is going in.”

His jump shot sealed the victory with 1:06 left to play, handing the Celtics a second defeat in as many nights after a one-point loss to the Miami Heat in Boston on Wednesday.

“Mike knows his role. If KP’s out he obviously gets the bigger minutes,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. “I thought he played great in filling in for him. He really

helped us get some points on the board.”

Porzingis, who had missed two games with a sore knee, was hoping to expunge the memory of a dismal shooting night against the Celtics in the first week of the season, when he connected on just three of 14 shots from the floor.

Instead, he was even worse, missing all 11 of his shots in the first half and not even attempting one in the second.

Kyrie Irving scored 32 points for the Celtics, who

lost back-to-back games for the first time this campaign.

Their closest pursuers in the East, meanwhile, notched victories.

DeRozan on fire DeMar DeRozan scored a career-high 45 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a 114109 comeback victory over the 76ers in Philadelphia and the Cleveland Cavaliers warmed up for their NBA Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day with a hardfought 115-112 home win over the Chicago Bulls.

Garcia to face Rios in comeback fight

Mark Striegl pins his Korean foe Kim Ki-Sung to the floor in an action-packed sequence of the recently-concluded Casino Filipino Battle Extreme Tournament of Superstars IV at CF Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

LOS ANGELES—Former world super lightweight and welterweight world boxing champion Danny Garcia returns from the first loss of his career in February against former world champion Brandon Rios, promoters announced Thursday.

The fight will headline a February 17 card at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas that also includes unbeaten American David Benavidez making his first World Boxing Council super middleweight title defense in a rematch with Romanian Ronald Gavril.

Garcia, 33-1 with 19 knockouts, suffered the first defeat of his career last March, dropping a split decision to fellow American Keith Thur man at Brooklyn in a unification showdown for the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight crowns.

“I’m excited just to get back in the ring,” Garcia said.

Streigl rules Casino Filipino Battle Extreme tournament FILIPINO-AMERICAN fighter Mark “Mugen” Striegl of FIST Gym validated his status as an Asian mixed martial arts superstar by hacking out a hardearned unanimous decision victory over South Korean Kim Ki-Sung of BK Wang Ho/TOP Gym BF recently in their featherweight bout in the Casino Filipino Battle Extreme Tournament of Superstars IV at CF Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Striegl, who hiked his professional ring record to an impressive 17 wins against two defeats, failed

to capitalize on certain occasions that he was able to take Kim to the floor, but managed to deliver several solid blows to the head and body of his Korean foe to earn the nod of the judges.

With his latest victory, the 29-year-old warrior appeared headed for a much-awaited titular tiff with Sung’s training partner, Universal Reality Combat Championship featherweight champion Do Gyeom Lee. Lee was so vexed with the loss of his compatriot that he belittled Striegl’s triumph and chal-

lenged the latter to face him for his next fight.

“How can he be called an Asian MMA superstar when he doesn’t have a title? I don’t see anything special with the way he fought tonight,” Lee said of Striegl, whom he engaged in trash talk and stare down on the ring after the fight.

The fierce exchange of words between Striegl and Lee seems to generate spark and excitement ahead of the fifth installment of the highly-successful CF BETS series, which the URCC holds in partnership

with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation. CF BETS V is slated in Manila in March 2018.

“We won’t have a hard time promoting CF BETS V, that’s for sure. The trash talk episode between Mark Striegl and Do Gyeom Lee serves as an advance promotion of the next MMA event happening in one of our casinos and which we’re certain about drawing multitude of MMA fans again,” said an elated Bong Quintana, PAGCOR’s Assistant VP for Entertainment.

Meanwhile, in the comain event of the fight spectacle, The Den MNL’s Arvin Chan made short work of Joel Jabonero of CALMA-MMA by submitting the latter via “Kimura” or arm lock in the one minute mark of the opening round of their welterweight bout.

In other matches of the eight-fight card, Adonis Sevillano scored a unanimous decision over Arnel Ylanan of Deftac Vagabong MMA, while Roel Rosauro (YawYan Ardigma Cebu) won by split decision against fellow

Cebuano Alexander Aballe (Yawchedelic MMA).

Baguio City’s Ariel Lampacan (Subsports PH) prevailed by referee-stopped contest over Giovanie Macasling (CALMA MMA) after pinning the latter to the floor with relentless striking in the 1:08 mark of the first round. Another fighter from Baguio City, Lucky Mateo (Fight Corp), hardly broke a sweat after forcing Charles Sayson (Oryx MMA Qatar) into submission via choke in just 36 seconds of the opening round.

3-peat win for La Salle Greenies LA Salle Greenhills had a successful year in the SBP-Passerelle as it remained the undefeated champion of the SBP division for the third consecutive year.

Now on its 32nd year, the SBP-Passerelle is the largest and longest-running twin tournaments in the country.

At the tournaments’ 32nd championship games held at the Cebu Coliseum, the LSGH Greenies, representing the National Capital Region, beat Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (Visayas), 66-51, for the title. Ferndale International School of Zamboanga, representing Mindanao, defeated Berkeley School of Baguio (Luzon), 57-36, for third place.

In the Passerelle division, San Beda College-Rizal (NCR) became the new champion after beating Holy Child of Davao (Mindanao), 68-51. Third placer was International School for Better Beginnings (Luzon), which defeated Hua Siong College of Iloilo (Visayas), 58-52.

DeRozan made 13 of his 21 shots from the floor, including six of nine from three-point range.

Australian rookie Ben Simmons scored 20 points to pace the 76ers, who were without Cameroonian center Joel Embiid, their leading scorer and rebounder, for a third straight game because of tightness in his back.

Kyle Lowry added 23 points for the Raptors, who erased a 22-point thirdquarter deficit to win their fifth straight and 11th in 12 games. AFP

More than a thousand young athletes participated in this year’s SBP-Passerelle twin tournaments.

SBP-Passerelle, which gives importance to fair play and discipline among participating students, as well as parents, coaches and school officials, presented the highly coveted sportsmanship award to Ferndale International School in the SBP division and San Beda College-Rizal in the Passerelle division.

“We are very lucky to have witnessed another year of passionate competition among these talented young individuals,” said Nicanor Jorge, former national coach and founder of BEST (Basketball Efficiency & Scientific Training) Center which organized this annual event. “It’s heart-warming to see their passion for the sports and their perseverance not only to winning but to doing their best for the team.

We are proud to provide a venue for these future basketball champions to

hone their competitive skills. We look forward to another great season next year.”

Organized by the country’s premier sports clinic, BEST Center, the 32nd SBPPasserelle Twin Tournaments is supported by MILO, in cooperation with Rain or Shine Elasto Paints, Chris Sports, and SKLZ. It provides a venue for under-15 and under-12 age groups to apply what they learned in basketball training and showcase their skills.

BEST Center is a Hall of Famer of the Philippine Sportswriters Association for Grassroots Development and the only corporate recipient of the Olympism Award from the Philippine Olympic Committee.

For more information about BEST Center’s classes and tournaments, call the hotlines 411-6260, 3723066 and 372-3065, email bestcenterspor ts@g mail. com or follow its official Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/pages/BEST-Center-SportsInc/66172039922.

LSGH Greenies (top) and San Beda College-Rizal champions at 3nd SBP-Passerelle Twin Tournament National Finals

Patrombon,...

From A8

overcame a listless start that saw Rivera break her in the fifth game before sweeping the next three. But the top seeded bet, who whipped Patricia Velez, 6-0, 6-1, in the semis, struck back midway in the next, breaking Rivera in the fifth and seventh to force the decider.

She kept her momentum in the third, sweeping the first four games. And though Rivera, who eased past Aileen Rogan, 6-2, 6-0, in the Final Four, held serve in the fifth and broke back in the sixth for a 4-2 count, Iglupas regrouped and fought back from love-30 by racking up four straight points.

She then held serve in the eighth game to

complete the come-from-behind win and snatch the top P20,000 purse.

Iglupas later teamed up with Arcilla to beat Tierro and Rivera, 6-3, 6-1, for the mixed doubles crown.

Meanwhile, the season-ending tournament of the country’s longest and biggest talent-search with over 50 events will be held Dec. 26-30 for the PPS-PEPP Angeles, Pampanga leg at the Angeles City Tennis Club in Villa Gloria Subd., according to PPS-PEPP Sports Program Development director and organizer Bobby Mangunay.

For details, call 0915-4046464.

Patrombon, who survived rising young star and recent PCA Open champion Bryan Otico in three sets in the quarters, also needed to walk the tightrope before subduing Leander Lazaro, 7-6(5), 6-4, in the semis.

“I needed the time off to recuperate and let my body heal.

“I’m ready to kick off the year in style and take over the welterweight division.”

That would mean putting himself in position for a rematch against double champion Thurman, unbeaten International Boxing Federation king Errol Spence of the United States and undefeated Australian Jeff Horn, the World Boxing Organization champion.

Garcia, 29, spent two years as a super lightweight champion after taking his first crown in 2012 by unanimous decision from Mexico’s Erik Morales.

Rios, 31, is 34-3 with one draw and 25 knockouts. The former WBA lightweight champion dropped three of his past six starts, including a 2013 Macao matchup against Filipino star Manny Pacquiao, but won his most recent bout by knocking out Mexico’s Aaron Herrera last June after a 19-month layoff. AFP

Pacquiao leads athletes in S+A yearend special FILIPINO boxing legend Sen. Manny Pacquiao headlines the Filipino sports personalities featured in ABS-CBN S+A’s two-part yearender special “The Final Score” that will air on Christmas Day at 9 p.m. and New Year’s Day at 10 p.m. on S+A and S+A HD. Anchored by TJ Manotoc and Dyan Castillejo, the special looks back at the momentous championships and memorable athletic performances that made 2017 a memorable year in sports with exclusive in-depth interviews with Pacquiao, UAAP Season 80 Finals MVP Thirdy Ravena, De La Salle’s rising star Ricci Rivero, and LPU Pirates head coach Topex Robinson.

In the first part entitled “#Trending,” The Final Score gets to talk to two of the most talked about athletes this year—Thirdy, Ateneo De Manila’s King Eagle, and Ricci, the most tweeted athlete of 2017 in the entire Philippines. The anchor digs into their journey to their epic Finals showdown and beyond and also gives a rundown of the trending moments in the UAAP Season 80 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Meanwhile, the second part, dubbed “#Redemption,” features Topex and “People’s Champion” Pacquiao, who will share the challenges they faced in their respective disciplines. The former SSC-R Stag will recount the hard work they put in ahead of the Pirates’ historic season and the pain and lessons learned after their Finals loss to defending champions San Beda Red Lions.

Pacquiao, on the other hand, will reminisce about the highs of his career and how his stinging defeat at the hands of Jeff “The Brisbane Hornet” Horn this year made him tougher in life and inside the ring. Aside from that, “#Redemption” will also give spotlight to the biggest upsets in the sporting world this year, and the NBA Finals last June that saw the Golden State Warriors take the NBA crown back from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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

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

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017

Sports

Ang fastest in Asian Karting Championship COB Ang shone the most as he won the overall crowns in the Formula 125 Sr. Open and the X30 SR classes of the Asian Karting Open Championship at the Kartodrome de Coloane Circuit in Macau recently.

Ang compiled 142 points after four legs held in Macau (June 10-11), Philippines (August 26-27), Thailand (November 2-4) and Macau (December 9-10) to win hands down the Formula 125 class over John Dizon (69 points) and Haopeng Zhang of China (67 points).

He also dominated the X30 SR class with an overall 137 points after four legs, besting fellow Filipinos Mikey Jordan (70 points) and John Dizon (68 points) in his campaign backed by San Miguel Corporation and Eagle Cement.

Other overall winners were Eduardo Coseteng (Formula 125 Jr. Open and X30 Jr), Zach David (Minirok), and Leung Pui Chiu (Formula 125 Veteran Open).

In the Macau leg, Ang placed second runner up behind champion Eshan Pieris and Royce Yu in the X30 class and 1st runner up behind Royce Yu in the Formula 125 Sr Open.

Mbala leaves La Salle, joins Mexican pro five Jacob Ang of the Philippines holds his overall championship trophy in the Formula 125 Sr. Open at the close of the Asian Karting Open Championship in Macau recently. Ang, backed by San Miguel Corporation and Eagle Cement, also ruled the X30 SR class. He is flanked in this photo by fellow Filipino John Dizon (left) and Haopang Zhang of China. Ramon Boado

Financial aid to karate association suspended

By Peter Atencio

F

INANCIAL assistance to the Philippine Karatedo Federation is suspended immediately.

These are among the measures that the Philippine Sports Commission is taking following complaints by members of a 14-man national karatedo team that went to Germany before the 2017 Southeast Asian Games for training.

The karate athletes alleged

Patrombon, Iglupas share Dagitab Open tennis honors KHIM Iglupas cranked up her game midway in the second set then dominated Shaira Rivera in the decider to fashion out a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in the women’s singles final of the PPS-PEPP Dagitab Tennis Festival Open in Naga City, Cebu recently.

Jeson Patrombon, on the other hand, ended veteran Johnny Arcilla’s reign with a 7-6 (6), 6-2 romp to claim the men’s singles title and complete the Iligan City bets’ sweep of the seasonending Open tournament sponsored by Palawan Pawnshop and the LGUs of Naga City led by Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong.

Patrombon, a former Australian Open boys’ singles quarterfinalist, proved steadier Arcilla in the tiebreaker after the top two ranked players held serves in the first 12 games of the opening set, hinting at a tight, grueling finish.

But the 24-year-old Patrombon pressed his bid after breaking Arcilla in the third game of the second frame, holding serve in the fourth before breaking his rival again to go up, 4-1.

Arcilla, who has dominated the Open tournaments of the annual PPS-PEPP circuit the last three years, snapped his slump and took the sixth game but Patrombon easily won the next, yielding just one point to annex the crown worth P30,000.

Iglupas, meanwhile, Turn to A7

that they did not fully receive their allowances during their 20-day training stint.

Officials of the Philippine Karatedo Federation reportedly made the athletes sign for only $400 of the allotted $1,800 for each of the 14 members of the national squad.

A probe into the allegations by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation started last Thursday.

The agents are now interrogating athletes, coaches and PKF officials to find out what happened to funds amounting to around P3.217 million.

The money was supposed to be spent for the seminars and tournaments joined by the team, plus accommodations, meals and allowances among other things, while

the national squad was in Germany from July 20 to Aug. 9.

“This is government money. We are very particular about this. We would like to implement the law,” said PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez after emerging from a board meeting at the Philsports Complex in Pasig.

While the probe is going on, PSC executive director Sanna Privaldo will also lead a five-man task force that will also look into the case

and cooperate with investigators of the NBI. PKF officials and coaches are now banned from the athletes’ dormitories and are restricted and disallowed from interacting with karatedo athletes, who have filed their complaints.

Ramirez explained that the national athletes involved are not under investigation, but the officials and coaches who are being questioned by the NBI and the task force.

CAMEROONIAN big man and two-time Most Valuable Player Ben Mbala will skip his final year with the La Salle Green Archers in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament.

Mbala has joined a Mexican professional team Fuerza Regia as an import.

He will be the team’s reinforcement for the second half of its season in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional.

The 22-year-old Mbala will be one of the two players, who won’t be back for La Salle in Season 81. The other one is Abu Tratter, who recently graduated.

“After 5 years and two incredible seasons, numerous off-seasons and course, countless memories, it is with a heavy heart that I announce that the time has come for me to move on from De La Salle University and the Green Archers,” said Mbala in his Twitter post at thekidfromcameroon.

Mbala went out of his way to thank team patron Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., coach Aldin Ayo and the coaching staff for the opportunities he was given.

The Green Archers won the Season 79 title with Mbala averaging 20.64 points and 16 rebounds.

In Season 80, the Green Archers lost the crown to the Ateneo Blue Eagles, with Mbala norming 14.2 points and 7.78 rebounds.

So far, a replacement for Mbala is now being readied That could be New Zealand’s 6’8” Taane Samuel, who is reportedly being groomed to replace Mbala is Season 81.

Mbala’s departure came as the board of trustees of the UAAP gets ready to review the thorny issues concerning the league’s eligibility rules, some which were suspended following the implementation of the K12 policy.

During the two-year period spanning Seasons 79 and 80, the board suspended the seven-year period that allows athletes to have seven years of eligibility in the league.

In that period, the school league adjusted to the introduction of the senior high school program and the new grade school system.

The board will discuss if the ruling will be restored, or if new r ules will be introduced.Peter Atencio

Meralco sinks Blackwater, 103-98

By Jeric Lopez MERALCO shook off a lethargic start and fired from all cylinders in the second to turn back Blackwater, 103-98, in the 2017-18 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City last night.

Meralco newcomer Nino Canaleta didn’t waste anytime in showing what he can do to help the Bolts, leading his new team with a game-high 25 points.

The Bolts banked on a blistering 19-0 surge midway the third canto to break the game wide open after a shaky first half, where they trailed for most part.

Using that decisive run, Meralco carved a huge 69-54 cushion halfway the third and never looked back.

Meralco joined San Miguel, NLEX and Magnolia with 1-0 records.

Through its defense and early

efficiency in offense, Blackwater was able to build a 41-29 double-digit lead with over seven minutes left in the second frame.

But Meralco countered and ended the first half strongly, tying the game at 44-all heading to the intermission.

From the third period onwards, it was all Meralco, but Blackwater threatened at the last second.

The Elite had their last hoorah and came all the way back from a huge hole to inch within just three, 95-98, with over 30 seconds left after two free throws from Raymar Jose.

However, Meralco held its ground and didn’t allow Blackwater to complete its comeback.

Canaleta ensured his team’s victory with a dagger triple with 11.3 ticks left to ice Meralco’s triumph, making it 101-95.

The Bolts led by as much as 19 points twice in the fourth be-

fore getting a late game scare.

Baser Amer added 17 points and 11 dimes for Meralco, while Jared Dillinger helped out with 15.

Jose, the No. 3 overall pick, debuted for the Elite and made a good account of himself, leading his squad with 16 markers in a losing effort.

Big men Ranidel De Ocampo (calf) and Cliff Hodge (foot) were missed by Meralco as both continued to recuperate from there respective injuries.

The scores: MERALCO 103—Canaleta 25, Amer 17, Dillinger 15, Newsome 12, Lanete 8, Ballesteros 6, Tolomia 6, Baracael 5, Faundo 4, Hugnatan 3, Caram 2, Salva 0.

BLACKWATER 98—Jose 16, Maliksi 16, Sumang 15, Belo 13, Erram 11, Cortez 8, Digregorio 6, Javier 6, Sena 4, Pinto 3, Banal 0, Cruz 0, Marcelo 0.

Quarters: 23-27, 44-44, 6677, 103-98.

Blackwater’s Mac Belo drives against the defense of Meralco’s Jared Dillinger in a PBA Philippine Cup game won by the Bolts, 103-98.

Team SEA, PH gear up 2nd Pradera Challenge

Indonesian Michela Tjan and local ace Annyka PinedaCayabyab hope to help anchor their respective teams’ bid in the upcoming Pradera Ladies Challenge.

INSPIRED by the huge success of its inaugural staging, the Pradera Verde Ladies Challenge braces for a second blockbuster edition on Jan. 15-17, 2018 with Team Southeast Asia seeking back-to-back championship and Team Philippines raring to get even at the Pradera Golf Club in Lubao, Pampanga.

Team SEA, bannered by the leading amateur players of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, dominated the hosts in four-ball, foursomes and singles competitions and ran away with a 19 1/210 1/2 romp last year.

To underscore its readi-

ness for a repeat, the visiting side toughened up its cast, adding Singapore’s Shannon Tan to a talent-laden roster vying in the unique championship pitting the country’s leading jungolfers and amateurs against the top players from neighboring Southeast Asian countries in a Ryder Cup-style format event.

“With souped-up squads, we expect a solid showing for both sides, guaranteeing a thrilling battle in all three days among the best young players in the region,” said Archen Cayabyab, who with Lubao Mayor Mylyn PinedaCayabyab and swing coach Norman Sto. Domingo

drew up and came up with the event last year as part of their effort to boost the country’s junior and amateur golf program.

Thailand will be bannered by its youth brigade composed of Kultihda Pramphun, Phannarai Meesomus, Pimkwan Chookaew, Pinkaew Trachentong and returning Onkanok Soisuwan, with Team SEA beefed up by Malaysians Winnie Ng, Ashley Lau, Audrey Tan and Zulaikan Nurzian and Indonesian Michela Tjan, also a member of last year’s winning squad.

But Team Phl will be

coming into the event brimming with confidence, its side reinforced by a slew of top notch players, led by former World Junior Girls champion Yuka Saso, former national champion Harmie Constantino and The Country Club mainstays Mikha Fortuna, Bernie Olivarez-Ilas and Sofia Chabon.

Thirteen-year-old Annyka Cayabyab is also all geared up for the event, eager to chip in her share with a solid showing on a course she calls home, along with Nicole Abelar, Laurea Duque, Tomi Arejola and Kayla Nocum.

SMC Global lists P20-b fixed bonds with Pdex

B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017

B1

Forex rules liberalized further

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE Monetary Board, the policymaking body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, further eased the foreign exchange rules in line with the thrust of opening up the economy through a more liberal policy environment.

“... Even as the rules are further liberalized, banks are expected to continue to adopt safe and sound practices in their operations,” Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said Friday.

“This liberalization move is expected to further strengthen BSP’s database and its ability to adopt timely and necessary prudential measures to address

any perceived emerging concerns,” Espenilla said.

Under the new rules, the prior BSP approval requirement for purely private sector loans [those without guarantee from/exposure of any public sector entity] was lifted. These loans should only be registered with the Bangko Sentral to allow the use of banking system resources for loan payments.

“Requirements to support applications for registration and purchase of FX from the banking system were also substantially trimmed down, and the form of documents liberalized, including allowing the use of scanned application to purchase FX form,” the board said.

The revised rules aim to further facilitate financing of critical and urgent projects and activities that can contribute to a more vibrant business climate

conducive to growth.

Espenilla, who assumed the top central bank post in July 2017, vowed to pursue further foreign exchange liberalization. He said banks could not sufficiently fund the increasing requirements of the domestic economy despite the growth in lending.

Espenilla said the reforms he intended to pursue aimed to make foreign exchange transactions “more risk-based but transparent.”

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said earlier the further forex liberalization was not just for capital flow management, but to align the country’s foreign exchange regulatory system with expanded financial transactions.

The Bangko Sentral already implemented several foreign exchange liberalization measures since

2007 that resulted in the opening up of the foreign exchange regime.

These measures included increasing from $5,000 to $10,000 the limit on allowable outward investment that can be bought from banks and other foreign exchange entities without supporting documents; increasing the allowable dollar purchases from banks by residents for non-trade current account transactions (without the need for supporting documentation) and outward investments (without the need for BSP approval).

Bangko Sentral also rolled out the repo trade last month as part of the peso debt market development roadmap aimed at establishing an integrated financial market in the country.

Peso tipped as Asia’s whipping boy in 2018

PLDT GLOBAL PARTNER. PLDT Global Corp., through unit PLDT Japan, signs an agreement with Seven Bank Ltd., the financial arm of 7-Eleven convenience chain, to bring digital solutions such as bhills payment, online shopping via SmartWorld 247, and online loading to families in the Philippines through the bank’s mobile application. At the agreement signing event are (from left) Seven Bank general manager Masaki Yagyu, Seven Bank GM Masayoshi Takeda, Seven Bank managing executive officer Tomofumi Oguchi, Seven Bank director and managing executive officer Taku Oizumi, PGC head of business development and IPOPs Albert Martin Villa-Real, PGC president and CEO Katrina Luna-Abelarde, PGC country manager for PLDT Japan Mario Fujimoto and PGC sales head for PLDT Japan Marx Mella.

Vetoed provisions of TRAIN to yield additional revenues THE government is looking at additional revenues of approximately P7 billion in 2018 from a projected P82.3 billion to P90 billion as a result of the vetoed provisions under the first package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

The Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion, which lowers personal income tax rates while raising excise taxes on numerous products, is projected to contribute a net amount of P82.3

billion in fiscal year 2018.

Economic managers, however, said the amount could go higher given the provisions vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Estimated revenues could go up to P90 billion,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said after the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee meeting at the Department of Finance on Friday. Dominguez and Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno declined to mention

the provisions vetoed by President Duterte under the TRAIN law.

A source later said the vetoed provisions include exemption of various petroleum products from the excise tax, earmarking of incremental tobacco taxes and the exemption of gross sales or receipts not exceeding P500,000 from the percentage tax.

President Duterte signed into law the TRAIN bill which is expected to generate P130 billion in

revenues during its first year of implementation.

Duterte signed Republic Act 10963 or the TRAIN law—a priority measure of the Duterte administration—at Malacañang’s Ceremonial Hall on Dec. 19.

Revenues from the tax reform measure aims to fund the Duterte government’s ambitious P8.44-trillion “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure and socio-economic programs.

The TRAIN, which pro-

vides for personal income tax exemptions for the first P250,000 of taxable income, along with other significant PIT cuts for other tax brackets, provides Filipino taxpayers with “muchneeded relief” after 20 years of no adjustment on the rates, Dominguez said.

He said preliminary computations show that the government would be giving “almost P150 billion” back to the people in the form of tax relief under the TRAIN. Julito G. Rada

IN BRIEF Marsh is best insurance broker

MARSH was named Asia’s “Best Insurance Broker” for the fourth consecutive year at the CFO Innovation Awards ceremony held in Singapore earlier this month.

“This is our fourth consecutive win at these awards, and reinforces our reputation as a trusted advisor to our clients, particularly at the C-suite level,” said Marsh Asia CEO David Jacob.

“The CFO Innovation Award is a resounding vote of confidence from finance professionals, giving further testament to our work being instrumental in helping our clients to unlock value in spite of the increasing complexity of risks,” he added.

The CFO Innovation Awards recognize Asia’s leaders in all aspects of financial management. Nominated and voted by readers of CFO Innovation, the annual awards ceremony acknowledges not only CFOs and their teams, but also the companies that provide them with the services, support, and technology that enable their success.

Audioway, Indonesian firm tie up

AUDIOWAV Media Inc., the country’s pioneer in sensory branding and point-of-purchase advertising, has teamed up with an Indonesian rail operator to improve the commuter experience in the Jakarta metropolitan area.

WAV, through its subsidiary PT WAV Global Indonesia, signed an agreement with PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia for the installation of commuter radios inside the commuter trains.

“The partnership forwards our plans of bringing our proprietary train technology platform outside the Philippines,” WAV founder, chairman and chief executive Carlos Jose G. Hinolan said.

“We look forward to helping KCI in improving the customer experience in Jakarta’s mass transit system, as well as [helping] other businesses in reaching out to their target markets through our audio train technology,” he added. Darwin G. Amojelar

Russian investors eye Mariveles

RUSSIAN investors are getting bullish on the Philippines as another possible investment on a pipeline coating facility is under discussions with the Board of Investments.

Trade Secretary and BoI chairman Ramon Lopez said Russian company, BT SVAP LLC, was interested to move to an economic zone in Mariveles, Bataan.

“More investors have expressed their confidence in the country’s economic stability and business environment under the Duterte administration. They wish to partner with us in providing more jobs and opportunities for Filipinos, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid,” said Lopez.

BT SVAP LLC’s chairman Igor Shaporin said Bataan was an ideal site to locate industries because of its accessibility both to sea and land transportation. Othel V. Campos

RCBC BANKARD RAFFLE WINNER. Lucky RCBC Bankard client Mirasol Ilar (right) wins a once-in-a-lifetime trip for two to New York City, thanks to RCBC Bankard’s Holiday Getaway in the Big Apple promo. Ilar has been an RCBC Bankard cardholder since 2006. The winning transaction was made by his supplementary cardholder at the Landmark Department Store. The raffle draw was held on October 23, 2017 at the RCBC Bankard head office in the presence of RCBC Bankard and DTI representatives.

INVESTORS rejoicing over the Philippine peso’s rally to a six-month high should beware: the currency is predicted to be Asia’s worst performer next year.

The peso will slide to 51 per dollar by end of 2018, a loss of 1.5 percent from current levels, according to the median estimate of a Bloomberg survey, with a most bearish projection of 56. The currency will be undermined as the current-account deficit widens, while the central bank is slow to raise interest rates from a record low, strategists and fund managers say.

“The peso remains vulnerable,” said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc. in Manila.

“The external payments position will likely deteriorate further as more economic activity fuels demand for capital equipment and consumer goods,” he said, forecasting the currency will end next year at 52 per dollar.

The peso has whipsawed this year: sliding to an 11-year low of 51.85 per dollar in October before paring losses to close at 50.14 on Friday. It is still down 1.1 percent since the start of January.

The Philippines will post a current-account deficit of $100 million this year and that will swell to $700 million in 2018, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas forecast this month. The shortfall is set to increase as President Rodrigo Duterte’s $180-billion infrastructure plan pushes up imports.

“The Philippines doesn’t get a lot of investor inflow, and this is one of the biggest problems and why it tends to weaken off more aggressively than its regional peers when sentiment dies,” said Stephen Innes, head of trading for Asia Pacific at Oanda Corp. in Singapore. “It is still going to be the local whipping boy in the region.”

A forecast of 51 per dollar for year-end 2018 may be a bit optimistic if anything, he said.

Philippine policy makers have been in no rush to raise rates even after the Federal Reserve increased its benchmark this month for the third time this year. Central bank officials have defended their position by saying annual economic growth in excess of 6 percent is unlikely to cause overheating. Bloomberg

Hyundai sales climbed 23% to 34,025 units in 11 months

By Othel V. Campos AUTOMOBILE sales of Hyundai Asia Resources Inc. rose 12 percent to 34,025 units in the first 11 months from 30,469 units year-onyear.

HARI president and chief executive Ma. Fe PerezAgudo said sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles remained buoyant due to the strong economy and the improving purchasing power of the middle class.

“2017 proved to be upbeat for Hyundai, reflecting our driven and empowered industry. We expect to maintain this growth momentum, thereby contributing to the overall growth of the economy for 2017,” she said.

Sales grew of passenger cars rose 7 percent to 23,167 units from 21,637 on year,

with top-selling Accent leading the growth with a 34-percent surge from 11,156 to 14,899 units.

Light commercial vehicle sales increased 23 percent to 10,858 units from 8,832.

Flagship vehicle Grand Starex remains the biggest contributor with a 14-percent growth from 3,371 to 3,832 units sold.

Meanwhile, the H-100 made a huge comeback with a 59-percent growt, from 1,927 units to 3,066 units sold, capping the segment’s impressive performance and underscoring Hyundai’s commitment to empower local entrepreneurs with reliable and versatile mobility solutions.

The company expects to close 2017 with combined passenger cars and commercial vehicles sales of 37,500 units, up 11.3 percent from 33,695 units in 2016.

Monetary Board OKs LandBank’s acquisition of Postal Savings Bank THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, has approved the acquisition of thrift bank Philippine Postal Savings Bank by state-run Land Bank of the Philippines.

Bangko Sentral Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. said Friday with the approval, the proposed establishment of the Overseas Filipino Bank would be done early next year. The Overseas Filipino Bank will become a subsidiary of LandBank.

Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Chuchi Fonacier said at the sidelines of an event the review of the documents for the acquisition would be over soon and hopefully Overseas Filipino Bank would start operations

by February next year.

Malacanang already approved the acquisition a few weeks ago.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III earlier said the acquisition would pave the way for a financial institution that would cater not

only to the country’s migrant workers, but to other overseas-based Filipinos as well.

Dominguez said expanding the coverage of the new bank—not just for overseas workers—would make it “more inclusive” as it would also cover Filipinos based overseas, including immigrants to other countries.

Duterte ordered Philippine Postal Corp. and the Bureau of the Treasury to transfer their PSPB

shares to the LandBank at zero value under Executive Order No. 44 issued on Sept. 28 by President Rodrigo.

The EO stated that the former PPSB will be converted into the “Overseas Filipino Bank,” which is a “policy bank dedicated to provide financial products and services tailored to the requirement of overseas Filipinos” and will focus on delivering “quality and efficient foreign remittance services.”

Dominguez said at a recent press briefing one of the key featuresof the OFB would be a remittance service for overseas Filipino workers as well as a loan program for Filipinos planning to return home to start businesses or build their homes.

He said LandBank and the BTr were also exploring ways of mobilizing the savings of overseas-based Filipinos for them to invest in the country’s capital markets. Julito G. Rada

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Business

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks advance; BDO climbs

T

he stock market gained Friday, picking up the baton from Wall Street while the euro stood firm against a sell-off despite a victory for Catalan separatists in a snap poll.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 54.03 points, or 0.6 percent, to 8,432.31 on a value turnover of P10.2 billion. Gainers beat losers 108 to 96, with 40 issues unchanged.

BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, climbed 2.3 percent to P153.60, while Cebu Air Inc., operator of the largest budget airline, advanced 2.2 percent to P98.60.

Filinvest Land Inc., the

property unit of the Gotianun Group, increased 2.2 percent to P1.90, while technology stock Xurpas Inc. jumped 8.7 percent to P5.73.

Most Asian markets on Friday, meanwhile saw in the Christmas break on a positive note.

Global equities rallied over the past year on hopes Donald Trump’s key election promise to cut taxes would boost corporate prof-

its and put money in people’s pockets, but traders cashed in their profits soon after the bill was passed this week.

However, buying perked up again Thursday on bets that the tax reform will further fire the already healthy US economy, while there was also cheer for news that lawmakers had agreed a deal to avert a painful government shutdown.

“A day after being nonplussed with the passage of the US tax bill through the House and Senate, it seems stock traders decided that yes, after all, they do think the tax cuts will help valu-

ations and the economy,” said Greg McKenna, chief market strategist at AxiTrader.

The US gains extended into Asia with Hong Kong up 0.3 percent, Sydney adding 0.2 percent and Singapore putting on 0.3 percent.

Tokyo’s Nikkei closed 0.2 percent higher, while Seoul, Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were also stronger.

But Shanghai dipped 0.1 percent.

“The US corporate tax cut will lead to better earnings results and have a positive impact on the economy,” Hideyuki Ishiguro, a senior

strategist at Daiwa Securities in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News.

However, Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trading at OANDA, warned of possible headwinds for 2018, pointing out that Trump could struggle to push through a planned $1-trillion infrastructure bill in the face of low poll ratings and possible mid-term election losses.

On currency markets the euro edged down but held its own after Catalan separatists won the crucial election Thursday, fueling fresh uncertainty in Spain, one of the eurozone’s biggest

economies.

The vote came after a failed independence bid earlier this year rattled Europe and triggered Spain’s worst political crisis in decades.

While pointing out there had been little immediate negative impact on the single currency, Innes said the result “would deal a significant blow (to) Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy that could potentially escalate.”

Bitcoin sank 20 percent to briefly sit just above $13,000 for the first time since December 7, hit by profit-taking. With AFP

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.4 80,000 59.75 12,360 106 495,170 3.84 13,000 153.6 725,200 1.95 392,000 33.25 231,900 15.72 1,200 32 559,000 1.76 199,000 0.59 340,000 98 1,900,340 0.92 684,000 12 25,400 25 1,700 56.95 5,700 235 5,390 88 400 55.4 241,960 252 90,700 1,950 1,165 87 9,090

269,940 737,000 52,443,513 49,920 110,624,877 758,080 7,710,535 18,864 17,847,770 347,940 200,600 185,936,046 631,100 299,270 40,495 324,218.50 1,265,246 35,200 13,401,038 22,891,056 2,242,750 790,785

109,940 18,894,483 37,322,307 1,381,005 1,958,915 -65,955,313 79,120 -158,105 -1,656,812.50 -1,583,112 700,353

40 12.44 0.61 1.34 16.92 0.215 125 4.92 16.04 180 44.5 19.6 63.05 1.89 5.63 11.2 11.04 14.4 11.42 7.25 5.61 16.98 62.1 26.15 10.84 17.64 2.24 244.8 4.09 3.1 20.8 27.8 18.14 17.8 319 0.197 8.1 2.24 5.95 9.34 5.7 8.35 1.53 12.4 60.3 6.55 530 4.97 1.93 13.28 5.4 0.135 1.2 150 2.9 1.85 0.77

INDUSTRIAL 40.9 987,800 12.5 849,200 0.65 4,449,000 1.37 302,000 17.9 21,400 0.215 2,000,000 130 190 4.93 1,734,000 16.08 772,300 193 450 45 458,700 19.78 3,700 65 140 1.95 82,000 5.63 13,200 11.2 5,400 11.1 2,262,700 14.4 5,359,500 11.68 1,448,600 7.25 277,800 5.67 10,087,200 17 1,707,700 62.8 23,940 26.8 38,400 10.84 113,700 18.4 826,200 2.26 5,117,000 247 512,020 4.1 91,000 3.1 30,000 20.85 4,500 27.9 453,500 18.18 251,400 17.96 1,868,400 320.8 404,640 0.205 170,000 8.1 3,800 2.28 434,000 6 909,800 9.38 937,100 6.05 1,556,300 8.35 3,300 1.55 315,000 12.44 1,786,700 60.3 283,070 6.55 6,000 534 51,090 4.98 32,000 1.93 259,000 13.3 1,215,200 5.4 98,700 0.138 5,430,000 1.2 75,000 151 400,060 2.9 9,000 1.9 3,961,000 0.77 39,000

40,062,625 10,667,544 2,815,270 406,230 377,644 443,300 24,820 8,576,970 12,433,112 86,300 20,523,100 73,982 8,885.50 156,710 74,316 60,640 25,085,364 78,045,588 16,817,898 2,018,140 57,112,000 29,059,060 1,497,674 1,019,430 1,237,530 14,895,804 11,560,870 126,598,772 373,270 93,170 93,810 12,657,225 4,599,064 33,510,392 129,799,484 33,670 30,800 995,870 5,451,530 8,784,048 9,580,831 27,655 490,160 23,138,562 17,135,803 ( 39,600 27,230,625 159,340 500,830 16,184,198 533,226 743,290 90,000 60,378,089 26,100 7,541,500 30,030

30,521,650 -396,470 225,060 1,661,460 12,164,274 39,000 -4,870,258 17,449,620 9,136 -1,727,201 -24,226,519 -12,690,226 -34,138.50 -652,072 2,758,706 -322,070 2,804,550 3,100 -1,601,680 2,156,282 -11,660,170 37,771,594 -543,040 -5,943,017 28,750 -1,652,432 11,911,372.5) -25,157,550 4,970 -92,740 8,742,914 60,000 36,123,169 356,300 -

0.305 69.7 15.76 0.94 7.01 0.425 0.46 1,000 7.71 14.1 7.71 1,250 7.76 71.8 6.1 5.4 0.69 5.6 18.64 0.335 6.65 0.044 1.11 2.06 2.66 111 2.7 970 0.79 1.55 279 0.22 0.184 0.206

HOLDING FIRMS 0.305 130,000 72.7 437,000 15.94 2,426,900 1.02 25,000 7.04 2,400 0.425 7,320,000 0.46 10,800,000 1,010 136,580 7.72 941,100 14.28 1,054,200 7.8 1,600 1,268 77,755 7.76 100 73.8 474,110 6.1 82,400 5.4 1,400 0.71 317,000 5.6 51,900 19.2 250,000 0.34 110,000 6.73 10,229,800 0.044 3,700,000 1.14 226,000 2.06 50,000 2.66 6,000 111.9 96,920 2.83 239,000 984.5 159,630 0.79 15,000 1.57 469,000 285 6,290 0.22 2,610,000 0.184 10,000 0.206 20,000

39,750 31,327,267.50 38,491,550 23,960 16,861 3,146,550 5,029,750 137,341,890 7,275,423 15,011,226 12,426 98,627,730 776 34,805,447 514,048 7,560 220,100 291,125 4,773,408 37,250 68,692,298 165,000 267,700 103,000 16,300 10,815,747 676,450 155,677,230 11,850 736,150 1,782,256 577,710 1,840 4,130

5,749,363.50 9,496,786 919,000 -14,059,710 1,102,044 8,862,332 59,270,330 297,122.50 69,000.00 -159,492 851,882 12,267,289 -338,138 -20,561,135 9,300 22,672 -459,930 -1,840 -

44,269,028 1,053,420 534,504 13,650 313,420 300,153,495 1,543,440 24,987,430 197,641 1,838,550 56,310 2,216,860 63,000 15,714,330 7 1,531,100 9,950 65,585,040 3,520,780 83,980 54,850,776 4,395,200 173,550

-35,404,582 -2,000 68,283,190 146,920 5,809,200 170,141 -197,150 397,780 ,960,350.0001 -1,012,700 25,561,180 663,160 -3,681,995 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

3.44 59.7 105.2 3.84 150.1 1.93 33.3 15.72 31.95 1.82 0.59 98 0.95 12 22.35 58.05 234.8 88 55.3 255 1,925 87

3.48 59.75 106 3.84 153.6 1.95 33.3 15.72 32 1.82 0.59 98.2 0.95 12 25 58.05 235 88 55.55 255 1,950 87

3.32 59 105 3.84 150.1 1.91 33.2 15.72 31.8 1.72 0.59 97.4 0.92 11.7 22.35 56.7 233.2 88 55.3 251.4 1,925 86.65

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT ALSONS CONS ASIABEST GROUP BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL 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 LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL MACAY HLDG MANILA WATER MAXS GROUP MEGAWIDE MERALCO MG HLDG PANASONIC PEPSI COLA PETROENERGY PETRON PHIL H2O PHINMA PHINMA ENERGY PHX PETROLEUM PILIPINAS SHELL PRYCE CORP PUREFOODS RFM CORP SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

40.45 12.56 0.61 1.35 17.2 0.22 145 4.95 16.04 180 45 20.95 63.05 1.95 5.63 11.24 11.06 14.76 11.56 7.26 5.61 17 62.1 26.15 10.92 17.64 2.3 247.8 4.1 3.12 20.8 27.85 18.6 18.1 325 0.198 8.11 2.39 5.98 9.4 6.19 8.4 1.53 13.08 60.3 6.7 539 4.97 1.95 13.36 5.4 0.136 1.2 150 2.9 1.87 0.77

40.9 12.58 0.65 1.37 17.92 0.229 145 4.97 16.14 193 45 20.95 65 1.95 5.63 11.24 11.16 14.76 11.68 7.29 5.68 17.04 62.9 26.95 11 18.46 2.3 248 4.12 3.25 20.85 28.15 18.9 18.1 325 0.205 8.11 2.39 6.08 9.4 6.97 8.4 1.57 13.36 61.5 6.7 539 4.98 1.95 13.48 5.46 0.14 1.2 151 2.9 1.94 0.77

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

0.31 70.65 15.88 0.94 7.01 0.435 0.46 1,010 7.72 14.1 7.71 1,280 7.76 72.4 6.3 5.4 0.7 5.61 18.8 0.335 6.75 0.045 1.11 2.06 3 112 2.92 971 0.79 1.56 279 0.226 0.184 0.207

0.31 72.7 15.94 1.02 7.04 0.435 0.48 1,010 7.74 14.28 7.8 1,280 7.76 73.8 6.3 5.4 0.71 5.68 19.28 0.34 6.75 0.046 1.28 2.06 3 112 2.92 984.5 0.79 1.58 285 0.226 0.184 0.207

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 PHIL ESTATES

6.49 0.97 14.12 2.27 0.88 43 3.8 4.7 5.5 0.48 1.19 0.208 0.45 37.8 0.65 0.15 1.86 1.44 0.76 5.16 0.345 0.36

6.49 1 14.12 2.3 0.89 43.25 3.8 4.7 5.8 0.485 1.2 0.215 0.45 39.8 0.65 0.15 1.92 1.44 0.77 5.16 0.355 0.365

6.37 0.97 13.02 2.27 0.87 42.85 3.7 4.6 5.5 0.475 1.16 0.208 0.45 37.8 0.64 0.139 1.86 1.42 0.74 5.1 0.345 0.36

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.61 5.67 34.6 21.5 2.14 3.14 36.9 1.02 7.9 0.84 5.98

0.62 5.76 36.95 21.5 2.16 3.2 37 1.02 10 0.87 6

0.6 5.5 34.6 21.15 2.1 3.08 36.8 1.01 7.9 0.84 5.89

0.61 5.6 35 21.2 2.12 3.13 37 1.01 9.39 0.87 6

4,588,000 832,500 4,500 2,058,800 607,000 297,000 2,031,100 580,000 61,900 12,000 958,600

2,790,990 4,731,710 158,175 43,706,320 1,287,120 923,680 75,044,820 590,800 578,120 10,110 5,734,078

611,907 -12,372,185 -595,750 -1,067,030 -69,729 -1,268,394

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

20.55 34.9 1.45 0.465 0.042 11.52 4.85 10.74 0.072 96.55 9 7 2.51 21.95 960 1,819 5.74 18.2 15.5 4.4 2.56 105.9 13.96 8.35 0.141 1.37 3.07 14.9 4.03 1.2 22.1 0.53 4.13 7.36 3.81 15.8 2.9 5.22 2.87 116 7.7 1,470 1.28 0.33 50.2 93.65 5.78 3.2 1.63 3.09 4.1 1.02 8.1

20.55 34.9 1.45 0.47 0.042 11.52 5.3 10.92 0.072 98.6 9.07 7 2.59 21.95 960 1,854 5.76 18.26 16.9 4.45 2.6 106.4 13.96 8.35 0.144 1.42 3.14 15.46 4.14 1.23 22.15 0.55 4.28 7.44 3.85 15.8 2.97 5.23 2.87 119 7.7 1,500 1.31 0.355 50.2 94.85 5.8 3.2 1.65 3.17 4.14 1.02 8.15

19.56 34.65 1.44 0.465 0.041 11.52 4.83 10.7 0.07 96.5 8.99 7 2.37 16.24 960 1,766 5.71 18 13.02 4.3 2.56 105 12.02 8.27 0.141 1.36 3.07 14.9 3.99 1.2 22 0.53 3.96 7.29 3.78 15.5 2.82 5.12 2.83 114.5 7.6 1,468 1.28 0.33 49.7 92 5.6 3.16 1.62 2.84 4.05 0.98 8.08

SERVICES 20.05 34.65 1.45 0.47 0.041 11.52 5.29 10.86 0.07 98.6 9.01 7 2.46 17.5 960 1,854 5.76 18.26 14.9 4.4 2.6 105 12.92 8.34 0.144 1.41 3.14 15.46 4.14 1.22 22 0.55 4.2 7.29 3.81 15.5 2.86 5.2 2.86 115 7.65 1,470 1.29 0.355 49.7 93.95 5.65 3.17 1.64 2.85 4.05 1 8.14

326,600 47,900 342,000 120,000 3,600,000 800 49,000 1,719,400 9,660,000 1,050,480 770,700 33,000 359,000 817,900 80 22,445 82,300 13,700 9,900 9,300,000 65,000 928,510 15,600 360,800 4,750,000 954,000 15,000 147,700 396,000 101,000 2,266,000 60,000 2,318,000 937,000 1,579,000 300 9,823,000 7,300 140,000 2,920 1,351,700 102,405 402,000 6,460,000 182,400 161,810 96,600 879,000 9,301,000 5,103,000 366,000 3,012,000 589,000

6,646,004 1,665,225 495,740 55,900 149,000 9,216 240,840 18,603,104 676,510 101,988,067 6,959,995 231,000 873,010 15,557,220 76,800 40,498,490 472,880 249,694 144,666 40,487,480 167,400 98,385,103 196,868 3,011,249 675,540 1,318,000 46,240 2,217,958 1,590,080 122,390 49,863,825 32,980 9,607,730 6,864,330 5,995,200 4,680 28,323,680 37,914 397,340 338,333 10,338,749 151,618,015 519,940 2,132,050 9,092,033 15,223,021.50 548,916 2,794,730 15,242,570 ( 15,141,950 1,505,080 3,003,520 4,780,898

888 8,353,234 2,333,256 -210,000 -1,468 3,237,985 352,800 -6,861,453 344,000 1,238,840 3,800,559 -2,838,670 -152,660 62,300 -222,889 -142,235 35,933,370 -47,820 -1,834,655.50 647,635 1,132,260 475,769.9996) 14,300 -37,300 9,140 1,626,280

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

0.0022 1.5 4.72 1.8 1.77 1.57 7.08 2.66 0.149 0.152 0.0094 1.75 6.2 1.55 0.92 0.012 0.011 2 5.55 7.63 36.35

0.0023 1.5 4.72 1.8 1.8 1.57 7.35 2.66 0.159 0.156 0.0095 1.75 6.26 1.59 0.98 0.012 0.012 2.01 5.78 7.93 36.85

0.0022 1.48 4.55 1.73 1.7 1.56 7.08 2.61 0.149 0.152 0.0094 1.75 6.2 1.5 0.91 0.012 0.011 2 5.55 7.6 36.35

MINING & OIL 0.0022 72,000,000 1.49 3,979,000 4.55 55,000 1.73 257,000 1.8 99,000 1.56 1,293,000 7.31 300 2.62 494,000 0.153 25,520,000 0.153 2,980,000 0.0094 12,000,000 1.75 5,000 6.22 131,800 1.59 33,000 0.92 193,000 0.012 100,000 0.012 23,500,000 2.01 3,000 5.68 268,200 7.89 1,070,800 36.8 371,200

158,600 5,924,740 258,750 445,670 171,800 2,027,850 2,174 1,294,120 3,892,290 458,350 113,300 8,750 821,881 51,250 181,550 1,200 278,500 6,020 1,516,720 8,305,870 13,601,600

588,550 -9,100 39,250 20,930 154,000 -6,372 -375,180 221,433 -1,301,245

ABS HLDG PDR DD PREF GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF PF PREF 2 SFI PREF SMC PREF 2B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

34.5 106.7 5.44 1,030 1,035 101.7 1.05 1,002 2 76 80 76 76.5 81.95 77.5 78.6

34.5 106.9 5.67 1,030 1,035 102.2 1.05 1,002 2.16 76 80 76 76.5 82.25 77.5 78.6

34.3 106.5 5.43 1,030 1,035 101.7 1.04 1,000 2 76 80 75.2 76.5 81.95 77.5 77.4

PREFERRED 34.45 46,000 106.5 71,680 5.67 17,300 1,030 100 1,035 15 102.2 55,990 1.04 2,265,000 1,000 3,100 2.16 41,000 76 8,380 80 36,500 75.2 64,270 76.5 1,600 82.2 42,000 77.5 2,310 77.4 26,050

1,584,885 7,646,244 96,579 103,000 15,525 5,697,683 2,355,820 3,103,200 85,760 636,880 2,920,000 4,881,000 122,400 3,448,300 179,025 2,018,265

-302,495 76,338 -51,000 24,960 400,000 -1,090,880 -

LR WARRANT

2.5

2.58

2.49

WARRANTS 2.49 145,000

367,230

-

1,187,262 37,130 222,290 57,083,428

7,830 3,934,584

68,800

-

26,000 203,000

-

NAME

MS

PROPERTY 6.38 1 13.98 2.3 0.89 43.25 3.79 4.69 5.79 0.475 1.16 0.215 0.45 39.8 0.64 0.15 1.9 1.42 0.77 5.11 0.345 0.365

6,859,800 1,069,000 38,900 6,000 354,000 6,973,700 409,000 5,413,000 34,600 3,830,000 48,000 10,500,000 140,000 400,000 2,368,000 70,000 34,487,000 2,479,000 111,000 10,686,700 12,650,000 480,000

ITALPINAS MAKATI FINANCE PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

7.8 3.23 3.9 5.32

7.89 3.23 3.98 5.76

7.76 2.99 3.88 5.32

FIRST METRO ETF

127.5

127.6

127

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2

10.4 10.1

T RADING S UMMARY FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

10.4 10.2

10.4 10.1

7.78 2.99 3.88 5.73

SME

151,900 12,000 57,000 10,151,700

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 127.6 540 10.4 10.2

DDS

SHARES

VALUE

6,015,954

418,889,644.95

438,354,277

7,592,722,296.88

44,160,783

651,983,611.805

PROPERTY

111,584,036

672,056,756.36

SERVICES

84,461,524

718,713,947.84

MINING & OIL

144,459,320

39,533,934.54

GRAND TOTAL

839,409,585

10,152,501,146.51

2,500 20,000

FINANCIAL 2,158.95 (up) 18.27 INDUSTRIAL 11,126.36 (down) 24.98 HOLDING FIRMS 8,588.14 (up) 79.25 PROPERTY 3,904.06 (up) 14.86 SERVICES 1,604.31 (up) 6.02 MINING & OIL 11,374.96 (up) 185.12 PSEI 8,432.31 (up) 54.03 All Shares Index 4,921.41 (up) 28.61 Gainers: 108; Losers: 96; Unchanged: 40; Total: 244

Megawide clinches 2 contracts worth P3.3b

By Jenniffer B. Austria DIVERSIFIED engineering and construction firm Megawide Construction Corp. bagged two new contracts worth P3.3 billion from property developer DoubleDragon Properties Corp.

Megawide said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it and DoubleDragon signed a contract to build DoubleDragon Tower and Ascott DD-Meridian Park in Manila.

“We’ve been working with DoubleDragon for the DoubleDragon Plaza at DD-Meridian Park since the very beginning. To be trusted once again to work on these new projects is proof of our successful working relationship these past years,” Megawide chairman and chief executive Edgar Saavedra said.

DoubleDragon Tower and Ascott make up the third and final phase of the eight-tower DoubleDragon Plaza at DD-Meridian Park, a 4.75-hectare mixeduse development located at the Bay Area in Pasay City.

The DoubleDragon Tower will be an 11-story office building that will occupy a 61,869-square-meter lot, while luxury serviced apartment Ascott is also a 11-story structure that will cover 49,542 sq. m.

Megawide alao defveloped the first two phases of the development. These include the four-tower DoubleDragon Plaza completed this year, and the DoubleDragon Center-East and DoubleDragon Center-West buildings seen to be completed by the last quarter of 2018.

SMC Global lists P20-b fixed bonds with Pdex

By Alena Mae S. Flores SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., a unit of diversified San Miguel Corp., successfully listed P20 billion worth of fixed rate bonds with Philippine Dealing and Exchange System.

“This reflects the continuing of the local market on the vision and prospect of SMC Global Power. The funding from this bond is one big step towards our quest to support nation building and contribute to our country’s economic progress,” SMC Global Power general manager Elenita Go said.

The company listed P9.912-billon, five-year series D bonds due in 2022 at an interest rate of 5.375 percent, seven-year, P6.478billion E series bonds due in 2024 with a rate of 6.25 percent, and P3.6-billion 10-year, F series bonds due in 2027 at a rate of 6.625 percent.

“In addition to our existing power capacities, our greenfield power projects in Davao and Bataan are now partially in commercial operation which is expected to be in full swing in the coming months,” Go said.

BDO Capital & Investment Corp., PNB Capital & Investment Corp. and Standard Chartered Bank acted as joint issue managers while BDO Capital, BPI Capital, China Bank Capital Corp., PNB Capital and Investment Corp., RCBC Capital Corp. and Standard Chartered Bank were the lead underwriters and book runners of the bond issue.

World Record meth seizure in Australia SYDNEY―Australia has seized more than Aus$1.0 billion (US$760 million) of methamphetamine in its biggest ever bust of the highly-addictive drug, police said on Friday.

Commonly known as “ice”, the massive 1.2 tonne haul was intercepted after being offloaded from a boat, the Valkoista, which authorities believe came from China.

Australia has the world’s highest per capita consumption of crystal meth and the country has become an increasingly attractive destination for drug-smugglers, with street prices soaring.

Much of the ice hitting its streets comes from China and the Golden Triangle region where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet.

Eight men, all Australian, were charged with either importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, or possessing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and face life in jail.

The seizure capped a six-month investigation with Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Leanne Close alleging the ringleaders had been taken out.

“It equates to probably about Aus$1.0 billion of border controlled drugs that are no longer going to be on the streets of Australia over the Christmas period,” she said.

“Police will allege in court these men intended to distribute the drugs along the east coast of Australia.”

The Valkoista arrived at the port of Geraldton in Western Australia in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The drugs were allegedly offloaded into a white hire van before tactical response officers swooped in, arresting three men inside. AFP

Record defense budget TOKYO―Japan’s defense budget will swell to a record $46 billion for the next fiscal year, the government said Friday, as the nation shores up its missile shield against the threat posed

by North Korea.

The defense spending was part of a $860-billion national budget for the fiscal year starting in April, also a record as medical and social welfare costs snowball in Japan’s rapidly aging society.

The defense budget rose for the sixth consecutive year, as Tokyo seeks to bolster its military in the face of threats from the regime in Pyongyang, which has fired two missiles over the country this year and vowed to “sink” it into the sea.

Last month, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that plunged into the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

The extra defense funding will cover the cost of preparations for introducing the US military’s Aegis Ashore landbased missile interceptor system.

“At a time when North Korea is beefing up its ballistic missile capability, we need to strengthen our capability fundamentally,” defense minister Itsunori Onodera said earlier this month. AFP

B3

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017 Cesar Barrioquinto, Editor

Meryl Streep’s brand under threat over Weinstein denial LOS ANGELES―She started the year leading the chorus of opprobrium against President Donald Trump but 12 months on Meryl Streep, multiple Oscar-winner and doyenne of the liberal Hollywood elite, has become a target herself.

The 68-year-old is coming under fire over her denials that she knew about the misconduct of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is alleged to have spent his career

sexually assaulting, harassing and intimidating women.

Streep has worked on several Weinstein produced films and jokingly referred to him as “God” at the 2012 Golden Globes.

The pre-eminent actress of her generation, Streep has had a glittering 40-year career that has seen her play everything from a Nazi concentration camp survivor to an ABBA-singing mother.

She earned her first of a record 20 Oscar nominations in 1979 for the Vietnam war drama “The Deer Hunter” and has won the coveted golden statue three times, most recently in 2012 as Margaret Thatcher in the Weinstein-distributed “The Iron Lady.”

It was her political activism rather than her acting prowess that grabbed headlines during the last awards season, as she received

widespread praise, and some criticism, for a speech at the Golden Globes denouncing Trump.

All eyes turned to the actress again as the Weinstein controversy broke in early October, when Streep spoke out to say she was “appalled” by the “disgraceful” news and had no idea about the allegations.

Her denials over Weinstein have sparked incredulity, particularly among activists in the

#MeToo social media movement against sexual misconduct who have concluded that those closest to the disgraced producer must have turned a blind eye.

Rose McGowan, one of the campaign’s most prominent advocates and an alleged victim of Weinstein, criticized Streep in a since-deleted tweet over plans for actresses to wear black to the Golden Globes in a silent protest against sexual assault. AFP

More N. Korea sanctions set U

NITED NATIONS―The UN Security Council will vote Friday on a US-drafted resolution ramping up the sanctions on North Korea by restricting the oil supplies vital for Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programs.

The United States presented the draft resolution Thursday following negotiations with China, Pyongyang’s ally, on the new punitive measures in response to North Korea’s test of an intercontinental ballistic missile on November 28.

It would be the third raft of sanctions imposed on North Korea this year and comes as the United States and North Korea are showing no signs they are willing to engage in talks to end the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Diplomats said they expected the measure to be adopted during the meeting scheduled for 1:00 pm (1800 GMT).

Japan’s Ambassador Koro Bessho, who holds the council presidency, said Japan supports the draft resolution “wholeheartedly” and voiced hope that there will be unanimous support.

Building on previous resolutions, the new draft tightens restrictions on crude and refined oil deliveries to North Korea, most of which are supplied by China.

WELCOMING CEREMONY. Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May and her Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki walk past the honor guard during a welcoming ceremony in Warsaw. AFP

Time flies? Not for 81-year-old American air hostess WASHINGTON―American Airlines Flight 2160 from Boston has just arrived in Washington, D.C., and Bette Nash, 81, helps the passengers disembark.

They embrace her, take photos, and express their thanks.

It’s always like this.

After six decades crossing the skies as a flight attendant, Nash still has impeccable style, incredible energy and a constant smile.

She has lost only one thing: her anonymity.

Kendra Taylor, a passenger, beams after taking a selfie with the octogenarian, whom she had hoped to meet.

“When I saw her I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I just saw her on TV last week!”

In a dark suit accented by a colored scarf, with her hair in a bun, Nash lends herself to accolades and plays with the compliments.

She is the undisputed star of the Airbus jet, rather than the captain, Mike Margiotta, who emerges from the flight deck.

“Very professional,” he says of his model hostess.

“She’s got that old-school way of doing things.”

In the United States, pilots must retire at 65 but there is no such re-

striction on commercial flight attendants, of whom Bette Nash is probably the world’s most senior.

See her gliding through the terminal concourse, pulling her suitcase, and it’s hard not to be taken by the admiring words one hears about her.

“I start my day at 2:10 in the morning. I have two alarm clocks and when they go off I don’t lie there, I get up,” Nash says.

At her home in Virginia, bordering Washington, Nash prepares food for her only son, who is disabled, and who will be waiting for her return to solid ground.

Primped, and fueled by “a couple of eggs,” she arrives before sunrise at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Nash prefers the WashingtonBoston-Washington route, on which she gets priority because of her incomparable seniority.

She was 21 years young and Dwight Eisenhower was president when Eastern Air Lines recruited her as a “stewardess,” a word which -- like Eastern itself -- has disappeared from use.

At that time, travel by air was the preserve of a certain elite.

“There were a lot of men because they were doing business, and wom-

en came on with their fur coats, and their finery and their hats and everything. You didn’t have... the flipflops and the sneakers and things you do today,” Nash says.

Her own uniforms ranged, through the years, from conservative, to elegant, and “wild.”

“When (president) John Kennedy came into office and everything, things started opening up, so we wore crazy uniforms. We even had hot pants for a brief period, and these boots,” she remembers.

In those earlier times, which seem almost prehistoric, there were no plastic meal trays. Hostesses cooked lobster and duck a l’orange equally well, and carved the meat. In first class, passengers dined with silverware and porcelain.

“We had five carts: we’d start with a beverage cart, then we’d have an hors d’oeuvre cart, then we’d have the entrees cart.”

Desserts followed, and then finally came “a cordial cart.”

There was no mixing of classes.

Flights were either all first class or “tourist” class.

In the less-opulent class, “we sold sandwiches and milk. Sandwiches were 50 cents and milk was 15 cents,” Nash says. AFP

The measure would ban the supply of nearly 90 percent of refined oil products to North Korea and order the repatriation of all North Korean nationals working abroad within 12 months, according to the text obtained by AFP. US President Donald Trump asked Chinese President Xi Jinping last month to cut off oil to North Korea, a move that would deal a crippling blow to its desperately struggling economy.

Tens of thousands of North Koreans have been sent to Russia and China to earn hard currency for Pyongyang, working in what UN rights officials have described as “slave-like conditions.”

The draft resolution would cap crude oil supplies to four million barrels per year and deliveries of refined petroleum products including diesel and kerosene would be capped at 500,000 barrels for next year.

Countries would be required to notify the United Nations of their oil shipments to North Korea. AFP

Catalan separatists keep majority in divided vote BARCELONA―Catalonia plunged into further uncertainty Friday after separatists won a crucial snap poll called following a failed independence bid that rattled Europe and triggered Spain’s worst political crisis in decades.

With turnout at a record high of 82 percent, Thursday’s election handed a mandate back to the region’s ousted separatist leaders after they campaigned from exile and behind bars.

In a clear indicator of the huge gulf over independence afflicting Catalan society, anti-secessionist centrist party Ciudadanos won the biggest individual result with 37 of the 135 seats in the regional parliament.

But unless the three pro-independence lists fail to clinch a deal to work together in the coming months, they will rule Catalonia with 70 seats -- two less than their previous tally.

For Catalans on both sides of the divide the day had been a moment of truth, following weeks of upheaval and protests unseen since democracy was reinstated following the death in 1975 of dictator Francisco Franco.

Emboldened, separatists saw the vote result as vindicating their cause.

“This is a result which no one can dispute,” deposed leader Carles Puigdemont said from self-imposed exile in Belgium.

“The Spanish state was deManila

Standard

feated. (Spanish Prime Minister Mariano) Rajoy and his allies lost,” he told reporters.

The Spanish government called the election after it took the unprecedented step of stripping Catalonia of its treasured autonomy in the aftermath of an independence declaration on October 27 that rattled a Europe already shaken by Brexit.

At stake was the economy of a region that has seen its tourism sector suffer and more than 3,100 companies -- including the largest banks, utilities and insurers -- move their legal headquarters out of Catalonia.

The declaration came weeks after a banned independence referendum on October 1, which was marred by a brutal police crackdown.

Rajoy and his conservative cabinet tried to nip the independence movement in the bud, sacking the regional government and dissolving its parliament.

In a further obstacle for the separatist cause, the judiciary pressed charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds against the secessionist leaders.

Puigdemont, who had fled to Belgium where he tried to rally international support for the separatist cause, has not since returned to Spain, where he faces arrest.

So far the EU has backed Rajoy, saying it supports constitutional order, and that it is an internal matter for Spain. AFP

GENERAL NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION

OF TODAY LOURDES T. ECHAUZ HOLDINGS INC.

To the Public: Please be advised that Lourdes T. Echauz Holdings Inc., with principal office at Unit 1506, Security Bank Center, 6776 Ayala Avenue, Makati City has been dissolved as per shareholder and director Board resolution dated 14 October 2013 entered in the notarial book of Atty. Delfin R. Agcaoili, Jr. with document no.473, Page no. 48, Book No. 446, Series of 2013.

All debts owed to the corporation and all claims against the corporation, will be received

by Mr. John B. Echauz at the business address set forth above.

(SGD) JOHN B. ECHAUZ Asst. Treasurer LOURDES T. ECHAUZ HOLDINGS INC.

EXHIBITION. A man looks at ‘Jango Fett,’ left, and ‘Red Guards’ digital photography by French artist Cedric Delsaux

at the science fiction museum The Maison d’Ailleurs (translated as ‘House of Elsewhere’) during the exhibition entitled ‘I Am Your Father!’ on December 21, 2017, in Yverdon-les-Bains, western Switzerland. AFP

(MS-DEC. 16,23 & 30, 2017)

Dino Ray Directo III, Editor

B4

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017

Better visibility at night means safety driving

Trucks &Buses

Gift ideas for truckers

Text by Dino Ray V. Directo III

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ITH D-Day just hours away, the question that most truck operators/ drivers are asking, what is the best gift a truck driver can receive this Christmas? Maybe for starters we can tick off with the improvement of the bus lanes along EDSA and the truck lane along C5 -- a nightmare for bus and truck drivers. Maybe we can throw in self discipline and getting rid of erring local law enforcers who do nothing but collect grease money from truck operators.

Seriously, the most practical gadget as far as truckers are concerned appears to be a speed limiter device. Despite the law, R.A. No. 10916, otherwise known as the Road Speed Limiter Act of 2016”, the MMDA says that 10 bus related accidents occur on a daily basis.

Polaroid is the trucker's third eye on the road.

maximum speed of the truck or van as he wishes,” explains Aaron Go of Pioneer Corporation.

The system operates by way of drive by wire or a romatic speed limiter for vehicles without an ECU. Speed Limiter is a Romatic Speed Control System designed and developed since 1980 and currently used in Europe, Middle East and Asia as a standard equipment for truck, bus and commercial vehicle fleet operations. The system have received numerous approvals from truck manufacturing such as Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mercedes Benz, Isuzu, Leyland, DAF, GM General Motors, Peugeot, Renault, FUSO, Land Rover, ERF, and approval from the British Ministry of Defence for Land Rover and Pinzgauer Vehicles.

Speed Limiting device Pioneer Truck Parts and Equipment Corporation, local distributors of Speed Limiter of UK, is a company on a mission of public safety. Developed in 1980, Speed Limiter is an electronic control device that limits and controls a vehicle’s top speed.

Aside from improving driver behavior and vehicle preservation, this device also improves fuel consumption, emissions and is guaranteed to cut maintenance costs of fleet owners. “The ECU is connected to a speed signal PIAA LED (electronic speedometer, ABS or Designed as aftermarket remechanical sensor) and receives placement driving lamps for 12v frequency signals while the ve- system of trucks, PIAA LED lamps feature innovative computer-controlled Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) technology that provides optimal thermal protection for longer life and greater performance. The in-lamp monitor modulates the length of the pulse up to 250 pulses per second, based on power and temperature situations.

“With the introduction of PIAA LED driving lamps, we’re now offering vehicle owners the convenient choice of outfitting their vehicles with high-quality Speed Limiters are definitely on the LED lamps, because the LED wish list, considering the number lamps fit into the exact same of truck and bus related accidents caused by overspeeding mounting locations,” says Johicle is moving. At a pre set hann Tiu of PIAA Ph. frequency, say 80kph, the ECU Every PIAA customer enjoys transmits a signal to the engine the benefits of The PIAA Advanmanagement system which then tage, which features advanced holds the vehicle’s speed. The technology from the best minds operator/owner can pre set the worldwide, lamps and bulbs for

virtually every type of vehicle, and race-proven quality and durability supported by a One-year Warranty on its products.

Polaroid dash camera Dash cameras or dash cams are now regarded as vital tools for the everyday driver. We have all seen Youtube videos of dash cams capturing on video acts of road rage and fender benders whose footage can be used for insurance claims or crucial evidence that can used by law enforcement to prosecute or file charges against an offending party.

Exclusively distributed locally by Blade Autocenter, Poloroid dash cams are incab camera compact units that come with everything you need to record everyday activities or out of town deliveries. Poloroid’s C200 to 270T line comes with a USB cable which can be used for charging, and is long enough to allow the user to mount the dash camera somewhere else other than the front windshield. The mount feels very secure and the cradle has been designed for quick removal which makes it perfect if you wish to hide it from “basag kotse” elements when taking a break or parking the truck overnight.

Like the rest of the Poloroid family of dash cams, the little screen in every unit is very useful in setting up the dash camera, ensuring you’ve gotten the best view possible. There are only a few buttons on these units so it should be easy to use, but actually the multi-functionality of the buttons can prove to be a bit fiddly, it’s not always obvious what you’re meant to press to do what you want. There are a good range of options, and the Poloroid C200 to C270T are easy to use out of the box.

FUSO dealership soon to rise in Lapu-Lapu City FAST Autoworld Philippines Corp. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. authorized dealership, broke ground for the establishment of an additional Mitsubishi Motors outlet and first FUSO dealership in LapuLapu City. FAPC – Lapu-Lapu branch is FAPC’s third outlet in Cebu and tenth Mitsubishi outlet in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Other dealership outlets of FAPC are in Tacloban, Ormoc, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, and Ozamis.

This construction of an additional Cebu outlet was decided by the principals of FAPC to address the growing vehicle sales and service demands in the province of Cebu. TheFUSO dealership will also be constructed beside the Mitsubishi Motors Lapu-Lapu branch to specifically attend to the medium to heavy truck requirements of Cebu businesses.

These two separate facilities

are expected to start operation in November 2018.

The newest additions to MMPC’s current network are located along ML Quezon National Highway Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City.

The 10,505 square meter land is divided into two to give way to both facilities. An additional 2,790 square meter area is reserved for future expansion.

The FAPC – Lapu-Lapu branch will feature a showroom which can flaunt nine (9) car displays. The dealership will also be equipped with a full service center with twenty-three (23) service work bays which can accommodate various services from periodic maintenance to major body pairs of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Meanwhile, the FUSO outlet of FAPC is going to have a separate showroom which can display up to five (5) light to heavy-duty trucks. This FUSO outlet is

also equipped with seven (7) work bays which can cater all types of service for trucks.

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by MMPC’s Shigeru Ogura – Managing Director and Executive Vice President for Marketing, Franjudel T. Racadio – Assistant Vice President, Fuso Sales and Marketing, Julius D. Nera – Assistant Vice President for FUSO aftersales, Masaaki Yamada – Senior Manager - Vehicle Sales and Marketing, FAPC Chairman, Mr. Victor S. Chiongbian, Albert S. Chiongbian – Vice Chairman, Ms. Julia V. Menchavez – President.

Attending for the local government unit are Honorable Paz C. Radaza – Lapu-lapu city Mayor, Honorable Marcial A. Ycong – Lapu-lapu city Vice Mayor, Honorable Lucrecia M. Amores – Marigondon At the groundbreaking rites are FAPC officers and guests (from left): Julia V. Menchavez President, Albert S. Chiongban- Vice Chairman,Shigeru Ogura – EVP – Vehicle Sales and Marketing Barangay Chairman.

(MMPC),Franjudel T. Racadio – AVP - Vehicle Sales and Marketing (FUSO), Marcial A. Ycong -Lapulapu City Vice Mayor, Paz C. Radaza - Lapu-lapu city Mayor, and Victor S. Chiongban - Chairman.

Life

Isah V. Red, Editor Bernadette Lunas, Writer isahred@gmail.com satuRday, decemBeR 23, 2017

HealtH and environment

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Sustainable Christmas tree of light UNCONVENTIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE. Benilde breaks the tradition as it puts up a radically designed Christmas tree, made of strips of wood and is turned upside down to resemble, not a pine tree, but a parasol.

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rEAkinG the tradition, De La salle-College of saint Benilde (DLs-CsB) put up a radically designed Christmas tree to challenge the public’s notion of the holidays.

The Yuletide icon named the “Tree of Light” ushered in the school’s traditional

Chrismans celebration.

Center for Campus Art’s Architect Gerry

Torres said the tree is made of recyclable materials, which highlights the need for a more sustainable and environment friendly design.

Architecture students Ira Yap and Chai Cabanez adopted the silhouette of a pine, but have turned it upside down to resemble a parasol.

The six-meter high platform is made of 2x2 strips of wood, more popularly known

as dos por dos, stacked one atop another and fastened with screws on a grid.

The tips are randomly painted with red and green, both to signify the season, and to reflect Benilde’s colors, while a floodlight illuminates the structure at night for the duration of the holidays.

The design did not incur any waste, due to a

parametric system utilized to compute the exact amount of wood, screws and paint needed of the whole project, aided by software used by many architectural firms abroad. on the first week of January 2018, after the construction has been disassembled, the timber will be donated to a community to be reused for their needs.

Dry Eye Syndrome common condition

among Internet users

FiLipinos spend more time on the internet than people in any of the other 29 countries in Asia pacific, the Middle East, north America, and Europe profiled in the “Digital in 2017 Global overview” report. produced by global advertising agency We Are social and social media management platform Hootsuite, the report shows that the average Filipino internet user spends nine hours online each day, with mobile internet access accounting for more than three and a half of those hours. “it is a welcome development that more Filipinos now have internet access. Digital connectivity brings many socio-economic benefits such as improved communication, knowledge dissemination, and economic opportunities, among others. However, spending too much time online also has its drawbacks,” said Cheryl Maley, president and managing director of novartis Healthcare philippines.

The prevalence of Dry Eye syndrome (DEs, also known as dry eye disease or simply dry eyes) is increasing worldwide and is now an important public health problem.

one reason for the rapid rise in the number of cases of dry eye disease over the last few years is thought to be prolonged visual display terminal (VDT) exposure because of increased computer use. VDT exposure is also becoming common in the general population because of the widespread use of internet-based mobile technology and portable information terminals, especially smartphones, among all age groups.

“When we work at a computer or use our smartphone or other portable digital device, we tend to blink our eyes less frequently.

This leads to greater tear evaporation and increased risk of DEs,” said Dr. Richard L. Nepomuceno, Cornea and External Eye Disease specialist.

Maley and nepomuceno spoke during a media briefing held by novartis Healthcare philippines to promote awareness on DEs and highlight systane Ultra Lubricating Eyedrops. Developed by the novartis eye care division Alcon, systane Ultra Lubricating Eyedrops are clinically proven to deliver extended protection and high-performance dry eye symptom relief that lasts.

DEs is a common condition that occurs when your tears are unable to provide adequate lubrication for your eyes. Tears can be inadequate for many reasons. For example, dry eyes may occur if you don’t produce enough tears or if you produce poor-quality tears. DEs signs and symptoms, which usually affect both eyes, may include a stinging, burning or scratchy sensation in your eyes; stringy mucus in or around your eyes; sensitivity to light; eye redness; a sensation of having something in your eyes; difficulty wearing contact lenses; difficulty with nighttime driving; watery eyes; and blurred vision or eye fatigue.

To help prevent DEs among office workers, call center agents and other individuals who spend long hours online, experts recommend the “20-20-20 rule”: Look away from the computer/smartphone/portable digital device screen every 20 minutes, focus on an object 20 feet away, and look at it for at least 20 seconds. nepomuceno also recommends the use of artificial tears, such as systane Ultra Lubricating Eyedrops, to lubricate dry eyes and help maintain moisture on the outer surface of your eyes.

Dr. Kenneth Javate talks about the public’s misconceptions about depression

The Buencaminos on mental health ACTors Nonie and Shamaine Buencamino, who lost their daughter Julia to suicide a couple of years ago, stressed there is a remedy for mental illness.

The Buencaminos, together with Dr. Kenneth Javate, a psychiatry senior fellowin-training at The Medical City, were featured speakers at “Engaged Talks: Mental Health,” a discussion on psychological and emotional wellbeing, held recently at the school of Design and Arts (sDA) at De La salle-College of saint Benilde (DLs-CsB).

Actor Nonie Buencamino explains his daughter Julia’s situation before being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder

Javate explained there are numerous misconceptions about the issue, which have prevented depressed people from seeking medical assistance: “people say it’s just a form of sadness. That’s a form of fake news.”

He highlighted that these illnesses are just as serious as other ailments, like cancer. Depression, anxiety, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are considered to be brain-based sicknesses.

“When you are ill with depression, you cannot function well,” Javate said, adding that symptoms like shortness of breath and weight loss can seriously impair a person’s productivity.

While it can affect almost anyone, he said medical treatment could help a patient cope with this condition. shamaine said they were not aware of Julia’s mental state only until after her death. A doctor studied her daughter’s drawings and journals, and they manifested her suicidal tendencies. Her daughter was diagnosed to have had borderline personality disorder.

“We were totally blindsided. We didn’t expect that it was happening. We were thinking, ‘Why did we not notice the signs? Why couldn’t we see the signs?’ she seemed normal and happy,” she expressed in tears. she admitted that having high iQ and EQ levels enabled her daughter to hide her unhealthy condition. in fact, before her daughter’s death, Julia had already queued her blog for later posting.

The couple emphasized that the stigma against mental illness should be stopped.

To conclude, she gave sound advice to those in the audience who might be undergoing their own mental troubles: “if you’re just ill, there’s a cure for that.”

Guests test their ‘eye-durance’ at the Systane Ultra Eye-conic Lounge Binge-Watching Station

The ART of procreation onE of the strongest desires of many couples is to have children of their own, however one of 10 Filipinos are suffering from infertility, according to data from a synovate survey in 2011. infertility is defined by the World Health organization as “a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse.”

There are different factors that affect a couple’s ability to procreate such as sociocultural practices, including the marrying age, educational status, and professional goals. in addition, Dr. Virgilio M. Novero Jr., head of st. Luke’s Center for Advanced reproductive Medicine and infertility (CArMi), said infertility can also be

traced to issues affecting both the male and female reproductive systems, and medical conditions that compromise the quality of egg and sperm cells. since 2013, Merck philippines has been proactive in its fertility awareness campaign. its campaign, “Bridging Baby steps,” aims to educate individuals on infertility and raise awareness about in-vitro fertilization (iVF) methods available in the country through seminars and information dissemination. one available method for childless couples is Assisted reproductive Technology (ArT). This treatment procedure enables multiplication of ovarian follicles and facilitates egg cell retrieval. During the process, embryos will be formed outside the body of a female patient and will be

transferred once the “cultures” are successfully formed. patients suffering from severe sperm deficits, blocked fallopian tubes, unexplained infertility, mild endometriosis, and ovulation disorders can be candidates for this treatment.

With regards to iVF being risky, Dr. novero said the success rate of the procedure has grown tremendously over the past years. He said that about six million children around the world were born via iVF. “As they say, ‘where there’s life, there’s hope.’ We, at Merck philippines, understand the heartaches of couples who can’t conceive a child,” said Dess Cartaῆo, sales and marketing manager for Fertility, Merck philippines. “We want to let them know that there are means and ways to combat infertility.”

Life

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saturday, december 23, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

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Decadent holiday feast HAT is more blissful than a spread of good food in the best of company?

Celebrate the season with a wide spread of holiday delights for sumptuous lunch or dinner at Cucina, the flagship restaurant of the award winning Marco Polo Ortigas Manila.

Indulge in a confectionary and delightful journey for sweet Christmas celebrations. Treat the family with a lavish and savory feast with all time favorite classics that are perfect for this season.

A sumptuous Christmas Eve spread, specially prepared by a team of expert chefs led by Executive Chef Alisdair Bletcher, can be enjoyed in this holiday feast. Featuring an array of festive dishes such as Assorted Seafood Tempura with Dipping Sauce, Crispy Skin Duck Breast on Mango Basil Sauce, and Slow-braised Lamb Shoulder with Redcurrants and Tarragon. Partake of festive roasts of Roasted Turkey, Roasted Angus Beef, and Caramelized Spiced Honey Ham. On Christmas Day, delight in the sumptuous signature dishes such as Fillet of Pork Mushrooms, Spinach, Lemon and Grain Mustard Sauce, Lancashire Hot Pot, and Salmon Cakes with Caper and Dill Mayonnaise.

Indulge in the carvery station with Roasted Christmas Turkey with Stuffing, Chipolatas, Cranberry Sauce and Rosemary Jus, Twice-Cooked Crispy Pork Belly, and Caramelised Honey Ham. Relish into an indulgent New Year’s Eve celebration with a spread of piquant dishes like Medallion of Beef with Parmesan, Onion Crust, and Red Wine Jus; Leek, Potato, and Gruyere Cheese Cannelloni on Cepe Cream, with Roasted Shimeji Mushrooms; and, Seafood Thermidor Pots. Feast on Iberico Pork Loin with Apple Sauce, Roasted Angus Prime Beef Rib with Yorkshire Pudding, Red Wine Jus and Horseradish Sauce, and Chinese Barbecue Duck. Transport into a culinary journey for your New Year’s Day Celebration with Spinach, Ricotta, and Fontina Cheese Cannelloni with Roma Tomato Sauce and Marinated Grilled Artichoke Hearts; Slow Braised Angus Beef Short Ribs in Green Peppercorn and Tarragon Cream; and, Fillet of Red Snapper with Hot and Sour Green Papaya and Tamarind Chili Sauce. Plus relish on the Roasted Sirloin Beef with Yorkshire Pudding and Red Wine Jus, and Roasted Leg of Pork.

Cucina is Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s all-day dining restaurant and is open daily for lunch from 12 noon to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 6 to 10:30 p.m.. Festive prices start at P2,250 net per person, children aged six and below get to eat for free while children aged seven to 12 years old are charged half the price.

Marco Polo Ortigas Manila takes care of your Christmas feast as it serves up a Christmas Eve spread prepared by a team of expert chefs led by Chef Alisdair Bletcher For reservations, call (02) 720-7720.

Bountiful ‘noche buena’

Complete your family’s Christmas feast with F1 Hotel’s Smoked Chicken

A FILIPINO Christmas is like no other. Celebrated in the spirit of kinship, it’s a time where food and family take center stage in the hearts of those gathered together in cheer.

Make it a point to bring home the flavors of age-old tradition as The Metro Stores lets its customers rekindle the warmth of an authentic Filipino feast by lining up its shelves with special Christmas grocery bundles.

Assembled for intimate banquets of hearty proportions, each Yuletide basket comes with a bounty of either local or imported grocery brands of pasta, meat, wine, cheese and other sumptuous f lavors that are sure to delight discerning tastes of all ages.

Rediscover the festive spirit of the holidays with Metro’s holiday baskets, a treasure trove of delights packed for bringing people together in celebration of the Christmas spirit.

Metro Retail is also giving shoppers a chance to customize their own holiday grocery assortment, along with the freedom to choose the basket and ribbon to pack it with. In only three days upon request for bulk orders, your own Metro bundle shall be yours to bring home or send as a gift to your friends and loved ones.

Meanwhile, Metro’s pre-prepared baskets range from P200P2,500 – an awesome bargain considering how priceless it is to see your loved ones smile as they savor traditional holiday dishes made with utmost love and care.

After all, the holidays are more than just a time of cheer; it’s a season of spreading the goodness, from the gifts we share to the meals that bring friends, families, and loved ones closer together.

Holiday gift baskets, ranging from P200 to P2,500, available at Metro Stores

Shop, dine and bask in the homey vibe

of Blue Bay walk

F1 Hotel treats holiday revelers with sumptuous offerings, such as this Crispy Pork Belly

Christmas treat at F1 IT’S Christmas and everybody’s looking for a treat. Well, worry no more, because F1 Hotel Manila got you covered.

Spend the holidays in a luxurious staycation with an affordable price. Get the hotel’s “A Christmas Treat” Room Package in a Deluxe Room for only P6,000 nett with buffet breakfast for two. This limited offer comes with a privilege of late check out (subject to availability), and valid ntil Dec. 30.

Make this season even more indulging and fun by treating your family with F All-Day Dining’s Yuletide Spread. The famous buffet spread of F1 Hotel brings you a heartening dining experience with a festive bundle of buffet for lunch or dinner at P1,999 nett per person. Enjoy a wide selection of dishes, with lavish

carvings, masterfully created to make your holidays special. The Yuletide Spread is available only on Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1, 2018.

Holiday is a season of sharing and giving, that’s why F1 Hotel has prepared the perfect gifts for you. Grab your own boxes of delightful treats such as Smoked Chicken, Lechon Cebu (Pork Belly), Chicken Galantina, and Crispy Pork Belly. All dishes come with your own choice of pasta (pesto sauce, meatballs, or carbonara). This treat can’t be complete without desserts, which go perfectly with the carvings. Order a Christmas Fruitcake, Green Tea Cheesecake, or a Yema Cake to satisfy your sweet cravings.

For inquiries, call (02) 908-7888.

IT’S quite a challenge to find open spaces and laidback places to shop, dine or enjoy leisure time with loved ones in Metro Manila. This is especially evident as we usher in the Christmas season, when every nook and cranny of malls, as well as the roads that lead to them, become jam-packed.

At the gateway to the bustling Bay Area in Pasay City lies Blue Bay Walk, an idyllic lifestyle hub distinguished by wide open areas as well as a cluster of shops, restaurants, parks, and activity centers ideal for families and groups of friends looking to cherish quality time together.

It is the heart of Federal Land Inc.’s Metro Park, a sprawling 40-hectare masterplanned township comprised of residential, commercial, and office developments such as the SixSenses Residences, Bay Garden Club and Residences, MET LIVE, and iMet Office Tower.

Blue Bay Walk was designed by Federal Land to cater to the recreational needs of the Metro Park community. Residents, office workers, students from nearby schools and even guests from outside the Metro Park community frequent Blue Bay Walk to bask in its homey vibe. Unlike the usual mall, it is one of the few places in the Metro where one can lay out a mat to enjoy an after-work picnic, let toddlers romp freely, bike along spacious pathways, relish culinary fests, and engage in a myriad of other activities.

Recently, Blue Bay Walk treated regulars to a free concert featuring the popular OPM band, Up Dharma Down. It also served as the venue for the Guardians of the Fur Run

Up Dharma Down performs on the stage of Blue Bay Walk in Pasay City for Strays, which brought together a community of pet lovers running for stray dogs and cats. On Halloween, Blue Bay Walk created the Copy Cat escape room experience where thrill seekers got locked inside a pseudo crime scene and raced to solve the case in 20 minutes. Meanwhile, kids in the cutest costumes joined the spooky games and went Trick or Treating.

As part of its Christmas activities, Blue Bay Walk presents the “Search for The Best Carolling Group,” a Christmas caroling contest that promises P30,000.00 cash prize to the finest carolers in town. Beautiful melodies and holiday cheers fill the air as the competition’s elimination rounds started in November and ended on Dec. 9. The Grand finals will be on Dec. 25.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017

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Isah V. Red, Editor • Nickie Wang, Writer

M

Music finds its way back to Marawi through

USIC will once again be heard on the streets of Marawi City and in the hearts of Maranaos as government and the private sector work hand-in-hand to rebuild the city, its communities, and homes. In support of various efforts, CocaCola Philippines, through Coke Studio, spearheaded a hydration drive in evacuation camps, including the Maria Cristina Evacuation Camp, Buruun Gym, Sta. Elena Evacuation Camp and Saguiaran Gym, where around 5,000 Maranaos are sheltered.

Each family received various Coca-Cola products, including three six-liter bottles of Wilkins Distilled water, and Coca-Cola shirts, while young local musicians sang OPM hits for the crowd. Customer partner Shakey’s also provided snacks for the evacuees.

The evacuation center in Saguiaran, which has one of the biggest concentrations of Maranaos, hosted a miniconcert featuring a Coke Studio bands The Ransom Collective and Franco. They sang their own songs and distributed hydration kits to the evacuees.

“This is our way of showing support and solidarity with the Filipino people – to be able to contribute in the rebuilding process. Music is one of the things that threads through every person, regardless of age, religion, culture, and socio-economic bracket,” said Stephan Czypionka, marketing director of CocaCola Philippines.

“We are committed to help the communities that we serve, especially in times like these that we have to come together to rebuild not just the physical structures, but most importantly, the lives of the people.”

Coke Studio was launched early this year and successfully changed the OPM landscape with its

COKE

STUDIO

Rock band Franco brings back music to the hearts of the Maranaos during a solidarity caravan of Coca-Cola Philippines at the Saguiaran Gym, one of the largest evacuation centers around Marawi City.

Coca-Cola Philippines Assets, Promotions, and Activations Manager Macy Magpayo joins the evacuees in a photo op during the solidarity caravan in Marawi City.

creative collaborations with various artists. It also served as a platform for teens and young adults to come together, drawn by their common love for music.

The Filipino youth is also coming together to help rebuild Marawi, driven by their passion for music. A benefit concert at the Mall of Asia concert grounds, and a recyclables collection drive are just some of the fund-raising initiatives to build schoolhouses through the Little Red Schoolhouse program implemented by the Coca-Cola

Foundation Philippines.

The construction of a school building is part of the commitment of Coca-Cola Philippines through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation’s (PDRF) United4Marawi campaign.

The Company also joined the PDRF in a three-day medical mission for the evacuees in Iligan City. Volunteer health care professionals provided checkups, surgical procedures, and psychiatric intervention to the evacuees.

The Company also provided

for the daily hydration needs of the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines stationed in Mindanao.

“We are committed in helping rebuild Marawi and the communities impacted by this conflict. In partnership with relevant government agencies, we in the private sector will be bringing our sustainability initiatives to the area,” said Jonah de LumenPernia, Public Affairs and Communications director of Coca-Cola Philippines.

“Our 5by20 entrepreneurship programs will be provided for the spouses of soldiers deployed in Marawi, while water systems will also be installed in the communities.

We’ll also build a Little Red Schoolhouse.”

Coke Studio also staged a benefit concert for the rehabilitation of Marawi on Dec. 9 at the MOA Concert Grounds.

Coke Studio artists such as Abra, Gab and John of Urbandub, The Ransom Collective, Gracenote, Moonstar88, Autotelic, Ebe Dancel, Franco, Reese Lansangan, BP Valenzuela, Sandwich, Noel Cabangon, and Curtismith, joined various school bands for the benefit concert. A collection drive of PET bottles was done on site to help raise funds.

GMA Network employees share love with Marawi soldiers

SKY REWARDS

subscribers with holiday ‘Kapamilya’ gifts THE holiday season is happier for all SKY subscribers nationwide as the broadband and pay TV provider rewards its loyal customers with Thank You points via ABS-CBN’s “Kapamilya, Thank You” customer loyalty program until February 2018 to enjoy bill rebates on their SKY account as well as freebies and discounts from various ABS-CBN products and services.

Subscribers who become “Kapamilya, Thank You” members may get rewards like SKY bill rebates, which can be applied to their monthly service fees or subscription to payper-view offers, tickets to It’s Showtime or ASAP, ABS-CBN Store discount vouchers, premium access to iWant TV, free access to KBO, and even free SMS, data, or calls via ABSCBNmobile with their Thank You points.

Alternatively, members may also choose to share the love and gratitude by donating their Thank You points to ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya this Christmas.

Upon registration, and enrolment of their SKY

account number at thankyou. abs-cbn.com, SKY subscribers will get a special 50 points bonus (30 Thank You points from “Kapamilya, Thank You” Registration, and additional 20 Thank You points from enrolling their SKY account).

Since every Kapamilya Thank You point is equivalent to P1, the bonus points from registration can already be used as a P50 SKY bill rebate.

Other activities that will help subscribers receive Thank You points include enrolling to SKY’s paperless billing (10 Thank You Points), subscribing to SKY Pay-Per-View offers worth P199 (10 Thank You Points) and P99 (5 Thank You Points), entering the hashtag of the day of select ABS-CBN shows (1 Thank You Point), and paying their SKY bill (1 Thank You Point for every payment of P200).

SKY is the pay TV and broadband unit of ABSCBN, the first among TV networks to roll out a rewards program for its loyal customers.

For more information, visit mysky.com.ph/ holidaygifts.

Kidzania Manila to ‘Spark Kindness’ on Christmas

GMA G.I.V.E.S (Guide, Interact, Volunteer, Educate, Serve), GMA Network’s corps of employeevolunteers, extended a helping hand on Dec. 9 to the soldiers who fought in Marawi City, living up to the message of GMA’s Christmas tagline, “Buong pusong maGMAhalan ngayong Pasko.”

Together with GMA Kapuso Foundation and GMA News and Public Affairs, the volunteers gathered at V. Luna General Hospital in Quezon City to pay homage to the nation’s heroes.

They also distributed food, gift packs and noche buena packages for the soldiers and their families

Highlighting the event were GMA Artist Center talents including Addy Raj, Hannah Precillas, Super Tekla, and Nar Cabico who performed in a program. Sang while Raj showed proficiency in the Filipino language as he sang two OPM songs. Cabico performed an energetic number through the song, “Gaga.” And finally, Super Tekla brought the house down.

GMA Network employees prepare gift packs and noche buena packages for Marawi soldiers while stars Hannah Precillas (left photo) and Addy Raj (center in inset photo) provide entertainment during a program held at V. Luna General Hospital.

KIDZANIA Manila invites everyone to “Spark Kindness” and give love in ways big and small while enjoying the Christmas festivities at the country’s premier play city this December.

Visitors get to do special activities this month at KidZania, like make holiday cards at the Art and Design Academy, record their own version of ABS-CBN’s latest station ID “Just Love Ngayong Christmas” at the Music Studio, or engage in acts of goodness through its special “Spark Kindness” campaign.

This season’s theme encourages the play city’s guests to do random kindness acts using a Spark Card. On it are different tasks they can do inside the playhub or at home. Kids get to earn a stamp every time they complete an act of kindness, and those who complete the tasks will get special gifts.

KidZania will wow visitors

with a special, one-of-a-kind lights and sounds spectacle happening at the Main Square today, tomorrow and on Christmas Day with the Spark Show.

Other Kindness Calendar events feature KidZania characters treating Visitors with special surprises in the city with the CongreZZ Kids patrolling the city and giving out free sundae cone coupons today the KidZania Manila Governor giving away treats tomorrow, and the exciting city-wide treat on Christmas Day. Let the children and the whole family have a funfilled Christmas experience the KidZania way with “Spark Kindness” at KidZania Manila, located at Park Triangle in Bonifacio Global City. To know more, visit manila. kidzania.com and follow KidZania on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ KidzaniaManila.

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2017

R 8 Adriatico captures Manila’s charms ETON Properties, the property arm of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies, is banking on 8 Adriatico, a 42-storey development at the corner of Padre Faura and Bocobo Streets in Manila, to convince buyers of a lucrative investment.

As a modern residential condominium, the project positions itself as a place for those who want to feel the city’s heritage, while offering an excellent opportunity to invest as prices are expected to increase later in the year when Eton officially launches its selling activities for its Move-In-Ready projects.

8 Adriatico’s units range from residential studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom as well as SOHO (Small-Office-Home-Office) units.

Revolution homes

OBBIE Antonio, Royal Pineda and Budji Layug of BUDJI+ROYAL Architecture+Design (Shown here with host Joey Mead) recently launched ‘Revolution Precrafted’ at Marquis Events Place in BGC.

Revolution Precrafted supplies limited edition precrafted homes. These products are created by

over 60 of the world’s most creative architects, artists, and designers through exclusive part-

nerships with Revolution.

The “prefab” concept simplifies the process in traditional real estate development by offering speed, quality, cost efficiency, and accessibility.

“We utilize technology to reimagine how a home is built,” said Antonio, founder and CEO of

Revolution Precrafted.

Some of the company’s creative precrafted products include stunning homes (Seen in photo), designer museums, unique popup concepts, and innovative hotels.

During the launch, Revolution Precrafted also showcased its line

of art furniture with works from Richard Dupont and Ronald Ventura and designer pavilions which include creations by the Campana Brothers, Kengo Kuma, and Michael Maltzan. For more details, please visit https://revolutionprecrafted.com/.

FUTURE READY. Alstra, the commercial division of Conception Industrial Corporation, is copresenting the 20th PhilConstruct HVAC/R expo, which kicks off 2018 with the largest gathering of companies in the building and cooling sectors. The expo will be held on January 6-9, 2018 at the SMX Convention Center.

“The new year presents new opportunities and challenges to the building sector, and we can address these issues head-on by adopting more sustainable ways of building and embracing energyefficient technologies,” said Rajan Komarasu, group director of Alstra.

Komarasu added that Alstra will be showcasing its streamlined end-to-end systems powered by global brands Carrier, Otis, and Toshiba, at the expo. “These forums are designed to enable our fellow industry professionals as we collectively gear up for the continued growth of the various building sectors. We welcome architects, contractors, developers, engineers, building owners, and other professionals to sign up for these talks,” Komarasu said.

DIVING TO CHANGE LIVES. Melody del Rosario, MPIC’s VP for corporate communications. thanked volunteers from communities involved in the ‘Shore It Up’ program: “let’s continue to dive and change lives.”

MPIC’s ’Shore it Up’ program bags environmental, governance plums in HK THE Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) recently won the platinum award for excellence in environmental, social and corporate governance, including the best initiative on environmental responsibility for its program ‘Shore it Up’, at the Asset Corporate Awards in Hong Kong.

“This award mean a lot to us, as this showcases the importance MPIC gives to the environment,” said Melody del Rosario, VP for corporate communications of the MPIC. ’‘Shore It Up’ is MPIC’s 11-year-old environmental advocacy with Local Government Unit (LGU) partners all over the Philippines to bring long-term sustainable programs such as underwater and coastal cleanup, mangrove and tree planting, giant clam rearrangement, artificial reef restoration, environmental education and livelihood for coastal village communities.

The program currently has 75,000 volunteers from Alaminos City, Pangasinan; Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte; Mabini, Batangas; Medina, Misamis Oriental and Cordova, Cebu, all of whom work year-round to preserve the marine ecosystem in these areas.

The Asset Corporate Awards gives awards to companies based on the quality of their governance, social responsibility, environmental responsibility and investor relations.

The awards are based on the Asset Benchmark Research (ABR), which conducts in-depth, product-specific surveys on Asia’s financial markets.

DESIGN VISIONS. Security, safety, a good network of resources and comfort, to name a few, are elements that make up a home. “Besides an aesthetic appeal,

a home’s design should have a vision behind it,” said Fatima Olivares-Vital, business unit head of Ovialand, Inc. “Each element should be focused on offering an integrated environment to its residents.” Terrazza de Sto. Tomas, a master-planned development in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, is guided by this credo. With 54% open spaces and 329 units set in a 5.8 hectare prime land, the property marries exclusive living with urban convenience. Following the designs of old world Italian abodes, the development offers an experience that spells comfort and convenience. Architect Melvin Patawaran, the creative mind behind the project explained: “Italian architecture is the mother of domestic building designs. We found this a fitting theme for Terraza de Sto. Tomas which values providing exclusivity and premier living to the modern Filipino family.”

LINKING PEOPLE. The real estate industry’s top experts and leaders came together recently at The Outlook, an event organized by Lamudi where a discussion on mixeduse developments spiced up the conference. Among the speakers were Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) group head for strategic land bank management, Anna Ma. Margarita Dy, who shared her company’s vision when it develops multi-billion-peso mixed-use projects. Dy highlighted the importance of “linking people”. Thomas Mirasol, senior vice president of Ortigas & Co., meanwhile, led a discussion on revitalization of city developments and its ambitious plan to redevelop the Greenhills shopping center. Aseana Holdings, CEO Delfin “Buds” Wenceslao, talked about his company’s ambitious plans to build Aseana City, which is turning out to be the country’s entertainment and resort hub in Paranaque.