Manila Standard - 2017 December 28 - Thursday

Faeldon back in harness as OCD deputy

VOL. XXXI • NO. 314 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 • www.manilastandard.net • editorial@manilastandard.net

FORMER Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon is back in government service months after President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him as the new deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defense. Faeldon quit as Customs chief after being implicated in the smuggling of P6.4 billion of shabu from China into the port of Manila. He replaces Rodolfo Demos-

thenes Santillan. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Isidro Lapeña took over Faeldon’s vacated seat at Customs. While Faeldon came under heavy attack in Congress for mishandling the illegal shabu shipment, Duterte supported his first Customs chief and said the government needs him. Next page

‘A big bang of sorrow, agony’ Grieving Du30 hopes for a better new year

Paolo’s sis: Career end far-fetched

By John Paolo Bencito

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RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday prayed that 2018 will be much kinder than 2017, which he said unleashed a “big bang of sorrow and agony” for Filipinos.

By F. Pearl A. Gajunera DAVAO CITY—Mayor Sara Duterte believes that her brother, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte is not yet closing the door on public service after he announced his resignation during a special session of the 18th City Council on Dec. 25. “Based on his speech, he said there that he looks forward to the day that he will be able to serve our country again, so I don’t think he will end his political career,” Sara said. Paolo signed his resignation and submitted it to the Office of the President through a private courier Wednesday morning. Sara said he did not stop her brother from resigning and only listened to him. She said she would support whatever decision he Next page made.

Leni, Koko ratings inch up—SWS VICE President Leni Robredo and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III continued to receive “good” ratings for their separate performance in the fourth quarter of 2017, the latest Social Weather Stations survey revealed Wednesday. House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s net satisfaction ratings meanwhile rose by one grade to “Moderate,” while Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno dipped to “neutral.” The latest survey, fielded from Dec. 8 to 16, found 63 percent satisfied and 21 percent dissatisfied with the performance of Robredo, with her net satisfaction ratings staying at “good” +42 in December 2017, up by one point from +41 the previous quarter. Next page

NO FIRECRACKERS, PLEASE. Residents, including children of the United We Rejoice Sans Firecrackers Community, carrying selfexplanatory messages, parade through the streets of Manila’s Malate district Wednesday with police and Department of Health officials as well as firemen to gather support for a safer and cleaner celebration of New Year’s Eve on Sunday without lighting firecrackers and burning tires and garbage—project of the Ecowaste Coalition and the Our Lady of Remedies Parish. Lino Santos

China leader condoles with PH, vows aid to storm victims CHINESE President Xi Jinping has extended condolences to President Rodrigo Duterte over the heavy casualties and material damage caused by Tropical Storm “Vinta” (international name “Tembin”) sweeping across

parts of Mindanao over the past few days. In a message dated Monday, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua said Xi offered his sincere sympathy, on behalf of the Chinese government and people and in his

own name, to Duterte and Filipinos affected by the storm. Xi said he felt deeply grieved over the suffering of the Philippine people from the disaster and their displacement, pledging that China was willing to offer

emergency assistance to the disaster areas for rescue and relief, Xinhua said. In a related development, the Catholic Church, through NASSA/Caritas Philippines, launched Tuesday a rapid Next page

Speaking to local government officials in Lanao del Norte, Duterte lamented the string of tragedies which hit the country over the Christmas holidays. “We’re ending the year with a big bang of sorrow and agony,” the President said. “It was not a good Christmas Day for all of us… From one sorrow to another,” he said, noting that the deaths were caused by “carelessness to accidents and typhoons.” Duterte could only hope that the next year would turn out better for all Filipinos. “I just hope that next year, Allah will be kind enough to give us a new beginning. I just hope it will turn out that way,” he added. He also vowed that the government will try to bring normalcy to the lives of Filipinos with the fresh year ahead. “We’ll see to it that what we promised will be delivered right away,” he said in

Filipino. On his second Christmas as President, Tropical Storm “Vinta” left more than 240 people dead from landslides and floods, with scores of others still missing in Mindanao. Before this, Typhoon “Urduja” tore through the Visayas and Mindanao, leaving at least 41 dead. In the President’s hometown of Davao City, a deadly fire gutted a popular mall on Christmas eve, killing 38 people, mostly call center workers on the top floor. On Christmas Day, some 28 people were killed and dozens were injured in two separate accidents in La Union and Cotabato provinces. Last week, eight people died after a ferry capsized off the waters between Dinahican, Quezon and Polilio Island. Presidential son Paolo also abruptly resigned after a series of scandals hounded him and the first family. Next page

Rody vetoes 4 ‘rider’ provisions of ‘18 budget By John Paolo Bencito PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has applied a line veto to four provisions of the General Appropriations Act of 2018, saying they attempt to circumvent the Constitution, and has put conditions

on seven provisions to ensure that the new budget will be consistent and faithful to existing laws, policies, rules and regulations. “Under my Administration, attempts to circumvent the Constitution will never be countenanced. By constitutional fiat, specifically

Section 25 (2), Article VI of the 1987 Constitution, provisions embraced in this budget which do not relate to some particular appropriation and are introduced herein with the purpose of amending existing laws and rules have no place in the Next page

The Year in Deaths: Hefner, Rockefeller, Ailes By Steven Gittelson PLAYBOY magazine founder Hugh Hefner, Fox News Channel chief executive officer Roger Ailes and billionaire philanthropist David Rockefeller were among newsmakers in busi-

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ness, finance and public affairs who died in 2017. The business world lost Raymond Sackler, who bought Purdue Pharma LP, producer of the controversial pain pill OxyContin; Taizo Nishimuro, former head of Toshiba Corp. and

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the Tokyo Stock Exchange; Jeffrey Brotman, co-founder of Costco Wholesale Corp.; Paul Otellini, former CEO of chipmaker Intel Corp.; and Joan Tisch, the billionaire matriarch of the clan that started Loews Corp. Turn to A6

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RIZAL DAY. This weekend, Filipinos will mark Rizal Day, a national holiday commemorating the life and works of Jose Rizal and the 121st anniversary of his execution when the Philippines was still under Spain. With the victory of the Americans against the Spaniards in the SpanishAmerican War, the Americans demonstrated they were more pro-Filipino than the Spaniards and named Rizal a national hero. PNA

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Martial law extension bucked By Rey E. Requejo

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PPOSITION lawmakers led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to reject the Senate and House of Representatives’ approval of President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for a one-year extension of martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus in Mindanao from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec. 31, 2018. They urged the justices to issue a temporary restraining order or writ of preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of the congressional ac-

tion allowing the extension of martial law in MIndanao which, they said, was unconstitutional and lacked basis. Lagman aside, the other pe-

Old jeepney faces end of the road, says Orbos By Joel E. Zurbano THE government will next month begin phasing out old jeepneys in line with its program to modernize public utility vehicles, an official said Wednesday. “We will begin taking out the problematic PUVs beginning January,” said Thomas Orbos, general manager of the Metro Manila Development Authority and Transportation undersecretary for roads and infrastructures. He said the transition period given by the government for jeepney owners and operators to buy new units was three years beginning January 2018. “The more you delay your transition to a modern version of the program, the more you lose, because people will definitely pick the modern [ones], the more convenient and safer public transportation,” Orbos said. The government will be spending P843 million next year to jump-start the nationwide implementation of the Public Utility Vehicle Modernization program. Lawmakers said the initial financing for the program, which was launched in June this year, had been included in the 2018 budget of the Transport department. All PUVs that are more than 15 years old will be phased out and replaced with new models equipped with automated fare collection systems, digital security and dashboard cameras, Wi-Fi Internet connectivity, GPS tracking devices and speed limiters. A P2.5-billion special financing plan from two staterun banks will extend low-cost loans to enable PUV operators and drivers to acquire the newly

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response appeal to the Caritas confederation. “Initially, we are launching a P5.8-million appeal for at least 3,000 families (15,000 individuals) severely affected by the devastation of Typhoon “Vinta,”” said Fr. Edwin A. Gariguez, NASSA/Caritas Philippines’ Executive Secretary. The appeal will cover the provision of food packs, hygiene kits and capacity building on emergency preparedness and response to the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture said damages sustained by the agriculture sector due to Vinta hit P177.80 million as of Tuesday (Dec 27), affecting a total 18,517 hectares of agricultural lands in Regions IX, XI and XII with an estimated volume of production loss at 4,735 metric tons. Most of the affected commodities were rice and corn. Corn sustained the bigger share of losses at 50.97 percent or P 90.62 million within the damaged area of 3,392 hectares. Corn losses were about 0.76 percent of the total standing crop of 448,394 hectares, equivalent to volume loss of 4,079 metric tons. Most of the damaged corn crop were in their reproductive,

designed passenger buses, vans and jeepneys. The new PUVs will run either on Euro 4-compliant diesel engines that discharge 68 percent less particulate matter, 57 percent less nitrogen oxides and 50 percent less carbon monoxide, or on electric batteries that have zero exhaust gas emissions. The modernization program also reforms the franchising system to strengthen control over PUVs. Fewer new franchises will be issued to PUV operators and drivers, and they will be compelled to organize themselves into cooperatives or firms to build up accountability, enforcement and compliance. In the case of jeepneys, each operator must have a minimum of 10 units to obtain a single franchise. Drivers running their own units will have to consolidate themselves into groups of at least 10 members to get a franchise. The Transport department is also expected to draw up new PUV routes in consultation with local government units. An academy will help reeducate PUV operators and drivers on basic road discipline, courtesy and safety. The PUV modernization program has become controversial owing to the strong opposition of jeepney operators and drivers belonging to the Pinagisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Operator Nationwide. PISTON has vowed to stage monthly transport strikes unless the group is granted a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte. In response, the President has warned that the vehicles of defiant operators and drivers will be towed away. maturity and harvestable stages. Region IX suffered the biggest ofi losses in corn at P 79.99 million or 88.27 percent of its overall production loss by which most of these crops are on their seedling, reproductive and maturity stages. Affected provinces include Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay followed by Region XII at P 6.09 million and Region XI at P 4.54 million. Meanwhile, damage to rice, amountrd to P87.18 million or 49.03 percent of the total losses. Area affected involved 15,125 hectares or 4.8 percent of the total standing crop of 314,947 hectares while volume loss was estimated at 655 metric tons since most of the crops are on their newly planted to vegetative stages. Region IX had the most losses in rice at P57.17 million or 65.58 percent of the overall losses.l followed by Region XI with P19.20 million (22.02 percent) with crops in Compostela Valley and Region XII with P 10.81 million in damages. The Department expects total losses to expand since other regions have not thus far submitted their respective reports. After Christmas, the Catholic Church, through Caritas Manila, has released P1.8 million to the churches in Butuan, Tagum City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Marawi City and Dipolog City. With Othel V. Campos

titioners were Representatives Tomasito Villarin, Edgar Erice, Teddy Brawner Baguilat Jr., Gary Alejano and Emmanuel Billones. Rep. Raul Daza was unable to join the petitioners. The lawmakers named as respondents Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Armed Forces Chief General Rey Leonardo Guerrero. The petitioners said the claims

of President Rodrigo Duterte and his defense, military and police advisers that the “remnants” of terrorist groups that had been monitored “recruiting” new fighters and “regrouping” to launch new attacks, did not justify the re-extension. “Rebellion or invasion is neither a state of mind or a state of fear. It must be actual, not contingent. It must be real, not contrived,” the lawmakers said in their petition. “The remnants of vanquished terrorist groups do not have the capacity to launch a rebellion,

even as the government is molding them into apparent menacing ogres instead of preempting them by ordinary military and police operations without the need for extending martial law.” The petitioners said martial law could not be extended in Mindanao simply to subdue residual phantoms. “The improvident extension of martial law and the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus against the remnants of terrorist groups is akin to killing a fly with a sledgehammer,” the petitioners said.

‘A big...

had to skip the event due to bad weather. “I would have wanted to go to Marawi,” he said, but noted that in the bad weather, he could neither go by air or by sea. The President said he has ordered officials to speed efforts

and work on normalizing conditions in affected areas. “As soon as possible, we have to go back to normalcy,” Duterte said. Duterte also sought the immediate rehabilitation of government infrastructure damaged by the typhoons.

board members. Second, the President vetoed General Provisions, Section 87, “Collection of Fees in Relation to the Retention or Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship,” Volume I-B, page 637, which prohibits the imposition and collections of fees. Third, he also directly vetoed Special Provision No. 14 of the Department of Education-Office of the Secretary, under the provision “Use of School Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses for Payment of Items That May Be Classified as Capital Outlay,” Volume I-A, page 189. Duterte said that this authorizes the DepEd to use appropriations for maintenance and other operating requirements for its capital outlay requirements. While he vetoed the use of MOOEs for capital outlay, Duterte had placed the same under conditional implementation “in justifiable circumstances, and upon compliance with the general provision and pertinent rules in the modification of allotment.” Lastly, the President vetoed Special Provision No. 1 of the Energy Regulatory Commission or the “Use of Income,” Volume I-B, page 225, to augment the operational requirements of the ERC. “Apart from being a rider, the sources of income enumerated have already been included in the Non-Tax Revenue Program for FY 2018, thereby resulting in double programming for the said income sources. The ERC should instead make efficient use of its budget and automatic appropriations in the amount of P413.60M,” he said. Under conditional implementation, Duterte has allowed double programming in the creation of a revolving fund for the research and development institutes of the Department of Science and Technology; and the use of income for collections in drug rehabilitation activities by the Dangerous Drugs Board. Duterte said that the new General Appropriations Act will act as the new “allotment order,” which is needed for the release of appropriations, except those identified by the Budget Department. To ensure that appropriations will be efficient, the use of the budget will be subject to oneyear validity under Section 59 of the General Provisions of GAA.

The budget of governmentowned and controlled corporations were subjected to conditional implementation, hence, all subsidies to GOCCs will be used until Dec. 31, and any balance should be reverted back to the Treasury. Duterte also tasked the Budget Department and the Bureau of Treasury to ensure that only those not appropriated in the budgets of agencies and by the NDRRMF will be funded by the budgets of unprogrammed funds for the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, particularly those concerning the use of excess income. For public-private partnership programs, the President has allowed the use of the PPP Strategic Support Fund, but only to support the Project Development and Monitoring Facility fund, which properly covers all preparatory activities such as right of way acquisitions, engagement of independent consultants, and provision of cash subsidy. Duterte also reminded the Commission on Higher Education to ensure the implementation of the grant of tuition subsidy to medical students in SUCs. Until Congress has enacted a new immigration modernization law in 2018, Duterte has allowed the establishment of a trust fund to be constituted from the use of express lane fees and charges collected by the BI for the payment of salaries and overtime to BI employees. To ensure universal health insurance coverage, Duterte allowed the use of supplemental PhilHealth benefits, upon the full utilization of P3.5 billion appropriated under the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund. Since no appropriation was allotted for the payment of insurance premiums under Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7875, supplemental PhilHealth benefits may also be used for the same. The Philippine foreign service posts abroad may use cash of their working fund, but shall not exceed their appropriations authorized for such and shall be subject to the cash disbursement ceiling imposed by the DBM. Duterte also encouraged the DFA to efficiently use its Building Fund and Rental Funds for the acquisition, renovation or rentals of chanceries and residences.

case against Faeldon and a host of other Customs officials for their From A1 complicity in the importation of illegal drugs into the country. The Philippine Drug EnforceThe Department of Justice, ment Agency had earlier filed a however, dismissed the com-

plaint as the anti-drugs agency failed to clearly state the acts or omissions committed by Faeldon and other Customs officials that would constitute a violation of the law. John Paolo Bencito

were satisfied and 13 percent dissatisfied with the performance of Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, whose net satisfaction ratings shot up to new personal high of Good +49, up by 3 points from his previous personal record of +46. The 3-point rise in Pimentel’s net satisfaction rating was due to increases of 16 points in Mindanao, 5 points in Metro Manila,

and 5 points in the Visayas, combined with a 6-point decrease in Balance Luzon. Some 38 percent were satisfied and 23 percent dissatisfied with Alvarez, resulting into a personal net satisfaction ratings rebounded to moderate, at +14 in December 2017, up by 6 points from his personal record-low +8 in the previous quarter. John Paolo Bencito

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Duterte, who was supposed to visit Marawi for the formal turnover of transitory shelters to families affected by the Marawi siege, said that he

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general appropriations bill. These ‘rider’ provisions must accordingly be subject to direct veto,” the President said in his 11-page veto message to Congress released Wednesday. The President also scored members of the Constitutional Fiscal Autonomy Group [CFAG]—composed of the Supreme Court, the Commission on Elections, the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Audit, the Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the Ombudsman—calling on them to “answer the clarion call for a shared fiscal responsibility.” Duterte made this call in response to the Joint Resolution No. 1 issued by the CFAG in 1999, which provided that all unexpended year-end balances of these agencies shall continue to be available until fully spent. “There is no better way to inculcate fiscal prudence and sound financial management than to adopt the one-year validity of appropriations in the FY 2018 budget. Alongside this policy is the reversion of all unexpended balance of appropriations to the National Treasury by the end of FY 2018,” he said. “Towards this end, I hereby direct the Executive Branch and strongly urge the CFAG to apply the reversion of all unexpended balances of appropriations in pursuit of genuine fiscal autonomy,” he added. He also thanked the Congress for passing the P3.77-trillion national budget. “I thank the Congress for not failing us. Indeed, the members of Congress are our partners in our journey towards a more prosperous future,” he said in Filipino. “Powered by a sound financing program and carefully crafted priorities, the 2018 budget will not only foster the golden age of infrastructure and secure peace and order, but also accelerate human capital development for sustained and inclusive growth,” he added. First, Duterte placed under direct veto the grant of monitoring expenses of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, saying that monitoring expenses are already present in the honoraria or per diems of

Faeldon...

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The one-point rise in the overall net satisfaction rating of Robredo was due to a 16-point increase in Mindanao, offset by a steady score in Balance Luzon, and decreases of 8 points in Metro Manila and 5 points in the Visayas . Some 62 percent said they

Busy year for PDEA: 3,476 drug raids made By Rio N. Araja THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted 3,476 anti-drug operations, arrested 1,321 drug users, confiscated P228.81 million worth of drug and non-drug evidence, and filed 2,063 cases from Sept. 12 to Dec. 20, the first 100 days of Aaron Aquino as the agency’s head. During the period, PDEA confiscated 36,705.61 grams of shabu, 16,629.46 grams of dried marijuana leaves, 4,343 marijuana seedlings, 50,000 grams of marijuana stalks, 1,183.46 grams of cocaine, 54 pieces of ecstasy and 1.10 of GHB. But Rep. Gary Alejano on Wednesday said he supported the Duterte administration’s war on drugs but challenged “the way it is being carried out.” In an ANC Headstart television interview, Alejano said he supports the drive against illegal drugs but claimed the government had failed to treat the drug problem as a “very complex health issue” and not just a criminal issue. “All of us support the drive but how it is being carried out is the problem,” Alejano said. In its year-end report, the Palace boasted the arrest of 118,287 suspected drug offenders and the death of 3,967 others. The authorities led 79,193 anti-illegal-drug operations from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 27, 2017 and said over 1.3 million drug suspects surrendered from July 1, 2016 to July 26, 2017. “I have not read the report. I have only read the figures from the news,” Alejano said. “The President’s figures were laudable but there were blatant violations of the law and human rights.” When PDEA was the sole agency conducing anti-drug operations from Oct. 11 to Dec. 5, the agency conducted 2,214 anti-drug operations that resulted in the arrest of 771 drug users, the confiscation of P176.83 million drug and nondrug evidence and the filing of 1,448 drug cases.

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“When his name was dragged into the Bureau of Customs issue, he was already planning to resign but he was having a hard time because he was ashamed to the Dabawenyos because he presented himself to them as a vice mayor during the election and then he will just resign,” Sara said. But a public row between Paolo and his daughter Isabelle on social media seemed to be the last straw. “There are recent unfortunate events in my life that are closely tied to my failed first marriage. These, among others, include the maligning of my reputation in the recent name dropping incident in the Bureau of Customs smuggling case and the very public squabble with my daughter,” Paolo said during his speech. Sara then defended her brother after Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said that his brother resigned to avoid the investigation of the Office of the Ombudsman. “I don’t think that the investigation of the Ombudsman will stop just because the person resigns from his post. It doesn’t work that way because in an investigation, you will look for the culpable persons, the statement of Trillanes is just a mema, memasabi lang,” she said. Under the Local Government Code of 1991, for elected officers in a highly urbanized city, the President shall receive the resignation letter. If after 15 days, the resignation submitted to the President is not acted upon, it shall be deemed accepted.

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PH not moving embassy to Jerusalem—DFA By Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

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fter days of keeping mum on the issue, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday denied that the Philippines is transferring its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Cayetano, who was not available for the past few days, said on Wednesday that the Israeli embassy itself did not ask the Philippine government to consider transferring its embassy. “To be fair to Israel they haven’t told or asked us to transfer our embassy,” Cayetano said in a television interview. Cayetano made the statement even as the Philippine government joined 34 other countries in abstaining from voting on the US decision to recognize Jerusalem

as Israel’s capital. The DFA, however, has yet to release any statement explaining its reason to abstain on the issue. “In fact, they clarified reports to their friends that the Philippines did not communicate to them that we will transfer or not,” Cayetano said. But in an AFP report, an Israeli public radio claimed that 10 countries, including the Philippines, Romania, and South Sudan, are considering moving their diplomatic missions to Jerusalem

after talks with Israel. Currently, all diplomatic missions are located in Tel Aviv. “We have communicated clearly to all our friends in the Middle East that there hasn’t been any discussion or move to move our embassy from Tel Aviv,” Cayetano said. The Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the Philippines will adhere to the Partition Plan for Palestine in the United Nations in 1947. “The Philippines has always

supported the policy of two states for two peoples as a longterm solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, consistent with our vote in favor of the Partition Plan for Palestine in the United Nations in 1947,” the DFA said. The DFA was referring to the proposal that Palestine be partitioned into an Arab State and a Jewish State, with a special international status for the city of Jerusalem under the administrative authority of the

Vaccine ‘effect’ to cost Sanofi P32 m—DoH

BI tells aliens in PH: Register annual report By Vito Barcelo

HEALTH Secretary Enrique Duque II has estimated that Sanofi should compensate the government by as much as P32 million as payment for the PhilHealth coverage for possible hospitalization due to the possible adverse effects of the dengue vaccine Dengvaxia. Duque said the amount would cover expenses based on PhilHealth’s case rate package for dengue worth P8,000 to P16,000 for at least 2,000 cases. “Aabot yan, siguro, 2,000 hospitalizable cases of dengue at P16,000 na, nilagay ko na sa pinakamataas na posibleng singil,” Duque said. “Sixteen thousand pesos per case times 2,000, mga P32 million ang gugugulin o gagastusin ng PhilHealth at siya naman kako sulatan ang Sanofi na singilin sila sa bawat documented case that PhilHealth have to reimburse sa hospital,” he added. The health chief said those who are enrolled with PhilHealth may avail of packages for Dengue I (P8,000) and Dengue II (P16,000) for their medical expenses related to the disease. But Duque said that Sanofi could think twice to shoulder the expenses since this would be tantamount to admitting that it had committed a wrongdoing in pushing for the vaccine.

YEAR OF THE DOG. Rev. Fr. Wong Seng Tian of the Sheng Lian Temple in Brgy. Dona Imelda in Quezon City proclaims 2018 as the Year of the Dog in accordance with the Chinese calendar as the country prepares to celebrate the New Year. Manny Palmero

NCRPO to arrest violators of the law vs indiscriminate firing By Joel E. Zurbano

METRO Manila police chief Oscar Albayade ordered all five police district directors and police station commanders to arrest people, including fellow officers, who will caught firing their guns in celebrating New Year. “We will continue to intensify

United Nation. On Dec. 6, United States President Donald Trump declared Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He announced that he will move the U.S embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Since the announcement, the Philippines has been silent on the issue and did not comment on a series of queries from the media. Cayetano, however, said the government needs to study the issue.

police visibility especially this coming New Year celebration. We will even double our effort to maintain peace and order as we also aim for zero-indiscriminate firing, this is a no-no for our personnel, anyone who violates will be dealt with accordingly,” said Albayalde. The policemen who will caught firing their firearms during New

Year revelry will face dismissal from the service. Albayalde urged the public to celebrate the New Year peacefully and safely as possible. The National Capital Region Police Office said it is working with local government units and other partner government agencies in connection with designated areas

where fireworks are allowed. “Police personnel will be deployed in different areas of convergence and vital installations as immediate responders and monitoring as well as to strengthen police visibility,” said Albayalde. He assured that Team-NCRPO will not rest to ensure the safety and security of everyone.

Albayalde also expressed gratitude to the public for their support and cooperation on the campaign against firecrackers that aims for zero fire cracker incidents this yuletide celebration. He further solicits the cooperation of the public especially the parents to look after their children to keep them safer.

BSP to probe P100 bills with missing face design

High court mourns death of retired SC Justice Torres

By Joel Zurbano

A FACEBOOK post of a woman holding P100 bills which have missing face designs on one side has reached the attention of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which said that it is now investigating the issue. The FB user said she withdrew the bills from a Bank of the Philippine Islands ATM. “Right now we’re investigating such claims which appear to be isolated. You may advise holders of such bills to coordinate with their bank right away to facilitate proper investigation,” BSP Gov. Nestor Espenilla Jr. said in a statement. The BPI, which is owned by the Ayala conglomerate, said it was already investigating the incident. Meanwhile, Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday asked the BSP to consider temporarily stopping the issuance of new generation coins that it issued early this month to avoid further public confusion. According to Binay, the new fivepeso coins have already created much confusion as they now co-exist with the current BSP series coins. “It is best to keep an eye on those new five-peso coins,” said the lady senator, adding that consumers have expressed confusion at being handed the five-peso silver coins which are closely similar in shape and in size to the one-peso BSP coins.

STARTING Jan. 1, 2018, all foreigners living and staying in the Philippines have to register their annual report at their nearest immigration satellite office or at the main office in Intramuros, Manila. BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the annual report of aliens is required under the 1951 alien registration act and those who do not comply may be fined or imprisonment for violating the law. Morente said that under the said act, all BI-registered aliens are obliged to report to the BI main office in Intramuros, Manila or the nearest participating BI field, satellite or extension office in their place within the first 60 days of every calendar year. BI-registered aliens are resident foreign nationals who have been issued immigrant or non-immigrant visas and are holders of the alien certificate of registration identity card (ACR I-Card). He said that in making the annual report, each alien must present his original ACR I-Card and his confirmation number if he made an appointment via the bureau’s 2018 annual report online system and pay a P300 annual report fee and P10 legal research fee. “For aliens who are not in the Philippines during the annual reporting period, they shall make the report within 30 days from the date of their return to the country, provided they have valid re-entry permits,” the BI chief added.

By Rey E. Requejo

NEW COINS. Amid confusion, a vendor displays the new P5 coin (left) and a P1 coin (right) for his customers to see at a store along Roxas Blvd. on Wednesday. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said they made sure the new P5 coin will look different from the existing coins. It said that the public needs to familiarize themselves with the new coins. Norman Cruz

DoJ to reopen probe on Italian priest’s murder case By Rey E. Requejo THE Department of Justice will reopen its investigation into the murder of Fr. Fausto “Pops” Tentorio after it issued a new report on the Italian priest’s killing six year ago in North Cotabato by members of the military. Fr. Tentorio, a member of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign

Missions, was gunned down inside the Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Arakan, North Cotabato on Oct. 17, 2011. Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong, who drafted the DoJ report, lamented why the case failed to progress for years despite already available findings and pieces of evidence on Tentorio’s death.

“I can’t fathom why they can’t come up with a similar resolution. We were able to check how Tentorio was killed,” Ong said, who headed the DoJ team that reinvestigated the Tentorio murder case. Ong noted that a resolution was already filed by provincial prosecutors with the Administrative Order (AO) 35, which created a Special Oversight

Team, but the team found the findings insufficient and recommended “further investigation.” AO 35, signed by former President Benigno Aquino III, created the “Inter-Agency Committee on Extra-Legal Killings, Enforced Disappearances, Torture and other Grave Violations of the Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Persons.”

THE Supreme Court is mourning the passing of retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Justo P. Torres Jr. on Tuesday (Dec. 26) at the age of 90. “The SC en banc mourns the passing of its 138th Associate Justice, Hon. Justo P. Torres, who served on the Court from March 11, 1996 to November 1, 1997,” the SC Public Information Office said in its Twitter account. The SC PIO announced that a memorial service for the late Justice Torres Jr. will be held today, Dec. 28, at 2 p.m. inside the SC session hall in Manila. Torres was appointed by former president Fidel Ramos and served the SC until his mandatory retirement age of 70 in 1997. Before his appointment to the SC, Torres served as an associate justice of the Court of Appeals. He also served as Philippine Judicial Academy Vice Chancellor following his retirement from the 15-member bench.

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Opinion

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Missing no more

I

N THE days leading to Christmas, social media users in the Philippines were made aware of the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl, said to have been seen last at a coffee shop.

The impassioned plea of the girl’s family quickly gained following. The girl, they said, was a good daughter and student. This was not a particularly safe time to go missing in this country. We

have heard numerous stories of young people going missing and turning up in the most unfortunate of situations. Some are taken, violated and killed by criminals and drug users. Other are accused of using or trading drugs and putting up a fight before policemen. We all know how it goes. And so the campaign spread, requests were forwarded and shared, and eventually the post of another social media user in Laguna gave rise to finding the girl. When the news spread that Ica Policarpio was home, there was collective relief.

Not for long, apparently. The family’s request that their privacy be respected was met with questions. They had opened themselves to scrutiny when they sought help, now, all of a sudden, they wanted to keep the circumstances surrounding the disappearance to themselves? Both approaches can be argued, and argued well, but ultimately the objective of the campaign was realized: The girl did come home, and that will always be a good thing. Only the evil would wish that harm came upon her for all the commotion to be justified.

The takeaway is that this is only one girl, however loud the social media presence. Across the country, there are numerous disappeared individuals who equally deserve to be found and brought home. The Internet can be used to find the missing, to speak truth or reason to power, and to separate legitimate information from careless or malicious lies. It’s a comforting reminder, especially when we remember how it has an equally great power to spread hate, stupidity, prejudice or violence.

When the internet collides with reality By Tyler Cowen

marketed the new tax package because of the P250,000 individual tax exemption from wage earners plus the P200 to 400 a month that will be given to the very poor. The new tax package will initially generate about P120 billion of new revenues in the first year and more in the succeeding years. The social cost of this, however, will be steep. In addition to the 12-percent VAT that is already in place when we buy gasoline, P10 will eventually be added to a litter of gasoline making gasoline here very expensive if not the most expensive in the region. The government is also projecting vehicle sales to be about a million by 2025, but already Toyota is predicting a decrease in vehicle sales by at least 10 percent. Transport

THE onset of a new year brings plenty of predictions, and so I will hazard one: Many of the biggest events of 2018 will be bound together by a common theme, namely the collision of the virtual Internet with the real “flesh and blood” world. This integration is likely to steer our daily lives, our economy, and maybe even politics to an unprecedented degree. For instance, the coming year will see a major expansion of the “Internet of things,” especially home and other smart devices subject to our commands. So much of our time with information technology has been taken up by texting and Facebook, pure communications of symbols and photos and videos. The next steps will be controlling our doors, heating systems, lights, stoves and refrigerators, and moving toward driverless cars. The virtual world will be managing our older physical processes more and more. “Augmented reality” will become a better-known phrase, as a superior version of Google Glass arrives. Imagine walking into a store and putting on some techie glasses, and learning immediately about product bargains, quality ratings, and items you might want to buy, as you do now on the web with Amazon. That kind of useful information will seep into our public spaces, and you will be able to speak a command and have your favorite cheese waiting for you at the grocery checkout, at a discount of course. Integration will shape the financial world, too. Bitcoin has been an online sensation since its origin in 2009, but it has existed as a kind of closed universe, both intellectually and in terms of its impact on other financial markets. Late in 2017, futures contracts for bitcoin started on both the Chicago Board Options

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Challenges DUTY CALLS FLORENCIO FIANZA THE last week of December was tragic for many families in the country. First, there were two successive tropical storms that hit Mindanao. They caused devastation and misery. Typhoon Vinta reportedly killed as many as 240 people with scores missing and rendered about 70,000 families homeless. Also in Mindanao, a deadly fire killed at least 38 people in a mall in Davao City. Two fatal vehicular accidents also killed about 28 people in separate incidents. A jeepney with 29 people on board collided with a bus killing 20 jeepney passengers. Reports have it that the jeepney overtook another vehicle and collided with

a bus in Agoo, La Union. Another passenger jeepney plunged into a deep ravine in the town of President Roxas in Cotabato killing eight passengers. These two jeepney accidents highlight the state of affairs in the jeepney industry which the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board should reform. Were these two jeepneys sufficiently insured to cover expenses for those who were injured and killed? As these two accidents show, riding in a jeepney is a risky business no matter where. There is no protection for the passengers. If there is an accident, victims rely on the good will of the owners of the vehicles involved for assistance. No mandatory mechanism is triggered so that insurance money is the one that will take care of all expenses.

In spite of all these tragedies, the country is now busy preparing to meet the New Year. By and large, the country was able to surmount the many challenges that beset us this year. Most important is that the economic growth for this year may come close or match the GDP growth last year which was 6.9 percent. The country’s credit rating was also upgraded. The country successfully hosted the 50th Asean Summit. In foreign relations, the drift toward Beijing continues albeit at a slower pace because of the cordial relationship between Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Donald Trump. One area where the President Duterte has moved dramatically is in our relationship with Japan. President Duterte has been to Japan twice and was able to

secure much-needed concessional loans to finance part of the government’s infrastructure projects like the 30-km subway system in Metro Manila. The government also successfully cleared Marawi City and killed the leaders of the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf. Overshadowing all these, however, is the issue of human rights which refuses to go away. All the efforts of the government have so far failed to silence the critics. Only yesterday, the government acknowledged that about 16,355 deaths are still under homicide investigation. This issue of whether these killings are extrajudicial or not will not be resolved under the current administration. The resolution of this issue like so many other issues in previous administrations will have to

wait. The government for one is hell-bent on pushing through with its war on drugs with all the attendant consequences, good or bad. The fact, however, that President Duterte continues to enjoy very high ratings indicate that the public seems to support his methods. It is not necessarily the right approach but still, the President seem to have the public’s support. Perhaps in the future, a credible and impartial agency can conduct an investigation that can satisfy everyone. What the public should now be paying attention to is the coming New Year when the new taxes come into effect. This new tax regime has been billed as the greatest gift of the government to the Filipino people. Those were the words of Secretary Carlos Dominguez. The government successfully

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Opinion

SOME scientists think that humans can’t handle the truth about the damage they are doing to the environment—that findings must be sugar-coated lest people lose the hope needed to act. They should listen to psychologists and stop holding back. Earlier this year, the journalist David Wallace-Wells examined some of the more extreme possible consequences of climate change, including collapsing food supplies, perpetual war and extreme heat making cities uninhabitable. Climate skeptics were predictably outraged, but some scientists also criticized the article for scaring people. “The most motivating emotions,” they claimed, “are worry, interest and hope.” Fear, they argued, tends to make people disengage and dismiss the issue. Is that true? Not really. In a recent paper, the psychologist Daniel Chapman and co-authors argue that this oversimplifies how emotions influence our actions. They aren’t like buttons that can be pushed to trigger a certain behavior. Rather, they act in a subtle way, tagging information in our memory with emotive tones, or influencing how we might seek out further information. As a result, any simple recipe for emotional persuasion—say, being negative or positive—is unlikely to have the desired effect. Finding a way to communicate is crucial, because the situation is in many ways dire. Researchers in Germany, for example, recently reported that flying insect populations in some 63 protected nature zones had declined by 75 percent over the past few decades, with no obvious cause in weather or other conditions. If, as ecologists expect, this reflects changes in the insect population more broadly, then a large component of the biosphere on which we depend could be collapsing before our eyes. Although the cause isn’t certain, it appears likely to be a combination of wide-

When... From A4

Exchange and the Chicago

Mercantile Exchange, which means bitcoin now intersects with a world of collateral, margin requirements, potentially insolvent traders, and publicly verifiable values for contract settlement. So far this process has gone fine. But whatever your prediction for the future, this integration of real and virtual worlds will either make or break bitcoin and other crypto-assets. As for American foreign policy, so far it has been proceeding along two very separate lines. There is the process-oriented, expertisebased approach emanating from some of Trump’s advisers, such as National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, and also from the State Department. Then there is Trump, who conducts much of his personalized, individualized foreign policy on Twitter, including threats to North Korea and insults to various allies. So far the process-oriented and Twitter-oriented foreign policies have coexisted, however uneasily. I see 2018 as the year where these two foreign policies converge in some manner. Either Trump’s tweets end up driving actual foreign policy and its concrete, “boots on the ground” realization, or the real-world policy prevails and the tweets become far less relevant. As for conflict, cyberwar will escalate to the point where it is seen like an act of physical aggression, comparable to bombing civilians, rather than existing in its own separate sphere. Yet more of the advances on the tech side are troubling, such as how artificial intelligence is being used for facial surveillance in China, and how Chinese social credit rating systems are as-

spread pesticide use and loss of wild areas. One ecologist interpreted the finding as evidence we’re “on the path to ecological Armageddon.” Arguably, this is not overstatement, as some 80 percent of wild plants depend on insects for pollination, and 60 percent of birds rely on them for food. So how to get the message across? In an interview, Chapman said it would be a big mistake to downplay frightening issues just because the public might not like to hear about them. What’s important is to provide other information that can help readers relate the news to their own lives, and to identify practical avenues by which they might respond. People tend to care more about issues that have repercussions locally, both in time and geography. So if such potential repercussions exist, communications should emphasize them. To US readers, for example, ecological Armageddon sounds far off, as do insects in Germany. Yet the findings suggest that states such as California, Iowa or Nebraska could face similar declines in insect populations, with severe consequences for agriculture. In addition, people need some feeling of agency: Strategic changes in agricultural policy and practice, for instance, could help the insects recover. Chapman mentioned one final thing, perhaps the most important: authenticity. People want to be treated with respect and given balanced information, and they’ll turn away if they feel they’re being sold something. Granted, balance won’t necessarily change the minds of the most ideologically fixated readers, but they’re in the minority. “A much larger portion of the public,” Chapman said, “is either disinterested, unaware or inundated with too much other information.” These people can handle frightening news, no softening needed, if offered some help in seeing how it might touch their lives and what they can do about it. Bloomberg sessing the suitability of individuals as both credit risks and loyal citizens. I expect many other autocracies to adopt similar technologies, and so “control of information” will mean “control of people” more and more. One under-discussed feature of the Internet to date has been its role as an “addon” in human affairs. Internet use brings extra benefits, but if you don’t want to use the internet, you still can get most things done, in the physical world at least, though you probably are relying on other people to use the Internet for you. People therefore can partake in the Internet to varying degrees, while still intersecting broadly through the same common public institutions. Even without using email you can vote, buy groceries, drive your car, and send your kids to school. But the possibility of independence from Internet use is diminishing rapidly. The bright side, which is very bright indeed, is that the integration of the physical and the virtual will spread productivity gains throughout the American economy. The downside is that skill in virtual worlds will determine a person’s financial success and enjoyment of life more and more, to the disadvantage of those on the dwindling side of the digital divide. I am struck by the recent decision of the French government to ban smartphones in schools for children 15 and younger. The government has said it wishes to subordinate information technology to face-to-face play time. I doubt if such a retrograde policy can swing the cultural tide, but again it’s a sign that the integration of the real and virtual will be a big theme for the year to come. In America, for better or worse, it’s likely to be full speed ahead. Bloomberg

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The year that was

People can handle the truth about the environment By Mark Buchanan

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

OVERSIGHT DANILO SUAREZ THIS 2017, Congress continued to fulfill its promise of a more vigilant and proactive legislative. 2018 will begin with more rational and responsive laws that would cater to the needs of the times. The highlight of all these was the signing into law of the 2018 budget and the tax reform act by President Rodrigo Duterte just in time for Christmas. These laws aim to improve the overall fiscal status of the country while benefiting the poor and making equitable the payment of taxes. The tax reform package lowers personal income tax, simplifies estate and

donor’s tax, expands the value-added tax base, and increases excise tax of petroleum products and automobiles as well as the tax for sugar-sweetened beverages such as soda products. The increase in tax shall be concentrated on the nonessentials, thereby allowing revenue generation for priority government projects such as infrastructure and income tax exemption. As stated by the President himself, the TRAIN is a great gift that will help us save and invest. With its implementation starting on the first day of 2018, we are looking at reduction of poverty in the long run and national economic growth to become a middle income country by 2040. Aside from our legislative mandate, we have

conducted congressional inquiries and hearings on various controversies. As part of our check and balance functions, we kept an eye on the performance of government agencies, especially with their budget utilization. With this, we have obtained their commitment in improving the delivery of basic services and implementation of various public welfare programs. These are our gifts to the Filipinos. In this season of giving, I am pleased to present the fruits of our yearlong labor and the results of our diligent service to the nation. With the issues that beset the country, the 17th Congress, led by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, played a significant role in delving into

the truth and unraveling anomalies in the government. Congress has become instrumental in bringing change to the country. We have worked toward reaching greater heights this year with 39 enacted laws, learning from the criticisms from the previous years. During these trying times, our work as legislators are crucial in restoring peace and order, making sure that the welfare of the public are put first in the policies we put forward. These policies shape the dynamics of the government, the economy, and the people. Our work continues. With the various problems that the country still faces, we shall ensure that the Congress remains keen and devoted to our mandate. We shall persist on our search

for justice, truth, equality, peace, and order. We shall carry on with our job to ensure that deficiencies in existing policies are cured and fixed. Most importantly, as Representatives of the people, we shall continue advocating for the welfare of our constituents and the public in general. In the coming 2018, the country shall be facing a challenging year with these new measures. In the spirit of Christmas, my personal gift to the Filipino people is my continued commitment and perseverance in putting first the welfare of the public, especially the people I represent. I am positively looking forward to greater achievements by the 17th Congress, the Minority bloc, and the Duterte administration.

Not all those who wander are lost ICA Policarpio’s disappearance and the subsequent search for her that was amplified by Facebook and Twitter once again proves how powerful a medium social media is, particularly in the Philippines. The success of the search for the teenager was largely due to the efforts of her sister Bea Policarpio, once a Rappler intern and quite media-savvy; she has her own blog where she posts photos of her paintings and her travels. Bea’s appeals to the public to “storm the heavens” for Ica’s return using the hashtag #FindIca moved many, including celebrities, to share the posts until many people’s feeds were flooded with the news. The family rejoiced when Ica was finally found. A “Christmas miracle” was the headline of a prominent media platform. Because the incident was spread on social media, it

naturally entered the public discourse and was widely discussed. There are several significant points of interest about it as a communication and socio-cultural phenomenon. First, that there is one outcome for the rich and another for the poor. The Policarpios are a wealthy family, and their privilege, including Bea’s media contacts and the family’s network of friends who could materially help, led to a positive result for their search. But what about the missing poor? What about those who don’t have the money nor influence to bring their concerns to the attention of celebrities who can retweet or share their posts or to the police who will step up their efforts to look for a lost loved one? There are a great many missing children and elderly from among the marginalized. Who will help #FindThem? Second, that the public expects closure. They expect that any story that is begun will have an ending. The Policarpio family

cited reasons of privacy and did not disclose any further details than what they have already shared in their statements. “The reasons for [Ica’s] distress are numerous, and, honestly private,” Bea said in a statement posted on Facebook. We should respect their wishes. They asked for help to find Ica; that help was given. They did not ask for advice what to do once they found her. They do not owe the public any explanations nor “closure.” However, what they did not realize is that when they opened up to the public, they made their business everyone else’s business and apparently they received brickbats along with kind remarks. In her statement, Bea cited “the growing culture of hate which unfortunately exists in our country’s cyberspace and collective mind space.” Well, social media is a two-edged sword. They opened a Pandora’s Box and let all the krakens out. It’s something they have to deal with and something that we now

know is an after-effect of such a situation. Third, that the issue of mental health among young people needs to addressed more seriously than it is now. Bea admitted that her sister was in “deep emotional distress” adding that “it is our family’s sole responsibility to understand what has caused her to carry so much pain…” Many netizens described Ica’s act as a “tantrum” or “running away from home because she was scolded.” This is a shallow reading of the motivations of the individual but it is a kneejerk reaction because it happens often enough that such a story is not unfamiliar to us. I have heard of many teenagers turning runaway in order to deal with overwhelming emotions, problems at home or school, or other reasons. Some flee to friends or other family members with whom they would be relatively safe. Ica’s disappearance was frightening to contemplate, not only for her family but for all parents, because she was out on her own and no

one knew where she was or what her plans were. In our culture, it is considered unwise for a child or young teen to be out on their own after dark. It does speak to the reasonable safety of our metro that Ica did not come to harm while traveling, something for which we can all heave a collective sigh of relief. In any case, using social media to educate the public about teen and young adult mental health will help reduce and perhaps eventually eliminate the stigma and misunderstanding that surround the topic. Social media, as we have seen in this case, is a powerful tool for both good and bad. It can be used to find the wanderer and bring them home, and it can also be used to spew hate when unreasonable expectations are not met. It remains to us to create a culture that will responsibly use social media for the greater good. Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. FB: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @ jennyortuoste

China bets on more state control for 2018 By Christopher Balding to fall again, raising debt- ket adherence. The instal- Chinese market, which not been tested in more AS 2017 wraps up and 2018 beckons, it’s worth reviewing what we forecast for China in the year now ending, and to cast ahead for what themes might play out over the next 12 months. After this week’s meeting of Communist Party leaders at the Central Economic Work Conference, we can expect their targets and objectives for 2018. And these meetings have great import: It was the 2015 meeting that started the ongoing “supply-side reform” campaign. Last year, we focused on a couple of points. First, watch the data, not the New Year’s resolutions. While China touts deleveraging efforts, the data is mixed. The debtto-GDP ratio in China is only up slightly from 2016 to 260 percent, though it is expected to top out at 327 percent in 2022. The moderation was due not to slowing debt growth, but a jump in commodity prices that pushed up nominal gross domestic product. Watch debt growth in 2018: Prices are expected

Challenges From A4

costs will also skyrocket as well as prices of prime commodities. Whether the incentives given by the government

to-GDP. China still has not given up its debt habit. Second, the Federal Reserve rate hikes last year were likely to play a big role in Chinese policy. In retrospect, they did and did not. Interest rates in China are up sharply, with even interbank rates over one month up 1.5 percent since January 2017. Money market rates are up to 6.39 percent for 14-day repurchases. Rate increases are putting pressure on Chinese corporate bonds given the overwhelmingly short-term nature of borrowing, which constantly resets rates. Oddly, even as U.S. interest rates increased, the dollar fell, with indexes down 9 percent. Though it is unclear why the dollar fell, if the Fed hikes four times as predicted by Goldman Sachs, this could cause the currency to reverse course. A strong dollar and rising US rates will pressure China. Third, heading into the National Congress, I said watch out for Chinese politics. Though Premier Li Keqiang remains in office, Beijing clearly swept away any vestiges of mar-

lation of Party committees over the board of directors in foreign firms and major state-owned enterprises laid bare Beijing’s ambition. Communist Party strength would take priority over everything. As we look into 2018, some of these themes carry forward, but with a twist. Beijing is solidifying its control over all aspects of the economy. The Party released new rules on overseas investments by firms and has enforced rules mandating that banks balance their foreign exchange transactions. After the Fed recently raised rates by 0.25 percent, the People’s Bank of China followed with a hike of only 0.05 percent, confident it can tame any potential outflows. If the Fed hikes another three times and the dollar does not drop another 10 percent, this would push interest rates in China for debt over six months close to an intolerable 8 percent and reduce foreign exchange reserves beneath the $3-trillion level. Politics matter for the Chinese economy this year, but more in international terms. The closed

for instance refused to allow foreign self-driving cars on grounds of national security, has come under harsh criticism. The European Union and the United States are teaming up against China at the World Trade Organization, attacking its closed market and state subsidies. President Donald Trump has labeled China a strategic competitor, with fundamental national security implications, after repeated attempts to improve market access. With domestic politics resolved, the biggest potential source of financial or economic risk to China will be external. Finally, we need to watch the dual deleveraging and supply-side reform campaigns. Corporate debt has moderated, but household and other forms of debt have picked up. Unless China curbs these other categories, it will soon find every sector of the economy is excessively indebted. While Beijing has indicated it wants to slow total debt growth, its ability to maintain growth while restraining debt has

than a decade. Even the supply-side reform campaign has had mixed results. Although some capacity has been removed from steel, coal and other heavy industry, fixed asset investment levels remain relatively high, thereby adding new capacity. Though prices for raw input commodity prices jumped, debt-to-equity ratios only slightly improved and profit margins remain tiny. Any drop or even flattening of these commodity prices will have a big impact on Beijing’s plans to transform the economy. With robots flooding into light manufacturing, Beijing will have to find jobs for displaced workers, and heavy industry seems to be the new unemployment government program. The pressures facing Beijing in 2018 carry some similarities from previous year—except nothing has fundamentally improved. Debt growth has moderated but is expected to worsen with foreign exchange and political concerns on the horizon. That will make for a challenging year ahead. Bloomberg

can offset the increase in prices that will bring more hardships to the poorest of the poor will remain to be seen. The projection of the government that poverty will go down to about 14 percent towards the end of the Duterte administration is

too optimistic because it will take time to adjust after the abrupt increase in the prices of almost everything next year. The more realistic projection is that there will be more hardship for the very poor in the next two years and hunger will spike in the

near term. As Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said, prices will go up but there are now funds to be spent for infra projects. The public will have to wait to see if all that money goes to its intended purpose. One thing we can say

about us Filipinos is that we always face hard challenges with equanimity and belief that perhaps our leaders know what is best for all of us. Trouble is, our leaders do not always know better. Happy New Year and stay safe.

News

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF Marawi resettlement energized by DoE TO PROVIDE light is to spark hope. This is the underlying philosophy behind the efforts of the Department of Energy, through the Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative or Lasureco and other stakeholders, to rush completing the installation of power facilities and streetlights at the Sagonsongan Transitional Shelter Site for displaced households in Marawi City after the siege. “I am pleased to announce that we have already energized the newly built transitional shelter in Sagonsongan, creating a symbol of hope for our kababayans who have been heavily affected by the armed conflict in the area,” Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said. Cusi said the DoE would extend all necessary support to the people of Marawi so they can recover faster, and help them build better lives after their city was torn apart by the terrorist-led siege. Overseeing the installation of power facilities in the area, DoE Assistant Secretary Redentor E. Delola said the energization of the distribution lines and streetlights was fast-tracked by Lasureco with the help of the other electric cooperatives in Mindanao, the Manila Electric Co. or Meralco, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, and the National Power Corp. under the Task Force Bangon Marawi.

Storm-hit farmers get aid By Nash B. Maulana

U

P TO P127 million in crop insurance will be paid to farmers affected by Tropical Storm “Urduja” in Southern Tagalog as well as in three Visayas regions, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Wednesday. In addition, Piñol said the Department of Agriculture has also approved an emergency loan program package amounting to P25,000 per farmer’s family, which will be released initially to affected farmers in Regions 4B, 5, 6 and 7. Piñol said the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. will initially

pay insurance on crops damaged, based on its initial assessment that 17,186 farmers were severely affected by “Urduja” in those regions. He said PCIC president Jovy Bernabe earlier assured him that P127 million has been set aside by the state-run insurance corporation in aid of farmers who suf-

fered huge losses to the storm. PCIC will promptly “update its damage assessments, following the onslaught of a second typhoon, ‘Vinta,’ which mainly affected regions in the Southern Philippines,” Piñol was quick to add. He said based on PCIC’s needs assessments of Urduja victims in the agriculture sector, 3,891 farmers in Region 4B will be paid P20.1 million; 5,344 farmers in Region 5 will receive P27.5 million; 5,125 affected farmers in Region 6 will be granted P26.8 million; and 2,826 farmers in Region 7 will be paid P25.8 million.

According to Agriculture Assistant Secretary Andrew Villacorta, field operations head, buffer seeds from other DA regional offices were being shipped to typhoon-hit areas. Piñol said he had also ordered Executive Director Jocelyn Badiola of the Agricultural Credit Policy Council to validate the number of families of accredited farmers and fisherfolk affected by the typhoons, so they could be granted the SURE loaning program. SURE, short for Survival and Recovery, allots P25,000 in loans to farming and fisherfolk families affected by calamities. Of that amount, P5,000 is given as

3 Iranians posing as Belgians caught By Vito Barcelo

Tesda, NEA pact to boost employment THE renewed partnership between the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the National Electrification Administration is expected to boost employment in the country, Tesda Director General Secretary Guiling “Gene” Mamondiong said Wednesday. This came after both government agencies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Tesda Board Room in Taguig City early December, with Administrator Edgardo R. Masongsong representing NEA. “We renew our partnership with NEA, with the aim of enskilling and capacitating our linemen and barangay electricians, by giving them the proper training, that will provide them better credentials towards a gainful employment,” said Mamondiong during the event. The collaboration with NEA is part of Tesda’s aim of fulfilling its mandate of establishing partnerships and linkages in the promotion and advancement of technical vocational education and training or TVET, and is specifically in support of the 17-point agenda of the Duterte administration, he added. “We know that we have started on the right path, and soon we will reap more fruits from our joint efforts,” Mamondiong said.

The Year... From A1

Financial leaders who died included Henry Hillman, who provided startup funding for venture-capital pioneer Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and private-equity firm KKR & Co.; Liliane Bettencourt, the L’Oreal SA heiress who was the world’s wealthiest woman; and James Maguire, who matched buyers and sellers of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shares as Warren Buffett’s New York Stock Exchange floor specialist. Among deceased public sector figures were Manuel Noriega, the Panamanian dictator who was ousted by a US invasion and imprisoned for drug trafficking; Helmut Kohl, the German chancellor who oversaw his country’s reunification after the Cold War; and Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser. Here are the year’s notable deaths, with each name linked to a previously published obituary. A cause of death is provided when known. January Mario Soares, 92. Prime minister who helped consolidate Portugal’s transition to democracy and in 1976 became the first freely elected premier after a revolution ended almost five decades of dictatorship. Died Jan. 7. Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, 82. Co-founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran who served two terms as president and was a key ally of President Hassan Rouhani. Died Jan. 8 from heart failure at a hospital in Tehran. Mary Tyler Moore, 80. American actress who made lasting changes to how women and marriage are portrayed in popular culture through the characters she portrayed in “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” Died Jan. 25. February Ken Morrison, 85. Turned his father’s local grocery store into the UK’s fourth-biggest supermarket chain, Wm Morrison Supermarkets Plc, which operates more than 500 stores. Died Feb. 1 at his home in Yorkshire, in northern England, after a brief illness. Marisa Leticia Lula da Silva, 66. The wife of former two-term Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da

grant, and the remaining P20,000 as a non-interest bearing loan with no collateral payable in three years, Piñol said. Local governments of the typhoon-ravaged areas are required to submit a municipal resolution, declaring a state of calamity in their areas which along with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council data will be used as bases for granting SURE loans to farmers. Piñol said he had also directed Undersecretary Francisco Villano, his concurrent chief of staff, to ensure the delivery of assistance and services to the typhoonaffected areas.

BIG HORN. A girl poses with a big horn for sale while her mother sells other smaller horns as New Year noisemakers at the Riverside market in Las Piñas City on Wednesday. PNA Silva, she was charged in connection with Brazil’s long-running probe into bribes involving the state-run oil company Petrobras. Died Feb 3. at the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo after a stroke. Vitaly Churkin, 64. Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations since 2006 who defended his nation’s foreign policy as it waged war with Georgia, annexed the Crimean peninsula and supported separatists in Ukraine. Died Feb. 20 in New York. Kenneth Arrow, 95. The US scholar whose study of how the various parts of an economy work toward equilibrium won him the Nobel Prize in 1972 and established him as one of the founders of modern economics. Died Feb. 21 at his home in Palo Alto, California. March Stephen Ross, 73. Economist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology best known for developing arbitrage pricing theory in 1976 and other models that shaped economic theory and investment management. Died March 3 from cardiac arrest at his home in Old Lyme, Connecticut. David Rockefeller, 101. The U.S. banker, philanthropist, presidential adviser and heir to one of history’s most fabled fortunes was also the world’s oldest billionaire. Died March 20 from congestive heart failure at his home in Pocantico Hills, New York. Martin McGuinness, 66. Former Irish Republican Army leader and Sinn Fein leader who helped negotiate peace in Northern Ireland after decades of sectarian violence. Died March 21. Ahmed Kathrada, 87. Anti-apartheid activist who, along with Nelson Mandela, spent more than two decades in prison for plotting to overthrow South Africa’s white-minority government. Died March 28 in a Johannesburg hospital following brain surgery. April Henry Hillman, 98. Billionaire who diversified his family’s Pittsburgh-based coal and coke fortune and provided startup funding for private-equity firm KKR & Co. and Silicon Valley venture-capital company Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Died April 14 at Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh. Raj Kumar Bagri, 86. Rose from filing clerk at a Calcutta trading com-

pany to chairman of the London Metal Exchange. Died April 26. Thomas Forkner, 98. Co-founded Waffle House, the chain of 1,800 roadside diners spread across half the US serving Southern-style breakfasts around the clock. Died April 26 at a retirement home in Johns Creek, Georgia. Co-founder Joe Rogers died in March at age 97. May Mauno Koivisto, 93. Former president of Finland who steered the Nordic nation through the collapse of the

the first perfect game in the National League in more than 80 years and later served two terms as a U.S. senator from Kentucky. Died May 26 from a stroke. Manuel Noriega, 83. Panamanian dictator who was ousted by a US invasion in 1989, convicted on charges of cocaine trafficking, racketeering and money laundering, and spent more than two decades in prison. Died May 29 from complications following the removal of a brain tumor earlier in the year.

Kohl

Hefner

Soviet Union and toward entry into the European Union. Died May 12 at a hospital in Helsinki. Brad Grey, 59. The former talent agent who led Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures for 12 years before his ouster in February and had produced the groundbreaking television series “The Sopranos.” Died May 14 from cancer. Roger Ailes, 77. Former US presidential adviser who in 1996 started the Fox News Channel with Rupert Murdoch to promote a Republican agenda and built it into the mostwatched US cable news network before resigning amid sexual harassment allegations. Died May 18 from injuries sustained in a fall at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. Zbigniew Brzezinski, 89. President Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, who advocated a hard line toward the Soviet Union and helped develop the unsuccessful military mission in 1980 to rescue American hostages held in Iran. Died May 26. Jim Bunning, 85. Hall of Fame baseball player who in 1964 pitched

June Helmut Kohl, 87. German chancellor who oversaw his country’s 1990 reunification after the Cold War, helped forge Europe’s economic and monetary union and gave current chancellor Angela Merkel her first cabinet post. Died June 16 at his home in the western German city of Ludwigshafen. Desh Bandhu Gupta, 79. Billionaire founder and chairman of Lupin Ltd., India’s second-biggest drugmaker, which grew from a domestic business into a global powerhouse as a producer of generic drugs. Died June 26. July Liu Xiaobo, 61. China’s most prominent political prisoner, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 while jailed for advocating a pro-democracy charter that called for direct elections and the right to freedom of assembly. Died July 13 from complications related to liver cancer. Raymond Sackler, 97. With his brother Mortimer, in 1952 he bought Purdue Pharma LP, which would de-

IMMIGRATION authorities foiled another attempt by an international trafficking syndicate to smuggle a family of three Iranians using fake Belgian passports through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The Iranians, a woman and her two children, were immediately excluded and booked on the first available flight to their port of origin. They arrived at the Naia aboard a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok. BI Port Operations Chief Marc Mariñas, however, asked that the names of the passengers not be divulged, considering two were children, and that the family was a mere victim of the syndicate that gave them their bogus Belgian passports. “As a result of this incident, we have instructed our immigration officers to be doubly strict in examining the travel papers of arriving foreigners, particularly Middle Eastern nationals who present European passports,” Mariñas said. It was learned that the Iranians aroused the suspicion of Immigration officers after they presented their Bel-

velop the controversial blockbuster pain pill OxyContin, and in later years gave away millions of dollars to cultural and educational institutions. Died July 17. August James Maguire, 86. Won praise from Warren Buffet for efficiently matching buyers and sellers of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shares as the company’s New York Stock Exchange floor specialist. Died Aug 21 at his home in Short Hills, New Jersey.

Rockefeller September Pierre Berge, 86. He helped make Yves Saint Laurent one of the world’s most acclaimed fashion designers and later became a well-known media and cultural figure in France. Died Sept. 8 at his home in Saint-Remy-deProvence in the south of France after a long illness. Edith Windsor, 88. Manhattan resident whose landmark legal case led the US Supreme Court in 2013 to establish federal rights for same-sex married couples in more than a dozen states. Died Sept. 12 in New York. Liliane Bettencourt, 94. The only child of L’Oreal SA founder Eugene Schueller, she owned about one-third of the Paris-based company’s shares, making her the world’s wealthiest woman. Died Sept. 20 at her home in Neuilly, a suburb of Paris. Hugh Hefner, 91. Founder of Playboy magazine who turned his swinging lifestyle into a professional calling and showed Americans how to be more open about sex. Died Sept. 27 at his home, the Playboy Mansion, in Los Angeles.

gian passports for inspection. They were referred for secondary inspection by the immigration officer at the counter to members of the BI travel control and enforcement unit. During the interview, the passengers could not explain their travel itinerary or their purpose in coming to the Philippines. Their Belgian passports were later turned over for examination to the BI antifraud section, which issued a certification that their passports were fraudulent. In August, the bureau urged Congress to pass a new immigration law that would replace the “antiquated” immigration act under which the agency still operates. “We appeal to our lawmakers in Congress to prioritize the passage of a new Philippine Immigration Act. This law is long overdue and now is the time to pass it,” Commissioner Jaime Morente said then. Morente said that the 1940 immigration act is no longer attuned to present realities, as the law was passed during the Commonwealth period when the country was still a colony of the United States.

October Dimitris Lois, 56. CEO since 2011 at Coca-Cola HBC AG, formerly called Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Co., based in Zug, Switzerland. Died Oct. 2 while on medical leave for an undisclosed illness. Paul Otellini, 66. Intel Corp.’s CEO from 2005 to 2013, who pushed the chipmaker to record profits by emphasizing processors for the lucrative computer server market and guiding a partnership with Apple Inc. to bring Intel processors to Mac computers. Died Oct. 2. Taizo Nishimuro, 81. He held enormous influence over corporate Japan for decades as head of Toshiba Corp., Japan Post Holdings Co. and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. No details were given. November Joan Tisch, 90. Billionaire matriarch of the family that co-founded Loews Corp. and co-owns the New York Giants football team. Died Nov. 2 after a brief illness. Richard Gordon Jr., 88. The Apollo 12 astronaut who in 1969 orbited the moon as command-module pilot during NASA’s second manned moon-landing mission. Died Nov. 6. Salvatore “The Beast” Riina, 87. Sicilian mafia godfather imprisoned for life after ordering the killings of judges, politicians, mobsters and informers while head of the Corleone crime family. Died Nov. 17 at the section for prisoners in Parma’s hospital, in northern Italy. Charles Manson, 83. Imprisoned cult leader who in 1969 masterminded the gruesome murders of pregnant actress Sharon Tate and six other people in Los Angeles. Died Nov. 19 at Kern County Hospital in California. December Christine Keeler, 75. Former model whose scandalous affairs with UK government minister John Profumo and a Soviet spy in the 1960s led the Conservative Party to lose power. Died Dec. 4 at a hospital near Farnborough, England. E. Hunter Harrison, 73. Turned around three railroad carriers during a five-decade career before being tapped by CSX Corp. to improve the company’s lackluster performance. Died Dec. 16 in Wellington, Florida, days after taking medical leave from his role as CEO. Bloomberg

Sports

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

NBA: Refs missed late KD fouls, 1 by LeBron

Diaz is TOYM awardee

NEW YORK—An NBA “last two minutes” game report reviewing referee calls released Tuesday said officials missed two late Kevin Durant fouls and another by LeBron James in a controversial finish Monday. Defending champion Golden State defeated Cleveland 99-92 in a Christmas rematch of the past three NBA Finals. It also marked the third year in a row the teams have played on the holiday. James complained about being fouled twice by Durant on late drives to the basket that were not whistled as violations, leading to the Warriors taking over the ball and the Cavaliers unable to reach the free throw line down the stretch. Durant, according to the league, fouled James twice but was incorrectly not called for a violation, James complaining in vain each

LYMPIC weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz created ripples on and off the sporting stage in the year that is about the end, more than enough to make her one of the awardees in prestigious The Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines for the year 2017.

time he was fouled. The first time, the referee review found Durant made forearm contact to James that affected his speed, quickness, balance and rhythm. The second time, Durant struck the arm and body of James, affecting the Cleveland star’s shot, which Durant blocked. “He fouled me twice,” James said. “But, whatever. What are you going to do about it?” The review also said Durant had fouled James seconds earlier when James was ruled to have lost the ball out of bounds. The league also said James should have been called for a foul on Golden State’s Draymond Green with 33 seconds remaining, saying James held the arm and jersey of the Warriors forward, impeding his chance to grab the rebound. AFP

By Randy Caluag

O

Diaz created a big bang when she snared the silver medal in the women’s 53-kg weightlifting event in Rio Olympics in 2016. Just when everybody thought she had already reached her peak and would slowly fade away, she made the country proud again by bagging the bronze medal in the same event of the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Turkmenistan last September. Showing that she remains a force to reckon with in her sport, the proud Zam-

boanguena followed up her feat with a silver and a bronze medal haul in the 2017 International Weightlifting Federation in November at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. But it’s not just her achievements in the competitive arena that set her apart from the rest, she showed her big heart by putting up the Hidilyn Diaz Weightlifting Gym to develop young talents that may want to follow in her footsteps. “It’s my way of giving back to those who want

to chase their dreams and rial. If you happen to know change their lives,” said someone who creates waves Diaz, who added that quali- of positive change, leads by fied students from poor example and excels in his families get free training as field, nominate them and join us in the search for the scholars at the gym. “It’s (TOYM award) next TOYM awardee,” said Hegem Furigay, the JCPI’s something that I would Manila 2017 national president. treasure in my life. Thank Standard Other honorees are Byyou TOYM for recog- TODAY nizing what I have done ron Allatog (Government for our country. We can Service-Law Enforcement), make changes in our own Cirilo Javier (Arts and Mufield just like me, I proved sic), Eugenio Mende (Vetpeople that I can make it. erinary Medicine), Ronald I don’t promise anything Reyes (Education), Jason but I will just do my best to Roy Sibug (Community bring honor to our country Development), Mark Anthony Torres (Government in my own little way.” Diaz, who is an awardee Service) and Chiarra Anne in the field of sports, joins Zambrano (Journalism and seven other “outstanding Mass Communication). Now on its 58th year, The individuals representing various fields that unite us TOYM Awards began as a in purpose towards nation project of JCI Manila, patterned after the TOYM of building.” “I implore each and every- America Awards, and later one of you to look at your adopted by JCI Philippines peers. Chances are, one of as an annual project. It is now a yearly underthem may be TOYM mate-

Els still trying to qualify for Masters WASHINGTON—Fourtime major winner Ernie Els clarified his status for the 2018 Masters on Tuesday, saying he is still working to qualify after receving an honorary invitation to Augusta National next April. Els tweeted on Sunday “Thank you for a Great Xmas present! @TheMasters Can’t wait!” and multiple reports said Els had received a special invitation to compete in next year’s tournament. A five-year qualifying spot in the Masters from his 2012 British Open triumph ended this year for the 48-year-old South African. Els received an honorary invitation to appear at Augusta National during Masters week in 2018 rather than being granted an automatic spot in the field for the year’s first major championship. “Wanted to clarify my excitement getting an invite from @TheMasters. Work continues to qualify to compete!” Els tweeted Tuesday. Honorary invitees are given such perks as clubhouse access and tournament badges and in past years had been permitted into the Par-3 Contest and onto the course for practice rounds.

Nikola Mirotic #44 of the Chicago Bulls is about to dunk the ball during his team’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mirotic topscored with 24 points for the Bulls, whos won, 115-106. AFP

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that 8990 HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, with office address at 8990 Corporate Center, Negros St., Cebu Business Park, Cebu City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an Expanding Developer of Economic and Low-cost Housing Project (Urban Deca Homes Marilao) with a capacity of 3,788 residential units on a non-pioneer status, with project site located at McArthur Highway, Brgy. Abangan Sur, Marilao, Bulacan. Any person with valid objection/s on the above-mentioned project may file his/her objection in writing, under oath, with the BOI within three (3) days from the date of this publication. (SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service

(MS-DEC. 28, 2017)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS Intramuros, Manila FIRST DIVISION

IN RE: PUBLICATION OF LIST OF CASES WITH ORDERS AND SUMMONSES SETTING THE SCHEDULE OF CONFERENCE RELATIVE TO THE PETITIONS FOR PERPETUAL DISQUALIFICATION FILED BY THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS AS REPRESENTED BY THE CAMPAIGN FINANCE OFFICE x- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x

ORDER

Mirotic powers Bulls past Bucks, 115-106 LOS ANGELES—Chicago forward Nikola Mirotic came off the bench to score 24 points and spark the visiting Bulls over Milwaukee 115-106 in an NBA matchup Tuesday. The 26-year-old Montenegroborn Spaniard made 9-of-18 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range, and grabbed eight rebounds to spark the Bulls to their 11th win in 33 games. “Great game by us. We really stepped up,” Mirotic said. “We’re moving in the right direction.” G reek st ar Gian n is A ntetokou n mpo led the Bucks (17-15) with 28 poi nts. “We executed really good against

Giannis,” Mirotic said. “Offensively they really found me. We were pumped up. Defensively we rebounded really well. Offensively we need to keep improving.” J.J. Barea led Dallas with 20 points and Dirk Nowitzki added 18 as the Mavericks upset visiting Toronto 98-93. The Mavericks took only their third win in 11 games to stand 10-25, still the worst record in the Western Conference. The Raptors, led by Kirk Lowry’s 23 points, saw their six-game win streak snapped and fell to 23-9 with just their second loss in 14 games. Raptors coach Dwane Casey lamented his club shooting only 33.7

percent from the floor. “None of us came out in the right disposition, ready to compete,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “Any time you shoot 33 percent you’re not going to beat too many people in the league. “Defensively, I thought we tried to lock it down the stretch. But again, the way they started the game going coast-to-coast, we were still on Christmas break.” Tobias Harris scored 30 points, 26 of them in the first half, and the Detroit Pistons routed visiting Indiana 107-83. Andre Drummond added 21 points and 18 rebounds for the Pistons, who won for the fifth time in six games. AFP

Monsalve, Uy grab 2-shot lead in National Doubles RYAN Monsalve and Lanz Uy combined for nine birdies and dominated the opening four-ball format with a 59 to seize a two-stroke lead over Paolo Wong and Don Petil in the National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club in QC yesterday. Monsalve and Uy, who yielded the overall crown to Carl Corpus and Yuto Katsuragawa last year, broke away from a four-way tie after nine holes with five birdies at the backside of the par-68 layout, capping their romp with back-to-back birdies for a 3128 card in best ball. They hope to keep their charge as play shifts to aggregate today with the final round tomorrow to feature the tougher two-ball, foursome (alternate shot) format. “We played pressure-free throughout. It’s been smooth and quite easy since even if one gets into trouble, the other will step up and save the hole, We just enjoyed it,” said Monsalve, whose partnership with Uy netted them

taking of JCI Philippines and co-sponsored by PLDT, Gerry Roxas Foundation, Inc. and the TOYM Foundation, Inc. TOYM has so far awarded a total of 484 individuals who are literally the “Who’s Who” in the areas of agricultural science, arts and humanities, banking business, law, business, community development, educational business, government service, political and social sciences, journalism and mass communication, sports, medicine, economics, science technology and engineering and other fields of endeavor. The top officers of this year’s TOYM Awards are Furigay, Manny V. Pangilinan, TOYM Foundation chairman; Bienvenido Tantoco III, TOYM Foundation president; Judy Roxas, chairperson of Gerry Roxas Foundation.

the Group I title in last year’s staging of the season-ending tournament organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines and sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation. Wong and Petil, who matched Monsalve and Uy’s 31 start, actually grabbed the lead with three straight birdies to start their backside drive but the duo slowed down and missed a couple of birdie chances, settling for a 30 and dropping to second instead with a seven-under 61. Lester Lagman and Gab Manotoc also carded an opening 31 and birdied Nos. 11, 12 and 14 but fumbled with a bogey on No. 14 and slipped to third with a 62 in the premier division. Many-time national champion Rupert Zaragosa and Adrian Romero also failed to sustain their hot 31 start with a birdie-bogey stint in the last nine holes and fell five strokes off the pace at 64. Carlo Gatmaytan and Rocky Brobio pooled a 65 for fifth while the pairs of Sean

Ramos-Jed Dy, Dan CruzLuigi Guerrero, Aniceto Mandanas-Carlo Quimson and Clare Legaspi-Felicia Medalla each shot 66s and stood seven shots behind in the event serving as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour. Siblings Aldo and Paqo Barro made a 67 while the Annika Guangko-David Guangko, Kristine TorralbaMatthew Abalos and Eddie Bagtas-Leandro Bagtas tan- Ryan Monsalve (left) and Lanz Uy watch their dems turned in identical 68s. rivals putt during the opening round of the Meanwhile, Pierre Ticzon National Doubles Golf Championship. and Allan Crisostomo assembled a 70 to open a twoshot lead over Rald Sarmiento and Masaichi Otake in Group II play with Santino Diokno and Miguel Roque falling five strokes behind with a 75. 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ Allen Embuscado and Jimmy Suelo, on the other 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M hand, carded a 72 to gain a one-stroke lead over Edwin Abesamis and Hermie Salibio DIGITS 0-0-0-0 with the Boom CoscolluelaJoey Anciano and Vic Se-ByDIGITS 0-0-0 ron San Pedro tandems staying within striking distance with a 74 and 75, respectively, EZ2 0-0 in Group III.

LOTTO RESULTS 6/55 6/45 4 3 2

In order to expedite the disposition of the Petitions for Perpetual Disqualification filed by the Commission on Elections as represented by the Campaign Finance Office, the Commission hereby DIRECTS the publication of the following list of cases with its schedule of conference: I.

FIRST DIVISION

A. FOR CONFERENCE ON JANUARY 08, 2018, 2 P.M., COMELEC SESSION HALL, 8TH FLR., PALACIO DEL GOBERNADOR, INTRAMUROS, MANILA CASE NO.

TITLE

1. SPA-17-157 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Norsaifah Imam Mitmug

2. SPA 17-170 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Norodin Datul Mangulamas

3. SPA 17-177 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Cader Parte Ali

PLACE Lumba-Bayabao, Lanao del Sur Pikit, North Cotabato Madamba, Lanao del Sur

4. SPA 17-185 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Daud Macabato Aman

Lumbaca-Unayan, Lanao del Sur

5. SPA 17-189 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Unta Enting Kasim

Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao

6. SPA 17-194 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Abdul Rashid Rasuman Macala

7. SPA 17-270 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Sabdullah Tempo Macabago

8. SPA 17-271 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Rogelio Alabata Montajes

Lumba-Bayabao, Lanao del Sur Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur Calinan, Davao del Sur

B. FOR CONFERENCE ON JANUARY II, 2018, 2 P.M., COMELEC SESSION HALL, 8th FLR., PALACIO DEL GOBERNADOR, INTRAMUROS, MANILA CASE NO. 1. SPA 17-157 (DC)(CF)

TITLE COMELEC vs. Muslimen Gani Akmad

2. SPA 17-061 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Efren Pedro Nalik

3. SPA 17-066 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Anong Tawasil Kuyong

4. SPA 17-086 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Edgardo Tercero, Baterna, Sr.

5. SPA 17-095 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. John Randolf Yusop Nieveras

6. SPA 17-100 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Salman Kinok Alang

7. SPA 17-101 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Alicman Balindong Macapodi

8. SPA 17-102 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Potrisalam Mangurun Macada-ag

9. SPA 17-122 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Tajuden Imam H. Ali

10. SPA 17-128 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Satar Pangandamun Macoro

PLACE Akmad Talitay,- Maguindanao Paglat, Maguindanao Mapun, Tawi-Tawi South Upi, Maguindanao Turtle Islands, Tawi-Tawi Gen. S.K. Pendatun, Pendatun, Maguindanao Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur Tamparan, Lanao del Sur Kampai, Lanao del Sur Binidayan, Lanao del Sur

11. SPA 17-129 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Othog Arobi Mabandus

12. SPA 17-139 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Carnal Sarip Dayao

Bacolod -Kalawi, Lanao del Sur Marogong, Lanao del Sur

13. SPA 17-149 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Penny Saguia Tanding

Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao

14. SPA 17-203 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Joeffrey Ansa Alon

Sultan sa Barongis, Maguindanao

15. SPA 17-211 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Sahara Imam Mauna

16. SPA 17-215 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Isnaleah Macala Mala

Lumba-Bayabao, Lanao del Sur Lumba-Bayabao, Lanao del Sur

17. SPA 17-218 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Alikhan Indar Guro

Lumbaca-Unayan, Lanao del Sur

18. SPA 17-219 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Noria Datu Sali Guialani

Kabuntalan, Maguindanao

19. SPA 17-239 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Pendatun Aragasi Ibrahim

Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur

20. SPA 17-244 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Abdulazis Mangandog Sharief

Masiu, Lanao del Sur

21. SPA 17-245 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Camil Datuharoun Sangcopan

Bayang, Lanao del Sur

22. SPA 17-246 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Saddam Bacol Sandigan

Datu Salibo, Maguindanao

23. SPA 17-251 (DC)(CF)

COMELEC vs. Cairo ding Malindato Ibra

Marantao, Lanao del Sur

C. FOR CONFERENCE ON JANUARY IS, 2017, 2 P.M., COMELEC SESSION HALL, 8th FLR., PALACIO DEL GOBERNADOR, INTRAMUROS, MANILA CASE NO. 1. SPA 17-171 (DC)(CF)

TITLE COMELEC VS. Mohammad Datukali Diocolano

PLACE South Upi, Maguindanao

Pursuant to COMELEC Resolution No. 9523, promulgated on September 25, 2012, the above named Respondents are hereby directed to file personally or through an authorized representative, a verified answer, to the verified Petition, in four (4) legible copies and one (1) soft copy, within nonextendible period of five (days) from the date of publication, furnishing the Petitioner personally a copy thereof with proof of service. A Motion to Dismiss shall not be admitted, but grounds thereof may be raised as an affirmative defense. Failure to file a verified Answer within the reglementary period shall bar the Respondents from submitting controverting evidence or filing a memorandum. Further, to be taken up on the date of the conference are the following matters: (a) Production of a written authority under oath of counsel; (b) Comparison between the original and/ or certified true copies and copies of documentary and real evidence; and (c) Setting of the period to file the parties’ respective memorandum, which shall not be later than ten (10) days from the date of conference. The Petition shall be dismissed should Petitioner or authorized counsel fail to appear during the conference. Meanwhile, should Respondent or authorized counsel fail to appear, the Petition shall be deemed submitted for resolution. The Education and Information Department (EID) is ordered to immediately PUBLISH this instant Order in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. SO ORDERED. Given this 22nd day of December 2017, Manila, Philippines FOR THE DIVISION

(MS-DEC. 28, 2017)

CHRISTIAN ROBERT S. LIM Presiding Commissioner

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

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

Sports

US Volvo 70 yacht Wizard heads to Hobart during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. AFP

Biado, Tabora, Ancajas lead list of PSA awardees T

HE Philippine Sportswriters Association will hold its annual Awards Night on Feb. 27 as it continues to preserve a time-honored tradition of feting athletes who shine here and abroad and make the nation proud. Billiards king Carlo Biado, bowling queen Krizziah Lyn Tabora and boxing titlist Jerwin Ancajas head the list of athletes to be feted during the two-hour affair—their reward for doing their share in making the year that’s about to end a memorable one. Biado, Tabora and Ancajas have also been named by the PSA board of directors in its recent meeting as candidates for the Athlete of the Year, the highest accolade to be given during the rites scheduled at the Maynila Hall of the historic Manila Hotel.

Phoenix five blasts Kia, 125 to 102

The number of nominees for the top award may increase to four if another Filipino boxer in International Boxing Federation lightflyweight champion Milan Melindo wins his unification bout with WBA titlist Ryoichi Taguchi on New Year’s eve in Tokyo, Japan. “It’s that time of the year again when the PSA throws a party for the best and brightest in Philippine sports,” said PSA president and Spin.Ph editor Dodo Catacutan. “These athletes deserve nothing less.” Several prominent officials and

seeking the help of its old and new friends in sports like San Miguel Corp., Milo, Tapa King, Cignal, Philippine Sports Commission, Mighty Sports and Globalport to stage the affair. The 25-year-old Ancajas, a native of Panabo, Davao del Norte who fights under Manny Pacquiao Promotions, made it to the short list of AOTY candidates for successfully retaining his IBF junior bantamweight title three times, the last against Irishman Jamie Conlan whom he stopped in the sixth round in Belfast, Ireland. The last two months of 2017 also proved kind to two other Filipinos athletes in Tabora and Biado. In one cold night in November in Hermosillo, Mexico, Tabora went hot, winning the Bowling World Cup and ending a 14-year

title drought in the tournament where Filipino bowlers had big successes in the past. In winning this one, Tabora became the fifth Pinoy to capture the BWC title after the great Paeng Nepomuceno, the late Lita dela Rosa, Bong Coo and C.J Suarez. Not to be outdone was Biado, who clinched the World 9-Ball crown in Doha, Qatar in midDecember to cap an unforgettable season that saw him also top the same event in the World Games and in the KL SEA Games. Biado, 34, joined the legendary Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes (1999), Franciso ‘Django’ Bustamante (201), Ronnie Alcano (2006) and FilCanadian Alex Pagulayan (2004) as Filipino champs in what is considered as the premier 9-ball tournament in the world.

SYDNEY—Rival supermaxis LDV Comanche and Wild Oats XI were battling to set a new record time for the gruelling Sydney to Hobart race Wednesday, as they powered down Australia’s east coast on favourable winds. The 100-footers were sailing down the Tasmanian east coast at 20-30 knots before a strong north-easterly wind in what organizers describe as an “astonishingly fast race”. Comanche was about 11 miles ahead of eight-time winner Wild Oats, which has been closing the gap between the pair on Wednesday morning. Regarded as one of the toughest yacht races in the world, the 628-nautical mile (1,163-kilometre) bluewater classic kicked off in Sydney Harbour Tuesday, with 102 competitors heading down the east coast of Australia. One yacht—the German TP52 Rockall—has retired from the race, after suffering from a broken rudder earlier Wednesday. Chasing the leaders were fellow supermaxis Black Jack and InfoTrack, last year’s recordwinning boat under the name Perpetual Loyal. Hong Kong businessman Karl Kwok’s 80-footer Beau Geste was fifth ahead of last year’s overall winner, Giacomo, now racing as Wizard. Comanche and Wild Oats were estimated to arrive in Hobart after 7.00pm local time (0800 GMT) Wednesday according to computer predictions, well inside the record time of 1 day 13hr 31min 20sec, organisers said. To break the record, the yachts have to finish before 2.31am local time Thursday (1531 GMT). But their race to the finish line could be delayed on the notoriously sluggish Derwent River leading to Hobart. “The good news is that the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a continuing north-easterly in the river tonight, which, while not from a favourable direction, at least represents continuing wind,” the organizers said. Crucial protest? This is the strongest line-up of supermaxis to contest the Sydney to Hobart, with all four having won line honours in previous races. The gains for Wild Oats came even though she sailed “bare-headed”—mainsail only —for some time after damaging the topsail, which is suited to the conditions. AFP

Filipina golfers seek payback in 2nd Pradera Challenge

By Jeric Lopez PHOENIX was able to show a glimpse of its development as it mercilessly dealt Kia a ferocious 125-102 beating to list its first win in the 2017-18 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City last night. A balanced attack from the Fuel Masters paved the way for their victory as a total of eight players scored in twindigits, led by Matthew Wright, JC Intal and Justin Chua, who each scored 15 markers. Right behind them are RJ Jazul and Gelo Alolino, who scored 13-apiece, while Doug Kramer and rookie Jason Perkins added 12 and Joseph Eriobu 11. Phoenix now owns an improved 1-1 slate, while Kia dropped to 0-2 in the cellar. It was all Phoenix from start to finish as it carved a quick double-digit lead, 22-11, in the latter part of the opening quarter before holding a 24-14 cushion after one.

friends of sports led by Ramon S. Ang of San Miguel Corp., Manuel V. Pangilinan of the MVP Group of Companies and Judes Echauz are also expected to get recognition and share the limelight with the athletes for their boundless help to local sports. According to Catacutan, the 23 gold medalists in the Kuala Lumpur Southeast Asian Games and the 20 winners in the ASEAN Para Games also held in the Malaysian capital will also be given appropriate honors in the rites where former sportswriter and boxing analyst and now Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pinol will be the guest of honor and speaker. Organized in 1949 and considered as the oldest group of media practitioners in the country, the 80-member PSA has also started

Super yachts on track to smash record

Saso

TEAM Philippines beefs up its roster as it sets out for the Pradera Verde Ladies Challenge on Jan. 15-17, ready to get back at fancied Team Southeast Asia in the second staging of the blue-ribbon event at the Pradera Golf Club in Lubao, Pampanga. Yuka Saso and Harmie Constantino will suit up for the hosts, vowing to provide the firepower, poise and maturity lacking in the team’s unsuccessful bid in the inaugurals of 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. Saso is the reigning Philippine Amateur Open, Junior Open and Match Play champion while Constantino topped this year’s RVF Cup and Northern Luzon Regional. The duo also led Team Phl to victory in last year’s World Junior Girls title in Canada with the FilJapanese shotmaker bagging the individual crown. “Yuka (Saso) and Harmie (Constantino) are seasoned internationalists, so that gives Team Phl maturity and spunk as we try to get even with Team Southeast Asia,” said coach Norman Sto. Domingo, one of the team’s

three skippers in the threeday event put up by Archen Cayabyab and Lubao Mayor Mylyn Pineda-Cayabyab as part of their effort to boost the country’s junior and amateur golf program. The hosts succumbed to a talent-laden Team SEA last year, losing in the four-ball, foursomes and singles competitions, 10 1/2-19 1/2. But Sto. Domingo and coteam captains Rolly Romero and Daisy Reyes see a different result this time. “While we acknowledge the depth of Team SEA’s roster, we also have a strong, more mature squad, thus boosting our chances this Constantino time,” said Sto. Domingo.

PSC to channel funds directly to PH athletes By Peter Atencio TO resolve liquidation issues with national sports associations, requests for financial assistance will be granted and channeled directly to national athletes who need it. To make this happen, a liaison officer will be assigned and put in charge for such an activity. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said this following a board meeting last week after the government sports agency suspended financial assistance to the Philippine Karatedo Federation.

“Previously, ginagawa na namin iyan. Iyung may mga unliquidated at may intra-NSA disputes pa,” said Ramirez. Ramirez said they have a new policy which allows the agency to maintain good relations with NSAs even if they have liquidation issues. The PSC chief said the go-to guy that they will assign will handle the travel expenses of athletes when they go abroad to train and go into competition. “Para wala nang problema sa liquidation, magkakaroon ng isang tao para dito. He will take care of the hotels, the expenses. We will give money directly to the athletes,” said Ramirez. The new policy was created after

karate athletes alleged that they did not fully receive their allowances during their 20-day training stint in Germany last July. Officials of the Philippine Karatedo Federation reportedly made them 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. Agent are now interrogating athletes, coaches and PKF officials to find out what happened to funds amounting to P3.217 million. The money was supposed to be

Ramirez

spent for the seminars and tournaments joined, accommodations,

meals and allowances of the team, while it was in Germany from July 20 to Aug. 9. While the probe is going on, executive director Sanna Privaldo will 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 restricted from interacting with karatedo athletes, who have filed their complaints. PKF secretary general Raymund Lee-Reyes, who also went to Germany, has filed his leave of absence, according to PKF president Joey Romasanta.

Stock market advances; BDO, Ayala lead gainers

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Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

B

Razon joins power, water businesses By Jenniffer B. Austria

IN BRIEF

P

ORT tycoon Enrique Razon is venturing into power generation and water development and distribution.

Trade gets P5.8b under 2018 budget THE Trade Department is working on a P5.8-billion budget for 2018, up 23 percent from 2017’s P4.7 billion. Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said the supporting budget for the micro, small and medium enterprises comprised the bulk of the allocation for next year. “We’re still checking the details of where the increase specifically went. I believe that there was a big increase allocated to SSFs (shared services facility),” he said. Trade Undersecretary Nora Terrado said the national government earlier agreed to give the department only P200 million for the SSF program. “It was only during the latter part of the budgetary hearing that we were allowed a P1-billion budget for SSFs,” she said. Lopez stressed the importance of having enough financing support for the shared facilities. The former Go Negosyo executive director cited that even cooperatives could not afford a P3million to P5-million processing facility. Othel V. Campos

Stronger revenues for LGUs eyed THE Finance Department urged its bureau overseeing local treasury financing and revenue administration to continue developing innovative programs to strengthen the fiscal autonomy of local government units. Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko said Wednesday the Bureau of Local Government Finance should remain at the forefront of the government’s efforts to promote fiscal decentralization, given that in some cases, LGUs rely on the Internal Revenue Allotment to fund 99 percent of their operations and programs. Tionko said local revenues, on the average, only accounted for less than 1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. “There is a much needed balance here: LGUs must build their revenue base to fund their projects, and the effect on the national government’s fiscal space as a result of continued dependence of LGUs on national transfers,” Tionko said. Julito G. Rada

TRAIN eases tax payment THE newly-enacted tax reform law will make the lives of Filipinos with small businesses easier by not only reducing their taxes, but also by simplifying the tax filing and payment process, Senator Edgardo Angara Jr. said Wednesday. Angara cited the latest Doing Business report of the World Bank where the Philippines’ ranking slipped to 113th this year from 99th last year among 190 countries. According to the World Bank report, a budding entrepreneur must make 20 different tax and contribution payments and visit multiple agencies in person to start a business in the Philippines. But compensation income earners as well as professionals and self-employed individuals with small businesses, whose annual taxable income do not exceed P250,000, are exempted from income taxes and are no longer required to file income tax returns under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law sponsored by Angara. Othel V. Campos

Smart’s high-speed service SMART Communications Inc. said on Wednesday it will roll out high-speed LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) service with carrier aggregation in more areas of the country. This includes the deployment of four-component (4CC) carrier aggregation which can deliver data speeds of over 200 Mbps via 4CC capable handsets. “This is not a test or pilot. We are bringing today 4CC to our customers as a live, commercial service that can deliver worldclass mobile internet,” PLDT and Smart senior vice president for network planning and engineering Mario Tamayo,said. “By deploying LTE-A, we will have an even more powerful network platform for offering a richer array of data services and digital life solutions to enterprises, families and individuals,” PLDT Group chief revenue officer Ernesto Alberto said. Darwin G. Amojelar

DBP IN TAYTAY, PALAWAN. State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines opens on December 7 a new branch in Taytay, Palawan province as part of its branch expansion program. DBP president and chief executive officer Cecilia Borromeo (second from left) and Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez (extreme right) lead the ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony. With them are (from left) El Nido, Palawan Mayor Nieves Rosento and Taytay Mayor Romy Salvame.

Metro Pacific keen on investing in LNG facility By Alena Mae S. Flores METRO Pacific Investments Corp. is looking at possible investments in the country’s liquefied natural gas industry, a group official said. “It’s MPIC,” Meralco PowerGen president and chief executive officer Rogelio Singson said when asked whether his company was eyeing LNG. Singson said MPIC was looking at possible partners in the LNG business. He added the possible investments would not be at the Meralco PowerGen level

largely due to the huge investments and technical expertise needed in an LNG terminal and power plant. Meralco PowerGen is the power generation unit of Manila Electric Co., the country’s biggest power distributor. MPIC owns about 45 percent of the electricity retailer. The Department of Energy recently issued the rules for LNG development that would pave the way for MPIC and other investors to invest in the emerging LNG industry. Singson said MPIC “will need” to take in partners for

both the LNG terminal and the power plant component. He said MPIC already initiated talks with possible partners from Japan but no firm agreements had been forged. MPIC and Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan earlier said along with Osaka Gas of Japan, the group was interested in an integrated natural gas facility. “You need a gasification plant because we need to import gas. There is no more gas from Malampaya for the size of the plant. So there will be a gasification facility and a power plant,”

he said. The regasification facility will convert the imported LNG to natural gas for delivery to the power plant. Pangilinan said the natural gas plant “might be done in phases, but it is up to 1,500 MW.” Osaka Gas is a key player in Japan’s LNG market. It imports about 7.9 million tons per year, representing 9 percent of Japan’s total LNG imports, mostly from the Middle East (Qatar and Oman), Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei), Australia and Russia. The Japanese company

The Philippine Competition Commission has given its nod to the planned joint venture of San Lorenzo Ruiz Piat Energy and Razon-led Prime Metro Power Holdings Inc. to construct several hydropower facilities. The PCC said in a ruling the proposed joint venture between the two parties would not result in substantial reduction of competition in the market. San Lorenzo and Prime Metro plan to form a joint venture company that will construct and establish hydro facilities to supply power distributors and endusers in Luzon. The joint venture company’s primary asset will be an area covered by the Chico hydropower service contract in Tabuk, Kalinga province. San Lorenzo is the assignee and the holder of the Tabuk service contract issued by the Department of Energy. With the partnership, San Lorenzo will contribute the Chico hydropower contract in exchange for an 18 percent stake in the soon-to-be-formed joint venture company. Prime Metro will be in charge of raising funding once it finishes the legal, commercial and financial viability of the hydro project and due diligence within one year. Prime Metro will own a 82-percent interest in the

Investors swarm on BSP’s seven-day deposits auction

MPCALA completes unsolicited toll road bid

By Julito G. Rada THE P40-billion worth of seven-day term deposits offered by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Wednesday remained oversubscribed on investors’ strong demand for short-term instruments. Data showed total tenders reached P59.808 billion, but the Bangko Sentral made a full award of just P40 billion. The deposits fetched a weighted average accepted yield of 3.39 percent. For the second time, Bangko Sentral auctioned the term deposits without the 28-day instruments due to less excess liquidity that must be mopped up from the financial system. Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said earlier the regulator decided to trim its open market operations “lest we see tight market conditions.” “Banks continue to demand very short-term instruments like the seven-day TDF to allow them greater flexibility in servicing the needs of their clients and deploying the rest of their funds,” he said. The BSP reduced the volume of the TDF auction for the fifth time from P80 billion to P40 billion on Dec. 20. Guinigundo said even the liquidity absorbed by the national government through the Bureau of the Treasury would be made available to the market once the government started using it for payment of debt and other liabilities. The Bureau of the Treasury earlier generated P130 billion from selling retail treasury bonds, more than quadruple the P30 billion it was initially selling, citing strong demand from investors. This prompted the auction committee to expand its offering from the initial announcement of P30 billion to accommodate market appetite.

By Darwin G. Amojelar

SMART AWARD. Smart Communications Inc., represented by PLDT SG country manager James Melon, receives the Digital Service Provider of the Year trophy at the Asia Communication Awards in Singapore. Smart is in the middle of a network transformation program which seeks to improve LTE coverage and services across the country.

Meralco PowerGen spent P3.5b for Atimonan and Subic coal plants MERALCO PowerGen Corp. has spent P3.5 billion to date for the construction of two power projects, namely the 1,200-megawatt Atimonan coal plant in Quezon and the 600-MW Subic coal facility in Zambales province. Meralco PowerGen officials said the company already invested P2.8 billion to ensure that the Subic coal project of Redondo Peninsula Energy was ready for construction.

“We spent P2.8 billion already for RP Energy,” Meralco PowerGen Corp. senior vice president Angelito Lantin said. The company spent the balance of P700 million for the Atimonan project. Meralco PowerGen president and chief executive officer Rogelio Singson said the company already spent billions of pesos to ensure the immediate readiness of the power project to the construction phase once the

joint venture company. The PCC also gave the green light to the proposed joint venture of Prime Metro and San Lorenzo Ruiz Builders and Developers Group to build water facilities along Wawa River in Rodriguez, Rizal province. San Lorenzo and Prime Metro are forming a joint venture company that will build facilities to capture and divert water for municipal use from the Wawa River to provide either raw or treated water to distributors and consumers in Metro Manila and surrounding communities. San Lorenzo is the holder of a permit for 3,480 liters per second of water from Wawa River. It will contribute the water permit in exchange for an 18-percent stake in the joint venture company. Prime Metro, meanwhile, has proposed to invest in and assume an 82 percent stake in the joint venture company.

power supply agreements were approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission. “Between the two, (those are) substantial investments in the power sector,” Singson said. The first 300-MW phase of RP Energy is estimated to cost P41 billion to construction while the Atimonan coal project is estimated at around P107 billion. Meralco PowerGen, the power generation unit of Manila Electric Co., owns

Atimonan One Energy Inc., the project company of the 1,200-megawatt coal plant in Atimonan, Quezon. Meralco PowerGen, meanwhile, controls a majority stake in RP Energy. Other shareholders of RP Energy are Therma Power Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., and Taiwan Cogeneration International Corp. “Two of our projects, Atimonan One Energy Inc. and Redondo Peninsula Energy

are both shovel-ready to start construction. Beyond our apprehension regarding the price-and-period validity of our engineering, procurement and construction contracts and financing agreements, we are genuinely concerned about the power situation and the impact on the price in a supply-challenged environment, and we would like solutions to these,” Meralco president Oscar Reyes said earlier. Alena Mae S. Flores

MPCALA Holdings Inc. said it completed the submission of an unsolicited proposal to build the P23.7-billion Cavite-Tagaytay-Batangas Expressway Project. “They [DPWH] confirmed. They actually wrote us confirming that all the requirements needed for a complete unsolicited proposal submission is complete,” MPCALA president and chief executive Luigi Bautista said. “As soon as we get the original proponent status, we will go ahead and we will progress the design, make it more detailed so that when we come to the Swiss Challenge next year, which we think would be around July, we are ready for the Swiss Challenge,” he added. CTBEx is a 46-kilometer expressway that will link Cavitex and CALAx at Silang, Cavite to Tagaytay City and terminate at Nasugbu, Batangas MPCALA is also constructing the P35-billon Cavite Laguna Expressway, a four-lane, 47-kilometer closed-system toll expressway connecting Cavitex and South Luzon Expressway. The expressway will start from Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the South Luzon Expressway-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stock market advances; BDO, Ayala lead gainers THE stock market rose Tuesday in thin trading after the Christmas break, with investors looking for a catalyst before boosting their holdings. The Philippine Stock added 58.60 points, or 0.7 percent, to 8,490.91 on a value turnover of P3.6 billion. Losers edged gainers, 104 to 103, with 43 issues unchanged. BDO Unibank Inc., the biggest lender in terms of assets, gained 1.4 percent to P155.80, while conglomerate Ayala Corp. climbed 1.9 percent to P1,029. Globe Telecom Inc., the second-largest telecommunications company, fell 2.9 percent to P1,800, while JG Summit Holdings Inc. of industrialist John Gokongwei dropped 1.1 percent to P73. The rest of Asian markets edged upward Wednesday, as fears over lackluster iPhone demand eased and commodities rose. Shares in Apple—the biggest US company by market capitalization—and its Asian suppliers had slumped Tuesday after a report in Taiwan’s Economic Daily warned of weak demand for the iPhone X. But that slide was arrested, with analysts suggesting media reports of supplier order cuts were “confusing the market.” With AFP

Oil tops $60 per barrel on Libya pipeline blast O IL traded near the highest close in more than two years after an explosion at a pipeline carrying crude to Libya’s biggest export terminal curbed the Opec nation’s production.

Futures were little changed in New York after rising 2.6 percent on Tuesday and breaching $60 a barrel for the first time since June 2015. The benchmark US contract, West Texas Intermediate for February delivery, rose $1.50 to $59.97 a barrel after earlier breaching

$60 for the first time since June 2015. A pipeline run by Waha Oil Company that carries crude to Libya’s Es Sider terminal exploded Tuesday, reducing output by 70,000100,000 barrels a day. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is said to expect oil revenue to jump about 80 percent by

2023 to help the kingdom record its first budget surplus in a decade. Oil is heading for a second yearly advance as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies including Russia prolong supply curbs through the end of 2018. Prices gained this month after a separate pipe in the UK― one of the most important conduits in the world―was shut because of a crack. Partial flows have now restarted at the Forties Pipeline System’s Kinneil facil-

ity, operator Ineos Group said. “The pipeline explosion in Libya is a lot more serious as it may take a long time to restore, which can be a long-term driver of oil prices,” Kim Kwangrae, a commodities analyst at Samsung Futures Inc. in Seoul, said by phone. “The disruption is considered detrimental enough to dry up some of the global glut.” West Texas Intermediate for February delivery was at $59.69 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange,

MANILA STANDARD BUSINESS DAILY STOCKS REVIEW WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2017

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 3.34 109,000 59.2 9,370 106 673,260 3.8 172,000 155.8 1,795,870 1.99 697,000 33.25 359,400 15.6 200 31.85 830,100 1.73 126,000 99 967,620 0.96 469,000 11.8 120,600 56.25 41,130 235 2,000 100 240 88.95 1,010 55.4 166,030 254.2 164,030 1,950 15 86.6 8,950 1.25 106,000

370,120 557,798.50 71,130,816 664,120 278,904,363 1,413,590 11,953,690 3,120 26,451,185 221,350 95,313,862 444,430 1,423,052 2,334,173 469,000 24,200 89,839.50 9,245,230.50 41,560,030 29,250 776,908.50 132,500

444,852 4,220,935 75,780,456 -40,240 4,917,995 -17,031,940 10,310,616.50 20,880 5,900 -1,515,691.50 -280,999 369,722 46,298 -

40.5 12.12 0.61 1.34 16.98 0.215 115.5 4.75 15.9 189 44.55 19.8 65 62.15 1.93 5.32 10.8 11.02 14.44 11.58 7.25 5.64 1.74 16.9 62.6 26.2 10.8 18.2 2.16 246 58.55 4.08 3.09 27.8 18.1 17.96 319.2 0.205 8.13 2.19 5.95 9.26 5.81 8.26 1.54 11.96 60.5 6.6 529.5 4.98 2.22 4.04 1.92 13.18 5.35 0.134 1.18 149.8 2.89 1.89 0.74

INDUSTRIAL 41 462,500 12.5 3,536,000 0.61 2,593,000 1.38 78,000 17.88 31,800 0.215 1,210,000 116.3 1,150 4.78 3,465,000 15.92 46,400 189 50 44.9 461,200 20.8 10,300 65 10 62.2 300 1.93 39,000 5.33 20,800 10.8 43,100 11.08 4,516,400 14.44 97,800 12.1 519,500 7.29 49,500 5.68 6,314,500 1.74 3,000 16.94 733,900 62.8 11,830 27.8 308,900 10.8 77,900 18.4 125,500 2.17 2,579,000 248.8 319,450 58.55 583,760 4.09 127,000 3.1 34,000 28.3 332,300 18.48 447,300 17.96 1,636,600 322.8 114,940 0.205 10,000 8.75 6,800 2.23 4,666,000 6.12 35,000 9.3 2,470,700 6.25 357,600 8.4 140,100 1.56 214,000 13 738,100 60.75 853,630 6.65 11,400 531 21,720 5 981,000 2.9 46,000 4.1 72,000 1.97 65,000 13.2 362,900 5.35 132,100 0.134 8,370,000 1.24 110,000 153 1,565,040 2.9 36,000 1.91 6,937,000 0.76 805,000

18,928,250 43,469,006 1,598,750 105,460 557,854 260,510 142,067 16,688,270 740,940 9,460 20,670,720 209,064 650 18,664.50 75,270 112,685 468,344 50,090,158 1,412,322 6,234,042 360,741 35,878,148 5,240 12,428,062 741,895 8,318,750 843,546 2,292,368 5,652,710 79,119,640 34,179,148 520,600 105,470 9,308,590 8,246,284 29,445,048 37,067,140 2,050 56,383 10,420,250 210,976 22,994,871 2,169,319 1,168,514 333,700 9,268,532 51,817,876.50 75,740 11,527,005 4,903,760 116,610 292,130 126,500 4,796,508 707,043 1,131,130 133,890 237,105,118 104,330 13,395,320 602,330

9,008,600 -16,718,572 1,360 5,370 32,250 -1,587,590 387,508 4,480 69,480 -1,110 -10,508,740 655,576 448,444 44,456 3,295,509 -2,770,550 195,295 4,362,810 -332,176 366,164 49,680 3,519,130 -3,943,380 73,156 -19,907,920 17,715,456 -4,148,130 10,404 -8,200,422 -263,092 -3,100 -41,930 756,327 -8,590,020 1,364,460 -25,260 2,155,504 -1,350 32,826,875 -9,061,440 -

0.31 72.7 16 1 7.03 0.44 0.485 1,029 7.71 14.34 7.8 4.06 0.183 1,284 7.38 73.8 6.08 0.72 5.7 19.26 6.79 0.045 1.21 2.06 2.66 111.9 2.82 989.5 0.81 1.57 283 0.22

0.305 70.1 15.78 1 7.03 0.425 0.465 1,005 7.6 14.22 7.71 4.03 0.182 1,262 7.35 71.9 6.08 0.7 5.58 19.08 6.73 0.044 1.14 2.04 2.61 110.6 2.6 973 0.8 1.54 280 0.217

HOLDING FIRMS 0.31 50,000 72.5 371,200 16 1,562,900 1 11,000 7.03 600 0.435 5,480,000 0.485 7,500,000 1,029 95,400 7.7 13,956,500 14.34 1,823,800 7.8 1,800 4.03 5,000 0.182 200,000 1,279 84,115 7.35 124,400 73 769,150 6.08 2,100 0.72 133,000 5.62 586,300 19.2 1,465,200 6.76 11,074,300 0.045 19,100,000 1.14 307,000 2.04 868,000 2.62 15,000 111.4 80,590 2.6 137,000 989.5 189,400 0.81 250,000 1.55 1,050,000 283 3,300 0.22 150,000

15,400 26,862,640 24,811,440 11,000 4,218 2,377,600 3,581,350 97,511,710 107,356,273 26,078,896 13,986 20,250 36,520 107,435,795 915,129 55,976,423.50 12,768 94,560 3,304,263 28,130,536 74,879,721 843,100 352,340 1,774,120 39,430 8,956,783 365,230 186,674,690 202,000 1,628,290 927,624 32,970

7,104,718.50 -10,202,852 1,014,000 14,001,355 -3,346,942 3,366,708 -3,084 28,986,020 17,371,344 691,559 21,155,470 4,928,961 -6,900.00 188,172 44,558,235 7,700 -26,400

6.8 1 14.5 2.37 0.9 43.8 3.84 4.86 5.84 6 0.49 1.19 0.217 0.45 40.95 0.66 1.91 1.46 0.76 5.16 0.35 0.365 0.62 5.76 42.2 21.55

6.39 0.98 13 2.26 0.88 42.95 3.79 4.65 5.42 6 0.48 1.14 0.211 0.43 39.5 0.65 1.89 1.43 0.73 5.13 0.335 0.36 0.6 5.52 39 21.2

21,326,246 1,464,250 732,378 218,510 568,480 171,282,320 484,030 6,652,920 466,392 60,000 1,519,950 115,790 438,200 626,750 26,306,070 398,460 4,318,400 5,742,420 292,970 52,805,566 7,889,400 1,140,250 2,901,350 3,386,605 110,090 20,203,140

-7,712,536 127,700 147,900 -92,660 -6,160 84,017,690 145,300 -442,580 -144,750 177,310 4,450 8,044,925.00 -385,460 -245,530 1,513,280 11,980,800 343,450.00 -70,356 -3,778,915

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 METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PHILTRUST PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

3.4 59.7 106 3.84 153.5 1.99 33.3 15.6 32 1.79 98 0.91 11.76 57.2 234 101 88.95 55.4 254 1,950 87 1.25

3.4 59.8 106 3.9 155.9 2.08 33.3 15.6 32 1.79 99 0.96 11.8 57.8 235 101 88.95 56 254.4 1,950 87.1 1.25

3.34 58 105 3.75 153 1.99 33.2 15.6 31.8 1.73 98 0.91 11.74 56.25 234 100 88.95 55.4 251 1,950 86.6 1.25

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

40.9 12.48 0.65 1.34 17.92 0.215 130 4.94 16.1 190 44.7 19.8 65 62.15 1.93 5.63 11.1 11.1 14.44 11.68 7.25 5.69 1.76 17 62.8 26.95 10.86 18.3 2.26 247 58.55 4.26 3.1 28 18.2 18.02 319.2 0.205 8.13 2.25 6.04 9.44 6.02 8.35 1.54 12.4 60.55 6.6 534 4.99 2.22 4.05 1.93 13.3 5.39 0.136 1.2 150 2.9 1.92 0.76

41 12.5 0.65 1.38 17.92 0.219 131 4.96 16.1 190 45 20.8 65 62.25 1.93 5.66 11.1 11.1 14.58 12.1 7.3 5.7 1.76 17.04 62.9 27.9 10.86 18.4 2.26 248.8 58.55 4.26 3.15 28.3 18.88 18.24 323.2 0.205 8.79 2.26 6.12 9.44 6.3 8.4 1.57 13 61 6.65 535 5 2.91 4.1 1.97 13.32 5.44 0.138 1.24 153 2.9 1.94 0.76

ABACORE CAPITAL ABOITIZ EQUITY ALLIANCE GLOBAL ANGLO PHIL HLDG ANSCOR ATN HLDG A ATN HLDG B AYALA CORP COSCO CAPITAL DMCI HLDG FILINVEST DEV FJ PRINCE A FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT JOLLIVILLE HLDG LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP 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

0.305 72.2 15.96 1 7.03 0.425 0.465 1,010 7.7 14.3 7.71 4.06 0.183 1,262 7.37 73.8 6.08 0.71 5.58 19.2 6.73 0.044 1.15 2.06 2.66 111 2.76 984.5 0.8 1.55 282 0.22

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

6.39 0.99 14.5 2.33 0.89 43.2 3.79 4.69 5.79 6 0.49 1.16 0.217 0.45 39.9 0.66 1.9 1.43 0.74 5.13 0.345 0.365 0.61 5.57 39 21.2

VOLUME

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

ROCKWELL SHANG PROP SM PRIME HLDG STA LUCIA LAND STARMALLS SUNTRUST HOME VISTA LAND

2.12 3.13 37.25 1.02 9.4 0.87 5.93

2.13 3.2 37.45 1.02 9.4 0.87 5.99

2.02 3.13 37.05 1.02 8 0.87 5.9

2.06 3.2 37.45 1.02 8.5 0.87 5.99

2,369,000 173,000 3,491,400 70,000 14,000 1,000 1,139,500

4,904,290 541,820 130,193,625 71,400 117,245 870 6,809,303

-2,120 42,637,650 -3,160 1,450,201

2GO GROUP ABS CBN APC GROUP APOLLO GLOBAL ASIAN TERMINALS BERJAYA BLOOMBERRY BOULEVARD HLDG CEBU AIR CENTRO ESCOLAR CHELSEA DFNN INC DISCOVERY WORLD EASYCALL 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 PACIFIC ONLINE 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

20.4 34.8 0.47 0.041 11.56 4.88 10.86 0.07 98.6 8.65 9.01 6.5 2.5 17.12 1,774 5.76 18.28 13.08 4.39 2.6 106 12.9 8.35 0.142 1.41 3.07 15.24 4.1 1.2 22.05 0.54 4.28 7.29 3.82 15.22 2.89 11.1 5.23 2.83 114.1 7.7 1,487 1.29 0.35 49.7 93.95 5.6 3.17 1.65 2.88 4.06 1 8.14

20.4 34.9 0.47 0.042 11.6 4.88 10.92 0.07 100 8.99 9.01 7.12 2.6 17.5 1,850 5.77 20 13.5 4.39 2.82 106.4 12.94 8.35 0.143 1.45 3.14 15.24 4.13 1.22 22.2 0.54 4.49 7.64 3.9 15.24 2.89 11.1 5.23 2.95 117.4 7.7 1,498 1.35 0.35 51.2 96.1 5.6 3.29 1.67 2.94 4.07 1.02 8.2

19.1 34.6 0.47 0.041 11.56 4.88 10.72 0.07 97 8.65 8.8 6.5 2.42 14.12 1,774 5.75 18.02 12.12 4.1 2.6 105 12.9 8.33 0.141 1.35 3.06 15.06 4 1.19 22.05 0.54 4 7.21 3.8 15.22 2.71 11.1 5.09 2.82 114.1 7.45 1,480 1.28 0.35 49.6 93.95 5.5 3.11 1.63 2.6 4 0.97 8.1

SERVICES 19.5 34.7 0.47 0.041 11.6 4.88 10.84 0.07 98.55 8.65 8.8 7.12 2.6 15.98 1,800 5.76 20 12.24 4.17 2.8 106 12.94 8.34 0.142 1.4 3.14 15.06 4.03 1.19 22.1 0.54 4.45 7.64 3.9 15.22 2.78 11.1 5.09 2.95 115 7.46 1,480 1.35 0.35 51 95.3 5.55 3.29 1.64 2.6 4.06 0.98 8.2

112,900 153,200 80,000 31,500,000 10,200 6,400 990,100 8,680,000 393,760 8,900 1,237,900 600 85,000 288,500 31,515 105,200 76,100 10,500 5,655,000 26,000 181,290 30,600 234,100 4,220,000 1,100,000 121,000 300 553,000 173,000 882,700 181,000 3,871,000 5,281,900 503,000 700 3,657,000 1,800 18,500 22,000 21,170 1,022,300 39,205 2,066,000 110,000 585,000 419,840 94,300 1,040,000 8,749,000 3,692,000 737,000 3,870,000 1,545,600

2,216,116 5,325,025 37,600 1,301,000 118,312 31,232 10,753,562 607,600 38,958,382.50 77,109 10,984,473 4,210 212,050 4,564,604 56,743,455 605,910 1,475,710 133,278 23,835,050 71,820 19,210,321 395,252 1,954,062 598,620 1,508,810 371,380 4,554 2,250,220 206,940 19,508,830 97,740 16,745,070 39,158,377 1,945,320 10,660 10,158,630 19,980 94,881 62,270 2,424,964 7,678,722 58,180,620 2,766,350 38,500 29,486,635 39,986,352.50 523,210 3,362,040 14,369,350 9,938,560 2,979,890 3,821,380 12,642,791

116,000 5,621,650 1,536,853.50 2,061,412 -32,266,865 729,800 -2,426,987 42,600.00 118,800 444,090.00 -3,660 33,136,629 -181,970 47,460 -47,595 -531,814 13,610,925 -245,890 5,546,770 -8,401,796 5,500 335,660 -1,883,240 585,140 -551,390.00 -230 1,218,582.00

1,641,200 17,808,280 539,350 33,120 29,900 905,090 79,750 104,880 1,426,280 427,850 622,710 949,600 587,690 3,623,589 87,020 127,880 1,200 1,300 29,700 6,020 3,219,309 7,382,593 47,348,620

-464,200 -23,560 24,000 26,000 -5,220 1,013,438 -683,257 560,557 -6,518,530

MS

PROPERTY 6.79 1 13.66 2.35 0.89 43.8 3.83 4.86 5.42 6 0.48 1.14 0.212 0.43 40.5 0.65 1.9 1.43 0.75 5.15 0.34 0.36 0.61 5.66 39.45 21.45

3,204,800 1,481,000 54,000 95,000 640,000 3,929,400 127,000 1,400,000 84,500 10,000 3,130,000 101,000 2,060,000 1,420,000 650,000 613,000 2,278,000 3,980,000 398,000 10,255,100 23,160,000 3,150,000 4,738,000 600,600 2,700 943,300

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

0.0022 1.51 4.72 1.72 1.8 1.56 0.315 7.32 2.62 0.152 0.153 0.0094 1.71 6.22 1.58 0.92 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.01 5.6 7.77 36.8

0.0022 1.6 4.78 1.76 1.8 1.6 0.325 7.32 2.62 0.154 0.153 0.0094 1.76 6.36 1.58 0.92 0.012 0.013 0.012 2.01 5.73 7.9 37

0.0022 1.51 4.7 1.72 1.75 1.56 0.315 7.07 2.6 0.152 0.153 0.009 1.7 6.18 1.45 0.92 0.012 0.013 0.011 2 5.55 7.75 36.6

MINING & OIL 0.0022 746,000,000 1.56 11,423,000 4.76 114,000 1.75 19,000 1.75 17,000 1.6 571,000 0.325 250,000 7.3 14,500 2.6 548,000 0.152 2,810,000 0.153 4,070,000 0.0092 104,000,000 1.76 337,000 6.34 572,100 1.57 59,000 0.92 139,000 0.012 100,000 0.013 100,000 0.011 2,600,000 2 3,000 5.55 573,200 7.78 946,000 36.9 1,288,000

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF B DD PREF FPH PREF C GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2A PF PREF 2 PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 3B SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

34.5 528 528.5 108 106 510 5.43 1,025 1,035 102 1.04 109.6 1,049 1,004 103.7 108.8 81 75.5 79.35 77.55

34.5 528 528.5 108 106.8 510 5.43 1,026 1,035 102 1.06 109.6 1,049 1,004 103.7 108.8 81 75.5 79.35 77.55

34.1 528 528.5 108 105 507 5.43 1,025 1,028 102 1.04 109.6 1,049 1,004 103.7 108.8 80 75.5 78.4 77.25

PREFERRED 34.1 130,000 528 20,000 528.5 10,000 108 1,000 106.8 10,390 507 580 5.43 100 1,026 3,660 1,028 1,285 102 5,300 1.06 19,000 109.6 90 1,049 2,000 1,004 50 103.7 250 108.8 600 81 17,520 75.5 8,000 78.4 40,670 77.25 6,550

4,458,710 10,560,000 5,285,000 108,000 1,101,295 294,660 543 3,753,330 1,321,085 540,600 19,960 9,864 2,098,000 50,200 25,925 65,280 1,411,620 604,000 3,189,164.50 507,447.50

-718,350 53,000 -2,098,000 38,700

LR WARRANT

2.44

2.5

2.43

WARRANTS 2.5 211,000

521,180

-

SME 11.66 3.9 5.6

108,240,227 211,230 24,780,998

710,739 2,964,447

1,179,338

-51,060

114,832

-

ITALPINAS PHILAB HLDG XURPAS

8.24 3.8 5.73

11.66 3.97 5.73

8.24 3.75 5.35

FIRST METRO ETF

127

128.8

127

USD DMPL A1

10.4

10.4

10.1

TRADING SUMMARY FINANCIAL

SHARES

10,168,181

INDUSTRIAL

59,967,898

HOLDING FIRMS

67,557,258

PROPERTY

94,065,952

SERVICES

101,503,969

MINING & OIL

877,659,167

GRAND TOTAL

1,226,328,117

10,859,000 55,000 4,482,300

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 128.8 9,190

10.1

DDS

11,330

VALUE 2,174.59 (up) 15.64 694,776,546.72 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 11,189.06 (up) 62.70 808,152,194.66 HOLDING FIRMS 8,620.46 (up) 32.32 787,916,095.98 PROPERTY 3,950.50 (up) 46.44 SERVICES 1,613.82 (up) 9.51 565,980,403.345 MINING & OIL 11,385.27 (up) 10.31 518,697,990.45 PSEI 8,490.91 (up) 58.60 87,009,024.52 All Shares Index 4,941.51 (up) 20.10 3,596,945,025.68 Gainers: 103; Losers: 104; Unchanged: 43; Total: 250

down 28 cents, at 3:58 p.m. in Seoul. Total volume traded was about 49 percent below the 100-day average. Futures rose to as high as $60.01 a barrel in the previous session. At the settlement on Tuesday, they gained $1.50 to $59.97. Brent for February settlement lost 35 cents to $66.67 a barrel on the Londonbased ICE Futures Europe exchange. Prices climbed $1.77, or 2.7 percent, to $67.02 a barrel Tuesday, the highest close since May 2015. The global benchmark crude traded at a premium of $6.97 to WTI. Output in Libya, where oil fields have endured sporadic shutdowns and disruptions due to protests, power blackouts and fighting, rose to about 1 million barrels a day this year, the highest level in four years. Any drop in production due to the blast that occurred 130 kilometers (81 miles) south of Sidra will ease pressure on OPEC-led efforts to drain a glut. Under a six-year program to balance the budget, officials predict rising prices and expanded output will push Saudi Arabia’s income from oil sales to 801.4 billion riyals ($214 billion) from 440 billion riyals this year, said people with knowledge of the matter. US crude production is set to surpass 10.5 million barrels a day by the end of next year because of the growth in the Permian “super” Basin, Reed Olmstead, director for energy research and analysis at IHS Markit, said in a note. Bloomberg, with AFP

Hospital operator settles case with SEC

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE Securities and Exchange Commission accepted the P3.45-million settlement offer of Health Global International Inc., a company that operates Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center. The regulator in a notice posted on the SEC website said the acceptance involved a case involving Health Global The SEC did not disclose the case involving HGI, although regulator has been going after hospitals and medical centers offering unregistered securities to the public. “Thus, the case is now deemed without any determination of fault or guilt on the part of Health Global International Inc., a company doing business under the name and style of Commonwealth Hospital and Medical Center,” the SEC said. Health Global is operating a 99-bed tertiary hospital in a 2.86-square-meter property in Quezon City. The SEC in 2013 issued guidelines for the public to consider in buying shares or club membership. The regulator in September required the submission of registration statements for hospitals planning to sell securities to the public. The SEC issued the order following reports that several individuals or groups of persons had been offering or “pre-selling” shares of hospitals still under construction. The stocks that these hospital sell offer the buyers certain benefits such as waiver or discounted operating room fees, free or discounted private room, ward and ICU (intensive care unit) accommodations, discounts on use of ICU equipment, medicines, medical supplies and other merchandise, and discounts on hospital services as well as out-patient and in-patient case rates.

extrastory2000@gmail.com

Business/World

Manila

Standard

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

TODAY

B3

Grandmother escapes death in drugs case

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY. This photo taken on December 26, 2017 shows, a resident walking past bouquets of flowers left by visitors at the base of a statue of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong in Shenyang in China’s northeastern Liaoning province. December 26 marked the 124th anniversary of the birth of Communist China’s founding father Mao Zedong. AFP

US sanctions two N. Korean officials

W

ASHINGTON―The United States sanctioned two North Korean officials on Tuesday over the development of ballistic missiles, as Russia and America’s top diplomats held talks on Pyongyang’s nuclear program. Tensions have escalated after the isolated but nuclear-armed regime staged a series of atomic and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, most recently on November 28. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un have also traded personal insults. “Treasury is targeting leaders of North Korea’s ballistic missile programs, as part of our

maximum pressure campaign to isolate the DPRK and achieve a fully denuclearized Korean Peninsula,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement, referring to North Korea by the abbreviation of its formal name. The two officials were listed last Friday in a new United Nations Security Council resolution sanctioning North Korea, it said. “Kim Jong-Sik reportedly is a

key figure in North Korea’s ballistic missile development, including efforts to switch from liquid to solid fuel, and Ri Pyong-Chol is reported to be a key official involved in North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile development,” the Treasury statement said. Solid-fuel missiles can be fired on shorter notice, as they do not have to be filled with liquid fuel prior to launch. “As a result of today’s actions, any property or interests in property of those designated by OFAC within US jurisdiction are blocked, and transactions by US persons involving the designated person are generally prohibited,” Treasury said, referring to its Office of Foreign Assets Control. AFP

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia―An Australian grandmother who said she was tricked into smuggling drugs into Malaysia after falling for an online romance scam was Wednesday cleared of trafficking, a crime punishable by death. Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto was arrested in December 2014 at Kuala Lumpur airport with 1.1 kilos of crystal methamphetamine stitched into the compartment of a backpack she was carrying. The 54-year-old said she did not know about the hidden stash of “ice”. She said she had been fooled into carrying the bag after traveling to China to see someone she met online called “Captain Daniel Smith”, who had claimed to be a US serviceman. Anyone caught with at least 50 grams (1.75 ounces) of crystal meth is considered a trafficker in Muslim-majority Malaysia, and is subject to the death penalty. Malaysian lawmakers voted last year to amend legislation so that capital punishment, carried out by hanging, is no longer mandatory in drug-trafficking cases―but the changes have not yet come into force. However, handing down his verdict at the High Court in Shah Alam, outside Kuala Lumpur, Judge Ghazali Cha accepted the defense’s argument that Exposto did not know the bag contained drugs and found her not guilty. “I agree with the defense lawyer that the accused did not have knowledge about the drugs,” he said, adding she was innocent. The judge indicated Exposto would be deported from Malaysia. After engaging in a long online romance, Exposto had traveled to Shanghai to see “Smith”. But she did not succeed in meeting her supposed love interest while there and ended up being given a bag by a stranger, who asked her to take it to Melbourne. AFP

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just below me,” the 22-year-old said. “One of them dug horizontally and hit a water well. We were flooded. I hung on my rope and managed to get back up. They weren’t so lucky.” Living in a modest, unfinished house, Abderrazak works to support his wife and daughter, his six brothers and his 80-year-old father―himself a former miner. “There is no alternative, no work. That’s why I risk my life,” Abderrazak said. Earning as little as 100 dirhams

($11, nine euros) per day, he has worked in the mines for over three years. He says he drinks “lots of milk” in a bid to counter the effects of the coal dust he inhales. The deaths of the two brothers, aged 23 and 30, sparked a wave of protests as residents accused the authorities of leaving them to their fate. Thousands of people protested Tuesday against economic marginalization, accusing authorities of “abandoning” them. “The people want an economic

(MS-DEC. 21,28 & JAN. 4, 2018)

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR CONFIRMATION AND APPROVAL OF OVER / UNDER-RECOVERIES FOR THE YEARS 2014 TO 2016 PURSUANT TO ERC RESOLUTION NO. 16, SERIES OF 2009, AS AMENDED BY ERC RESOLUTION NO. 21, SERIES OF 2010, AND ERC RESOLUTION NO. 23, SERIES OF 2010, SAN FERNANDO ELECTRIC LIGHT POWER COMPANY, INC. (SFELAPCO),

in October. Because it is the world’s only superpower, US policy toward East Asia – especially changes in that policy – have a broad and deep impact on the development of the economies of East Asia and the Western Pacific. The most important changes in America’s policy toward this part of the world were its withdrawal from the UN-sponsored, 192-nation climate change treaty, its tough-today-soft-tomorrow China Sea and its departure from the Trans-Pacific counterpoise to China’s economic moves in the East Asia/ Western Pacific area. Realistic observers of the Norway-brokered peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic-Front-New People’s Army had long believed that the two sides were so far apart on certain issues that the negotiations had little prospect of success. Their collective assessment was proven accurate in November, when President Duterte, who has styled himself a socialist, decided to put an end to the Oslo talks. The Philippine mining industry and Mr. Duterte’s choice for Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Regina Lopez, hogged the headlines and the evening newscasts for many months. Given her declaration that there was no such thing as responsible mining, Ms. Lopez clearly had to go. The Commission on Appointments gave the lady her walking papers by refusing to confirm her appointment. The issue of whether to allow open-pit mining remains an open, contentious issue. December saw the Congressional approval and Presidential signing of the first package of TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) tax changes. TRAIN’s critics have doubts about TRAIN’s economic logic, considering that what the program gives out with one hand (freeing receivers of annual incomes ranging up to P250,000 from the need to file income tax returns) it takes back with the other hand (increases in excise taxes on petroleum products, coal, sugar-sweetened beverages, etc.). The critics likewise question the wisdom of foregoing so much reserve in

ERC CASE NO. 2017 -037 CF

AND

Applicant. x---------------- --- --------- --------x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

Notice is hereby given that on 30 March 2017, San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company (SFELAPCO) filed an Application dated 28 March 2017 (Application) for the confirmation and approval of its over/under-recoveries for the years 2014 to 2016. In its Application, SFELAPCO alleged the following: 1.

SFELAPCO is a private corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal office at Limjoco Street, Barangay Lourdes, Teopaco, City of San Fernando, Pampanga. It is the grantee of legislative franchise under Republic Act No. 9967 to construct, operate and maintain a distribution system for the conveyance of electric power to end-users in the City of San Fernando, the Municipality of Floridablanca and Barangays Talang and Ligaya in the Municipality of Guagua, all in the Province of Pampanga. It may be served with the orders, notices and processes of the Honorable Commission through undersigned counsel at the address indicated below.

2.

On July 13, 2009, the Honorable Commission promulgated Resolution No. 16, series of 2009, entitled “A Resolution Adopting The Rules Governing The Automatic Cost Adjustment And True Up Mechanisms And Corresponding Confirmation Process For Distribution Utilities” (the “TrueUp Guidelines”). 2.1. The True-Up Guidelines provided the formulas for the determination of the Generation, Transmission, System Loss, Lifeline Subsidy, and Franchise and Business Taxes Rates.1 2.2. It likewise provided for the calculation of over- and under-recoveries on the said rates due to the variance in the allowable cost and the revenues billed using the applicable formula.2

3.

On October 18, 2010, the Honorable Commission promulgated ERC Resolution No. 21, Series of 2010, 3 wherein the Honorable Commission amended the formula for the calculation of over- and under-recovery for System Loss and updated the timelines set in Article 5 of the True-Up Guidelines.

4.

On December 15, 2010, the Honorable Commission promulgated ERC Resolution No. 23, Series of 2010.4 4.1. Said Resolution provided the formulas for the calculation of the senior citizen discount rates,5 the calculation of the subsidy rate to be charged to subsidizing end-users,6 and the over- and underrecovery in the implementation of the senior citizen discount and subsidy rates.7 4.2. The said Resolution also provides that the ERC shall verify the overand under-recovery in the senior citizen discount and subsidy rates once every three (3) years to coincide with the time frames set forth under Article 5 of the True-up Guidelines.8

5.

alternative,” demonstrators chanted, carrying Moroccan flags on their shoulders and insisting that their protests were peaceful. “How is it that young people who have done their studies end up in the pits of death to face the same fate as their parents?” asked Said, an unemployed graduate from the city. The mine was the economic lifeblood of Jerada, employing some 9,000 workers, until it was shut down in the late 1990s by authorities who argued it was too expensive to run. AFP

The instant Application is being filed pursuant to the above Resolutions. Based on the formulas on the various automatic cost adjustments and true-up mechanisms, SFELAPCO incurred over- and under-recoveries for the period from January 2014 until December 2016, summarized as follows:

Generation

2014

2015

2016

(Over) /Under Recoveries

36,888,353.34

(20,790,258.12)

(1,926,900.34)

14,171,194.88

Transmission

5,002,848.26

(840,793.42)

(5,503,989.09)

(1,341,934.24)

System Loss

(6,637,808,66)

(12,453,350.55)

(1,779,875.42)

(20,871,034.63)

1,264,798.06

(768,797.9)

1,110,116.96

1,606,117.11

(114.34)

8,662.47

438.63

8,986.76

36,518,076.66

(34,844,537.53)

(8,100,209.26)

(6,426,670.13)

Lifeline Senior Citizen Total (Over) /Under Recovery 6.

Based on the foregoing, SFELAPCO has incurred a net over-recovery in the amount of PhP6,426,670.13 for the billing periods from January 2014 to December 2016.

7.

In support of the foregoing are the following documents covering the period January 2014 to December 2016, attached as Annexes of the instant Application, to wit: Annex A: Summary of the breakdown of over and under-recoveries from January 2014 to December 2016; Annex B: Computation of Generation Rates, Transmission Rates; System Loss Rates, Lifeline Subsidy Rates and Senior Citizen Subsidy Rates; Annex C: Computation of Over/Under Recoveries; Annex D: URR - Supplier and Transmission Data; Annex E: URR - Statistical Data; Annex F: URR - Actual Implemented Rate; Annex G: ERC form DU-M01/M02; Annex H: Power Bills; Official Receipts and Debit/Credit Memos; Annex I: Sample Consumer Bills per Customer Class;

The most important business stories of 2017 Once again it is that time of year when a business columnist looks back at the nearlyending year to recall the domestic and foreign events, personalities and issues that had the greatest impact on the economy of this country. The following is my selection of the most impactful events, personalities and issues of 2017, arranged as closely as possible as the order of their importance. In my view, the 2017 issue with the greatest significance for the future political and economic stability of this country was the unrestrained militaristic expansion of the Peoples Republic of China in the body of water that has long been an issue as the South China Sea. In furtherance of his personal antipathy toward the Philippines’ No. 1 diplomatic and economic partner – the US – President Rodrigo Duterte has declared and displayed unwillingness to take any steps to enforce the Philippines’ hard-won arbitration victory in the case it filed against China’s socalled nine-dash line at the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). This, despite satellite evidence clearly showing Chinese militarization of islands covered by the PCA ruling. In the face of warnings that in international law contained inaction on rightful claims can give rise to misinterpretation, Mr. Duterte, a lawyer, has maintained his we-don’t-want-awar-with-China stance. Realistic observers of the South China Sea/ West Philippine Sea are agreed that the Philippines is likely to rue the Duterte administration’s continuing inaction. For the first time in 43 years the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) found itself fully engaged in a domestic military campaign. In May hostilities broke out between the AFP – particularly the Army and the Air Force – against the Maute rebels joining with Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) elements to try and establish an Islamic State enclave in predominantly Muslim Marawi City. Precious resources intended for the development of Mindanao will have to be diverted to the rebuilding of Marawi, which one expert has estimated could take 50 years. President Duterte declared the Marawi campaign over

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT THE ESTATE OF THE LATE EDILBERTO M. BAUTISTA HAS BEEN E X T R A J U D I C I A L LY SETTLED WITH TRANSFER OF RIGHTS AMONG HIS HEIRS AS PER DOC. NO. 139, PAGE NO. 28; BOOK NO. XXIX; SERIES OF 2017 BEFORE ATTY. HERCULES P. GUZMAN, NOTARY PUBLIC PTR#3804147; 01-042017.

Advertising Department 832-5547

Hundreds risk their lives in Morocco’s ‘mines of death’ JERADA, Morocco―They call them “the mines of death”. In the neglected northern Moroccan mining city of Jerada, hundreds of people risk their lives every day to scrape a meager living from perilous abandoned coal pits. Last week, two brothers died in a tunnel accident, 85 meters below ground, sparking days of mass protests in the impoverished city. Abderrazak Daioui, who was with the brothers, narrowly escaped the same fate. “Houcine and Jedouane were

EXTRA JUDICIAL SETTLEMENT

PRAYER

an environment of projected heavy “Build, Build, Build” government spending. Towards the end of 2017 the peso hit its lowest level against the US dollar in 11 years. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) appreciates that a 51.80 rate works wonders for OFW (overseas Filipino worker) remittances, but it is also well aware of the unfavorable effect of a depreciating peso on the cost of imports of fuel and other essentials. The recent rise in US interest rates has been blamed for the peso’s poor market performance, but note has been taken of the better performances of most other regional currencies. 2017 has been a very good year for the stock market, with the Philippine Stock exchange composite index (Phisix) briefly touching 8,500 towards the end of the year. Considering that after almost eighteen months in office the Duterte administration has posted no major economic achievement, the stock market clearly has been operating in total disregard of Mr. Duterte’s controversial policies. What the monetary authorities’ anti-electronic-fraud experts had hoped would never happen in 2017. Failure of the electronic monitoring system of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), the nation’s fifth largest commercial bank, allowed Bangladesh Bank funds totaling $81 billion to enter RCBC and exit into casinos and other destinations not regulated by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). Only a small part of the Bangladesh Bank funds has been recovered. The bank is planning lawsuits. A review of the economically important events, personalities and issues of 2017 would not be complete without mention of the seemingly unending woes of MRT-2, one of Metro Manila’s three light railway lines. If ever there was a case of gross corporate mismanagement, this was it. E-mail: romero.business.class@gmail.com

WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed that the Honorable Commission, after due notice, hearing and examination, confirm and approve Applicant’s over- and underrecoveries for the January 2014 to December 2016 billing periods and authorize SFELAPCO to refund the amount of PhP6,426,670.13 as net over-recovery. Other reliefs just and equitable under the premises are likewise prayed for. The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 11 January 2018 (Thursday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at the ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City. All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the instant case may become a party by filing with the Commission a verified Petition to Intervene at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure, indicating therein the docket number and title of the case and stating the following: i.

The petitioner’s name and address;

ii.

The nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and

lll.

A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rest its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1)

The name and address of such person;

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3)

The grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from Applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. Applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours. WITNESS, the Honorable Chairperson and CEO, AGNES VST DEVANADERA, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAPTARUC, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 8th day of December 2017 in Pasig City. FOR AND BY AUTHORITY OF THE COMMISSION:

JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT Oversight Commissioner for Legal 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Article 2 of ERC Resolution No 16, Series of 2009. Article 4, Ibid. Entitled “A Resolution Amending Section 4 of Article 4 and Section 1 of Article 5 of the Rules Governing the Automatic Cost Adjustment and True-Up Mechanisms and Corresponding Confirmation Process for Distribution Utilities”. Entitled “A Resolution Adopting the Rules Implementing the Discounts to Qualified Senior Citizen End-Users and Subsidy from the Subsidizing End-users on Electricity Consumption under Sections 4 and 5 of Republic Act No. 9994”. Article 4 of ERC Resolution No. 23. Series of 2010. Article 5. Ibid. Article 7. Id. (MS-DEC. 28, 2017 Section 3, Article 7, Id.

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Munti reminds residents of firecracker ban

Jimbo Owen Gulle, Editor lgu@manilastandard.net editor.lgustandard@gmail.com

B4

THe city government of Muntinlupa has urged its residents to avoid firecrackers and use alternative noisemakers as the firecracker ban is still in effect in the city. Muntinlupa has implemented a total ban on the manufacture, sale, and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices for the holiday season, especially on New Year celebration, through City Ordinance 14-092. Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said a special task force composed of members from Bureau of Fire Protection, Muntinlupa City Police Station, Business Permits and Licensing Office, Public Order and Safety Office, and barangay officers has been organized to conduct inspections and apprehend violators. Navarro noted that Muntinlupa Police have installed checkpoints in the city’s entry points (San Pedro—Tunasan boundary and Alabang) starting Dec. 27 to ensure no firecrackers will be sold or used in the city. The Ospital ng Muntinlupa and other local hospitals are already prepared for any firecracker-related injuries or casualties, she added. Penalties for violation of the firecrackers-ban ordinance are a fine of P1,000 or imprisonment of not more than one month on the first offense, a fine of P3,000 or imprisonment of not more than six months on the second offense, and a fine of P5,000 or imprisonment of not more than six months for the third offense.

thursday, december 28, 2017

LGUs LocaL government units

PEACEFUL PASTURE. Migratory birds share a pasture with horses beside a rice field in Cabuyao, Laguna on Wednesday. Ey Acasio

DA gives tractors for rehab of Marawi By Nash B. Maulana MARAWI CITY―The Department of Agriculture has turned over tractors to the Department of National Defense for Philippine Army soldiers to use to augment efforts in agricultural rehabilitation programs for Marawi and Lanao del Sur province. Agriculture Secretary emmanuel Piñol said seeds and other farm inputs will also be delivered to the first group of Army Agricultural engineers formed on a directive by President Rodrigo Duterte to help displaced families get back on track of the agricultural life in conflictaffected areas. In a statement, Piñol said in a recent visit to victims of tropical Typhoon “Urduja” in Biliran, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered him and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to form AAe Companies “to assist in the in the rehabilitation and recovery efforts in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur.” Piñol said DA will provide more units of agricultural equipment and machineries to the AAe “to enable them to serve the farmers in other parts of the province.” “Under the scheme which I and Secretary Lorenza agreed upon following the Presidential Directive, the DND through the Armed Forces of the Philippines will select soldiers [assigned in the area] who know how to operate farm equipment such as tractors, planters, harvesters and threshers,” Piñol said.

Las Piñas bans ‘crackers

L

AS PIñAS City Mayor Imelda Aguilar on Wednesday warned that any person found to have exploded or discharged any firecracker or explosive, or used any pyrotechnic device at anytime, anywhere within the city shall be dealt with according to law. Aguilar issued the warning following the passage of an ordinance prohibiting the manufacture, display, sale, distribution, possession or use of firecrackers, pyrotechnic devices and such other similar devices and exploding of firecrackers or other similar

explosives within the territory of Las Piñas City. The ordinance, however, did not totally prohibit the use of pyrotechnics, provided it is for a “community fireworks display” in a designated area for the benefit of the residents.

The community fireworks display may only be done during special occasions such as New Year, Christmas, fiestas and the city’s foundation anniversary, Aguilar said. The mayor explained the community fireworks display may be jointly or separately implemented by the city and/or barangays or owners of malls or similar establishments, with prior approval from the city’s Bureau of Fire Protection. With the passage of the or-

dinance and in observance of the holidays, Aguilar ordered the Barangay, City Health Office, Police Department and Bureau of Fire Prevention to intensify its information campaign on the danger to life, limb, property and environment of the use of firecrackers, fireworks and other pyrotechnic devices. “This is also to protect and ensure the safety of the children,” she said. Aguilar likewise directed the Business Permits and Licensing Office to inspect

business establishments and confiscate all firecrackers and pyrotechnics being displayed, sold and distributed within the city. To enforce strict compliance of the city ordinance, the mayor asked barangay officials to regularly patrol their areas to look out for possible violators. Meanwhile, Calabarzon Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Ma. O Aplasca ordered the provincial police directors of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon

Vizcaya farmers get seeds and tools

TEMPORARILY CLOSED. The Malabon Bridge along Governor’s Drive in Manggahan, General Trias City, Cavite will be closed to traffic on Dec. 29 starting 11 p.m. to noon of Dec. 30, to give way to bridge-widening work, according to the provincial Department of Public Works and Highways office. Motorists are advised to take alternate routes.

QC council passes ordinance for cash aid to Payatas families By Rio N. Araja THe 36-member Quezon City council has passed a resolution urging Mayor Herbert Bautista to extend financial aid to families displaced by the closure of the Payatas dumpsite. City Resolution 7268-

to monitoring their areas for firecrackers and indiscriminate firing of guns and other weapons for the coming New Year parties. Aplasca expressed his gratitude to the public and commended the men and women of the regional police for a peaceful and joyful celebration of Christmas. Since Dec. 16, Police Regional Office 4-A deployed 1,516 policemen for security in places of convergence such as bus terminals, churches, and ports. With Roy Tomandao

2017 complies with the policy of Quezon City to provide social protection to vulnerable sectors, particularly workers in the informal economy that include waste recyclers, segregators, and pickers, as identified by City Ordinance SP2512-2016 or the Quezon

City Informal economy Ordinance. “The need to address the loss of means of livelihood of those 2,000 garbage collectors is an urgent matter to which the city council should act upon,” the resolution read. The city government

shall get the fund from the appropriation for grants, aids and subsidies under the Office of the City Mayor in the 2017 annual budget, or from any available sources for the aid of displaced families, as the ordinance prescribes. On Aug. 2, the closure of

the Payatas landfill was ordered by the Department of environment and Natural Resources’ environmental Management Bureau-National Capital Region due to numerous environmental violations and susceptibility to trash slides, which could claim lives.

NV prof gains presidential award By Ben Moses Ebreo

‘MABUHAY’ AWARD. Redondo Peninsula Energy CSR Officer Jason Gavina (second from left) holds the Mabuhay Award plaque awarded by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority in recognition and appreciation of the firm’s CSR programs and initiatives. Also in photo (from left) are SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator Stef Sano, Business and Investments Department Manager Kenneth Rementilla, RP Energy Admin Officer Aiko Mito, and CSR Staff Judy Espiritu. Butch Gunio

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—A state university professor here recently received a Presidential Award for his innovative project. Professor Adornado Vergara of the Nueva Vizcaya State University received the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award from President Rodrigo Duterte.

The award was given during the recent Gawad Career executive Service and the 2017 Outstanding Government Workers Conferment Ceremony held at Malacañang. Vergara developed a locally-available nomograph for sizing a centrifugal pump as a turbine for generating electric power, an alternate to the more expensive imported micro-hydro turbine that

rural communities in the province could not afford. The professor, who hails from barangay Bakir in Bagabag town, also made a biogas technology that enables livestock raisers to transform organic wastes into fertilizer, a generator for electric power, and a pump for irrigation, which are compliant with the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The provincial government has provided free seeds, training and fingerlings to various farmers this year to raise agricultural production in the province. Absalon Rizal Baysa, PLGU’s senior aquaculturist, said they have distributed 1,159 bags of certified rice seeds, 50 bags of registered seeds, 2,699 packs of hybrid seeds, 992 bags of hybrid corn seeds, 1,192 bags of fertilizers, 200 bags of openpollinated varieties, and 1,220 cans of assorted vegetable seeds this year under their Agri-inputs Support Services Program. Baysa also said they have produced and given 1.2 million tilapia fingerlings and distributed 2,700 fliers and techno-guides. Trainings to empower farmers were also provided such as 6 capability building for members of the Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Councils, 4H clubs, Rural Improvement Clubs, and seed-grower associations in the province. “We have also conducted consultative meetings for two organic practitioners/stakeholders to guide farmers in improving their production,” Baysa added. Technology-demonstrations and hands-on training were also provided such as varietal trial for rice, calendar planting for corn and Gulayan sa Maisan to maximize agricultural production, he added.

Life

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

shopping

thuRsday, decemBeR 28, 2017

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SHOP AND DRIVE. Holiday shoppers at

Shangri-La Plaza Mall have a chance to drive off with a brand new Mini Cooper through the mall’s The Great Shang Giveaway.

Y

OUr holiday shopping is about to get more rewarding as ShangriLa Plaza brings you The Great Shang Giveaway. Get ready to drive off with the ride of your dreams, because you just might be the owner of a brand new Mini.

Powered by none other than automobile powerhouse BMW, the Mini is best known for being an icon of the 60s. Through the years, MiNi cars continue to carry their signature stylish look and charm while offering drivers and passengers state-of-the-art technology that make for a smoother and speedier drive. You could soon be behind the wheel of your very own Mini as the Shang chooses one lucky winner each of a

Holiday shopping and the ride of your dreams 2017 Mini Cooper 5-door Hatch 2017 Mini Cooper 3-door Hatch, and a 2017 Mini One 3-door Hatch. Every P2,500 cash or charge single official receipt or tape receipt purchase from any shop at Shangri-La Plaza en-

titles mall guests to one raffle coupon. You may validate your receipt from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on any day of the week at the Concierge Counter, Level 1 of the East Wing, and redeem your raffle coupons until 9 p.m. on April 2, 2018 and

drop off your entries until 4 p.m. the next day. You wouldn’t want to miss the chance to win one of these amazing cars, so get started on your holiday shopping at the metro’s premier lifestyle destination to

get your shot at taking home a brandnew ride. For inquiries, call 370-2597/98 or visit www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial. Follow the Shang on Instagram: @shangrilaplazaofficial.

One Mall in Valenzuela

Diesel On Full Guard is powered by Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch platform

Touchscreen smartwatches from Diesel

DiESEL shakes the watch world once again with the introduction of its brand new line of touchscreen smartwatches – Diesel On Full Guard. Diesel first introduced hybrid smartwatches in Fall 2016 and is now expanding its connected lineup to include bold, moto-inspired full-screen smartwatches for its dedicated customer base. Diesel On Full Guard combines the alternative spirit of the brand with world-class technology to create a oneof-a-kind touchscreen smartwatch that screams to the world that fading into the crowd is not an option. Diesel On Full Guard stands out from the competition with seven bold, customizable dial options, each of which can be modified in infinite ways. Additionally, unique dial effects add even more personality to this watch, with visual enhancements like the appearance of a cracked screen when a private notification is received and unique weather filters that change with the climate. Diesel On Full Guard is powered by the brand new Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch platform, which is compatible with both iPhone and Android phones and connects via Bluetooth technology. Android Wear 2.0 expands the Diesel On smartwatch experience through customizable dials, user-friendly noti-

fications and messaging, downloadable third-party apps, and help from your Google Assistant. Diesel On offers the following features: Download apps quickly through the on-watch Google Play Store. Activate Google Assistant by simply holding the power button or saying “Ok Google” to ask about weather, directions, and more. Customize watch faces, color combinations, and information regardless of whether you have iOS or Android phone. Enjoy the Google Fit workout experience: track runs, bike rides, strength training (for example, pull-ups and push-ups), and more. Measure calories, pace, distance, and additional exercises based on settings. Stay motivated while working out by streaming music right from the watch when you are connected to phone or WiFi. Finally, customize straps with eight available options, including leather, silicone, denim, and canvas with novelty stitching and hardware details. In the Philippines, Diesel is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., and is located at Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 3, and Power Plant Mall.

ArE you looking for a new place to enjoy with your loved ones? Head straight to One Mall Valenzuela, a newly opened commercial center in Valenzuela City where you can enjoy the overall experience of recreational shopping. A contemporary urban park with a stacked terrace structure and open plazas, One Mall Valenzuela is your onestop spot to shop, dine, and unwind, thanks to its retail mix of establishments that include Savemore, robinson’s Handyman, robinson’s Appliances, Daiso, Jollibee, Chowking, E-Home, Security Bank, Penshoppe, Paris Salon & Spa, Gilligan’s, Kremistry, Tom’s World and The Sky Theater, the first and only premiere theater in Barangay Gen. T. De Leon in Valenzuela City. Sky Theater opened on Christmas day and features an all-Filipino movie streak in support of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Until Dec. 31, One Mall Valenzuela will house three MMFF entries – Haunted Forest, All of You, and Grandarrapiddo: The Revenger Squad. What better way to enjoy watching these great movies than in cinemas that offer not just great quality screening but also luxurious comfort. One Mall’s Sky Theater features three cinemas, each equipped with Dolby-digital surround system, which produce less noise and crispier background music and sound effects. Compared to bigger cinemas, Sky Theater cinemas offer a relatively more intimate and personal viewing experience with its 118-seating capacity. While waiting for your booked screenings, hang out with your loved ones at the roof-deck garden, where the little ones can run around and play safely, and grown-ups can enjoy discussions about the Filipino films they are about to see.

One Mall is a contemporary urban park with a stacked terrace structure and open plazas

The Sky Theater opened its doors to the public barely a month ago. Be among the first to enjoy the quality, comfort, and luxury it offers and book your screenings now. One Mall Valenzuela aims to bring closer to the community of Valenzuela the overall experience in recreational

shopping, inspired by its mission to provide value-added shopping experience and be responsive to the changing needs of its customers and the community. For inquiries, call 0917-5171646, 0917651-7404, 0918-9039151, or 0918-9039154.

One Mall Valenzuela is a one-stop spot to shop, dine, and unwind thanks to its retail mix of establishments

Life

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thursday, december 28, 2017 isahred@gmail.com

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What to shop at Stradivarius he independent and free-spirited girl is the Stradivarious inspiration with sporty influences, masculine styles, oversized garments, and technical details fill her wardrobe.

Fur also becomes relevant in both apparel and accessories, with checked patterns like vichy and harrys that are evident on dresses, blazers, and masculine trousers.

Must-have: Suit

Meanwhile, the romantic and feminine girl influenced the Americanwestern style dresses fit to conquer unexplored territories. Traditional designs and materials are revamped with contemporary lines, and ethnic influences are mixed to reflect a global perspective. Natural and rustic materials are as important as the ethnic embroideries in corduroy, sheep fur, suede, etc. The

presence of details, such as pompons, chains, and embellishments, are highlighted in all items.

Must-have: Poncho

Bring back the American jeans style where the classic bottoms in worn-out designs, different blue colorations and motifs through artisan techniques, embroideries, and embellishments, stand out amongst others. In the Philippines, Stradivarius is exclusively distributed by International Specialty Wear, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc., and is located at Glorietta 2, SM Aura Premier, Megamall and Shangri-la Mall East Wing.

Stradivarious offers sporty outfits, oversized garments, and romantic dresses for the independent, free-spirited girl

CityMall, DTI open Go Lokal! stores nationwide CiTyMAll is the latest mall operator to partner with the Department of Trade and industry (DTi) for its go Lokal! program, with the inauguration of its go lokal! outlet at CityMall-Anabu in Imus, Cavite, marking as well the opening of go lokal! in CityMalls around the country including as far as Boracay in Visayas and Cotabato in Mindanao. Banking on CityMall’s growing network throughout the country, in prime areas across the provinces, CityMall Go Lokal! showcases items that are products of MSMEs (Micro, Small and Me-

dium Enterprises) to help them access the mainstream market. Go Lokal! is a retail concept store that showcases quality and innovative artisanal Philippine products, crafted, designed, and produced by the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from indigenous materials. These products received extensive product development assistance from the Product Specialists of the Design Center of the Philippines, a unit of the DTI. CityMall is owned by publicly listed real estate firm DoubleDragon Properties, the property arm of Mang Inasal

founder Edgar “Injap” Sia II and Jollibee Foods Corp. “We are pleased to be working with the DTI on Go Lokal!,” says Sia, DoubleDragon Properties chairman. “With CityMalls across the country serving as the platform for helping micro entrepreneurs from the region, we are confident that through this project, these micro entrepreneurs can eventually grow and expand their businesses not just locally but globally as well.” CityMall looks towards opening 100 CityMalls by 2020 in provincial Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

GMA News TV Born to be Wild Resident Vet Doc Ferdz Recio offered free consultations during the Pet Express Dog and Cat Expo 2017

Pets at work

Dog and cat lovers of all ages recently had shopping fun with their furry and feline friends at the Pet express Dog and Cat expo 2017 at the SMX Convention Center in partnership with CARA Welfare Philippines and Totem Philippines. A one-stop shop for pet lovers, the Expo featured booths of top brands of nutritious and delicious food to feed their pets like Alpo, Pedigree, Fancy Feast, Friskies, Acana, Good Boy, and Royal Canin; as well as those to keep them healthy like Nature’s Protection, Vitality, Virbac and Vitakraft. Pawsh Couture featured a lot of pet fashion fun, while Ezydog, Animal Scene Magazine and Wagtales drew a lot of interest among pet parents. This year, Pet Express introduced Pets at Work: A Pet Costume Party for our hardworking pets. Pet parents dressed their fur babies with their dream profession attires. There were doctor dogs and cats; police cats and dogs on duty; pet pilots and flight attendants to take you on wings of fun, and furry chefs, maids, and butlers at your service. The pets that were dressed as Magtataho and Mamang Sorbetero were crowd favorites. The Pet express Dog and Cat expo featured health and nutrition seminars from Alpo and Friskies, Virbac and Pedigree. GMA News TV Born to be Wild vets Dr. Ferdz Recio gave free consultations at the Petlac booth, while Celebrity and Wagtales App founder Jinri Park introduced the newest mobile app for pet parents and fur babies for them to have a happy tails. BetterDog Philippines Jojo Isorena gave tips on how to teach your dog basic obedience and have fun

Homegrown products offered at Go Lokal! outlet in CityMall-Anabu in Imus, Cavite

Fill your tummies and souls

Jinri Park is the founder of Wagtales

while doing tricks and training them. Recently, Pet Express and Totem Philippines had the very first Petscape Room Challenge, wherein participants tested their wit and problem solving skills inside the mystery room and escape before they ran out of time. Every registrant who signed up for P200 played for a cause at the Petscape Room Challenge. Proceeds of the Petscape Room Challenge were donated to CARA Welfare Philippines. For more info, visit Pet Express stores at SM Cubao, SM Hypermarket Makati, SM Mall of Asia, SM City North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM City Masinag and SM City Dasmariñas Cavite.

SPReAD the festive spirit to our kin in need, as Racks and Tenya partner with Habitat for Humanity and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, respectively. Throughout the holiday season, the well-loved restaurants will be donating a portion of their limited time sets to the two non-profit organizations. Racks wants to celebrate with the family, and partner with a foundation that has the same thrust. “The family is the smallest unit of the community,” said Racks Managing Director Chukri Prieto. “With Habitat for Humanity, we want to help develop Filipino communities, and provide livelihood for them.” Meanwhile, for Tenya, it was more about bringing attention to the children. “We chose the Make-A-Wish Foundation, because we believe that children are a reflection of true happiness and making their wishes come true this season of joy is a way of spreading good cheer through our food,” shared Tenya’s general Manager Iggy Ramos. Racks is giving classic ribs a twist this season with the new Bacon Crusted Pork Ribs. Whether you’re dining solo, or with a group, the restaurant has just the plate of sumptuous ribs for you. A quarter slab with rice and a regular side (P475) should keep a lone tummy full, while a pair can enjoy a half rack with two rice, one large side, and a solo Caesar Salad (P995). A group of five to six can chow down on a Platter, including

Indulge in Racks’ Bacon Crusted Pork Ribs and help develop a community

a full rack of Bacon Crusted Pork Ribs, a platter of rice, a pasta platter, familysized Caesar salad, two large sides, and a pitcher of soda (P2,475). Craving for seafood? Tenya is granting your wish with a special and festive selection of the finest catch from the sea, with the Winter Seafood Tendon (tempura donburi). For a limited time, enjoy these delectable seafood specialties in one bowl, for just P395. Feast on Black Tiger

Prawn, Soft-shell Crab, and Norwegian Salmon, with Japanese Red Pickled Ginger (Benishioga), Kani stick, Nori, green beans, and miso soup. And for just P425, upgrade your dish to a Teishoku Set. Indulge in Tenya’s other holiday treats, like the special edition Winter Coolers, Cranberry Grapefruit Cooler and Pineapple Spritz Cooler, for P115 each. Promo runs until Jan. 15, 2018 in all Racks and Tenya branches nationwide.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

8 Iconic HBO series and new movies on HBO GO

Spanning five seasons, 'Six Feet Under,' which tells a story of a family that runs a funeral home, is regarded by many as one of the greatest TV dramas of all time

BESIDES the phenomenal Game of Thrones, HBO’s roster of notable shows across genres have captivated Filipino viewers – proving that HBO has become part of their entertainment fix through the years. In the Philippines, HBO was made more accessible to Filipinos through cable by SKY. Because of SKY and HBO’s shared vision to make home entertainment memorable for Filipinos, SKY continues to make HBO shows accessible anytime, anywhere through streaming via HBO GO using any One SKY plans (all-in-one cable, internet, and video-on-demand bundles). “Solid HBO fans in the Philippines are able to enjoy HBO’s world-class content because of SKY’s partnership with HBO and we look forward to bring more great HBO shows closer to Filipinos through television and online in the future,” SKY President and COO March Ventosa said. Yasmin Zahid, head of sales and affiliate marketing, said, “With our online streaming service, HBO GO, we are proud to be able to make our everexpanding library of HBO Original content and selected Hollywood movies accessible to our audiences in the Philippines, anytime, anywhere across multiple devices via the internet.” As HBO celebrates 25 years of creating exceptional stories, here’s a look at some of HBO’s iconic series and new movies that you can stream via HBO GO using SKY’s fast, fiberpowered broadband for an ultimate binge-viewing. 1. The Sopranos The American crime drama series centers on Italian-American Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a mob boss based in New Jersey who faces problems in his personal and professional life. After experiencing

panic attacks, Tony seeks psychiatric counseling to cope with concerns like the potential exposure of his criminal organization and his relationships with his family and mafia colleagues. Winner of five Golden Globes, it became a big hit worldwide and ran for six seasons. It was also nominated in several prestigious award-giving bodies including The Emmy’s and The Golden Globes and won the coveted George Foster Peabody award in 1999 and 2000. 2. Sex And The City Carrie Bradshaw became a household name in the 90s because of Sex and The City, the HBO adaptation of the 1997 book of the same title that revolves around Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her friends Samantha Jones (Kim Catrall), Charlotte York (Kristin Davis), and Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) who are in their 30s and 40s. Set in New York City, the four friends gossip and confide in each other about their sex lives despite their different personalities, making their bond inseparable and one of a kind. For six seasons, it earned eight Golden Globes from over 24 nominations. The romantic comedy also received over 50 Emmy nominations and was also named Outstanding Comedy Series in the Emmy Awards and was included in Time’s 100 Best TV Shows of All-Time. 3. The Wire When it came to compelling stories with an engrossing plot, HBO’s 2002 crime drama The Wire was one of the celebrated series during its time on television. With a touch of realism, it introduces viewers to various institutions in Baltimore like the illegal drug trade and the print news media and shows the relationship of people in these organizations to law enforcement. Like other HBO series, The Wire was

Comprising seven seasons, 'True Blood' received highly positive reviews, and both nominations and wins for several awards, including a Golden Globe and an Emmy

also an award-winning program. Some of its recognitions include the Peabody Award Winner, Time’s critics choice for top television show (season 1 and 3), TCA Heritage Award (season 5), and the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Dramatic Series (season 4), among others. 4. True Detective HBO also produced a critically acclaimed anthology crime drama in the form of True Detective. Winner of five Emmys, it focuses on how police investigations uncover dark and dirty secrets of people involved within and even outside the bounds of the law. What also makes the top-rating show special is how each season engages a new cast. Season one was top billed by Matthew McConaughey, while season two starred Colin Farrell. 5. Six Feet Under Another HBO original that received widespread raving reviews is the 2001 family drama, Six Feet Under. Putting the spotlight on a dysfunctional family who owns a small funeral home in California, it takes viewers on a trip down memory lane as it looks at the lives of the characters over the course of five years. Besides being a smash hit, it enjoyed a back-to-back win in the SAG Awards when it nabbed the Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2002 and 2003. It was also hailed as Best Drama Series in the 2001 Golden Globes. 6. True Blood When Vampires became a pop culture icon in 2008, HBO was quick to produce True Blood, a dark fantasy horror series based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries books. The series centers on Sookie (Anna Paquin), a waitress with telepathic powers who falls in love with Bill (Stephen Moyer), a 173-year-old vampire. It also showed how vampires struggled to fight for equality, which was interpreted as a symbolism for LGBT rights movement. True Blood received positive reviews and was honored in by award-giving bodies including the Emmy’s where it won an Outstanding Casting for Drama in 2009. 7. Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them Fans of the Harry Potter franchise will find themselves engrossed in this 2016 fantasy film as they will be introduced to a world filled with magical creatures. It stars Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, a “magizoologist” and his adventures in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards. 8. Passengers This science fiction movie is one of the biggest blockbusters of 2016 because of its larger-than-life story. It is about two people awakened 90 years early from an induced hibernation while they are in a spacecraft that is supposed to transport them to a colony planet. The film also nabbed a nomination for Best Original Score and Best Production Design at the 89th Academy Awards and stars Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. For more information about One SKY plans and HBO GO, visit mysky.com. ph/onesky and mysky.com.ph/hbogo.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Thursday, December 28, 2017

ACROSS 1 Wild guesses 6 — accompli 10 Cabbage cousin 14 Tight-knit team 15 Bus stop sight 16 Luau strings 17 Not in a whisper 18 Builds on 19 Archaeological sites 20 “— Rae” (film) 21 Carpenters’ tools (2 wds.) 23 Literary miscellany 25 Moo goo — pan 26 Memo abbr. 29 Disco dancer (hyph.) 32 Bombay nannies 37 Ernesto Guevara 38 Go on foot 39 Menu listing 40 Folklore dwarf 43 Realm 44 Does a wrecker’s job 45 SOYUZ destination 46 Floor it 47 Feathered talker 48 Poker stake 49 WNW - 180 deg. 51 Cry of dismay 53 Blind alleys

(2 wds.) 58 Horror flick extra 62 Paris hub 63 007’s alma mater 64 Sawyer or Keaton 65 Meadow rodent 66 Elcar or Wynter 67 Dainty 68 Jungle swingers 69 Steel-mill refuse 70 Avian homes DOWN 1 Flip through 2 Moon ring 3 Offensive smell 4 Capote 5 Hardtop 6 Eggy dessert 7 Verdi classic 8 Part of ROY G BIV 9 Inventor Nikola — 10 Striped antelope 11 Comparable 12 Grand-piano trio 13 Double curve 22 San Francisco team 24 Limber 26 Farm measure 27 Thud 28 Fiesta Bowl city

30 Approves 31 J. Paul — 33 Geol. formations 34 “Chicago Hope” actor 35 Robbery 36 Have vibes about 38 Rounded up 39 Onetime Broncos QB John — 41 Homey dessert 42 Na+ or Cl47 — telepathy

48 For some time 50 Has to have 52 Nash of humorous poems 53 Bead 54 She, to Marie 55 Certain votes 56 Portuguese lady 57 Sweater flaw 59 Uncouth ones 60 Appliance 61 Optical device 62 Biologist’s eggs

Korean Film Festival 2017 at SM Megamall THE annual Korean Film Festival recently unreeled at the SM Megamall Cinema 6, giving mallgoers a rare glimpse of Korean culture through movies. The director of the opening film, How to Steal a Dog, Kim Seong Ho, flew in from Korea to attend the event, giving film enthusiasts an insight to Korean filmmaking through a question and answer portion after the screening. A joint project of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines and SM, the festival inspired a deeper understanding of Korea’s cultural diversity with this year’s theme, “Boldness of Youth”, in which five critically acclaimed films showed characters who face various challenges in their lives. Through these films, viewers can get encouragement and reminisce to understand the youth of today and what they’re going through. The thriving film industry of Korea represents their country’s openmindedness, nationalism, and creativity in storytelling, acting, and technological prowess. The five films in the 2017 Korean Film Festival –How to Steal a Dog, My Brilliant Life, King of Jogku, Twenty, and Very Ordinary Couple were screened during the festival for free in key cities around the Philippines.

The festival ran for five more weeks after its SM Megamall launch in SM Cinemas in different regions of the country. These include SM Lanang Premier in Davao SM City Iloilo, SM City Cebu, SM City Clark in Pampanga, and SM City Dasmariñas in Cavite. The Korean Film Festival 2017 is one of the many exciting cultural events of SM Cinema.

Inspiring bull that isn’t a bully Wrestling superstar John Cena lends his voice to the gentlest bull that will soon capture everyone’s hearts on Jan. 8 in Ferdinand – a giant bull who prefers flowers to fighting. Today’s generation can enjoy the delightful CG-animated film based on the 1936 book The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf with illustrations by Robert Lawson, a warm and charming take on how appearances can be deceptive. Directed by Academy Award nominee Carlos Saldanha, creator and director of the Rio series and many of the Ice Age movies, Ferdinand centers on the adventures of a peace-loving bull adopted by a loving farmer and daughter. However, his idyllic life changes after he’s mistaken for a vicious beast and is taken away to the last place on earth he wants to be, a bull training camp. But Ferdinand is determined to get back home. Along the way, the kindhearted bull makes many friends and changes the lives of those he meets. But there still one great obstacle he’ll have to

overcome… in the film’s thrilling climactic scene, Ferdinand has to face the matador El Primero in a packed arena, but he valiantly stays true to his peaceful nature, and inspires all those around him. Casting the right actors and actresses to voice the wide variety of memorable characters of the movie was one of the most important steps in realizing the director and producers’ vision. Thanks to the efforts of veteran casting director Christian Kaplan, who has been responsible for finding the voices for many of the Fox/ Blue Sky Studios features for the past 14 years, Ferdinand features an eclectic voice cast that includes, apart from Cena (Ferdinand), Kate McKinnon (Lupe), David Tennant (Angus), Gina Rodriguez (Una), Peyton Manning (Guapo), Bobby Cannavale (Valiente), Anthony Anderson (Bones), Jerrod Carmichael (Paco), Flula Borg (Hans), Daveed Diggs (Dos), Raúl Esparza (Moreno), Sally Phillips (Greta), Boris Kodjoe (Klaus) and Gabriel Iglesias (Cuatro).

Scenes from 'Ferdinand,' a 3D comedy drama film based on Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson's children's book 'The Story of Ferdinand'

Isah V. Red, Editor Nickie Wang, Writer isahred@gmail.com THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2017

Cutting-edge programs on GMA in 2018

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. Dennis Trillo plays the lead in an upcoming sexy, romanticcomedy on GMA 7

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RIVEN with its goal of offering Filipinos world-class entertainment, GMA Entertainment Content Group never fails to give the eyes of every Kapuso a feast with pioneering and groundbreaking concepts. In the first quarter of 2018 it presents a showcase of its forthcoming programs. The 2018 first quarter drama lomnibus plug was launched within Paskong Kapuso 2017: The GMA Christmas Special on Dec. 17. First is the sexy, romantic-comedy series The One That Got Away with three lovely Kapuso leading ladies – Lovi Poe, Max Collins and Rhian Ramos. Dennis Trillo plays an important role in the program as Liam, the ex-boyfriend of the three women. Joining them are Ivan Dorschner, Migo Adecer and Jason Abalos. This is an extraordinary story about

three women who formed an unlikely but strong friendship after discovering that at different times in their lives, they were romantically linked with the same guy. Also in the cast are Bembol Roco, Snooky Serna, Luz Valdez, Ayra Mariano, Ashley Rivera, Sophie Albert, Jason Francisco, Ervic Vijandre, Nar Cabico, Dea Formilleza, Euwenn Aleta, among others. Maryo J. Delos Reyes and Mark De La Cruz direct the series. Ruru Madrid and Gabbi Garcia, GMA’s hottest love team or of the budding tandems in the network, star in the original primetime series Sherlock Jr. with Janine Gutierrez in a special role. Viewers of all ages will enjoy this program filled with action and drama about the friendship between an investigative reporter and a dog. The series introduces Serena a lovable and smart Golden Retriever who will touch everyone’s lives and will teach them a lesson about love, life, family and friendship. Roi Vinzon, Rochelle Pangilinan, Andre Paras, Kate Valdez, Sharmaine Arnaiz, Matt Evans, Yann Asistio, Sophia Pablo and AiAi de las Alas complete the cast. Three upcoming Afternoon Prime series are set to premiere next year, namely Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka, The Stepdaughters and Contessa. Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka stars Yasmien Kurdi, Martin del Rosario, Jackie Rice, and Mike Tan. This intriguing series tells about the struggles of a woman who is HIV positive and how she battles her own frailties and demons in life. This is also the first “advoca-serye” which tackles one of the most serious, deadly diseases in human history. Joining the cast are Shamaine Buencamino, Charee Pineda, Ina Feleo, Mike “Pekto” Nacua, Catherine Rem, Caprice Cayetano, Sef de la Cruz and Gina Alajar.

From left: Max Collins, Lovi Poe and Rhian Ramos, stars of 'The One that Got Away'

The Stepdaughters stars real-life sweethearts Megan Young and Mikael Daez. Katrina Halili joins the cast together with Glydel Mercado, Sef Cadayona, Samantha Lopez and Gary Estrada. This upcoming Afternoon Prime soap revolves around the story of Mayumi and Isabelle, two strong-willed women who will do everything for family, honor and love. Another afternoon program to

watch out for is Contessa. Glaiza de Castro plays Contessa, a woman who seeks justice after being accused of a crime she did not commit. Playing important roles in the series are Jak Roberto, Geoff Eigenmann and Gabby Eigenmann. Completing the cast are Lauren Young, Dominic Roco, Leandro Baldemor, Bernadette Allyson, Phytos Ramirez, Denise Barbacena, Will Ashely and Tetchie Ag-

‘Ignacio de Loyola’ in Vatican’s film festival

History channel's 'Knightfall' explores the fall of the Knights Templar, their brotherhood and their devotion to the holy relics (such as The Holy Grail)

History’s must-watch shows ARE you prepared to solve the mystery of an unknown serial killer, discover the value of forgotten treasures, or uncover gripping historical epics? From mysteries, dramas and thoughtprovoking documentaries, History dares you to put these shows on your new must-watch list in January 2018. Are you ready to hunt down one of history’s infamous serial murderers? On Jan. 3, at 9 p.m. catch the brand-new series The Hunt For The Zodiac Killer and watch the investigation of the case of the twisted killer who terrorized America in the 1960s to the 70s, and left taunting codes with bizarre symbols in his wake. Then, join the Harrison family for the new season of the hit series Pawn Stars. Starting on Jan. 29 at 9 p.m., step inside this family-run pawnshop in Las Vegas where Richard, his son Rick, and grandson Corey carefully assess the value of items ranging from the obscure to the truly extraordinary. Follow Rick as he tries to seal the deal on a historic world war gun scope; Chumlee investigates an ancient bronze statue; and Corey goes over a storyboard from a classic animated movie. Catch all that and more in season 19 of Pawn Stars. The historical epic Knightfall returns with new episodes on Jan. 4 at 9:55 p.m. same day as the

US telecast. Follow the Knights Templar on their mission to find the lost Cup of Christ. And in this new episode, tensions are high during Princess Isabella’s wedding preparations. While King Philip, in fear of an attack, asks the Knights Templar for help in protecting the palace. If you missed episodes of this riveting series, enjoy the Knightfall Midseason Catch-Up Marathon, 1.35 to 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 7, . Prepare for The LA Riots: 25 Years Later special, a documentary that centers on the most destructive riot that left 53 dead, and a billion dollars in damages. Witness the four harrowing days through gripping raw footage from the streets, first person testimonials, and newscasts. And discover a deeper story surrounding one of the most tragic events in American history, 9 p.m, on Jan. 26. Last but not the least, travel to small towns and back roads where unexpected treasures are waiting to be uncovered in new episodes of The Pickers Season 12. Starting Jan. 17 at 9 p.m. follow expert pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz hunt down objects with historical, collectible and cultural value that may have been forgotten. Join them in combing through a mind-blowing collection and a Tennessee home hiding a big secret.

IGNACIO de Loyola, the Filipino-produced biopic about the founder of the Society of Jesus, has been awarded Best Film at the recently concluded Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival in Vatican City, making it the first Filipino film to win the prestigious award. Held at the Palazzo Cardinal Cesi, the film festival handed out four major awards for Best Short Film, Best Documentary, Best Director and Best Film. Ignacio de Loyola directed by Paolo Dy bested Saint Bridget of Sweden by Fabio Carini (USA) and Fatima the Ultimate Mystery by Andres Garrigo (Spain). Festival founder and organizer Liana Marabini says the jury was unanimous in their decision. “The most important thing to say about Ignacio de Loyola is that…it is the first time in the history of the Festival that this happened. There were no discussions about it. The members of the jury appreciated the script, the actors, the decorations, the costumes, the music of the film: in one word, everything.” Ignacio de Loyola made history in 2016 when it became the first Filipino film to premiere at the Vatican. Produced by Jesuit Communications Foundation Philippines and top-billed by Spanish actor Andreas Muñoz, it enjoyed a successful theatrical run in the Philippines last year and has been shown around the

world, particularly in the United States, Spain, and in Mexico where it won the Audience Choice Award at the 12th Cine Con Valores Film Festival. Producers Pauline Mangilog-Saltarin and Ernestine Tamana were in Rome to accept the Silver Fish trophy. “It was truly a humbling experience to be called on stage to receive the award. Ignacio de Loyola was made with blood, sweat, and tears, literally!” says Saltarin. “We share this important recognition with our director and screenwriter Paolo Dy and the whole cast, crew and production staff who made this film with so much passion and grace and turned it into a genuine labor of love.” Ignacio de Loyola executive producer Fr. Emmanuel Alfonso, SJ further adds, “We are greatly honored by this award. It comes as a real surprise because the film was our first attempt at filmmaking. We therefore share this with all those who struggled with us to be able to produce this film. We hope that more people will be inspired by the example of St. Ignatius!” Considered to be the Oscars of Catholic films, the Mirabile Dictu receives more than a thousand film entries each year from all over the world. The festival started with the intention of giving space

to producers and filmmakers, documentaries, docu-fiction, TV series, short films and programs that promote universal moral values and positive models. Now on its 8th edition, it was conceived and created in 2010 under the High Patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture (Pontificium Consilium de Cultura) during Pope Benedict XVI’s time. Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the council, was present during the awarding ceremonies and delivered a heartfelt speech about the power of film to transform lives. In an interview with Rome Reports, Marabini says, “I think movies are a great evangelization tool that’s why I now dedicate myself whether as producer or organizer of this festival, to give space and creative platform for Catholic films.” The prize of the Festival, “Il Pesce d’Argento” (The Silver Fish, in Italian), is inspired by the first Christian symbol. Parties interested to screen Ignacio de Loyola in their country may send an e-mail to Jesuit Communications Foundation at jcf@admu.edu.ph , send a private message at the official Ignacio de Loyola Facebook page or call +6324265971-72.

At the Mirabile Dictu awards night: (from left) Fr. Chris Fajardo, SJ, Mirabile Dictu festival founder and organizer Liana Marabini, 'Ignacio de Loyola' producers Pauline Mangilog-Saltarin and Ernestine Tamana, and Fr. IJ Chan-Gonzaga, SJ